Drink too much and enjoy the overhyped commerce. I don't know what you did but I watched The Bucket List and then turned on NBC just in time to watch Ryan Seacrest and one million idiots, it was a good time. I'm sure my daughter will wake up way too early tomorrow and I'll drink way too much coffee. Oh yeah, Captain Morgan goes well with Dr. Pepper too.
On friday, June 13, 2008, 20th Century Fox will release The Happening. For those of you that were disappointed by The Village and Lady In The Water, I think you should change you're expectations. I believe that M. Night's forte is character development. I find myself very emotionally attached to the characters in his films and felt that Lady In The Water did a fantastic job with that. Anyways, The Happening will be M. Night's first R-rated film and stars Mark Wahlberg, Zooey Deschanel, and John Leguizamo. It supposedly focuses on the struggles of one family amidst a natural disaster.
So I'm watching Three Men And A Little Lady when this song comes on. I scoured the web looking for this song. If only popular music sounded like this. How could you not like this song? Seriously... (I do admit, music videos have come a long way)
Last week I noticed that the Daytrotter Sessions Volume 2 was a Top 10 download on eMusic. The main reason for that being that the album was a free download. Seeing that reminded me that there is much more to be downloaded for FREE from Daytrotter, so I headed over to their site and had a field day.
I surfed through 767 songs and downloaded everything I could from my favorite artists, and artists I have been curious about. At least 4 mp3s from each band, all Daytrotter Acoustic sessions. I downloaded 141 songs total...for FREE!
Here is a list of the bands I downloaded...
Aloha, Andrew Bird, AuRevior Simone, Broken West, Cold War Kids, David Bazan, Deerhunter, Dr. Dog, Elvis Perkins, French Kicks, Get Him Eat Him, Grizzly Bear, Honorary Title, Limbeck, Mates of State, Menomena, My Brightest Diamond, Of Montreal, Okkervil River, Owen, Page France, The Rentals, Robbers On High Street, Sea Wolf, Shearwater, Spinto Band, Sunset Rubdown, The Elected, The National, The Ponys, The Slip, Tilly & The Wall, Vampire Weekend, Voxtrot, William Elliott Whitmore, Yeasayer
Yes, all of this and more can be your for FREE. So do your ears a favor and head over to Daytrotter.
I hope the Cowboys make it to the big game and are smacked around by the Patriots. And I don't even like the Patriots. Then I hope the demon seed of Jessica Simpson rises from the ashes of Tony Romo and lives a life of suffering.
Happy Thursday!
So Jack Nicholson played The Joker and is fantastic at everything but Mr. Brokeback himself, Heath Ledger, is The Joker. I cannot wait to see this. Batman Begins is my favorite comic book movie to this point.
When hence you are surfing the interweb, spend some time over at the website for Arcade Fire (not The Arcade Fire). It's quite splendid.
http://www.arcadefire.com/flash.html
I realize it's not Tuesday, but really, who cares?
This is the video for the song Rotten Hell, a solid stand-out from this years wonderful album Friend And Foe by Menomena.
Enjoy.
As men we are often subject to watching television shows that well....we really would rather not watch.
I found myself in that situation tonight, as I often do on Sunday nights (and 6 other nights a week), watching Brothers & Sisters on ABC. Now, I'm a realistic person. I understand that different shows attempt to go for different audiences. This show has done a wonderful job reeling in the audience of the women kind. Its a prime time soap opera. Every scene pushes the drama to a full climax. In one family someone is going to war, someone is on drugs, someone is cheating on their spouse, someone is gay, someone is running for President, someone is a long lost sister, a father is dead, and someone is Sally Field, just trying to keep the whole thing glued together. Good luck Sally.
Well, as I was sipping my beer and playing with my cell phone, keeping the program fully tuned out, I sadly noticed the song "Start A War" by The National, begin to play in the background of a scene in the show. Gay guy #1 was sad that gay guy #2 wasnt over gay guy #3 and so gay guy number #2 said he was almost ready to be one with gay guy #1 but then gay guy #1 turned the tables and walked out on gay guy #2 because they cant be together as long as he still pines for gay guy #3.
For some reason somebody at ABC thought "Start A War" was the perfect song for these fabulous fellas to share their feelings to. The song carried over into the next scene in which some girl confessed to some other girl that she told on her for cheating. The song probably carried into the next scene in which terrorists took the entire family hostage...but I wouldnt know. I left the room to come and report this news to the world.
