np: "leave the biker" - fountains of wayne
it's been awhile since i've pulled out the debut by these guys, and it's only gotten stronger in the downtime - if that's even possible. FoW really know thier way around a hook, and i really consider them to be my favorite pop band ever. i discovered them shortly before the debut came out, thanks mostly to my Pumpkins obsession being in high gear in the mid-90s. i had read that James and D'arcy were putting a label together, Scratchie Records, to distribute some of the bands they wanted to get out there. FoW, along with Fulflej and the Chainsaw Kittens, were among the first albums released on the imprint. being the obsessive that i am, and having a hook-up at a local record shop, i was able to pick up all three albums around the time they first came out. Fulflej's Wack Ass Tuba Riff at least got the wack part correct and Chainsaw Kittens really didn't hold my attention all that long. but i loved Fountains of Wayne from the first moment "Radiation Vibe" came flowing out of my headphones. fucking pop bliss. which was odd for me at the time to enjoy because in addition to the Pumpkins, i had recently discovered June of 44, Rachel's, Rodan, and the glories of the Touch and Go/Quarterstick post-rock thing going on. pop was the last thing i was looking for at the time. but when something is that damn good, you don't fight it. you just enjoy. i'll never forget the mornings walking to class with "Survival Car" and "Joe Ray" blaring through my headphones.
on another FoW tip, i had the weirdest thing happen to me when i left work. i had a certain line from "Hey Julie" bouncing around in my head all day and it would not go away no matter how hard i tried. sure enough i leave work, get in my car, turn on the radio, and that exact same line came back at me immediately. "no i'll never make it through without you around". that's great pop music right there folks.
Dec 30, 2003
Dec 28, 2003
np: "hold and it will happen anyway" - liars
three highly anticipated releases for early 2004 have been leaked online, and i've been enjoying all three of them today - Xiu Xiu's Fabolous Muscles, Liars' They Were Wrong So We Drowned, and The Walkmen's Bows and Arrows. The Walkmen album is my favorite so far, it hit me from the first listen on a level that the debut album didn't. that one took me some time to get into, but Bows had me hooked from song one. the Liars album is also fucking excellent, more of the post-punk madness that we've grown to love from the band. "They Don't Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids" is a stand-out, but the whole album is excellent.
on the Christmas front, it was a pretty good year for gifts. i finally got a turntable, but the needle was so worn down that i have to track down a new one before i can actually use it. so if anyone knows where i can pick up a needle for a Pioneer turntable, hook a brother up in the comments section. i also picked up the GBV box set with some Best Buy gift cards, and i'm enjoying the shit out of that. i haven't had time to watch the DVD yet, but all of the music included is excellent. speaking of DVDs, i'm going to be watching those for the next several weeks and still not get through everything i received. in addition to the previously mentioned Ben Stiller Show, i also got The Sopranos Season 4, Mr. Show Seasons 1-3, X-Men 2, and Pirates of the Caribbean. yeah, that one.. i fucking loved Johnny Depp's performance. the best summer blockbuster of the past couple years by a longshot.
anyway, i hope y'all enjoyed your holidays and have a happy and safe New Year's Eve.
three highly anticipated releases for early 2004 have been leaked online, and i've been enjoying all three of them today - Xiu Xiu's Fabolous Muscles, Liars' They Were Wrong So We Drowned, and The Walkmen's Bows and Arrows. The Walkmen album is my favorite so far, it hit me from the first listen on a level that the debut album didn't. that one took me some time to get into, but Bows had me hooked from song one. the Liars album is also fucking excellent, more of the post-punk madness that we've grown to love from the band. "They Don't Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids" is a stand-out, but the whole album is excellent.
on the Christmas front, it was a pretty good year for gifts. i finally got a turntable, but the needle was so worn down that i have to track down a new one before i can actually use it. so if anyone knows where i can pick up a needle for a Pioneer turntable, hook a brother up in the comments section. i also picked up the GBV box set with some Best Buy gift cards, and i'm enjoying the shit out of that. i haven't had time to watch the DVD yet, but all of the music included is excellent. speaking of DVDs, i'm going to be watching those for the next several weeks and still not get through everything i received. in addition to the previously mentioned Ben Stiller Show, i also got The Sopranos Season 4, Mr. Show Seasons 1-3, X-Men 2, and Pirates of the Caribbean. yeah, that one.. i fucking loved Johnny Depp's performance. the best summer blockbuster of the past couple years by a longshot.
anyway, i hope y'all enjoyed your holidays and have a happy and safe New Year's Eve.
Dec 24, 2003
oh, and as an addendum to that last post. the Sufjan Stevens was one of the two albums in the Pitchfork Top Ten that i hadn't heard, not out of the whole list. there's a lot more i hadn't heard in the lower ranks of the list. for those of you curious, the other top tenner i haven't heard is The Lemon of Pink. and unless someone can give me a convincing argument for it, i don't plan on it any time soon. i just wasn't feeling Thought for Food at all last year, and i don't see my opinion of The Books changing any time soon.
np: "say yes! to michigan" - sufjan stevens
this album was one of the two albums in the Pitchfork Top 50 that i hadn't heard, so i figured i would give it a listen. that and the fact that a person from a messageboard i frequent, whom i madly respect when it comes to music, was hyping it to no end. i'm liking the sound of it so far, but i can tell its one of those albums i'm going to want to sit down and spend some quality time with. i enjoy records like that from time to time. and i gotta admire the guy's plan to record one of these albums for every state in the union. take that, 69 Love Songs.
speaking of Pitchfork, the latest year-end list has done its job and managed to stir up quite a bit of talk throughout the net - a good deal of it for the choice of album of the year, but more for what's lacking from list. the White Stripes were a quite noticeable omission, until you check back and see the 6.9 score the reviewer gave it. more striking was the fact that quite a few favorably reviewed albums failed to make the cut - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pretty Girls Make Graves, and the New Pornos to name a few off the top of my head. as far as The Rapture snagging album of the year - i don't agree with it being considered the best of the year, but at the same time i can almost see the reasoning behind it. Echoes was definately a major indication of the swing towards danceable indie rock that has been going down in the past few years, and thanks to "House of Jealous Lovers" it was also the most high-profile. i have a feeling that it's going to be one of those albums that is looked back upon as a touchstone in the shifting of the indie rock gears, for better or for worse. but when it all comes down to it i can't back it up as album of the year because, let's face it, there were some downright less than mediocre songs on there. and imho, several kick ass tracks and several weak tracks don't make for the best thing of any given year. just my two cents.
and with that, i'm out for the next couple of days. so i wanna wish y'all a happy holiday, whatever one you choose to celebrate. and even if you choose to celebrate none at all, enjoy your time off of work you heathen.
this album was one of the two albums in the Pitchfork Top 50 that i hadn't heard, so i figured i would give it a listen. that and the fact that a person from a messageboard i frequent, whom i madly respect when it comes to music, was hyping it to no end. i'm liking the sound of it so far, but i can tell its one of those albums i'm going to want to sit down and spend some quality time with. i enjoy records like that from time to time. and i gotta admire the guy's plan to record one of these albums for every state in the union. take that, 69 Love Songs.
speaking of Pitchfork, the latest year-end list has done its job and managed to stir up quite a bit of talk throughout the net - a good deal of it for the choice of album of the year, but more for what's lacking from list. the White Stripes were a quite noticeable omission, until you check back and see the 6.9 score the reviewer gave it. more striking was the fact that quite a few favorably reviewed albums failed to make the cut - Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pretty Girls Make Graves, and the New Pornos to name a few off the top of my head. as far as The Rapture snagging album of the year - i don't agree with it being considered the best of the year, but at the same time i can almost see the reasoning behind it. Echoes was definately a major indication of the swing towards danceable indie rock that has been going down in the past few years, and thanks to "House of Jealous Lovers" it was also the most high-profile. i have a feeling that it's going to be one of those albums that is looked back upon as a touchstone in the shifting of the indie rock gears, for better or for worse. but when it all comes down to it i can't back it up as album of the year because, let's face it, there were some downright less than mediocre songs on there. and imho, several kick ass tracks and several weak tracks don't make for the best thing of any given year. just my two cents.
and with that, i'm out for the next couple of days. so i wanna wish y'all a happy holiday, whatever one you choose to celebrate. and even if you choose to celebrate none at all, enjoy your time off of work you heathen.
Dec 23, 2003
np: "the bear" - my morning jacket
my Christmas spirit is rapidly fading away tonight. i sat down to enjoy my annual viewing of Christmas Vacation, when it was spoiled about halfway through by my neighbors upstairs blasting bass and rattling my shit enough to keep knocking my already loose A/V connection out. fuckers. and it's not so much just the bass that's annoying me, it's the constantly pounding on the floor and bouncing a ball on the kitchen floor. it's not a good start, everytime they start up with this noise level it goes on until 3 or 4 in the morning. some of us do have to work on Christmas Eve actually. and complaining is no use, the last time i tried to nicely ask them to keep it down they pretended not to speak English and shut the door in my face. fuck, i hate to sound like a boring old fart... but there's a reason i moved away from a college campus.
oh well, one half of a work day to survive through and my insanely busy Christmas celebration begins. i'll have to rush out to my grandmother's house for dinner, followed by a gift exchange at my dad. then Christmas morning i have to get up early and head over to my mom's for a quick brunch and then on to my girlfriend's parents' for dinner. not to complain though, it's kinda nice to have so much to do on the holiday rather than just sit around with annoying relatives for hours on end. just a wee bit nervous about meeting her parents though.
so what did i ask for from Santa this year? well an IPod would be the shit, but i'm not holding my breath on that one. i'll just be happy to finally get a working turntable, since that was the main gift i've been hinting at for months. other than that, there's not a whole lot i've been looking for. those so inclined to learn a little more about what a boy like me wants, you can check out my wishlist.
alright, it just got even louder upstairs. i'm going to go shove my head in the closet and slam the door several times.
my Christmas spirit is rapidly fading away tonight. i sat down to enjoy my annual viewing of Christmas Vacation, when it was spoiled about halfway through by my neighbors upstairs blasting bass and rattling my shit enough to keep knocking my already loose A/V connection out. fuckers. and it's not so much just the bass that's annoying me, it's the constantly pounding on the floor and bouncing a ball on the kitchen floor. it's not a good start, everytime they start up with this noise level it goes on until 3 or 4 in the morning. some of us do have to work on Christmas Eve actually. and complaining is no use, the last time i tried to nicely ask them to keep it down they pretended not to speak English and shut the door in my face. fuck, i hate to sound like a boring old fart... but there's a reason i moved away from a college campus.
oh well, one half of a work day to survive through and my insanely busy Christmas celebration begins. i'll have to rush out to my grandmother's house for dinner, followed by a gift exchange at my dad. then Christmas morning i have to get up early and head over to my mom's for a quick brunch and then on to my girlfriend's parents' for dinner. not to complain though, it's kinda nice to have so much to do on the holiday rather than just sit around with annoying relatives for hours on end. just a wee bit nervous about meeting her parents though.
so what did i ask for from Santa this year? well an IPod would be the shit, but i'm not holding my breath on that one. i'll just be happy to finally get a working turntable, since that was the main gift i've been hinting at for months. other than that, there's not a whole lot i've been looking for. those so inclined to learn a little more about what a boy like me wants, you can check out my wishlist.
alright, it just got even louder upstairs. i'm going to go shove my head in the closet and slam the door several times.
Dec 22, 2003
np: "losing my edge" - lcd soundsystem
so i broke out the hipster dancing shoes and picked up DFA Compilation #1 last night. some really cool shit on there that i'd not heard, including this LCD song that probably has the best lyrics ever on any of the disco-p(h)unk songs yet.
i'm so hyped for Christmas now, i don't know what has pushed me over the edge over the last week, but something did. i think the kick-ass presents from the girlfriend over the weekend helped quite a bit - tickets to a Chicago Wolves game and The Ben Stiller Show DVD. that shit is classic. i saw one episode back when it originally aired and always wondered how it disappeared so quickly. stupid television executives. how could you go wrong with a cast of Andy Dick, Stiller, Bob Odenkirk, and Janeane Garofalo? not to mention David Cross on the writing team. or the cameos from Todd Bridges, Run-DMC, Bobcat Goldthwait, Flea, Dennis Miller, and Garry Shandling. or U2: The Early Years. or Amish Studs. because really, what's funnier than comedy skits involving the Amish? nothing.
so i broke out the hipster dancing shoes and picked up DFA Compilation #1 last night. some really cool shit on there that i'd not heard, including this LCD song that probably has the best lyrics ever on any of the disco-p(h)unk songs yet.
i'm so hyped for Christmas now, i don't know what has pushed me over the edge over the last week, but something did. i think the kick-ass presents from the girlfriend over the weekend helped quite a bit - tickets to a Chicago Wolves game and The Ben Stiller Show DVD. that shit is classic. i saw one episode back when it originally aired and always wondered how it disappeared so quickly. stupid television executives. how could you go wrong with a cast of Andy Dick, Stiller, Bob Odenkirk, and Janeane Garofalo? not to mention David Cross on the writing team. or the cameos from Todd Bridges, Run-DMC, Bobcat Goldthwait, Flea, Dennis Miller, and Garry Shandling. or U2: The Early Years. or Amish Studs. because really, what's funnier than comedy skits involving the Amish? nothing.
Dec 21, 2003
Top 100 Singles of 2003
i'm not exactly the best at remembering what was by definition a single per se, but here's what i consider to be some of the best songs of 2003:
100. Ambulance vs. Ambulance – Blood Brothers
99. Harmonic Generator – The Datsuns
98. What We Do – Freeway w/ Jay-Z & Beanie Siegel
97. Made You Look – Nas
96. Like Glue – Sean Paul
95. Art is Hard – Cursive
94. Ladyfingers – The Fever
93. Lyric – Zwan
92. Frontin’ – Pharrell Williams w/ Jay-Z
91. We’ve Had Enough – Alkaline Trio
90. Shatterday – Vendetta Red
89. The Jump Off – Lil’ Kim
88. Girl’s Not Grey – AFI
87. I Luv U – Dizzee Rascal
86. Fall Back Down – Rancid
85. California Waiting – Kings of Leon
84. Signals Over the Air – Thursday
83. Still in Love Song – The Stills
82. Rock Your Body – Justin Timberlake
81..Fix Up Look Sharp – Dizzee Rascal
80. I Get Along – The Libertines
79. Black Jettas – Ima Robot
78. We Don’t Play Guitar – Chicks on Speed
77. Quattro – Calexico
76. Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt – Mars Volta
75. I Can – Nas
74. The Leaving Song Pt. 2 – AFI
73. Earth Shaking Event – Cex
72. Hands Down – Dashboard Confessional
71. Beware of the Boyz – Punjabi MC w/ Jay-Z
70. Gay Bar – Electric Six
69. Go to Sleep – Radiohead
68. Stop – BRMC
67. We Used to be Friends – Dandy Warhols
66. La La La (Excuse Me Again) – Jay-Z
65. That Great Love Sound – Raveonettes
64. 21 Questions – 50 Cent
63. Deliverance – Bubba Sparxxx
62. Franco Un-American – NOFX
61. Lucky Star – Basement Jaxx w/ Dizzee Rascal
60. She Sends Kisses – Wrens
59. Tear It Up – Andrew WK
58. Out of Time – Blur
57. Blueside – Rooney
56. Fight Test – Flaming Lips
55. Hey Julie – Fountains of Wayne
54. Stunt 101 – G-Unit
53. A.D.I.D.A.S. – Killer Mike w/ Big Boi
52. Change Clothes – Jay-Z
51. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows – Brand New
50. She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit) – Spiritualized
49. Burning Photographs – Ryan Adams
48. P.I.M.P. – 50 Cent
47. Run Into Flowers – M83
46. Feeling This – Blink 182
45. Jacknuggeted – Manitoba
44. The Best of Jill Hives – Guided by Voices
43. The Hardest Button to Button – The White Stripes
42. Get Your Hands Off My Woman – The Darkness
41. Hendrix with KO – Manitoba
40. Sister Savior – The Rapture
39. This is Our Emergency – Pretty Girls Make Graves
38. The Golden Path – Chemical Brothers w/ Flaming Lips
37. Got Some Teeth – Obie Trice
36. Milkshake – Kelis
35. A Certain Cemetery – Pretty Girls Make Graves
34. Santa Cruz (You’re Not That Far) – The Thrills
33. Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
32. Swing Swing – All-American Rejects
31. Bad Day – R.E.M.
30. Crazy in Love – Jay-Z w/ Beyonce
29. The Seed 2.0 – The Roots w/ Cody Chestnutt
28. Pass That Dutch – Missy Elliott
27. There There – Radiohead
26. Nighttime Anytime (It’s Alright) – The Constantines
25. The Future Freaks Me Out – Motion City Soundtrack
24. Danger! High Voltage! – Electric Six
23. The New Year – Death Cab for Cutie
22. Comin’ Round – Bubba Sparxxx
21. So Says I – The Shins
20. The Way You Move – Outkast
19. Where Have All the Rudeboys Gone? – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
18. I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
17. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight – The Postal Service
