tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60516993035219942812024-03-13T00:25:08.982-07:00Mystic Thoughts MusicCoreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-13926623322486014222013-01-28T13:53:00.005-08:002013-01-28T13:53:58.847-08:00Elixir On Mute - End of Sky (2010) ALBUM REVIEW<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaqf0a2XQTOoSGZx_0_Iq7AZNV-82ieYP9-6gNBKD7OQbibmqCF2i3moH7JSd6ippSGXnn2LO0iUYOKiiFpqXhGwY6OunDE8R-n1uDqDmp4ou8qbXcAqhPZHuepJ6oNrBDIyLNPmvf-c/s1600/Elixir+On+Mute+End+of+Sky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCaqf0a2XQTOoSGZx_0_Iq7AZNV-82ieYP9-6gNBKD7OQbibmqCF2i3moH7JSd6ippSGXnn2LO0iUYOKiiFpqXhGwY6OunDE8R-n1uDqDmp4ou8qbXcAqhPZHuepJ6oNrBDIyLNPmvf-c/s320/Elixir+On+Mute+End+of+Sky.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In the pantheon of prog metal guitar prodigies, Jordan Ferreira, the frontman and leader of Elixir On Mute, certainly has his place. Ferreira has the chops by far and he proves that almost to excess on his band's debut album End of Sky. He halts himself just enough for his virtuosity not be obnoxiously overbearing and instead it is rather impressive.<br />
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His guitar acrobatics have to carry a lot of weight on End of Sky, considering that the shortest track on the entire album runs almost six minutes, with the longest running over fifteen minutes. That's a lot of airtime to fill up and Ferreira's vocal prowess, while decent enough and just the taste his target audience will enjoy (see Periphery for a reference), doesn't leave a lasting enough impression to satisfy.<br />
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That means it's up to the instrumentals to satiate the listener. For fans of the guitar as something to master, rather than a means to an end to express an emotion (i.e. punk guitar), these will do the trick nicely. They're dutifully interesting and enough of a ride to keep you paying attention. Only once, in the aforementioned fifteen minute track “The Weapon,” do they drag, as Ferreira plays with effects for much of the outro with little ground gained.<br />
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Meanwhile, behind the kit on this record is another virtuoso, former Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen. Pridgen here is clearly a session guy, but he more than adequately fills out the space in Ferreira's songs. At times, knowing what the man is capable of from his work with the Mars Volta, it may seem like he's restraining himself a bit too much, such as in the simple to the max beat he plays in the album's cheesiest but most immediately satisfying track “Helium Trains.” Still, when he does let himself go in the way he did on Volta's Bedlam in Goliath record, the result is the clash of two masters of their instruments creating a beautiful chaos.<br />
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Regardless though, this is the Jordan Ferreira show. He's singing and there's nary a moment where his guitar isn't making some very interesting noise. Without having seen him live, I don't know what level he's at as a frontman. But in a record where he stands dominant over the music, he makes his presence felt with all the power of someone who's been at this for a decade or more. For a debut album, End of Sky is remarkably fleshed out and well developed, especially in Ferreira's case.<br />
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Ultimately, your mileage may vary on this music depending on your appreciation of the guitar and progressive metal. End of Sky contains all the tropes common to the genre and makes no effort to differentiate or distance itself. It is what it is and it accepts and relishes in that. For fans, that's a blessing. For those looking for someone beating the hell out of a guitar and screaming, they won't find it here. But an album with its feet on the ground that understand what it wants to be is usually a very solid one and End of Sky is no different.<br />
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Either way however, the album is commendable for being so damned solid, confident, and determined for a debut. This is not an album that occurred overnight. It took true talent and direction from its orchestrator and for that Ferreira must be commended by any right. And for those that truly enjoy the directions Ferreira has chosen to pool his talent in, they may find a brand new favorite band in the promising upstart that is Elixir On Mute.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-20897338755963684742012-12-21T13:59:00.001-08:002012-12-21T14:11:56.031-08:00The Best Songs of 2012All the killer cuts and tracks, selected by the esteemed Corey Deiterman.<br />
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<b>The Mars Volta - "Zed and Two Naughts" (Noctourniquet)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/omdjeVwxsQ8" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Why? - "Thirst" (Mumps, Etc.)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YDP7rNYPS9c" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Yeasayer - "Longevity" (Fragrant World)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ml9oNH4UjzQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Psy - "Gangnam Style" (Psy6)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9bZkp7q19f0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Carly Rae Jepsen - "Call Me Maybe" (Curiosity)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fWNaR-rxAic" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Kanye West, Pusha T, and Ghostface Killah - "New God Flow" (Cruel Summer)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ApJj11Y9A7U" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Animal Collective - "Today's Supernatural" (Centipede Hz)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f6cWumQwCqA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>El-P - "Works Every Time" (Cancer 4 Cure)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/coI5UNOFlY8" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Converge - "All We Love We Leave Behind" (All We Love We Leave Behind)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kiALoVqzAVo" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Fiona Apple - "Valentine" (The Idler Wheel is wiser than the Driver of the Screw, and Whipping Cords will serve you more than Ropes will ever do.)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DtpTc6S01fs" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Frank Ocean - "Pyramids" (Channel Orange)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3XzyR4fEaVA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>John Frusciante - "Uprane" (PBX Funicular Intaglio Zone)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/52bN3vfpzYM" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Sinead O'Connor - "Take Off Your Shoes" (How About I Be Me (and You Be You?))</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f_5QbiDBMoA" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Cloud Nothings - "Wasted Days" (Attack on Memory)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/JIitQNXVgb8" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>The Menzingers - "Sun Hotel" (On the Impossible Past)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LWTZj2FqJMU" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Leonard Cohen - "Come Healing" (Old Ideas)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ueHqPGk_ybc" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Veil of Maya - "Punisher" (Eclipse)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CrJOAZUCcqg" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Say Anything - "Burn a Miracle" (Anarchy My Dear)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/tJnD-iDir-4" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Lana Del Rey - "Born to Die" (Born to Die)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Bag1gUxuU0g" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Soundgarden - "Been Away Too Long" (King Animal)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NeBjhpw_Ee0" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Gallows - "Everybody Loves You (When You're Dead)" (Gallows)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RBKfyqFuLwE" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<b>Rush - "Headlong Flight" (Clockwork Angels)</b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZcFGrWjOX0E" width="560"></iframe>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-64902952121238177662012-04-11T09:49:00.008-07:002012-04-11T10:25:00.168-07:00The Glorious Return of At the Drive-In in Austin, Texas (Red 7, April 9th, 2012)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hNXdkGzIcy0PCYdMjtCJAG4eu0rPNyJocG8nejpakdOvQAfXeuH2at4JFXJ6CSLeAAYmpggH32dcZCsL9QhQdLMKvQvFSr_XFwhRthNsbMIqnRgNQexqv4kaZVp7SqpKvqcavmAidQI/s1600/524392_10150790695308832_542403831_11358946_1545825888_n.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7hNXdkGzIcy0PCYdMjtCJAG4eu0rPNyJocG8nejpakdOvQAfXeuH2at4JFXJ6CSLeAAYmpggH32dcZCsL9QhQdLMKvQvFSr_XFwhRthNsbMIqnRgNQexqv4kaZVp7SqpKvqcavmAidQI/s320/524392_10150790695308832_542403831_11358946_1545825888_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730191055168738498" /></a><br />It only took 11 years, but it finally happened Monday night at Red 7 in Austin. <span style="font-weight:bold;">At the Drive-In</span>, the seminal post-hardcore band from El Paso, made their return to the stage. The obvious question is: was it good?<br /><br />The answer is a resounding yes, of course. The energy and emotion packed into that hour and a half of music played before an audience of five hundred hardcore fans (who bought out the tickets in 11 minutes and got in even through some serious anti-scalping measures) was the kind of unparalleled atmosphere I personally had only read about. For fans of the genre, for people who have followed this band for so many years, dreaming of this day, it was like the Beatles got back together despite that whole half of them being dead problem.<br /><br />At the Drive-In brought every bit of themselves back from the dead at this show in a way no one has seen since the band originally existed. In that way, for many, it was probably the greatest experience of their life. It certainly was for me. That's not to say I can't take an objective standpoint on some things though.<br /><br />While frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala was certainly on his game, his age obviously showed. We all knew this going in. While he could no longer scream like he once did, he poured every bit of himself into his performance anyway. Halfway through the show he addressed the crowd inbetween songs and could barely croak out words. He also obviously lacked the crazy crackhead energy he had when the band was in their first life, yet he did all he could to give us a facsimile of it, the highlight of which was when he climbed the rafters like monkey bars (see the picture below). His dancing has improved a great deal as well, no longer jagged but actually informed on real performance. In that way, his moves may have been superior. He could at least keep his breath about him long enough to sing this way, something he often failed to do in the old days, and that is much more important.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36knYw6p65-N81BEZCdhdt5fSmFWoY1eAWC6Qomb5_ugcVLXthyF77eMI0ICsx992gL7nV7d9zq9zupplFUppMMIb211qwk9jHwOUAHnuC8Es0n2vcQLgOsPNo_8WA0WnsbnFwH4Ao0w/s1600/576394_10150648683606857_218299556856_9593421_297969802_n.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36knYw6p65-N81BEZCdhdt5fSmFWoY1eAWC6Qomb5_ugcVLXthyF77eMI0ICsx992gL7nV7d9zq9zupplFUppMMIb211qwk9jHwOUAHnuC8Es0n2vcQLgOsPNo_8WA0WnsbnFwH4Ao0w/s320/576394_10150648683606857_218299556856_9593421_297969802_n.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730191817802139922" /></a><br />Bigger than that though, Bixler-Zavala commanded the crowd with experience and authority. No longer a young punk, his more refined performance ruled the capacity audience, leaving them breathlessly screaming every word along with him and reaching out desperately to lay hands upon him as he stood upon the tiny stage in direct proximity of the closest fans. In those moments where he was still before them, singing his heart out, this was church and the messiah himself was standing before the fans.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-zHchauiHMd5mSfOiguRYyimVDPIKbj3RUgQmeON5giXKtOSkpVwaM6fhNkO1UosmHVXNd1_i_ooionSdvcNq3o_XsQFq6I_c7-Xt1RrG0_y_FAAdlo1T215DOcRnaHy_ZxmbsdDdEI/s1600/8.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-zHchauiHMd5mSfOiguRYyimVDPIKbj3RUgQmeON5giXKtOSkpVwaM6fhNkO1UosmHVXNd1_i_ooionSdvcNq3o_XsQFq6I_c7-Xt1RrG0_y_FAAdlo1T215DOcRnaHy_ZxmbsdDdEI/s320/8.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730192740579281746" /></a><br />On the other hand, we knew that guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez would not deliver on the same energy he had originally, but his performance was disappointing. Being the main reason the band broke up in the first place, he certainly did not seem excited to be standing on the stage with his old friends again. Nary a smile was to be seen from Rodriguez-Lopez, who could be spotted lazily leaning upon his amp in what seemed to be sheer boredom and even seemingly pouting at times like he really just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. Some have mentioned the passing of his mother recently and while that may be a contributing factor, one has to wonder how much he really wanted to do this reunion, always being the most forward-looking of the group. Even as recently as 2009, he <a href="http://www.theskinny.co.uk/music/features/46303-life_mars">squashed rumors of a reunion</a> and maintained that it would be a miserable prospect. If nothing else though, he played his parts dutifully, if not happily, and made sure the band ran like a well-oiled machine.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6m3T0NZ9EjenU0TRQuyZFV4uWMdkhyzo7lA9YvyCovE5_JfucLwir2xtz5p3zdyutn73Cwn8A41rEUeAdFC4qoRQjnWB6rJ0D_Z9Z2euQywfTcpja3QvP1rgbnX6148WdNhJcfE9Xuw/s1600/22.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6m3T0NZ9EjenU0TRQuyZFV4uWMdkhyzo7lA9YvyCovE5_JfucLwir2xtz5p3zdyutn73Cwn8A41rEUeAdFC4qoRQjnWB6rJ0D_Z9Z2euQywfTcpja3QvP1rgbnX6148WdNhJcfE9Xuw/s320/22.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5730193041483471266" /></a><br />“The other half,” so to speak, all brought their enthusiasm however. Guitarist Jim Ward, bassist Paul Hinojos, and drummer Tony Hajjar all looked like kids again, gray hairs and bald spots aside, throwing everything they had into their performance, bringing the fans all they could to give a stellar reunion show. In a way, the success of this show can be more attributed to them than the band's more famous duo. Though Bixler-Zavala handed in a magnificent performance, all would have been for naught if his band had been lacking and thankfully they met him with an equal measure of power.<br /><br />Any negativity, from Rodriguez-Lopez or otherwise, was completely eliminated by one moment that made the entire show. During “Enfilade” from Relationship of Command, the most famous album from the group, Bixler-Zavala motioned to Ward to join him on the chorus together on one mic. They almost met heads, screaming into that same mic together, and the looks on their faces belied how elated they were to be back there together. It was an emotional moment that brought the house down and showed why this reunion happened in the first place. Sure, it was for the fans and for the money and for the sake of doing it. But more than anything, it was for old friends reuniting and putting aside past differences to once again enjoy each other's presence on stage. That's the take away from the At the Drive-In reunion story for me: seeing friends together again and happy about it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Set-List:</span><br />Arcarsenal<br />Pattern Against User<br />Chanbara<br />Lopsided<br />Sleepwalk Capsules<br />Napoleon Solo<br />Quarantined<br />Rascuache<br />198d<br />Enfilade<br />Metronome Arthritis<br />Pickpocket<br />Non-Zero Possibility<br />One-Armed Scissor<br />Catacombs<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">[First photo courtesy of Brittany Bartos. All other photos courtesy of <a href="http://www.brooklynvegan.com/austin/">Brooklyn Vegan Austin</a>, a wonderful blog about events and music in Austin. Please check out their website, especially if you live in the Austin area.]</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-83688919939363523812011-12-12T10:49:00.000-08:002011-12-12T11:39:17.548-08:00The Greatest Songs of 2011You can watch the music videos to and listen to all these songs in a neat video playlist at the link below:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFA89076A80BA3C98">FUN YOUTUBE PLAYLIST</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Atmosphere - "Just For Show"</span><br /><br />Atmosphere's new one was a stinker for the most part, but this track still goes hard and shows that Slug still has what it takes as an MC. Ant needs to step it up on the beats for the majority of the album, but this rich, driving Mexican inspired beat is what really ties the song together, recalling classic hip-hop beats like Timbaland's beat for Jay-Z's "Hola Hovito." This is the one song on the album that brings all the best elements of Atmosphere together to show they can still do what they do with the best of them. If only they tried this hard consistently, although the irony is that this song almost feels tossed off and maybe that's the key. They keep it simple and run with a nice idea that makes for an amazing head-bobbing beat.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Corinne Bailey Rae - "Low Red Moon"</span><br /><br />I've long been a fan of the work of Corinne Bailey Rae and every song she chose to cover on her latest release, The Love EP, is a great interpretation of a classic song, especially her version of Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover." The reason I chose "Low Red Moon" is for this list though is that it's the song that is the furthest out of Bailey Rae's comfort zone. "Low Red Moon" is a song originally recorded by semi-obscure alt rock/dream pop band Belly. Bailey Rae's version is mostly faithful to the original, but her vocals are beautiful as always and I remain impressed that she could pull something like this off so well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bjork - "Hollow"</span><br /><br />I probably could have chosen any song off the new Bjork album Biophilia for this list as the album is consistently impressive and features some of Bjork's more enticing instrumentals in recent years. The reason I choose "Hollow" however is for the emotion it evokes. It's sparse as ever in its instrumentation, but something about it is downright creepy. It begins sort of meandering and ponderous, as though Bjork has entered a dark forest and knows not where she is. It has a sort of mystical quality, as we journey forward. But slowly the lights begin to dim and the pixie dust and Snow White anf the Seven Dwarves quality of the early part of the song is replaced by a descending bass and an electronic beat. The situation grows dire. For the last minute or so of the song, horror movie key stabs become frantic and overtake the beat while Bjork's voice becomes more urgent. Then it ends. It leaves us on a cliffhanger, wondering what the hell happened to Bjork. It's this cinematic quality that makes this song an album highlight and also makes the album so damn enjoyable. I hear Bjork creating a world, something few people know how to do in music these days.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"</span><br /><br />This one is just balls to the wall rocking. I'm not gonna get in depth here for the simple reason that there's nothing to get in depth about. If you understand what makes classic rock songs so enjoyable, you'll love this one. It has sparse lyrics centered around a hook that is ultimately meaningless but catchy and oh so much fun to sing along to. "I've got a love that keeps me waiting, I'm a lonely boy." That simple line holds the whole thing together. Good luck getting this one out of your head for a good long while. As far as I'm concerned, we're in good shape as long as songs like this are being created and hitting the charts. It's just intellectual enough in its instrumentation to skirt any accusations of being a total classic rock rip-off (for that, see Jet), while remaining just dumb and rocking enough for everyone to just get down to it. In the absence of the White Stripes making radio hits, these guys are our next best hope for pure rock. So get the fuck up and dance already!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bon Iver - "Beth/Rest"</span><br /><br />This song has been garnering major comparisons to guys like Bruce Hornsby. You know, it has that total 80's sound, with the cheesy piano and inspirational vocals, not to mention the sax. I'm not going to argue with the comparisons, because they're completely valid, but hell, why not? The 80's are back and I couldn't be happier. I grew up on the 80's and getting to hear adult contemporary that's actually cool is fine by me. So I celebrate this song, while admitting how ridiculous and cheesy it is. That's what makes it good after all. There's nothing wrong with ridiculous and cheesy if you do it with a knowing smirk on your face and I'm pretty sure Bon Iver has one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">City and Colour - "Sorrowing Man"</span><br /><br />Much of City and Colour's work is dark, sad, and tortured, focusing specifically on tales of lost love and failed lives told in Dallas Green's rich, smooth singing voice. What sets a song like "Sorrowing Man" apart is the instrumentation. Rather than being a simple acoustic affair like usual with City and Colour, he steps it up by producing a pained classic blues track, with an echoing electric guitar and a crying organ to accompany his soaring and perfectly hurt voice. It may be somewhat slick and calculated, a by the book reading of this type of music, but that's why it works so well. Nobody follows this formula quite so precisely and accurate anymore. Green here latches onto some sounds few exploit in their favor anymore, at least since the 70's, and it gives it a nice throwback feel.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Plainclothes"</span><br /><br />This was one of my favorite songs by this group when I first heard them do it on WOXY (RIP) in 2009. It's been two whole years since then, but the song has finally seen an official release. Frankly, I like the live version much better. Something about the production on Lenses Alien drains this song of its liveliness. But regardless, since it's seen an official release, it's going on the list. Lenses Alien as a whole was a let-down but this older track still holds up, production qualms aside. It's all about catch and release with this one. It hooks you, it builds up, it breaks down, it plods along, slowly coming back, then it explodes, then it slows it down again, then it brings it all back. That build-up, that contrast, it takes you for a ride and never lets you go completely until the song is over. It's brilliant and shows why this is still, lackluster album aside, one of my favorite bands in the current indie rock landscape.