I have no problem with The National being on the show, nor do I care what scenes it was in. The majority of the audience watching probably didnt notice or care about what song was playing in the background. They were too busy putting the pieces of drama together. Trying to add it up and make something meaningful of it all.
I do find it amusing however that The National have taken prime time television by storm. First NBC's "Chuck" and now this. Whats next for these guys? I know, Deal Or No Deal.
The one good highlight of Brothers & Sisters tonight was the spectacluar Chevy Chase. His cameo ended tonight, but he ruined the wedding by smoking pot and getting detained by secret service.
Oh, and he dumped Sally Field!!! Bueno!!
Next week she will start putting back the pieces to the family Post-Chevy. Maybe Menomena will provide the soundtrack.
I mentioned in a recent post that Final Fantasy was warming up in the basement of the First Unitarian Church, and that it delayed the set of Jonah Matranga. So here's more about that.
I was aware going into the Jonah Matranga show that Final Fantasy would be playing at the church at almost exactly the same time as Jonah. As I sat and waited for Jonah's show to start, he told the audience that he was going to get a late start because Final Fantasy was doing their soundcheck just underneath our feet. Being a fan, I obviously had to go investigate.
As I walked towards the steps of the basement I could clearly make out the song "The Arctic Circle" the first track from the 2006 album He Poos Clouds. My walk turned into a sprint. I got down to the empty basement just in time to watch Owen play through the song. The lights were up and the only other people in the basement were the sound techs and a roadie or two. I knew that Jonah wasnt going to start his show until Owen was done, so I just decided to park it and watch.
Owen played a number of songs, none all the way through, but he did play them exactly how he would play them live, with all the instruments and the looping. It was really neat to watch him tinker with his equipment to get the sound he wanted. Its a side of most musicians that you dont typically get to see and most people dont realize exists before every show. And a guy like Owen Pallett doesnt just plug in and hope for the best. He obviously cared about providing a perfect sound.
After standing there for about 20 minutes some way too indie kid came up to me and told me I had to wait outside. I was ready to go back upstairs anyway but I still wonder what he would have done if I had said "no, I'm ok".
Final Fantasy has a new album coming out in 2008 called Heartland, the follow-up to 2006's He Poos Clouds. Until then his contributions are all over two stunners this year Neon Bible by Arcade Fire and The Flying Club Cup by Beirut on which you can here his string and vocal contributions.
For the past few weeks Paste Magazine has been running an In Rainbows type of promotion to subscribe to their magazine. I've always been a fan of Paste, but at $6 a pop, i usually don't buy it. However it's a quality printed magazine, with relevant info and each issue comes with a CD sampler, which is always a great way to hear a new band.
So got to PASTE and name your own price for a 1 year subscription. I paid a whopping $2 for mine, which is $81 less dollars I paid for In Rainbows.
Last week I was fortunate enough to see Jonah Matranga play an intimate show at the First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia. Only 50 tickets were made available for the concert and it was held upstairs in the chapel of the church. Jonah is such a laid back guy. He was just walking around before the show, talking to fans, selling his own merch and just enjoying himself. He had only one guitar, and didnt play on a stage. The entire thing was set up on the floor in the back of the chapel, and the audience was to sit on the floor just in front of him, though my old self was lucky enough to snag a chair.
He got off to a late start because Final Fantasy was doing soundcheck downstairs in the basement, which I will discuss later. Jonah sang into 2 microphones, but never really sang into them at all. He stood at least 3 feet away from them the entire show, and sang sometimes as far as 15 feet way from them. He played for 2 hours, and ran through almost everything on his new album "And", and played tunes from his EP's, OneLineDrawing, New End Original and Far, but he never touched Gratitude. All of the songs sounded great live. Since "And" is still pretty new, its his material I'm least familiar with, but after the show I determined that I need to spend a lot more time with it.
One of the most impressive parts of the show was when Jonah walked away from his microphones and sang loudly straight up into the chapel ceiling. It created a haunting echo, and everyone in the crowd was blown away. He did something in his performance that I had never seen anyone do, but I think was really smart. He had his iPod hooked up to the soundboard, on which he had recorded the instrumental parts to some of his songs. He only used this effect a few times, but it added a full band sound to which Jonah was able to rock out a bit and sing and play along to.