16. 12:51 –The Strokes
15. Cry Me a River – Justin Timberlake
14. Beautiful – Snoop Dogg w/ Pharrell Williams
13. Ghettomusick – Outkast
12. Stand Up – Ludacris
11. In Da Club – 50 Cent
10. Gossip Folks – Missy Elliott w/ Ludacris
9. Move Your Feet – Junior Senior
8. Hurt – Johnny Cash
7. Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne
6. Such Great Heights – The Postal Service
5. Ignition (Remix) – R. Kelly
4. Me & Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard - !!!
3. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
2. House of Jealous Lovers – The Rapture
1. Hey Ya – Outkast
i'm not exactly the best at remembering what was by definition a single per se, but here's what i consider to be some of the best songs of 2003:
100. Ambulance vs. Ambulance – Blood Brothers
99. Harmonic Generator – The Datsuns
98. What We Do – Freeway w/ Jay-Z & Beanie Siegel
97. Made You Look – Nas
96. Like Glue – Sean Paul
95. Art is Hard – Cursive
94. Ladyfingers – The Fever
93. Lyric – Zwan
92. Frontin’ – Pharrell Williams w/ Jay-Z
91. We’ve Had Enough – Alkaline Trio
90. Shatterday – Vendetta Red
89. The Jump Off – Lil’ Kim
88. Girl’s Not Grey – AFI
87. I Luv U – Dizzee Rascal
86. Fall Back Down – Rancid
85. California Waiting – Kings of Leon
84. Signals Over the Air – Thursday
83. Still in Love Song – The Stills
82. Rock Your Body – Justin Timberlake
81..Fix Up Look Sharp – Dizzee Rascal
80. I Get Along – The Libertines
79. Black Jettas – Ima Robot
78. We Don’t Play Guitar – Chicks on Speed
77. Quattro – Calexico
76. Take the Veil Cerpin Taxt – Mars Volta
75. I Can – Nas
74. The Leaving Song Pt. 2 – AFI
73. Earth Shaking Event – Cex
72. Hands Down – Dashboard Confessional
71. Beware of the Boyz – Punjabi MC w/ Jay-Z
70. Gay Bar – Electric Six
69. Go to Sleep – Radiohead
68. Stop – BRMC
67. We Used to be Friends – Dandy Warhols
66. La La La (Excuse Me Again) – Jay-Z
65. That Great Love Sound – Raveonettes
64. 21 Questions – 50 Cent
63. Deliverance – Bubba Sparxxx
62. Franco Un-American – NOFX
61. Lucky Star – Basement Jaxx w/ Dizzee Rascal
60. She Sends Kisses – Wrens
59. Tear It Up – Andrew WK
58. Out of Time – Blur
57. Blueside – Rooney
56. Fight Test – Flaming Lips
55. Hey Julie – Fountains of Wayne
54. Stunt 101 – G-Unit
53. A.D.I.D.A.S. – Killer Mike w/ Big Boi
52. Change Clothes – Jay-Z
51. The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows – Brand New
50. She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit) – Spiritualized
49. Burning Photographs – Ryan Adams
48. P.I.M.P. – 50 Cent
47. Run Into Flowers – M83
46. Feeling This – Blink 182
45. Jacknuggeted – Manitoba
44. The Best of Jill Hives – Guided by Voices
43. The Hardest Button to Button – The White Stripes
42. Get Your Hands Off My Woman – The Darkness
41. Hendrix with KO – Manitoba
40. Sister Savior – The Rapture
39. This is Our Emergency – Pretty Girls Make Graves
38. The Golden Path – Chemical Brothers w/ Flaming Lips
37. Got Some Teeth – Obie Trice
36. Milkshake – Kelis
35. A Certain Cemetery – Pretty Girls Make Graves
34. Santa Cruz (You’re Not That Far) – The Thrills
33. Maps – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
32. Swing Swing – All-American Rejects
31. Bad Day – R.E.M.
30. Crazy in Love – Jay-Z w/ Beyonce
29. The Seed 2.0 – The Roots w/ Cody Chestnutt
28. Pass That Dutch – Missy Elliott
27. There There – Radiohead
26. Nighttime Anytime (It’s Alright) – The Constantines
25. The Future Freaks Me Out – Motion City Soundtrack
24. Danger! High Voltage! – Electric Six
23. The New Year – Death Cab for Cutie
22. Comin’ Round – Bubba Sparxxx
21. So Says I – The Shins
20. The Way You Move – Outkast
19. Where Have All the Rudeboys Gone? – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
18. I Believe in a Thing Called Love – The Darkness
17. The District Sleeps Alone Tonight – The Postal Service
16. 12:51 –The Strokes
15. Cry Me a River – Justin Timberlake
14. Beautiful – Snoop Dogg w/ Pharrell Williams
13. Ghettomusick – Outkast
12. Stand Up – Ludacris
11. In Da Club – 50 Cent
10. Gossip Folks – Missy Elliott w/ Ludacris
9. Move Your Feet – Junior Senior
8. Hurt – Johnny Cash
7. Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne
6. Such Great Heights – The Postal Service
5. Ignition (Remix) – R. Kelly
4. Me & Giuliani Down by the Schoolyard - !!!
3. Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
2. House of Jealous Lovers – The Rapture
1. Hey Ya – Outkast
Dec 17, 2003
np: "christmas time for my penis" - the vandals
Christmas spirit all up in herre, holla. nothing like a novelty song to make the spirits bright y'all. really though, i'm all about the Christmas songs this week from the classics to the new school. i mean, honestly, how have we made it this far without a Christmas song from the Darkness? shit is tight. and mad props to my boy over at catchdubs for hooking me up with some overlooked gems these last couple of days. and while i'm throwing around props, send some over to Lisa Oliver over at Stylus, for not only bringing some new blood to that site, but also for laying the smack down on those annoying ass people at shows.
and one anti-prop while i'm at it... how fucking hard it is for people to label the goddamn songs correctly on file-sharing programs? i know i shouldn't be bitching, free and all, but come on people get that shit straight. just throwing the name of someone in the general genre of the said tune is not helping. aight, i'm done.
on to happier things... i've finally scheduled my time to see Return of the King. i haven't been this excited for a movie in a long fucking time. and The OC tonight was hot as usual, cheesy ending and all. Seth was pushing the dork boundary a little too far tonight, but that's why we all love him. but damn, any episode with Aunt Haley rockin' the tank top and panties is good in my book.
Christmas spirit all up in herre, holla. nothing like a novelty song to make the spirits bright y'all. really though, i'm all about the Christmas songs this week from the classics to the new school. i mean, honestly, how have we made it this far without a Christmas song from the Darkness? shit is tight. and mad props to my boy over at catchdubs for hooking me up with some overlooked gems these last couple of days. and while i'm throwing around props, send some over to Lisa Oliver over at Stylus, for not only bringing some new blood to that site, but also for laying the smack down on those annoying ass people at shows.
and one anti-prop while i'm at it... how fucking hard it is for people to label the goddamn songs correctly on file-sharing programs? i know i shouldn't be bitching, free and all, but come on people get that shit straight. just throwing the name of someone in the general genre of the said tune is not helping. aight, i'm done.
on to happier things... i've finally scheduled my time to see Return of the King. i haven't been this excited for a movie in a long fucking time. and The OC tonight was hot as usual, cheesy ending and all. Seth was pushing the dork boundary a little too far tonight, but that's why we all love him. but damn, any episode with Aunt Haley rockin' the tank top and panties is good in my book.
Dec 15, 2003
np: "Blue Christmas" - Bright Eyes
i'm in the Christmas mood tonight finally, took longer than usual to happen. i think it was the snow last night, the wrapping of presents, and the shopping at Woodfield yesterday. which wasn't as horrendous of an experience as i was afraid of. i hate that mall on an ordinary day, so i dreaded going this close to Christmas, when it was guaranteed to be "asshole to elbow" as my dad is fond of saying. but my girlfriend dragged my lazy ass out of bed and we were there before 9 in the morning, so it wasn't quite so bad. i finished up my shopping there, with an excellent score of this for my little brother. that's the hot shit right there.
and, as happens every year, i picked up something that should have been on my Top 50 without a doubt. i always find something shortly after i finish my list that is very deserving of a place, and this year it was Bubba Sparxxx's Deliverance. i wasn't a big fan of that single of his off the first album, so i admit i was totally sleepin' on this one. i did check "Comin' Round" thanks to P-Fork, but i figured there was no way in hell the whole album could be that good. but due to the $9.99 asking price at Le Boutique de Tar-jay (that's Target up in herre), and this review, i thought it was worth a chance. and goddamn, it was well worth the money. granted the whole album is not as good as "Comin' Round", and i still think its the best track on the thing, it is nonetheless a great hip-hop album from start to finish. the southern vibe complete with harmonicas seems so far beyond a gimmick for Bubba now, and works damn well with his flow. and the top-notch production from Timbaland is off the hook.
in other hip-hop news, i dled the leaked Eminem EP tonight, and its got some good shit on it. i recommend "Can-I-Bitch" if y'all want to hear a sample. a hilarious dis track aimed at Canibus with a beat not too far removed from "Without Me", this is by far the best thing on the 7-song EP.
i'm in the Christmas mood tonight finally, took longer than usual to happen. i think it was the snow last night, the wrapping of presents, and the shopping at Woodfield yesterday. which wasn't as horrendous of an experience as i was afraid of. i hate that mall on an ordinary day, so i dreaded going this close to Christmas, when it was guaranteed to be "asshole to elbow" as my dad is fond of saying. but my girlfriend dragged my lazy ass out of bed and we were there before 9 in the morning, so it wasn't quite so bad. i finished up my shopping there, with an excellent score of this for my little brother. that's the hot shit right there.
and, as happens every year, i picked up something that should have been on my Top 50 without a doubt. i always find something shortly after i finish my list that is very deserving of a place, and this year it was Bubba Sparxxx's Deliverance. i wasn't a big fan of that single of his off the first album, so i admit i was totally sleepin' on this one. i did check "Comin' Round" thanks to P-Fork, but i figured there was no way in hell the whole album could be that good. but due to the $9.99 asking price at Le Boutique de Tar-jay (that's Target up in herre), and this review, i thought it was worth a chance. and goddamn, it was well worth the money. granted the whole album is not as good as "Comin' Round", and i still think its the best track on the thing, it is nonetheless a great hip-hop album from start to finish. the southern vibe complete with harmonicas seems so far beyond a gimmick for Bubba now, and works damn well with his flow. and the top-notch production from Timbaland is off the hook.
in other hip-hop news, i dled the leaked Eminem EP tonight, and its got some good shit on it. i recommend "Can-I-Bitch" if y'all want to hear a sample. a hilarious dis track aimed at Canibus with a beat not too far removed from "Without Me", this is by far the best thing on the 7-song EP.
Dec 10, 2003
Top 50 Albums of 2003 Part V (The Top Ten)
aww shit, the moment that someone, somewhere has been waiting for. although i'm not quite sure who that "someone" is. maybe it you...
10. Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic
this one was set to hit my top ten long before the tragic van accident earlier this year, and it saddens me to realize this is all we'll ever get to hear of this band. Cheap Trick, Big Star, and lots of punk attitude rolled up in to one big ball of piss and vinegar. i love this album.
9. Jet - Get Born
save it, this shit is hot. the influences are all over the map - AC/DC, Oasis, Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, and yes they are as obvious as a hard-on in a speedo. but who cares when a band can bring the action like this? immediately catchy, worthy or repeated listens, and one of the best debut albums of the year. will the flame burn out like Oasis? or will they prove there's more where this came from? either way, i for one will be paying attention.
8. Pretty Girls Make Graves - The New Romance
i love it when a highly anticipated second album just blows away the debut that i have been digging on for over a year. Andrea Zollo is by far the most engaging female vocalist on the scene right now, and "A Certain Cemetery" is one of the best tracks of 2003. check it, now.
7. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
what more can be said about Radiohead at this point? they didn't go back to the pure guitar rock of The Bends as hinted at, and they didn't go on and make Kid C either. what they did do, was combine the best of both worlds to make yet another excellent album.
6. The Shins - Chutes too Narrow
Oh, Inverted World was an amazing debut, but the band managed to top that by cleaning up the fuzz and coming up with some beautiful melodies. in a perfect world "So Says I", "Saint Simon", and "Kissing the Lipless" would be burning up radio charts around the world. instead they'll just have to live on in infinite repeat in my head, which is what every great song should aspire to be.
5. Manitoba - Up in Flames
this album is pure poetry to me, capturing the bliss of a summer spent with nothing to do perfectly over its course. it's IDM that doesn't forget the heart that is essential to making a great album.
4. The Strokes - Room on Fire
it's the little touches that keep this from being just another Is This It?, the keyboard emulating guitar solo on "12:51", the drum machine imitating beats, and the "who gives a fuck lyrics" that suit Julian's voice to a 'T'. it's not breaking new territory, but what it does do is prove that the debut was no fluke, and the garage kings of NYC weren't just a flash in the pan.
3. The White Stripes - Elephant
how do they do it? how do two people turn such simplicity into some of the best rock music on the radio right now? how can a mediocre drummer and a mediocre vocalist come together to throw down such a wide variety of tunes that really make you feel something? because Jack White has an amazing ability to reach down into the primordal stew of rock and roll history and pull out something that is timeless, classic, and brand new all at once. simply put, "Seven Nation Army" is the best rock song of the last five years. and that's just the beginning of this wonderful album.
2. The Postal Service - Give Up
on paper, this looked like it could have been one of the most vomit-inducing records in eons. Ben Gibbard whining heart-on-sleeve lyrics over Jimmy Tamborello's beats? please. but it works, because Gibbard brings some of the most honest and emotion-enducing lyrics of his career and Tamborello provides the instrumental base that weaves it into pure gold.
1. Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Speakerboxx alone is among the top hip-hop albums albums of the year. brilliant lyrics, pounding beats that rise above the pack, and the little touches that has made Outkast the best in the game. check "Bowtie", "Ghetto Musick", and "War" for further proof. then you package that with one of the best mindfucks in hip-hop history and you get the best album of the year - hands down. Andre 3000 shifts into overdrive, becoming the Prince/George Clinton/Miles Davis/Al Green cross-pollination result that we've all been waiting for (we just didn't know it). i think it was the "My Favorite Things" cover that clinched it for me. who else would have been able to turn that jazz standard into a key moment on a fucking hip-hop record? nobody but the kings.
aww shit, the moment that someone, somewhere has been waiting for. although i'm not quite sure who that "someone" is. maybe it you...
10. Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic
this one was set to hit my top ten long before the tragic van accident earlier this year, and it saddens me to realize this is all we'll ever get to hear of this band. Cheap Trick, Big Star, and lots of punk attitude rolled up in to one big ball of piss and vinegar. i love this album.
9. Jet - Get Born
save it, this shit is hot. the influences are all over the map - AC/DC, Oasis, Cheap Trick, Iggy Pop, and yes they are as obvious as a hard-on in a speedo. but who cares when a band can bring the action like this? immediately catchy, worthy or repeated listens, and one of the best debut albums of the year. will the flame burn out like Oasis? or will they prove there's more where this came from? either way, i for one will be paying attention.
8. Pretty Girls Make Graves - The New Romance
i love it when a highly anticipated second album just blows away the debut that i have been digging on for over a year. Andrea Zollo is by far the most engaging female vocalist on the scene right now, and "A Certain Cemetery" is one of the best tracks of 2003. check it, now.
7. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
what more can be said about Radiohead at this point? they didn't go back to the pure guitar rock of The Bends as hinted at, and they didn't go on and make Kid C either. what they did do, was combine the best of both worlds to make yet another excellent album.
6. The Shins - Chutes too Narrow
Oh, Inverted World was an amazing debut, but the band managed to top that by cleaning up the fuzz and coming up with some beautiful melodies. in a perfect world "So Says I", "Saint Simon", and "Kissing the Lipless" would be burning up radio charts around the world. instead they'll just have to live on in infinite repeat in my head, which is what every great song should aspire to be.
5. Manitoba - Up in Flames
this album is pure poetry to me, capturing the bliss of a summer spent with nothing to do perfectly over its course. it's IDM that doesn't forget the heart that is essential to making a great album.
4. The Strokes - Room on Fire
it's the little touches that keep this from being just another Is This It?, the keyboard emulating guitar solo on "12:51", the drum machine imitating beats, and the "who gives a fuck lyrics" that suit Julian's voice to a 'T'. it's not breaking new territory, but what it does do is prove that the debut was no fluke, and the garage kings of NYC weren't just a flash in the pan.
3. The White Stripes - Elephant
how do they do it? how do two people turn such simplicity into some of the best rock music on the radio right now? how can a mediocre drummer and a mediocre vocalist come together to throw down such a wide variety of tunes that really make you feel something? because Jack White has an amazing ability to reach down into the primordal stew of rock and roll history and pull out something that is timeless, classic, and brand new all at once. simply put, "Seven Nation Army" is the best rock song of the last five years. and that's just the beginning of this wonderful album.
2. The Postal Service - Give Up
on paper, this looked like it could have been one of the most vomit-inducing records in eons. Ben Gibbard whining heart-on-sleeve lyrics over Jimmy Tamborello's beats? please. but it works, because Gibbard brings some of the most honest and emotion-enducing lyrics of his career and Tamborello provides the instrumental base that weaves it into pure gold.
