Mystic Thoughts Music

The Greatest Songs of 2011

2011-12-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

You can watch the music videos to and listen to all these songs in a neat video playlist at the link below:

FUN YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

Atmosphere - "Just For Show"

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.

Corinne Bailey Rae - "Low Red Moon"

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.

Bjork - "Hollow"

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.

The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"

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!

Bon Iver - "Beth/Rest"

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.

City and Colour - "Sorrowing Man"

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.

Cymbals Eat Guitars - "Plainclothes"

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.

The Decemberists - "Down By the Water"

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.

Dream Theater - "On the Backs of Angels"

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.

Emmure - "Last Words to Rose"

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.

The Flaming Lips and Lightning Bolt - "I'm Working at NASA on Acid"

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.

The Get Up Kids - "Tithe"

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.

The Human Abstract - "Digital Veil"

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.

iwrestledabearonce - "Next Visible Delicious"

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.

Jay-Z and Kanye West - "Why I Love You (feat. Mr. Hudson)"

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!

La Dispute - "King Park"

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.

David Lynch - "Pinky's Dream (feat. Karen O)"

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.

The Mars Volta - "Trinkets Pale of Moon"

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.

Megadeth - "13"

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.

Frank Ocean - "American Wedding"

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.

Portugal. The Man - "Got It All (This Can't Be Living Now)"

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.

Radiohead - "Lotus Flower"

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.

Lou Reed and Metallica - "Cheat On Me"

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.

R.E.M. - "Oh My Heart"

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.

St. Vincent - "Cruel"

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.

Thursday - "A Gun in the First Act"

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.

Touche Amore - "~"

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.

Tyler, the Creator - "Yonkers"

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.

Vivian Girls - "Light in Your Eyes"

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.

Wild Flag - "Romance"

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.

Saul Williams - "Explain My Heart"

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.

I Like Music by Old Black Men

2011-07-03T19:05:00.001-07:00

Most of my taste in music generally connects with my peers in some way or another. I have friends that love post-hardcore, metal, punk, hip-hop, pop, whatever, and I can always usually find some common ground, except with those fucking dubstep kids. Hell, even my beloved Phil Collins is experiencing a renaissance with the current generation. I never thought I'd see the day when it was cool to like Phil, but nobody seems to give me shit about that anymore, except super elitists.

The one thing I can't seem to find common ground on is my intense love of music made by old black men. Well, I guess they weren't old when they made the music, but they're old as fuck now. But is there anything more soul-stirring? If there is, I can't think of it. Guys like Otis Redding, Al Green, Sam Cooke, Bill Withers, and scores of others could make you cry with the emotion in their music. But so few seem to feel that anymore.

Now this is not to say there isn't plenty of emotion in other forms of music. My true passion, emo and punk shit, is established on it. But the chaos of it all is cathartic to me, it doesn't make me want to cry (special exception being Poison the Well, those guys got it). Otis can make me want to cry any day of the week.

OTIS REDDING - a change's gonna come by MonsDefinitely

Originally written and sung by Sam Cooke, Otis Redding's version of "A Change is Gonna Come" is so much more meaningful to me than the original. There's something about Otis's haggard voice, even at the age of 24, that shows his broken soul. It drags at your heartstrings like a fucking anchor. But it's a hopeful song in a way. A change is gonna come, no matter how horrible things are and have been.

Luther Ingram's classic soul hit, "If Loving You is Wrong, I Don't Want to Be Right," is the ultimate ballad of an unrepentant cheater. It turns the general cliches of songwriting on their head. Most songs are generally about someone who's been cheated on and is hurting over it. But in this case, it's about a man who's cheating on his wife with someone else and he doesn't care because he's so in love with his mistress. It's sort of a fucked up concept, but so sincere. Let's face it, this is probably how people who cheat really feel. I wouldn't describe myself in that way, I've never been in that position either, but I can feel where he's coming from with this song. It's that power over emotions that those old soul singers had. They could make you root for the cheater. Shout outs to the Bobby Blue Bland version, which is almost more heartfelt than the original.

Let's take a look on the happier side of things, shall we?

Ok, everyone loves Michael Jackson, but this classic song isn't exactly the most popular one you'd hear at a party. People wanna hear his more rocking side, like "Beat It" or the disco inflected dance songs like "Thriller." This is just straight up classic Motown, but it's fun as hell and it has a deeper meaning too. For any jilted lover (maybe the wife in that last song), this totally resonates with you.

Bill Withers always knocks it out of the park, but his songs are usually a fair bit more depressing than this one. "Just the Two of Us" shows how beautifully poetic the man could be. It's a fairly simple and traditional love song, but the imagery evokes so much emotion. "We look for love, no time for tears, wasted water's all that is and it don't make no flowers grow." That's the kind of thing songwriters wish they could come up with, because it's such a basic thought while being incredibly poetic. It's intelligent without being pretentious. Not to mention that vocal performance and the musicianship. There's a reason the song is over seven minutes long yet still gets radio play. It's one of those songs though that gets overlooked, because you never quite grasp how amazing it is until you really listen to it.

For the last song I'm going to talk about, we have a classic Motown group, the Dells, doing a completely foreign song that was basically elevator music and turning it into heavy psychedelic soul ballad. The attraction here is the dynamic way that it's written. That soft, gentle intro and the melodic vocals lull you into a false sense of security, then it just explodes with those soaring, gruff vocals and the heavier bursts of horns, guitar, and bass, which remind one of certain heavier, later-era Beatles songs. It follows this basic pattern until the climax of the song, but it's a brilliant example of songwriting. More than that though, there's a reason there's so much feeling in screaming vocals. It puts so much more emphasis on what you're saying and conveys so much more emotion. Before punk vocalists were screaming, this is where it all started at, with guys like these tearing the hell out of their throats to express how much hurt they were feeling over their woman leaving them.

While I understand why this stuff is no longer really popular, especially among the younger generations of people, it just baffles me that no one I meet seems to truly appreciate the depth of what musicians were doing back then. While I will probably always find punk to be the truest form of musical expression, there's just something so incredibly deep and touching about this kind of music. Like I said earlier, there's nothing else that can make me feel so much through just musical performance. I wish there was anything going on like this now, but sadly, it's just fallen by the wayside for the most part. Ah well, young guys nowadays probably couldn't do it right anyway. Old black men are where it's at.

My Favorite TV Performances

2011-06-30T15:18:00.001-07:00

This is just a quick compilation of some of my favorite live performances on TV by my favorite bands.

Alexisonfire - Pulmonary Archery

Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats - "Sandwitches"

The Mars Volta - "Wax Simulacra"

At the Drive-In - "One Armed Scissor"

The Blood Brothers - "Set Fire to the Face on Fire"

What are some of your favorites? Post them in the comments!

"I Saw the Pixies" by Andrew Menzies

2011-05-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

[Ed. Note: Andrew saw the Pixies and I've been too busy to post this article about it, so apologies to him and you, the readers. Without further ado, here it is...]

There are two driving forces in my life. One is the pleasing arrangement of words into succinct thoughts, ideas and suggestions that provoke a reaction within the reader’s mind. The second is the pleasing arrangement of musical notes designed to do much of the same thing but vocally, and sometimes with auto-tune. The former- writing- I can safely say I know how to do as well as I know how to absorb. I can’t play music worth a God damn but I’m really good at experiencing it.

I hadn’t bought a record in a store since maybe Wilco’s last album a year or so ago, and as I recall I leant it to some bitch who still hasn’t given it back. (I always use “bitch” without gender bias. It’s a pejorative bitch. But in this case yes, I am totally referring to a woman.) So it was a special occasion, stoned out of gourds and wandering through a big-box electronics store a day after the album in question came out. Sure, we could have purchased it on iTunes, downloaded it, maybe saved the effort to get to a store, but it’s been a tradition in my life that when the Beastie Boys release a new album, you go outside and buy the motherfucker.

“Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” is a very good album. I told someone it was their best since (hands-down the greatest hip hop album of all time,) “Paul’s Boutique” and they didn’t know what I was talking about so I walked away and cursed under my breath.

I had a point. Rewind. Facts? Okay. I love the Beastie Boys. Last album was in 2004, so this was a big deal. I got it a day late. The point… why? Yes, why. Right. Why was I day late to grab the first album in seven years from a group I love? Well, because the night before I was at a Pixies concert. And I love them more.

They played “Doolittle” in its entirety, with a few b-sides and an absolutely skull-fucking encore of “Where Is My Mind?”, “Broken Face” and others. Up until the lights dimmed and some weird-for-weird’s sake Dali short film was projected onto a massive make-shift metal screen, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get the chance to see the Pixies play in person. They broke up before I was nine years old. Everything I read told me they hated each other, that Frank Black was over the songs and didn’t want to play them anymore. But hope was renewed when they came to Vancouver in 2004- a year before I made the move- though I missed what I figured was my only chance. So imagine the grin plastered across my mouth and cheeks as Frank screamed the chorus to “Crackity Jones”.

To quote Ben Affleck in an otherwise shitty movie: “Ear to ear, baby!”

It was a moment. Wilco was a moment. Metallica was a moment. The third Matt Good show I saw- the one where I got punched in the face during “Apparitions” because the crowd was swaying and I bumped into some dude’s girlfriend and may or may not have broken my fall with a full-on palm to the breast, (instinctively, not on purpose)- was a moment. You grow up or grow with bands, artists, songs, albums. It’s so easy to associate a song with a person or memory so that every time you hear it until you are dead those feelings swell, for better or for worse. And, for me at least, when you break the plastic curtain of compact discs and whatever material you could associate with MP3s and get a chance to see a beloved artist play live, it’s kind of fucked up. They’re they are: the dudes who made the music you previously enjoyed alone with earbuds on transit, or perhaps one or two times when you tried to share it with a friend but they didn’t give a shit because it wasn’t their thing, though at the time you resented them because of their missive attitudes towards your taste in music and it drastically altered the course of your relationship. But that’s neither here nor there.

(And yeah, Kim Deal is still gorgeous. If I had a time machine, I’d go back to 1989 and press my luck.)

[Ed. Note: As always, Andrew has his own project over at http://www.bobandandrew.com/ where he makes a webseries and you should check that out too!]

Album Reviews - 5/10/2011

2011-05-10T15:38:00.000-07:00

Times New Viking - Dancer Equired (2011)

Not content to just rip off Sonic Youth's noisier moments, Times New Viking decide to make a turn towards Sonic Youth's softer side for the duration of an album. It's uncomfortably boring and awkward, losing any of the appeal these guys had to begin with. They weren't very interesting before, but at least they rocked out hard enough. Seeing them live opening for Yo La Tengo was far from a chore, in fact, it was actually sort of fun. But their new material is entirely coma-inducing. Without the distorted guitars to mask their poor songwriting, they've got nothing. (D)

Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax: Hypersleep Dialogues (2011)

A thirty minute album with three songs. Even if you do like the music, you can't justify that. The songs don't justify it either. All of them exceed their welcome about five minutes in, becoming background noise for their duration. It takes a lot for songs of this length to maintain interest. Between the Buried and Me used to be good at that, but there are poor decisions contained herein that actually annoy one to listen to the songs the entire way through. There's some vintage BtBaM riffage, of course, but one is harshly awakened when they hear the bizarre cleanly spoken almost-a-rap-but-not-really part or the carnival music interludes. These things keep the album from even being pleasant to trudge through. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't the worst thing they've ever released (excepting the covers album, covers albums are never good anyway) but it would be too harsh to call it bad music. It's decent enough, but I can't seem to find any enjoyment in hearing it. (C-)

Sonic Youth - Simon Werner a Disparu (2011)

Sketches of ideas that could have been good Sonic Youth songs if fully explored. Perhaps they will be one day when Sonic Youth get around to making a real new album. In the meantime, what you're left with is a half-baked soundtrack with little purpose outside the context of the film you've never seen (don't lie). Various riffs and parts of songs stand out, but nothing formulates to wholly thought out or completed work, so it's all fairly irrelevant to anyone that isn't a Sonic Youth diehard. (C-)

Monotonix - Not Yet (2011)

One wonders if Monotonix puts any thought into their albums at all or if they're simply a means to an end. A way to justify their continued existence as a live band which is, by all accounts, the only thing about them that really matters. Their insane live shows which have even ended with the lead singer breaking his leg on stage are legendary. People will be talking about those for years. But who the fuck remembers anything from any of their albums? Not Yet does absolutely nothing to change that. (D)

...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Tao of the Dead (2011)

Trail of Dead have always had the potential to be one of the great bands of our time and not once have they fulfilled that promise. It's become increasingly predictable to listen to their albums, knowing that they'll always be good but just short of being great. I'm not sure what they could do to make things better. The songwriting on Tao of the Dead is ace, maybe the best they've ever done. But it still doesn't achieve the great heights they were meant for. They're partially dragged down by the awful production on each and every album they've ever recorded, but that couldn't be entirely the problem since there are plenty of poorly produced classic albums. There's just something missing that they can't find. I don't know what it is, but it's still missing on Tao of the Dead and maybe it always will be. (C)

Corinne Bailey Rae - The Love EP (2011)

For whatever reason, Corinne Bailey Rae decided her next career move would be a five song covers EP. Covers albums are never a good idea, but she has a fantastic voice and interesting enough ideas to make this enjoyable. The only thing wrong with it is that she stays almost too true to the original source material. The stand-out is the cover of Belly's "Low Red Moon" which is fantastic but sounds identical to the original song. It was great once, so it's great again with Corinne singing, but one wonders what the point is. I suppose it was fun for her to sing a song she loves, but in the case of almost every cover on here (the exception being the ending jam of Prince's "I Wanna Be Your Lover"), there's so little deviation that you never feel like The Love EP is necessary to listen to in any way. The saving grace is that she didn't make any bad choices for covers here so it never lets you down too much that they're identical to the originals in most every way. (B)

Radiohead - The King of Limbs (2011)

Anyone looking for the next classic, genre-defining, genre-defying Radiohead album will be sorely disappointed. That wasn't the point this time. Radiohead needed to be free of those expectations to continue to exist. So they offered up a serving of material in the vein of Kid A, Amnesiac, and In Rainbows with few radical changes. Despite the lack of new sounds, Radiohead are a great band so anything they do will have some validity. To continue to exist, Radiohead to break away and make an album like this and it's surprising they didn't take this step sooner. Radiohead have settled into a groove on The King of Limbs. There's nothing truly surprising, but not everything Radiohead does has to shock the system. Instead, they focused on writing great songs in the way they have before. So while The King of Limbs might not go down as a classic like the other aforementioned albums, it is a perfectly fine album in and of itself with some truly great Radiohead songs. That's all they wanted and it's all anyone can really ask for from them at this point. They're battle-worn veterans, give them a break and enjoy what they're offering. (B+)

Protest the Hero - Scurrilous (2011)

Protest the Hero would be a great band without the cheesy prog metal singer. Because of him, they will never achieve anything of note, despite interesting songwriting and truly talented musicianship. Each and every moment is dragged down by his crooning and it makes all their efforts all for naught. Scurrilous is no different. In fact, it may be a little bit worse about it. Regardless, call me when they fire that dude, I don't have time for this shit. (D)

Thurston Moore - Solo Acoustic Volume Five (2011)

Ever wondered what those dissonant chords Sonic Youth are always playing would sound like on an acoustic guitar? Now you can. They sound like ass, if you were wondering. This may be one of the most painful listening experiences I've ever had to endure and I recommend it to no one. Thurston Moore is a superb songwriter, but just noodling around, playing shitty chords on his acoustic is not and has never been why I like him. This actually hurt my ears to listen to, which is an amazing feat, but not one I'd ever want to repeat. (F)

The Strokes - Angles (2011)

Wait, what just happened? I just woke up. I think I fell asleep somewhere on track three of the latest generic, bland, boring bullshit from the Strokes. Shit, I was supposed to review that album and I don't remember a goddamn thing that happened on it. It was all just so coma-inducing and not one bit of it caught my interest in the slightest. Can I even say I listened to it? Fuck it, I'm not even going to try again. I'm just going to give it a D and move on with my life. (D)

David Bowie - Toy (2011)

No one loves David Bowie more than I do. If you ask me what the greatest album of all time is, I'll answer "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars" nine times out of ten. But some things need to stay vaulted. Back in 2001, Bowie recorded this album of rerecordings of some of his earliest and most obscure songs. I guess revisiting and reconnecting with his roots was a good thing, it set him on the right course for the albums that followed (the career closing duo of Heathen and Reality which still stand as some of his best work), but listening to Toy, you realize why Bowie never released it. To put it frankly, it sucks. These weren't highlights of his songwriting to begin with and updating them with early-aught's adult contemporary arrangements and production did nothing to improve upon them. There's little of note on here and anything worthwhile came out on Heathen or related B-sides. Essentially, Bowie culled whatever good could come of this project and scrapped the rest. Unearthing it in 2011 in a Bowie drought just serves to further reveal how truly embarrassing this would have been had it been released. There's a definite demand for new Bowie material right now and this isn't going to satisfy it, sadly. (D)

Heidecker & Wood - Starting From Nowhere (2011)

A sincere look into 1970's soft rock, but one has to wonder who would actually enjoy listening to this? The lyrics are funny in that they're horrible and yet distinctly true to bad 70's singer-songwriter types, but that's where the fun ends. The whole thing is so faithful to what it's parodying that it ceases to be parody. So in the end what you're left with is pretty much something only your dad would enjoy. Still, for the Tim and Eric fan, it might be worth buying for your dad as a gift just as a way to bridge the gap between your interests. He might never look at those weirdos you like so much the same again. (D)

Obits - Moody, Standard and Poor (2011)

Continuing their one great song per album average, Obits trudge through a sophmore release of poorly written garage rock. It never rocks hard enough to stand up to classic Rick Froberg fronted bands and it's never enough fun to overcome its flawed tameness. It's as though Froberg has accepted his age and chosen to no longer do anything with any edge. He's simply content to write the same song over and over again, except it's not even a good one. I know he still has the capability, the first song on this album proves that, but he's happy in mediocrity. So be it, I'll look to his ex-songwriting partner John Reis for good punk jams these days. (D)

Lupe Fiasco - Lasers (2011)

The story is that the record label fucked this one up. Lupe says he hates it. Whatever went wrong, he's right to hate it. It's pure fucking garbage, most of it taking away any talent Lupe used to have to try and achieve a major hip-hop radio hit. Lupe isn't Bruno Mars or Drake or Eminem though so he just can't pull it off without selling himself short. He tries to go for some real attacks, but they don't come off biting, they come off weak and rambling. His big political song, "Words I Never Said," has the coherency of a rant by the homeless conspiracy theorist you see on your morning commute with the tin-foil hat and the "THE END IS NEAR" sandwich board. Lead single "The Show Goes On" uses a Modest Mouse sample in the worst, most offensive way possible. Everything on here will just serve to infuriate anyone who used to like Lupe and it's a damn shame that they had to wait and fight all this time for this garbage. A damn shame. (F)

Raekwon - Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (2011)

Aside from "Rock 'N Roll" being maybe the worst song ever associated with Wu-Tang Clan member, this is a fairly decent album. It's a nice comedown from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II, but it's not the sort of album Raekwon can afford to make again. He's riding on enough goodwill after his last epic release to scrape by with a mediocre album like this, but two in a row will completely kill the wave of hype. Good thing for us, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx III is on the way. Hopefully it will blow Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang out of the water. (C-)

Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (2011)

Indie folk bands these days can only seem to put out albums with one good song on them. See my reviews of Woods for more on that. Helplessness Blues isn't quite so limited, the songs here are largely all decent, reminding one of early Genesis when they were essentially progressive folk, but they all meander and never reach a large enough hook to keep one entertained. The only song that achieves this is "The Shrine / An Argument" by way of a rawly produced lead vocal that actually packs some emotion in it. It's the only song you'll really take notice of and one song does not an album make. Fleet Foxes have plenty of potential and a winning sound, so maybe one day they'll release a truly worthwhile full-length. Helplessness Blues just isn't it. (C)

"Transit Story" by Andrew Menzies

2011-04-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

[Ed. Note: Andrew describes this one as "different," but you should all give it a look. It's good.]