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Decemberists - "Down By the Water"</span><br /><br />Ok, we all know why I like this one so much and I'll get it out of the way right now. I am a massive R.E.M. devotee. I was crushed when they called it quits this year. And so, of course, this song hooked me instantly with Peter Buck's jangly guitar that reminded us all of "The One I Love" so much. It basically is an update on "The One I Love" with a heavier Americana influence, but that's alright. Like I said when I reviewed this album early this year, I feel like it explores an overlooked part of R.E.M.'s history while progressing the Decemberists forward as well. It's that untold story that happened between Automatic for the People, perhaps the culmination of R.E.M.'s pop and americana phase, and their return to rock on Monster. It bridges the gap between those two sounds, even as it is performed by a successor band who are highly influenced by the original. More than any other Decemberists release, The King is Dead pays tribute to one of their greatest influences, while still doing something unexplored and uncharted. That's why this one resonated with me so much, aside from the obvious.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Dream Theater - "On the Backs of Angels"</span><br /><br />I hate Dream Theater. Well, that's not true, I hate what they've become. They were so good on their breakthrough album Images and Words before they became crushed and suffocated under the weight of their own admittedly amazing technical proficiency. Not that I want to sit here and argue that being a virtuoso is a bad thing, but at times their music has seemed technical for the sake of being technical. Not to mention the softening of singer James LaBrie's voice even as the music has become heavier (and blander). But the departure of longtime drummer Mike Portnoy, who was also a central songwriter, gave me some renewed hope for the band. Anyone whose heard him playing with Avenged Sevenfold or his dreadful new band Adrenaline Mob knows that Portnoy has a serious and bizarre interest in mediocre radio rock and metal. So I hoped Dream Theater would be purged of that when he left the band. Thankfully, it has. Unfortunately, they still can't write a fucking song to save their collective lives. Their new album, A Dramatic Turn of Events, is a piece of shit. There's a few songs that might be alright, if LaBrie could sing with any balls anymore, but he lost that to illness in the 90's and it's never coming back. The one song where it actually works out for them though is the first track and the single, "On the Backs of Angels." It's a copy of their Images and Words style, perhaps consciously, but that's alright too. All I've ever wanted from Dream Theater was for them to scale back some and get back to what made them good on that album. For a brief shining moment, they do that. They lose it immediately afterward, but I have to give them some serious props for producing their best song in over a decade. It's an admirable step forward (or back, depending on how you look at it) at the very least. So I will give them credit where credit is due. They deserve to make this list on the basis of this one song. If only the whole album was this good. Also this sparse. The best part of this song is that it actually has room to breathe for once. They need to learn to harness that. But still, criticism aside, good on them for producing one of the better songs I've heard this year. Beware though, they're always going to be masters of cheese. If you're scared of cheesy prog, stay away.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Emmure - "Last Words to Rose"</span><br /><br />Emmure has always teetered on being a serious force to be reckoned with in the world of metal, a bunch of whiny pussies, and a comical Limp Bizkit tribute band. It's hard to tell which they want to be on their first three albums. But on Speaker of the Dead, they seem to have made a choice. They're not fucking around anymore. On their second album, The Respect Issue, they had a song called "Tales from the Burg" where frontman Frankie Palmeri screamed the pained words "I'm not over it, I'm never over it" immediately contradicting his previous statement in the same song that he was "so over it, so fucking over it." Well, despite his claim that he would never be over "it," he seems to finally be over "it" for Speaker of the Dead, which is the first album where we can say without a doubt that the band is dead serious about what they're doing. There's still a few exaggerated hard ass moments, recalling their third album Felony, but for the most part Speaker of the Dead is just heavy, crushing metal with few traces of irony or Palmeri's usual whininess and heartbreak. But the album's most intense and emotional moment comes with this track, "Last Words to Rose." It's emotional without being whiny, something of a rarity in Emmure's catalogue, and it shows them coming into their own as musicians. It's the album's high point, recalling intellectual metalcore bands such as Misery Signals and the Devin Townsend Project. It's still crushing and pounding metal, but it features more atmospheric guitar leads that show a maturity and depth that Emmure has never had before. It's the sound of a band finding their definite strengths and combining them all into one track. Emmure has always been entertaining and enjoyable, but now they're no longer ironic or embarrassing. They're just a good band and this one proves it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Flaming Lips and Lightning Bolt - "I'm Working at NASA on Acid"</span><br /><br />Leave it to the Flaming Lips and Lightning Bolt to produce a song together that sounds nothing like either of them. "I'm Working at NASA on Acid" does sound a lot like what its title makes you think it would sound like though. It sounds like an acid trip in space, opening up with the sounds of astronauts speaking to mission control, followed by a dark acoustic guitar strum and psychedelic vocals, layered over each other multiple times and echoing out through the eery atmosphere created by the backing keyboards. Suddenly the whole thing billows out around the three minute mark and becomes something else entirely: a spastic psych rock jam far more in the vein of what the Flaming Lips and Lightning Bolt should sound like together. Then we return to the original theme three minutes later at the sound of an acid-washed synthesizer committing suicide. In its entirety, it's an eight minute track that drags you through the ringer. But for some reason, as unappealing as all this should be, it's strangely enticing. Like anything these guys do, it's something that should sound horrible but works so well together to sound like a true work of genius. And that's what it is: pure fucking genius, laced with copious amounts of hallucinogens. Eat it up.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Get Up Kids - "Tithe"</span><br /><br />The Get Up Kids have been gone for a long time and the pop landscape has changed dramatically. When they left, their brand of emo pop punk was tailor made for the radio and it worked to make them a big deal. That won't work anymore though. Few bands know what to do with themselves when their scene disappears out from under them. The Get Up Kids don't really know what to do with themselves either, as evidenced by their comeback album There Are Rules. But they sure sound convincing on the opener and best song "Tithe" that they totally know what they're doing. It's a hard rocking song, erasing any evidence of their pussy past. It's slightly experimental, with lots of weird sounds going on, especially towards the middle, but for the most part it's just driving, hard hitting punk rock. If they could have kept this pace, they would have been on to something. But hey, at least they made one of the catchier and better rock out songs this year.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Human Abstract - "Digital Veil"</span><br /><br />Perhaps not the best song on this list, but maybe the most fun, Black Keys aside. This pounds and pounds away with a ridiculous and comical hook containing the lyrics "pull me from the gallows of this fiberoptic nation." That statement is ultimately pretty meaningless, but it carries on through the song, all the while featuring guitars sweeping in the background. Even for technical death metal, the whole thing is a bit garish, but that's what makes it stand out from a lot of other songs in this genre released this year. Even if you're not into this sort of thing (I know I'm not, for the most part), it will keep going and going with that awful hook in your head until you learn to love it. That's why it makes the list. It's a deceptive earworm that becomes pretty damned enjoyable after you let it in.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">iwrestledabearonce - "Next Visible Delicious"</span><br /><br />Who's up for some pure fucking weirdness? iwrestledabearonce's main gimmick is that they have a female screamer who doubles as a singer, but for me that's the least interesting thing about them. The most interesting is probably the prominent Mr. Bungle influence they exhibit, best showcased in the opening track from their latest LP, Ruining It for Everybody. There are strong Disco Volante overtones throughout, especially early in the song. Other aspects simply recall more recent metalcore, but they can't hide their bizarre ambitions, with the jazz rock breakdowns and scat-sung clean vocals. It's rare to hear a band carry the torch for this many conflicting influences in a song, but it all comes together to produce some of the most inspiring and intellectually stimulating metal out there right now.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Jay-Z and Kanye West - "Why I Love You (feat. Mr. Hudson)"</span><br /><br />Watch the Throne has to be one of my absolute favorite albums of 2011. I'm a massive fan of Jay-Z and Kanye West and I believe their collaboration is a brilliant combination of their individual strengths. My favorite song on the album though has to be the closer, "Why I Love You." It's a stadium-sized blend of indie pop rock (think Coldplay) with hip-hop, featuring a soaring chorus from Mr. Hudson. It's catchy, but the lyrics have a pretty strong meaning of loyalty and betrayal, something Jay-Z is intimately familiar with considering his large amount of friends and foes. It's mostly a Jay-Z track with some interjects especially towards the end from Kanye, but that's fine because Jay-Z kills it with some of his best rapping in a long time. Watch the Throne is a testament to their greatness throughout and Jay-Z puts more effort in his rhymes and flows than he has perhaps since his retirement. Kanye always seems to bring out that great side of him. The hungry side, despite his riches. That's here in full force. The whole thing just carries so much weight and catchiness. It makes you want to dance and clap and sing along. It's a tailor made live jam. That's why I chose it, but it's really just one of a number of incredible stand-out tracks on the album. If it's not this one, it's the combination of classic rock, children's choirs, and serious subject matter on "Murder to Excellence." I can't choose just one!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">La Dispute - "King Park"</span><br /><br />La Dispute has always specialized in extremely emotional stories told by singer and principal poet Jordan Dreyer, with the music simply serving as a soundtrack to his tales. This has always been their hook and their strength. But, indeed, with their third full length release, Dreyer has found his official voice. While he used to sing with a whiny bitch sort of emotional tinge, he now knows properly how to convey his words with true emotions. He varies his pitch and his style to match the words perfectly. When the story takes an intense turn, he gets more intense. But he understands how to sound subdued or contented or worried or anxious or angry or depressed or suicidal. He's a voice actor with a band now. Nowhere is this more clear than on album highlight "King Park." This one is getting the majority of the attention centered around their latest record, Wildlife, and for good reason. At nearly seven minutes, it's the longest track on the album and it conveys the most intense and powerful story of the album. While Dreyer has previously told stories of heartbreak, he moves away from that tired subject to tell a story with some actual depth on this one. The story is that of Dreyer floating around as a ghost, watching the events of the day happening. A gang member performs a drive-by shooting, but he misses his target and kills a small child. He ends up holed up in a hotel room, surrounded by police, holding himself and a friend hostage and threatening his own life. I'm not doing the story any justice with this summary, it has to be heard to be believed, so I won't spoil the climax. Suffice it to say it will shock and move you and it stands as one of the greatest songwriting achievements of this year, bringing La Dispute to a new a level in my book as songwriters. It's just beautifully done, with Dreyer's perfectly emotional lyrics and the music matching his intensity tit for tat. Few bands can pull something like this off with such grace and eloquence.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">David Lynch - "Pinky's Dream (feat. Karen O)"</span><br /><br />One might initially be skeptical of David Lynch, the legendary director, making music. He's done so before in soundtracks for his films, but very rarely as an entity that exists on its own. This is his debut album created separately from a film. The results, however, should dispel most fears. It may not be the greatest album, but it should live up to the weird expectations of Lynch fans. The stand-out track though is the opener featuring the wonderful Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Most of the album features instrumentals or Lynch delivering vocals himself, through effects or not. This one doesn't just stand out for Karen O's admittedly superior vocal skills to Lynch's amateurish though still competent ones. It stands out for the bizarre lyrical content she is delivering. It stands out because it tells a haunting and cinematic story similar to Lynch's films. Details are scarce and one will have trouble truly understanding what is happening in the story, just like one of Lynch's films, but it also evokes strong emotions and will leave you affected. Whether you realize what is happening or not, you know it isn't good. There's no resolution to it and it leaves one wondering about Pinky and her seemingly horrible fate. The music works brilliantly establishing a landscape for O's story and it captures the perfect blend of visual storytelling in music, similar to the Bjork track on this list.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Mars Volta - "Trinkets Pale of Moon"</span><br /><br />This one may not count as it has only been performed live up to this moment, but any live performance is worth getting your hands on. This is sure to be the highlight of The Mars Volta's upcoming sixth album. It shows off the best of the band's slower styles, featuring some of frontman Cedric Bixler-Zavala's greatest vocals of his career on the intensely gratifying chorus and especially in the post-song jam. The song started off around four minutes long, with a simple outro. But it eventually grew to be up to twenty minutes long, the remaining sixteen minutes consisting of the outro jam wherein Cedric wails and wails with so much soul it will rend your heart asunder. This one is all about him and his magnificent vocals, as well as the sparse but incredibly talented groove being laid down by new Mars Volta drummer Deantoni Parks. You may not like this one as much if you're in it just for axeman Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's acid rock noodling, but for once he takes a backseat and lets the percussion and the vocals dominate, which shows commendable restraint and just how talented the rest of the band is. The Mars Volta is known for being bombastic, but it's these moments that set them apart and show they can do more.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Megadeth - "13"</span><br /><br />Aside from the bizarre fact that I can't stop listening to "Wrecker," one of the most idiotic songs Dave Mustaine has ever written, Thirteen, Megadeth's thirteenth album (get it?) is a piece of utter steaming garbage. The lyrics suck, the production sucks, the solos are completely forgettable, there's five songs that were already available before this album was released and the re-recordings here just made them worse, most songs feature recycled riffs, and Dave's voice has never been worse. But for one moment on the very last song, they pull it together to produce one of the better songs Megadeth has created in the last decade. The lyrics are a decent story of Mustaine's own life, the solos are actually pretty cool, the instrumentation is dynamic, and there's a cool part where they change the tempo on the chorus at the end that spices things up quite nicely. I actually quite enjoy this one and if Megadeth could do stuff like this more, I'd probably appreciate their current direction a bit more. Fans of their 90's era will probably appreciate this one more than most, but the 90's were Megadeth's best era in my opinion, so I'm quite satisfied with how this track turned out. Avoid the rest, but download this one for your collection.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Frank Ocean - "American Wedding"</span><br /><br />Most of Frank Ocean's debut release is some great modern R&B, but he takes a detour to sample the entire song of the Eagles' "Hotel California," transposing his own lyrics and vocals over it to create the song "American Wedding." Why is it the stand-out song on the album? Well aside from the fact that "Hotel California" is a great song in and of itself, no matter how overplayed, Ocean spices it up with more meaningful lyrics than the Eagles wrote for it, giving us insight into the sorry state of marriage in America today and the heartache that it brings. It's a generic topic and one Ocean likely has little to no experience in, but he makes you believe his story with his strangely specific story and emotional and powerful vocals. Speaking of the vocals, it's probably the greatest example on the album of Ocean's pure vocal ability, the vocal ability which is making waves in the hip-hop community and earning him spots singing hooks for the likes of Jay-Z and Kanye West. The combination of a great song with those vocals and lyrics is what propels this one to be one of the best songs this year when it could have simply been a trashy and lazy rip of the original. Considering what Ocean does with this song, it matters little that he didn't write the backing track. He makes it his own.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Portugal. The Man - "Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)"</span><br /><br />Could this be the happiest, catchiest song Portugal. The Man has ever written? I certainly think so. There's something about frontman John Gourley's soaring, excitable falsetto that fills one with a sense of childlike joy. Where most music these days wallows and broods, Portugal. The Man takes the opposite route and decides to return to an innocent sort of joyfulness that we probably haven't heard in the world of pop rock since the Beatles. Even the biggest Beatles tribute band of all time, Oasis, chose to focus their attention on the sentimental balladry of the Beatles for the most part. But Portugal. The Man harnesses that potentially drug-induced happiness of the 60's that so few know how to do properly anymore. When they say they've got it all, you tend to believe them. While the lyrics are bit obscure, it seems to tell a story of not being able to believe that everything you ever wanted has come true. Maybe that's how they've been feeling lately since they got signed to a major label. In any case, it's a sound they've been pursuing for a couple albums now, but the formula is truly perfected on this song. It's one of those rare songs that can make a bad day good when you hear the opening guitar riff. You know it's just going to brighten things up a little bit.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Radiohead - "Lotus Flower"</span><br /><br />Radiohead scaled things back dramatically on The King of Limbs, to create a far simpler effort than they have in many years. For some, Radiohead just being Radiohead without being groundbreaking isn't quite enough; for me, it's plenty. "Lotus Flower" brings out everything I love about Radiohead of old while still sounding very fresh. With the beautiful and haunting vocal melodies, the hilarious and bizarre music video, and the sparse electronic instrumentation which somehow feels warmer and more inviting than anything they've done in the past decade, the song builds up into a truly intellectual and yet completely pretty tune with a fair amount of danceability. Perhaps one won't want to indulge in the spastic movements that Thom Yorke employs in the video, one might hurt themselves attempting that, but it's still easy to get down to this piece, or to just contemplate it as moving and thoughtful meaningful music. It's that dichotomy that makes "Lotus Flower" essential Radiohead and an essential song of 2011.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lou Reed and Metallica - "Cheat On Me"</span><br /><br />Surprised to see this here? Fuck you. There's so much hate going around about this album that no one seems to see it for what it is: a brilliant piece of performance art. It showcases Metallica at their most musically open and experimental in their entire career while showing off Lou Reed's fucked up and insightful poetry. For my money, no song on the album showcases both better than "Cheat On Me." It's a song where the combination really gels, although I feel like "The View" is the only track where the combination is truly all that awkward. For the most part though, the whole album stands as an expanding of both artists sounds. You can hear Reed and Metallica challenging each other as artists and they bring out the best of each other's more avant garde tendencies to create one of the best poetic spoken word albums in years. I view the hate as something spawning from closed minded metal fans who just want Master of Puppets. But that's not what this is. Metallica play backing band to the maestro Lou Reed here and fans of the Velvet Underground should find plenty to love, especially in the longer jams like this track.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">R.E.M. - "Oh My Heart"</span><br /><br />A strong ballad, this was one of the songs from R.E.M.'s final album Collapse Into Now to make it to their career spanning compilation Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982-2011 for a pretty good reason. It's straight out of Out of Time, an americana inflected ballad with powerfully moving vocals from Michael Stipe and some interesting instrumentation, centered around piano, mandolin, and accordion. It features a nice callback to the line "if the storm doesn't kill me, the government will" in "Houston" from their previous album, 2008's Accelerate, in the lyric "the storm didn't kill me, the government changed," giving us a little hope for Michael on his way out. Maybe we'll survive without R.E.M. as well, no matter how unfortunate it is that they're done now. Regardless, we can still look fondly even on their final effort, where "Oh My Heart" stands out as likely the highest point. A toast to R.E.M. and their fine career.