1. Outkast - Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Speakerboxx alone is among the top hip-hop albums albums of the year. brilliant lyrics, pounding beats that rise above the pack, and the little touches that has made Outkast the best in the game. check "Bowtie", "Ghetto Musick", and "War" for further proof. then you package that with one of the best mindfucks in hip-hop history and you get the best album of the year - hands down. Andre 3000 shifts into overdrive, becoming the Prince/George Clinton/Miles Davis/Al Green cross-pollination result that we've all been waiting for (we just didn't know it). i think it was the "My Favorite Things" cover that clinched it for me. who else would have been able to turn that jazz standard into a key moment on a fucking hip-hop record? nobody but the kings.
Dec 9, 2003
Top 50 Albums of 2003 Part IV (20-11)
we crack the Top 20, and i have a little to say about each one this time.
20. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
a great power-pop album that deserved to be all over rock radio, if only the wonderful two-tone tribute, "Where Have all the Rudeboys Gone?". this is my first exposure to Ted Leo, but it left me wondering why the hell that happened.
19. Jay-Z - The Black Album
not Jigga's finest moment, check Reasonable Doubt or The Blueprint, but a strong supposed finish to his recording career. the lack of guest artists makes this a grand statement that holds up very well. it's a pleasant surprise to hear new producers putting up some of the greatest tracks, while The Neptunes just seem to coast along on rep. "99 Problems" is essential for Rick Rubin's production, while "Lucifer" is for my favorite sample of the year.
18. Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher
some of the best hip-hop beats found on any album in 2003, and an enjoyable listen from start to finish. i don't know what genre i would classify it as, other than saying it's most definately worth a spin for anyone into hip-hop, IDM, techno, or just plain interesting instrumental music.
17. Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood
bringing the southern boogie to the garage rock revolution, these four boys bomb like the Allman's without the extended jamming. this album is enough to make you realize that Southern rock never should have completely died out.
16. Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
i've never been a huge Jaxx fan, but they've always managed to smuggle a single into my radar with each release. this album breaks that pattern, as it's filled with great tracks that get me in the clubbing mood. great collaborations from Siouxie Siuox, Dizzee Rascal, and others keep it interesting. and JC Chasez proves that J-Tim isn't the only N*Syncer that can get his groove on.
15. The Decemberists - Her Majesty
this band blew out of nowhere for me with two albums catching my ear in 2003. the proper release from this year continues the tradition set by the debut EP and first album, beautiful chamber-pop with intelligent lyrics without sacrificing on melody.
14. Wrens - The Meadowlands
wow, wow, wow. i'm not sure what else to say about this album. this was another first intro to a band for me this year, and i was enthralled upon first listen. i can tell this is a challenging, always interesting release that will pop up in rotation for some time to come.
13. 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying
quite simply put, this is the best hip-hop album of 2003 by a longshot. "In Da Club", "Wanksta", "20 Questions", and "P.I.M.P" blew up the radio in the 0-3, but there could have easily been 2-3 more successful singles off the album. 50's engaging flow and top-notch production from Dre, Em, and others keeps this off the hook from beginning to end. the lack of weak skits is also a big plus, keep it on the music yo.
12. Notwist - Neon Golden
technically a 2002 release, but this one didn't get a domestic issue here until spring and didn't hit my ears until this year. beautiful lap-pop that sticks with you on an initial listen, but begs you to come back for more and wallow in the goodness.
11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
overall quite a successful debut for this over-hyped band, proving that they are capable of bringing the noise over a full-length. "Maps" is one of the most beautiful songs of the year, and the Karen O's backing boys prove that there is far more to this band than just an engaging lead singer. i'm looking forward to seeing where they go next.
we crack the Top 20, and i have a little to say about each one this time.
20. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
a great power-pop album that deserved to be all over rock radio, if only the wonderful two-tone tribute, "Where Have all the Rudeboys Gone?". this is my first exposure to Ted Leo, but it left me wondering why the hell that happened.
19. Jay-Z - The Black Album
not Jigga's finest moment, check Reasonable Doubt or The Blueprint, but a strong supposed finish to his recording career. the lack of guest artists makes this a grand statement that holds up very well. it's a pleasant surprise to hear new producers putting up some of the greatest tracks, while The Neptunes just seem to coast along on rep. "99 Problems" is essential for Rick Rubin's production, while "Lucifer" is for my favorite sample of the year.
18. Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher
some of the best hip-hop beats found on any album in 2003, and an enjoyable listen from start to finish. i don't know what genre i would classify it as, other than saying it's most definately worth a spin for anyone into hip-hop, IDM, techno, or just plain interesting instrumental music.
17. Kings of Leon - Youth and Young Manhood
bringing the southern boogie to the garage rock revolution, these four boys bomb like the Allman's without the extended jamming. this album is enough to make you realize that Southern rock never should have completely died out.
16. Basement Jaxx - Kish Kash
i've never been a huge Jaxx fan, but they've always managed to smuggle a single into my radar with each release. this album breaks that pattern, as it's filled with great tracks that get me in the clubbing mood. great collaborations from Siouxie Siuox, Dizzee Rascal, and others keep it interesting. and JC Chasez proves that J-Tim isn't the only N*Syncer that can get his groove on.
15. The Decemberists - Her Majesty
this band blew out of nowhere for me with two albums catching my ear in 2003. the proper release from this year continues the tradition set by the debut EP and first album, beautiful chamber-pop with intelligent lyrics without sacrificing on melody.
14. Wrens - The Meadowlands
wow, wow, wow. i'm not sure what else to say about this album. this was another first intro to a band for me this year, and i was enthralled upon first listen. i can tell this is a challenging, always interesting release that will pop up in rotation for some time to come.
13. 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying
quite simply put, this is the best hip-hop album of 2003 by a longshot. "In Da Club", "Wanksta", "20 Questions", and "P.I.M.P" blew up the radio in the 0-3, but there could have easily been 2-3 more successful singles off the album. 50's engaging flow and top-notch production from Dre, Em, and others keeps this off the hook from beginning to end. the lack of weak skits is also a big plus, keep it on the music yo.
12. Notwist - Neon Golden
technically a 2002 release, but this one didn't get a domestic issue here until spring and didn't hit my ears until this year. beautiful lap-pop that sticks with you on an initial listen, but begs you to come back for more and wallow in the goodness.
11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
overall quite a successful debut for this over-hyped band, proving that they are capable of bringing the noise over a full-length. "Maps" is one of the most beautiful songs of the year, and the Karen O's backing boys prove that there is far more to this band than just an engaging lead singer. i'm looking forward to seeing where they go next.
Dec 8, 2003
Top 50 Albums of 2003 Part III (30-21)
cause i know y'all is waiting for this shit.
30. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
29. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take Them On, On Your Own
28. Four Tet - Rounds
27. Junior Senior - D-D-Don't Stop the Beat
26. Kid Rock - S/T
25. Ryan Adams - Rock n Roll
24. Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
23. Missy Elliott - This is Not a Test
22. Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
21. The Constantines - Shine a Light
cause i know y'all is waiting for this shit.
30. Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism
29. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Take Them On, On Your Own
28. Four Tet - Rounds
27. Junior Senior - D-D-Don't Stop the Beat
26. Kid Rock - S/T
25. Ryan Adams - Rock n Roll
24. Mogwai - Happy Songs for Happy People
23. Missy Elliott - This is Not a Test
22. Explosions in the Sky - The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place
21. The Constantines - Shine a Light
Top 50 Albums of 2003 Part II (40-31)
on with the show...
40. Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.
39. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
38. Grandaddy - Sumday
37. Blur - Think Tank
36. The Thrills - So Much for the City
35. The Rapture - Echoes
34. Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
33. The Darkness - Permission to Land
32. Idlewild - The Remote Part
31. The Libertines - Up the Bracket
on with the show...
40. Songs: Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.
39. The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
38. Grandaddy - Sumday
37. Blur - Think Tank
36. The Thrills - So Much for the City
35. The Rapture - Echoes
34. Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
33. The Darkness - Permission to Land
32. Idlewild - The Remote Part
31. The Libertines - Up the Bracket
Dec 5, 2003
Top 50 Albums of 2003 Part I (50-41)
so here goes my list for the year. i'll be publishing it in 5 parts, to keep some drama up or whatever. with no further ado, away we go...
50. Cex - Being Ridden
49. The Blood Brothers - Burn Piano Island, Burn
48. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
47. Rancid - Indestructible
46. Earlimart - Everyone Down Here
45. Holopaw - S/T
44. Rooney - S/T
43. Dead Meadow - Shivering King and Others
42. The Raveonettes - Chain Gang of Love
41. Thursday - War All the Time
stay tuned for the remainder of the Top 50 for the year.
so here goes my list for the year. i'll be publishing it in 5 parts, to keep some drama up or whatever. with no further ado, away we go...
50. Cex - Being Ridden
49. The Blood Brothers - Burn Piano Island, Burn
48. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
47. Rancid - Indestructible
46. Earlimart - Everyone Down Here
45. Holopaw - S/T
44. Rooney - S/T
43. Dead Meadow - Shivering King and Others
42. The Raveonettes - Chain Gang of Love
41. Thursday - War All the Time
stay tuned for the remainder of the Top 50 for the year.
Dec 4, 2003
np: "storm vibrations" - guided by voices
yes, the week of GBV continues here at viaChicago. i don't know exactly what provoked this, but everytime i turn around i find myself popping in another disc. i'm not a long-time GBV fan, in fact it was with the purchase of Earthquake Glue that i've really begun my interest in all things Pollard. GBV has just always been one of those bands that i've always been aware of, even if i'm not listening closely. my earliest memory of them is having a friend include "The Official Ironman Rally Song" on a mixtape back in the year Under the Bushes... came out. i fell in love with that song, playing it over and over as it drilled its way deep into my head. still one of my favorite tracks of the '90s. after obsessing over the song for a week or so, i decided to hit the Champaign record shops and pick up something by this band with the funky name. with finances tight at the time, i was stuck picking up the only used item i could find, King Shit and the Golden Boys, having been lost forever from it's proper place in the Box set. i guess i just wasn't ready for that early GBV yet, as i only listened to it a couple times before passing it on to the forementioned friend. other than that i remember listening to Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes in my architecture studio a couple of times when the Rusted-Root obsessed frat boys were out for the night, leaving the indie kids in full reign of the studio disc player.
studio. wow, just typing out that last line has brough a full on flood of memories of sophmore year in Flagg Hall. i was there, as were most others, between every class and after dinner until 2 or 3 in the morning every night - not to mention the 13 hours per week we were required to be there for class. it seemed like hell at the time, but looking back it was one of the greatest bonding experiences of my life. i'll never forget the people i shared sweat, blood, tears, pizza, beer, and other substances with during those long nights. and of course architecture students just seem to love music, so that was never in short supply. agreeing on music was another thing, but i think a lot of musical tastes were discovered and nurtured those two semesters. without that studio time and Annie, my very own indie-rock goddess, i never would have discovered bands like Smoking Popes, Rachel's, Slint, Rodan, or June of 44. but as i think back on those days, there's certain albums that stick out in my mind as being played over and over during those long nights, for good or for bad.
Reservoir Dogs soundtrack a fun album for three o'clock in the morning, at least the first four or five times. but, as most of us discovered, not the thirtieth. we ended up having to hide this from one kid because that was the sole album he would play when his turn came around.
Tom Petty - Wildflowers this will probably always be my favorite Petty album simply because of this period of my life. it always seemed to get slipped on around 4 or 5 in the morning during an all-nighter, as we actually sat down and started to work despite the tiredness creeping in. it seemed a very fitting soundtrack for those hours.
Mad Season - Above this was a surprise hit amongst nearly everyone in the studio, although to this day i can't figure out why. don't get me wrong, i think it's some of Layne Staley's better vocal work, but it surprised me just how much everyone embraced this one for those late nights.
Rusted Root - When I Woke this album was hugely popular with the frat boys in the studio, and i'll admit that at one time i loved the hell out of that album. but i think it was studio that also ultimately killed it for me.
those were the albums almost always on at some point or another in the studio and will forever be linked with that year of my life. but like most other music fans, we ofter got obsessed with just one song - no matter how much other people hated it or not. "Fee" - Phish, "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (acoustic version)" - Pearl Jam, "Regulate" - Warren G & Nate Dogg, "Oh Carolina" - Shaggy, "In the Meantime" - Spacehog, "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" - Whale, and "Been Caught Stealing" - Jane's Addiction are just a few that come immediately to mind.
when i grew sick of the studio banter and shitty music selections, i always seeked comfort in my over-sized Sony headphones and drowned myself in my own tunes. and that year was mostly about the Pumpkins. Mellon Collie had just dropped that year, and i could not take that thing out of my Discman. there was always something new to wrap my head around and soak in with that masterpiece. Siamese Dream also got huge amounts of airplay for me, as i rediscovered that album after putting it away for most of my freshman year in favor of my big hip-hop fling.
how about you, dear readers? any songs or albums that completely take you away to another time or place? a time that may have sucked, but you still get a weird sense of nostalgia for when you hear something? the comments work, share if you have a good story. thanks for reading.
yes, the week of GBV continues here at viaChicago. i don't know exactly what provoked this, but everytime i turn around i find myself popping in another disc. i'm not a long-time GBV fan, in fact it was with the purchase of Earthquake Glue that i've really begun my interest in all things Pollard. GBV has just always been one of those bands that i've always been aware of, even if i'm not listening closely. my earliest memory of them is having a friend include "The Official Ironman Rally Song" on a mixtape back in the year Under the Bushes... came out. i fell in love with that song, playing it over and over as it drilled its way deep into my head. still one of my favorite tracks of the '90s. after obsessing over the song for a week or so, i decided to hit the Champaign record shops and pick up something by this band with the funky name. with finances tight at the time, i was stuck picking up the only used item i could find, King Shit and the Golden Boys, having been lost forever from it's proper place in the Box set. i guess i just wasn't ready for that early GBV yet, as i only listened to it a couple times before passing it on to the forementioned friend. other than that i remember listening to Bee Thousand and Alien Lanes in my architecture studio a couple of times when the Rusted-Root obsessed frat boys were out for the night, leaving the indie kids in full reign of the studio disc player.
studio. wow, just typing out that last line has brough a full on flood of memories of sophmore year in Flagg Hall. i was there, as were most others, between every class and after dinner until 2 or 3 in the morning every night - not to mention the 13 hours per week we were required to be there for class. it seemed like hell at the time, but looking back it was one of the greatest bonding experiences of my life. i'll never forget the people i shared sweat, blood, tears, pizza, beer, and other substances with during those long nights. and of course architecture students just seem to love music, so that was never in short supply. agreeing on music was another thing, but i think a lot of musical tastes were discovered and nurtured those two semesters. without that studio time and Annie, my very own indie-rock goddess, i never would have discovered bands like Smoking Popes, Rachel's, Slint, Rodan, or June of 44. but as i think back on those days, there's certain albums that stick out in my mind as being played over and over during those long nights, for good or for bad.
Reservoir Dogs soundtrack a fun album for three o'clock in the morning, at least the first four or five times. but, as most of us discovered, not the thirtieth. we ended up having to hide this from one kid because that was the sole album he would play when his turn came around.
Tom Petty - Wildflowers this will probably always be my favorite Petty album simply because of this period of my life. it always seemed to get slipped on around 4 or 5 in the morning during an all-nighter, as we actually sat down and started to work despite the tiredness creeping in. it seemed a very fitting soundtrack for those hours.
Mad Season - Above this was a surprise hit amongst nearly everyone in the studio, although to this day i can't figure out why. don't get me wrong, i think it's some of Layne Staley's better vocal work, but it surprised me just how much everyone embraced this one for those late nights.
Rusted Root - When I Woke this album was hugely popular with the frat boys in the studio, and i'll admit that at one time i loved the hell out of that album. but i think it was studio that also ultimately killed it for me.
those were the albums almost always on at some point or another in the studio and will forever be linked with that year of my life. but like most other music fans, we ofter got obsessed with just one song - no matter how much other people hated it or not. "Fee" - Phish, "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town (acoustic version)" - Pearl Jam, "Regulate" - Warren G & Nate Dogg, "Oh Carolina" - Shaggy, "In the Meantime" - Spacehog, "Hobo Humpin' Slobo Babe" - Whale, and "Been Caught Stealing" - Jane's Addiction are just a few that come immediately to mind.
when i grew sick of the studio banter and shitty music selections, i always seeked comfort in my over-sized Sony headphones and drowned myself in my own tunes. and that year was mostly about the Pumpkins. Mellon Collie had just dropped that year, and i could not take that thing out of my Discman. there was always something new to wrap my head around and soak in with that masterpiece. Siamese Dream also got huge amounts of airplay for me, as i rediscovered that album after putting it away for most of my freshman year in favor of my big hip-hop fling.
how about you, dear readers? any songs or albums that completely take you away to another time or place? a time that may have sucked, but you still get a weird sense of nostalgia for when you hear something? the comments work, share if you have a good story. thanks for reading.