Like most self-proclaimed music aficionados, I have an acoustic guitar.

I suck. I can’t play anything. Well, I can- the first three seconds of “Heart of Gold”, a part of a Metallica song before it goes crazy. I know random smatterings of power chords; The Ramones chords. I can transition from D to G to C but not back to D. I know nothing substantial or remotely impressive and I’m certainly not as good as my writing partner. Bastard loves to sing songs written by musicians I couldn‘t care less about. His passion is admirable. Mine is devoid.

On the rare occasion an opportunity presents itself for my guitar-ownership to come into question, I never proclaim that I play guitar. Rather, I own one. It was a gift. It doesn’t get out much. (Besides, I never want to be the guy at the patio party playing three-chord Pixies covers to the drunkest girls. Actually that sounds kind of awesome.)

Lately I’ll turn from my work-station to glance at my axe and feel nothing but disdain. In much the same way I imagine a blacksmith doesn’t screw around with a mop, I’ve decided as a writer not to screw around with anything but a pencil, pen, keyboard or calligraphy set. It’s better for everyone.

Here’s a story of brief, exhausting anxiety that has nothing to do with the above admission.

When I go to the local big box literature retailer to purchase my annual issue of Maximumrockandroll, I get a feeling much aligned with what I imagine the sense one has when caught masturbating in public. A little fear. A little gilt. A lot of pride. There’s only one store I know of that carries the magazine and its selection is massive: if you’re a gardener, hamster-enthusiast or just really into college basketball, there’s some kind of magazine there for you.

It’s downtown so I have to take the train. I’ve got my headphones on and I’ve made it through the transit checkpoint without making eye contact with anyone. I notice a young female sit down next to me. She’s wearing all black and presenting her veiny cleavage rather proudly. She smelled like sweat and bad weed, but the sun was shining, the wind was kipping through the emergency smoke window, and I had new illegally downloaded music to keep me company. I can handle this.

I’m fascinated by her, but not in the usual way a transit-lady does. She keeps stamping her leg- not her foot, her whole fucking leg- to whatever she’s got playing on her dollar-store over-the-ear headphones. She’s just giving it- SMACK. SMACK. SMACK. Every pump as full-throttled as the last. The rest of her body doesn’t match. I sneak a glimpse and the big ugly white-girl sunglasses she has on aren‘t moving. Unkempt hair isn’t jostling, either. Even her chest is motionless, to which I begin to wonder if the theory of inertia has just been debunked. My mind strays, and I calculate what the odds are that there’s a scientist on board, and if we get some kind of co-discoverer credit when they write up the article in Popular Mechanics. Either way, she keeps going. SMACK. SMACK.

I tap my foot the drum beat in songs some times. It’s more to do with being bored or fidgety, not so much digging the tune that I feel the need to physically demonstrate my joy to strangers. When I see other people doing it, I really want to know what they’re listening to. Do I know the song? Is it something new that I should check out? Is it really terrible, like one of those guilty-pleasure tunes? Is it Skynyrd? Who the hell listens to “Free Bird” on headphones? It’s for Cameron Crowe movies and last call at the pub. Oh, it’s not “Free Bird”? Okay, cool dude. Sorry to bother you. Yeah, sure I can bum you a cigarette.

But I’m the only one who seems to notice. SMACK. SMACK. It’s not annoying, just concerning. The train rocks a bit. It does this from time to time- garbage on the track, extreme changes in weather. (I’m making this up. I don’t God damned know.) Normal. No one stirs. Then, the train stammers more so than usual and we all lurch forward about three inches. But not to worry: those who were standing remain so. Strollers don’t budge so long as the brakes are locked. The elderly barely crack so much as a cautious look across their broken, down-trodden “why the hell won’t my children drive me to my osteoporosis doctor?” faces. Everything‘s cool, right? No. This three inches, it’s just enough for gothed-out, sunglasses the size of saucers-wearing, murky puke bathwater-smelling Nipply Van Daniels’ tree trunk of a leg to move above mine on the upswing and come crashing down on my shoe as she demonstrates her love for song. SMACK.

It hurts. I grimace, clench my fists and try not to swear. She had to have noticed: the feedback from the fibre-glass floor replaced with the give of human flesh is highly distinguishable, I imagined. The dude across from us, well his concerned eyes are not at all helping the bruise that’s quickly forming under my sneaker. But she keeps going, her hoof now realigned to make contact with the ground like nothing ever happened. SMACK. SMACK.

My stop comes. I stand, limping to the door and only slightly exaggerating my injury. I curse to myself. “What an asshole. An apology would absolutely make me forget about this.” After checking the time on my cellphone, I catch her reflection in the train doors. Guess this is her stop too.

I take my time, remove my headphones and try to give her a chance to notice me and make amends. But I get bored because I walk faster than most people- prove me wrong- and jaunt up the escalator. Fuck it. I stop for a coffee. She’s suddenly in line behind me. She removes her sunglasses to order.

Down’s syndrome.

And I forgive her.

May all the hipsters burn. Good day.

[Ed. Note: As always, Andrew has his own project over at http://www.bobandandrew.com/ where he makes a webseries and you should check that out too!]

Album Reviews 4/8/11

2011-04-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

Towers of London - Blood, Sweat and Towers (2006)

Over the years there have been countless imitators of classic 70's punk with increasingly diminishing returns. The big surprise here is that someone would even attempt it in 2006. Was it not played out enough? But Towers of London did it. Apparently even made something of a name for themselves in England. And the truth is, they're not the worst band ever. They're a rip-off of their influences, but they're semi-talented at what they do. But they're just so artificial and manufactured. Blood, Sweat and Towers is pure plastic. There's nothing dangerous about them, it's all an act. Towers of London are an image, a bunch of pretty boys in "punk" clothing whose music may honestly be less important to them than their appearance. This is a hair metal album disguising itself as punk. It might be enjoyable if it wasn't so goddamn offensive as a fan of real music played by real musicians. (D)

Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan (1962)

A rather quaint album by later Dylan standards, his debut is purely roots folk. It follows a path set by many before him, featuring almost nothing original and many rearrangements of classic songs. It gives insight to where he would go as this set of songs are clear influences on his own subsequent writing, but it's a poor look into the man's own genius. It reflects the genius of others and the only real indication of Dylan's own mind is in the arrangements. Those are nice and the album features a wonderful precursor version of "House of the Rising Sun" which the Animals would clearly be influenced by just a few years later for their classic version, but don't expect to be blown away by anything on here except maybe the raw, youthful intensity of Dylan's singing. Bob Dylan's debut is a great album, just not a great Bob Dylan album. (B)

Daytrader - Last Days of Rome (2011)

"What the fuck happened to these guys?," I thought as I first listened to this EP. Daytrader started off just a few months ago with a demo tape of three songs that sounded like a clear throwback to 90's emo bands like At the Drive-In and Jawbreaker. It was a treat to listen to, being such a huge fan of that music. But in only a few short months, something has clearly happened and they've taken a dramatic shift in their style. Instead of playing 90's emo, they're playing cleaned up, well-produced, poppy 00's emo, reminiscent of bands like Brand New and Taking Back Sunday. It's a bizarre turn. If they're looking for mainstream success, they won't find it aping a style that was popular ten years ago. If they want to do a throwback sort of thing, well, why not stick with their original sound? Still, there's some good to be found on here. Their new style is just as nostalgic and beloved as their old one and it will be well received by an entirely different sub-group of emo fans. But fans of the old Daytrader, try before you buy, your mileage may vary as to how much you like the new Daytrader as they sound like completely different bands. (C+)

Cake - Showroom of Compassion (2011)

Cake wanted to make a deep, mature, triumphant return with Showroom of Compassion. But how you want things to turn out and how they do turn out are often two very different things. Cake is a band that hasn't been quite relevant in a very long time. Their hits are still popular, but I'm guessing it was the 90's the last time anybody played a whole album of theirs. As comebacks go, it usually takes more than a decade before a band can make the shift from hip, new band to well-respected, veteran band that for whatever reason people have started listening to again. It hasn't quite been long enough, so where Cake is is right in the middle of that. They're well-respected veterans whose influence can be heard in many new bands, but nobody is ready to start listening to them again and apparently they have yet to find their middle-age niche musically either. Showroom of Compassion desperately wants to see Cake get serious instead of fun like they used to be, but it's a sub-par attempt. Apparently Cake's plan to go through puberty is to ape the Beatles as much as fucking possible. But no matter how hard they try, they aren't John Lennon. It's sad to hear really. As someone who went in just wanting to hear a new "Never There" or "The Distance," I found myself exceedingly disappointed. Not because I'm not willing to give a band a chance to try new things, but because in an effort to specifically not do songs like those anymore, Cake has stripped away any of their appeal. They're just boring old men now. (D)

The Decemberists - The King is Dead (2011)

For The King is Dead, the Decemberists decided to strip down their sound, quit making grand, epic concept albums, and just make a good old indie americana album. They almost did that. They did strip down a lot and they did avoid making any sort of epic, but they made a detour from a good old indie americana album. It is that, but it's something more. It's the direct sequel to R.E.M.'s classic Automatic for the People. Frontman Colin Meloy has said it was never his intention to sound so much like R.E.M. on this record, it just happened. Well, it must have been somewhat intentional as R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck sits in on three songs, including the lead single and country version of "The One I Love," "Down By the Water." Regardless of whether it was intentional or not, it fulfills a promise never fully explored by R.E.M. themselves. Back in the Automatic for the People days, there was much turmoil in that band and shortly after they took an ill-advised rock turn away from the americana direction they had been pursuing, releasing the poorly received Monster instead. We never got to hear how further pursuing their sound of the time would have turned out, but Meloy must have been able to somehow hear where it would go and decided to make it himself. This is no discredit to him or his band of course. It's not my intention to make this review entirely about the album's major influence, it just happened. There's no shame in what this album does. The King is Dead is actually a wonderful effort on the part of the band, but it's hard not to hear that other band in the Decemberists constantly throughout the record, right down to Meloy's somewhat Michael Stipe-influenced vocal stylings. Regardless of where it all comes from, it fulfills its promise and its purpose dramatically and while it might stand as an oddity in their own discography, it's still a fantastic album of Decemberists country rock. (A)

Various Artists - 21 Songs (2011)

A good compilation showcasing a lot of unknown bands in the screamo scene of 2011. That being said, because it does focus on a single genre where there are many similarities between bands, it's hard to distinguish one band from another here. These bands are mostly unknown for a reason, that being that they're new and have yet to develop a unique sound or a twist on the genre big enough to make them stand out from one another. Their names are ridiculous, meaningless, and forgettable and their music is so entirely generic for the genre that, while being entertaining for fans of this kind of thing, you'll find yourself hard-pressed to remember who did what or memorize any of the songs. If any of these bands find a way to break the mould, that will make 21 Songs an important touchstone for their humble beginnings. But until that happens, you're left with a lot of decent songs (which are mostly Funeral Diner and Saetia rip-offs but still enjoyable despite their heavy-handed influence biting) by decent bands that have yet to become something special. As these things go, there's usually one bigger band anchoring the compilation and that would be Lizards Have Personalities, who have been around for a minute and have made some great music. Even their song isn't one of their best though. It's simply typical of them. I would be interested to hear albums by these bands now and 21 Songs fulfills its purpose in that respect. What seems generic here may stand out well by itself. But in the context of the compilation, it's almost the same song done twenty one times. There's also the matter of the varying recording quality, which can be quite jarring. From band to band, you get better or worse production. It makes the ones with less of a budget (or less experience in self-producing) look that much worse, which is disappointing because they may actually be better bands than the ones with good production but they sink under the weight of their tin-can sound. If you're looking for a great compilation with all the best bands, this isn't it, but if you're a fan of any of these bands already, it's worth checking out for an extra song by a band you already like. You won't discover much new to love here though. (D)

Cold War Kids - Mine is Yours (2011)

These guys started so promisingly with Robbers & Cowards, but in retrospect, how promising was it really? It was melodramatic as hell and only about half the album was really any good. That half was great though and had they pursued that half further maybe they would have gone somewhere. Instead, they abandoned all the artistic integrity and deep themes presented in the good half of that album. They didn't even follow through with the promise of the mediocre parts of that album. Instead, they just abandoned their lyrical content, trading instead in pop radio cliches, and transformed their music into some amazingly boring mix of indie rock circa 2005 and schmaltzy piano balladry right of adult contemporary stations around the world. It's weak shit for a band that had so much potential in the beginning. The few experimental parts of the album, like "Sensitive Kid" and "Cold Toes on the Cold Floor," end up being just plain forced and ridiculous. The rest is the sort of garbage fed to the masses that even the most casual of music listeners doesn't even like. Mine is Yours reminds me of the songs I hear in cars with other people that they skip while looking for something decent on terrestrial radio. (D)

Growing with Emmure

2011-03-28T12:53:00.000-07:00

Emmure is a metal band commonly lumped into the "deathcore" genre. The term is only somewhat applicable to them, as they don't fit in quite right with other bands of the genre, but they've still become the faces of the scene. When somebody says they hate deathcore, their probable idea of the sound of deathcore is Emmure. They're the poster children for the deathcore hate movement. People even sometimes refer to them as "brocore" insultingly. But to me, they're not so much any of that, but a staple of my time with some of the greatest friends I've had in my life.

I first met these friends when I got my first job at Santikos Theatres, at their Silverado 19 IMAX location on Tomball Parkway. I reconnected with one of my friends from second grade there and quickly fell in with his group of friends so that eventually they were all just my friends. One thing we connected over right away was music. Though they listened to vastly different music than me, we bonded over our mutual passion for all forms of it. We had many disagreements, but the hobby was the same and I was open minded enough to listen to what they had to offer me. Some of it I liked, some of it I hated, but friendly debates over music cemented our friendship. The turning point in that respect was when we discovered our mutual love of Rites of Spring and realized we all sort of came from the same background, even though the end results were vastly different. We developed a respect for each other in that way.

Over the years, we've all started listening to different types of music and different bands, but one thing has always remained from those days. Back then, in 2008, my friends were spinning the latest CD by Emmure. It was their second full-length album, The Respect Issue. Though it was much heavier than the music I listened to, I could appreciate a few parts of it, in particular a song called "Tales from the Burg."

"I'll never forget waking up in Baltimore,
My palms full of sweat.
Clearly you've had your revenge,
For the night I spit right in your face.
You will never forget and I will never forget,
Every waking moment I spend wishing you were dead.
Just fucking die."

Brutal lyrics, full of hate and grudges, not my usual fare. Still, I loved one part of the song, where singer Frankie Palmeri repeats over and over the words, "I'm so over it, I'm fucking over it." There was an almost comical whiny desperation in his voice that I liked. Not only that, but the song is actually fairly catchy in a weird way. It wasn't enough to win me over, but it did get me requesting the song when my friends would put it on in the car.

Fast forward a year. 2009. In only that short period of time, my friends and myself had gone through quite a bit. We had changed, found new jobs, found new girlfriends, found new personalities. But we were still the best of friends, finding time inbetween all our busy schedules to just hang out together, drink beers, and shoot the shit. Ever present were our musical debates and even more of them erupted as Emmure released their third full-length, Felony. Some of my friends liked it, others didn't, but Felony finally took hold with me personally. It was even heavier than previous work, but those speak-sung parts where Palmeri sounded like he was crying and having a nervous breakdown at the same time became far more common, so much so that it became almost his signature style to alternate between those vocals and his trademark screams. The album wormed its way into me and my friends' collective brains, refusing to let go for most of 2010 as well. It became a running gag to sing and scream their ridiculous lyrics to each other at inappropriate times. The most common of these were lines from the first two songs on the album, "Sunday Bacon" and "I Thought You Met Telly and Turned Me Into Casper."

Sunday Bacon
"And now you're looking down the barrel of a gun
Son of a gun
Looks like you're not having any fun"

I Thought You Met Telly and Turned Me Into Casper
"I just want you to know that you're the reason I got tested
And because of you I'm at the clinic hoping, praying
Please God
Let me be negative"

It's not like those lyrics have any sort of deep meaning, but the way they're sung/screamed is strangely appealing on a very primitive level. It's raw, sort of stupid, and a whole lot of fun. Belting them out at all the wrong times can be the greatest release in an awkward situation.

Cut to 2011 and Emmure have a new album yet again. It's called Speaker of the Dead and it just came out a week ago. Of course, my friends and I already have it and have been jamming it quite a bit. It's easily the best thing the band has done. In these past few years, I've watched them progress from a somewhat catchy but inspired joke of a band to a legitimately good metal act. Speaker of the Dead shows that the band has maybe gotten tired of people like myself mocking their ridiculousness and just committed themselves to making good music instead. It's not for everyone and it's also the heaviest album they've done which might alienate many, but it at least shows a great deal of maturation and growth. Those funny speak-sung vocals have dissipated some, though they're still present on some songs because it wouldn't be Emmure without them, as they've toned down on some of their easier trappings, taking the high road for this one. In a way, it would seem that Palmeri and the crew finally made good on their promise back on "Tales from the Burg." They're finally over it and ready to make some serious music. Of course, the mocking won't stop, even among myself and my friends who have already picked out our favorite lines. But it should shut up some of the haters that have more open minds.

The biggest thing I take away from Speaker of the Dead though is not so much the development of the band but the development of my group. We've grown up so much together over these past years. We've all changed dramatically. Just for example, I'm on my fourth job since then, not even counting the job of writing. I don't look the same, I don't act the same, I don't even have the same interests. My friends are in the same boat. But one thing has remained consistent and that is that when there's a new Emmure CD, we'll always be in the car together, jamming along with it and yelling those stupid, funny, catchy, and badass lines to each other. For most, Emmure is either a cool band to rock out to or a great example of the worst kinds of shit the music industry can offer. But for us, Emmure is just a staple of our lives and our friendship together, no matter how we might change or grow apart. No matter how good or bad the band may be, they'll always have a place in my music library just for that.

Indie Isn't Indie Anymore

2011-03-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

What is indie? In the 90's, it seemed to mean a certain sound represented by bands like Pavement, Modest Mouse, Liz Phair, Beck, Neutral Milk Hotel, and the like. A distant relative of the burgeoning, melodic emo scene, stripped of the hardcore punk influences on emo and replacing them with acoustic guitars and jagged rock riffage, but utilizing the same strained voices, shattered soul lyrics, and mostly lo-fi production. Today, it can mean any number of things. There are bands described as "indie" that feature influences ranging from post-rock to underground hip-hop to hardcore to even 1970's yacht rock (leading guys like Michael McDonald to suddenly emerge guesting on indie albums).

(Indie superstars Grizzly Bear featuring yacht rock superstar Michael McDonald. Yeah, the guy from the old Verizon commercials.)

Since it doesn't represent a specific genre of any kind, it must represent a sort of movement. Once again utilizing the example of the 90's, most "indie" bands were considered indie because they weren't signed to major labels. This was another aspect related to the punk and emo scenes, where musicians wore this as a badge of honor, self-releasing their albums and putting on tours the DIY way. But today, this is not even true of many indie bands and hasn't been for a long time. Beck was one of the first, signing to Geffen as early as 1994. Modest Mouse were with Sony by 2000. Liz Phair ended up on Capitol and we all know how that turned out. While today there are many indie bands on many indie labels, some yet are not including Franz Ferdinand (Sony), the Strokes (RCA), Interpol (Capitol, until recently returning to an indie label by signing with Matador), the Decemberists (Capitol), and Arctic Monkeys (Warner).