Jonah even provided some comic relief with a few covers. He sang Irreplaceable by Beyonce, which he said was a song that he genuinly thought was a good song and that he had grown to like it because of his daughter listening to it all the time in the car. He also played the into to Don't Stop Believin' by Journey because he said that the chord progression sounded exactly like one of his songs.
All in all the show was amazing. Jonah did a lot of speaking out against the music industry. He seems to be worn out by it all. He stressed many times that so many things that major labels do for artist, artists are able to do by themselves. He even stressed that the best way to communicate with him is through his personal website and not through MySpace. The reason for that being that MySpace is controlled by much higher powers, and can be changed at anytime. Unlike communication through his website, which is obvioulsy controlled by him. I have to personally say that I agreed with him on every point he made. He is a true supporter of music as art, not a business. He even stated that he was going to continue to play music as long as it keeps making him feel good, and that events like the intimate show that night really kept him believing.
Anyway please check out Jonah Matranga. Support the man and buy his record. And the next time you read an article about how radiohead was the first band to allow fans to name their own price for a record...know this...for years Jonah has been selling his abums and his merchandise on a slide scale "pay what you can" at his shows and online. It just goes to show how important music is to him.
Jim Ward, the former guitarist and co-founder of At The Drive-In, and the current singer/guitarist behind Sparta, has quietly released a solo album. The five-track EP is called Quiet.
It's clearly a different direction for Jim Ward. Maybe he's tired of screaming and rocking. The songs are laced with acoustic guitars and piano. After the loud sounds of Sparta are taken away, you realize that Jim Ward has more than just a great screaming voice, he has a great singing voice.
As always, eMusic comes in handy. Download it.
On October 23, Doghouse Records released the Say Anything "...is/was A Real Boy" on VINYL. It's a 2xLP, 1 black and 1 green. Featuring the original album "...is a Real Boy" and the later released bonus "...was a Real Boy" and includes the freshly re-recorded version of the classic "Walk Through Hell", which was recently posted on their MySpace.
Buy it here. $12 is pretty much a steal.
It's a shame they didnt drop this one on us 3 years ago. At that point in time I probably would have bought 2 copies. One to open and listen to, and one to enshrine in a glass case.
I apologize for using a very cliched term but I have to. This band is really freakin "under the radar". I check many
music websites almost on a daily basis and never a mention regarding The Honorary Title. I can't figure out why. Not to mention, when I check every critic's Top 10, Top 15, or whathaveyou I will not see them mentioned. This is a travesty. They've made 2 albums sans a skip-over track. Their sophomore album "Scream And Light Up The Sky" is wonderful. This is more just a promotion than a review but I needed to mention them.
Song Recommendations: Stay Away, Along The Way, Apologize, The City's Summer, Untouched And Intact
The new album from The Avett Brothers, "Emotionalism" is a heart-on-sleeve banjo loving sing along. The songs are easy to enjoy, catchy and touching. "Die, Die, Die" is the album opener, and right from the start of that song, you can tell that you are in for an enjoyable listen. The band sounds like a mixture of Johnny Cash and The Beatles and also a touch of Whiskeytown. Cash for the lyrics and song structure, and The Beatles for the hooks and harmonizing. Whiskeytown obviously for the twang, though The Avett Brothers are banjo heavy.
So take a listen. You can download the album from eMusic. And I dare you to try and listen to "The Ballad Of Love And Hate" without getting emotional. This song is such a reminder about how precious and forgiving women are, and how we take them for granted.
Also, if you happen to be a Delaware resident, or at least are in the vicinity, you may want to check out their show at the Grand Opera House in Wilmington on November 20th. Tickets are still on sale and are only $22. Im sure it will be a great show.
Here are some current tracks that I can't get away from:
I wish this band had more videos. This song is great though. I highly recommend their new album "Boxer", it's extremely could and a more cohesive album the their previous "Alligator" which is also a must own.
You gotta love when a band releases a song or an ep in between albums. This song is called "Flux" and as usual it's pretty good.
How could one not find something completely wrong with this. I'm sorry if I'm a snob and he makes good music. If you think he makes good music then you have no idea what good music is. The sad part is that I don't have to even go past this album cover to know how much he sucks. How pretentious do you have to be to A: create something that's already been done (this is not like using a song title someone already used, this is an album cover) and B: use 1,000 pictures of yourself? Dude, Radiohead isn't even that good to be this pompous. 