Dec 3, 2003
np: "stop dat" - dizzee rascal
so yeah, i'm way behind in finally getting around to check this guy out, but i'm glad i finally did. well deserving of all the hype and praise. in fact, i'm gonna get my pre-order on from Matador asap. although i do feel like i should be listening to this in a system with way more bass than my computer speakers are capable of putting out.
so it's time for another confession here, i have to admit my insane obsession with The OC. yup, i'm a sucker for cheezy FOX drama and this show is providing all the pure Velveeta that i've been lacking since Melrose Place went off the air. i never got into anything after the first season of Dawson's and Felicity was just way too Lifetime network, brought to you by Tampax for me. but The OC? horrible acting goodness. although i'm digging the shit out of Seth, he of the blatant hipster references. let's see, tonight he name dropped Death Cab, Bright Eyes, and The Shins and the soundtrack even featured Conor's cover of "Blue Christmas". he's a fairly entertaining character, which more than makes up for the pure acting black hole that is the kid who plays the main character, Ryan Atwood. good god, he makes Luke Perry look like fucking Humphrey Bogart or some shit. i don't know what is so addicting about the show really. horrible acting and plotlines more predictable than an ABC after-school special. i so knew Ryan and Luke would end up best friends somehow, even though that whole plotline with his dad was completely dropped after a week. maybe it's the fact that the writer's aren't afraid of making fun of their own show, throwing in references to Ryan's wooden acting and Seth's comedic presence. sure, the self-aware irony thing is nothing new, but interesting in prime-time drama anyway.
so glad i have a girlfriend understanding of my addiction to that show, because i'm sure it wouldn't exactly be scoring me macho points right about now. but we all have our weaknesses - some have crack, some have shopping, while i just have my thing for watching rich kids have completely unrealistic problems in a beautiful setting.
so yeah, i'm way behind in finally getting around to check this guy out, but i'm glad i finally did. well deserving of all the hype and praise. in fact, i'm gonna get my pre-order on from Matador asap. although i do feel like i should be listening to this in a system with way more bass than my computer speakers are capable of putting out.
so it's time for another confession here, i have to admit my insane obsession with The OC. yup, i'm a sucker for cheezy FOX drama and this show is providing all the pure Velveeta that i've been lacking since Melrose Place went off the air. i never got into anything after the first season of Dawson's and Felicity was just way too Lifetime network, brought to you by Tampax for me. but The OC? horrible acting goodness. although i'm digging the shit out of Seth, he of the blatant hipster references. let's see, tonight he name dropped Death Cab, Bright Eyes, and The Shins and the soundtrack even featured Conor's cover of "Blue Christmas". he's a fairly entertaining character, which more than makes up for the pure acting black hole that is the kid who plays the main character, Ryan Atwood. good god, he makes Luke Perry look like fucking Humphrey Bogart or some shit. i don't know what is so addicting about the show really. horrible acting and plotlines more predictable than an ABC after-school special. i so knew Ryan and Luke would end up best friends somehow, even though that whole plotline with his dad was completely dropped after a week. maybe it's the fact that the writer's aren't afraid of making fun of their own show, throwing in references to Ryan's wooden acting and Seth's comedic presence. sure, the self-aware irony thing is nothing new, but interesting in prime-time drama anyway.
so glad i have a girlfriend understanding of my addiction to that show, because i'm sure it wouldn't exactly be scoring me macho points right about now. but we all have our weaknesses - some have crack, some have shopping, while i just have my thing for watching rich kids have completely unrealistic problems in a beautiful setting.
Dec 2, 2003
np: "crutch came slinking" - guided by voices
i sure do love me some Bob Pollard, yesiree. i was tempted to ask for this for Christmas, but no one in my family would have a clue where to get it. i've learned the hard way not to ask for much music from my parents. as much as love them, they figure it doesn't exist if they can't pick it up at the local Wal-Mart. not to mention the time i asked for Pink Floyd's The Wall when i was in my whole junior high classic rock phase, and my mom got me the horrible Live in Berlin verison. i didn't have the heart to tell her anything though. but mad props to her for the Smashing Pumpkins box set back in 1996 though, that was the bomb. probably the Christmas gift i use the most frequently to this day.
i peeped out Spin's Top 40 of the year today, it's not half bad. Spin seems to have their finger on the pulse far more than any other mainstream rock mag. the top 10:
1. White Stripes - Elephant
2. Outkast - Spearkerboxx/The Love Below
3. The Strokes - Room on Fire
4. 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
6. Jay-Z - The Black Album
7. Thursday - War All the Time
8. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
9. Missy Elliott - This is Not a Test
10. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
but what the fuck were they on putting Metallica's load of shit at number 11? did Lars threaten to sue them too? jesus. but much love for showing Ted Leo, Dizzee Rascal, Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Darkness, Kings of Leon, and the vastly underrated Brand New album some love in the Top 40.
i sure do love me some Bob Pollard, yesiree. i was tempted to ask for this for Christmas, but no one in my family would have a clue where to get it. i've learned the hard way not to ask for much music from my parents. as much as love them, they figure it doesn't exist if they can't pick it up at the local Wal-Mart. not to mention the time i asked for Pink Floyd's The Wall when i was in my whole junior high classic rock phase, and my mom got me the horrible Live in Berlin verison. i didn't have the heart to tell her anything though. but mad props to her for the Smashing Pumpkins box set back in 1996 though, that was the bomb. probably the Christmas gift i use the most frequently to this day.
i peeped out Spin's Top 40 of the year today, it's not half bad. Spin seems to have their finger on the pulse far more than any other mainstream rock mag. the top 10:
1. White Stripes - Elephant
2. Outkast - Spearkerboxx/The Love Below
3. The Strokes - Room on Fire
4. 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying
5. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
6. Jay-Z - The Black Album
7. Thursday - War All the Time
8. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
9. Missy Elliott - This is Not a Test
10. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
but what the fuck were they on putting Metallica's load of shit at number 11? did Lars threaten to sue them too? jesus. but much love for showing Ted Leo, Dizzee Rascal, Pretty Girls Make Graves, The Darkness, Kings of Leon, and the vastly underrated Brand New album some love in the Top 40.
Dec 1, 2003
np: "let's get known" - the unicorns
damn this shit it tight. it's like mid-period Flaming Lips mixed with the recent '60-pop/indie revival thing going on, but without sounding completely redundant. i was tempted at fisrt to say it's like what would happen if Mr. Wilson dropped loads of acid and wrote whatever shit floated to his mind, but that would be wrong. i think its more like the Byrds being transported to a magical dimension where they are cross-bred with the Lips and come out in all sorts of poppy glory. g'yeah. all up in your grill with that hot shit.
so this and the new Missy are two recent releases that are going to be shifting shit around on my Top 50 list. just when i thought i was fucking done with the damn thing. i'm tempted to throw down my list of top singles of the double-ought trizzle, but i don't listen to the radio enough to know exactly what was a single or not. so i might just list out some of my favorite songs of the year, most of which just happen to have been singles.
on the more personal tip, three months and things are still going really well with the girl. she's not one for being all mushy and shit, but it's the little things she says that makes me fall even more for her. last night was one of those. so yeah, i'm pretty damn happy with the way things are going right now.
damn this shit it tight. it's like mid-period Flaming Lips mixed with the recent '60-pop/indie revival thing going on, but without sounding completely redundant. i was tempted at fisrt to say it's like what would happen if Mr. Wilson dropped loads of acid and wrote whatever shit floated to his mind, but that would be wrong. i think its more like the Byrds being transported to a magical dimension where they are cross-bred with the Lips and come out in all sorts of poppy glory. g'yeah. all up in your grill with that hot shit.
so this and the new Missy are two recent releases that are going to be shifting shit around on my Top 50 list. just when i thought i was fucking done with the damn thing. i'm tempted to throw down my list of top singles of the double-ought trizzle, but i don't listen to the radio enough to know exactly what was a single or not. so i might just list out some of my favorite songs of the year, most of which just happen to have been singles.
on the more personal tip, three months and things are still going really well with the girl. she's not one for being all mushy and shit, but it's the little things she says that makes me fall even more for her. last night was one of those. so yeah, i'm pretty damn happy with the way things are going right now.
Nov 30, 2003
np: "cadillac pussy" - kid rock f. hank williams iii
this is what beer-drinkin', four-wheelin', flag-wavin', chick-shaggin' rock n' roll is supposed to sound like. i've mentioned Kid Rock before, so i'll save the ramblings, but y'all need to give this one a listen.
so i think i've completed my preliminary Top 50 albums of 2003 list, although there's still about a month to go. but first of all, there's really not anything new coming out in the next month that i'm hyped on and secondly, what with the Christmas shopping and all i'm not rolling in the extra ducats for new music right now. but i'm pretty happy with the way my list is shaping up. the top album of the year wasn't really a surprise for me, but whittling down the top ten was a bigger chore than i thought it would be. a lot of my early favorites dropped in the final list, some of them significantly. take Zwan for example, that one isn't even going to make the list at all. yeah, i was hyping it to holy hell early in the year, but i can't think of a single time i've pulled it out to listen to since March. i did pull it out last week for another listen while compiling my list, and it just hit me that it's really not all that good. looking back, i think i was still coloring my opinion of the album with the excellent live shows i had seen by the band. live Zwan > studio Zwan. as if it even matters anymore, word has it that the William Patrick Corgan solo machine is rumbling away and rearing to go.
but as i said before, i was going to put up some thoughts on the albums i've been re-listening to in preperation for the year-end list, so here you go with the first installment.
Holopaw - S/T (8.9) a very strong debut album from Ugly Casanova co-conspirator John Orth. the little twists and turns this album takes over the course of a single song keep this one fresh and sounding just like the countless other near-country crooners flooding the indie scene lately. standout tracks: "teacup woozy", "abraham lincoln"
Something Corporate - North (3.2) yuck. that's my simple, one-word review of this trash. this album lacks the killer hooks that made the debut one of my not-so-guilty pleasures of last year. there's really nothing positive i can say about this one, very disappointing release from a band that had some initial promise. there aren't any standout tracks to recommend, so instead seek out the stunning live track, "konstantine".
peaches - fatherfucker (6.9) peaches, peaches, peaches... how long can you keep up the schtick about your crotch and shocking sexual lyrics? the first time through it was fun, the second listen started revealing the weakness, and by the third i couldn't get through the whole thing. a couple tracks might be fun to hear at a party or in a club, but overall the album falls flat. and Iggy should be ashamed of his contribution, it makes Skull Ring sound like fucking Raw Power by comparison. standout tracks: "back it up", "shake your tits"
Jewel - 0304 (7.9) i think this is a surprisingly not so bad album, considering all the negative hype surrounding it. yes, she's gone embarassingly into Britney/Xtina zone in the promotion of this one, but if it was anyone other than Jewel i think it would have been seen as a pretty decent pop album. the problem was the production was nowhere near the quality of a Beyonce or a Brit, and the long-time Jewel fans couldn't embrace the triteness. for a decent sunny-day pop album though, it's not all bad. standout tracks: "intuition", "sweet temptation"
cex - being ridden (8.7) this was the first album i'd heard by Cex, and to be honest i wasn't expecting much based upon what i had read regarding some of his earlier works. i was almost expecting a sort of Atom and His Package that took himself a little too seriously. i was pleasantly surprised by this though, as his lyrical flow is pretty good and the beats and prodcution kept things interesting. standout tracks: "earth-shaking event", "its not working"
this is what beer-drinkin', four-wheelin', flag-wavin', chick-shaggin' rock n' roll is supposed to sound like. i've mentioned Kid Rock before, so i'll save the ramblings, but y'all need to give this one a listen.
so i think i've completed my preliminary Top 50 albums of 2003 list, although there's still about a month to go. but first of all, there's really not anything new coming out in the next month that i'm hyped on and secondly, what with the Christmas shopping and all i'm not rolling in the extra ducats for new music right now. but i'm pretty happy with the way my list is shaping up. the top album of the year wasn't really a surprise for me, but whittling down the top ten was a bigger chore than i thought it would be. a lot of my early favorites dropped in the final list, some of them significantly. take Zwan for example, that one isn't even going to make the list at all. yeah, i was hyping it to holy hell early in the year, but i can't think of a single time i've pulled it out to listen to since March. i did pull it out last week for another listen while compiling my list, and it just hit me that it's really not all that good. looking back, i think i was still coloring my opinion of the album with the excellent live shows i had seen by the band. live Zwan > studio Zwan. as if it even matters anymore, word has it that the William Patrick Corgan solo machine is rumbling away and rearing to go.
but as i said before, i was going to put up some thoughts on the albums i've been re-listening to in preperation for the year-end list, so here you go with the first installment.
Holopaw - S/T (8.9) a very strong debut album from Ugly Casanova co-conspirator John Orth. the little twists and turns this album takes over the course of a single song keep this one fresh and sounding just like the countless other near-country crooners flooding the indie scene lately. standout tracks: "teacup woozy", "abraham lincoln"
Something Corporate - North (3.2) yuck. that's my simple, one-word review of this trash. this album lacks the killer hooks that made the debut one of my not-so-guilty pleasures of last year. there's really nothing positive i can say about this one, very disappointing release from a band that had some initial promise. there aren't any standout tracks to recommend, so instead seek out the stunning live track, "konstantine".
peaches - fatherfucker (6.9) peaches, peaches, peaches... how long can you keep up the schtick about your crotch and shocking sexual lyrics? the first time through it was fun, the second listen started revealing the weakness, and by the third i couldn't get through the whole thing. a couple tracks might be fun to hear at a party or in a club, but overall the album falls flat. and Iggy should be ashamed of his contribution, it makes Skull Ring sound like fucking Raw Power by comparison. standout tracks: "back it up", "shake your tits"
Jewel - 0304 (7.9) i think this is a surprisingly not so bad album, considering all the negative hype surrounding it. yes, she's gone embarassingly into Britney/Xtina zone in the promotion of this one, but if it was anyone other than Jewel i think it would have been seen as a pretty decent pop album. the problem was the production was nowhere near the quality of a Beyonce or a Brit, and the long-time Jewel fans couldn't embrace the triteness. for a decent sunny-day pop album though, it's not all bad. standout tracks: "intuition", "sweet temptation"
cex - being ridden (8.7) this was the first album i'd heard by Cex, and to be honest i wasn't expecting much based upon what i had read regarding some of his earlier works. i was almost expecting a sort of Atom and His Package that took himself a little too seriously. i was pleasantly surprised by this though, as his lyrical flow is pretty good and the beats and prodcution kept things interesting. standout tracks: "earth-shaking event", "its not working"
Nov 25, 2003
np: "since the beginning" - the flaming sideburns
why the flaming sideburns? why not? actually, i've begun my task this week of going over some of the albums from 2003 that might not have gotten many listens in order to complete my best of list for the year. this particular one probably won't be gracing the upper ranks of my list, though it's a decent little rock record. but for the record, dude has probably one of the worst "i'm going balls to the wall" primal screams ever heard in a rock song. shudder. i'll be posting short capsules of the albums i'm going through, along with my rating in a 0.0 to 10.0 range. i like it.
but for today allow me to partake in a little Pitchfork bashing for a minute or two. so now that it favorable for the hipsters to admit liking hip-hop from the beginning, they've decided to do a little creative editing of history by re-writing their Top 100 album of the '90s list. now i'm all for people's changing muscial tates, i'm sure many of my older lists would be quite different now. but this one smells of re-establishing street cred or some shit. the original list had, if i remember correctly - i haven't combed through the old list lately, ONE hip-hop record - Beasties Boys' Check Your Head. so far, of the eighty albums posted on the new list, there have been no fever than FIFTEEN hip-hop albums. as The Hurrican might say, "what up wit dat?" back in 1999 these albums made little impact on the 'Forkers, but all of the sudden 4 mere years later they've become imporant enough to crack the top 100? shiiiit. i'm all for more people respecting the impact hip-hop has made over the years, but this just reeks of a bunch of johnny come latelys shouting "look! we like the hippity-hop too!" that and the sudden reviewing of Jigga's, Fiddy's, and Obie's albums on the site. four years ago you wouldn't have seen a mainstream hip-hop album getting reviewed on the site unless it was part of an April Fools' joke. end rant.
why the flaming sideburns? why not? actually, i've begun my task this week of going over some of the albums from 2003 that might not have gotten many listens in order to complete my best of list for the year. this particular one probably won't be gracing the upper ranks of my list, though it's a decent little rock record. but for the record, dude has probably one of the worst "i'm going balls to the wall" primal screams ever heard in a rock song. shudder. i'll be posting short capsules of the albums i'm going through, along with my rating in a 0.0 to 10.0 range. i like it.
but for today allow me to partake in a little Pitchfork bashing for a minute or two. so now that it favorable for the hipsters to admit liking hip-hop from the beginning, they've decided to do a little creative editing of history by re-writing their Top 100 album of the '90s list. now i'm all for people's changing muscial tates, i'm sure many of my older lists would be quite different now. but this one smells of re-establishing street cred or some shit. the original list had, if i remember correctly - i haven't combed through the old list lately, ONE hip-hop record - Beasties Boys' Check Your Head. so far, of the eighty albums posted on the new list, there have been no fever than FIFTEEN hip-hop albums. as The Hurrican might say, "what up wit dat?" back in 1999 these albums made little impact on the 'Forkers, but all of the sudden 4 mere years later they've become imporant enough to crack the top 100? shiiiit. i'm all for more people respecting the impact hip-hop has made over the years, but this just reeks of a bunch of johnny come latelys shouting "look! we like the hippity-hop too!" that and the sudden reviewing of Jigga's, Fiddy's, and Obie's albums on the site. four years ago you wouldn't have seen a mainstream hip-hop album getting reviewed on the site unless it was part of an April Fools' joke. end rant.