So since this movement is not represented by being on an independent label, the obvious implication of the term "indie" to begin with, the movement must be represented by a broader definition of the word independent. Under this definition, it must mean that the music is underground, outside the norm, and altogether outside the realms of mainstream music. Except that it's not anymore. This may come as a shock to many people, but indie is one of the biggest genres of music, if it can so be called, in entertainment today.

This isn't really a new trend, yet it continues to baffle hipsters and casual fans of the music the same. Some of the aforementioned bands that signed to major labels have been huge for years. While some stopped being considered indie in that case, such as Beck who somewhat lost that classification after "Loser" took off and fell into the category of "alternative rock" afterwards, this is not true in every case. Modest Mouse, despite releasing albums on Sony, seeing their hit song "Float On" go to #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and seeing their 2007 album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank go to #1 on the US Billboard 200 chart, is still considered an indie rock band and beloved by even the most purist hipsters the world round. Their #1 album was in 2007, yet even today words like "unlikely" and "surprising" are thrown around as Vampire Weekend's Contra and Arcade Fire's The Suburbs both hit #1 themselves and, of course, Arcade Fire wins the Grammy for Album of the Year.

(Arcade Fire accepting their Grammy for Album of the Year. Get used to this picture.)

These things are no longer shocking. Indie, regardless of what it is or how it is defined, has hit the big time. It's a meaningless term at this point applied to a variety of different types of music and different movements, but whatever it is, it is no longer underground. So I ask the question, when can these things stop being surprising? When can we simply accept that, whatever indie may be, it's one of the biggest things around right now?

Furthermore, can we even continue to use the label? The application has become so ill-defined that it no longer represents anything. Can we call these massive bands, whom it should surprise nobody are getting massive recognition, indie bands? What does indie even mean? My personal opinion is that it has become completely outmoded. In 2011, as this type of music has circled around again and become one of the biggest mainstream forces, features no one sound in particular or defining characteristic, and represents no special movement of being underground, being signed to an independent label, or being DIY, there is no such thing as "indie" anymore. It's an irrelevant term.

In 2011, Vampire Weekend is called indie. In 1986, Paul Simon making the same kind of music was just called pop. It's about time we make a return to that instead of trying to put down some irrelevant dividing line between everything in some desperate attempt to make it seem cooler or less mainstream than it really is.

"Julia Roberts" by Andrew Menzies

2011-02-19T21:12:00.000-08:00

[Ed. Note: While I've taken a break from writing for this blog for a bit, Andrew Menzies has brought us another guest article!]

I’m twenty-six now. I don’t recommend it.

My early twenties were okay. No one expects much out of you when all you’ve got is a barely-legitimate art school degree, twenty thousand dollars in student loan debt and a pipedream of someday writing for the talkies. I know this because my sister wrote it in my twenty-second birthday card. (I may be embellishing.)

Most nights in which I partake in the holy spirits end the same way: sad-sack walk a great distance. Tunes. Cigarette. Ride the train a great distance. Grab the free paper to check my horoscope. Cigarette. Second, final sad-sack walk a great distance. Alley. Cigarette. Door. Shoes off. Bed.

The highlight of this year’s birthday came when it was revealed that both my friend Graeme and I were stupid enough to each pay three bucks for a Bic lighter because it had a sticker of our favourite hockey team on it. Now this may be the outstanding memory solely due to the toxins in my body at the time. (Tends to cloud the brain.) But truth be told, other than reaffirmation that if it‘s shiny and costs less than five bucks, I’ll buy it, I don’t recall much of the night of my twenty-sixth. Sure, the usual vague flashes of disappointment, but it was mostly terror; though that can be blamed on the impromptu Burnaby gear run at midnight. There’s something about crouching in the back of a van with ten C-stands jamming into your back while a light box encases your seat-mate like a shitty, dangerous tent: every lane change on the highway feels like it’s going to be your last. Thank Christ everyone agreed with “Operation: Soft-Serve”, and we were able to liberate a couple of sundaes from the golden arches. (Cause nothing goes better with a stomach full of whiskey, Jager, cheap beer and THC than pasteurized dairy!)

I know I’m young. I know thirty is young. I know forty is young. I also know long division, but if you’ve ever watched me sit down and try to file my tax return, you’ll understand what I mean when I say there’s a lot of things we claim we “know” and a lot of things we assume to be current on just because at one point in time, the notion was briefly explained to us.

Long story short, I‘ve seen “The Graduate” twice in the last month.

(1:22 in the AM. Pacific Standard Time. This is where things get dicey.)

I don’t care what anyone says: Elton John is a badass.

There’s gotta be some great punk cover of “Hungry Heart” that’s out there just waiting for me to find it.

Radiohead released a new record this week. That’s cool. I was looking for a new album to fall asleep to.

(Joke remix!)

Bright Eyes released a new record this month. That’s cool. I was looking for a new album to play while I softly cried into the latest issue of Vice, ruining the menthol cigarette I had written an ex-girlfriend’s name on that was also being used as a bookmark.

Keep your dicks in your pants. Both albums are great.

Stay safe, kids.

[Ed. Note: As always, Andrew has his own project over at http://www.bobandandrew.com/ where he makes a webseries and you should check that out too!]

Album Reviews (1/6/11)

2011-01-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

Kanye West - VH1 Storytellers: Kanye West (2010)

Granted, this is a VH1 Storytellers album and that means that explaining the songs and telling stories is the name of the game. Still, Kanye West has a knack for rambling and ranting and raving and he does just that for over an hour here. Every song outlives its welcome except for maybe "Stronger," while Kanye talks and generally embarrasses himself. The nadir is when he says his greatest pain in life is that he can't watch himself perform. You expect these things from him, but it's still cringe-worthy to hear on a disc. Amazingly enough, what can be heard here is only what remains of his rants after edits. Reports are that he spent much more time talking and insulted numerous people, including Radiohead for allegedly snubbing him, which is hilarious when you consider that most of this album's running time is spent ranting. Suffice it to say, it's a difficult live album to take in. Kanye is a gifted performer and the new arrangements found here are often fantastic, but the album cuts remain superior because they're not dragged out with Kanye's spiels. (C)

Jimmy Eat World - Invented (2010)

Jimmy Eat World was once upon a time a pretty relevant and popular emo band. Now they're just known as that band that did that song "The Middle" that pops up and makes people long for their youth spent listening to it. They're a nostalgia band. On Invented, they try to grow the beard, so to speak, and make a mature album that leans more toward indie rock than anything. The effect doesn't work very well for them as it removes the one thing their popularity hinged on: being fun. The deluxe edition of the album trudges on for over an hour, with some acoustic and demo bonus tracks, and only a few times do you get flashes of anything upbeat, entertaining, or rocking. It's never a good thing when a rock band tries to stop being a rock band and so it goes with Invented. (C)

Jesu - Heart Ache and Dethroned (2010)

Jesu is a band I'm continually confused as to why I still follow. I've never enjoyed any of their music all that much. The best thing they've ever released was their split with Envy and it wasn't Jesu's side that enthralled me. So why do I download every single one of their albums? I suppose name recognition and habit. In any case, Heart Ache and Dethroned is a true chore to listen to. If you make it through the first two twenty minute tracks that drone on and on and on, even when "Ruined" attempts to go metal, then you're greeted with four more that are all around seven minutes long. Is there any reason for this excessive length? Fans would argue there is, throwing around words like "epic" and "masterpiece," but for me it proves to be too daunting of a task. One listen to a twenty minute song and I honestly never want to sit through it again, lest it continually entertain me such as certain tracks by The Mars Volta. Unfortunately, Jesu trades not really in long tracks with multiple movements and different styles to keep you entertained. Instead, their long tracks are more focused on atmosphere and the same sounds repeated ad nauseum, presumably to lull you to sleep. Honestly, that's the only use I would find for this sort of thing. It's gentle, absorbing background music, but it's like the fan I have to keep on at night even in the dead of winter. Silence grates on me, I have to hear something when I'm trying to fall asleep, preferably something unobtrusive and droning, like a washing machine. This is the only use I can possibly find for a band like Jesu. Play me to sleep, boys. (D)

Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band - Lick My Decals Off, Baby (1970)

The lesser known companion disc to Beefheart's masterpiece Trout Mask Replica, Lick My Decals Off, Baby is much of the same fucked up deconstructed blues of the previous album but it's much more easily digested. It's far more musical and less adventurous with sounds, focusing more on songwriting, as much as Beefheart ever focused on songwriting. Given that it's only one disc, it's also far more compact. Trout Mask Replica was a sprawling achievement in experimental music, covering Beefheart and producer Frank Zappa's full range of whims. Lick My Decals Off, Baby is instead far more focused. You get the sense here that Beefheart knows exactly what he's doing, he never fumbles, and it makes for a tight and entertaining album. It's still weird as all hell and your mileage may vary depending on how much you can appreciate what Beefheart does, but it easily matches its predecessor, even if it fails to top it. (A)

The Young Gods and Dalek - Griots and Gods (2010)

Whatever the Young Gods and Dalek were going for here, they achieved it. This is a live disc of truly frightening experimental hip-hop. It's actually a bit difficult to describe what happens here as hip-hop, as the instruments utilized are rock instruments and they're played in ways that verge on avant garde metal. But you still have Dalek spitting rhymes and repeating chants over the top of it all the base it in some realm of rap. The sounds here won't be for everyone, they may even be somewhat unsettling, but these guys know exactly what they wanted to do and you get the sense that you've been transported into their very fucked up world for just over an hour. It's hard to imagine experiencing this in person, but as a recording, it works about as well as something like this can. Don't look for hooks, but it can probably put you in a trance for a little bit. (C+)

Kayo Dot - Stained Glass (2010)

Kayo Dot's latest release, Stained Glass, is one twenty minute song that pursues the same avant garde movements that the rest of their discography features. One wonders why this had to be released on its own as it would fit just as well on any of their albums, except maybe the more prog rock oriented Blue Lambency Downward. It's spiritually in the same vein as Coyote and given that album's length, they could've simply thrown this on there. But who am I to question Toby Driver's whims? In any case, it's no more or less interesting than the rest of their work and fans will certainly be pleased. The only downside is that as one long track, it's difficult to take in and it's not entirely satisfying. By the end, you don't want to hear the song again, but you do want more Kayo Dot and this happens to be the only song on the EP. It's too much and too little at the same time. (C+)

B. Dolan - Fallen House, Sunken City (2010)

While indie rap languishes and former heroes like Sage Francis pretty much jump off the boat, B. Dolan, Sage's tourmate this past summer, has put together a dark, challenging indie rap album that can easily hang with some of the better works of the genre. The grim beats and Dolan's depressing delivery will take one back to Definitive Jux's prime, to the days of Company Flow and El-P's solo release Fantastic Damage. The influence of those works is clear on Fallen House, Sunken City and some of the appeal may be rooted in their distinct absence over the last few years. Still, Dolan is crafting his own world of decay and destruction that isn't dissimilar from El-P's but is still unique enough to be called his own. A post-apocalyptic wasteland is presented here, as the title suggests, and it hits home because it feels like we're not too far off from the world being described. (B)

The Get Up Kids - Simple Science (2010)

Contrast this short, upbeat EP with contemporaries Jimmy Eat World's latest album and it's easy to see where Jimmy Eat World fucked up this year. The Get Up Kids might never have had the commercial appeal of Jimmy Eat World, but they've stuck to their roots and they aren't boring anyone with indie rock pretension. To age in emo is to die, but there will always be those out there who will pay attention anyway. True, Simple Science might not get radio play, nor will their upcoming full-length There Are Rules, but this isn't about radio play or appearances on Conan. This is about the music and the fans will know where to find them regardless. If you're going to survive in this game, do something people will continue to like. The small but dedicated fanbase for the Get Up Kids will remain while Jimmy Eat World's brief resurgence in recent months will dissipate. Such is the biz. (B)

listenlisten - "dog" (2010)

Easily listenlisten's best release so far, it has less lofty aspirations and weighty pretentious dragging it down. "dog", the ostensibly untitled new album from listenlisten, has drawn a fair bit less attention than their previous album, Hymns from Rhodesia, but there's no question which is superior. For its running time, just over thirty-three minutes, there are almost no missteps and each song is a meticulously crafted hit. True, their excursions into plain country aren't too exciting, but they're still well written songs. The only downfall on the disc may be that two of these songs were previously released on ArtStorm's Summer Exposure compilation last year. "Ghost" is slightly better, being played in a bit of a different way, but "I Can Be Mean," renamed "I Will Be Mean" here, sounds like a bad demo compared with the original, which was and is their greatest song. A minor quibble, it's still a great song, but I fear this will be the default version and it's plainly not as good. Still, "dog" is an accomplished work from one of Houston's best bands going right now. (B)

Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline (1969)

Bob Dylan's country experiment paid off pretty well and Nashville Skyline remains one of his better regarded albums today. "Lay Lady Lay" and "I Threw It All Away" have proven to be the most enduring songs, but the entire album holds up remarkably well. It's a loose, easy-going album, which is both a positive and a negative. Sometimes it can feel slightly tossed off, but that can also be a warm quality, feeling as though you're just listening to Bob and his band chill out and lay down some tunes. The only aspect of the album I personally dislike is the voice that Bob chose to use for the album. His higher croon can be somewhat grating on repeated listens, I personally prefer the gruffer voice of recent years or the early, raw voice he had on his initial releases. This is only a minor problem with a classic album though, it's still a fantastic Bob Dylan release. (A)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Five)

2011-01-05T07:05:00.000-08:00

Spoon - Transference

Best Tracks: "Written in Reverse," "I Saw the Light," "Got Nuffin"

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, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, but it's still a good listen. (Original Grade: B+)

The Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt

Best Tracks: "The Drying of the Lawns," "Kids on the Run"

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. The Wild Hunt shows that again. (Original Grade: B)

Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

Best Tracks: "A Pot in Which to Piss," "To Old Friends and New"

Titus Andronicus is a superbly talented indie rock band that blends raw power with unparalleled ambition. On The Monitor, 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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Touche Amore / La Dispute - Searching for a Pulse / The Worth of the World

Best Tracks: "I'll Get My Just Deserve," "How I Feel"

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. (Original Grade: A+)

Touche Amore / Make Do and Mend - Smoke Signals and Hideaways / Hand Me Downs and Cobwebs

Best Tracks: "Hideaways," "Hand Me Downs"

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." (Original Grade: B)

The Corin Tucker Band - 1,000 Years

Best Tracks: "1,000 Years," "Half a World Away," "Doubt"

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. (Original Grade: B)

Warpaint - The Fool

Best Tracks: "Undertow," "Shadows," "Composure"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

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)"

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 Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 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. (Original Grade: A+)

Yeasayer - Odd Blood

Best Tracks: "Ambling Alp," "Madder Red," "O.N.E.," "Love Me Girl"

Yeasayer always had pop hooks, but they dealt in more psychedelic and indie territory on their first album, All Hour Cymbals. On Odd Blood, 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. (Original Grade: A-)

Neil Young - Le Noise

Best Tracks: "Love and War," "Hitchhiker," "Peaceful Valley Boulevard"

Neil Young makes a slight comeback after his slightly bad Fork in the Road 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? (Original Grade: A)

[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.]

Wolf Parade - Expo 86

Best Tracks: "What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)," "Pobody's Nerfect"

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. (Original Grade: A)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Four)

2011-01-04T18:36:00.000-08:00

OFF! - First Four EPs

Best Tracks: "Poison City," "Now I'm Pissed," "Rat Trap"

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. (Original Grade: B)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Sepulcros de Miel

Best Tracks: "Part II," "Part III," "Part IV," "Part VIII"

Essentially a thirty minute jam, Sepulcros de Miel 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. (Original Grade: B)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Cizaña de los Amores

Best Tracks: "No Hay Más Respuestas," "Victimas del Cielo," "Infiel Hasta la Muerte"

Like its spiritual predecessors, Xenophanes and Solar Gambling, Cizaña de los Amores 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 Xenophanes and the songs just aren't quite as good as Solar Gambling, but it's another fantastic release of this style. (Original Grade: B+)

The Saddest Landscape - You Will Not Survive

Best Tracks: "Eternity is Lost on the Dying," "Imperfect But Ours," "So Lightly Thrown"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Sed Non Satiata - Sed Non Satiata

Best Tracks: "Les colonnes de soie," "Calle Jaen 23... ou l'antre de la bête"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Screaming Females - Castle Talk

Best Tracks: "A New Kid," "Fall Asleep," "Ghost Solo"

Screaming Females frontwoman Marissa Paternoster proves once again that she's the queen of the epic riff on Castle Talk, 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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Gil Scott-Heron - I'm New Here

Best Tracks: "Your Soul and Mine," "I'll Take Care of You," "Where Did the Night Go," "Running"

Gil Scott-Heron's battles with drug addiction and illness come through his gravelly voice on I'm New Here, 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. I'm New Here makes it clear that Scott-Heron isn't going down without a fight. (Original Grade: A)

She & Him - Volume Two

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"

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. (Original Grade: B)

sIngs - Hells

Best Tracks: "Panic Pig," "House," "You're"

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. (Original Grade: A)

Snowing - I Could Do Whatever I Wanted If I Wanted

Best Tracks: "So I Shotgunned a Beer and Went Back to Bed," "Could Be Better Forever"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Three)

2011-01-03T08:53:00.000-08:00

Heaven in Her Arms - Paraselene

Best Tracks: "Butterfly in Right Helicoid," "Veritas"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Japandroids - No Singles

Best Tracks: "Sexual Aerosol," "Lucifer's Symphony," "Couture Suicide"

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. (Original Grade: B+)

Just Like Vinyl - Just Like Vinyl

Best Tracks: "The Circulatory System," "Death of the Sheep," "No Friend of Mine"

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. Just Like Vinyl 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 Just Like Vinyl 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. (Original Grade: B)

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks

Best Tracks: "Mourning in America," "Bottled in Cork," "Bartolomeo and the Buzzing of Bees," "Last Days"

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 Living with the Living. That album was overly ambitious, but The Brutalist Bricks 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. (Original Grade: A+)

LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening

Best Tracks: "Dance Yrself Clean," "You Wanted a Hit," "Pow Pow"

Another epic indie dance pop album from the master of it, LCD Soundsystem. While This is Happening 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. (Original Grade: A)

listenlisten - "dog"

Best Tracks: "Ears Are Hearing," "I Will Be Mean," "The Time We Almost Died"

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. (Original Grade: B)

Lizards Have Personalities - Snow of Kilimanjaro

Best Tracks: "In the Wake of a Dying Kite," "Upon a Scarlet Sunset," "For Once, Then, Something"

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. (Original Grade: B+)

Make Do and Mend - End Measured Mile

Best Tracks: "Ghostal," "Firewater"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Merchant Ships - For Cameron

Best Tracks: "Things Left in Last Year," "Sleep Patterns"

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. (Original Grade: A)

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid

Best Tracks: "Cold War," "Tightrope," "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)"

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 Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. She's one of the few promising new artists to come out recently. The ArchAndroid 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. (Original Grade: B)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part Two)

2011-01-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

[Ed. Note: The next ten...]

Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest

Best Tracks: "Sailing," "He Would Have Laughed"

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 Halcyon Digest is a great album. For once, Cox knocked it out of the park and you have to hand it to him. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Devo - Something for Everybody

Best Tracks: "Fresh," "What We Do," "Don't Shoot (I'm a Man)"

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. (Original Grade: A-)

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Option Paralysis

Best Tracks: "Farewell, Mona Lisa," "Gold Teeth on a Bum," "Parasitic Twins"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Brian Eno - Small Craft on a Milk Sea

Best Tracks: "2 Forms of Anger," "Slow Ice, Old Moon"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Envy - Recitation

Best Tracks: "Pieces of the Moon I Weaved," "Light and Solitude," "0 and 1"

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 Recitation. While I don't consider it one of their best, Recitation is still a great album. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Fat Tony - RABDARGAB

Best Tracks: "Luv It Mayne (Featuring Murs and Bo. P)," "My Babe"

I personally feel like some of Fat Tony's prior mixtapes were superior, but that's just my personal opinion. RABDARGAB 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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Fucked Up - Couple Tracks: Singles 2002-2009

Best Tracks: "I Hate Summer," "Teenage Problems"

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. (Original Grade: B)

Girls - Broken Dreams Club

Best Tracks: "Alright," "Carolina"

The songs on Broken Dreams Club are decidedly less catchy and fun than those on Girls' debut Album, 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. (Original Grade: B)

Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer

Best Tracks: "Bright Lights Bigger City," "Fuck You," "Bodies," "It's OK"

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. (Original Grade: A)

Grinderman - Grinderman 2

Best Tracks: "Heathen Child," "When My Baby Comes," "Evil"

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. (Original Grade: B)

Fifty Great Albums Released in 2010 (Part One)

2011-01-01T22:44:00.000-08:00

[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.]

After the Burial - In Dreams

Best Tracks: "Your Troubles Will Cease and Fortune Will Smile Upon You," "Pendulum," "Bread Crumbs and White Stones," "To Carry You Away"

A new standard for the progressive death metal/djent genre coming in the form of the third album from Minnesota's After the Burial. (Original Grade: A)

Alexisonfire - iTunes Originals

Best Tracks: "You Burn First," "Waterwings (And Other Pool Side Fashion Faux Pas)," "This Could Be Anywhere in the World," "No Transitory"

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 Old Crows/Young Cardinals album, this is a must-hear for fans of the post-hardcore band looking for revitalizing of their classics. (Original Grade: C)

Alexisonfire - Dog's Blood

Best Tracks: "Dog's Blood," "Grey," "Vex"

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. (Original Grade: A+)

Astronautalis - DANCEHALLHORNSOUND!!!!

Best Tracks: "Do You Believe in Life After Thugs?," "Voicemail Freestyle: Mike Wiebe"

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. (Original Grade: B)

Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea

Best Tracks: "Closer," "Paper Dolls"

Corinne Bailey Rae's soft and sweet R&B can be extremely powerful and that's shown on her strong new album. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Max Bemis and the Painful Splits - Max Bemis and the Painful Splits

Best Tracks: "Assimilate All Bastards," "Do the Dohnk," "Piss on the Precedent"

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. (Original Grade: A)

Black Francis - NonStopErotik

Best Tracks: "Lake of Sin," "Dead Man's Curve," "When I Go Down on You

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

Burzum - Belus

Best Tracks: "Belus' død," "Morgenrøde"

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. (Original Grade: B)

Calculator - These Roots Grow Deep...

Best Tracks: "Our Homes, Our Graves," "2012"

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. (Original Grade: not reviewed)

City and Colour - Live at the Orange Lounge

Best Tracks: "What Makes a Man?," "Comin' Home," "Save Your Scissors"

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. (Original Grade: B)

Album Reviews (12/27/10)

2010-12-27T05:23:00.000-08:00

Vampire Weekend - Contra (2010)

Vampire Weekend is experimenting with new sounds on Contra and it doesn't work that well for them. Their first album was a great throwback to 80's afro-pop styled pop albums such as Paul Simon's classic Graceland, but that sound can only really go so far. Simon's post-Graceland albums weren't nearly as well received and Vampire Weekend wasn't about to go that route. Smart enough to dodge that fate though, they can't seem to figure out where they're going now. There are some good songs on here, but it's marred by unfocused songwriting and half-assed pop music experiments. I don't have a problem with auto-tune worming its way into indie rock, Bon Iver uses it expertly, but Vamp Week's songs get fucked over by it. Sophomore syndrome runs strong here. I've been a big supporter of the band since they started, but I'd be surprised if my support for them continues after this album. (C-)

The Weakerthans - Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre (2010)

Obligatory live album from the Weakerthans. Live albums can either feature wonderful reimaginings of songs that make you appreciate them all over again or horrible ruinations that make you wonder how they could fuck up your favorites so badly. This one falls right smack dab in the middle, a perfunctory release featuring good performances but no imagination. If you already love these songs, just listen to the original albums. They don't change much. A live album like this one is nice but completely unnecessary. (C)

Ghostface Killah - Apollo Kids (2010)

Typical Ghostface, which is awesome. Insane rapping technique over vintage soul beats. He brings in some of his Wu-Tang fam and they all kill their verses as well. Nobody should be surprised by anything on this album, but it's nice to hear Ghost still pumping out great music year after year. While his last album, Ghostdini: The Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City, was a nice diversion into R&B styled songs, Ghost is back in his natural habitat here and we're all better off for it. (B)

Emo Side Project - Particle Physics Gives Me A Hadron (2010)

How far can one really go with covers of pop songs in different styles? Apparently pretty far, if the Punk Goes compilations are any indication. Look up any given pop song on YouTube and there's probably an acoustic cover and a metal cover and a punk cover and everything else. It's been done to death now. It's no longer entertaining. That being said, Emo Side Project's release of covers of hip-hop and pop songs covered acoustically is pretty fun. Sure, it's not an original idea, but aside from being funny, it takes these songs to new territory. Not every single one is a hit, but some, like the cover of Insane Clown Posse's hilarious "Miracles," stripped down and played in this setting shed some new light on these songs. If "Miracles" wasn't tremendously catchy aside from the ridiculous lyrics, it would have never caught on. Love ICP or hate them, there's some cheesy awesomeness to that song that worms its way into your head and it's proven by being played on an acoustic guitar. The same could be said of many of the selections here. For instance, hearing ESP-man Andrew McShan work his way through "Hard Knock Life," you gain a newfound appreciation for Jay-Z's skill as a rapper. The recitation here flows horribly, no disrespect to McShan's attempt, but it makes you realize how great Jay-Z is and was to make that bizarre style work in the context of the original song. Overall, a very interesting listen, aside from being on the bandwagon of funny covers. (C+)

La Dispute - Winter Tour Holiday CD-R (2008)

Much love for La Dispute, but this was horrible. Frontman Jordan Dreyer's whiny mewithoutYou aping voice works for his own lyrics and in the context of their songs. Where it doesn't work at all is reciting "Twas the Night Before Christmas," where his speaking voice just sounds dorky as all hell. Quirky one-off Christmas single or not, this is unpleasant to listen to. Oh yeah, and there's a B-side instrumental which didn't grab my attention enough to even remember. (F)

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross - The Social Network (2010)

Nine Inch Nails (why don't we call a spade a spade here?) doing the soundtrack for a movie works well. Reznor proved that when he masterminded David Lynch's fantastic soundtrack for Lost Highway. Of course, that featured him selecting other people's songs, there's only three songs he did himself on there. Here we get nineteen tracks of Reznor and Ross fucking around with fucked up soundscapes. It's nice and it played out extremely well in the film. But like with most soundtracks, I find myself tremendously bored by listening to it out of context. Truth be told, I slept intermittently while listening to this. The parts I was awake for told me I didn't miss much. Listening to it on its own, it's a repeat of the amazingly boring Ghosts album Nine Inch Nails put out a while back. But it does lend some more insight into that album as well. It's all about context. As I said, this worked in the film, would Ghosts have made a good film soundtrack as well? The Social Network is essentially the answer to that question. (D)

Yeasayer - Live at Ancienne Belgique (2010)

Some bands are better live. Yeasayer isn't. Live at Ancienne Belgique was a sweet Christmas gift from the band, but it's a shame that it's awful. Listening to them butcher their own songs like this makes me glad I skipped them when they were in town, charging exorbitant ticket prices and playing the House of Blues, the single most undesirable music venue in Houston. I would try to defend them based on their fantastic studio track record, but there's little to defend here. Chris Keating's voice fails him live and a big part of the appeal of their music to begin with is his vocalizations. The electronics, chants, keyboards, and random sounds are essential to the broad experimental style that they pursue, but they sound so phony here that you wonder why you enjoyed them to begin with. Everything rings hollow and it sounds like a puzzle with a piece missing. The transitions are terrible. When the danceable sound effects aren't going, you wonder where they are. It's like listening to a band play with no low-end. When they do come in, they're intrusive and poorly placed. They barge in and just start yelling at you and you sort of long for when they weren't there. It would be an exaggeration to say this is one of the worst live productions I've ever heard, but it's definitely the worst in recent memory. (F)

Holiday Album Reviews Continue (12/19/10)

2010-12-19T10:15:00.000-08:00

Neil Young - Le Noise (2010)

Neil Young makes a fine return to form on Le Noise with a collection of stripped down guitar heavy songs. Many feature Young playing almost unaccompanied on his electric, reciting his poetry over it. His lyrics are as soulful as usual and a comeback from the dip in quality on his last album, Fork in the Road, which featured environmentally conscious but mostly boring lyricism. Le Noise reminds one that even in old age, Neil is never afraid to experiment. Any fan of him will be pleased. The only downside is that he uses a strange echo effect on his vocals for a lot of the songs and it takes some getting used to. Once you grasp it though, it can be used effectively. He doesn't really need it though as his voice is just as beautiful now as ever. (A)

Kayo Dot - Coyote (2010)

A big step up from the old school prog rock of Blue Lambency Downward, Coyote sees Kayo Dot return to the experimental, long movements of previous albums. It doesn't feature the metal guitars anymore, but focuses on more classical instrumentation. The broad epics that the band have always been known for are here in fine form. The album is just as dense as previous works and takes a step backwards from the accessibility of Blue Lambency Downward. Still, it's a rewarding listen if you can penetrate it. (B)

She & Him - Volume Two (2010)

M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel return for their second album of country influenced folk and pop music. It features more of a 70's sound to it, reminding one of the music of Dolly Parton and classic Phil Spector girl groups. It's squeaky clean and inoffensive, but great to sit back and listen to while relaxing in a coffee shop. While one might long for the darker edge of M. Ward's solo music, this is essentially Deschanel's show and she makes the most of it, using her voice to propel the songs. One can't help but be engrossed in it despite it's shortcomings of depth. (B)

Crime in Stereo - I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone (2010)

A messy collection of artsy hardcore, I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone sees Crime in Stereo seemingly trying to be Brand New while still maintaining their edge. They want to do pensive, deep, reflective ballads, such as one would find on Brand New's The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, while still being a hardcore band. It becomes very unfocused and they don't seem to really know what they're doing. Songs will go from sparse instrumentation and softly sung lyrics to abrasive heaviness seemingly at random and without much thought into the arrangement. It's too jarring to be enjoyable for the most part and there's nothing much to get into either way. When this band started out, they played classic hardcore punk and it worked reasonably well for them. When they started to try to be deep is where they lost the plot. I Was Trying to Describe You to Someone is ultimately a lot like a confused teenager, trying to be mature but not knowing quite how to and instead just being pretentious. (D)

City and Colour - Live at the Verge (2010)

A single release from Dallas Green's solo project, City and Colour's Live at the Verge features two songs. The first song is a cover of Green's main band Alexisonfire's song "Boiled Frogs" from their album Crisis. The cover is a nice acoustic version of the song, revealing the layers of depth in the song that one might not notice in the catchy hardcore of the original. It also brings the very well written lyrics to forefront. Green's singing voice is beautiful as ever and it shines through much more in this setting than on the original song, especially with him singing all the verses instead of just the chorus and one verse. It's a good alternative to the original for fans of acoustic music. The B-side is a short song called "Forgive Me" from his last album Bring Me Your Love. It's a nice little song, but there's not much to it at less than two minutes. (B)

City and Colour/Tegan and Sara - Split (2010)

On the City and Colour side of this split, Dallas Green turns in a live version of his song "Sleeping Sickness" from his album Bring Me Your Love. Gordon Downie from the Tragically Hip reprises his guest vocals from the original version. It's a good performance, but it's marred by the horrible live quality. On the Tegan and Sara side, we get a nice acoustic song featuring Dallas performing with the girls. It's a treat for fans of either group. Overall, a welcomed gift from the two bands to those attending their tour together. (B)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Mantra Hiroshima (2010)

A crazy new album from the minds of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of the Mars Volta and Zach Hill of Hella, Mantra Hiroshima is significantly weaker than their previous collaboration on the El Grupo Nuevo de Omar Rodriguez-Lopez release Cryptomnesia. While that album was ridiculous, coke-fueled, and abrasive as hell, there were hooks to latch onto and something keeping it from crossing the line into disaster. Mantra Hiroshima crosses the line, becoming just a whacked out car crash of an album. There's little to really enjoy, it's impossible to get into, and there are only a few good ideas executed that would be better used in different contexts. For instance, "Hope" features a nice distorted Rhodes that reminds one of 60's and 70's Miles Davis while "El Hacer" features some nice guitar work. But these are sketches of ideas. The album feels like a demo. The band is jamming and trying to find a sound, but instead of picking out the parts to use and making real songs, they just put out the initial jams. It's an undesirable listen and one of Omar's worst releases. (D)

Tim Kasher - The Game of Monogamy (2010)

Somewhere along the way, Tim Kasher and his band Cursive seem to have forgotten how to rock. They were always a very introspective band, but maybe being on Saddle Creek Records and hanging out with Conor Oberst all the time just brought them somewhere other than their initial post-hardcore sound. Little of that remained on their last album, Mama, I'm Swollen, and now with Tim Kasher's solo release there's none of it to be found. The Game of Monogamy is a collection of overblown pop songs and acoustic experiments. It's a nice listen, but the lyrics have become played out. Kasher's lyrics about divorce and relationships have been ongoing since Cursive's fantastic Domestica album, but that was ten years ago and it's gotten old. Meanwhile, the music itself is nothing special and Kasher proves himself not really fit to be a pop frontman. He wants to be John Lennon here, but he's not. (C)

Holiday Album Reviews (12/18/10)

2010-12-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

After the Burial - In Dreams (2010)

Two years after the original release of their breakthrough album Rareform, djent/progressive death metal band After the Burial returns with a thirty four minute offering of new music. Despite the short running time, it shows the band firing on all cylinders. This is the first album where new singer Anthony Notarmaso is fully integrated and he steals the show. Notarmaso is a huge step above previous After the Burial vocalists, something he proved on the re-recording of Rareform with him released last year and again on In Dreams. He clearly brings a completely different style and dynamic to the band, contributing superb vocals of many styles and obviously changing the direction of the band, for better or worse. Thankfully, it is for the better.

The changes you'll notice immediately compared to previous works are that the music is lighter, poppier, and less technical. There's still plenty of wank off sections to satisfy fans of that, but there's an increased focus on songwriting. The solos are better crafted, the hooks are tighter, and the drums hang back instead of going full force in odd time signatures at all times. There are very old school death metal influences at work here, recalling 90's prog death artists like Cynic and Dan Swano. There are even some clean vocals thrown in which are tastefully done enough that they fit in even though they're at odds with previous After the Burial material.

Simply put, In Dreams is a major step up from previous After the Burial albums. These guys just keep getting better and they're quickly approaching perfection of their genre, if they're not already there. Having been a fan of this sort of thing years ago, I fell out of it because all the good artists of the genre were gone. Now it seems to be making a comeback with After the Burial being one of the forerunners of it. This is possibly the best album in this genre since Cynic's genre-defining classic Focus and that's no exaggeration. Who knows where they'll go in the future, but for now, we're witnessing After the Burial's finest (half) hour. Enjoy it. (A)

Touche Amore / Make Do and Mend - Smoke Signals and Hideaways / Hand Me Downs and Cobwebs (2010)

On paper, Touche Amore and Make Do and Mend don't seem like two bands that would do a split together. Touche Amore is more on the skramz/hardcore side of things while Make Do and Mend is post-hardcore/punk. Make Do and Mend is a lot lighter and typically less pummeling. Still, the straggling remainder of the scene has to stick together these days and this one ends up working out quite nicely despite the difference in sounds.

Touche Amore's offerings are standard for them, but they don't slouch either. They're great songs, marred only by the awful production on them. It's raw and unpolished, which can be nice, but it takes a lot of the power these songs would have had away. They sound like demos, especially when compared to the superior production on their full-length album To the Beat of a Dead Horse and their split with La Dispute this year.

The Make Do and Mend side doesn't suffer from these production problems, sounding quite nice and slick, a testament to the differences between the bands if you needed any more of those. "Cobwebs" is a mediocre track and a bit meandering, but "Hand Me Downs" is absolutely the best song the band has done to date. It's a faster, heavier song than usual from them, verging on hardcore punk and it will pummel the shit out of you. Maybe they were inspired to do this by working on a split with Touche Amore. Either way, it features the best riffs and hooks the band has ever written and it stands out in their catalog as their best work yet. Continuing in this direction, they could even get some limited radio attention.

While this split isn't nearly as good overall as Touche Amore's split with La Dispute, it is a very worthwhile release to have, if for nothing else than "Hand Me Downs." Also absolutely necessary for Touche Amore completists who will be thrilled by their side of things, shitty production and all. (B)

Wooden Shjips - Vol. 2 (2010)

An odds and sods collection from the vintage sounding psychedelic band. It has many of the elements that made Dos so great, but it's not cohesive enough to go anywhere, being a compilation. These are just assorted releases, b-sides that weren't good enough for the albums. There's plenty to love here, of course, and it reflects their sound well enough. The best moments here are when they cut loose and just rock out and jam, such as on the live cut "Death's Not Your Friend" and the catchy hook-filled "Start to Dreaming." If you're already a fan, it's definitely worth having in your collection, but as an addendum to Dos, not as an actual new release from the band. For newbies, head straight over to Dos itself. (C+)

Sailboats - Demo (2003)

It's two songs that somehow came to influence an entire genre. Go figure. They're good songs, but the hype over the band most likely revolves more around the fictitious account of the band's death in a car accident rather than their actual music, considering there's literally only two songs to it. The truth is, that full-length they talked about probably doesn't exist and they didn't die in a car accident. Some of them are in Loma Prieta right now. Check that band out and forget Sailboats. They weren't really that important or great. (C)

William Bonney - Fall Demo (2010)

William Bonney might as well be Merchant Ships reincarnated. Merchant Ships, a great skramz band known mostly for breaking up all the damn time, called it quits again in July after the release of their best EP to date, For Cameron. You can check my review of that album out here. Shortly after their break-up, William Bonney surfaced to replace them, featuring ex-Merchant Ships members. Lo and behold, it sounds basically exactly like Merchant Ships, or at least the direction they were heading with For Cameron. It doesn't reach the heights of For Cameron, but it is quite a great demo. Hopefully it will stick this time and we'll get some amazing releases out of this band in the future. For now, this demo will do. For all you Merchant Ships fans out there, here's your new jam for a little while. (B)

Just Like Vinyl - Just Like Vinyl (2010)

Thomas Erak broke up his band the Fall of Troy for this? That has a negative connotation to it. I'm not displeased per se. My problem, you see, is that Just Like Vinyl sounds exactly like the Fall of Troy, just less technical and less well produced. It seems Erak could have just continued in this direction with the Fall of Troy, that was his band through and through after all. But what's in a name? What we have here is the best thing Erak has done in some time, stepping away from the pretensions that marred the last Fall of Troy album, In the Unlikely Event. Instead, this harkens back to the days of Doppelganger and before. Less technical, more songcraft, same guitar wizardry, better hooks, and Erak still thinking he's a better singer than he is. Same old Fall of Troy and we should be thankful for that. (B)

Grinderman - Grinderman 2 (2010)

Nick Cave charges on with more blues rock and who could mind? Grinderman 2 follows the same perverted, dirty old storyteller patterns that the first Grinderman album and the last Bad Seeds album followed. It's a truly welcome surprise that in Nick Cave has pursued this direction of late, considering his 90's and early aught's trend of increasingly slow balladry. It recalls the Cave of old, of the Birthday Party. Nick Cave's midlife crisis seems to have simply made him even more depraved and rougher edged. True, he's not as wild, he doesn't scream as much, you won't be hearing "Nick the Stripper" or "Kathy's Kisses" on here, but it's still the essence of the Nick Cave we've always loved. He's found his way to something increasingly evil again.