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">St. Vincent - "Cruel"</span><br /><br />The bouncy programmed drums and distorted guitar of "Cruel" are what people will remember about this track, but the hook that really draws you in is St. Vincent mastermind Annie Clark's lilting vocal delivery, especially the sinking showcases of her range in the opening and between the choruses and the verses that evoke a dream like state. It adds an aura of beauty and elegance to the track that one wouldn't expect from a song featuring a masterfully performed but completely fucked up guitar solo in the middle of it. From a logical standpoint, none of this should work so well together. But Clark is a Berklee alumnus and is in complete control of the organized chaos the entire time, perfectly crafting an arty pop song that works its way into your head as much as anything on the radio but then gives you plenty of food for thought about the instrumentation and dynamics involved. It is the perfect evolution of Clark's St. Vincent sound and, combined with the wonderful music video, should serve as her breakthrough hit by all rights.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thursday - "A Gun in the First Act"</span><br /><br />Much of Thursday's latest and apparently last album, No Devolucion, focuses on a stripping down of their sound back to the days of Full Collapse and War All the Time. It rocks harder and incorporates a little less of their post rock and art rock tendencies than previous releases such as A City by the Light Divided did. But one song that is more relentless with their experimental tendencies and my favorite on the album is "A Gun in the First Act." It's heavy and intense, it features broad instrumentation, and it catches you and reels you in without mercy. It builds and grows and Geoff Rickley's wailing vocals tear at you until suddenly it gives way to the tension and strips things back down in the middle. Just for a second to make you want more though, then it explodes back with full force. Then make way for one of the most unforgiving and catchy riffs of the year along with Rickley's tastefully used screaming voice. It all serves to make this the high point of the album and shows off what makes Thursday special among all those aging post-hardcore guys from the early 2000's. Unfortunately, I guess this is their swan song and that just makes the whole thing that much more meaningful.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Touche Amore - "~"</span><br /><br />The opening track to Touche Amore's latest collection, Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me, acts as not only a perfect set-up to the album but a perfect set-up for their new sound and outlook. It's brighter, it's happier, it's still heavy, and it still conveys just as much emotion as ever. Touche Amore has made it, as much as a band of their style can make it, and they're celebrating, despite all the bullshit. So when vocalist Jeremy Bolm opens the song with the title of the album, it's so much more than a title. It's a life motto. It's a statement on where they are as a band. And that is a better place than they've ever been. It lets you know there is life after depression and misery and it's a brilliant way to introduce this album, which essentially flows as one long track in itself. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tyler, the Creator - "Yonkers"</span><br /><br />Really a number of songs from Tyler, the Creator's huge release Goblin deserve to be on a list like this. "Transylvania," "Her," "Window," "Goblin," "Golden," etc. But how could I pick any song other than the massive single, "Yonkers?" It's got that awesome music video that's so evocative and the lyrics serve as an introduction to everything that Tyler is about as a rapper. It's one of the greatest introductions to the mainstream audiences of all time. Some people have tried to turn on Tyler, Goblin, and this song because of their dramatic popularity, but that's bullshit. Tyler and his music are an accomplishment that deserve acclaim. Just because it's not your pet to trot out as "real hip-hop" as the antithesis of the "evil" mainstream doesn't mean it's not still brilliant. If one single track represents 2011 as a whole, it is "Yonkers" and this is the one we're going to be hearing about for a long time. Get used to it now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Vivian Girls - "Light in Your Eyes"</span><br /><br />Starting out with a rumbling bassline and static drum beat, one knows this is about to explode all over the place. Thankfully, "Light in Your Eyes" more than delivers on that promise, quickly turning into a raucous six-minute lo-fi punk jam with some of the best riffage written this year. There's little else to say about it, it just rocks really hard and makes you want to bang your head. It's energetic, it's powerful, and it plays to all of Vivian Girls' strengths as musicians. For years before their latest release, Share the Joy, I had seen Vivian Girls as having a great deal of potential but never quite reaching it. But now they've finally figured out what they do best and they do it mercilessly throughout the album. There is no greater example than "Light in Your Eyes," which serves as a closer to the album and a culmination of their efforts as a band. It's a perfection on what they do as an epic outro to their best album yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wild Flag - "Romance"</span><br /><br />It should have been obvious that I would rep for my girls at some point in this thing. I'm a sucker for all things Sleater-Kinney related and Wild Flag is the most obvious continuation of Sleater-Kinney to show up on the radar since their final album, The Woods, in 2005 and their announcement of an indefinite hiatus. Erstwhile singer and guitarist Corin Tucker's solo project was a nice detour last year featuring a sincerely interesting album, but it possessed little of the post-punk rocking of Sleater-Kinney and focused on more reflective music. Her bandmates, Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, have come back together in Wild Flag for a more legitimate continuation of Sleater-Kinney's legacy. It's a step back from the more experimental jam sound of The Woods, back to a simpler time in S-K's history. Think Dig Me Out. But it's a necessary step back while still looking forward and experimenting with new sounds. Their debut album explodes out of the gate and hooks me immediately with a signature Brownstein guitar riff recalling "Rollercoaster" from The Woods and then the instantly satisfying chorus. It sets the stage for an album of pure indie punk goodness that almost just about makes me able to live with that "indefinite hiatus" continuing on and on and on.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Saul Williams - "Explain My Heart"</span><br /><br />Saul Williams is a thought-provoking and soulful poet and a wonderful musician. However, he tends more towards pop and dance music on his latest album, Volcanic Sunlight, and drops the ball completely. Saul has never been one to be tamed though, so it's unsurprising that his latest album would have nothing in common with his previous work (as none of his albums have been musically or thematically connected very much) and would challenge his fans with a radically different approach. Personally, I do not feel it works. But the best track on the album, "Explain My Heart," works brilliantly and shows how good this project could have been. It remains dance-oriented while still being challenging and intellectual. It has a fat bassline one can get down to, but there's a persistent synthesizer riff, vocal chanting in the background, and tribal percussion that drives the song into a rock direction. While making this album, Saul Williams claimed he wanted to create something similar to The Mars Volta's seminal debut album Deloused in the Comatorium. "Explain My Heart" strongly succeeds. The influence is clear, but the song is different than anything The Mars Volta has done. It's distinctly Saul Williams while still bearing the effects of The Mars Volta on his music. As always, the lyrics are brilliant and also showcase Saul's talent of making his voice work for his music, in the forms of spoken-word and singing. He may not be a classically trained or talented singer, but he uses his voice in an interesting way that draws one in. All things simply seem to come together here in a way that they do not for the rest of the album. Therefore, while the album is a disappointment, this is one of Saul's greatest achievements as a solitary song and one of the best in 2011.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-88644497990162297242011-06-30T15:18:00.001-07:002011-06-30T15:25:28.291-07:00My Favorite TV PerformancesThis is just a quick compilation of some of my favorite live performances on TV by my favorite bands.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Alexisonfire - Pulmonary Archery</span><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/RSGmjVk5uP4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats - "Sandwitches"</span><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/5x0JZ7L0PKI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Mars Volta - "Wax Simulacra"</span><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BH11YFqMoB0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">At the Drive-In - "One Armed Scissor"</span><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Zcq9m8L-4Nw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Blood Brothers - "Set Fire to the Face on Fire"</span><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pA9ruPqj930" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />What are some of your favorites? Post them in the comments!Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-28192998082644316632011-01-05T07:05:00.000-08:002011-01-05T16:53:56.418-08:00Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Five)<span style="font-weight:bold;">Spoon - Transference</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/transference.jpg?1263564570"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/transference.jpg?1263564570" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Written in Reverse," "I Saw the Light," "Got Nuffin"</span><br /><br />A surprisingly underrated new album from Spoon. This one really flew under the radar for whatever reason, which is strange because it's just as good as any previous Spoon albums. It's a bit more stripped down and less ambitious than their previous album, <span style="font-style:italic;">Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga</span>, but it's still a good listen. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B+)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hoovesontheturf.com/wp-content/2010/01/the-tallest-man-on-earth-the-wild-hunt-album-cover.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://hoovesontheturf.com/wp-content/2010/01/the-tallest-man-on-earth-the-wild-hunt-album-cover.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "The Drying of the Lawns," "Kids on the Run"</span><br /><br />The Dylan-esque Tallest Man on Earth's sophomore release isn't quite as good as his first one; maybe the striking resemblance is wearing off. That being said, he's still one of the few folk musicians today doing anything interesting or new. Well relatively new. He does sound like old school Dylan a lot, but he's at least writing interesting new songs that sound like what Dylan of old would be doing today if he was transported through time. He may be forever plagued by that comparison, but there's a greater emotional depth and songwriting skill that just puts these songs above the trend of lazy folk songs released by contemporaries these days. The Tallest Man on Earth is at least the tallest man in folk, figuratively speaking. <span style="font-style:italic;">The Wild Hunt</span> shows that again. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Titus Andronicus - The Monitor</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/titus-monitor.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/titus-monitor.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "A Pot in Which to Piss," "To Old Friends and New"</span><br /><br />Titus Andronicus is a superbly talented indie rock band that blends raw power with unparalleled ambition. On <span style="font-style:italic;">The Monitor</span>, they almost get this formula down perfect, but there's one crucial flaw: the songs all run on far longer than they should. Granted, they're good songs, but some editing down would help them so much. They can write such great hooks that go unnoticed in such excessive running times. Call it overambition. Still, they're well on their way to being one of the important indie rock bands over the next decade. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Touche Amore / La Dispute - Searching for a Pulse / The Worth of the World</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmAI_kUQEXA5tWBgT0GXCLnCnGThnbUy343f5pYMogt4EOXarH6xDW5lJcLiF_5n4_jN-ycGyDm6uV0YyiLA7RqEnKtiXzXzoT2UQuGxx_Lfqb8MaV98-KRAPdlXEX5d2ZdUE_DgiWDSb/s1600/Touche+Amore+La+Dispute+Searching+for+a+Pulse+The+Worth+of+the+World.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmAI_kUQEXA5tWBgT0GXCLnCnGThnbUy343f5pYMogt4EOXarH6xDW5lJcLiF_5n4_jN-ycGyDm6uV0YyiLA7RqEnKtiXzXzoT2UQuGxx_Lfqb8MaV98-KRAPdlXEX5d2ZdUE_DgiWDSb/s1600/Touche+Amore+La+Dispute+Searching+for+a+Pulse+The+Worth+of+the+World.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "I'll Get My Just Deserve," "How I Feel"</span><br /><br />Two of the greatest post-hardcore/screamo bands around today collaborating on four tracks for a split release was a big enough deal to begin with. But when you actually listen to it, you realize just how talented these two bands are as they come together and gel perfectly, putting out a set of their four best songs yet. Easily the split release of the year. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A+)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Touche Amore / Make Do and Mend - Smoke Signals and Hideaways / Hand Me Downs and Cobwebs</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://s54.radikal.ru/i143/1008/9e/50bda08d0a9b.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://s54.radikal.ru/i143/1008/9e/50bda08d0a9b.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Hideaways," "Hand Me Downs"</span><br /><br />Another great split from the Touche Amore camp, this time with post-hardcore band Make Do and Mend. Make Do and Mend plays a less heavy, more 90's post-hardcore by way of Fugazi style than Touche Amore, but the tracks flow essentially seamlessly here, with Touche Amore going hard and heavy as they usually do and Make Do and Mend upping the ante on their part to fit in. Touche Amore's half is great, but Make Do and Mend blows the listener away with their absolute best song yet, "Hand Me Downs." <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Corin Tucker Band - 1,000 Years</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/corin-tucker-band-cover.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/corin-tucker-band-cover.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "1,000 Years," "Half a World Away," "Doubt"</span><br /><br />Corin Tucker doesn't belt out her screams or rock as hard as she used to. She described this album as "mom rock" herself. Still, it's always an enjoyable thing to hear her making music and the album itself is pretty good. It might not be as hard as Sleater-Kinney, but the songwriting is there and it's fun. We're just glad to have her back making music again. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Warpaint - The Fool</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/Warpaint.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/Warpaint.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Undertow," "Shadows," "Composure"</span><br /><br />What style Warpaint actually plays could be debated for a while, they play a unique blend of dream pop esque music that sets them apart from other bands right now. That's probably why they're gaining so much widespread notice. They're forging their own path and writing great songs while they're at it. They've been touring hard this year and gaining a widespread following. I'm pretty happy to see that happening as I've followed them for a while, since seeing them perform live. The album, in truth, doesn't match up to their exquisite live performances, but their songwriting is strong and well worth hearing. If you have the chance though, see them. They're amazing. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://thoughtcatalog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Kanye_West_My_Beautiful_Dark_Twisted_Fantasy_album_cover.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://thoughtcatalog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Kanye_West_My_Beautiful_Dark_Twisted_Fantasy_album_cover.png" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Dark Fantasy, "Gorgeous (Featuring Kid Cudi and Raekwon)," "Power," "Monster (Featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, and Bon Iver)," "Runaway (Featuring Pusha T)," "Blame Game (Featuring John Legend)," "Lost in the World (Featuring Bon Iver)"</span><br /><br />While I decided against rankings this year and I want all the albums on this list to be viewed somewhat equally, in that you should listen to each and every one of them, there is one album that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Kanye West's <span style="font-style:italic;">Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy</span> is a masterpiece of pop music and is by far the greatest album to come out in 2010. This is not meant as a slight to any of the other amazing albums on this list, but this one is just the absolute best. Kanye stepped up his game once again and somehow managed to top himself where I didn't think he could. The most talented songwriter in mainstream music today. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A+)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Yeasayer - Odd Blood</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.muzzleofbees.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Odd-Blood.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.muzzleofbees.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Odd-Blood.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Ambling Alp," "Madder Red," "O.N.E.," "Love Me Girl"</span><br /><br />Yeasayer always had pop hooks, but they dealt in more psychedelic and indie territory on their first album, <span style="font-style:italic;">All Hour Cymbals</span>. On <span style="font-style:italic;">Odd Blood</span>, they fully embrace their art pop leanings, recalling weirdo 80's pop stars like Peter Gabriel. It works for the most part, with songs like "Ambling Alp" and "Madder Red" being some of the greatest of the year. There is a fair amount of filler or songs that are stuck in their old style a bit that don't catch on as much. Those songs are slightly disappointing, but the album holds together well enough to be a successful turn. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A-)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Neil Young - Le Noise</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.chartattack.com/files/imagecache/content_image-680xauto/chart_global/reviews/neil-young-le-noise.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.chartattack.com/files/imagecache/content_image-680xauto/chart_global/reviews/neil-young-le-noise.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Love and War," "Hitchhiker," "Peaceful Valley Boulevard"</span><br /><br />Neil Young makes a slight comeback after his slightly bad <span style="font-style:italic;">Fork in the Road</span> in 2009. We know Neil can still produce great music and he does just that here, writing a set of stripped down guitar tracks that suit him very well. The production is raw and vintage and fits him perfectly. The only downside really is that he fucks up some of the songs with an awful echo effect on his voice. He doesn't need it, his voice still sounds beautiful. It just tends to get annoying. Other than that, it's Neil playing guitar and singing, what more can you ask for? <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: So that should be it right? Well it was for most of the day, until I realized a glaring omission. Though this brings the list to fity-ONE great albums, I would be remiss in not mentioning it as it was definitely one of the best last year. How I managed to overlook it when compiling the top fifty, I don't know, but it's quite embarrassing and must be corrected.]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wolf Parade - Expo 86</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/wolf-parade-expo-86-cover.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/wolf-parade-expo-86-cover.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)," "Pobody's Nerfect"</span><br /><br />The Canadian indie rock band's third album and their best in my opinion. It took them ages to get around to doing it with their numerous side projects and it got majorly overlooked, even by me apparently, but it stood as the most rocking album they had done yet and the best tribute to their influences and themselves. The band has seemingly broken up now, but they at least leave behind a wonderful discography. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-75722380700407021402011-01-04T18:36:00.000-08:002011-01-04T19:23:28.312-08:00Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Four)<span style="font-weight:bold;">OFF! - First Four EPs</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://newsodrome.com/blues_news/album-review-off-s-first-four-eps-22933846.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://newsodrome.com/blues_news/album-review-off-s-first-four-eps-22933846.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Poison City," "Now I'm Pissed," "Rat Trap"</span><br /><br />Punk is dead, except for those few people that choose to keep it alive. OFF! is a supergroup of a bunch of old school punk guys that just want to make the music they love and they do it with complete style. This could have come out in 1980, but it came out in 2010 instead. Total retro album and for fans of this sort of thing, a true delight. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Sepulcros de Miel</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dealzon.com/pictures/deals/7825/large/get-album-sepulcros-de-miel-8-tracks-by-the-omar-rodriguez-lopez-quartet-free.jpg?1275975290"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://dealzon.com/pictures/deals/7825/large/get-album-sepulcros-de-miel-8-tracks-by-the-omar-rodriguez-lopez-quartet-free.jpg?1275975290" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Part II," "Part III," "Part IV," "Part VIII"</span><br /><br />Essentially a thirty minute jam, <span style="font-style:italic;">Sepulcros de Miel</span> covers a range of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez's usual styles. It's an effective encompassing of what he does and it's a hell of a listen. On this one, Omar is accompanied by his brother, drummer Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez, bassist Juan Alderete, and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist and frequent collaborator John Frusciante. A group of supremely talented musicians, it's amazing that they can simply jam for that long and still keep you entertained without any consistent musical themes throughout except for the synth loop that begins and ends the album. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Cizaña de los Amores</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://musicoogle.com/uploads/posts/2010-10/1287040901_12126234.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://musicoogle.com/uploads/posts/2010-10/1287040901_12126234.