Nov 13, 2003
np: "sad" - pearl jam
remember when i said i would be more regular with the updates? shit, me too. that was cool. i wonder what ever happened with that. oh yeah, right. anyway, i'm still alive and kicking... barely after battling off a 102 degree fever earlier this week. but now i'm back in full form and ready to write a little something. November is out to break me, fo' real tho. The Two Towers Extended Edition, new Jigga, new G-Unit, new Kid Rock (yeah, i'm serious), two new Ryan Adams releases, GBV's greatest hits, and the big purchases of this week - Pearl Jam-related. first things first, Pearl motherfucking Jam. i've managed to stay a huge fan of this band over the years... in fact Ten is still the only album of theirs that hasn't been bought at either a midnight sale or first thing the day it was released. naysayers abound for this band these days, but as i've mentioned before Riot Act is another in a string of solid rock albums. PJ has pretty much found it's niche with the cult audience it has and really doesn't seem to care about breaking out into the mainstream anymore. and why should they? consistent sell-outs in arenas and outdoor amphitheaters, a rabid fanbase, and pretty solid album sales. what more could a band want? TRL? shiiiiit. but this week saw the release of a long-awaited B-sides and rarities compilation, Lost Dogs, and the brand spankin' new Live at the Garden DVD. and both are fucking excellent. sure i had been one of those guys scrambling to get the singles for the always quality B-sides the Jam put out, but having them in one nice package with a plethora of unreleased stuff is aweome. except the damn harmonica solo they added on "Footsteps". wack. seriously, if you are one of those people that preferred the first two or three album era, check this set out. lots of songs from the early years and some of the newer ones that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Ten or Vs. i've only watched bits and pieces of the DVD, but this weekend i plan to sit and soak in the whole thing. and check it - the easter egg with "Hungerstrike" live in Mexico City featuring Corrin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney doing the Chris Cornell part is crucial. fo' sheazy. and she's so damned cute too.
GBV? what can i say about this band that hasn't been said? to be honest, i've never really been a huge huge fan of thiers, but i've always been struck in the head by a lot of the songs over the past decade - "Official Ironman Rally Song", "Chasing Heather Crazy", "My Valuable Hunting Knife" and "The Best of Jill Hives" to drop a few names. for me the new best of collection is fucking unbelievable. from start to finish it's packed with gem after gem after gem. i'm not gonna nitpick over what songs should have been included like many GBV fans have been doing, i love the damn thing. in fact, i'm gonna go ahead and say it's the most solid poptastic hits collection since 1 by those four shaggy lads from across the pond. for real, this band deserves mass respect. if you've wondered what the hype is all about - get this album. now.
Kid Rock. i hear you snickering out there. but damn, i've always had a soft spot for the long-haired redneck Son of Detroit. not the Bullgod, rap-rock spoutin' son of a bitch, but the raspy voiced country-blues singin' Rock. "Only God Knows Why", "Lonely Road of Faith", and even "Picture". this new disc dumps the rap-rock shenanigans and jumps full on into Skynyrd/ZZ Top/country mode, bringing Hank Williams III, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and the Mr. Gibbons from ZZ along for the ride. it's decent stuff. it sure as hell ain't breaking any new ground... but if you like to let your hidden mullet fly and pound some PBRs while listening to a country boy rock out under the southern sun and cry his heart over the girl who done him wrong, this is it. and sad to say, but this disc is closer to "country music" than you are gonna hear on your local Nashville sponsored station. one more thing on the topic of Kid Rock... one reason i've always liked him is his honesty. he's never been ashamed to show his redneck roots, and he's always been upfront about wanting to be successful and merging all his tastes in music. i'll always give him more respect for keeping it real than an asshole like Fred Durst who's trying to pretend there's actual depth behind his songwriting.
alright, that's enough rambling on for tonight. i know this hasn't exactly been a post on the hipster trend, maybe i should be droppin' some knowledge on the excellent new Shins album or whoever the NYC flavor of the minute is, but sometimes i just gotta give some rep to the bands and artists out there who aren't getting the props they deserve right now. and if you think i'm a loser for liking Pearl Jam or Kid Rock, fuck it. that's me.
remember when i said i would be more regular with the updates? shit, me too. that was cool. i wonder what ever happened with that. oh yeah, right. anyway, i'm still alive and kicking... barely after battling off a 102 degree fever earlier this week. but now i'm back in full form and ready to write a little something. November is out to break me, fo' real tho. The Two Towers Extended Edition, new Jigga, new G-Unit, new Kid Rock (yeah, i'm serious), two new Ryan Adams releases, GBV's greatest hits, and the big purchases of this week - Pearl Jam-related. first things first, Pearl motherfucking Jam. i've managed to stay a huge fan of this band over the years... in fact Ten is still the only album of theirs that hasn't been bought at either a midnight sale or first thing the day it was released. naysayers abound for this band these days, but as i've mentioned before Riot Act is another in a string of solid rock albums. PJ has pretty much found it's niche with the cult audience it has and really doesn't seem to care about breaking out into the mainstream anymore. and why should they? consistent sell-outs in arenas and outdoor amphitheaters, a rabid fanbase, and pretty solid album sales. what more could a band want? TRL? shiiiiit. but this week saw the release of a long-awaited B-sides and rarities compilation, Lost Dogs, and the brand spankin' new Live at the Garden DVD. and both are fucking excellent. sure i had been one of those guys scrambling to get the singles for the always quality B-sides the Jam put out, but having them in one nice package with a plethora of unreleased stuff is aweome. except the damn harmonica solo they added on "Footsteps". wack. seriously, if you are one of those people that preferred the first two or three album era, check this set out. lots of songs from the early years and some of the newer ones that wouldn't have sounded out of place on Ten or Vs. i've only watched bits and pieces of the DVD, but this weekend i plan to sit and soak in the whole thing. and check it - the easter egg with "Hungerstrike" live in Mexico City featuring Corrin Tucker of Sleater-Kinney doing the Chris Cornell part is crucial. fo' sheazy. and she's so damned cute too.
GBV? what can i say about this band that hasn't been said? to be honest, i've never really been a huge huge fan of thiers, but i've always been struck in the head by a lot of the songs over the past decade - "Official Ironman Rally Song", "Chasing Heather Crazy", "My Valuable Hunting Knife" and "The Best of Jill Hives" to drop a few names. for me the new best of collection is fucking unbelievable. from start to finish it's packed with gem after gem after gem. i'm not gonna nitpick over what songs should have been included like many GBV fans have been doing, i love the damn thing. in fact, i'm gonna go ahead and say it's the most solid poptastic hits collection since 1 by those four shaggy lads from across the pond. for real, this band deserves mass respect. if you've wondered what the hype is all about - get this album. now.
Kid Rock. i hear you snickering out there. but damn, i've always had a soft spot for the long-haired redneck Son of Detroit. not the Bullgod, rap-rock spoutin' son of a bitch, but the raspy voiced country-blues singin' Rock. "Only God Knows Why", "Lonely Road of Faith", and even "Picture". this new disc dumps the rap-rock shenanigans and jumps full on into Skynyrd/ZZ Top/country mode, bringing Hank Williams III, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and the Mr. Gibbons from ZZ along for the ride. it's decent stuff. it sure as hell ain't breaking any new ground... but if you like to let your hidden mullet fly and pound some PBRs while listening to a country boy rock out under the southern sun and cry his heart over the girl who done him wrong, this is it. and sad to say, but this disc is closer to "country music" than you are gonna hear on your local Nashville sponsored station. one more thing on the topic of Kid Rock... one reason i've always liked him is his honesty. he's never been ashamed to show his redneck roots, and he's always been upfront about wanting to be successful and merging all his tastes in music. i'll always give him more respect for keeping it real than an asshole like Fred Durst who's trying to pretend there's actual depth behind his songwriting.
alright, that's enough rambling on for tonight. i know this hasn't exactly been a post on the hipster trend, maybe i should be droppin' some knowledge on the excellent new Shins album or whoever the NYC flavor of the minute is, but sometimes i just gotta give some rep to the bands and artists out there who aren't getting the props they deserve right now. and if you think i'm a loser for liking Pearl Jam or Kid Rock, fuck it. that's me.
Oct 28, 2003
np: "uncle mountain" - the fire theft
so it's been awhile without an update, i apologize for that. the weeks have been busy as hell with work and meetings and such, and the weekends have been spent mostly with the girl. i promise to be a little more regular with the updates now though, really. this past weekend was chock full of movie watching. not really planned that way, but that's how things worked out. Friday night started out with a viewing of The Italian Job, which was nowhere near as bad as i feared. Saturday night the girlfriend made me watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding since i had never seen it, and i have to say i wasn't really missing anything. it had its funny moments, but i don't get what all the hype was about. after watching her run a 5K Sunday morning, we spent most of the day avoiding the cold weather and watching even more movies. Not Another Teen Movie was stupidly funny and Bowling for Columbine was about what i expected from a Michael Moore film. i'm really torn on my feelings for him, especially with this movie. he is making some good points that need to be heard, but face it... he's just as good at spinning his side of the story as the White House is. you just need to think for yourself and get to the grey area between the two extremes. sounds pretty standard when i say it, but you'd be surprised at the people who eat up every work he says as gospel. later on Sunday night i finally broke down and watched The Matrix Reloaded. ignoring the annoying philosophizing and Reeves' horrible acting, it was a pretty good sci-fi action flick. the freeway chase scene was off the hook, but the hundred Smith brawl was weak. alright, enough inane blabbering about movies i finally saw about 6 months too late, onto the music. i decided to make up for lost time by putting up some capsule thoughts on some recent album purchases.
The Fire Theft - S/T yes it does get a little too proggy for my tastes, but about half the album actually works for me. it teeters on the thin edge between grandiose and ridiculous, and i have to credit him for actually giving it a shot. it's no Diary or LP2, but who would have wanted that?
Kill Hannah - For Never and Ever some of you might remember me hyping the shit out of this band after catching them live this summer. well, i still think this band has assloads of potential, but this album falls far short of showcasing it. the mixing is way off and the production seems a little too crisp most of the times. the biggest crime is the band leaving off some of the more rocking tunes they've perfected live in favor of dull also-rans. "Unwanted" and "Raining All the Time" are worth checking out, but please boys... put some "Hummingbirds..." or "Stunt Pilots" or "All That He Wants" on the next one. yes, they are old songs, but your major label debut should showcase the best of what you've perfected over the years.
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow Oh, Inverted World was a complete surprise to me when i picked it up on a fluke late in 2001 and it became one of my most replayed albums of that year. the follow-up is just as sugary delicious and i don't think it's going to work it's way out of my changer for some time.
so it's been awhile without an update, i apologize for that. the weeks have been busy as hell with work and meetings and such, and the weekends have been spent mostly with the girl. i promise to be a little more regular with the updates now though, really. this past weekend was chock full of movie watching. not really planned that way, but that's how things worked out. Friday night started out with a viewing of The Italian Job, which was nowhere near as bad as i feared. Saturday night the girlfriend made me watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding since i had never seen it, and i have to say i wasn't really missing anything. it had its funny moments, but i don't get what all the hype was about. after watching her run a 5K Sunday morning, we spent most of the day avoiding the cold weather and watching even more movies. Not Another Teen Movie was stupidly funny and Bowling for Columbine was about what i expected from a Michael Moore film. i'm really torn on my feelings for him, especially with this movie. he is making some good points that need to be heard, but face it... he's just as good at spinning his side of the story as the White House is. you just need to think for yourself and get to the grey area between the two extremes. sounds pretty standard when i say it, but you'd be surprised at the people who eat up every work he says as gospel. later on Sunday night i finally broke down and watched The Matrix Reloaded. ignoring the annoying philosophizing and Reeves' horrible acting, it was a pretty good sci-fi action flick. the freeway chase scene was off the hook, but the hundred Smith brawl was weak. alright, enough inane blabbering about movies i finally saw about 6 months too late, onto the music. i decided to make up for lost time by putting up some capsule thoughts on some recent album purchases.
The Fire Theft - S/T yes it does get a little too proggy for my tastes, but about half the album actually works for me. it teeters on the thin edge between grandiose and ridiculous, and i have to credit him for actually giving it a shot. it's no Diary or LP2, but who would have wanted that?
Kill Hannah - For Never and Ever some of you might remember me hyping the shit out of this band after catching them live this summer. well, i still think this band has assloads of potential, but this album falls far short of showcasing it. the mixing is way off and the production seems a little too crisp most of the times. the biggest crime is the band leaving off some of the more rocking tunes they've perfected live in favor of dull also-rans. "Unwanted" and "Raining All the Time" are worth checking out, but please boys... put some "Hummingbirds..." or "Stunt Pilots" or "All That He Wants" on the next one. yes, they are old songs, but your major label debut should showcase the best of what you've perfected over the years.
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow Oh, Inverted World was a complete surprise to me when i picked it up on a fluke late in 2001 and it became one of my most replayed albums of that year. the follow-up is just as sugary delicious and i don't think it's going to work it's way out of my changer for some time.
Oct 15, 2003
The Distillers - Coral Fang
So Brody Dalle (not Homme quite yet) jumps to the majors and decides she wants to be Courtney Love, exchanging the punk fury for a more polished sound this time around. The vocals are cranked way up in the mix and the grunge of the guitars is rubbed out in a nearly vomit-inducing studio sheen. This ain't the down and nasty Distillers you've grown to love. Song titles like "The Gallow is God" and "Drain the Blood" make you think Brody is up to the usual, but the anger and fury in her voice is replaced with a cliched wanna-be punk voice. Which is a shame, since her growling through songs like "Sick of It All" on the last album are what endeared her to the hearts of punk fans everywhere. Critics who bashed Brody for imitating Tim Armstrong's vocals in the past, may be heartened that she's changed her sound somewhat for this album - but for fans it's a disappoint to hear her croaking like a stoned Courtney Love. Girl, you had something going there. Did you want to sell out that bad? I normally hate using the term "sell out" in a review, but one can't escape the spectre of that idea running through this album - shimmering poduction, poppy melodies, and downtempo acoustic backed tracks lead one to believe she was shooting for a greater audience with this release. Not to mention the fact that the entire backing band has been replaced for the major label debut. The thing is, if she really is hoping for major stardom - few of these tracks are engaging enough to gain any momentum. Sure, some tracks like the title song and "Beat Your Heart Out" rock like the Distillers of old, but it's inconsitently enough to throw off the flow of the album. About the most engaging thing on the album is "Deathsex", the album closer - a 12 minute Sonic Youth styled distortion and volume exercise.