It reflects in the music as well. Under his sick ramblings, there's heavily distorted psychedelic guitar wailing away such as on the screeching track "Kitchenette" or "Evil" or the outro to lead single "Heathen Child." These fucked up guitar sounds are as fucked up as Cave himself and that makes for quite a fucked up blues rock band. The Bad Seed belongs in a seedy club once more. (B)

The ORB featuring David Gilmour - Metallic Spheres (2010)

Electronic music isn't my thing, but I had to listen to this for the ORB's much lauded collaboration with Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. What can I say? It's definitely David. The man's guitar tone is so distinct, his style so uniquely his, you know who you're listening to play. It's as mind-blowing as ever. Gilmour's lost nothing with age. Unfortunately, the backdrop of electronic beats and sounds and synths do nothing for me. The only appeal is the guitar track and that makes for a boring listen without any sort of song structure. I've seen video of Gilmour lazily recording this on his porch at his home studio. He clearly didn't really write and it shows through here. That worked for Floyd in the early days when they lacked cohesive songs and simply jammed live and theoretically it should still work for Gilmour. But that was a much more talented group of musicians Gilmour was working with and they were using real instruments. So no matter how great of a guitar player Gilmour is, this album can only appeal to me in a limited way. Give me Gilmour, spare me the ORB. (D)

Max Bemis and the Painful Splits - Max Bemis and the Painful Splits (2010)

Max Bemis collapses under pressure. I'm not talking about his much-discussed personal problems with drugs and mental issues, I'm talking about the botched albums he's released with his main band Say Anything over the last few years. When there was no pressure and the band was unknown, Bemis produced the masterpiece of his career: ...Is a Real Boy. But those days are long gone. That album was a hit and Bemis got clean and suddenly the record label was hounding him and he was filled with about a billion ideas all bursting out of him at once with his newfound lifestyle. So Say Anything released In Defense of the Genre, a bloated double album mess with about an albums worth of good music. Then came their self-titled, which completely flew under the radar and left little impression on anyone. Bemis has since explained there was a great deal of record label pressure on those albums. Who could blame them? They wanted another hit like ...Is a Real Boy. That didn't happen, of course, but they never stopped expecting it out of the poor man and he just couldn't deliver under that scrutiny.

With this little solo jaunt though, Bemis is free from that pressure, able to just write and record simple songs that he likes and self-release them as a Say Anything tour-only album. The result is his best work in years. Sure, there's much to like about In Defense of the Genre and the self-titled wasn't all that bad, just cheesy and undercooked, but here we have a free and unconstrained Max, cutting loose on his acoustic and just getting down to the base of songwriting. He's not trying to write hits, he's just writing for himself. That's the way to do it. This little collection of songs may be quaint, but it's infinitely more enjoyable than his label mandated pop punk and saccharine love songs. You see, when Bemis goes sweet on this album, it's not because he's trying to hit the sweet spot of the teenage girls that buy CDs, it's because he's being good old vulnerable fucked up Max Bemis. And that is the good kind of balladry. Otherwise, he just sort of does his thing. He rocks out a little bit as hard as you can on an acoustic (though there is some electric) and he hits all the right points that made ...Is a Real Boy a classic. It's the honesty that comes from just making an album, not being told to make an album and to do it a certain way. (A)

Phil Collins - Going Back (2010)

When he was in Genesis, Phil Collins also had a very successful solo career. It seemed that when he left Genesis, the solo career went to shit around the same time. He had a hit with that Tarzan song, but it was never the same and his music also just stopped being good. Who knows what the fuck happened to Phil, maybe his fifteenth divorce. In any case, he lost the pop magic he used to have and top forty hits eluded him. His last studio album of new material, Testify, was in 2002. If you needed any more proof of the label and Phil's lack of confidence in his songwriting at that point, check out the first single, "Can't Stop Loving You." It made minor chart impact and it was originally a Leo Sayer song. In the time between Testify and Going Back, Phil got back together with Genesis, but just for a tour. Then he lost the ability to drum properly due to an injury. It was sometime around this time that I assume Phil just plain gave up. What was the point anymore? He couldn't drum, he couldn't get a hit, Genesis was done, and his solo career was seemingly done as well, aside from "In the Air Tonight" popping up in a pop culture smash every month or so.

So what do you do when you're at a loss for what to do next? As Neil Young always put it, you head for the ditch. This is Phil's ditch effort. Except it's not really a ditch effort in the traditional sense where normally he'd record a whole album of dark, badass, atmospheric songs like "In the Air Tonight" and get back on top and lauded even by hipsters. Nah, Phil's doing it his way, as usual. A ditch effort for Phil is recording an album of Motown covers because he doesn't give a shit about writing his own songs anymore and he can't drum so why not just sing classics from his childhood?

It really does make sense when you think about it. It's not really an exceptional idea for chart impact, unless he's hoping to be the next Michael McDonald, but it is a good idea from a musical standpoint. Phil's always been great with the Motown, going back to his covers of "You Can't Hurry Love" and his Earth Wind and Fire collaborations on "Easy Lover" and "Behind the Lines." So he has a historical precedent for it and why not really?

The whole album though is really an exercise in "why not?" It's not that you really care about hearing Phil Collins sing "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." He puts no unique spin on any song here. He doesn't change them one bit really. It's Phil Collins karaoke. But why not? It's enjoyable to listen to, these are all great, classic songs, and Phil is a great, classic singer. This album doesn't really accomplish anything. It's not a comeback album. It won't light up the charts. It might inform someone about old school Motown songs, but nobody that listens to Phil Collins at this point doesn't remember Motown when it was great, so it probably won't really accomplish that either. It's not game changing music. It is fun though. It's a good listen and that's all Phil cares about making now clearly. I can live with that. It just makes me happy to hear him making music again. (C+)

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - どういたしまして (2010)

With a series of Chinese characters, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez says "you're welcome" and offers up a live EP featuring recordings from his latest tour with his solo band, the Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group. It's a great release for those that didn't make it out to the show, but it gives a limited view on the shows. The only track here not available on a studio album is the newly christened jam "My Horror is in Park, Drive Me Away Troubled Heart," which is admittedly a strong jam, but only one of the many incredible jams they actually played. Otherwise, it's made up of live cuts of songs from Tychozorente, Solar Gambling, and Cizaña de los Amores. The worst part though is that it's made up of inferior cuts of those songs. Granted, every performance was mind-blowing on this tour, but some were superior to others and I personally prefer other renditions to the ones presented here.

Overall, this one is fine for anyone interested but that isn't a serious Omar or Mars Volta fan. For the hardcore fans, you really have to get the bootlegs recorded at each of the few shows they did this year, of which New York City is my favorite (I was also there, which helps). The bootlegs give you a full overview of the sets, every song they played, and have almost as good sound quality as this release. (B)

Astronautalis - The Mighty Ocean and Nine Dark Theaters (2006)

The longest, darkest, and least rewarding Astronautalis album. The Mighty Ocean and Nine Dark Theaters is clearly a transitional work between his much superior debut album, You and Yer Good Ideas, and his latest full-length album, Pomegranate. It features less rapping and more speak-singing, as on Pomegranate, but lacks in the depth or hooks. It's meandering and wallows in its depressive atmospherics. Some of those atmospherics will remind one more of You and Yer Good Ideas, but they're less concise and not nearly as strong as the indie rock tailored once on Pomegranate. It feels as though it was a necessary step to get from point A to point B for Astronautalis, but it's an unnecessary album to really listen to. When you do, it becomes evident how tedious and down-filled the whole album is. (C-)

RIP Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) 1/15/1941 - 12/17/2010

2010-12-17T14:02:00.000-08:00

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 Some Yoyo Stuff 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.

Album Reviews (12/13/10)

2010-12-13T00:37:00.000-08:00

Atmosphere - To All My Friends, Blood Makes the Blade Holy: The Atmosphere EP's (2010)

As a producer, Ant just keeps getting better. The beats on this album are top tier. Unfortunately, his partner Slug just keeps getting worse. I almost wish they would break up and Ant could use his best beats for better rappers. The poor lyrics of this album really crush it under their heavy-handed weight. Normally I don't place too much importance on lyrics, but this is hip-hop at its base and if you're going to tackle serious subjects, do them well. If you can't be that deep without sounding dumb, just rap about how great you are.

Don't do what Slug does on this album, trading in cliches and poor analogies and metaphors to make points about such "new" and "original" subjects as friends screwing you over, girls breaking your heart, working 9-to-5 jobs, which, remember, Slug doesn't do, and enjoying life for what it is. When Slug tries to be serious and rap about something other than his own personal life story and his own personal pain, it just results in cheesy messes of songs. (C)

Michael Jackson - Michael (2010)

They spit on you when you're alive and they spit on you when you're dead. This slapdash bullshit would've never made it off the studio floor if the King of Pop were still alive today. But he's not and the executors of his estate want to milk him for everything he's worth. It's a little bit infuriating, but Michael is mostly just hilarious. It's pretty much garbage, except where a few good MJ moments shine through. "(I Can't Make It) Another Day, written by Lenny Kravitz and featuring Kravitz and Dave Grohl, shows MJ in rock form and he's screaming like the days of old. It's one of the few parts of this that reminds you MJ was once alive as the entire thing is as lifeless as the man himself. Mushy ballads abound, showing little substance.

The worst part of it all though is that it's pretty clear on at least two tracks that it's not actually MJ singing. His family has raised these concerns and I can report that it doesn't sound any more like MJ to me than it does to them. It's a laughable notion that they would just get an impersonator to sing new Michael Jackson songs, but it's not so ridiculous when you think about it. There's a clear demand for more, but he's dead. For the greedy bastards that put this piece of shit out, it only makes sense to provide the public with what they want and will pay for by any means necessary. (F)

Lizards Have Personalities - Snows of Kilimanjaro (2010)

Snows of Kilimanjaro, the second EP from Lawrence, Kansas screamo band Lizards Have Personalities, picks up where their previous EP, In All Honesty, left off a few months earlier and ups the ante considerably. A high watermark for the current wave of screamo bands, Snows of Kilimanjaro features a foray into screaming in French, reminiscent of the current French scene that's gaining some popularity such as Sed Non Satiata, a nine minute epic title track, and some songs that just have great guitar riffage such as my personal favorite track, "For Once, Then, Something." The newer EP ditches the two vocalist approach of In All Honesty, but primary screamer Andrew McShan has noticeably improved upon his voice on the newer recordings. Overall, a big improvement and one of the best releases to come from the scene in 2010. (B+)

Jaguar Love - Hologram Jams (2010)

As if Past Lives' plodding indie rock wasn't enough to turn off Blood Brothers fans, former Blood Brothers members Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato return for their second full-length Jaguar Love album to just completely embarrass anyone who ever loved Crimes. It's depressing to hear them degrade themselves like this. While earlier Jaguar Love work was trashy pop, it was fun and enjoyable as a guilty pleasure. No fan can truly deny liking "Highways of Gold" at least as a novelty. Hologram Jams is just confused though.

Whatever Jaguar Love was before is going through puberty and it's not taking it well. It's trashy pop without the hooks to make you dance. It's an obvious attempt to write a more serious album and be recognized as a real band, but it fails completely and ends up being mostly tepid garbage. The lyrics are nu-Weezer levels of pre-teen awful, the dance hooks are, as stated, missing in action, and the attempt at aping better synthpop infused indie rock bands leaves them fumbling around with weak guitar chords and bright, sunny keys that achieve absolutely nothing.

It's a testament to how far the mighty have fallen and immediately after this review I'm going to begin pretending Johnny Whitney and Cody Votolato were killed in a horrible car crash immediately after releasing "Highways of Gold" and never made any music afterward, unless they want to come back from the grave and reunite the Blood Brothers. (F)

Aspire - Sinking (2010)

The first EP from this screamo band out of Corpus Christi, Texas. Their name is horribly unoriginal, a constant problem for bands around these parts lately. It will most likely end up having to be changed due to much more famous bands called Aspire. That being said, they're also one of the few great hopes for a skramz scene in Texas. Especially in the Houston area, it's extremely lacking. Aspire brings the hardcore aspect in spades, with the speedy drumming, the breakdowns, and the heavy riffs that are the hallmarks of the genre, one of the few bands with any balls around here. The screaming could be better, but it's not dealbreaking. There's not as much melody as most skramz bands use, but Aspire makes up for it in power. This initial EP is poorly produced and extremely short, but it shows significant potential that could develop Aspire into one of the foremost skramz bands in Texas if they continue along these lines. (C+)

Touche Amore / La Dispute - Searching for a Pulse / The Worth of the World (2010)

For this rather significant split, two of the best post-hardcore/screamo bands around today collaborate on four songs, guesting on each other's sides of this release. They make some slight concessions for each other's styles, Touche Amore's side being slightly less heavy and fast and La Dispute's side being heavier than usual, but the experiment is a successful one. Searching for a Pulse / The Worth of the World ends up being one of the best split releases to come out of the genre in ages, with each of the four songs being some of the best either band has ever done. (A+)

Jazz Hands - The Party EP (2010)

Jazz Hands has potential, their sound being reminiscent of noodly underground 90's emo, which is a refreshing sound to hear attempted these days. Sadly, the potential doesn't amount to much on their first EP. Most new bands have raw production, that's not the problem. The problem is that the EP is extremely sloppy. It sounds much like a garage band that learned to play their instruments a month ago. The rhythm section is fine, but the guitar is all over the place and the vocalist is horrible. Get the guitarist some lessons and ditch the screamer, find someone new, and this band could be something. The potential is there in their songs, but the band isn't talented enough yet to pull off their admittedly good ideas. (D)

Tiltwheel - The High Hate Us (2010)

Tiltwheel is a band of fat old dudes that have been doing this whole emo pop punk thing for about twenty years now. The experience has taught them well. Beneath the silly song titles, they craft some great hooks and embody the spirit of pop punk in the old days, before it got all fucked up by the kind of bands that are playing Warped Tour today. It's loose, it's catchy, it's hard, it's fast, and it's fun and there's nothing more to it than that. There doesn't need to be. (C+)

Good Luck - Demonstration 2010 (2010)

In general, Demonstration 2010 is a big step down from their previous full-length album, Into Lake Griffy, which was one of the best pop punk albums since the Ergs! broke up the year it was released. Demonstration 2010 delves into more 90's indie rock and emo influences, which are nice, but not nearly as much fun as "Stars Were Exploding." That being said, it does feature one of the greatest things they've ever done: a soaring punk cover of "When You Were Mine," a song originally by Prince. It's more fun and even catchier than the excellent original and is one of the best songs this year, cover or not. (C)

Sage Francis - Li(f)e (2010)

Sage Francis used to talk a lot of shit about rappers that did indie rock albums. Look who has egg on his face now. But not to worry, Sage may be a hypocrite, but he's still talented. Li(f)e isn't as good as his actual hip-hop albums, but he's still a talented rapper and the songs crafted by indie rock superstars from Death Cab for Cutie and Sparklehorse are good enough for his purposes. They're not the greatest songs ever, they probably wouldn't work with a droning Pavement wannabe breathing over them, but Sage is a lively and entertaining enough frontman to give them a sort of depth they wouldn't have had under any other circumstances. It's an experiment that pays off for him pretty well, even if it doesn't reach the heights it was looking for. Let's get back to the actual hip-hop on the next album though, hmm? You know, Ant could use a better rapper to team up with these days... (C+)

Daytrader - Demo (2010)

Daytrader is a new post-hardcore/emo supergroup founded in the ashes of Crime in Stereo, who disbanded this year. It also features members of Latterman, Bridge and Tunnel, Monikers, the Motorcycle Industry, and Divider. They mostly sound like old Sunny Day Real Estate and Hot Water Music, showing no desire to play along with current scenes or trends. That's comforting these days and it satisfies people like me that still listen to the old school stuff. I must confess, I honestly like it more than I liked Crime in Stereo, who started off a typical hardcore band and became a typical post-Brand New emo band. Daytrader is raw, it has energy, and it's completely unpretentious. It's just demands to be played over and over again. (B)

Alexisonfire - Aussie Tour 7" (2010)

Alexisonfire have never really done many covers, but when they have, it hasn't gone so well. They covered "Sweet Leaf," originally by Black Sabbath, for the soundtrack to the Trailer Park Boys movie. The cover was just as meandering as the original, but that's not really AOF's fault, it's just not a very good Sabbath song to begin with. The covers of Moneen for their split with that band were awful but seemed to be jokes all around. The covers on this little seven inch skew more towards the "Sweet Leaf" cover. It's not that they're bad covers, they're just not good songs to cover to begin with. We get "Dead Heart" by Midnight Oil and "I'm Stranded" by The Saints here. Both covers are uninteresting and completely out of AOF's range. They're far poppier than anything AOF has ever done and AOF is best when they're brooding. The worst aspect of it all though is the recording quality, which is so bad that the songs are almost unlistenable. They're clearly fucking around by doing these covers and just trying to give the fans on the Australian tour a little collector's item, which is fine. But as an actual musical release, it's pretty worthless. (D)

Alexisonfire - Austrailian Weekend EP (2010)

The other Australian release from AOF is an EP of live takes of their songs, from the radio and Soundwave Festival. It starts off well enough, with a good acoustic version of the shit single from Old Crows/Young Cardinals, "The Northern." The original version of that song is pretty awful, but it sounds much better in the acoustic setting, where it transforms from a horrible AOF song into a decent City and Colour song. But after that, you get a different take of the Saints cover, "I'm Stranded," and it's still not very good. Then the Soundwave Festival recordings start and it becomes really unclear why they even put these out. They're decent performances, but the recording quality is terrible and half of "Young Cardinals" lacks distinct vocals for what I can only assume is a microphone problem. Why they would put a fucked up live recording on a release is anybody's guess. It seems a bit embarrassing. In any case, it's a waste. In the future, if they want to do a live album, they should actually record one professionally instead of using pre-existing recordings they've come across of varying quality. (D)

Fear Before the March of Flames - The Always Open Mouth (2006)

On The Always Open Mouth, Fear Before ditches their old sound and tries to do something new that's clearly beyond their grasp. Always intrinsically linked with Anatomy of a Ghost and Portugal. The Man, they try to pull a move like their brothers did and abandon straight post-hardcore and screaming for a more electronic and eclectic sound. It worked for Portugal. The Man, but Fear Before clearly lacks the depth to do it properly. They were an amazing post-hardcore band, they excelled at that sound, but the new sound doesn't suit them. The only truly great songs on the album are "The Waiting Makes Me Curious," possibly the best song they've done but that features none of the new and strange sounds they've experimented with, and "My (Fucking) Deer Hunter," a decent collaboration with Anthony Green of Circa Survive. The rest are lost and confused and fumble around blindly looking for what to do with their new innovations. (D)

Bonnie "Prince" Billy and the Cairo Gang - The Wonder Show of the World (2010)

Will Oldham churns out another collection of acoustic folk songs. Yes, he's great at them, but the schtick is wearing thin. Eleven years ago, with his debut under the Bonnie "Prince" Billy moniker, I See a Darkness, the schtick was fresh and exciting. It's been ranked one of the greatest albums of the 1990's for a reason. But Oldham is a work horse and releases album after album with increasingly diminishing returns. None of them are bad, but they're very similar in nature. The acoustic folk thing increasingly lacks imagination. It just is what it is. There's no discernible difference in the nature of these songs versus the ones on I See a Darkness, but these don't feel the same as those and feeling is something important in music. These feel good, but not great, and so it simply is. Another year, more albums from Bonnie "Prince" Billy and none of them shocking or all that great. To be a true wonder show of the world, it would have to wonder people, but we've all seen this show before and nobody is left in wonderment. (C)

Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer (2010)

"They say that chivalry is dead, then why is her body in my bed?" asks Cee Lo Green on album stand-out "Bodies," but a more appropriate saying to question on this album would be that the 60's and 70's styles of music are dead. The Lady Killer is one of the strongest throwbacks to that sound in a long time. If not for the slick production, it would be entirely possible to trick someone into thinking this album was recorded forty years ago.