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "No Hay Más Respuestas," "Victimas del Cielo," "Infiel Hasta la Muerte"</span><br /><br />Like its spiritual predecessors, <span style="font-style:italic;">Xenophanes</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">Solar Gambling</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">Cizaña de los Amores</span> focuses on concise, pop-structured songwriting less than jamming like Omar's usual fare. It's the kind of album that his fans had often wanted him to make and it turns out almost as well as the first two of its type. It lacks in the bombast of <span style="font-style:italic;">Xenophanes</span> and the songs just aren't quite as good as <span style="font-style:italic;">Solar Gambling</span>, but it's another fantastic release of this style. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B+)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Saddest Landscape - You Will Not Survive</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thesirenssound.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The-Saddest-Landscape-%E2%80%93-You-Will-Not-Survive.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.thesirenssound.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/The-Saddest-Landscape-%E2%80%93-You-Will-Not-Survive.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Eternity is Lost on the Dying," "Imperfect But Ours," "So Lightly Thrown"</span><br /><br />The Saddest Landscape made their return after five years of hiatus this year and came back roaring with their first new material in that time, You Will Not Survive. Despite being a short album, it packs a massive punch to the gut, with seven explosive tracks. The Saddest Landscape is just getting started on their comeback with this album. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sed Non Satiata - Sed Non Satiata</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8ANyPabkkSUaawEkhR1Wyvqm45pgZS6z2mwbiYE3gX_Qm3hAz8rDTFLjk1ApxWUBQ67B9312UMpR5uPiUjPN7NPnSykVJSCMojWG8Ds6X8jQvfwGdE6WUImIF61wx1rI_pV8G2lxloI/s1600/sns.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8ANyPabkkSUaawEkhR1Wyvqm45pgZS6z2mwbiYE3gX_Qm3hAz8rDTFLjk1ApxWUBQ67B9312UMpR5uPiUjPN7NPnSykVJSCMojWG8Ds6X8jQvfwGdE6WUImIF61wx1rI_pV8G2lxloI/s1600/sns.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Les colonnes de soie," "Calle Jaen 23... ou l'antre de la bête"</span><br /><br />The French screamo band's new self-titled release is a force to be reckoned with. While some songs run on a little bit long, they're all primo tracks. "Calle Jaen 23... ou l'antre de la bête" in particular is an instrumental with wailing, tortured guitars that reminds one of Pink Floyd's David Gilmour at times. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Screaming Females - Castle Talk</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/wp-content/media/2010/09/screamingfemales.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/wp-content/media/2010/09/screamingfemales.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "A New Kid," "Fall Asleep," "Ghost Solo"</span><br /><br />Screaming Females frontwoman Marissa Paternoster proves once again that she's the queen of the epic riff on <span style="font-style:italic;">Castle Talk</span>, their latest album. The more upbeat songs are fun punk rock to get down to while the slower songs remind one of Sleater-Kinney's indie riot grrrl days. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.nahright.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/gil-scott-heron-im-new-here.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://cdn.nahright.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/gil-scott-heron-im-new-here.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Your Soul and Mine," "I'll Take Care of You," "Where Did the Night Go," "Running"</span><br /><br />Gil Scott-Heron's battles with drug addiction and illness come through his gravelly voice on <span style="font-style:italic;">I'm New Here</span>, a dark blues album that casts the civil rights activist in a new light. It's a deeply personal album, but it shows no bitterness. <span style="font-style:italic;">I'm New Here</span> makes it clear that Scott-Heron isn't going down without a fight. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">She & Him - Volume Two</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.muzzleofbees.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/she-and-him-volume-2-coverart.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.muzzleofbees.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/she-and-him-volume-2-coverart.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Ridin' in My Car," "Gonna Get Along Without You Now," "I'm Gonna Make It Better," "Over It Over Again," "Brand New Shoes"</span><br /><br />Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward's project together returns with a new album of old school style folk and country songs. It's a classicist approach to those genres and it seems like they would have been a good fit to play on The Porter Wagoner Show back in the day. In 2010, it's a nice listen for relaxation. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">sIngs - Hells</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://houstonist.com/attachments/marc.brubaker/sIngs-hells.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://houstonist.com/attachments/marc.brubaker/sIngs-hells.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Panic Pig," "House," "You're"</span><br /><br />sIngs makes heavily distorted, shoegaze sort of music that might remind one of My Bloody Valentine. They don't have very much upbeat material though, focusing mainly on depressing and pensive music, especially on songs like "House" which is mostly an acoustic song. This is their debut EP and it promises amazing things to come. They're already my favorite band in Houston. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Snowing - I Could Do Whatever I Wanted If I Wanted</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jToun_Ws73INIAzZ_yfBC2qfArBTlbyRDJWZFrUBvBQ8MSboIng6VOqSxpMfoFnNDxBYFFd39NxU_Bf5fZSLNwnfAUvtZ1yV5UfoztooLPLWNwHh494yVXfrWUjHuUH84bOz-p01LgQ/s400/cover.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-jToun_Ws73INIAzZ_yfBC2qfArBTlbyRDJWZFrUBvBQ8MSboIng6VOqSxpMfoFnNDxBYFFd39NxU_Bf5fZSLNwnfAUvtZ1yV5UfoztooLPLWNwHh494yVXfrWUjHuUH84bOz-p01LgQ/s400/cover.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "So I Shotgunned a Beer and Went Back to Bed," "Could Be Better Forever"</span><br /><br />Snowing uses the classic 90's template of emo and runs with it. They're a truly classic leaning band, uninterested in following trends of today. That makes them somewhat unique in the current landscape and extremely enjoyable. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-85050499582507966922011-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:002011-01-04T18:39:53.143-08:00Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Three)<span style="font-weight:bold;">Heaven in Her Arms - Paraselene</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYQrOCNzwClYyLzxRNnW0oTZKyqCCFiENvMlEcbJsjA3KvSl54Q3wUr7oFChiuirLxUyAtX3FikU5SYD3xCJsvsS31l9phu_b_X8EBq969GdpGt8kCDW8bHbbhYTYFH4JfCvzGd_n3EP_/s320/HIHA.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwYQrOCNzwClYyLzxRNnW0oTZKyqCCFiENvMlEcbJsjA3KvSl54Q3wUr7oFChiuirLxUyAtX3FikU5SYD3xCJsvsS31l9phu_b_X8EBq969GdpGt8kCDW8bHbbhYTYFH4JfCvzGd_n3EP_/s320/HIHA.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Butterfly in Right Helicoid," "Veritas"</span><br /><br />Heaven in Her Arms brings a heavy and epic screamo album. The Converge influence runs strong, with songs the longest songs on the album reminding one of Converge's greatest song, "Jane Doe." The reminder isn't a bad thing, as they take the influence and use it quite to their advantage. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Japandroids - No Singles</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/japandroids-no-singles-cover-art.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/japandroids-no-singles-cover-art.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Sexual Aerosol," "Lucifer's Symphony," "Couture Suicide"</span><br /><br />A compilation of the early EPs by Japandroids, it shows them in much rawer form. They still had amazing potential though and it's almost more enjoyable as you can hear them take risks. They're hungry here and it shows. You get the feeling they don't know or care whether this will appeal to anyone, they just want to kick ass. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B+)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Just Like Vinyl - Just Like Vinyl</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://music.is-amazing.com/sites/music.is-amazing.com/files/imagecache/Covers/covers/justlike.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://music.is-amazing.com/sites/music.is-amazing.com/files/imagecache/Covers/covers/justlike.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "The Circulatory System," "Death of the Sheep," "No Friend of Mine"</span><br /><br />The Fall of Troy had gotten increasingly technical, pretentious, and undesirable to listen to. Shortly after the release of their fourth full-length album, the band called it quits and singer/guitarist/main songwriter Thomas Erak set out on his own with a new band. <span style="font-style:italic;">Just Like Vinyl</span> is getting mixed reviews, but it's the best thing Erak has done in years, in my opinion. The bloated wankfests of the last Fall of Troy releases and uncomfortable indulgences are stripped away, giving <span style="font-style:italic;">Just Like Vinyl</span> the feel of the classic version of Fall of Troy on their self-titled release and the subsequent Doppelganger. The songs are still technical, but far more accessible and they have great hooks to draw the listener in. Breaking up the Fall of Troy and forming this band turned out to be the best move Erak could possibly make. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://elevenmusicmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Ted-Leo.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://elevenmusicmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Ted-Leo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Mourning in America," "Bottled in Cork," "Bartolomeo and the Buzzing of Bees," "Last Days"</span><br /><br />Ted Leo's latest release trades in unpretentious rock music, leaning heavily on classic punk and classic rock. It's heavier and harder than his last one, 2007's <span style="font-style:italic;">Living with the Living</span>. That album was overly ambitious, but <span style="font-style:italic;">The Brutalist Brick</span>s is stripped down the basics of his sound. It's purely the essence of Ted Leo's music and it's one of his greatest albums yet for it. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A+)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/system/images/thumbs/www/articles_2010_04_22/lcd_soundsystem_this_is_happening_album_cover_300x300.jpg?1273891902"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/system/images/thumbs/www/articles_2010_04_22/lcd_soundsystem_this_is_happening_album_cover_300x300.jpg?1273891902" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Dance Yrself Clean," "You Wanted a Hit," "Pow Pow"</span><br /><br />Another epic indie dance pop album from the master of it, LCD Soundsystem. While <span style="font-style:italic;">This is Happening</span> isn't James Murphy's greatest work, it may have the greatest depth of any of his albums yet and it preserves the catchy intelligent danceability of previous releases. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">listenlisten - "dog"</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.29-95.com/files/images/ll%20cover.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.29-95.com/files/images/ll%20cover.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Ears Are Hearing," "I Will Be Mean," "The Time We Almost Died"</span><br /><br />The best work yet from listenlisten, it strips their sound down a little bit and is a great country folk album. The re-recordings of previous songs drag it down a bit, as they aren't quite as strong as the original recordings, having worse production, but the album as a whole is an excellent slice of acoustic music. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Lizards Have Personalities - Snow of Kilimanjaro</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghacmEpcJNx5da3aqyBOd-PMfKKFY2UqxLTATSh3T81ex2FdmFlwpQz01ZPIGb6IptzoI716NSkurp-U8jxZSf3Q88oLNf7oNEog5ZA3Aac-d4SmN3yTLsiVKENFyQXys2JvAySP1UU5M/s1600/cover.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghacmEpcJNx5da3aqyBOd-PMfKKFY2UqxLTATSh3T81ex2FdmFlwpQz01ZPIGb6IptzoI716NSkurp-U8jxZSf3Q88oLNf7oNEog5ZA3Aac-d4SmN3yTLsiVKENFyQXys2JvAySP1UU5M/s1600/cover.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "In the Wake of a Dying Kite," "Upon a Scarlet Sunset," "For Once, Then, Something"</span><br /><br />The latest EP from Lizards Have Personalities removes their second vocalist and goes harder and heavier than their first one. Their sound just keeps getting better and this is easily one of the best screamo releases this year. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B+)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Make Do and Mend - End Measured Mile</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.dailydischord.com/wp-content/uploads/makedoandm.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.dailydischord.com/wp-content/uploads/makedoandm.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Ghostal," "Firewater"</span><br /><br />Make Do and Mend's brand of post-hardcore is refreshing to hear, a throwback to older bands that played that style. They're not too heavy, but not too light. Their screamer is the old school punk style of screamer, yelling his ass off but clearly and with a little bit of melody to it. It also features a fantastic guest appearance from La Dispute's Jordan Dreyer. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Merchant Ships - For Cameron</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Dj7pYFxn9XDWpkcHLtiPmvpA5pH4tncgulfxGEnUWTVm6xxg-Jpu2pqDY7moufghLzwQMAFFBDe1mCq6bGrpkBOnji-bEy1ITYR5s6NLX-n2aSyX2D8D07zMDh6dYIJ9ph9K-SLmkwc/s320/merchantships.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Dj7pYFxn9XDWpkcHLtiPmvpA5pH4tncgulfxGEnUWTVm6xxg-Jpu2pqDY7moufghLzwQMAFFBDe1mCq6bGrpkBOnji-bEy1ITYR5s6NLX-n2aSyX2D8D07zMDh6dYIJ9ph9K-SLmkwc/s320/merchantships.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Things Left in Last Year," "Sleep Patterns"</span><br /><br />Just before breaking up, Merchant Ships put out their best and deepest EP yet. "Sleep Patterns" is their best song, a nearly acoustic spoken word track that has possibly the most depressing lyrics of all time. The rest of the EP rocks hard, but has superior and tighter songwriting than previous EPs. It's a shame they won't be refining their sound even more. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://beyondrace.com/images/stories/archandroid.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://beyondrace.com/images/stories/archandroid.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Cold War," "Tightrope," "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)"</span><br /><br />Janelle Monae's wonderful debut is a mix of about a dozen different styles and the continuation of the perfection of pop music by OutKast. It's only right that she was discovered by OutKast's Big Boi because her brand of music is a direct sequel to their last release, encompassing just as many styles and doing them just as well as OutKast did on <span style="font-style:italic;">Speakerboxxx/The Love Below</span>. She's one of the few promising new artists to come out recently. <span style="font-style:italic;">The ArchAndroid</span> isn't perfect, it runs on a little bit too long, but it is one of the greatest pop albums in years and Monae's voice just soars. An excellent new talent. I'm going to admit a mistake here, I should have given this album an A upon release. My bad. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-47762360307245886442011-01-02T11:07:00.000-08:002011-01-03T09:08:24.510-08:00Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Two)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: The next ten...]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2010/09/Deerhunter-Halcyon-Digest.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2010/09/Deerhunter-Halcyon-Digest.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Sailing," "He Would Have Laughed"</span><br /><br />Deerhunter return with their greatest album yet. I will admit, I've never been a fan of Bradford Cox. I don't like Atlas Sound and I only like a few prior Deerhunter songs. But I will begrudgingly admit that <span style="font-style:italic;">Halcyon Digest</span> is a great album. For once, Cox knocked it out of the park and you have to hand it to him. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Devo - Something for Everybody</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://strangereaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/devo_front.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://strangereaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/devo_front.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Fresh," "What We Do," "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)"</span><br /><br />Twenty years after their last album and around thirty years since they were a great band, Devo return with an album as strong as any they've ever done. It's simultaneously old school and modern, incorporating the sounds they've used since the 80's but without sounding dated in the slightest. The lead single is called "Fresh" and with good reason. If Devo were just debuting today, this album would no doubt have been a hit the likes of any of their previous ones. A truly fresh new start for Devo that was well received by most. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A-)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.411mania.com/siteimages/som-200-dillinger_48038.png"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.411mania.com/siteimages/som-200-dillinger_48038.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Farewell, Mona Lisa," "Gold Teeth on a Bum," "Parasitic Twins"</span><br /><br />The Dillinger Escape Plan just keep going, churning out great music year after year. They've changed a fair bit, but it's safe to say they're not getting any worse for the wear. I had the pleasure of seeing them do some of this live at Warped Tour this past year and they were easily the best band at the entire show. They took the stage by storm and promptly destroyed it and the new material held up just as well as the old. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://static.brian-eno.net/images/warpcd207.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://static.brian-eno.net/images/warpcd207.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "2 Forms of Anger," "Slow Ice, Old Moon"</span><br /><br />Aside from the little joke in my first post, I do like Eno's music. I just enjoy pop music more than atmospheric music. That being said, Eno can do pop like nobody's business when he feels like it (see David Bowie's Berlin albums and the Talking Heads). This is the atmospheric, electronic soundscape stuff he's more known for these days though. I can live with that. It's a very good album, highly enjoyable, easy to relax to and easy to get absorbed into. I don't like this genre much, but Eno is easily the best of all time at it. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Envy - Recitation</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/wp-content/media/2010/10/envy_artwork.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/wp-content/media/2010/10/envy_artwork.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Pieces of the Moon I Weaved," "Light and Solitude," "0 and 1"</span><br /><br />Envy's newest album isn't their strongest by my estimation, I still miss their harder edged sound of years past, but they continue to be a strong and influential band. Their current sound is much lighter and happier, but they can still get dark and heavy when they want and they prove that in certain areas of <span style="font-style:italic;">Recitation</span>. While I don't consider it one of their best, <span style="font-style:italic;">Recitation</span> is still a great album. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fat Tony - RABDARGAB</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bandcamp.com/files/17/60/1760874343-1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://bandcamp.com/files/17/60/1760874343-1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Luv It Mayne (Featuring Murs and Bo. P)," "My Babe"</span><br /><br />I personally feel like some of Fat Tony's prior mixtapes were superior, but that's just my personal opinion. <span style="font-style:italic;">RABDARGAB</span> features a somewhat different sound, utilizing stranger beats, but Tony is still the best rapper in the Houston underground today and his debut album should by all rights be a hit. Go out and make it one, Houston. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fucked Up - Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ole-839____.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/ole-839____.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "I Hate Summer," "Teenage Problems"</span><br /><br />Fucked Up is a singles band to me. Their albums don't hold together so well, but they consistently release great singles, so this compilation is one of their strongest works to date. It's not exactly cohesive, but it does feature a lot of their best songs all in one place. A definite must-have for hardcore fans. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Girls - Broken Dreams Club</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/girls-broken-dreams-club-hi-res-cover-art1.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.mbvmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/girls-broken-dreams-club-hi-res-cover-art1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Alright," "Carolina"</span><br /><br />The songs on <span style="font-style:italic;">Broken Dreams Club</span> are decidedly less catchy and fun than those on Girls' debut <span style="font-style:italic;">Album</span>, but they have superior songwriting. Depending on your personal taste, you will find this EP to be a step up from their debut or a step down. Personally, I view it as a step down, being a pop fan, but the two are neck and neck. They both feature talented song craft and they show two sides of the same coin. Girls is one of the best new bands going right now and this really just goes to prove that even further. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClWn3XOx6Wko0p7HCsjH9uW5Ndct70B9Dz9C9XkH8LxCOCjxwNesx4rFGSG2Pz5xPEtecVhFYb6zDvKqSmJfHb694TzK7oMzfC-c0DBWY431Ylkfnh1ktCFGBYQQxgYF_1FeuTeHkBpY/s1600/101104-cee-lo-green-_cee-lo-green-lady-killer-official-album-cover.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClWn3XOx6Wko0p7HCsjH9uW5Ndct70B9Dz9C9XkH8LxCOCjxwNesx4rFGSG2Pz5xPEtecVhFYb6zDvKqSmJfHb694TzK7oMzfC-c0DBWY431Ylkfnh1ktCFGBYQQxgYF_1FeuTeHkBpY/s1600/101104-cee-lo-green-_cee-lo-green-lady-killer-official-album-cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Bright Lights Bigger City," "Fuck You," "Bodies," "It's OK"</span><br /><br />I have long maintained that the only good pop superstars today are Kanye West and Cee Lo Green and I stand by that. With his latest solo effort, and the first away from Gnarls Barkley in a little while, Cee Lo simply proves his effortless pop perfection. I can't name a single bad song on this album and it is easily one of my favorites of the year. His voice is in magnificent form and all these songs are amazing pop, soul, and R&B throwbacks. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Grinderman - Grinderman 2</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/grinderman2_.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/grinderman2_.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Heathen Child," "When My Baby Comes," "Evil"</span><br /><br />Nick Cave is still kicking out the blues rock jams with Grinderman and we're all the better for it. The dark, fuzzed out, pub music is a treat for all, revealing the seedy, shady underbelly of rock music that's been drowned it in recent years for pop sheen. Grinderman essentially holds the same appeal as blues rock bands in the 70's did: they're dirty, dark, mysterious, perverted, dangerous, and captivating. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-89924128369706801452011-01-01T22:44:00.000-08:002011-01-02T00:43:15.725-08:00Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part One)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: I hate ranking, don't you? You always feel as though things should be higher and it's so hard to rank music objectively. I like Phil Collins more than Brian Eno, but objectively Eno makes superior music. How can I possibly rank the two of them against each other? So in lieu of ranking this year or my planned award show format, I'm simply going to list fifty great albums you should have heard and should still listen to if you haven't. No order, no ranking, no judging which is superior to the other. They're all great and need to be heard. Following is the first ten, which will be followed by ten more each day until we get to fifty.]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">After the Burial - In Dreams</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/After-the-Burial-In-Dreams-e1290452268334.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/After-the-Burial-In-Dreams-e1290452268334.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Your Troubles Will Cease and Fortune Will Smile Upon You," "Pendulum," "Bread Crumbs and White Stones," "To Carry You Away"</span><br /><br />A new standard for the progressive death metal/djent genre coming in the form of the third album from Minnesota's After the Burial. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Alexisonfire - iTunes Originals</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.mp3crank.com/cover-album/Alexisonfire-iTunes-Originals.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.mp3crank.com/cover-album/Alexisonfire-iTunes-Originals.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "You Burn First," "Waterwings (And Other Pool Side Fashion Faux Pas)," "This Could Be Anywhere in the World," "No Transitory"</span><br /><br />Alexisonfire has never released an official live album, but this come close. A compilation of new live-in-the-studio records of old songs mixed with new songs from their <span style="font-style:italic;">Old Crows/Young Cardinals</span> album, this is a must-hear for fans of the post-hardcore band looking for revitalizing of their classics. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: C)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Alexisonfire - Dog's Blood</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.chartattack.com/files/imagecache/content_image-680xauto/chart_global/reviews/aof_dogsblood.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.chartattack.com/files/imagecache/content_image-680xauto/chart_global/reviews/aof_dogsblood.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Dog's Blood," "Grey," "Vex"</span><br /><br />The latest EP from Alexisonfire, seeing them turn to a more experimental side. It consists of four tracks, all killer, no filler, and a return to styles they haven't dabbled in for nearly ten years. A surprising and welcome return to form. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A+)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Astronautalis - DANCEHALLHORNSOUND!!!!</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Cover-260x260.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://consequenceofsound.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Cover-260x260.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Best Tracks: "Do You Believe in Life After Thugs?," "Voicemail Freestyle: Mike Wiebe"</span><br /><br />This new mixtape sees Astronautalis deconstructing indie hip-hop as a whole and turning it upside down. It's his strongest work in a while and the remixes seen here are sometimes even better than the originals. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.starpulse.com/news/media/CBRalbumcoverfeat.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.starpulse.com/news/media/CBRalbumcoverfeat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Closer," "Paper Dolls"</span><br /><br />Corinne Bailey Rae's soft and sweet R&B can be extremely powerful and that's shown on her strong new album. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Max Bemis and the Painful Splits - Max Bemis and the Painful Splits</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lae9806T3S1qbyp0io1_cover.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lae9806T3S1qbyp0io1_cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Assimilate All Bastards," "Do the Dohnk," "Piss on the Precedent"</span><br /><br />On his first solo release, Say Anything frontman Max Bemis strips things down and writes some basic but highly enjoyable acoustic songs that leave nothing, including his immense songwriting talent, hidden from the listener. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: A)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Black Francis - NonStopErotik</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/black-francis-nonstoperotik-album-cover.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/black-francis-nonstoperotik-album-cover.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Lake of Sin," "Dead Man's Curve," "When I Go Down on You</span><br /><br />The prolific Pixies frontman's latest album is a fun though slightly perverted diversion, proving his ability to write short catchy songs hasn't faded away after all these years. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Burzum - Belus</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://steffmetal.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/burzum_belus.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://steffmetal.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/burzum_belus.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Belus' død," "Morgenrøde"</span><br /><br />Varg Vikernes returns after a lengthy prison sentence with a new Burzum in the black metal style fans know and love from their early albums. It shows some growth and maturity while never betraying the Burzum sound. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Calculator - These Roots Grow Deep...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i045.radikal.ru/1004/c8/fa59a7b1f1bc.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://i045.radikal.ru/1004/c8/fa59a7b1f1bc.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "Our Homes, Our Graves," "2012"</span><br /><br />Fantastic compilation of previously released, previously unreleased, and brand new material from the California screamo band. Normally a release like this would come after a band's break-up, but thankfully Calculator are still around and kicking ass. This compilation proves it. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: not reviewed)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">City and Colour - Live at the Orange Lounge</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2010-04/1272012109_11bu5ns.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="http://www.israbox.com/uploads/posts/2010-04/1272012109_11bu5ns.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546270345762503666" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Best Tracks: "What Makes a Man?," "Comin' Home," "Save Your Scissors"</span><br /><br />A live album from Dallas Green of Alexisonfire's solo project featuring songs from his previous albums. Though there's nothing really new here, these are fantastic performances, with almost more of a haunting quality to them than the originals. Green's voice and guitar playing are beautiful and it features some of his best songs. <span style="font-style:italic;">(Original Grade: B)</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-43681554464639010422010-12-17T14:02:00.000-08:002010-12-17T14:10:53.031-08:00RIP Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) 1/15/1941 - 12/17/2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXx30j77QSog-NKXhiwn0bACmbAAA3RYvJS7EPfGyOv6B4nDO28gHIy34C5sbD7Kfmh7Dtk7JPqGniBMPuzxiYvr9YHV0BGgfZZgA70Ng0DKaSwwbrGcaKQh4WKlJUt3Boxzv2Ib6DEIc/s1600/trout.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXx30j77QSog-NKXhiwn0bACmbAAA3RYvJS7EPfGyOv6B4nDO28gHIy34C5sbD7Kfmh7Dtk7JPqGniBMPuzxiYvr9YHV0BGgfZZgA70Ng0DKaSwwbrGcaKQh4WKlJUt3Boxzv2Ib6DEIc/s320/trout.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5551775419109848770" /></a><br /><br />One of my musical heroes has passed today. Pictured above is Don Van Vliet AKA Captain Beefheart's classic album, Trout Mask Replica, which is, in my opinion, one of the greatest albums ever made. The influence of that album cannot be understated. You can hear it in so much music that came out after it, despite no one even quite attempting to replicate the eccentric brilliance of it. Van Vliet quit music in 1982 and had been struggling with MS for many years. Despite it, he continued to paint and became a very renowned artist. He finally lost his battle with it today. It's a sad day indeed. Below is a short film made about Van Vliet in 1994, entitled <span style="font-style:italic;">Some Yoyo Stuff</span> and featuring David Lynch and Van Vliet himself. As you can see, he was already suffering from MS but it's still a fun avant garde short film.<br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2AkiUAljqWo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2AkiUAljqWo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mPOaVJ7iKHs?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mPOaVJ7iKHs?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-59387615845823798142010-11-17T05:01:00.000-08:002010-11-17T05:09:03.576-08:00Great Underrated Albums by Famous Artists<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: This is something I wrote a long time ago for use on this blog, but never really finished or ever published. I found it on my computer while organizing some files and decided to put it up here today.]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrvMFbzDNJPHN8AX89Yw0vAsFO7HU0DJOvKp8p3FnWLUqeZ0pm1GDeNrqzE76LUM4RoFzXbw9hi23LoD7Mez0UFJQ2RI3Vw3hSBKN6brD3qSibixzcg5dE1p3AbuHrnC-N44K8wCDQAo/s1600/album-temple-of-the-dog.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 301px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrvMFbzDNJPHN8AX89Yw0vAsFO7HU0DJOvKp8p3FnWLUqeZ0pm1GDeNrqzE76LUM4RoFzXbw9hi23LoD7Mez0UFJQ2RI3Vw3hSBKN6brD3qSibixzcg5dE1p3AbuHrnC-N44K8wCDQAo/s320/album-temple-of-the-dog.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540503672859538530" /></a><br /><br />When this album came out, nobody noticed or cared. Then Soundgarden and Pearl Jam both exploded and suddenly a collaboration between Soundgarden's Chris Cornell and all of Pearl Jam was a profitable prospect. It quickly spawned some radio hits that still get airplay today and it's a pretty well regarded album. So saying it's underrated doesn't really apply at any time since 1992 or thereabouts, but I say it is underrated for this reason: I believe that it is the best thing anybody involved has ever done. I find Soundgarden's work pretty inconsistent. They were good, but I can't really listen to any of their albums the whole way through. For Cornell, the only thing he's ever done that comes close is his first solo album, Euphoria Morning. An argument could be made for that album being better than Temple of the Dog, but I still give the edge to Temple of the Dog because Cornell was in better vocal shape (being eight years younger) and the album just being made up of stronger songs. On the Pearl Jam side, their debut, Ten, is pretty much equal to it as well, but Eddie Vedder isn't quite the singer that Chris Cornell is, meaning Ten doesn't have the same amazing vocal moments, and at no point does the band stretch out like on the epic length track "Reach Down." For those reasons, I'd still give it to Temple of the Dog. Really, I'm just trying to make a point as it's hard to find flaws with Euphoria Morning or Ten. Those albums are basically equals to this one. But the point is, I think Temple of the Dog often falls by the wayside as just something really great that those guys did, few really recognize just how good it was and realize that it is pretty much one of the best things anybody involved ever did.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Black Sabbath - Born Again</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjYtvCfZpEP3frdoXynk0x0gubishWUG2nOwmWLfE-1yYPMMV5BTVEGI4_4j1oMAR3luuw49UK2qekORwVRr2ipYi9Ia86TNgWnSuppEABjGcxM33mUxb5iCNHAyNz9p6kAB-XIrpCIE/s1600/AlbumCovers-BlackSabbath-BornAgain%25281983%2529.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 310px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjYtvCfZpEP3frdoXynk0x0gubishWUG2nOwmWLfE-1yYPMMV5BTVEGI4_4j1oMAR3luuw49UK2qekORwVRr2ipYi9Ia86TNgWnSuppEABjGcxM33mUxb5iCNHAyNz9p6kAB-XIrpCIE/s320/AlbumCovers-BlackSabbath-BornAgain%25281983%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540503877764085794" /></a><br /><br />Collaboration time again. In the grunge era, Temple of the Dog was a fan's wet dream. In the metal era, this one was too, it just didn't have quite the same commercial viability by 1983 that it would have had in the mid-1970's. On Born Again, Black Sabbath found themselves once again without a singer so they picked up former Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan and put out a sort of bizarre combination of both bands' sounds but really something completely different in a way as well. The production was shit, but given the time period that's almost a comfort, considering the slick 80's hair metal veneer every album following would experience. The dirty rawness of it all is charming in its way, sort of like punk around that time. As for the music itself, it's classic. Gillan is in amazing vocal shape, belting out screams like he never even did in Deep Purple, "Child in Time" notwithstanding. Iommi cuts some of his greatest solos. Butler and Ward are just as great a rhythm section as ever. These days everything with Sabbath's name that doesn't have Ozzy or Dio singing on it is pretty much forgotten, but honestly Born Again stands, to me, as one of the great Sabbath albums, along with the first six Ozzy albums and the first three Dio albums.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">David Bowie - Buddha of Suburbia</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyidJRxxhn4hGeCGQeLKt0T3OAxXw7IOT-JkfXAu7nPp1nRuMSHew0ZNnB3wJ8sv9ey6sP70nDOlrX7PZP87Zya9He4RdtgN4uw0SnROrlAnunwaZbdhyphenhyphenkOn5dvwrt-IAAFzKWCRLu4t0/s1600/2002734534572575795_rs.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 312px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyidJRxxhn4hGeCGQeLKt0T3OAxXw7IOT-JkfXAu7nPp1nRuMSHew0ZNnB3wJ8sv9ey6sP70nDOlrX7PZP87Zya9He4RdtgN4uw0SnROrlAnunwaZbdhyphenhyphenkOn5dvwrt-IAAFzKWCRLu4t0/s320/2002734534572575795_rs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540504035283454402" /></a><br /><br />I know I talk of this album a lot, but it really is one of the greats in Bowie's discography. When it was released it was completely ignored because it was the soundtrack for a shitty TV movie. It took forever for the soundtrack to even make it to the US and it was just quietly forgotten. But among hardcore Bowie fans, we realize that he was really onto some brilliant stuff around this time. It combines the instrumental experimentation of the following album, Outside, that itself harkens back to his experimentation with Brian Eno back in the 70's Berlin trilogy, with the upbeat 90's dance pop of the preceding Black Tie White Noise and ends up being a vastly superior album to either of those. To this day, no one but real Bowie fans really know this exists, which is a true shame. Bowie himself has described it as one of his favorites that he's ever made and there's good reason for that.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">GZA/Genius - Legend of the Liquid Sword</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFQK31nZuCAsMlhtLBou6EwXX4_1BByaF8SVa1P5dGzK8ZdxWDOeEN6B4GUMjABqW7bmbz4QCJcf65rSisO7gszAw1F-yWsHKbaxiglQaTFkmUill-PEfrbjmMv2Dl69ZiXiygW4oRhc/s1600/genius.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFQK31nZuCAsMlhtLBou6EwXX4_1BByaF8SVa1P5dGzK8ZdxWDOeEN6B4GUMjABqW7bmbz4QCJcf65rSisO7gszAw1F-yWsHKbaxiglQaTFkmUill-PEfrbjmMv2Dl69ZiXiygW4oRhc/s320/genius.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540504202479658210" /></a><br /><br />When this one hit the scene in 2002, it wasn't really "cool" anymore (at the time) to like Wu-Tang. This was after the disappointment a lot of people felt over The W and Iron Flag and it just wasn't really a good time for the group. But in reality, this was nowhere near as bad as everybody thought. Actually, it's a really good album. GZA is in fine form lyrically and it has some of the better beats of his solo career. Wu members Ghostface, RZA, Inspectah Deck, and frequent Wu collaborator Streetlife show up for strong guest verses and it even features a very early appearance from someone then known as "Santi White" now universally known and famous as Santogold. If the lyrics are to be believed, part of the reason this album was a failure was just the record label dropping the ball (as usual). Sure, it's nowhere near as good as Liquid Swords, but what is? It's still a worthwhile entry in the Wu-Tang legacy and probably the best thing not called Liquid Swords in GZA's own discography.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Mars Volta - Amputechture</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeF0HjyLl6Apc0x0hJHtq6nArzkp_zrt2PrAC6WR__WnuMlbUk5VEh7Ycph9HHXwQpCO6phMij9AlbDb7M8O17FE2UXO-km4Ma39PRPzaMPBLOen2vYMA5yFiBBTIF_sf33JZF6rrynXM/s1600/201001121326502625.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 297px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeF0HjyLl6Apc0x0hJHtq6nArzkp_zrt2PrAC6WR__WnuMlbUk5VEh7Ycph9HHXwQpCO6phMij9AlbDb7M8O17FE2UXO-km4Ma39PRPzaMPBLOen2vYMA5yFiBBTIF_sf33JZF6rrynXM/s320/201001121326502625.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540504387600254818" /></a><br /><br />This album was pretty successful, all things considered, but when it came out it was pretty much universally loathed by fans of the band. As At the Drive-In fans felt betrayed when that band broke up and the Mars Volta first appeared, fans of the first two albums the Mars Volta released felt betrayed by the new turn of Amputechture. It's gone so far that Cedric and Omar have even called this their "autistic child." Nowadays, it seems more and more fans are catching up and warming to the album, but it still stands out like a sore thumb in their discography as that one album that left everyone pretty much scratching their head when it came out. Not to mention, the band itself was a mess around that time. They barely toured, the few shows they played were made up of 40 minute free form jams, Cedric had surgery, they went through several drummers, and their follow-up, the Bedlam in Goliath, had some severe birth pains that led to it being labeled a cursed album. With all the negativity surrounding it, Amputechture is a black sheep but actually listen to it and you'll realize that it's easily just as good as the first two Mars Volta albums.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Prince - Come</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ylMp7iYBqHYgQIDbmSJ0xmz2YBj15CINfqsTOTtQ1DCcVdRynorF6W4BnEUNRefQZlXcUhYa4rNtTe5aggilZmGcnC-XG7KECV2USswvQAZu6npa54XX3vsZFJoe4QLpnqxMwi4e1CQ/s1600/come.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 299px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ylMp7iYBqHYgQIDbmSJ0xmz2YBj15CINfqsTOTtQ1DCcVdRynorF6W4BnEUNRefQZlXcUhYa4rNtTe5aggilZmGcnC-XG7KECV2USswvQAZu6npa54XX3vsZFJoe4QLpnqxMwi4e1CQ/s320/come.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5540504723135475538" /></a><br /><br />Come was a casualty of the woes Prince had around the time of its release with Warner Bros. You know, the shit that eventually led to him giving up his name and calling himself an unpronouncable symbol. With all that going on, people were far less interested in Prince's music and more in his personal drama. That meant that despite the success he had in the early 90's with his hip hop experiments, Come was largely ignored when it was released. Prince climbed back on the charts shortly after with the Gold Experience, but what of Come? It's an odd little album, representing a brief transitional period of smooth R&B that was featured in few and far between instances of the preceding and following albums, but it's personally one of my favorites of his. It has a wide range of styles in the context of that R&B, catchy should've-been-hits, and some experimentation that proved Prince wasn't slipping into any sort of rut.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-81486968708706971792010-11-08T14:02:00.000-08:002010-11-08T14:11:29.784-08:00Interview with The Memorials<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI4R_lPlNZue8EvL3Vh9FeJJoBtMYbPmJF0oo9Uy7E0Uzzdk_JP5i9ye9dHlaN4yF-aEtbiDnrbPBtuVx8khLWAq74HeBOokRXshdpndL_0peR1jbulifvK4bpK64z9Zab8U_NbWifTo/s1600/TheMemorials5.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI4R_lPlNZue8EvL3Vh9FeJJoBtMYbPmJF0oo9Uy7E0Uzzdk_JP5i9ye9dHlaN4yF-aEtbiDnrbPBtuVx8khLWAq74HeBOokRXshdpndL_0peR1jbulifvK4bpK64z9Zab8U_NbWifTo/s320/TheMemorials5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537304974353989938" /></a><br /><br /><object width="400" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V26IO-ya4p0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V26IO-ya4p0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="285"></embed></object><br />(Video for "Westcoast")<br /><br />In October of 2009, drummer Thomas Pridgen exited Grammy Award winning band the Mars Volta. With nowhere else to go, he turned to two friends from his days at Berklee College of Music, guitarist Nick Brewer and vocalist Viveca Hawkins. By December, Thomas had his new band formed, calling themselves <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thememorialsmusic">the Memorials</a>. I recently got to conduct an interview with them about their upcoming self-titled record, their creative process, side-projects, and future touring plans.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Hi, how is everyone doing? I'd like to start off by saying that the songs you have up are great so far and they show a lot of varied influences. I wanted to ask what you've all been listening to lately and how that affects the writing process? Where are you all drawing inspiration from for the Memorials?