So Brody Dalle (not Homme quite yet) jumps to the majors and decides she wants to be Courtney Love, exchanging the punk fury for a more polished sound this time around. The vocals are cranked way up in the mix and the grunge of the guitars is rubbed out in a nearly vomit-inducing studio sheen. This ain't the down and nasty Distillers you've grown to love. Song titles like "The Gallow is God" and "Drain the Blood" make you think Brody is up to the usual, but the anger and fury in her voice is replaced with a cliched wanna-be punk voice. Which is a shame, since her growling through songs like "Sick of It All" on the last album are what endeared her to the hearts of punk fans everywhere. Critics who bashed Brody for imitating Tim Armstrong's vocals in the past, may be heartened that she's changed her sound somewhat for this album - but for fans it's a disappoint to hear her croaking like a stoned Courtney Love. Girl, you had something going there. Did you want to sell out that bad? I normally hate using the term "sell out" in a review, but one can't escape the spectre of that idea running through this album - shimmering poduction, poppy melodies, and downtempo acoustic backed tracks lead one to believe she was shooting for a greater audience with this release. Not to mention the fact that the entire backing band has been replaced for the major label debut. The thing is, if she really is hoping for major stardom - few of these tracks are engaging enough to gain any momentum. Sure, some tracks like the title song and "Beat Your Heart Out" rock like the Distillers of old, but it's inconsitently enough to throw off the flow of the album. About the most engaging thing on the album is "Deathsex", the album closer - a 12 minute Sonic Youth styled distortion and volume exercise.
np: "the dream is over" - u2
and so the mantra of the lifelong Cubs fan comes around again, "wait 'til next year". meh. could i be anymore sick of saying that? it's so hard to watch them come this far and then choke like they always do, dropping a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. Farnsworth and Wood were both off their games tonight, and face it... the Marlins just played better ball. but the boys gave an exciting run at it and provided with some great reasons to tune into the playoffs. so now all i can do is root for the other cursed underdogs to beat the living shit out of the Marlins in the Series. i never thought i'd say it, but go BoSox.
and so the mantra of the lifelong Cubs fan comes around again, "wait 'til next year". meh. could i be anymore sick of saying that? it's so hard to watch them come this far and then choke like they always do, dropping a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. Farnsworth and Wood were both off their games tonight, and face it... the Marlins just played better ball. but the boys gave an exciting run at it and provided with some great reasons to tune into the playoffs. so now all i can do is root for the other cursed underdogs to beat the living shit out of the Marlins in the Series. i never thought i'd say it, but go BoSox.
np: "drain the blood" - the distillers
brody wants to be courtney? at least that's what the first couple tracks off of Coral Fang lead me to believe. crank up her vocals in the mix, add a little more melody, clean up the guitars. disappointing. but on to more important topics for now, ie - the Cubs.
what the fuck was that eighth inning last night? don't let the mindless morons lead you to believe it can be blamed on the fan who got in Alou's way of the foul ball. that was just the first in a series of blunders that buried the game for the Cubbies. Gonzo missing an easy grounder up the middle, Dusty intentionally walking TWO batters in the inning, or Farnsworth not being ready AT ALL to come into the game. it was just simply a horrid inning for the Cubs, and one that makes you wonder just how much truth there is to the curse of the billy goat. the Cubbies luck just turned so fast in that inning that it could have, and more than likely did, give fans the spins for hours. how could so much go so wrong in such a short amount of time? i wish i had the answers, but any of you out there who just started following Cubs baseball with this series can see just how much pain is involved in being a lifelong, die-hard fan. the fans out on Waveland were practically counting down the minutes until the celebration could begin, but maybe that's the problem. we're so desperate for the World Series to break the curse that we're beginning to count our chickens before they hatch. settle down and play the fucking game. don't worry about fan interference, don't worry about who's up to bat, just continue to play the excellent baseball you know you are capable of playing.
so i plea, Cubs players and fans alike, don't let this get you down. we aren't out of this thing yet. there's a game seven tonight and what could taste better than sweet victory served with a strong dish of revenge? we've got Wood on the mound, a rabid hometown crowd, and the motivation to kick some serious tonight. let's get it done.
brody wants to be courtney? at least that's what the first couple tracks off of Coral Fang lead me to believe. crank up her vocals in the mix, add a little more melody, clean up the guitars. disappointing. but on to more important topics for now, ie - the Cubs.
what the fuck was that eighth inning last night? don't let the mindless morons lead you to believe it can be blamed on the fan who got in Alou's way of the foul ball. that was just the first in a series of blunders that buried the game for the Cubbies. Gonzo missing an easy grounder up the middle, Dusty intentionally walking TWO batters in the inning, or Farnsworth not being ready AT ALL to come into the game. it was just simply a horrid inning for the Cubs, and one that makes you wonder just how much truth there is to the curse of the billy goat. the Cubbies luck just turned so fast in that inning that it could have, and more than likely did, give fans the spins for hours. how could so much go so wrong in such a short amount of time? i wish i had the answers, but any of you out there who just started following Cubs baseball with this series can see just how much pain is involved in being a lifelong, die-hard fan. the fans out on Waveland were practically counting down the minutes until the celebration could begin, but maybe that's the problem. we're so desperate for the World Series to break the curse that we're beginning to count our chickens before they hatch. settle down and play the fucking game. don't worry about fan interference, don't worry about who's up to bat, just continue to play the excellent baseball you know you are capable of playing.
so i plea, Cubs players and fans alike, don't let this get you down. we aren't out of this thing yet. there's a game seven tonight and what could taste better than sweet victory served with a strong dish of revenge? we've got Wood on the mound, a rabid hometown crowd, and the motivation to kick some serious tonight. let's get it done.
Oct 13, 2003
np: "that young crazed peeling" - the distillers
this morning started off with a listen to Fever to Tell on the way to work, because yeah, i just missed Karen O a lot. still a strong album, one that grows more and more with each listen. work was largely a Mogwai kind of day, it just seemed to fit with the way i felt and the way the work day went... long hours of little to do, followed by short, massive bursts of rushing around the office like a madman. a friend hooked me up with a dope live show from 2001 last night, so i was all over that like stink of shit today, along with Young Team, Come On Die Young, and Rock Action. hey, whatever it takes to make it through a shitty monday after an extremely awesome weekend with the girl. the last three hours or work, all of it well past the 5 o'clock quitting time, forced me to break out the awesome Jet album on the way home. just perfect for rocking out with the windows down while speeding away from the shackles of the corporate world. but by the time i had gotten home the sniffling had turned into a full blown head cold, which was remedied by some medicine in the form of pills and Do Make Say Think's self-titled debut. it worked like a charm. after a quick dinner of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (THE dinner of champions) and a perusal of NME's review of the new Distillers album, i felt good enough to blast around the apartment to Brody's rantings and ravings. i would so marry that girl, if it weren't for that big and scary QOTSA dude. so here i sit rocking out to one of the last enjoyable punk bands, wondering what the jump to a major label will do to the band's sound on Coral Fang. in a bit i'm going to settle down for the night with a listen to the freshly burned installment of Pitchfork's We Are The World Mix Project 002.
this morning started off with a listen to Fever to Tell on the way to work, because yeah, i just missed Karen O a lot. still a strong album, one that grows more and more with each listen. work was largely a Mogwai kind of day, it just seemed to fit with the way i felt and the way the work day went... long hours of little to do, followed by short, massive bursts of rushing around the office like a madman. a friend hooked me up with a dope live show from 2001 last night, so i was all over that like stink of shit today, along with Young Team, Come On Die Young, and Rock Action. hey, whatever it takes to make it through a shitty monday after an extremely awesome weekend with the girl. the last three hours or work, all of it well past the 5 o'clock quitting time, forced me to break out the awesome Jet album on the way home. just perfect for rocking out with the windows down while speeding away from the shackles of the corporate world. but by the time i had gotten home the sniffling had turned into a full blown head cold, which was remedied by some medicine in the form of pills and Do Make Say Think's self-titled debut. it worked like a charm. after a quick dinner of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (THE dinner of champions) and a perusal of NME's review of the new Distillers album, i felt good enough to blast around the apartment to Brody's rantings and ravings. i would so marry that girl, if it weren't for that big and scary QOTSA dude. so here i sit rocking out to one of the last enjoyable punk bands, wondering what the jump to a major label will do to the band's sound on Coral Fang. in a bit i'm going to settle down for the night with a listen to the freshly burned installment of Pitchfork's We Are The World Mix Project 002.
Oct 8, 2003
np: "endlessly" - muse
it's not uncommon for a British band to proudly wear its influences on it's sleeve like this, but somehow Muse manages to go beyond the second-rate 1997-era Radiohead tag the band got slapped with after the debut album. it's big, boombastic, epic arena rock for the new decade and despite all that they aren't half bad. check out "Stockholm Syndrome" or "Sing for Absolution" off the new album, Absolution, and see for yourself. obviously someone thinks this band must be "too British" for America, as nothing since the debut album has been released domestically on this side of the pond. which is a shame, as they've improved leaps and bounds over the mostly tepid with flashes of brilliance debut. i caught them opening for the Foos and Red Hot Chili Peppers back during the Californication tour, but didn't really care for them all that much. i blame that mostly on being a poor choice to open for the Foos and Peppers, as both bands were out to rock that night and Muse was in more of an introspective kinda thing back then. i picked up the debut used for a couple bucks, and that was about all it was worth. i finally downloaded the follow-up, Origins of Symmetry, after seeing it hyped up by quite a few different people on varing message boards. i was pleasantly surprised by the growth of the band and grew to like that album. i've only heard the latest release once so far, but it's not a bad album by any means. kind of over-dramatic, but that's not always a bad thing. i doubt it will keep a hold on my like Symmetry did though. as for some stuff that IS available here in the States, i picked up some new releases i am looking forward to checking out....
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism: i've already heard this thanks to the leaked version, and so far i'm thinking it's one of the stronger albums by the band.
Jet - Get Born: i'm expecting this to be a fun little release based on what i've heard.
Hey Mercedes - Loses Control: i was a fanatic Braid fan, having gone to school in the band's homebase during their heydey, so i've been keeping up with Bob Nanna's progress over the years, but this one completely snuck up on me when i heard it was out. AMG says it's a wonderful pop-rock album on par with J.E.W.'s Bleed American and The Get-Up Kids' Something to Write Home About, and despite what the hipsters might say, i don't think that's a bad thing at all. i'm looking forward to checking this one out during tomorrow's commute.
it's not uncommon for a British band to proudly wear its influences on it's sleeve like this, but somehow Muse manages to go beyond the second-rate 1997-era Radiohead tag the band got slapped with after the debut album. it's big, boombastic, epic arena rock for the new decade and despite all that they aren't half bad. check out "Stockholm Syndrome" or "Sing for Absolution" off the new album, Absolution, and see for yourself. obviously someone thinks this band must be "too British" for America, as nothing since the debut album has been released domestically on this side of the pond. which is a shame, as they've improved leaps and bounds over the mostly tepid with flashes of brilliance debut. i caught them opening for the Foos and Red Hot Chili Peppers back during the Californication tour, but didn't really care for them all that much. i blame that mostly on being a poor choice to open for the Foos and Peppers, as both bands were out to rock that night and Muse was in more of an introspective kinda thing back then. i picked up the debut used for a couple bucks, and that was about all it was worth. i finally downloaded the follow-up, Origins of Symmetry, after seeing it hyped up by quite a few different people on varing message boards. i was pleasantly surprised by the growth of the band and grew to like that album. i've only heard the latest release once so far, but it's not a bad album by any means. kind of over-dramatic, but that's not always a bad thing. i doubt it will keep a hold on my like Symmetry did though. as for some stuff that IS available here in the States, i picked up some new releases i am looking forward to checking out....
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism: i've already heard this thanks to the leaked version, and so far i'm thinking it's one of the stronger albums by the band.
Jet - Get Born: i'm expecting this to be a fun little release based on what i've heard.
Hey Mercedes - Loses Control: i was a fanatic Braid fan, having gone to school in the band's homebase during their heydey, so i've been keeping up with Bob Nanna's progress over the years, but this one completely snuck up on me when i heard it was out. AMG says it's a wonderful pop-rock album on par with J.E.W.'s Bleed American and The Get-Up Kids' Something to Write Home About, and despite what the hipsters might say, i don't think that's a bad thing at all. i'm looking forward to checking this one out during tomorrow's commute.
Oct 6, 2003
np: "blue" - ryan adams
i'm going through one of my loving the shit out of Ryan Adams phases. i stumbled across several of his unreleased albums on soulseek tonight and i am taking full advantage of them. there's a lot of good stuff out there yet to be released, but hopefully the album and two EPs due out by the end of the year will rectify some of that. i know there seems to be a backlash against him in the indie community, but i don't get the whole thing. yeah, he can be a prick and he's VERY hit or miss with his tunes, but goddamn that's rock and roll for you. those are the things i love about him.... he's off some of the time, but when he's on - motherfucker is ON.
and in other news, GO CUBS!! first postseason series win since 1908, bring on the Marlins. Wood and Prior are both tearin' shit up this postseason and i am confident as hell in this team. Sosa hasn't been producing for shit yet, but the rest of the team is stepping up - and that's what makes a championship team.
and for those keeping score at home.. it's been over a month and things are going excellent with the girl i've been seeing. we had a great weekend, watching the Cubs and seeing the excellent School of Rock. (which i highly recommend, by the way) and she's actually excited about meeting my family next weekend. so i guess things are looking pretty good for now.
i'm going through one of my loving the shit out of Ryan Adams phases. i stumbled across several of his unreleased albums on soulseek tonight and i am taking full advantage of them. there's a lot of good stuff out there yet to be released, but hopefully the album and two EPs due out by the end of the year will rectify some of that. i know there seems to be a backlash against him in the indie community, but i don't get the whole thing. yeah, he can be a prick and he's VERY hit or miss with his tunes, but goddamn that's rock and roll for you. those are the things i love about him.... he's off some of the time, but when he's on - motherfucker is ON.
and in other news, GO CUBS!! first postseason series win since 1908, bring on the Marlins. Wood and Prior are both tearin' shit up this postseason and i am confident as hell in this team. Sosa hasn't been producing for shit yet, but the rest of the team is stepping up - and that's what makes a championship team.
and for those keeping score at home.. it's been over a month and things are going excellent with the girl i've been seeing. we had a great weekend, watching the Cubs and seeing the excellent School of Rock. (which i highly recommend, by the way) and she's actually excited about meeting my family next weekend. so i guess things are looking pretty good for now.
Oct 3, 2003
np: "me against the music" - britney spears f. madonna
should i feel ill for enjoying the hell out of this song? each one of Britney's singles just gets better and better, she really has a knack for picking top producers i guess. tha added cameo of Madonna just makes this one all the more sweet. seriously, i wanna feel dirty for liking this song, but i can't help it.
should i feel ill for enjoying the hell out of this song? each one of Britney's singles just gets better and better, she really has a knack for picking top producers i guess. tha added cameo of Madonna just makes this one all the more sweet. seriously, i wanna feel dirty for liking this song, but i can't help it.
Sep 30, 2003
np: cubs vs. braves, NLDS, game one
the eternal optimism of a die-hard fan strikes again as the Cubbies pull out a magical Septmeber, thanks mostly to Dusty's magic dust and the Brews knocking the shit out of the Astros in the last series of the season. it's an exciting time, to be sure, but one wracked with doubt. it's hard not to doubt a team that just barely squeaked into the post-season, but when the Cubs are on they are a force to be reckoned with. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior combine to help give the Cubs one of the best starting rotations that they have seen in years. and they've finally gotten some bats to back those on the mound up. i'm hyped as hell for this series and i wish i could have scored some tickets to the home game, but i'll stick with hoping for my threesome with Britney and Shakira - as that's more likely to happen. they did a story on the news that said it would be cheaper to buy a plane ticket, get a hotel room, and get a ticket down in Atlanta than it would be to just buy a ticket here in Chicago. doesn't really surprise me, but it sucks. all those rich North Shore Cubs fans and rapid fan base make it damn near impossible to score a seat without some real good connections. kinda funny compared to the relative apathy in Atlanta.
other than that, it's been a rough weekend sportswise for me. not only did the Beats get positively smoked in thier "new" Soldier Field debut by the hated Packers - but i also had to suffer my alma mater, the Fighting Illini, lose yet another one to those pesky Badgers. it's just hard to watch U of I suffer while seeing the NIU Huskies climb the polls to #17.
alright bck to the game, the Cubbies got two on.
the eternal optimism of a die-hard fan strikes again as the Cubbies pull out a magical Septmeber, thanks mostly to Dusty's magic dust and the Brews knocking the shit out of the Astros in the last series of the season. it's an exciting time, to be sure, but one wracked with doubt. it's hard not to doubt a team that just barely squeaked into the post-season, but when the Cubs are on they are a force to be reckoned with. Kerry Wood and Mark Prior combine to help give the Cubs one of the best starting rotations that they have seen in years. and they've finally gotten some bats to back those on the mound up. i'm hyped as hell for this series and i wish i could have scored some tickets to the home game, but i'll stick with hoping for my threesome with Britney and Shakira - as that's more likely to happen. they did a story on the news that said it would be cheaper to buy a plane ticket, get a hotel room, and get a ticket down in Atlanta than it would be to just buy a ticket here in Chicago. doesn't really surprise me, but it sucks. all those rich North Shore Cubs fans and rapid fan base make it damn near impossible to score a seat without some real good connections. kinda funny compared to the relative apathy in Atlanta.
other than that, it's been a rough weekend sportswise for me. not only did the Beats get positively smoked in thier "new" Soldier Field debut by the hated Packers - but i also had to suffer my alma mater, the Fighting Illini, lose yet another one to those pesky Badgers. it's just hard to watch U of I suffer while seeing the NIU Huskies climb the polls to #17.
alright bck to the game, the Cubbies got two on.
Sep 26, 2003
marked like a wanted slab of beef, he slowly walked through the darkened hallway as if in a trance. his head hung slightly to the left, mouth agape. his dead, red eyes were fixed on the halo of green light surrounding the door fifty feet in front of him. a slow, low hum crept into his ears, keeping the time with his exhausted soul. his feet seemed to carry him forward with little regard to what the rest of his body was intent on doing. if he cared to explore it, he might have found the feeling a little exhilarating. but his mind was a blank canvas on which no one cared to paint anymore. including himself. deadened to the world, just the way he liked it. the way he trained it to become. no feeling, no pain, no anguish, no love. never caring for anything, never connecting with anything. that's why he normally would have found this journey towards the green light off-putting, since he never allowed himself to be distracted by feelings like curiosity. but his dead mind had been allowed to wallow undisturbed for so long now, that it had begun to make other plans. but all this was unknown to him as slowly continued towards the door. at the appropriate moment, his brain sent out the message to his muscles, causing his hand to reach out for the doorknob. sweat broke out on his brow as it touched the warm metal. this might have surprised him, but not this night. his hand twitched as his muscles forced up a rebellion against the brain, as they knew what was to come. but as per usual the brain quelled the revolution and forced the hand to turn the knob. instead of the door opening as one might have expected, it instead rippled and burst into shattering wood that went flying into his face and down the hallway. the sound would have deafened him if he had ever been inclined to listen to anything. suddenly his eyes regained their focus, watching the spinning projectile head towards his forehead in ever decreasing stop-motion. he realized what it was and suddenly his soul snapped to life and tried to overthrow the numbed brain. it was an intense struggle, but for once the brain was defeated. the soul screamed out in victory and redemption, but all the worn-out mouth could extract as the bullet tore through his forehead was a faint... "i want to feel"
np: "rise above" - black flag
so i'm reading one of the most enthralling books about music that i've read in a long time, Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991. if you haven't read it, you should definately check it out if you have any interest at all in the independent music of the 1980's. each section is dedicated to one band, giving a detailed history of the band's indie years highlighted with thoughts from the members themselves and those dedicated to the scene. Black Flag, Sonic Youth, The Replacements, and Mission of Burma are just a few of the bands covered within.
while i'm at it, here's a few other music-related books i've read and enjoyed lately.