On November 13th, the PLUG Independent Music Awards will announce the nominees for the their glorious indie awards.
Band of Horses cleaned up last year. Who do we think will clean up this year.
Im putting my money on The National and their listen, Boxer.
Cheers
This year I have not been able to get enough of Bret and Jemaine. Ok, and Murray too. And Dave. Leggy blonde. Mel and her sidekick slash husband Doug. Sally, Coco Ono, Greg, Eugene who knows what he's doing. And the one and only David Bowie, appearing in three persons.
The shows have been gone from Comcast OnDemand for months now, and I think we've all been hurting because of it. But don't fret. Our favourite New Zealanders are back on November 6th. The 2 disc DVD of the complete first season will be available in stores everywhere. All you need to do is choke up $20. That won't be difficult. Im sure its packed with extras and videos galore. Probably some of their stand-up too, which is also great, and not a far cry from what they do on the actual show.
Buy the funky DVD, Bret, buy the funky funky DVD.
I'd also like to point out that both the DVD, "Heima", and the CD, "Hvarf-Heim", will be a double DVD and double disc respectively. The CD will be released on November 6 and the DVD on November 20.
So Sigur Ros in the midst of recording a new album have decided to release both a live DVD and a b-sides CD in the month of November. On a personal level I feel the autumn/winter season is the only time for Sigur Ros to release anything, their music fits the season, albeit I do listen to them year round. Judging by the song (with apparent accompanying slideshow created by fan) I've posted here, which is called Hljomalind (I don't know and don't care what it means), I'm quite excited to hear the songs on the CD. I also have no doubts that the DVD will nothing short of amazing as seeing Sigur Ros live is akin to a deeply religious experience. If you have never had the pleasure of listening to Sigur Ros then shame on you. Some people consider bands like Radiohead (which I heartily recommend partaking a listen to their new album) or U2 to be the best band on the planet but I will be the one to audaciously say that Sigur Ros is without a doubt the best band currently on the planet. Please enjoy, I know I will.
Driving up to work today I threw in Disc 1 of the new Say Anything album, In Defense Of The Genre. Before I put it on, part of me was looking forward to hearing it, and the other part of me almost had no desire. I feel like I'm just noth "there" anymore. When ...Is A Real Boy came out, i wasnt really "there" either, but I fell in love with the album. Now a little older, and even farther away from the young rock MTV scene, i wonder if Say Anything is even for me.
After hearing the entire album once all the way through, I am ready to offer an opinion. The songs are good. They're tight. Polished. But they're not cohesive. Its just a bunch of songs on 2 cds. 27 songs to be exact. I got lost in it all. I think both discs play like an individul album, but there was so much music to absorb that the disc kept playing and before I knew it, I was on track 8. Is it possible that nothing between 1 and 8 caught my attention?
The guest appearances frustrate me. What is this, Santana? Seriously. I want to hear the band. I like the sound the band makes. I don't recognize 99% of the people anyway, because there is really nothing distinct about their voices. And shouldnt that be the point of a guest vocalist? To hear the song and say "hey, thats _____" and be excited about it. Every 10 minutes on the album there is a nobody emo rocker singing the verse of a song. Why? Whats the point?
There were some positive notes. A few songs did stand out and were a good growth in the sound of the band. I think if the 27 songs had been cut down to 12, there would probably be a well crafted piece of work here. The lyrics meet up to the expectations that Max has created for himself, though some of it is pretty unusual. Screaming obsenities just for the sake of it. And at the same time, there are more religious lyrics on the album then most religious bands even care to sing.
I dont like the artwork, or the album title. The liner notes are packed with all the lyrics, but nothing more. I love getting the lyrics, but I like some interesting artwork too.
So, thats my first impression. I may prove to be wrong. I think I will probably end up picking the best songs out of the 27 and just making one highly enjoyable disc.
But if you want to re-live Alive With The Glory of Love or Admit It, i would just forget it.
Final Fantasy aka Owen Pallett does a lot of covers live. One of which is This Modern Love by Bloc Party. It's just so dang enjoyable. I cant wait until his new album comes out!
Ted vs. Taco
So, it would seem that somebody entered Ted Leo into a contest that its pretty obvious why he wouldnt want to be associated with. Funny. But not funny. What I don't understand is why the other bands entered the contest. Have they no shame?