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nick -</span> I've recently been listening to some David Bowie (Changes, Ziggy). I just love his writing. It's all very dramatic. I guess I like to write from the same perspective whereas the music is exciting with hills and valleys. I tend to gravitate towards music that sounds like a soundtrack. It enhances my everyday experiences.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Viveca -</span> I listened to a lot of Lamb of God, Marylin Manson, Led Zeppelin, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, Betty Davis, the Foo Fighters, Foxy Shazam, etc. I drew mostly from within. I tried my best to stay as original as possible.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thomas -</span> I’ve been listening to afro beat music like Fela Kuti, people like the Venetian Snares and Squarepusher, but I also listen to lots of funk stuff and some early prog rock stuff, metal stuff. I kinda listen to anything good anything with live music right now, not much rap in my iPod at this point.<br /><br />We honestly drew inspiration from all the things that we affect us at the time of making this record. I just parted ways with The Mars Volta, it was totally a fucked up situation. I also had a girl that I was with for three years leave me in the middle of making this record. I was pissed, happy, sad, drunk, excited, confused, crying at times, tired, stressed, bummed about being owed money... I was a wreck. A musician that we all loved also died while making this record so it was a total crazy time for us. I would've lost it if I didn't make this record.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. What do you suppose each member brings to the creative process and how is it different than working with other bands, specifically for Thomas coming from the sort of dictatorship of The Mars Volta?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nick -</span> Well I believe each of us brings a totally different influence. Thomas brings a lot of raw energy, heart, and rhythm. Viveca brings soul and a lot of blues to each song, and I bring a chordal balance and visuals to the sound. We work collectively on the music so that the finished product is pretty much all of our influences, feel, and thoughts.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Viveca -</span> Working for someone else is always work. I have worked with a lot of different artists over the years and finally having my own thing makes me feel really free and strong willed at the same time. Thomas is an amazing producer and never having worked with him or Nick before made it like one surprise after another. They made such a beautiful palate for me to paint with. Nick once told me, "I sing the notes he wants to hear." And he absolutely plays the notes I want to hear! Thomas is the only drummer I ever really wanted to play with. He told me he would play for me before Keyshia [Cole] and The Mars Volta... so I waited. I’m so glad I did. I am the voice. I am the face. I am the heart. They are the brains.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thomas -</span> Well, I was the dictator this time. I totally learned a lot from The Mars Volta. Nick came in open to my wild ideas which was great. He had a ton of stuff that was also super wild that he threw at me. Also we really work in a seamless type of way where we're almost as one in the studio. And Viv, I just enjoyed watching her open up. She's never sung this type of stuff much less over beats that are odd time signatures. I thought it was great seeing her write about things that I threw at her and watching her yell. It was kinda cool. I felt like she threw herself into a sound and a vibe that's totally unique and honest. We're watching each other grow daily.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. Speaking of the Volta, Thomas, could you elaborate a little bit on your exit from that band? It seems that the full story has never quite come out as to what happened on the actual day you left the band before the show in Raleigh, North Carolina. What happened on that day?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thomas -</span> My dad's from North Carolina and he was coming to the show. I totally wanted to play that day, my drums were set up and everything. I'm honestly not trying to speak on those dudes, but Omar's cool. I still talk to him, I got a lot of love for that dude, he showed me a lot and he's not responsible for the actions of his partner Cedric. He knows where I'm from and who my homies are. He knows he owes me a shit load of bread so he filed a restraining order on me instead of just paying me and giving me the credits that I deserve. It's fucking sad. I thought The Mars Volta was a family, but I guess when the smoke cleared it was a two member duo... I chalked it up though. I treated that band like money didn't matter so I'm sticking to that and just doing my own thing. They can't stop me at all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4. Back to the Memorials, the first song to come out was a cover of Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, followed by a cover of 1979 by the Smashing Pumpkins. Those are somewhat odd choices of songs to cover, but I think you do them very well. When did you decide to do those covers and why those songs specifically?</span><br /><br /><object width="400" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/unIILWb8S8w?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/unIILWb8S8w?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="285"></embed></object><br />(Video for "Black Hole Sun")<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nick -</span> I'm a huge Soundgarden fan. I've always wanted to be Kim Thayill so it was natural to me to cover Black Hole Sun. Haven't heard anyone try to do it before, and sonically and lyrically that song captures the excitement I have for music. 1979 was one of the first riffs I learned on the guitar so it was fun to play it with Thomas and Viv.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Viveca -</span> Thomas picked Black Hole Sun. He said it would be cool. I didn’t even know the tune actually... and Nick always wanted to play 1979! He was born that year.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thomas -</span> We did those because I knew that people really wanted to hear the album and we didn't yet know how we were releasing the record, so those covers were more to hold over the fans and people who knew I was working on something. I've been very meticulous about how I've done things concerning this band. Videos, songs, release dates.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5. Nick and Thomas, you've worked together before on a band called <a href="http://www.myspace.com/sabaisabaisabai">Sabai</a>. Could you both tell me a little bit about that band and what it was like then versus now?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nick -</span> Sabai was a lot of fun writing and recording. Only thing is we never played a show. The guy who fronted for the band didn't want to play a show. Whatever. I got to write some cool jams with Thomas, and we immediately developed a chemistry writing and hanging out. Which is pretty much the same for The Memorials now, except we murder live!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thomas -</span> Sabai was an all black metal band Nick and I had with a couple guys, BJ [Edwards] and Rory [Jackson]. We recorded a bunch, but never did a show and after a while I just left Boston, so we never really made anything of it. Now I'm super serious about this, Nick is too. I guess we got older and we know what we have together. I'mma marry you, Nick. (laughing)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6. Thomas, you've done a lot of work with a lot of bands. Could you elaborate on working with them, especially <a href="http://www.myspace.com/christianscottmusic">Christian Scott</a> and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/elixironmute">Elixir On Mute</a>? I'd also like to ask, are you still planning on touring with Elixir On Mute?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thomas -</span> Yeah, we're trying to plan some stuff. It's real hard because I'm so focused on the Memorials project. Everyone sees it and kinda just lets me do my thing.<br /><br />Now Christian, that's my boy. We talked about putting together a crazy all-star band so you'll totally see us working together again. I'd still be on the road with him if I could, I totally enjoyed playing with him.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">7. Thomas, I also heard a rumor that you are working with Thomas Erak from <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thefalloftroy">The Fall of Troy</a>. Any truth to that?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thomas -</span> Me and Erak are boys. We may do something in the future. He also has a new project, we might just go on tour together as bands. We've totally been talking about it, going out guerilla style.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">8. Nick, I really admire the funky, somewhat vintage 1970's but still modern style of guitar you bring to the band. How did you come to develop that sound?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nick -</span> Thank you. The beginning of my love for music started with the 60's and 70's guitar players. I love Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, and Mahavishnu Orchestra. Physical Graffiti, Electric Lady, and Inner Mounting Flame changed my life. However Dean Deleo, Stef Carpenter, Kim Thayil, Ryan Primack, and Adam Dutkiewicz also destroyed my face. Ha. I also have a huge love of jazz. I pull a lot from theory and harmony. I guess those influences together with a drive to create meaningful art and chaos mixed with a little whiskey, or a lot of whiskey, creates a basis for my sound.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">9. Viveca, your voice is a beautiful addition to the band and I think what will hook a lot of people on the Memorials. How do you approach the Memorials vocally? It's a bit of a different sound than lot of bands and it seems like it might be hard to find ways to fit in so perfectly as you do.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Viveca -</span> Thanks, Corey. Vocally it was a bit challenging having come from a mostly R&B/ soul background. I had to really step out. Stretch out mentally and try and forget about my fears of singing too hard. A voice teacher of mine once told me, "think less, sing more." So that was my approach. As far as me fitting into this equation, I feel like it was my destiny. I didn’t have to try really. I just wrote down and sang the songs like I heard them in my head with an occasional push from TP. "Come harder here, be darker with this, etc." Having recorded numerous songs with heavy background vocals in the past, he asked that I keep it to a minimum, but I may have gotten a little carried away at times. (laughing) I love vocal harmony. I love hearing my voice in layers. Thank God, or whoever the nerd is that made pro tools!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">10. Finally, since this is for a Houston based website, I have to ask, will the Memorials be making it out to Texas any time soon?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Nick -</span> Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso can't wait to be on the hang with yall! Love the dirty! Thanks Corey.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Viveca -</span> We have high hopes for a trip to Texas in the near future! Hopefully this article will help! Thanks for your time. Bless.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Thomas -</span> Fuck yeah, I love Tejas. If I ever move from the Bay, I'm moving to Austin. Print that! I love the people out there and the bars. (laughing) Houston, Dallas, El Paso, San Antonio, Corpus... I'm trying to hit everywhere this next year so be on the look out.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-82661379863819731472010-11-07T01:22:00.000-07:002010-11-07T02:51:26.855-08:00My Top "I-Was-There" Moments (Pt. 2)Ok, I didn't post this "tomorrow" like I said, but here it is. The second part of my collection of my favorite concert moments.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Nine Inch Nails - "Wish" and "I Do Not Want This" (May 12, 2009)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NV-0HN-kTWM?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NV-0HN-kTWM?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />This was the second time I saw Nine Inch Nails and this time it was in Austin on their apparent last tour ever. For this show, they busted out some deep cuts like "The Fragile" and, my personal favorite, "I Do Not Want This," a song that I feel pretty privileged to have experienced live.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Animal Collective - "Fireworks" and "What Would I Want? Sky" (June 4, 2009)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hP4f7MZctS0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hP4f7MZctS0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />This was in Dallas and I post it mainly for "Fireworks" even though it's only the ending and doesn't capture the part of why I'm posting this. The part in question is unfortunately not on YouTube. "Fireworks" was performed at epic length and in the middle Panda Bear got on drums. Animal Collective then proceeded to perform one of the most mind-blowing jams I've ever had the pleasure to witness. Truly amazing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Mars Volta - "Eunuch Provocateur" (September 17, 2009)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uuBjucEOcpk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uuBjucEOcpk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />For this tour, the Mars Volta dug deep in their catalog and pulled out one of my favorite songs of theirs (and one of the oldest), "Eunuch Provocateur." They also brought back "Inertiatic ESP" for this tour and that was stunning too. A big treat for their biggest fans.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Brand New - "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" (October 31, 2009)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/h_d01Todu0I?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/h_d01Todu0I?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />Brand New is one of my favorite bands and this was a special show since it was on Halloween. This is my favorite song by them and it was rewarding because I had been waiting for so long to see them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Say Anything - "Admit It!!!" (November 16, 2009)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/RuWvCfSbINE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RuWvCfSbINE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />I love Say Anything, especially their album ...Is a Real Boy. They closed out their set with the last song off of that album, "Admit It!!!" and they went all out with it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cursive - "21st Century Schizoid Man" (November 30, 2009)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5svpo0-XK5c?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5svpo0-XK5c?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />Cursive did this badass King Crimson cover when they played Walter's On Washington last year. It was a fantastic set because they were headlining and got to play all of my favorite songs. Yes, I recorded this, apologies for the shitty sound.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Girls - "Lust for Life" (January 31, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PjsZREuR7jw?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PjsZREuR7jw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />Album by Girls was one of my favorites last year and this was the big hit from it. They had an awesome show here. I ditched my girlfriend to go to it, so essentially I ditched my girlfriend to see Girls, which is amusing to me. I'm so lame.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ted Leo - "A Bottle of Buckie" (March 31, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/r9pgvHeBd3k?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/r9pgvHeBd3k?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "Timorous Me" (March 31, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3U1i6kz5ZoY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3U1i6kz5ZoY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />On March 31st, I finally got to see Ted Leo after waiting forever. Not only that, but I got to see him twice in one day. First, playing an acoustic set by himself at End of an Ear, a record store in Austin, then second, playing with the Pharmacists at Emo's. Ted is one of my favorite musicians so this was a dream come true for me. I also got to meet him at the record store and got an awesome picture with him. You can also see me in the front row with the plaid shirt in the video at Emo's.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Buxton - "Down in the Valley" (April 17, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfcmyMpmbJ0?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfcmyMpmbJ0?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />Buxton are personal friends of mine and this was an awesome performance. I took this video and it actually turned out pretty decent.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Alexisonfire - "No Transitory" (May 3, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/UdvYVXMZRuY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/UdvYVXMZRuY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />Alexisonfire playing my favorite song by them. They did more of their new album than I'd prefer, but they still busted out classics like this.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Converge - "Hanging Moon" and "No Heroes" (May 21, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/W_Dp-UCeifw?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/W_Dp-UCeifw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />"Hanging Moon" is my favorite Converge song, besides "Jane Doe" which they sadly didn't play at this show. Still, it was pretty awesome that they played "Hanging Moon" considering it's not one of their more popular songs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Flaming Lips - "The Fear" and "Worm Mountain" (June 5, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/VvUaVfVMbeQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/VvUaVfVMbeQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />I never thought I would see the day that the Flaming Lips would play in Houston, nor did I ever think I'd meet Wayne Coyne. This was easily one of the highlights of my life. It's the biggest festival I've ever seen held in Houston and the Lips played an amazing set.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Janelle Monae - "Cold War" (June 13, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lR9vD3KN5K8?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lR9vD3KN5K8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />I'm a big fan of Janelle Monae but I couldn't afford to see her open up for Erykah Badu. Luckily for me, she held a free instore at the best record store in Houston, Cactus Music. It was a short acoustic set, but it was mind-blowing and it showcased how truly breathtaking her voice is.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Panasonic Youth" (July 2, 2010)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hs4RZkRFfPQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Hs4RZkRFfPQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />This one was fucking crazy. Dillinger is ridiculous live. Greg Puciato is maybe the greatest screamer I've ever seen live.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group - "Miel del Ojo"</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/33vHLvjH4TY?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/33vHLvjH4TY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />Pretty much the best thing I've ever done was flying to New York City and seeing Omar's solo group perform. It was the greatest moment of my life. This is one of the pro-shot videos from it, apparently it's going to be on a DVD. You can see me in the front row in certain shots, bobbing my head to the jam.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-39453181333384608292010-10-30T16:40:00.000-07:002010-11-07T01:32:21.210-07:00My Top "I-Was-There" MomentsOne of my favorite things about going to shows is reliving them afterward through bootlegs and YouTube videos. Here are some of my favorite moments from shows where it just baffles me that I was there and saw these moments live and in person.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Motorhead - "The Game" (April 1, 2001)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/H1t7cp1Ekvw?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/H1t7cp1Ekvw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />This is a horrible performance because Lemmy forgets all the lyrics, but it's fucking Motorhead! This was the first time I had ever seen a band perform live. I was nine years old at the time and Motorhead did kick my ass. It was one of the founding moments of my love of live music, strangely enough happening at a wrestling event!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Metallica - "Blackened" (November 16, 2004)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t397cQpT-dQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t397cQpT-dQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />The first time I ever saw a band live at a real concert and what a way to open a show! "Blackened" is a total classic from my favorite Metallica album, ...And Justice for All. Hetfield's voice is trashed here, but it was still amazing for me to experience as my first real concert experience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Heaven and Hell (May 2, 2007)</span><br /><br />Back when this show happened, there were tons of videos from it on YouTube, but they've all since been removed. Thanks, Warner Music Group. Anyway, I mention it anyway because it was a very important show for me. For one thing, Black Sabbath was my first favorite band and I will always love them. Second, it was the reunion of Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio, which was a major event. Third, it was the second to last time Dio and Black Sabbath played in Houston before Dio died. So it was a pretty big deal and it disappoints me that I can't see videos of it on YouTube anymore.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Down (November 13, 2007)</span><br /><br />Likewise, there's no videos from this one on YouTube anymore. I mention it because it was another important show for me. It was the first time I went to a show at a smaller venue than a stadium. I instantly realized how much more fun it was and I've had a stance against stadium shows ever since, unless the band is just absolutely too big to play anywhere else.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Mars Volta - "Cygnus... Vismund Cygnus" (April 14, 2008)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5GnW2mKN5jc?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5GnW2mKN5jc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />This was a big one for me because it was the first time I got to see my favorite band live. I've seen them do better shows than this one, but nothing will match the experience of the first time seeing the Volta. In my opinion, they're the greatest live band on earth and I will follow them anywhere. I post this video because it may be the craziest I've ever seen Cedric and it was pretty significant at the time, being that Cedric flipped out at a guy with a Jon Theodore poster and cussed him out. "IF YOU MISS JON SO MUCH, WHY DON'T YOU GO TO CALIFORNIA AND SUCK HIS FUCKIN' DICK, BRO?"