Strangely enough though, for a total throwback album, it's still quite original. You may be able to place the time that this album is recalling, but you can only guess as to who would've recorded it. The album bounces around styles and injects neo-soul influences that give it a feel lacking in many albums, even from the 70's. It's a decidedly strong classicist effort without resorting to cliche. Simply put, Cee Lo Green is out of time, but not out of talent. Had he been born in another time and this album released in the appropriate time, it probably would've been a classic and propelled Cee Lo to superstardom alongside Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, and Marvin Gaye. Instead, it was released in 2010, making it one of the freshest, most entertaining, catchiest, and strongest written pop albums on the charts in years.

At one point, pop music was worth something, but it's become complete and utter garbage in the last decade. Cee Lo remains one of the few artists the excel in this barren wasteland, making thinking man's pop music with amazing hooks that anyone will enjoy. He was doing it in Gnarls Barkley and he's doing it now solo. People have responded well, lead single "Fuck You" is a pretty big hit, now maybe people will wake up and start writing good pop again. I can dream, can't I? (A)

OFF! - First Four EPs (2010)

Former members of Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Burning Brides, Redd Kross, Rocket from the Crypt, and Hot Snakes come together for a new hardcore punk band in the old style. The guys may be old, but they're still just as pissed as they were during the Reagan years. These songs are a nice return to the old days of hardcore and will please any fan of that sound. The sound may not be new, but OFF! knows how to do it better than any newcomers attempting it today. It's nice to hear old punks doing what they do best and actually excelling at it, unlike many of their peers. Your move, bullshit Dead Kennedys, bullshit Misfits, and post-The Weirdness Stooges. (B)

The Top Artists That Should (and Probably Will Not) Play Summerfest 2011

2010-12-05T05:21:00.001-08:00

Two years in and the Free Press Summerfest is easily the biggest festival in Houston going right now. It's also the best and it's proven there's an actual festival market in this city. That's right, Austin isn't the only city in Texas that can support a music festival. Summerfest tickets are already on sale and June 4th will be here before you know it. Pretty much everyone in Houston that seriously loves music will be gathered around a stage and they'll be looking up in awe at... well, we don't know that part yet. While the blind presale goes on, we can only guess at who they'll get next time.

At the first edition in 2009, the headliners were Explosions in the Sky, Broken Social Scene, and Of Montreal. I had a family reunion that weekend so I missed it. Now for a festival in Houston, even having touring headliners was a big deal, but Explosions in the Sky, Broken Social Scene, and Of Montreal aren't really THAT huge, right? Then early this year it was announced that the Flaming fucking Lips would be headlining the second edition, a massive, massive step-up in both quality and level of popularity. After waiting years to come back to Houston, the Flaming Lips were met with a packed audience in Eleanor Tinsley Park, all singing, all dancing, all completely enthralled by their performance. It must have shocked everyone in the band, all the promoters, and even the people that were there that this sort of thing could actually work in Houston.

Because it DID work and oh so well, one can only guess at the possibilities for next time. Consider how huge the gap between the Flaming Lips and Of Montreal is and you must wonder how they'll top themselves next time. Whoever it is, they have to be BIG. But they also have to be a band the hipsters in Houston will be down with. You run the risk of alienating people if you get a big band hipsters don't like, such as in the case of Austin City Limits this year with the fuckin' Eagles headlining.

The scene that single-handedly destroyed the Eagles' reputation among hipsters.

So who could it possibly be? Well, here's some casual suggestions. Be forewarned, none of these will actually happen. But they would be awesome and can't we just pretend?

Bjork

Not pictured: dead swans.

Why She Should:

Everyone loves Bjork, yet she barely tours and especially not in the US. The last time Bjork played in Houston was 1995. It's been nearly 16 years. What better way to return to our fair city than to headline our big festival? Not to mention, she has a new album set to come out next year. It would be perfect.

Why She Won't:

Bjork's shows in the US over the last 16 years have primarily consisted of the biggest festivals (Summerfest might be a big deal for us, but it's not Coachella yet) and several night stays in the biggest cities in the US (of which Houston is one, but nobody tends to think of it as one). While she did perform at Austin City Limits in 2007, it's safe to say Summerfest has a better chance of booking Bigfoot than Bjork.

R.E.M.

This one time, Michael Stipe had hair.

Why They Should:

R.E.M. is the American equivalent of the Smiths and they are almost as beloved as Morrissey and the gang. The main difference is that they outlasted the 80's and here we are with them coming out with a new album early next year. Of course, a tour will be in order and why not come to Summerfest? They skipped Houston on their tour for their previous album, so it's fitting that they should come through this time to make up for it.

Why They Won't:

This is a little bit less far out than Bjork, but it still won't happen. The fact is, they might not even tour for this album. R.E.M. have a long history of just not touring, even after album releases, and it may be too soon after their last world tour to see them heading out again. They have been touring more in recent years, but it's more likely you'll see them at Austin City Limits next year than Summerfest.

Kanye West

Hopefully he would bring the 808's and Heartbreak mullet with him.

Why He Should:

Hot off the heels of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye's probably going to be putting in some touring. He owes us one for canceling that tour with Lady Gaga that was supposed to come through here at the beginning of this year, so he should do it just to make up for that. If you can put up with his long-winded, rambling rants, he's a magnificent live performer and his extravagant stage show would be a fair way to match the Flaming Lips performance this year.

Why He Won't:

Kanye would inevitably believe himself to be too good for an environment like Summerfest. Count on seeing him in Houston, but it's going to be on his terms, most likely in the confines of the Toyota Center or Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, where he can charge ridiculous ticket prices.

The Mars Volta

Do I even need to explain why this would be awesome to see at Summerfest?

Why They Should:

They're my favorite band and I want them to do it. What more reason could I possibly need? But furthermore, they command a stage quite well and their headlining set on the first night of Austin City Limits 2008 was one of the best shows I've ever seen. They always pull out all the stops for festivals, going all out for the special occasions.

Why They Won't:

Hipsters loathe them and they aren't big enough among non-hipsters to fill up Eleanor Tinsley Park. They might work for the first night headliner, but they wouldn't be able to close out the whole thing like the Flaming Lips did. While they'll probably have an album out around the time of Summerfest next year, they'll probably just play Verizon Wireless Theater again.

Beck

This will be Beck's face if he's asked to play Summerfest.

Why He Should:

Beck is the epitome of cool for a great deal of people and has been for a very long time. Getting Beck in on this would be amazing. He would be a massive draw and it would satisfy hipsters and non-hipsters alike.

Why He Won't:

He doesn't have any new releases on the horizon, no dates booked, and hasn't really played live much lately at all. He also hasn't been to Houston in ages. The Flaming Lips hadn't been here in a long time either (oddly enough, the last time they were here was opening for Beck), but it still feels like a long shot.

LCD Soundsystem

James Murphy, pictured here drinking tea backstage shortly after pressing play on his laptop to set up a 15 minute dance beat and putting a cardboard cut-out of himself on stage to give the appearance of a live performance.

Why They Should:

There were heavy rumors they were going to play it this year, but those turned out not to be true and the secret headliner turned out to be Bun B performing with Slim Thug. People were pissed. LCD Soundsystem still came through a little later though. They're riding pretty high right now and it would be a good time for them to come through again, even though they probably won't have another album for a while.

Why They Won't:

If you believe the rumors, this past tour was the last one they'll ever do. That's obvious bullshit, but they might not be ready to do their comeback tour by June of next year.

Modest Mouse

Sadly, Modest Mouse's performance couldn't actually be heard by anyone in attendance because they don't believe in electronics.

Why They Should:

Modest Mouse isn't quite as big now as they were a few years ago, but they're still fairly popular. Though an album seems a little far off right now, they've still been playing various random dates around the country. They haven't been here recently and they're obviously in demand. It would be prudent to play here.

Why They Won't:

Despite playing random shows here and there, they'll most likely be embroiled in the creative process by June and unable to go anywhere outside of the studio. We might see them after their next album comes out though.

Sonic Youth

This is a picture I took of Sonic Youth eating a watermelon last time they played in Houston.

Why They Should:

The noise rock gods haven't visited in a while and it would be a great time to come see us. They probably won't get anything new out yet that fast, but they have enough appeal that they can tour without anything to promote at this point.

Why They Won't:

First off, the last time they played here, they played Warehouse Live. I don't know how full it was, but it seems their appeal might not be what it once was. I'm not sure either way. Second, it seems to go badly when they try to come to Texas. Sonic Youth was supposed to play Austin City Limits in 2009 but guitarist Lee Ranaldo broke his wrist before they made it there. They might want to avoid Texas, we're bad luck for them.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Karen O is tripping balls in this picture.

Why They Should:

Their popularity has been at an all-time high since It's Blitz! came out last year and they've made quite a name for themselves at festivals. They even got added to Austin City Limits in 2009 after the aforementioned Sonic Youth and the Beastie Boys both had to drop out. Next stop: Summerfest.

Why They Won't:

This one's actually a distinct possibility and I'd say they're more likely than most of this list. The only thing really counting against it is that It's Blitz! will be over two years old and it's likely they won't tour without new material.

New Albums from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Bright Eyes

2010-12-02T17:59:00.001-08:00

First off, Omar Rodriguez-Lopez put out another album in the last few days. This one is a live document of his tour this year. I attended that tour when it hit New York City in September and it was amazing. This is a good highlights collection, though I feel like they could've used better performances of the songs. Download it here.

Second, Bright Eyes, the tenth most important band I thought should reunite, is back together and they're putting out a new album called The People's Key. It comes out February 14th and you should download it.

The GRAMMY Awards Are Bullshit (An Annual Rant)

2010-12-02T00:44:00.001-08:00

Any serious music fan knows that the GRAMMY Awards are bullshit and always have been. They're ridiculously stupid. Now you can quietly ignore them or you can rant like a motherfucker. Guess which one I pick year after year?

Record of the Year
"Nothin' On You" by B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars
"Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem featuring Rihanna
"Fuck You" by Cee Lo Green
"Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys
"Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum

Wow, hard on for hip-hop/R&B much? But actually, this award has at least two good candidates. "Fuck You" is a great song and definitely a contender for song of the year. "Empire State of Mind" is also a great song, but an odd choice considering it was out before the last GRAMMY Awards and it's a song from 2009. But that speaks to one of my biggest problems with the GRAMMY Awards: their utter inability to work out the time span in which they award things. They often award one or two year old songs and give best new artist awards to artists that are releasing their second, third, or even fifth album. It's like they don't research a damn thing, they just go by what they've heard on the radio this year. Anyway, as for the other songs nominated here, they're garbage and it's ridiculous that they would get nominated. This Eminem comeback needs to end and fast. He wasn't that great to begin with, he's no good now, and I can't believe he's somehow popular again.

Album of the Year
The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
Recovery by Eminem
Need You Now by Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream by Katy Perry

At first glance it would seem odd that Arcade Fire is on that list, but when you consider that The Suburbs was the musical equivalent of warm piss, it makes total sense that it would be nominated among four albums that are steaming piles of shit. I don't want any of these albums to win. I actually wish the GRAMMY's would put all the nominees in this category together on a plane to LA and they'd all go the way of Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. That would be nice.

Song of the Year
"Beg Steal or Borrow" by Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs
"Fuck You" by Cee Lo Green
"The House That Built Me" by Miranda Lambert
"Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem featuring Rihanna
"Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum

Don't ask me how there's a difference between this and Record of the Year and if you know, don't bother explaining it. I don't give a shit. Both awards suck. Look at this shit. Cee Lo is the only worthwhile artist in the bunch. Who's even fucking heard that first song? Who listens to Miranda Lambert? Did 40 year old redneck women make this award show or something?

Best New Artist
Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence + the Machine
Mumford and Sons
Esperanza Spalding

You probably don't know who Esperanza Spalding is, I didn't until now, but guess what? She has three full-length solo albums out and she's played on seven other albums, the earliest of which is from 2001. I hope she wins the award so I can bitch about this some more. Furthermore, where the fuck is Janelle Monae?

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
"King of Anything" by Sara Bareilles
"Halo (Live)" by Beyonce
"Chasing Pirates" by Norah Jones
"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
"Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry

First off, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry can't sing for shit. They suck. If they didn't have auto-tune, they wouldn't be where they are today. Even with auto-tune, they're boring, generic singers. In Gaga's case, when she does try to stretch out, she just gets annoying. Horrible. And this is a year where there's been two releases from Bjork, an album from Corinne Bailey Rae, an album from Janelle Monae, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez releases featuring the vocal talents of Ximena Sarinana. You know, good female singers. Oh wait, they don't exist because they're not on the fucking radio.

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance
"Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble
"This Is It" by Michael Jackson
"Whataya Want From Me" by Adam Lambert
"Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars
"Half of My Heart" by John Mayer

Michael Buble and Adam Lambert? Well, I guess we know the persuasion of GRAMMY judges. John Mayer is a shitty singer, so fuck that. Michael Jackson should win and WILL win, but for all the wrong reasons. He deserves to win for being the best singer here, he'll win because he died.

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
"Don't Stop Believin' (Regionals Version)" by Glee Cast
"Misery" by Maroon 5
"The Only Exception" by Paramore
"Babyfather" by Sade
"Hey, Soul Sister (Live)" by Train

Who the fuck cares about Train or Maroon 5 anymore? And based on the Glee Cast selection, I think my conclusions about the judges were right. Sade obviously should win here. Hayley Williams is an exceptionally shit singer by the way. She also has small tits. She's useless to the world.

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals
"Airplane Part II" by B.o.B., Eminem, and Hayley Williams
"Imagine" by Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No 1, Jeff Beck, and Oumou Sangare
"If It Wasn't For Bad" by Elton John and Leon Russell
"Telephone" by Lady Gaga and Beyonce
"Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg

I only even list this one because it's so funny that a song with Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg would be nominated for anything ever. Fuck the world.

Best Pop Instrumental Album
Pushing the Envelope by Gerald Albright
Take Your Pick by Larry Carlton and Tak Matsumoto
Heart and Soul by Kenny G
Singularity by Robbie Krieger
Everything is Everything: The Music of Donny Hathaway by Kirk Whalum

Fuck credibility, let's nominate Kenny G for an award in 2010!

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance
"Run Back to Your Side" by Eric Clapton
"Crossroads" by John Mayer
"Helter Skelter" by Paul McCartney
"Silver Rider" by Robert Plant
"Angry World" by Neil Young

The GRAMMY's haven't listened to any rock artists in the last thirty years. John Mayer doesn't even count as rock, by the way.

Best Hard Rock Performance
"A Looking in View" by Alice in Chains
"Let Me Hear You Scream" by Ozzy Osbourne
"Black Rain" by Soundgarden
"Between the Lines" by Stone Temple Pilots
"New Fang" by Them Crooked Vultures

Hey look, it's 1994.

Best Rock Album
Emotion and Commotion by Jeff Beck
The Resistance by Muse
Backspacer by Pearl Jam
Mojo by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Le Noise by Neil Young

How are they allowed to do the things they do? Seriously?

Best Urban/Alternative Performance
"Little One" by Bilal
"Fuck You" by Cee Lo Green
"Orion" by Carolyn Malachi
"Tightrope" by Janelle Monae and Big Boi
"Still" by Eric Roberson

How can this award even exist in 2010? I mean, they might as well fucking call it "The Black Award." It's downright offensive. The only refreshing apart about it is seeing Janelle Monae nominated for anything, but of course it's in the token award category.

Best Contemporary R&B Album
Graffiti by Chris Brown
Untitled by R. Kelly
Transition by Ryan Leslie
The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae
Raymond V Raymond by Usher

See, in this award they can call it what it is. It's R&B. Not "urban" music.

Best Rap Solo Performance
"Over" by Drake
"Not Afraid" by Eminem
"How Low" by Ludacris
"I'm Back" by T.I.
"Power" by Kanye West

This might be the only one they didn't fuck up. Eminem has lost it hardcore and Luda isn't really that good either, but Drake, TI, and Kanye can all spit like motherfuckers. Kanye deserves this one for having the best song thouh.

Best Rap Song
"Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys
"Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem and Rihanna
"Not Afraid" by Eminem
"Nothin' On You" by B.o.B. and Bruno Mars
"On To the Next One" by Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz

Good to know Eminem, Jay-Z, and B.o.B. are the only people that put out rap songs in the last year.

Look, I won't bore you with any more of this. It's all vomit-inducing dreck not worth anyone's time or effort. But every year I go and look at the nominees with the hope that there will be something rewarding for me to find there, something that tells me mainstream music is getting back on the right track, and inevitably I'm disappointed and feel the need to bitch. It's my right. Keep an eye out for my next rant when the GRAMMY's actually happen and I get to bitch about how none of the good nominees I've mentioned here actually won. That's sure to be a fun night.

Update

2010-11-30T02:44:00.000-08:00

So I haven't posted anything in a week. This blog isn't unfamiliar with extensive downtime, but I'd like to say something about it because for a brief time it was getting updated almost every day. A few points I'd like to address...

1. I haven't stopped listening to music, new or old, I've just not been in the mood to write record reviews. That's why there's only really been three reviews the entire month, of albums which I particularly liked. I've started to get to the point where I'm running out of things to say about every new album I listen to. The fact is that when you listen to five new albums a night, four of them will probably be boring or unremarkable. It makes it hard to review them. That's because I'm not a great critic to begin with, of course, when you consider that there are guys like Robert Christgau who review probably three hundred records a month, no matter how unremarkable. But I often feel there's no point in sharing my views on an album I have little interest in or really have nothing to say about. So that's my reason for the slow record reviews. I review what I feel like reviewing when I feel like doing it, but it hasn't been the time. I've been busy with other endeavors, including my other blogs, my fiction writing, and, you know, life, whatever that is.

2. It's nearly December and I'm crunching. I've almost heard every album relevant to my interests this year, excepting those which will be released in December, and I plan to start year-end lists fairly soon. That means probably a top fifty albums list, a top fifty, maybe top hundred, songs list, awards for the bests in categories, and my feelings on major music events over the past year. I spent a year listening to the fucking albums, I might as well do something to celebrate that.

3. Omar Rodriguez-Lopez released his sixth album this year, a new collaboration with drummer extraordinaire Zach Hill called Mantra Hiroshima, today and you can buy it here. I might review it later this week. He also posted a new video and song from his upcoming album Un Escorpion Perfumado. Watch that below.