Read it from Ted, not from me.
www.tedleo.com
So, its finally 10/10. The ten days we had to wait for the new Radiohead album have finally passed. I woke up at 6:30am to find the download link in my inbox, exactly as they said it would be. I wasted no time to burn it and throw it on my stereo and rock on my way to work. I must say that i am greatly impressed with it. I didnt really have any expectations, there wasnt enough time to build any expectations anyway. The only thing i hoped is that the band would get back on track after what I though was a very sub par effort, and poorly named, Hail To The Thief.
In Rainbows flows along the lines of Kid A. Ten tracks, which seems to be the perfect number for an album. I almost wish more bands would cut the fat from their 14 track efforts and just give me something solid to enjoy. I would compare the feel of the album to Kid A also. Its a little dark, but very optimistic. Its clear this time around that Radiohead have recorded with real instruments. Acoustic guitars are strumming, and the drum beats are real. Its refreshing to hear them apply some of the basics to their sound, which in recent years became a lot more electronic based. There are also several brief but moving orchestral arrangements. Again, not enough to overwhelm the listener. Just enough to catch your attention.
Well, Im going to keep listening. And feel free to snag my art for your iTunes.
I'm a reasonable man.
It was made known to the world yesterday that Radiohead will self-release their 7th LP titled In Rainbows, on October 10th. My excitement has drifted a bit over the past few years. Hail to the Thief never really did it for me, though at one point in time in the late 1990's and early 2000's, I declaired that Radiohead was my favorite band.
I do have to say that the sudden drop of the release date really excites me. Up until a day ago, the release date seemed to be a year away. But there it is. You can even order the vinyl and cd package for $81 from inrainbows.com. I will consider.
So, I enjoyed Dashboard Confessional back in the day when it was JUST Chris Carrabba going at it alone. It was interesting at first when the full band sound came into play. Back when he re-recorded a few old songs with a full band for the "The Places.." LP and the very enjoyable "Summers Kiss" EP.
I have since given up on the band. I don't hate them, they just no longer appeal to me. The full band sound just takes away from what made Dashboard a stunner in the first place.
Minutes ago I became aware that they have a new album coming out next week, which shocks me a bit since they just released an album last year. I never gave the last one a chance. I did download it from eMusic, and i will probably download this one from eMusic. At leat the cover art catchs my attention.
Sigur Ros have a few releases on the horizon. A double ep entitled "Hvarf/Heim" on November 6th which will be great im sure. It contains new tracks as well as new recordings of old songs from Von. On another note, in August Sigur Ros released an ep/dvd called Hlemmur. It was limited to 3000 copies, all of which are numbered. Its bound in a nice book and contains 48 pages of sketches by the band. The only downside is that it will cost you $80 and that is not including shipping. However, can you really put a price on such a rare piece from such an amazing band? I know this release is one of those items that will be selling on eBay for $300 next year.
You can buy the regular edition of the same set for $20.
Check it out if you get a chance.
http://shop.sandbag.uk.com/SigurRos/Store/DisplayIndividualItem.html?ID=1495&CatID=3&ShopID=0
For years the enjoyment of buying the vinyl format of your favorite new album was always burdened by having to purchase a copy of that same album in the boring and worthless compact disc format as well. Over the past year or so, record companies have begun to realize the popularity that the vinyl format still holds for many fans and collectors. As you may know, some of these companies have started to package a free mp3 album download code with the purchase of the vinyl. Some have even gone as far as to include an actual cd in a paper sleeve, tucked inside the vinyl sleeve, as was the case this year with the Wilco release "Blue Sky Blue". In most cases, these vinyl albums that include a download ticket usually cost the same as the cd format alone would cost you, but possibly $2-$3 more than the cd.
In this digital age, most of us no longer care to own a cd. We're content with files. On our computer and in our cars. If you buy a new cd, you are almost sure to watch it drop in value from the day you purchase it for $12, until the day you cant get rid of it for $2. Vinyl records on the other hand almost never loose their value. Most increase in value over the years due to small quantities and limited runs.
So Ive decided to try and keep track of as many indie albums as I can that are released on vinyl and include a free digital album download ticket. People should know.
First up:
Matt Pond PA - Last Light 2xLP with FREE digital download - $15.99 at insound.com. The CD is $13.99.
A few others so far this year...