<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Roger Waters - "Sheep" (May 4, 2008)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TAldcQUloPg?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TAldcQUloPg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />Pink Floyd was a band I loved even before Black Sabbath, even before I knew who Pink Floyd really were. They'll always be one of my favorites and one of the greatest bands of all time. Seeing Roger Waters doing their classics was insane and this was one of the greatest moments: when he busted out the pig. It's covered in pro-Obama, anti-Bush graffiti, which made me even happier to see.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Iron Maiden - "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (May 22, 2008)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7XAomYbRF0w?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7XAomYbRF0w?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />This entire concert was crazy, doing all those classics that they never play for this tour only, and I almost posted a more obscure song like "Moonchild" or "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" just because they busted out those awesome deep cuts, but this is one of their greatest songs and the perfect way to close things out.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Mars Volta - "Goliath" (September 26, 2008)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/485r7YlWBWk?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/485r7YlWBWk?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="380" height="285"></embed></object><br /><br />This was the second time I saw the Volta, after waiting all day at Austin City Limits for it. This is, in my opinion, one of the greatest jams they've ever done. I wish there was a real bootleg of it, but I still play this YouTube video all the time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Morrissey - "How Soon is Now?" (April 11, 2009)</span><br /><br /><object width="380" height="285"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xAQevkTXPt4?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xAQevkTXPt4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Morrissey is one of my heroes. During this song, he gave a speech about the meaning of the song and essentially warned against being like the person in the song. It really impacted me in a big way and I've lived my life with that in mind ever since.<br /><br />I'll continue this article tomorrow with concerts throughout the rest of 2009 and in 2010.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-89699720017171312942010-09-01T18:09:00.000-07:002010-09-01T18:11:20.148-07:00REPRINT SERIES: Ximena Sariñana at the House of Blues (5/27/10)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: Reprints presented as always without edits.]</span><br /><br />Ximena Sariñana is not a name that many know this side of the border, but she's quite famous in Mexico. She started her career at eight years old, acting and singing, and finally released her first album, Mediocre, in 2008. It caught the attention of many, including Rolling Stone, hit #10 on Billboard's Latin Pop Albums chart, got her nominated for two Latin Grammy's (Best New Artist and Best Alternative Song for album highlight "Normal"), and won a Grammy for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album. In 2009, she caught many ears, including mine, when she started appearing on albums by her significant other, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of the Mars Volta. They've released four critically acclaimed albums together and toured a few times. Now Ximena is making her away around the US on her own. Being a Mars Volta superfan, not to mention a fan of Ximena's record, I had to check out her live show when I found out she was coming through Houston.<br /><br />Initially, it was a bit of a culture shock as I found myself in the vast minority of the audience at the House of Blues last night, being a young anglo kid from the suburbs. In fact, one woman even asked me who I was there for. When I replied that I was there to see Ximena, she seemed genuinely surprised I knew who she was. But by the time Ximena took the stage, I was quickly united with the rest of the audience in shared mesmerization.<br /><br />At first I felt a slight pang of disappointment when Ximena walked up to the tiny Bronze Peacock Room stage by herself and stood in front of a simple keyboard set-up. I had gone in expecting a full band set-up as on her album, but what could have been a standard pop rock performance became an intimate singer-songwriter set instead. Ximena started off slow, playing it low and quit, with the excited, screaming audience that filled the Bronze Peacock Room wall-to-wall almost drowning her out, but quickly she escalated and began pouring her all in the music. Soon the audience quieted down, enchanted by Ximena's heart and soul crying out through her music. There were lighter moments, but she truly shined on the ballads.<br /><br />The easy highlight of the set was a performance of the title track from her album Mediocre. She truly let loose on it, sending her voice soaring on the chorus to a round of applause. Towards the end of the song, she broke off and in the brief silence the audience rapturously congratulated her. Then with a gracious smile, she launched back into the song with full force, finishing it out with a bang.<br /><br />At the end of almost every song, Ximena spoke a little bit. Though I couldn't understand most of what she said, there was one word I did pick up. "Gracias," which she repeated over and over. A simple, honest gesture as she seemed truly amazed by the turn-out and the love of the crowd. With all the energy we gave, she gave back one hundred percent, going through a set of all the songs on Mediocre and some that I assume will be on the new album she's recording right now. More than anything, I got a feel for her true talent as a songwriter from the stripped-down versions of her songs. Without the addition of a lot of backing instruments, in fact just a laptop, the melodies and heart shone through so much more than on the album.<br /><br />When the show was over, Ximena humbly took to the merch table to sign autographs and take pictures with everyone that lined up. It was a great way to end the night, with another genuine show of appreciation towards her fans.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-62073609126340063092010-08-24T18:32:00.000-07:002010-08-24T18:36:08.388-07:00REPRINT SERIES: Hating on Blue October (5/17/10)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: Yep, it's the infamous Blue October article. Presented without edits, it's a bit less harsh actually. Still, I think Furstenfeld fans will still have plenty to hate me for while reading this.]</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.29-95.com/files/images/openblueoct.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://www.29-95.com/files/images/openblueoct.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />When I heard Blue October was playing a hometown show here in Houston at Sam Houston Race Park, I laughed. When 94.5 The Buzz pushed, promoted, and prodded me about the show, I laughed. When my best friend's girlfriend played Blue October in the car, I laughed. When 29-95 sent me an e-mail with the question "who wants to see Blue October?" I laughed. After all, this is the same show that had been something of a running joke among me and my friends. But I am the sort of person that loves the whole meta-ironic hipster bullshit enough to actually jump on an opportunity like that. So of course, in between laughing, I threw my hat in the ring to go to the show. I didn't actually think I'd get to do it, but sure enough come Saturday I was strolling up to the race track to pick up my press pass.<br /><br />The whole thing was a bit of a crazy experience for me. I've never been a member of the press before, not officially anyway. This was the legit sort of thing I had always heard about but had never been a part of before. When I arrived, my name was on a list and instead of a ticket, they handed me a green cloth sticker to put on my shirt to identify myself. Then, through much asking around, I found out about a secret security tunnel where I was loaded up in a golf cart and driven to the VIP area in front of the stage and told I had access to the holy grail of concert seating: the area between the barricade holding back the front row of fans and the stage itself. The place where the security stands. This was the scene behind me:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.29-95.com/files/images/blueoct.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://www.29-95.com/files/images/blueoct.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />It's a bit breath-taking to say the least. I took it in stride of course because you always have to keep your cool when doing something amazingly cool. So I stood around, looking amazingly out of place among the photographers with my old torn skinny jeans, filthy old Chuck Taylors that have been through at least three near-death experiences with me, my ever-present hoodie that I will wear even in humid, awful Houston weather, and my complete lack of a real camera. This even earned me a questioning about whether I should even be allowed in that area since I wasn't actually shooting the show, to which I simply pulled out my trusty iPhone and reassured everyone that I was indeed taking pictures that night.<br /><br />(picture of the Black and White Years)<br /><br />So I did take pictures, snapping away right when the opening band hit the stage. The Black and White Years are a band from Austin that could probably more appropriately be called "the Reagan Years" given the music they play. These guys fit right in with the current wave of indie new wave bands resurrecting that 80's danceability the kids all love so much. They're a direct product of false nostalgia by a generation that has no identity of its own and wants the identity of a previous generation. So they're basically your average iPod commercial band these days. Being a bitter, cynical, hipster doofus, I wanted to hate them but they were rather fun. Yeasayer and Phoenix are two favorite recent bands of mine and the Black and White Years are like a less weird, less imaginative, less inventive, even more radio friendly version of those bands' sounds mixed together, so there's something shamefully enjoyable about them like fast food. Actually, to be completely honest, if you were to judge just off the two band bill on Saturday night, you might walk away thinking Austin still has a leg up on Houston for good music, even though that's not true at all. The Black and White Years are a general representation of what Austin's music scene has become nowadays, whereas Houston's hometown heroes are, let us admit it, the worst possible representation anyone could ever judge Houston's music scene by, which I assume is where the New York Times went horribly wrong recently.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.29-95.com/files/images/furstenfeld.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 375px;" src="http://www.29-95.com/files/images/furstenfeld.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Blue October are one of the most shamelessly commercial bullshit bands to ever come out of the entirety of Texas, but they try to maintain a sort of image about themselves, or at least frontman Justin Furstenfeld does. Take, for example, what you can see in this picture of the man. Black eyeliner and black fingernail polish to connect with a sub-section of kids that enjoy getting beaten up in high school. Scuffless, probably brand new Chuck Taylors because that's what punks wear and there's literally nothing more punk than post-grunge radio rock! Of course, I saved the best for last, the mohawk. The mohawk is a hairstyle that could not be any less rebellious today if it tried. The evolution of the mohawk traces back hundreds of years, but is perhaps most relevant in the last fifty years thanks to Travis Bickle and punks of the 1980's. Today, it doesn't so much represent them as it does Green Day fans.<br /><br />The problem here, of course, is what you can't see. Picking up on the Green Day comparison, at least when they sold out, they did it in a way where it's fun to sing their songs while drunk on karaoke night (I defy you to deny singing along to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" at some point in your life), whereas Blue October's particular brand is to be as absolutely dark as possible while still connecting emotionally with preteens. Justin Furstenfeld isn't a happy man and he'll be the first to remind you of that by constantly mentioning it at concerts, something also known as the sympathy vote.<br /><br />What you can't see in the pictures are the band's bizarre attempts at being all things to all people. Their songs range from your typical post-grunge, Papa Roach-biting "curse and yell a lot because it's edgy and man I hate myself and want to die" tactic to some truly baffling dabbling in other genres. Normally I wouldn't be against a band experimenting, but it's sad to watch when a band is so clearly incapable of pulling off their own experiments. Occasionally, Blue October have decided to explore such genres as cash-grab adult contemporary influenced by Peter Gabriel, complete with violin gimmick, which works about as well you would think it would. At other times, Furstenfeld has chosen to start speaking in a British accent, which is very odd considering how insistent he is that Blue October is FROM HERE (also known as the hometown cheap pop). Then there's the "we have a sensitive side too" songs which are like the AC songs except slightly less vapid because they occasionally have a real sentiment behind them.<br /><br />The nadir of the show was one such experiment where Furstenfeld dedicated the following song to his daughter, Blue. That's sweet and all, but the song was just punishingly awful. With a chorus of "up down, up down, up down, up down, yeah, cause it will get hard, remember, life's like a jump rope" it's the sort of thing you imagine that started as something Furstenfeld sang to his daughter in a tender father-daughter moment that has misguidededly taken on a life of its own as a real Blue October song.<br /><br />But I could sit here and gripe all day and all night. This clearly isn't for me. I'm not the target demographic for music like this. The target demographic is the audience you saw above. Take a good long look at it. That's just what I could show with the limited capabilities of my iPhone's camera. That's just the front of the VIP section. Sam Houston Race Park was FULL. Filled to capacity. How many people were actually there, I can't say. I can, however, say that it explains why Blue October is a platinum-selling band when nobody even buys albums anymore. Something about them resonates with a great deal of people out there that are not me. So while Blue October is a running joke between me and my friends and I can write paragraph after paragraph about what a truly terrible band they are, they connect with enough people to populate a small country. You can make your arguments about what that says about those people or what it says about Justin Bieber fans or the people that keep the guys that make parody movies in business, but that gets into something entirely more philosophical and misanthropic than the point I'm trying to make. The point is that Blue October is doing something right because people like them for some reason. I don't know what that reason is and it's not for me to know because, like I said, I'm not the person they're trying to connect with. So kudos to them on possessing that certain something that captures the ear of the majority of people. Live and let live, eh?Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-81466990124062550172010-08-21T13:33:00.000-07:002010-08-21T13:41:51.592-07:00REPRINT SERIES: KTRU compilation release show (4/19/10)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: Continuing in our coverage of the demise of KTRU, here's another reprint, this one from the KTRU Live Vol. 2 CD release at Avant Garden. Presented without edits as always.]</span><br /><br />It seems like just last week I was at Rice University, enjoying the KTRU Outdoor Show. Probably because it was just last week. One week later, KTRU held another event, not quite on the scale of the Outdoor Show but eventful all the same. On Friday night, KTRU threw a party at Avant Garden for the release of the second volume of their KTRU Live series, featuring live on-air performances from some of Houston's best local bands. Three of those bands turned out at the release party to play their songs from the album and more.<br /><br />Not quite Listenlisten, but Ben (vocals and guitar) and Shane (horns and banjo) showed up to play some Listenlisten songs acoustically. It had a slightly more laid back feel to it, but since Listenlisten isn't an upbeat electric band to begin with, only having half the band just gave a different, not a better or worse, look at some of their songs. They covered some of their best material, but it was a very short set so it was missing a lot of favorites. Still good to hear these guys anytime they play.<br /><br />Now in this smokey coffeehouse environment soundtracked by folk music, it's hard not to be reminded of my dad's stories of the 1960's cafe scene with all those legendary folk singers playing to tiny audiences in much the same surroundings. That's exactly what the Literary Greats brought to mind. When the duo busted out the harmonica, I instantly got flashes of a young Bob Dylan and their harmonies seemed directly inspired by Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Maybe it was just the atmosphere, but there was something extremely cool about their entire performance. The only thing missing was the coffee.<br /><br />That atmosphere sadly faded for the last band of the bill, Doggebi. Throwing out the structured folk music of Listenlisten and the Literary Greats, Doggebi jumped straight into highly experimental improvisational music consisting of a distorted flute and percussion instruments. It was a little bit uncomfortably out there and it went on entirely too long. In fact, it was the longest set of the night. It's music I respect, but there's not much to latch onto. I went through a phase of listening to music like this, but I find myself needing hooks in my music these days. Admittedly though, Doggebi are good at what they do and for the group that's into this sort of thing, it was probably their favorite band all night.<br /><br />The Secret Prostitutes were supposed to play, but canceled so the night ended a bit early and abruptly. Those KTRU Live CDs were on sale and I of course bought one which has already been proven to be rewarding in itself. As for the show, it was a bit slight but still fun, especially for that long lost folk vibe that fascinates me to this day.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-72059857632071614552010-08-20T19:28:00.000-07:002010-08-20T19:33:19.202-07:00Roky Erickson and Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil (2010)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/Roky.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/Roky.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">True Love Cast Out All Evil</span> is Roky Erickson's first album to get any significant attention in a number of years, primarily because of Erickson's return to touring and the album being a collaboration with indie folk superstars Okkervil River. Unfortunately, it suffers from a lack of thinking outside the box. Erickson is old and respected enough to simply write boring folk music and not to get any flack for it, least of all from his starry-eyed collaborators. Will Sheff is a master of this sort of thing and probably saw that this wasn't turning out to be anything particularly special, but he's also an ardent fan of Erickson and probably wouldn't say it even if he didn't like the music on the album.<br /><br />Make no mistake, this is a Roky Erickson album, not an Okkervil River album with Erickson singing. Erickson dominates the show and the only touches of Okkervil River you can hear are in the playing. They're clearly the same band that made <span style="font-style:italic;">Black Sheep Boy</span> and <span style="font-style:italic;">The Stage Names</span>, but they're playing sidemen to Erickson and they never try to force any of their sound into it. Erickson isn't a bad songwriter mind you, so the many acoustic songs on this album really only suffer for a lack of much to say. Look at the title. "<span style="font-style:italic;">True Love Cast Out All Evil</span>" is such a basic, pedestrian thought and that is where the songs suffer. Erickson doesn't have much of a statement to make. He's making music because it's fun and he knows nothing else. There's nothing inherently wrong about that, but it means the album is far from experimental, revelatory, or even a significant comeback album.<br /><br />As these sorts of albums go lately, this album skews less towards the direction Gil Scott-Heron took with his acclaimed recent "old guy struggles through life and makes a comeback album" <span style="font-style:italic;">I'm New Here</span>, which was highly experimental and intelligent, and more towards the direction of Daniel Johnston's comeback last year <span style="font-style:italic;">Is and Always Was</span>. It's a statement of simply still being here, making music, rather than any sort of relevance as an artist. It's enjoyable on a few levels though and there are highlights of course.<br /><br />The opener, "Devotional Number One", and closer, "God is Everywhere", which incidentally owe quite a bit to Johnston's early work, are fantastic and if the whole album had continued in the pained, lo-fi direction of those songs it would've been significantly more interesting. Instead, the rest of the album's songs are overproduced and thereby made generic. The other highlight is rocker "John Lawman" which actually sounds like the Thirteenth Floor Elevators.<br /><br />Overall, it's worth listening to at least once, but it's nothing that will actually count towards the legacy of either Erickson or Okkervil River much in the long run. It's a feel good late career comeback album that is ultimately nice but fairly forgettable. <span style="font-weight:bold;">(C+)</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-81774258440387506302010-08-18T16:55:00.000-07:002010-08-18T16:56:27.869-07:00My Fondest Memories of KTRU Rice RadioIt was announced yesterday that Rice University is selling KTRU and it's going to become a news/classical station. This is horrifying news for serious music listeners in Houston. For your casual listeners, the other big stations might be fine. For people that just want to put on Sunny 99.1 at work and veg out while doing reports or something, it works for them. But for those of us that are into more eclectic music, local music, or just want to hear something different, there's only one radio station and that's KTRU. There's a petition to save it, but this seems to be a done deal. With KTRU gone, there will be no outlet in Houston for "weird" music and that's a sad, sad thing for a city with the music scene and the history that Houston has. So with the apparent passing of KTRU, I would like to share some of my fondest memories of it.