The man literally just never stops. Expect that album around December 20th.

4. The Memorials, a band featuring ex-Mars Volta drummer Thomas Pridgen that I interviewed a few weeks ago, need your help to go on tour. I really want to see them make it here to Houston, so donate some money and help them out here.

5. Wolf Parade has gone an indefinite hiatus and, for various reasons, I think it's a big more final than that would lead you to believe. As you can see from my review, I'm very fond of their newest album, so this is a real shame. I never got to see them live, which I will regret greatly if they don't reunite soon. I'd hate to see them throw it away while they've still got it. Throw in the towel when your band starts sucking, guys.

Other music news lately hasn't interested me in the slightest. Deakin's back in Animal Collective, who gives a fuck, right? He never really did anything in the band to begin with and Animal Collective is beyond played out. Sufjan Stevens and the dude from Deerhunter are doing shit (not together, just in general, I'm not breaking a story about their collaboration here so don't quote me). I remain unimpressed, though I begrudgingly admit the new Deerhunter album was pretty good. Atlas Sound is still crap though. Anyway, I'll leave you with the songs I've been jamming and the best new albums I've heard lately.

Songs I've Been Jamming Lately
Archers of Loaf - "Web in Front" (Icky Mettle, 1994)
Alexisonfire - "It Was Fear of Myself That Made Me Odd" (Watch Out!, 2004)
After the Burial - "Pendulum" (In Dreams, 2010)
Volumes - "Wormholes" (The Concept of Dreaming, 2010)
Kanye West featuring Bon Iver - "Lost in the World" (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, 2010)
Pink Floyd - "Vera" (The Wall, 1979)
Just Like Vinyl - "Death of the Sheep" (Just Like Vinyl, 2010)
Anatomy of a Ghost - "Beauty Is in It's Embrace" (Evanesce, 2002)
Cee Lo Green - "Fuck You" (The Lady Killer, 2010)
The Kodan Armada - "One" (A Collection of Songs, 2004)
La Dispute - "How I Feel" (Searching for a Pulse/The Worth of the World, 2010)
Funeral Diner - "I Wish I Could Do the Backstroke" (Difference of Potential, 2002)
Make Do and Mend - "Hand Me Downs" (Smoke Signals and Hideaways/Hand Me Downs and Cobwebs, 2010)
Merchant Ships - "Things Left in Last Year" (For Cameron, 2010)
mewithoutYou - "Messes of Men" (Brother, Sister, 2006)
Beck - "Nausea" (The Information, 2006)
The Memorials - "Natural Disaster" (The Memorials, 2011)
R.E.M. - "Try Not to Breathe" (Automatic for the People, 1992)
The Seatbelts - "Ave Maria" (Blue, 1999)

Best New Albums I've Heard Lately
Daytrader - Demo (new pop-punk/post-hardcore band from ex-Crime in Stereo, ex-Latterman, ex-Divider members)
Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest (probably the best Deerhunter album yet, in my opinion)
The Saddest Landscape / Pianos Become the Teeth - The Saddest Landscape / Pianos Become the Teeth Split (two of the best screamo bands around right now on one great split)
After the Burial - In Dreams (incredible new album from this great djent/progressive death metal band)
Volumes - The Concept of Dreaming (another djent band, this one isn't quite there yet, this being their first EP, but they're good anyway)
William Bonney - Fall Demo (new screamo band from ex-Merchant Ships, ex-Midwest Pen Pals members)
Grinderman - Grinderman 2 (Nick Cave's dirty blues side-project is back and better than ever)
Stephen Farris - Alphabet Soup (local electronic musician's new EP, it's good stuff)
Just Like Vinyl - Just Like Vinyl (Thomas Erak of The Fall of Troy returns with a new band and it's better than the last couple Fall of Troy albums)
Sed Non Satiata - Sed Non Satiata (awesome screamo)
Max Bemis and the Painful Splits - Max Bemis and the Painful Splits (freed from the expectations of a Say Anything album, Max releases this great little one-off acoustic punk side-project, effortlessly topping recent Say Anything work)
Make Do and Mend - End Measured Mile (the first full-length from the excellent post-hardcore band from Connecticut)
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez - Mantra Hiroshima (I just talked about it earlier, why haven't you bought it yet?!)

Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)

2010-11-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

In my defense of Kanye West article last week, I said his ego was justified because he really makes music that is that damn good. For all his cockiness, for all his megalomania, he can back it up. If you ever wanted proof of that, look no further than My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, his masterpiece. This album is so close to hip-hop perfection in 2010, I can find literally no flaw with it. It flows perfectly from song to song, each song is a potential hit, a classic Yeezy track, and it just never lets up. From the straight up hip-hop bangers like "Power," "Monster," and "So Appalled" to the artistic neo-soul tracks like "All of the Lights," "Runaway," and "Lost in the World," Kanye has taken all of the collective sounds and influences of the last decade and brought them together for a genre-defining epic that hasn't been seen in years. The feeling, the sound, the vibe, everything about pop music for the last ten years has come to a plateau on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. It sums up and brings to a close the last decade of popular music as a whole.

It is the must ambitious project Kanye has yet undertaken but he exceeds all expectations. It is his greatest work yet easily. It's entirely possible to say that this album will be a reference point for the pop music created in the years to come and that's not an understatement. In 2008, I had many of the same things to say of 808's & Heartbreak, which I believe will hold up almost as well in the future, but it wasn't quite there yet. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is what Kanye was looking to create then and his dreams have come to fruition. I also don't find it a ludicrous statement to make to say that this album will, in years to come, be as highly regarded as classic albums created in years past. It's a high watermark of music today and for the future.

The album comes to a close with a round of applause and it's the only fitting way to end the album. Kanye and his collaborators on this album deserve that round of applause from all sides. (A+)

"The Joy of Simplicity" by Andrew Menzies

2010-11-21T11:51:00.000-08:00

[Ed. Note: Andrew Menzies returns with another guest article!]

It snowed last night. At least I think it did; could have happened this morning, I did pass out at eight after all. I was beaten down from two evenings of less than three hours of sleep, sandwiched between a pile of beers and independent theatre that caused at least two moments of introspective deconstruction the likes of which I’m still processing. But there was snow on the ground at seven thirty Saturday morning. My ashtray was a block of ice, and the first cigarette of the weekend warmed my lips and neck and nothing else.

We had the Olympics but we had no winter. It was perfect: the Canadian stereotype of snowshoes and igloos effectively neutered when the world’s press descended on Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Games only to find plus 10 temperatures and sunny skies. I walked across the Cambie street bridge cradling my hoodie after we took gold in men’s hockey. We sang “Oh Canada“ and high-fived strangers and the cops didn’t even take away our open beers. This year they say it’s going to be different. El Nina, I think the term is, but snow and sleet and cold and dark is on the menu for damn sure. It’s fine by me, though that acceptance wasn’t quite strong enough as I sauntered outside after a twelve hour nap. I thought it was 2003 again and I was in Prince George. A new kind of anxiety, those few moments when I wondered if I was late for my shift at a job I hadn’t worked in six years. Synapse misfire, you dig?

My favourite album of 2010 is far and away Defiance, Ohio’s “Midwestern Minutes”. The simplicity of a couple of acoustic guitars, drums, and the odd cello or violin riff really make for something earnest. The mellow I’ve felt during the some sixteen times I’ve spun the entire disc (and that’s the only way to listen to it) is akin to Wilco’s “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”.

(That analogy is for me and me alone. If you understand or agree, right on. If you understand or agree and are a woman over the age of 19, we should probably get married.)

The album got me thinking about my musical preferences as a whole. I value honestly and truth. I used to despise the top forty for just that reason: songs written by committee, beats and riffs designed to trigger the right spots in your brain so that you’re scientifically tricked in to finding something “catchy” about it (looking at you, Pussycat Dolls). But now, now all of that is gone. Pop- and by “pop” I mean dreck not actual pop music- is irrelevant. It doesn’t exist to me. Passionless, pre-packaged Disney bullshit doesn’t live in the same world as I do. If there’s soul, heart, passion, truth, it’ll come through. Doesn’t matter what else. Immortal Technique got it right:

“So if your message ain't shit, fuck the records you sold/

Cause if you go platinum, it's got nothing to do with luck/

It just means that a million people are stupid as fuck.”

Rather blunt, Mr. Technique is. (Song‘s called “Industrial Revolution” on the album “Revolutionary Volume 2“)

I’m not going to judge anyone based on what bands they like. There’s more to a person than what spins on their iPod. Unless they’re wearing skinny jeans and have a pencil moustache with an American Apparel sweater, chain-smoking Parliaments outside of a club and being a total cunt to you just because you don’t care about Phoenix.

“Midwestern Minutes” by Defiance, Ohio is available for free on their website. The joy of simplicity.

Song of the week: Defiance, Ohio’s “Everyone Else On The Other Side”

[Ed. Note: As always, Andrew has his own project over at http://www.bobandandrew.com/ where he makes short sketch comedy films and you should check that out too!]

One Year

2010-11-18T14:47:00.001-08:00

This blog has been up and running for one year. That's really something. I never imagined it would go this long. So here's to me. Yay.

In Defense of Kanye West

2010-11-17T20:55:00.000-08:00

I don't think there's anyone in America right now that has a poorer public perception than Kanye West. I've seen this country give free passes to rapist and murderers over the years, but when it comes to Kanye West, the hate is overwhelming.

Aside from being an unrepentant asshole, the man hasn't really done anything to deserve the hate. He's made a public spectacle of himself, said a lot of dumb things, and made music. I don't really understand where the hate comes from. It seems like it would be more fun to simply laugh him off than vehemently despise him as so many do.

My biggest reason for defending him though is that no matter how many ridiculous things he might do, he's a musical genius. From his earliest days producing some of the greatest beats Jay-Z ever spit over to releasing two of the greatest singles in any genre this year ("Power" and "Runaway"), he's been amazingly consistent. All of his albums have been accomplished musically and lately they've taken a distinct artistic bent that pleases me greatly.

808's and Heartbreak was one of my favorite albums two years ago. While many wrote it off as a half-assed experiment with auto-tune, I saw it for what it was. It was a brilliant artistic pop diversion. It was also one of the best pure pop albums I've heard in years. It was the sort of pop album you could only get away with in the 80's. One that was deeply emotional, dark, and painful. Being that introspective over a dance beat hasn't been fashionable in twenty years and none of the pop stars we have today could even manage that level of depth anymore if they wanted to.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is simultaneously a recovery and a reprise. Kanye's back to rapping, but the album is just as dark and introspective as 808's was. It's just as powerful too. Face it, no matter how much you hate him, Kanye is the only pop star capable of making music this powerful anymore. For all the stupid, attention-grabbing things he's done, he makes up for it by producing the best music in the pop world today.

Perhaps this is part of the reason for the hate. It can be frustrating for some that for all his arrogance, he can back it up. I personally feel that justifies his arrogance, but others can't seem to deal with it.

In any case, it would be hard to change anyone's opinions on the man. He's a very polarizing figure. But there's no reason for the level of disdain towards him. He didn't murder your children, he just interrupted a random bimbo's speech at a joke of an award show. Get over it. He makes amazing music despite it all and if you can't enjoy it because of his personality, there's something wrong with you.

REPRINT SERIES: Local Showcase at Walter's (2/21/10)

2010-11-17T19:16:00.000-08:00

[Ed. Note: This is the first article I ever wrote for 29-95.com, which was never published but secured my writing gig on there. I'm publishing it here for the first time.]

Saturday night, Walter's on Washington hosted a showcase for three local bands. I hadn't heard of any of the three, so I figured it would be a fun night of discovery. Best case scenario, I would discover a new local band to whore out to all my friends on mixtapes so they can say, "dude this is really good, who is this?", so I could then say, "an awesome band from H-TOWN REPRESENT!" Because if anything has made me proud of this city in recent years, it's our local music scene. Also our new mayor, but the music scene has more relevance in my social circles. Worst case scenario, well, two dollar Lone Stars.

I knew I was in for a bit of an odd mix of things when the first band, Satin Hooks, began to set up for the night. Along with their instruments, they set up a life size black mannequin that appeared to be some sort of crash test dummy and looked for all the world like the fourth member of their band.

Satin Hooks weren't quite so odd as they would like you to think. Despite describing themselves as rock futurism, their sound wasn't exactly revolutionary. A blend of math rock and indie rock, they had the laser sharp guitar precision of a metal band and the frantic urgency of a punk band. Where they lacked was in the vocal department. A nasal yell struggled to project itself over the louder-than-they-look three piece band. Kerry Melonson's unapologetically bad singing voice attempted to pull off a J. Mascis hat trick, using their catchy riffing to make up for whatever they lacked in vocals, but they weren't quite Dinosaur Jr.

If everything's been done before, including the future, what do they have going for them? Energy, stage presence, charisma. Joking with the audience to reel them in, rocking out to their songs harder than the songs actually rock almost giving off a hypnotic effect of the songs actually rocking that much more. It made them twice as enticing as they actually were and a far more entertaining live band than I imagine them being on an album.

Admitted Joy Division fantatics the Factory Party took the stage next. However they didn't wear that influence on their sleeve. If anything, they were more Joy Division by way of the Killers. They were upbeat, fun, and dancable. With their classically pop mannerisms (nonsense vocal improvs like "badabadabop" in practically every song) combined with tortured wailing (the main aspect they took from Ian Curtis), they made for a delightful blend, the kind of artsy thing the real hipsters could get into while everybody else could just dance to the pulsing basslines and frantic drum beats.

And dance they did. If the audience was still too wrapped up in socializing for the Satin Hooks, they gave the Factory Party their full attention, shaking up a leg in the bizarre, swaying, jerky, bouncey way that the kids from around here do. It's not so much real dancing, more just flailing rhythmically, but it's as close as you'll get at a show like this. The Factory Party's simultaneously intensely emotional vocals and amazingly fun pop hooks got the kids moving and isn't that the best a growing band can hope for? These guys (and girl) have some definite potential.

[The Factory Party's back-up dancers.]

An otherwise routine and enjoyable set was slightly marred when halfway through one of their last songs, a drink was tossed at their bassist. This was followed with the band being momentarily disheveled as "fuck you"'s started to fly. The song got back on track and finished tensely while the drink throwers were escorted out. The band picked up where they left off with the last few songs of their set, but it disappointingly left a bad vibe hanging over everything.

The last band to take the stage, Electric Attitude, had possibly the most potential but utilized it the least. When they were sound checking, they started playing a cover of "Beat It" that sounded far more Fall Out Boy than Michael Jackson. That was a bit of an indicator of what was to come.

Electric Attitude may as well be called "Eclectic Attitude," blending every odd influence imaginable. The aforementioned Fall Out Boy was in there with heavy pop punk guitars and vocals at the forefront. But in the back, the rhythm section consisted of a New Orleans brass horn section, a funk bassist, and a jazz drummer. Together they made something that ranged between neo-soul and a poppier Mars Volta.

If you hate the Mars Volta for all their excess, Electric Attitude is possibly even worse. The Mars Volta have, in some sense, an idea of what they're doing. Electric Attitude really doesn't seem to have reached that point yet. The entire conglomeration threatened to speed off the rails and it mostly did. I imagine there's a niche for this sort of thing, but they'd have to decide on a sound before they could really fall into it. The rest of the audience was mostly into it, but I just wasn't feeling it.

When it was over, I headed home pretty quickly. I gave a lot of thought to the three bands on the way home. While openers Satin Hooks weren't perfect, they were at least fun to watch, something I value a lot. Bands that can't bring it live suffer a lot in my opinion. The Factory Party was easily my favorite of the three and the most fun, despite the party pooping drink throwers. Poppy as they are, they could really go far. Electric Attitude could be something if they'd just harness all their various influences into something coherent. But overall, all three bands put on a decent show and it made for a good night out. I didn't even have to utilize the two dollar Lone Stars to make it fun.

Great Underrated Albums by Famous Artists

2010-11-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

[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.]

Temple of the Dog - Temple of the Dog

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.

Black Sabbath - Born Again

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.

David Bowie - Buddha of Suburbia

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.

GZA/Genius - Legend of the Liquid Sword

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.

The Mars Volta - Amputechture

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.

Prince - Come

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.

REPRINT SERIES: Enter Shikari plays in the Woodlands (10/4/10)

2010-11-14T08:20:00.000-08:00

[Ed. Note: Presented without edits as usual. This is the latest article I've written for 29-95 so it concludes our reprint series until I write something more for them. Hope you enjoyed getting a look at the differences and it's always good to have these articles archived here as well as there.]

Shadowplay Lounge in the Woodlands is probably the newest venue in the Houston area that hasn't just undergone a name change or a change in management. I started hearing about it three months ago and it's slowly taken off from there, playing host to local bands, dubstep nights, and just a few bigger metal bands. Saturday night they hosted one of their biggest bills yet, bringing in Christian metal band Haste the Day and synthcore (a hybrid of cheesy 1980's synths with hardcore) band Enter Shikari. Enter Shikari are still fairly fresh off a stint playing Warped Tour and easily managed to sell out the minuscule Shadowplay. When I arrived, I was told it was all sold out, but Shadowplay's management quickly announced they were opening the doors to anyone in line as other people left and turned in their wristbands. Within the hour, I was inside.

Inside, however, was somewhat awful. I found myself packed inside Shadowplay without an air conditioner but with a few hundred sweaty bros with their shirts off, strangely enough kids that looked so young they may not have been born when Haste the Day and Enter Shikari first hit the scene, and of course the usual massively fat guys. All of the above spent the entire time bumping into me and my friends and transferring their sweat to us. Of course, we were so sweaty ourselves, who could tell? Yes, it was a miserably hot experience. I'm fairly sure this is what Hell is like, friends. But I carried on for the love of the music.

Haste the Day began almost as soon as we got inside. As I watched them, I admired their songwriting talent. They effortlessly wove chorus melodies into breakdowns and then bridged them back into choruses, pulling off this hat trick so well that even the anti-breakdown crowd would have to commend them. Their playing was on point, though singer Stephen Keech's voice began to crack towards the end, his last scream of the night sounding like a dying gasp before his voice was gone once and for all.

The main bone I have to pick with them is that despite it all I didn't really feel like I saw Haste the Day last night after I was informed by my friend that the only original member of the band since a major line-up change last year is bassist Mike Murphy. Talented though the band may be, they're almost a cover band at this point using the same name. Everyone knows the bassist contributes very little in metal and Murphy definitely didn't stand out as any sort of torchbearer at the show. It seemed more like the new guys have simply taken over and it doesn't make sense as to why they've carried on using the Haste the Day name. But hey, if they're still an entertaining and talented band, who cares, right?

Headliners Enter Shikari took the stage to major technical difficulties. Seconds after beginning their set, their laptop failed them and the lights immediately came back up. For the next half an hour, we ended up being subjected to promises that everything would get fixed soon and thirty second funk jams followed by more promises. They tried switching out the laptop with a different one, then came back to the old one. It occurred to me that for a band so dependent on electronics, they should really take certain measures to prevent things like this, but with the considerably hot temperature inside Shadowplay, it was almost unavoidable.

Finally they were back on, the lights went off again, and their set actually started. They blazed through a set mixing new and old jams from their two full length albums, playing classics from their first album like "Mothership" and "No Sssweat," along with hits from their new one like "Juggernauts" and "Zzzonked," and, of course, their biggest hit, the ultimate synthcore jam "Sorry, You're Not a Winner." In all honesty, the mix of breakdowns, screaming, and synthesizers is a ridiculous proposition, but Enter Shikari pull it off with style and unparalleled live energy. Their live show would not have been able to overcome the soul crushing humidity of the room if not for their general craziness, with singer Rou Reynolds stage diving and crowd surfing constantly and guitarist Rory Clewlow and bassist Chris Batten doing acrobatics off the amps, balancing guitars on their teeth, and swinging their guitars around the stage like helicopters. It's a sight to see and a reason to overcome things like heat and tiny venues to be a part of.