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The New Pornographers - Challengers
The Shins - Wincing The Night Away
The new single from Say Anything entitled "Skinny Mean Man" was just posted online the other day. I was really looking forward to taking a listen, and today I did just that. It left me very unimpressed, which was honestly what I had already braced myself for.
Coming off of 2004's "...Is A Real Boy", Say Anything are about to drop "In Defense of The Genre" on October 23rd. A highly anticipated double album. "...Is A Real Boy" is nothing short of a classic. Its one of the most interesting and unique albums you will ever hear. "...Defense" was for some reason dragged out into a double album. Perhaps due to the many years that have gone by while the band has slowly broken into stardom. Personally I feel like double albums are a great risk for any band. Even a good double album can be broken down in to one polished record. Spanning 27 tracks, "...Defense" is up against many great challenges.
1. It's a double album. I already stated my reasons.
2. It's a sophomore album. Not to mention the follow up to the outstanding "...Is A Real Boy". No matter how good "...Defense" is, it's going to be compared to Boy, which is impossible to top.
3. It was written and recorded by a full band, as oppose to ...Is A Real Boy, which ran on only the fuel of Max Bemis. And not that his band is bad, the band is great. I just wonder how this will change the sound. Dash(cough)board.
4. Major label publicity. This band is no longer the secret they were back in August of 2004.
So, all in all, I can't wait to hear the new album. I have no doubt that its going to be great. "Skinny Mean Man" let me down a bit, but hopefully it will grow on me. Obviously I will give it another chance.
01..The Stage Names - Okkervil River
02..Easy Tiger - Ryan Adams
03..Yours To Keep - Albert Hammond, Jr
04..Boxer - The National
05..Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga, Ga - Spoon
06..Wincing The Night Away - The Shins
07..Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer - Of Montreal
08..Young Modern - Silverchair
09..Neon Bible - The Arcade Fire
10..Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters - The Twilight Sad
11..Nighttiming - Coconut Records
12..New Magnetic Wonder - Apples In Stereo
13..A Weekend In The City - Bloc Party
14..Because Of The Times - Kings Of Leon
15..Scream & Light Up The Sky - The Honorary Title
Hooked on Flight?
During the Bowie episode I began to notice that there was a Sub Pop records sticker on Bret's guitar case. That logo has appeared in every episode since. A bit of a subliminal promotion for the bands first release with Sub Pop.
The Distant Future EP features a few songs from the show that have become instant classics. Word at Sub Pop is that there will be a full length album coming out this fall from the band, which will feature most if not all of the songs from the EP. But seriously, how can you possibly wait for the full length?
The Distant Future EP by Flight of the Conchords comes out tomorrow, August 7th.
1. Business Time
2. If You're Into It
3. Not Crying
4. The Most Beautiful Girl In The Room (live)
5. Banter (live)
6. Robots (live)
Im off to a party in space!
matt pond PA releases a new album on September 25 called Last Light. They are easily one of the best bands out there and vastly underappreciated. In light of the coming album I felt the need to post a video off their previous album "Several Arrows Later". This song is called "So Much Trouble".
Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground / You Don't Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You're Told) / Cannon \\ John the Revelator / Catch Hell Blues / Hotel Yorba / I'm Finding it Harder to be a Gentleman / Truth Doesn't Make a Noise / I Think I Smell a Rat \\ Screwdriver / I Fought Piranhas / Icky Thump / In the Cold, Cold Night / Same Boy You've Always Known / Hardest Button to Button / Slowing Turning Into You / Black Math / Wasting My Time / We're Going to be Friends / 300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues / Seven Nation Army / Apple Blossom / Ugly as I Seem / I Just Don't Know What to do with Myself / Boll Weevil
It's been halfway through the year so far and I haven't really posted much at all recently and I felt like it was time to post something so I'm going to give a mid-year top ten.
1. Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
2. Silverchair - Young Modern
3. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
4. Bloc Party - A Weekend In The City
5. Explosions In The Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
6. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
7. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
8. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
9. Lovedrug - Everything Starts Where It Ends
10. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?
This is subject to change, I have a list of other bands that I need to spend more time with and they are as follows:
The Radio Dept., The Twilight Sad, Eluvium, The National, Arctic Monkeys, Caspian, The Besnard Lakes,The Six Parts Seven, and Andrew Bird.
So I felt the need post this because I haven't stopped laughing for a half an hour. It's just so funny.