<br /><br />For me, it really has been the only station worth listening to for a long time. I remember years ago putting it on early in the morning. I'm not an early bird, so I was tired and in a bad mood. The first song that came on, which was just ending, was the Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds classic "The Mercy Seat," one of my favorite songs of all time. As it ended, I heard something revelatory. The opening drums and acoustic guitar strums of a strange vaguely 80's but still modern sounding pop song. A deep, sighing voice quickly came in, singing lyrics that resonated with me more than most songs ever had before. "Driving in your car, I never, never want to go home, because I haven't got one anymore..." coupled with the upbeat refrain of, "If a double decker bus crashes into us, to die by your side is such a heavenly way to die. And if a ten ton truck kills the both of us, to die by your side, well the pleasure, the privilege is mine." That song, of course, was "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" by the Smiths. I had somehow spent my life up to that point never having heard their music. It struck deep. Soon after, I was an obsessive Smiths and Morrissey fan, living and dying by that man's poetry. It was a life changing moment hearing that song for the first time.<br /><br />Years later, I was going through a rough patch in my life. My dad was in the hospital very ill with a fifty-fifty chance of survival. He pulled through thankfully, but at the time we weren't sure. I was working sixty hours a week, trying to make money, not knowing what was going to happen in my life. I was driving to visit my dad and there was a song on playing on KTRU. It was bizarre, a sort of electronic, hip-hop, indie rock mish-mash, something I had never really heard anything like before. Afterwards, the DJ came on and said that it was a song by Ghost Mountain off their then-new album Siamese Sailboats. Despite being obviously upset at the time, there was something that hit me about that song. It was so happy and uplifting, strangely catchy and appealing. I loved it. In short order, I became a big fan of Ghost Mountain, then I wanted to see them perform. I made my first trek to Mango's on Westheimer, which would lead me down a path of gradually discovering Houston's amazing music scene and eventually writing for this very website, another life changing moment thanks to KTRU.<br /><br />There were others, of course, other great bands I discovered, other great moments soundtracked by the station, but those are the two biggest that stand out in my mind. KTRU has been on in all sorts of strange, wonderful, depressing, exciting, and bizarre moments in my life. Its presence has been so greatly appreciated and yet taken for granted up until now. Now losing it is like losing an old friend. Apparently it will still broadcast online, but there's nothing else like it to play in the car which was where most of my listening took place, so it's a bit of a disappointing consolation prize. I only wish there was something that could be done to change the minds of those behind the sale, but it looks like this is the death of worthwhile radio in Houston.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-76185783644205963992010-08-17T17:05:00.000-07:002010-08-17T17:17:07.109-07:00REPRINT SERIES: KTRU Outdoor Show (4/12/10)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: Posting this one, without edits as always, in remembrance of KTRU, which today it was announced has been sold and will be gutted and turned into a goddamn news/classical station (isn't that what NPR is for?). Go to these websites for more about that.<br /><br /><a href="http://savektru.org/">http://savektru.org/</a><br /><a href="http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/KTRU">http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/KTRU</a>]</span><br /><br />For nineteen years now, KTRU Rice radio has held their annual Outdoor Show, a free festival of bands, local and otherwise, food, and free St. Arnold's beer. Given that I will never be smart (or rich) enough to go to Rice University, the Outdoor Show is a perfect opportunity to lounge around campus and pretend like I'm a student while enjoying all of the aforementioned amenities. In other words, I can have my cake and eat it too.<br /><br />This year it rained so things were running a bit off-schedule. The first band made it to the stage at around 2:00 PM starting a rapid fire succession with a semi-tangible theme running between each band.<br /><br />The first one, the Homemade Band, led by Rachel Buchman, was apparently for the kids. Playing a sort of classic rock 'n' roll throwback style, Buchman herself reminded me of one of my elementary school teachers and led the children attendees in renditions of mind-numbing kiddie songs. If only there was something on the level of "Bananaphone," recent Apples in Stereo, or, hell, Yo Gabba Gabba, here. Instead, these songs drilled phrases like literally just "cockadoodledoo" over and over again. I'm not sure I would've liked this as a kid.<br /><br />Next up was the grown up parallel of the Homemade Band I suppose, Office Party. They lived their name, jamming on stage with full suits on like they really just left the office. It reminded me of the old Drew Carey Show episodes where the guys (and Joe Walsh for some reason) formed a bar band after work. They do sound a little bit like that with their classic rock influences, but with a somewhat new wave twist and a singer whose vocal melodies reminded me of Gerard Way. Sound weird? Well there's always the wild card at these sorts of things and that was Office Party, closing out their set with a cover of the classic "Poker Face," yet somehow it was less charming than when Faith No More did it last year.<br /><br />After that, Wasp and Pear reminded me why I usually don't listen to KTRU non-stop. Much as I love the station, I can't take the droning electronic bands. Wasp and Pear might appeal to some, but I just can't take this sort of thing. Their entire set was one long noise epic which I mostly couldn't handle.<br /><br />Continuing the experimental tilt of Wasp and Pear, Space City Gamelan did something a little more to my liking. Like their name suggests, they're a gamelan band. But beyond that, they make some very interesting, forward looking music, combining the tradition of the gamelon with beats that I could honestly hear in an electronic/hip-hop song. It's something old that feels new which fascinates me on the level of a musician and as a listener it's just pleasing to the ear.<br /><br />As if in combination of the electronic and prototypical beats of the last two bands, next up was one of my personal favorites, Ghost Mountain. I actually discovered them through KTRU and that pretty much started everything in my listening to Houston's local scene. A typically awesome show, they ran through songs from the Summer Tapes EP and their full length Siamese Sailboats. They also played a new song that gave some insight into what they've been working on lately. No idea when that will come out, but it seems they're forging a great path ahead.<br /><br />Ghost Mountain's bizarre form of hip hop infused electronic music gave way to a more traditional form of hip hop when Fat Tony stormed the stage. He performed a short but firey set that for a moment turned a weird music festival into a straight up party.<br /><br />Finally there was the headliner, Rafter. KTRU has gotten a great deal of criticism over their choice here, but hear me out. Rafter's blend of indie pop isn't anything revolutionary, but it is fun and they actually proved their worth, at least to me. Yes, it's mainstream and the sort of the thing you'd hear in a soundtrack along with the Shins and the Freelance Whales, but I personally have no qualms enjoying that for what it is. It's fluffy, but the choruses are undeniable.<br /><br />For all the blogger clamor lately, you'd have thought this year's Outdoor Show would be a massive failure, but I say they still pulled it off. While I wasn't a fan of everything and I was initially disappointed there wasn't a more exciting headliner, there were still some great performances by local artists and Rafter, while not quite as great as some of the headliners, was still a solid band with the potential for a bright future. Basically if you didn't have fun at the Outdoor Show this year, you probably weren't doing it right.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-87991709323220768302010-08-15T15:24:00.000-07:002010-08-15T16:08:01.216-07:00REPRINT SERIES: Shaking off the SXSW jealousy with News on the March (3/22/10)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: Presented, as always, without edits in the original form I wrote it. Better, worse? You decide.]</span><br /><br />Yesterday I woke up and looked at my calendar to see what day it was. March 21st, 2010? Perfect! Having hibernated through SXSW, I was right on schedule to stop being bitter about not being able to get to Austin and meet the return of music to Houston. At Mango's, News on the March was just back from SXSW and what better time to kick off their upcoming tour? But first up were some of their friends (and other projects).<br /><br />Drummer Ryan Odom's other band, Smoky Mountain started things off with some country infused indie rock, fairly typical of the bands playing that night. They had some good hooks that left me wanting to hear more, but unfortunately I'm not sure they have anything out yet. Still, continuing the current trend toward this sort of Americana indie rock could be a formula for success.<br /><br />The Candeliers from Milwaukee, WI, took the stage second. With a seven member line-up adding horns and a banjo to the usual band configuration, their sound was that of upbeat jangle pop. The interplay between the guitar, the banjo, and the trombone and trumpet gave me a somewhat unsettling ska country feel that I didn't much appreciate. I did enjoy the male/female duo vocals between their two singers however, something that reminded me (in a positive way) of one of my local favorites, the Wild Moccasins. They also did an excellent cover of "Don't Worry Baby" by the Beach Boys, which not many could do so capably. They did mention that their side-projects, which were also on sale at the merch table, were more psych rock in nature, which I honestly would probably enjoy more, knowing me.<br /><br />Right in the middle was Buxton, who turned in an awesome set as usual. The recent addition of Austin Sepulvado (from, you guessed it, News on the March) on accordion and guitar sounds really nice over the new songs. I must admit, I'm somewhat disappointed they no longer play anything from A Family Light, but if the new songs they've been playing lately are any indication, they're working on topping that album.<br /><br />In all the way from Albany, NY, Sgt. Dunbar and the Hobo Banned are News on the March's tourmates so they played second to last. Even bigger than the Candeliers, the Hobo Banned really does give you the impression that they're a junkyard band of hobos that picked up every instrument they could get their hands on. Mixing in a full horn section, an accordion, a violin, musical spoons and sawing, a banjo, and two percussionists, they go above and beyond just adding new layers to a typical rock band. Every instrument is fully integrated and completely necessary to complete their sound. That sound being something almost completely unique, the kind of rock you could only imagine being made by a band of drifters really. All those instruments together in one place, played completely straight, not in a gimmicky way at all. Whatever that conglomeration could be, that's what they were. But not just content with that, they also pulled off another trick: every band member seemed to know how to play every instrument and did at some point in their set. It was damn impressive.<br /><br />News on the March finally came on at about 12:15 and I was pretty tired again by that point. I was determined, however, to see their set. It was worth it. Though they ran through mostly the same set of their classic heartland music last weekend at their Cactus Music instore performance, they seemed to be having a lot more fun last night. Enthusiastic even after a week of Austin shows, they played their hearts out for about forty-five minutes. News on the March, to me, is something like what I had hoped Monsters of Folk would sound like before I heard them. While that project, in my opinion, came off a bit boring and plasticy, the hearts they played out are what set News on the March apart. The feel-good music could even come off as hollow despite the dark lyrics of suicide and death if not for their intense dedication to it, playing on even in the face of a broken bass amp in the middle of their set. I have to hand it to them for that and wish them good luck on their tour. I'm pretty excited also for their upcoming album, even though there is as yet no release date. Just judging by the songs they played last night though, it's gonna be a brawler.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-46051501966048240942010-07-12T19:55:00.000-07:002010-07-12T20:00:55.794-07:00Prince - 20Ten (2010)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.culturebully.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/prince-20ten-cover.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://www.culturebully.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/prince-20ten-cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Few have had as prolific, as storied, and as inconsistent careers as Prince. The Artist is widely considered a genius for his classic works of pop music, but he's delved into just about everything at some point. Being intensely experimental is something that comes hand in hand with being a genius. The flip side of that, however, is that it leads to many duds that mar a career. While we can look back and say with certainty that Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times will stand up to the test of time, remaining classics over twenty years on, the fate of albums such as The Rainbow Children are less clear. Some would call these duds a late career slump, but in Prince's case it's more a lack of editing.<br /><br />After the infamous name-change-to-an-unpronouncable-symbol incident and Prince's subsequent freedom from record labels, quality control went out the window. It should come as no surprise that things Prince just wasn't able to do before started appearing on record store shelves and not all those things were up to the standards of what a record label would allow him to put out. It's been a long road since then and Prince has been up and down continually. From his expansive three CD set Emancipation celebrating his hard won freedom to the horrific vault compilation Crystal Ball that screwed his fans royally to the attempt at a commercial comeback with Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic that fell flat on its face critically and commercially to his official commercial comeback Musicology.<br /><br />Since Musicology, it's been mostly an up period, aside from the odd misstep of last year's LotusFlow3r/MPL_Sound/Elixer set. Priced very fairly but ruined by Prince's excess once again, it ended up being two CDs of sub-par Prince material and one of what amounts to history repeating itself, with Prince writing another album for another girl who probably shouldn't be singing. It's best if we forget Elixer like we forgot the album he wrote for Carmen Electra. Suffice it to say, the whole thing was just bad. It had hints of Prince's usual brilliance, as well as a welcome return to a more retro sound, reflecting Prince of the 1980's more and more, but the songwriting wasn't all there.<br /><br />Thankfully, 20Ten, Prince's latest work, avoids the problems that album had but keeps all the good aspects. The 80's Prince vibe is still here in full force, with synths and 808's straight out of Sign o' the Times. The length is no longer a problem as it runs a comfortable forty minutes. Most of all though, 20Ten is successful because Prince is in vintage form. LotusFlow3r showed you could strap a guitar on Prince's back and it wouldn't necessarily produce great music, while MPL_Sound proved the same for those keyboards and drum machines. Prince has to be in vintage writing form to match the vintage sound for it to truly be successful. That is the winning formula for 20Ten.<br /><br />It features a funky dance pop sound recalling a mix of Sign o' the Times and 1999. It breaks no new ground, but no one really wants Prince to break ground anymore. We want him to play the classics and make new songs that sound like the classics. Prince has finally produced the album we've been waiting for. He's finally throwing a bone to us long-suffering fans that still gave him a chance even through abominable jazz fusion experiments like NEWS, while pleasing all those that denied him through these years. It's the sort of Prince album that will appeal to most anyone that enjoys his music. The lyrics aren't all there, at one point Prince declaring "from the heart of Minnesota, here come the purple Yoda," though there's much less focus on his Jehovah's witness bullshit than is usual as of late. It mostly focuses on his favorite subjects: sexuality and sensuality, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.<br /><br />The important part is that the songs will fulfill all your funky summer jam needs. Back in the day, songs like "Let's Work," "When You Were Mine," "Play in the Sunshine," etc. would come out every summer and make everyone happy and make them dance. Those days were gone for a long time and seemingly with this album they're back again. Rejoice Prince fans, the artist is taking a backseat to the genius popmeister once again. <span style="font-weight:bold;">(A-)</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-53936583728194927462010-06-30T23:41:00.000-07:002010-06-30T23:44:39.797-07:00Wavves - King of the Beach (2010)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: I was going to hold off on putting this up until I had enough album reviews for a whole album review post, but in light of my dear friends Pitchfork giving it their "coveted" Best New Music today and an 8.4 rating, I'm putting it up now.]</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wavves - King of the Beach (2010)</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2010/06/Wavves-King-Of-The-Beach.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2010/06/Wavves-King-Of-The-Beach.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Every single time a new Wavves record comes out, I try it. I'm not sure why, I just keep feeling like I'm missing something. I inevitably listen and then I hate everything about what I'm hearing. King of the Beach is a vastly different album from previous Wavves works and shows a lot of musical growth on the part of frontman Nathan Williams. The intrinsic problem of course is that the band still isn't good. The essential difference between this album and the last Wavves album is that apparently at some point Williams got really into Animal Collective. His adaption of that influence into his already bad music doesn't make it much better. It's just different, not better. Occasionally he stumbles upon a good pop hook such as in the absolute highlight of his career to date, "Take On the Word," but generally it's just what the title would lead you to expect. It is the shitty soundtrack to your summer surfing experience. But if you don't surf or smoke weed or live on the beach or wear board shorts or say "brah" or you are not Matthew McConaughey, it's just bad punk flirting with pretentious spaced out intellectualism. <span style="font-weight:bold;">(D)</span>Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6051699303521994281.post-45697102284030335182010-06-19T13:50:00.000-07:002010-06-19T13:58:26.491-07:00REPRINT SERIES: sIngs, Somosuno and more (3/12/10)<span style="font-style:italic;">[Ed. Note: Presented, as always, without edits in the original form I wrote it. Better, worse? You decide.]</span><br /><br />On one of the odder days of my life, I somehow ended up at a place colloquially known as "The Ponderosa" seeing some local bands on Friday night. It's a long story of getting lost in Houston that led to me ending up there, I had actually been intending to go to the Fat Tony show at the Tipping Point that night, but I'll spare the details and get on with the bands.<br /><br />First up to bat was the psychotically punk Somosuno. It was frontman Fernando Alejandro's 21st birthday and he was typically on fire, dancing through the crowd in the tiny, cramped room, crowd surfing, jumping off anything in sight, and shouting/rapping Spanish lyrics at a ridiculous pace that pretty much blew my mind. The rest of the band dutifully backed him up, holding down the rhythm with post-Fugazi riffage and a horn player for texture. Having only seen their name on bills of shows I didn't attend, it was a welcome surprise to find out how good they were.<br /><br />When I asked when they were going to play, sIngs told me they preferred to go on second, and true to their word they were the middle band of the night. I have actually seen sIngs before, opening for Cursive at Walter's on Washington last year, but they started playing before Walter's would let anybody in the building so I only got to see about half of their set. What I heard then was a tremendous slice of shoegazing noisey post-rock soaked in enough distortion and feedback to destroy your eardrums even with earplugs in. Suffice it to say, I loved it.<br /><br />They were just as good on Friday night too, covering mostly the same territory as the last time I saw them. I never got to see them when it was just singer/guitarist/drummer/band mastermind Brett Taylor playing on his own, so I can't compare it to that, though I've heard that was amazing as well. With the full band though, Taylor, accompanied by Buxton alumni Jason Willis on guitar and Justin Terrell on drums, as well as David Ibarra on bass, is able to do so much more, including making a lot more noise. There's an odd beauty in the cacophony, which can probably be attributed to the melodic songwriting piercing through the dissonance. I'm anxiously awaiting the release of their album, which they're having a release party for at Mango's on April 17th. Try to make that show if you can, it should be awesome.<br /><br />Caddywhompus played last. I've had their demos since last summer, which probably marks the longest time for me between hearing a local band's music and seeing them perform. The band is only made up of the duo of scene vet Chris Rehm on guitar/vocals and Sean Hart, yet they're loud enough for a ten-piece band. Like sIngs, they make a great deal of noise, but it's pure lo-fi punk in the vein of bands like No Age. In the live setting their songs lost some of their clarity, as well as the synthesizer parts on the album, but it was just as much of a fun, raucous show as I expected. They're going to have a split 7" release with sIngs coming out soon so be on the lookout for that.<br /><br />Despite the bizarre way my night started, which included accidentally wandering into DiverseWorks Fotofest 2010 among other things, it was fortunate that I ended up at "The Ponderosa" as it was probably the most fun local show I've been to in a while. All three bands performed like their lives depended on making this show rock and rock they did. I left with my ears ringing and I couldn't have been happier about it.Coreyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15835471076559441324noreply@blogger.com0