Wolf Parade - Expo 86 (2010)

2010-11-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

It seemed like forever that Wolf Parade masterminds Spencer Krug and Dan Boeckner would focus all their attentions on their side-projects. While only two years passed between their sophomore album At Mount Zoomer and their latest one, Expo 86, it felt like ages as we got awful albums like Sunset Rubdown's Dragonslayer instead. But finally they turned their gaze back to Wolf Parade and created a new album which may be their best yet. While it's hard to top their classic first album, Apologies to the Queen Mary, produced by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock, Wolf Parade have decided not to even try.

Expo 86 takes a very different, harder rocking, guitar heavier sound than ever before. The sound is a grandiose, theatrical, 1970's rock style, producing a classicist yet modern indie rock album. Many bands have tried to replicate this sound, looking back at the classic sounds of Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and Neil Young, but they've mostly failed, as in the case of bland fellow Canadians Arcade Fire. Wolf Parade has somehow successfully pulled off the hat trick. It's the evolution their sounded needed to grow. Like Arcade Fire, I had mostly written off Wolf Parade in recent years, but they've come roaring back with Expo 86. They refuse to be held down and they've created one of the best albums of the year, seemingly through sheer force of will. (A)

Album Reviews - 11/13/10

2010-11-12T23:34:00.000-08:00

Noise Ratchet - Untitled (2009)

Delta Spirit is an Americana band out of San Diego, but as much as they'd like to forget their roots, they started as an emo/alternative rock band known as Noise Ratchet that achieved a small modicum of fame between the years of 1999 and 2004, even appearing on Punk Goes Pop in 2002, before they were quickly forgotten along with most other bands of that style from those years. As that sound is slowly making a comeback, it seems appropriate to revisit Noise Ratchet.

They released their last album, a self-titled, in 2003 and split in 2004. But between the release of that album and their break-up, they recorded another album that was mixed, mastered, and then shelved. They finally put it on the net themselves in 2009. The unreleased, untitled album shows that Noise Ratchet were starting to develop into quite a formidable band. While the album leans heavily on the side of mainstream, it still maintains many of the great hallmarks of the emo sound of the day. It's a lighter album than many bands were putting out then, having more pop influences and power ballads while lacking any screaming or heaviness, but it's a nice listen. It's the sort of almost-there album that bands release just before putting out their masterpiece and sadly Noise Ratchet didn't stick around long enough to make that masterpiece. Still, this untitled album is well worth having for fans of this sound and fans of the band that may not even be aware they recorded another album after their self-titled. (B)

Girls - Broken Dreams Club (2010)

Last year Girls released the appropriately titled album Album and despite being a "buzz band" it held its own and remains one of my favorite releases from 2009. This year Girls have gone quiet for a while and to tide over fans for a bit they've released this EP, Broken Dreams Club. It lacks in some of the more jangley, fun aspects of Album, focusing more on slow balladry, but band leader Christopher Owens is a talented enough songwriter to keep the quality up.

Part of the appeal of Album was the contrast of Owens' tortured longing for ex-girlfriends and his own sanity contrasted with the upbeat, happy tunes that he sang over. Broken Dreams Club lacks in that contrast and somewhat wallows in the depression musically as well as lyrically this time, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The best parts are still the more contrasting moments, such as the R.E.M. influenced main riff of "Alright" and the peaceful Hawaiian lilt of "Thee Oh So Protective One" (heavily recalling the ballads of Album such as "Headache"), but the slower, more stripped down songs still maintain the sympathetic appeal of songs like "Lauren Marie" from Album. As Owens grows as a songwriter in the future, those could make for some of the best songs Girls ever records. As of now, they're still very enjoyable though.

The EP concludes with Girls branching out into slightly more experimental, psychedelic territory with the over seven minute long jam of "Carolina" and it, along with the rest of the EP, conclusively proves that Girls aren't one trick ponies. As much as I enjoyed Album, I had my doubts that Girls would be able to survive to a second album. Their sound was limited and it seemed that the sophomore syndrome might be their undoing, but Broken Dreams Club puts to rest some of my fears. (B)

The Thermals - Personal Life (2010)

The Thermals have always traded in an upbeat, fun indie-punk sound that suited them very well. They weren't very original, sounding often like a more punk leaning version of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (or essentially Chisel), but they were a good band to jam to in the summertime months. Unfortunately, Personal Life strips away those aspects that best suited the band and instead focuses on mid-tempo, introspective nineties indie rock recalling bands like Pavement. It doesn't especially work for them and leaves a deeply flawed but still enjoyable album of formulaic yet sincere songs. That sincerity with which they wrote and play these songs keeps them engaging, but you also get the impression that every song on the album follows the same pattern and style.

It's an album that maybe the Thermals should make, but one that they might not have been ready as songwriters to make. In general, all musicians want to make that next step and do the "mature" album, but the Thermals still have too much bright fun in them to do it yet. (C)

Alexisonfire - Dog's Blood (2010)

2010-11-10T00:49:00.000-08:00

Alexisonfire takes an abrupt about face after the debacle of their last album. While Old Crows/Young Cardinals garnered positive reviews from most sources, it alienated fans like myself who didn't appreciate the distressing new styles they were experimenting with. Not to dwell on that album though, I'm happy to report that Dog's Blood is an almost complete change from that previous direction.

One of my biggest problems with their new sound was that screamer George Pettit had abandoned his former high pitched scream for a gruff growl. It didn't suit the music very well at all. The best change they've made on Dog's Blood is that Pettit is back to screaming. He can't quite hit the highs of his glory days, but he's giving it a great attempt and it's the best he's sounded in a while. The style of Old Crows/Young Cardinals makes a slight return on "Grey," but for the other two vocal tracks on the album it's a welcome return to form.

The other problem that's solved on Dog's Blood is the increased presence of Dallas Green. Green started out as the band's back-up vocalist, but by their second album, Watch Out!, he was a full-fledged second singer. While he's a wonderful singer, it was an unnerving shift to hear just how much of Old Crows/Young Cardinals he sang. Pettit's role in the band was reduced greatly and no track showed that off more than the closer on that album, "Burial," which featured little more than Green singing and playing piano. While previously the closers of Alexisonfire albums had been some of their greatest songs, "Burial" was a disappointing leftover from a City and Colour (Green's solo project) album. On Dog's Blood, Green only sings a portion of the title track, leaving the other two tracks entirely to Pettit.

Dog's Blood also introduces some welcome elements of the current screamo scene. Around the time of Old Crows/Young Cardinals, Pettit commented that he wanted to put the knife in screamo, but the landscape was different then. What was called screamo then was tripe. In a very short amount of time, screamo as a genre has been rehabilitated by fresh new artists like La Dispute, Pianos Become the Teeth, and Touche Amore. Alexisonfire has clearly noticed, especially after touring with La Dispute. Dog's Blood incorporates the heavy, atmospheric approach those bands have reintroduced from prior innovators in the genre such as Envy. Dog's Blood is actually the rawest, heaviest Alexisonfire release since their first album, with the crushing rhythm guitars and melodic leads that they originally based their sound on.

The EP closes out with a six minute instrumental, something Alexisonfire has never attempted before, and they pull that off with expert grace as well. The beauty and emotion conveyed through "Vex" speaks just as powerfully without words as it would with them.

In interviews prior to the release of Dog's Blood, the band expressed a desire to experiment, using the EP as a way to do so without alienating fans. I can imagine this would alienate some fans of their later styles, but for me, it might be the comeback of the year. I suppose it depends on how the experiment turns out to see if this will dictate the sound of their future releases, but I personally wish and hope that it does. A full-length album in this style might be the greatest thing Alexisonfire has ever recorded. The future looks bright. (A+)

Interview with The Memorials

2010-11-08T14:02:00.000-08:00

(Video for "Westcoast")

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 the Memorials. I recently got to conduct an interview with them about their upcoming self-titled record, their creative process, side-projects, and future touring plans.

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?

Nick - 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.

Viveca - 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.

Thomas - 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.

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.

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?

Nick - 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.

Viveca - 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.

Thomas - 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.

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?

Thomas - 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.

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?

(Video for "Black Hole Sun")

Nick - 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.

Viveca - 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.

Thomas - 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.

5. Nick and Thomas, you've worked together before on a band called Sabai. Could you both tell me a little bit about that band and what it was like then versus now?

Nick - 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!

Thomas - 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)

6. Thomas, you've done a lot of work with a lot of bands. Could you elaborate on working with them, especially Christian Scott and Elixir On Mute? I'd also like to ask, are you still planning on touring with Elixir On Mute?

Thomas - 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.

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.

7. Thomas, I also heard a rumor that you are working with Thomas Erak from The Fall of Troy. Any truth to that?

Thomas - 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.

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?

Nick - 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.

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.

Viveca - 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!

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?

Nick - Houston, Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso can't wait to be on the hang with yall! Love the dirty! Thanks Corey.

Viveca - We have high hopes for a trip to Texas in the near future! Hopefully this article will help! Thanks for your time. Bless.

Thomas - 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.

My Top "I-Was-There" Moments (Pt. 2)

2010-11-07T01:22:00.000-07:00

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.

Nine Inch Nails - "Wish" and "I Do Not Want This" (May 12, 2009)

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.

Animal Collective - "Fireworks" and "What Would I Want? Sky" (June 4, 2009)

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.

The Mars Volta - "Eunuch Provocateur" (September 17, 2009)

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.

Brand New - "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows" (October 31, 2009)

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.

Say Anything - "Admit It!!!" (November 16, 2009)

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.

Cursive - "21st Century Schizoid Man" (November 30, 2009)

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.

Girls - "Lust for Life" (January 31, 2010)

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.

Ted Leo - "A Bottle of Buckie" (March 31, 2010)

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - "Timorous Me" (March 31, 2010)

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.

Buxton - "Down in the Valley" (April 17, 2010)

Buxton are personal friends of mine and this was an awesome performance. I took this video and it actually turned out pretty decent.

Alexisonfire - "No Transitory" (May 3, 2010)

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.

Converge - "Hanging Moon" and "No Heroes" (May 21, 2010)

"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.

The Flaming Lips - "The Fear" and "Worm Mountain" (June 5, 2010)

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.

Janelle Monae - "Cold War" (June 13, 2010)

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.

The Dillinger Escape Plan - "Panasonic Youth" (July 2, 2010)

This one was fucking crazy. Dillinger is ridiculous live. Greg Puciato is maybe the greatest screamer I've ever seen live.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Group - "Miel del Ojo"

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.

My Top "I-Was-There" Moments

2010-10-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

One 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.

Motorhead - "The Game" (April 1, 2001)

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!

Metallica - "Blackened" (November 16, 2004)

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.

Heaven and Hell (May 2, 2007)

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.

Down (November 13, 2007)

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.

The Mars Volta - "Cygnus... Vismund Cygnus" (April 14, 2008)

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?"

Roger Waters - "Sheep" (May 4, 2008)

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.

Iron Maiden - "Hallowed Be Thy Name" (May 22, 2008)

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.

The Mars Volta - "Goliath" (September 26, 2008)

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.

Morrissey - "How Soon is Now?" (April 11, 2009)

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.

I'll continue this article tomorrow with concerts throughout the rest of 2009 and in 2010.

Fat Tony - RABDARGAB is finally here!

2010-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time coming, but Fat Tony's debut full-length album, RABDARGAB, is finally out after numerous mixtapes, singles, and delays. It's a name-your-own-price download. Check it out here.

REPRINT SERIES: Arcade Fire's The Suburbs fails to impress (8/3/10)

2010-10-16T13:37:00.000-07:00

[Ed. Note: This is it. The original version of my article on the history of the Arcade Fire and my reaction to their latest album, The Suburbs. The article published on 29-95.com was edited and, in my opinion, butchered so much that it barely resembled the original work that I had written. Presented here for the first time is my original essay. I hope you'll enjoy reading what I meant to say the first time.]

Like many in the early aught's, I was enamored with Arcade Fire. Their first album, Funeral, released in 2004, was a bit of a revelatory work. It wasn't exceedingly innovative by any means, but it was one of those rare pretentious indie rock albums, particularly of that "baroque pop" variety, to gain some mainstream success. Reviews were glowing, it was nominated for a Grammy, and it swept a nation of young teenagers, along with similar indie rock success stories like Modest Mouse's Good News for People Who Love Bad News and Franz Ferdinand's self-titled debut album. Funeral had a different sound and a different vibe than those albums. Those were more pure "rock out and dance your ass off" albums, with a little more intellectual depth than what was on the radio at the time. Funeral was all intellectual depth straight through. There were the odd rocking moments like the 1980's Rush meets the aforementioned Modest Mouse stomping single "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" or the obvious Britrock of "Rebellion (Lies)" (which was incidentally their biggest hit in the UK). However the album definitely traded in something deeper and more pensive than songs like "Take Me Out" and "Float On." The title says it all, it's a meditation on life and death. It quickly influenced and inspired a genre's worth of imitators and has been lauded as one of the greatest albums released in the past decade.

Second album Neon Bible met with a somewhat more icy reception. It was intended to be a grandiose epic, as if to say, "sorry, we were just fucking around on that last record, this is our real mission statement. This is our masterpiece. This is where we turn serious and mature and get hailed as geniuses of modern pop music." What that masterpiece amounted to was an overwrought, overblown tribute to their major influences, David Bowie and Bruce Springsteen, and lacked in the hooks or depth of Funeral. The album is honestly a chore to listen to, aside from the exceptional lead single "Black Mirror," which owes possibly the most to Bowie of anything on the album. Neon Bible still hit #2 on the US Billboard Charts, but it divided critics and fans alike. Personally, never has such a short album, coming in only at 47 minutes, felt like such a long, daunting task to get through. Neon Bible is a tedious album that wants to be far more than it is.

Was Neon Bible an example of sophomore syndrome? Perhaps, but the syndrome apparently ran deep. It came out on March 3rd, 2007. For the next three years and five months, to the day, the Arcade Fire toured on their lame duck album, managed to piss off known "peace and love" hippie Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips (quite an accomplishment), and thought far too highly of themselves while trying to come up with a new album. Today that album finally comes out. It's called The Suburbs, but you know that, because the hype has been overwhelming. It's getting the much coveted, all important radio attention, it's getting critics creaming their jeans, and its hype is reaching critical mass that threatens to explode over the entirety of North America. I have trouble leaving the house without someone I know talking about the new Arcade Fire album. My ultimate problem with that is this: the album is bad. Real bad. How bad? Bad enough that I actually bothered to write this article about the band, their new album, and their relevance to modern music as a whole.

Pitchfork Media, the hipster gestapo, feared the album would suffer from the same pitfalls that Neon Bible suffered and were excited to report that it did not. Really? Let's take a look at that. Neon Bible was an attempt at some sort of epic masterpiece that fell flat on its face. It focused too much on its influences and what there was of an original sound being pursued was honestly the worst aspect of it. The Suburbs actually exacerbates those problems. It has the same general sound as Neon Bible, but if Neon Bible was influenced by Bowie and Springsteen, The Suburbs might as well lazily rip them off. It attempts to be less epic and more mundane than Neon Bible (hence "the suburbs"), yet somehow manages to be even more of a test of patience, running for over an hour, making it the longest Arcade Fire album yet. The songs aren't necessarily monolithic in scale or length, there's just a lot of them, and the best moments are few and far between.

Where The Suburbs excels, and it's a rarity, is when it throws all the usual Arcade Fire trappings to the wind and gets back to something resembling that first album we all love. "Empty Room," "Month of May," and the U2-ripping "Half Light II (No Celebration)" are somewhat faceless rockers, but they're at least trying to just get down and not trying to achieve anything out of their reach. The rest of the album falls into the same pattern as Neon Bible and it suffers greatly for it.

But this article is less a review of that album and more a reflection on what Arcade Fire offers to music in 2010. Why is this album so important in the grand scheme of things? Why is there such hype for its release? The hype lately has been reaching levels I haven't witnessed since early last year with Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion. At least in the case of Animal Collective, they offered up something new from their arsenal. Merriweather Post Pavilion was decidedly more like Funeral than The Suburbs. It offered a new template that, like Funeral, has been inspiring copycat bands around the globe for the last year and a half. I won't defend the insane levels of hype for Merriweather Post Pavilion, nor the album itself because it is definitely not one of the greater albums created even in the last few years. It did, however, push the envelope in its genre and served as a new touchstone for your modern indie rock scene.

The Suburbs offers no justification for any of its hype beyond being a new album from the Arcade Fire. When you actually listen to it, all hype is buried by the lack of substance. What exactly does Arcade Fire offer in 2010? What are they bringing to the table that is revolutionary today? When I listen to The Suburbs, I hear nothing that hasn't been done before and isn't being done by other bands. Not to continually harp on it, but that is a quality that Funeral had that they have since lost. Let's be honest, Funeral was overrated even when it came out, sure, but it was definitely highly influential and responsible for indoctrinating so many into this ironically now massive machine we call "indie."

So what is The Suburbs in reference to that? It is the sound of a band that is running on fumes, running out of ideas, making their way with retreads of their influences and themselves. It's happened to many. Hell, their oft-cited "rival" the Flaming Lips even fell into this trap. The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots quickly achieved classic status and have become touchstones for the scene for the last decade. It's rare to hear a new indie rock album that doesn't reflect some influence from those albums. But in 2006, they released At War with the Mystics, a tired rerun of an album that put a dagger into some of the goodwill they had developed with their stunning live performances and amazing albums. This is where The Suburbs stands essentially. It gives hope to Win Butler and crew that the Lips successfully dragged out of it with Embryonic, a successful, experimental, Neil Young-style "head for the ditch" effort that rescued their reputation. Could Arcade Fire pull off a similar hat trick? Perhaps, but they'd have to be willing.

The Suburbs seems to be an active thumbing of the nose at experimentation or innovation. It's neither modern, nor does it advance their sound or music as a whole. It simply exists as an exercise in making an Arcade Fire album. That's enough for most diehards, but the level of hype and attention it's receiving seems redundant. Normally when a band peaks and begins to just repeat itself for the sake of the most hardcore fans, the attention dies off. Instead, this is possibly more attention than I remember Neon Bible getting, though it has been a number of years so my memory may be wrong about that.

My point is simply this: why be excited when Arcade Fire has done nothing to be excited about? Is the band so truly transcendent that anything they release is an event? Are there not better, more exciting bands to talk about? Some bands are actually pushing forward, experimenting, changing the face of music. Few of them are as mainstream and widely heard as Arcade Fire, but that's the problem. Instead of getting all worked up about this futile, boring album, why not seek out something better and make it as widely heard? Arcade Fire didn't get where they are overnight, they had lots of word-of-mouth and blog support. So support something worth supporting, not the latest superfluous album from this band, who I feel is now increasingly irrelevant to modern music. That's only my opinion, of course, which holds no more weight than those that love the new album, but I say this mainly because lately I've felt like the lone sane person in a group of loonies when it comes to this band. Burn me in effigy for it if you must.

The Fresh Prince Project by Dr. Tweenus Gonzo

2010-10-14T14:04:00.000-07:00

Presenting, The Fresh Prince Project.

This is some batshit crazy music from Dr. Tweenus Gonzo, an album with each song being based on an episode of the first season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It's good and you should download it because it's FREE. You should also buy the CD though because it comes with a hand-painted cover of your choice based on an episode of the show.