I just heard a Live song the other day and it sparked me to go back in time to the late 90's and give them another spin. I've always been a fan of Live. I sadly admit that I have not purchased their two most recent albums. I would like to give them a chance at some point. I think my musical tastes have evolved since the late 90's.
However, my favorite Live album has always been Secret Samadhi. This album was released on February 18, 1997. It the only Live album that I still long to hear. It's just so dark. I think probably one of the best albums I had ever heard at that point in time. At least of of the most experimental mainstream albums of the time.
I decided just tonight that I'm going to officially place Secret Samadhi in at least my Top 50 Albums of All Time.
If you missed out on it, go to amazon or half.com right now and buy it used. You can probably get it for $3. And thats WITH shipping.
So, I was a bit shocked that Pitchfork decided to slam the new Smashing Pumpkins album, Zeitgeist. I have yet to hear it, but something tells me that it's worth more than a 4.9 out of 10. I think it just proves even further that we are living in an age where critics are almost always negative. The entire review simply talks about how the new album actually captures the sound of what the Smashing Pumpkins once were...but then it turns around to say that the album fails to reach the heights of some of their past material. Of course it does. You can't compare this new album to the feeling that hearing "1979" gave you, or how "Tonight, Tonight" once swept you away. These are new songs for a new generation. As an artist, Corgan is obviously in a different place. I think its possible for him to recapture that sound, but forgive him if he doesnt nail it right out of the gate.
The Pitchfork review for the new Spoon album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga will be up on their site tomorrow. The album is really close to perfect in every way (This Record is a HIT), and ive had it on repeat for months. But Im sure just given the indie status of the band, and the nature of Pitchfork reviews, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga will probably clock in close to a 10.0.
It's cool to like Spoon, and probably not as cool to like the Pumpkins. Gotta keep that indie cred!
The luck of 7-7-07 has found me today, but I won't brag because the day isn't over yet.
A few months back Merge announced the pre-order promotion for the new Spoon album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. The first 200 people to pre-order the album would get a limited edition 7" vinyl, autographed by the band. Of course I raced to the website to put in my pre-order, and after I got the order in, the site was still advertising the promotion. I kept my fingers crossed in hopes that I got mine in on time. I clicked over to Spoon's site, and the promotion had already been removed.
I figured that I probably didn't make the cut, but it really didn't matter. I got my order in for the album anyway, which I obviously planned on buying, so no loss if I didn't.
So here we are, 4 days before the release of Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, and in the mail today was a package from Merge. I got excited about opening it up, just due to the fact that I have it before the actual release. I completely forgot about the promotion of the autographed 7". I opened the package and dug right into the CD. I was pretty excited about the bonus disc. Stumbled around the extras that i got with it, a poster and a button, and then i eyed up the 12" of the album. I wasn't until I picked it up that i found tucked underneath of it was the 7" bonus...AUTOGRAPHED BY THE BAND!!!!
So being a huge fan of the band, I am thrilled. Im a firm believer that an autograph really doesn't mean much unless you obtain it yourself. Its fun just to meet the band, get a picture and maybe an autograph to show off later. But with that said, I am always willing to snatch up a freebie like this.
I've taken a snapshot of the entire package. And in case you were wondering, Britt's autograph is on the back of the sleeve, so you cant see it in the photo.
Having been a fan of The Smashing Pumpkins for quite some time, and really not much of one for the past few years, I'm obviously intrigued by the release of their first album in 7 years, Zeitgeist. I'm not going to dwell on the fact that we are only dealing with 1/2 of the original lineup. Its aways been about Billy anyway.
The first single from the album, Tarantula, is pretty great. It honestly brings to mind that old familiar sound that only the Pumpkins could make, without a hint of The Future Embrace or even Zwan. As much as I wanted to shrug the album off, and declare that using the name Smashing Pumpkins again was just a way to bring back a brand...I really dont feel like it is. And best of all, its not Machina III.
Shockingly, the album artwork for the UK single for Tarantula features none other than Paris Hilton. The single was released on Monday July 2nd (why do we release albums on Tuesday?). I think just based on the fact that is so funny, I have to order it.
UPDATE: I just ordered the CD single from amazon.co.uk. Pretty cheap too. I can't wait to get it!
So, here we are on the eve of the release of Easy Tiger, the latest installment to a collection of crap records you can buy with your overpriced but wonderful Starbucks coffee.