Let It Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America's Greatest Rock Critic
Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones
Confusion Is Next: The Sonic Youth Story
enjoy.
so i'm reading one of the most enthralling books about music that i've read in a long time, Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981-1991. if you haven't read it, you should definately check it out if you have any interest at all in the independent music of the 1980's. each section is dedicated to one band, giving a detailed history of the band's indie years highlighted with thoughts from the members themselves and those dedicated to the scene. Black Flag, Sonic Youth, The Replacements, and Mission of Burma are just a few of the bands covered within.
while i'm at it, here's a few other music-related books i've read and enjoyed lately.
Let It Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs, America's Greatest Rock Critic
Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones
Confusion Is Next: The Sonic Youth Story
enjoy.
Sep 22, 2003
np: "bowtie" - big boi
holy shit. this is album of the year worthy right here. this is most likely the most out there and best album i've heard all year, especially Andre 3000's disc. at first i was digging on Big Boi's half as my favorite, but suddenly in the middle of the instrumental cover of the jazz standard "My Favorite Things", it hit me how damn amazing Andre's side is. funk, soul, gospel, jazz, techno, rock... it's all here. i wish i had the words to do this thing justice, but i don't see either disc leaving my rotation for a long, long time. easily the hip-hop album of 2003.
holy shit. this is album of the year worthy right here. this is most likely the most out there and best album i've heard all year, especially Andre 3000's disc. at first i was digging on Big Boi's half as my favorite, but suddenly in the middle of the instrumental cover of the jazz standard "My Favorite Things", it hit me how damn amazing Andre's side is. funk, soul, gospel, jazz, techno, rock... it's all here. i wish i had the words to do this thing justice, but i don't see either disc leaving my rotation for a long, long time. easily the hip-hop album of 2003.
Sep 20, 2003
np: "the ghost of a good thing" - dashboard confessional
i won't even get into the DC thing again. i like Chris and i don't feel guilty about it. because when it comes down to it, is it really any worse to like Chris Carraba for being cheesy and over-the-top than it is to like Andrew WK for the same reasons?
ranting aside, it is a beautiful fall day here in the northwest burbs. 70 degrees and sunny. i love autumn in this area, i'm going to have to make a trip down to Grant Park once the leaves change, i think it's beautiful to see the orange and red leaves framing the skyline. christ, maybe i shoudln't be listening to Dashboard now - i'm turning all emo and shit.
i made the trip to a local thrift shop this morning to dig through the vinyl crates. i didn't find anything too thrilling, but some things i couldn't pass up for 50 cents. ABBA's Voulez-Vous because... come on, it's ABBA and it was in really good shape. i also picked up a Dukes of Stratosphear album i had never heard, just because. and the other three i picked up mainly because the cover art is just so bloody awful that it rocks in a weird kinda way. the first two Boston albums, because those covers used to enthrall me as a child. and Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass' Whipped Cream and Other Delights. mostly because we just had a conversation at work about how this cover was the inspiration for the dude covered in clam dip on a Soul Asylum cover. take a look for youself. Herb Alpert and Soul Asylum. i love tribute covers like that.
i won't even get into the DC thing again. i like Chris and i don't feel guilty about it. because when it comes down to it, is it really any worse to like Chris Carraba for being cheesy and over-the-top than it is to like Andrew WK for the same reasons?
ranting aside, it is a beautiful fall day here in the northwest burbs. 70 degrees and sunny. i love autumn in this area, i'm going to have to make a trip down to Grant Park once the leaves change, i think it's beautiful to see the orange and red leaves framing the skyline. christ, maybe i shoudln't be listening to Dashboard now - i'm turning all emo and shit.
i made the trip to a local thrift shop this morning to dig through the vinyl crates. i didn't find anything too thrilling, but some things i couldn't pass up for 50 cents. ABBA's Voulez-Vous because... come on, it's ABBA and it was in really good shape. i also picked up a Dukes of Stratosphear album i had never heard, just because. and the other three i picked up mainly because the cover art is just so bloody awful that it rocks in a weird kinda way. the first two Boston albums, because those covers used to enthrall me as a child. and Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass' Whipped Cream and Other Delights. mostly because we just had a conversation at work about how this cover was the inspiration for the dude covered in clam dip on a Soul Asylum cover. take a look for youself. Herb Alpert and Soul Asylum. i love tribute covers like that.
Sep 19, 2003
np: "the aeroplane flies high (looks left, turns right)" - smashing pumpkins
in honor of the demise of Zwan, i'm listening to some of my favorite Corgan penned tunes of all time. i'm noticing i love the epics he's cranked out... "Drown", "TAFH", "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans", and the kick-ass live version of "Silverfuck" on Earphoria. but really, i want to talk about how fucking awesome the "Hey Ya" video is. seriously, that shit rocks my world. i don't know if it's the Love Haters, Dookie on the drums, or the girls shakin' it like a Polaroid picture... but definately one of the best hip-hop vids of the year. it's Outkast, should i expect anything less? i'm so hyped for the album, and i've been avoiding any of the leaked stuff until i can sit down and hold the actual album in my hot little hands. for now i'm plugged into Launch watching that video over and over and over again.... lend me some sugar, cuz i AM your neighbor. love it.
in honor of the demise of Zwan, i'm listening to some of my favorite Corgan penned tunes of all time. i'm noticing i love the epics he's cranked out... "Drown", "TAFH", "Porcelina of the Vast Oceans", and the kick-ass live version of "Silverfuck" on Earphoria. but really, i want to talk about how fucking awesome the "Hey Ya" video is. seriously, that shit rocks my world. i don't know if it's the Love Haters, Dookie on the drums, or the girls shakin' it like a Polaroid picture... but definately one of the best hip-hop vids of the year. it's Outkast, should i expect anything less? i'm so hyped for the album, and i've been avoiding any of the leaked stuff until i can sit down and hold the actual album in my hot little hands. for now i'm plugged into Launch watching that video over and over and over again.... lend me some sugar, cuz i AM your neighbor. love it.
Sep 18, 2003
np: "dynamite" - ima robot
seriously, i've become addicted to this album in the last 48 hours. this is what this whole new wave of dancey/punk rock should sound like. catchy, funky, and fun as hell. i'm definately going to have to catch them live when i get a chance. on the other end of the spectrum, i gave the new Saves the Day album another chance, and i'll be damned if i don't hate it even more now. many of you would wonder what else i would expect, but it really is that horrible.
seriously, i've become addicted to this album in the last 48 hours. this is what this whole new wave of dancey/punk rock should sound like. catchy, funky, and fun as hell. i'm definately going to have to catch them live when i get a chance. on the other end of the spectrum, i gave the new Saves the Day album another chance, and i'll be damned if i don't hate it even more now. many of you would wonder what else i would expect, but it really is that horrible.
Sep 16, 2003
Ex-Girlfriends and Black Jettas
np: "12=3" - ima robot
alright, so it's been 2 weeks now without a reasonable update. and i'm not armed with a handful of excuses, i just have been struggling with where to go with this blog right now. i've been trying to keep it away from just being a journalish thing about my life, because honestly.. no one wants to read that all the time. i was kind of hoping to go with the music news and updates thing, but hell... this guy, this guy, and this dude all do it more often and far better than i have the time for right now. plus they got the hook-ups on those sweet looking designs that aren't blogger templates. so yeah, i'm kind of stuck as to where i can go with it. i kind of liked the review thing i had started, but i didn't feel they were in-depth enough to be worthwhile and i don't have the time to get that much more in-depth and update more than every week or so. and again, there are more sites out there that really do that reviewing thing pretty swanky.
but shit, i love music. i love thinking about it and it's always floating around in my brain. so i like the thought of having an outlet, but i'm stuck as to where to go right now.
and although i mentioned earlier that no one wants to read personal shit about me... here's a little bone for the old-school readers that sat through my bitching and moaning about being single posts. i'm actually seeing the most amazing girl right now, not too seriously yet - but it's been going strong long enough now that i feel pretty optimistic about things.
and to get back to the music, it was a decent little shopping spree for some new tunes today, so i'll share my thoughts on the things i picked up after the initial listens.
Saves the Day - In Reverie
ok, so i wasn't expecting much from this one. i saw them live once and used to enjoy Can't Slow Down and Through Being Cool back in the day. but now, Chris is over-reaching for Johnny Rzeznik type pop-glory and falls flat on his ass. and the endearing glimpses of teenage love anxiety that used to creep into his lyrics are completely gone, replaced with pure drivel. this one truly sucks.
Thursday - War All the Time
so sue me, i enjoy this sort of stuff from time to time... angsty without being completely overbearing, traces of melody, and better than average songwriting for the genre. this album is basically more of the same from the band, but a couple songs manage to expand on the sound established on Full Collapse and make for a decent listening experience if you are into the band at all. but if you hate 'em, this surely ain't gonna be the one to change your mind.
Ima Robot - S/T
picked this one up on a fluke, based on the positive word of mouth floating around the web and the sub-$10 price tag. and surprisingly enough, the most enjoyable disc i bought all day. it's more of that danced up punk that the kids seem to be into these days - think Hot Hot Heat type of stuff, but more fun lyrically. and damn if "Black Jettas" doesn't end up as one of my favorite songs of the year. fun, fun album.
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil Remixes
this was exactly what i expected, a very hit and miss single. the Neptunes do an excellent job of subtley spicing up the original, with a more orchaestral ending and a kick-ass breakdown. the Fatboy Slim mix is pure crap though. he threw in some of his trademark blips and whooses that you find in about every single one of his mixes. it may work for the big beat shit he's used to, but it don't fly with the Stones in the least. the Full Phatt mix falls somewhere between the first two versions, doing a better job of spicing things up than Norman but really failing to make it an enjoyable listen like the 'Tunes. and of course, the original in all its glory finishes off the disc.
phew, and with that i'm out.
np: "12=3" - ima robot
alright, so it's been 2 weeks now without a reasonable update. and i'm not armed with a handful of excuses, i just have been struggling with where to go with this blog right now. i've been trying to keep it away from just being a journalish thing about my life, because honestly.. no one wants to read that all the time. i was kind of hoping to go with the music news and updates thing, but hell... this guy, this guy, and this dude all do it more often and far better than i have the time for right now. plus they got the hook-ups on those sweet looking designs that aren't blogger templates. so yeah, i'm kind of stuck as to where i can go with it. i kind of liked the review thing i had started, but i didn't feel they were in-depth enough to be worthwhile and i don't have the time to get that much more in-depth and update more than every week or so. and again, there are more sites out there that really do that reviewing thing pretty swanky.
but shit, i love music. i love thinking about it and it's always floating around in my brain. so i like the thought of having an outlet, but i'm stuck as to where to go right now.
and although i mentioned earlier that no one wants to read personal shit about me... here's a little bone for the old-school readers that sat through my bitching and moaning about being single posts. i'm actually seeing the most amazing girl right now, not too seriously yet - but it's been going strong long enough now that i feel pretty optimistic about things.
and to get back to the music, it was a decent little shopping spree for some new tunes today, so i'll share my thoughts on the things i picked up after the initial listens.
Saves the Day - In Reverie
ok, so i wasn't expecting much from this one. i saw them live once and used to enjoy Can't Slow Down and Through Being Cool back in the day. but now, Chris is over-reaching for Johnny Rzeznik type pop-glory and falls flat on his ass. and the endearing glimpses of teenage love anxiety that used to creep into his lyrics are completely gone, replaced with pure drivel. this one truly sucks.
Thursday - War All the Time
so sue me, i enjoy this sort of stuff from time to time... angsty without being completely overbearing, traces of melody, and better than average songwriting for the genre. this album is basically more of the same from the band, but a couple songs manage to expand on the sound established on Full Collapse and make for a decent listening experience if you are into the band at all. but if you hate 'em, this surely ain't gonna be the one to change your mind.
Ima Robot - S/T
picked this one up on a fluke, based on the positive word of mouth floating around the web and the sub-$10 price tag. and surprisingly enough, the most enjoyable disc i bought all day. it's more of that danced up punk that the kids seem to be into these days - think Hot Hot Heat type of stuff, but more fun lyrically. and damn if "Black Jettas" doesn't end up as one of my favorite songs of the year. fun, fun album.
The Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil Remixes
this was exactly what i expected, a very hit and miss single. the Neptunes do an excellent job of subtley spicing up the original, with a more orchaestral ending and a kick-ass breakdown. the Fatboy Slim mix is pure crap though. he threw in some of his trademark blips and whooses that you find in about every single one of his mixes. it may work for the big beat shit he's used to, but it don't fly with the Stones in the least. the Full Phatt mix falls somewhere between the first two versions, doing a better job of spicing things up than Norman but really failing to make it an enjoyable listen like the 'Tunes. and of course, the original in all its glory finishes off the disc.
phew, and with that i'm out.
Sep 3, 2003
np: "the lbs." - the delta 72
and then there were 9....
Bright Eyes gets the boot from the 2003 Shotlist Music Prize finalist list. apparently the album just recently broke the 500,000 sales mark, which is the upper limit for eligible albums. cool for Conor and all, but i really would have thought Turn On the Bright Lights was outselling Lifted.
Eponymous 2: Da Return
when i heard that R.E.M. was going to be releasing a greatest hits package for the post 1988 Warner Brothers years, i wasn't all that excited. i have all the album from that time period, so i figured there'd be no reason to pick up In Time. sure, there would be that obligatory new track to try and sucker me into buying it, but i would hold steadfast. well, after seeing the final tracklist - i'll be picking it up. two, not just one new track and two tracks from soundtracks that i never got around to picking up. here's the list, thanks to the 'fork for the hookup.
01 Man on the Moon
02 The Great Beyond [from Man on the Moon soundtrack]
03 Bad Day [previously unreleased]
04 What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
05 All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)
06 Losing My Religion
07 E-Bow The Letter
08 Orange Crush
09 Imitation of Life
10 Daysleeper
11 Animal [previously unreleased]
12 The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
13 Stand
14 Electrolite
15 All The Right Friends [from Vanilla Sky soundtrack]
16 Everybody Hurts
17 At My Most Beautiful
18 Nightswimming
damn, yo. nice to see Up and Reveal getting some love, but one track from Monster? come on, it was a good album. they've probably got room for one more song, throw on either "Crush with Eyeliner" or "Strange Currencies" and i'd be happy with it.
Split Personality Crisis
Paul Westerberg is back with two new albums this October, both under his own name and the Grandpaboy alter ego. Come Feel Me Tremble, under his own name, is due out Oct. 21st but no exact date give on Grandpaboy's Dead Man Shake. maybe they'll slip some copies in the initial pressings of Come Feel, like they did with the Stereo/Mono package last time around.
Rave On
picked up the new BRMC and Raveonettes discs yesterday. haven't gotten to dig into BRMC yet, but took the Raves for a couple of spins last night. nice, very nice. hoepfully more later tonight though.
and then there were 9....
Bright Eyes gets the boot from the 2003 Shotlist Music Prize finalist list. apparently the album just recently broke the 500,000 sales mark, which is the upper limit for eligible albums. cool for Conor and all, but i really would have thought Turn On the Bright Lights was outselling Lifted.
Eponymous 2: Da Return
when i heard that R.E.M. was going to be releasing a greatest hits package for the post 1988 Warner Brothers years, i wasn't all that excited. i have all the album from that time period, so i figured there'd be no reason to pick up In Time. sure, there would be that obligatory new track to try and sucker me into buying it, but i would hold steadfast. well, after seeing the final tracklist - i'll be picking it up. two, not just one new track and two tracks from soundtracks that i never got around to picking up. here's the list, thanks to the 'fork for the hookup.
01 Man on the Moon
02 The Great Beyond [from Man on the Moon soundtrack]
03 Bad Day [previously unreleased]
04 What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
05 All The Way To Reno (You're Gonna Be A Star)
06 Losing My Religion
07 E-Bow The Letter
08 Orange Crush
09 Imitation of Life
10 Daysleeper
11 Animal [previously unreleased]
12 The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite
13 Stand
14 Electrolite
15 All The Right Friends [from Vanilla Sky soundtrack]
16 Everybody Hurts
17 At My Most Beautiful
18 Nightswimming
damn, yo. nice to see Up and Reveal getting some love, but one track from Monster? come on, it was a good album. they've probably got room for one more song, throw on either "Crush with Eyeliner" or "Strange Currencies" and i'd be happy with it.
Split Personality Crisis
Paul Westerberg is back with two new albums this October, both under his own name and the Grandpaboy alter ego. Come Feel Me Tremble, under his own name, is due out Oct. 21st but no exact date give on Grandpaboy's Dead Man Shake. maybe they'll slip some copies in the initial pressings of Come Feel, like they did with the Stereo/Mono package last time around.
Rave On
picked up the new BRMC and Raveonettes discs yesterday. haven't gotten to dig into BRMC yet, but took the Raves for a couple of spins last night. nice, very nice. hoepfully more later tonight though.