Ryan Adams is my favorite artist, but I am really not looking forward to giving Easy Tiger its first spin. Ive managed to avoid the leak for my own reasons. I didnt want to spoil it...for better or for worse. There has been nothing but a sea of what I would consider negative press. Early reviews on the record called it a return to form...a return to the magic of Heartbreaker, Ryan's first solo push. Ive never been one to buy the "return to form" garbage. I honestly dont believe that its ever possible for an artist to ever return to the place in time in which they were at their best. Like the Rolling Stones for example. They still put out records, but no matter how hard they try they will never be able to capture Gimme Shelter and put it into a solid new radio hit.
Back to the subject at hand. Yes, I will go out and buy the record tomorrow. Yes, I will buy the Vinyl. But will I ever care? Will this album ever mean anything to me or will it be just another book up on the shelf? Who knows. Who cares for that matter.
And while Im at it, I have to say that the best and most complete album Ryan has put out was Cold Roses. And as many times as you will hear that Rock N Roll was garbage, I have to say that it happens to be a classic in my book. Its brilliant. It rocks...and it rolls.
Don't let me down Easy Tiger.
Please.
It's really not often that a friend of mine turns me on to a band that I have both A: Never heard of, and B: Never heard their music. Usually I can claim one or both and sometimes have claimed one or both just to hide the fact that I had no clue. However in the case of Swedish band The Radio Dept., I will honestly admit that I was in the dark....and was I ever missing out on something great.
After being clued in by my new friend Chris, I picked up their 2006, Labrador Records release, Pet Grief. Its the second long player from The Radio Dept. and it's a stunning piece of work. Lo-fi, sweeping melodies of acoustic guitar and piano and electronic percussion, mixed with lush quiet spoken vocals. Mixed together it creates a swelling sound that just works.
I have been playing Pet Grief on repeat for nearly a month now. Just when I was ready to rewind into their back catalog I discovered that they have a slated October release for a new full length album.
Best of all, you can get it all on emusic!
Take a listen...
Wilco
Sky Blue Sky
Nonesuch, 2007
5.0
The first track on every Wilco album is something special. Its a song that prepares the listener for the adventure they are about to go on. Usually slow in tempo, sometimes dragging out past the 6 minute range. Its a song that lets you know that something special is about to happen. A solid opener is something that Wilco fans expect.
On Either Way, the opening track from Sky Blue Sky, that special something never comes. Which sadly does help fit the requirement of the Wilco album opener to be a song that sets the pace. Because throughout the entire duration of Sky Blue Sky, that something special never appears.
I hate to compare a bands past albums to their current album, but in this case I feel its necessary to make exception. Progress through the first 5 albums of Wilco's catalog should not lead us to Sky Blue Sky. From setting the standard for the sound of a genre, to pushing that sound to great heights, Wilco has taken a step back here. Sky Blue Sky is the sound of a band no longer willing to take risks.
The album comes across as one long song. Never building up, and almost never changing tempo. Its not until half-way through track 5, "Side With The Seeds", that we hear anything that sounds even close to the sound they are capable of producing. The static of seemingly improvised guitar solos finally washes over. But it comes and goes, taking us right back to where we were....which was in a coma.
After two risky and ambitious albums Wilco have stripped it back down to basics. Every Wilco album is different and special in their own way. They can almost all be summed up with one word. And I suppose that Sky Blue Sky is the same.
Safe.
So, for the past few days I have been crying myself to sleep. I just cant deal with the Crowvirus Ryan Adams is injecting into my ears. After finally hearing the song "Two" on Ryan's MySpace site, i am slightly relieved. You almost can't even hear her. Which brings the question...Why is her presence necessary in the first place?
On 2005's Jacksonville City Nights, Norah Jones appeared for a little background help on the song "Dear John". Upon hearing the news of that collaboration I was a bit shocked, but the difference with that is that I actually have R E S P E C T for Norah Jones as a musician, and more importantly as a human being! Sheryl Crow is terrible. When she first broke onto the music scene she was respectable...but after she decided to start soaking up sun, all respect was lost. Even worse is the fact that she is a homewrecker with yellow wrist band man himself, Lance Armstrong. "Come on Lance, leave your wife and kids for me, all I wanna do is have some fun!"
She sucks.
The only positive note is that when i did a Google image search for her picture, about half of the images I found involved toilet paper!
If Ryan decides to rock out with Macy Gray on his next album, I believe that will be the end of the road for me.