Sep 2, 2003
Vendetta Red - Between the Never and the Now
Epic, 2003
buy it here
Seattle transplants Vendetta Red come with the goods on their major-label debut, combining the best parts of hardcore and (gasp!) emo to pack a pretty decent wallop. Obviously haters of the whole screamo tip will be biased from the start, but for a genre overloaded with crap – this is a pretty solid release. Lead vocalist Zach Davidson and company boil down the essence of hardcore and combine it with some mighty guitar workouts, and thankfully avoid the most clichéd of emo lyrics. A little darker and harder than your standard TRL punk fare, Vendetta Red proves the genre isn’t a complete dead horse just yet.
NOFX - The War on Errorism
Fat Wreck Chords, 2003
buy it here
NOFX goes political? Not quite, although Fat Mike acknowledges America’s sad state of affairs as a motivator for some of the lyrics on the new album. Despite the Bush-provoking artwork and liner notes, the good time elder statesmen of punk haven’t gone all Anti-Flag on the latest release. The boys manage to protest American politics, while gently swiping at the angry left at the same time. Throw in some classic NOFX tracks like “Whoops, I OD’d” and “She’s Nubs”, and a hilarious take on aging punks, the boys put out one of their more solid albums of the past few years.
Epic, 2003
buy it here
Seattle transplants Vendetta Red come with the goods on their major-label debut, combining the best parts of hardcore and (gasp!) emo to pack a pretty decent wallop. Obviously haters of the whole screamo tip will be biased from the start, but for a genre overloaded with crap – this is a pretty solid release. Lead vocalist Zach Davidson and company boil down the essence of hardcore and combine it with some mighty guitar workouts, and thankfully avoid the most clichéd of emo lyrics. A little darker and harder than your standard TRL punk fare, Vendetta Red proves the genre isn’t a complete dead horse just yet.
NOFX - The War on Errorism
Fat Wreck Chords, 2003
buy it here
NOFX goes political? Not quite, although Fat Mike acknowledges America’s sad state of affairs as a motivator for some of the lyrics on the new album. Despite the Bush-provoking artwork and liner notes, the good time elder statesmen of punk haven’t gone all Anti-Flag on the latest release. The boys manage to protest American politics, while gently swiping at the angry left at the same time. Throw in some classic NOFX tracks like “Whoops, I OD’d” and “She’s Nubs”, and a hilarious take on aging punks, the boys put out one of their more solid albums of the past few years.
10 Finalists named for 2003 Shortlist Music Prize:
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Bright Eyes - Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Cat Power - You Are Free
Floetry - Floetic
Black Keys - Thickfreakness
Cody Chestnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece
Damien Rice - O
Sigur Ros - ( )
The Streets - Original Pirate Material
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Fever to Tell
let's explore the process of elimination.
- Floetry, haven't heard this, so it's out.
- Cody Chestnutt, see above.
- Bright Eyes, i don't get this inclusion at all - and i'm a big Conor fan. but truthfully, this is one of his weaker releases. hell, i'd rather have seen the Desaparecidos up there.
- Damien Rice, a couple good songs - but mainly a slightly-better David Gray. meh.
- Black Keys, decent album - but just because it's a white duo, that doesn't make it groundbreaking blues.
- Cat Power, yawn. ok, that's a little harsh, but the more i (try to) listen to this album the more i scratch my head over the hype. girl can write a decent tune, but how about performing them like she cares?
- The Streets, the album was nowhere near as solid as it could have been. any album with filler should simply not be appearing on this list, and there's a fair share of crap layered between the great songs.
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, another album that could have been much better. one of the minor letdowns of the past year, that's for sure.
and that leaves Sigur Ros and Interpol. i could argue the merits of either album deserving the $5000 prize, but in my mind it comes down to the album that is continually crawling back into my mind and my rotation. Interpol. yes doubters, it is that damn good. sounds like i'll have to get MTV2 before October 5th so i can watch the concert/award presentation.
thanks to Billboard for the 411.
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Bright Eyes - Lifted or the Story is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Cat Power - You Are Free
Floetry - Floetic
Black Keys - Thickfreakness
Cody Chestnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece
Damien Rice - O
Sigur Ros - ( )
The Streets - Original Pirate Material
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Fever to Tell
let's explore the process of elimination.
- Floetry, haven't heard this, so it's out.
- Cody Chestnutt, see above.
- Bright Eyes, i don't get this inclusion at all - and i'm a big Conor fan. but truthfully, this is one of his weaker releases. hell, i'd rather have seen the Desaparecidos up there.
- Damien Rice, a couple good songs - but mainly a slightly-better David Gray. meh.
- Black Keys, decent album - but just because it's a white duo, that doesn't make it groundbreaking blues.
- Cat Power, yawn. ok, that's a little harsh, but the more i (try to) listen to this album the more i scratch my head over the hype. girl can write a decent tune, but how about performing them like she cares?
- The Streets, the album was nowhere near as solid as it could have been. any album with filler should simply not be appearing on this list, and there's a fair share of crap layered between the great songs.
- Yeah Yeah Yeahs, another album that could have been much better. one of the minor letdowns of the past year, that's for sure.
and that leaves Sigur Ros and Interpol. i could argue the merits of either album deserving the $5000 prize, but in my mind it comes down to the album that is continually crawling back into my mind and my rotation. Interpol. yes doubters, it is that damn good. sounds like i'll have to get MTV2 before October 5th so i can watch the concert/award presentation.
thanks to Billboard for the 411.
np: "thunder" - wayne county & the electric chairs
a co-worker gave me a copy of the 10th Anniversary 1979-1989 of I.R.S. Records compilation today, and it's got some pretty cool shit on it. very early Police, John Cale, Cramps, English Beat, Magazine - neat little sampler.
i'm back after a little unexpected hiatus over the birthday/holiday weekend, and hopefully ready with more regular updates at this point. reviews of Vendetta Red, NOFX, Brian Jonestown Massacre, BRMC, and an expanded look at The Neptunes all hopefully to come within the next week.
for those that were wondering, it was a very good birthday weekend. had two most excellent nights of partying with the friends, a relaxing day with the family on Sunday, and i used the extra day to catch up on some housework and enjoy some new albums and quality bonding time with NCAA Football 2004 on my PS2.
a co-worker gave me a copy of the 10th Anniversary 1979-1989 of I.R.S. Records compilation today, and it's got some pretty cool shit on it. very early Police, John Cale, Cramps, English Beat, Magazine - neat little sampler.
i'm back after a little unexpected hiatus over the birthday/holiday weekend, and hopefully ready with more regular updates at this point. reviews of Vendetta Red, NOFX, Brian Jonestown Massacre, BRMC, and an expanded look at The Neptunes all hopefully to come within the next week.
for those that were wondering, it was a very good birthday weekend. had two most excellent nights of partying with the friends, a relaxing day with the family on Sunday, and i used the extra day to catch up on some housework and enjoy some new albums and quality bonding time with NCAA Football 2004 on my PS2.
Aug 20, 2003
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
Universal, 2003
buy it here
I’ve seen “neo-prog” thrown out in regards to this album, and in a way it’s quite fitting. Overblown sense of scale? Check. Pointless noodling? Check. Inane lyrics that are supposedly telling a story? Check. Then it’s a pretty good descriptor because Omar and Cedric have churned out a prog album that only works about half the time. There are some interesting and effective instrumental sections on this album, but the supposed concept is so far buried beneath the “5 dollar words” strung together that the overall album falls a little flat. They have a great album in them, but this isn’t it.
Universal, 2003
buy it here
I’ve seen “neo-prog” thrown out in regards to this album, and in a way it’s quite fitting. Overblown sense of scale? Check. Pointless noodling? Check. Inane lyrics that are supposedly telling a story? Check. Then it’s a pretty good descriptor because Omar and Cedric have churned out a prog album that only works about half the time. There are some interesting and effective instrumental sections on this album, but the supposed concept is so far buried beneath the “5 dollar words” strung together that the overall album falls a little flat. They have a great album in them, but this isn’t it.
Aug 19, 2003
Rancid - Indestructible
Epitaph, 2003
buy it here
It’s been said that the punk rockers don’t age well, but with their sixth album Rancid is out to blow that myth away. A new sense of maturity and nostalgia has snuck into the lyrics amidst the usual tales of being broke and rallying for political causes, but it doesn’t depart from the melodic core of what Rancid is all about. A somewhat expected break-up song from Tim to Brody appears, but the overall album manages to retain a sense of hope and love for life. “Cause through music we can live forever” – and as Indestructible shows, these guys will.
Epitaph, 2003
buy it here
It’s been said that the punk rockers don’t age well, but with their sixth album Rancid is out to blow that myth away. A new sense of maturity and nostalgia has snuck into the lyrics amidst the usual tales of being broke and rallying for political causes, but it doesn’t depart from the melodic core of what Rancid is all about. A somewhat expected break-up song from Tim to Brody appears, but the overall album manages to retain a sense of hope and love for life. “Cause through music we can live forever” – and as Indestructible shows, these guys will.
np: "tropical london" - rancid
i'll be posting the review for this album shortly, but i'm definately still enjoying it. as far as the reviews, the 50 word limit just was not going to work, so i gave myself some leeway and went with 100. maybe it's cheating, but it still made me struggle a little with getting out what i had in mind.
it's been an insanely busy week at work, and tomorrow is only Wednesday. it was bound to happen though, since we are shutting the office early on Friday for the annual golf outing. i suck at golf, but it will be nice to spend an afternoon outside consuming some alcoholic beverages. then it's on to a joint birthday party for myself and a friend. should make for a pretty good start to the weekend before heading out to celebrate my mom's birthday. which reminds me, i still need to head out to IKEA for her present. i despise shopping in that place because of the constant insane crowds, but luckily i know exactly what i'm looking for.
i'll be posting the review for this album shortly, but i'm definately still enjoying it. as far as the reviews, the 50 word limit just was not going to work, so i gave myself some leeway and went with 100. maybe it's cheating, but it still made me struggle a little with getting out what i had in mind.
it's been an insanely busy week at work, and tomorrow is only Wednesday. it was bound to happen though, since we are shutting the office early on Friday for the annual golf outing. i suck at golf, but it will be nice to spend an afternoon outside consuming some alcoholic beverages. then it's on to a joint birthday party for myself and a friend. should make for a pretty good start to the weekend before heading out to celebrate my mom's birthday. which reminds me, i still need to head out to IKEA for her present. i despise shopping in that place because of the constant insane crowds, but luckily i know exactly what i'm looking for.
Aug 18, 2003
np: "agent orange skies" - kill hannah
wow, wow, wow. i saw the band that deserves to be the future of rock and roll this weekend. that's right, the Kill Hannah show was amazing. despite the 105+ degrees in the Metro saturday night, the boys in KH rocked the crowd hard and put on a great show for the hometown fans. like i said, i wasn't sure what to expect going into the show, but never in a million years did i expect to come away from one show this big of a fan. carrying on the glam/pop/rock tradition of Bowie, Duran Duran, Smashing Pumpkins, Suede, Garbage, Placebo and carrying it into the new millenium; these five guys showed just how powerful a true love for what you are doing can be. after the aforementioned heat and three opening bands, the crowd just exploded when KH took the stage and rocked it for all it was worth. "Welcome to Chicago, Motherfuckers", "Nerve Gas", and "Los Angeles" were just a few of the highlights of the night. remember this band, because once the major-label debut drops in October, Kill Hannah is poised on the brink of a supernova. it won't be undeserved success either, as the band has been working Chicago and the area for years - self-releasing three albums and a string of EPs, not counting the local hit "I Wanna Be A Kennedy". and to top it all off, the guys are just wonderful and very appreciative of the rabid fan support shown at the Metro. lead singer Mat Devine hung out for several hours in front of the Metro after the show, grateful to talk to any fan who wanted to meet him. i spent a few minutes talking to myself, and when i reached out to shake his had he grabbed me and hugged me instead. may sound a little weird, but the guy just seemed to be having the night of his life and wanted everyone to share in it. one of the most memorable shows by a local band i've seen in years, and leaving me hungry for more when they tour on the new album.
wow, wow, wow. i saw the band that deserves to be the future of rock and roll this weekend. that's right, the Kill Hannah show was amazing. despite the 105+ degrees in the Metro saturday night, the boys in KH rocked the crowd hard and put on a great show for the hometown fans. like i said, i wasn't sure what to expect going into the show, but never in a million years did i expect to come away from one show this big of a fan. carrying on the glam/pop/rock tradition of Bowie, Duran Duran, Smashing Pumpkins, Suede, Garbage, Placebo and carrying it into the new millenium; these five guys showed just how powerful a true love for what you are doing can be. after the aforementioned heat and three opening bands, the crowd just exploded when KH took the stage and rocked it for all it was worth. "Welcome to Chicago, Motherfuckers", "Nerve Gas", and "Los Angeles" were just a few of the highlights of the night. remember this band, because once the major-label debut drops in October, Kill Hannah is poised on the brink of a supernova. it won't be undeserved success either, as the band has been working Chicago and the area for years - self-releasing three albums and a string of EPs, not counting the local hit "I Wanna Be A Kennedy". and to top it all off, the guys are just wonderful and very appreciative of the rabid fan support shown at the Metro. lead singer Mat Devine hung out for several hours in front of the Metro after the show, grateful to talk to any fan who wanted to meet him. i spent a few minutes talking to myself, and when i reached out to shake his had he grabbed me and hugged me instead. may sound a little weird, but the guy just seemed to be having the night of his life and wanted everyone to share in it. one of the most memorable shows by a local band i've seen in years, and leaving me hungry for more when they tour on the new album.
Aug 14, 2003
np: "around and around" - the rolling stones
ahh, some classic old school ABKCO Stones. i've just recently started exploring more of the '60s Stones, something i should have done a long time ago. i've had most of the '70s albums for years, but i never got any further back than Aftermath, which i got because i have always loved "Paint It Black", ever since it was the theme song for that old Vietnam show "Tour of Duty". that was one of my favorites as a kid, and if i remember correctly it was on the same night as that awful Max Headroom show. good god the '80s brought out some horrid shit.
i'm really looking forward to this weekend, fo' sheazy. Parker is coming back up from Atlanta, to see Kill Hannah at the Metro on Saturday and to celebrate his birthday. and mine too, i suppose, since it's in a couple of weeks. but you can bet there will be mass amounts of alcohol consumed and good times had. there always is when Parker is in town. i'm not sure how to feel about going to see Kill Hannah on Saturday. on the one hand, i always love the Metro and i've heard a lot of good things about KH. but at the same time, there's always the risk of running into a bad show since all the ones i have seen have been to in the past year have been good to excellent. i've also never heard a single KH song, and i'm gonna keep it that way so that Saturday will be a complete surprise to me. we'll see how it goes.
i've also decided to add a little something new to the viaChicago mix starting next week, putting even more focus on the music. i'm going to start reviewing albums from day to day, but not like the rare review that has shown up on this site so far. since i tend to become a little long-winded when i try to write my reviews, i'm going to limit myself to 50 words. yeah, i'm borrowing a page from the guys at 75orless, but i need to challenge myself to be a little more concise with my feelings and learn how to tear right to the heart of the album. i'm also not just going to be going over the latest releases, i'm going to be digging through my collection and writing a little about what ever happens to be striking my fancy at the time. maybe i'll even just reach in and pull out an album at random to see what thoughts i have currently. so stay tuned.
ahh, some classic old school ABKCO Stones. i've just recently started exploring more of the '60s Stones, something i should have done a long time ago. i've had most of the '70s albums for years, but i never got any further back than Aftermath, which i got because i have always loved "Paint It Black", ever since it was the theme song for that old Vietnam show "Tour of Duty". that was one of my favorites as a kid, and if i remember correctly it was on the same night as that awful Max Headroom show. good god the '80s brought out some horrid shit.
i'm really looking forward to this weekend, fo' sheazy. Parker is coming back up from Atlanta, to see Kill Hannah at the Metro on Saturday and to celebrate his birthday. and mine too, i suppose, since it's in a couple of weeks. but you can bet there will be mass amounts of alcohol consumed and good times had. there always is when Parker is in town. i'm not sure how to feel about going to see Kill Hannah on Saturday. on the one hand, i always love the Metro and i've heard a lot of good things about KH. but at the same time, there's always the risk of running into a bad show since all the ones i have seen have been to in the past year have been good to excellent. i've also never heard a single KH song, and i'm gonna keep it that way so that Saturday will be a complete surprise to me. we'll see how it goes.
i've also decided to add a little something new to the viaChicago mix starting next week, putting even more focus on the music. i'm going to start reviewing albums from day to day, but not like the rare review that has shown up on this site so far. since i tend to become a little long-winded when i try to write my reviews, i'm going to limit myself to 50 words. yeah, i'm borrowing a page from the guys at 75orless, but i need to challenge myself to be a little more concise with my feelings and learn how to tear right to the heart of the album. i'm also not just going to be going over the latest releases, i'm going to be digging through my collection and writing a little about what ever happens to be striking my fancy at the time. maybe i'll even just reach in and pull out an album at random to see what thoughts i have currently. so stay tuned.
Aug 13, 2003
np: "who would've thought" - rancid
so Indestructible got me to pull out the other Rancid albums and take a look back. i really love the album this track comes from, Life Won't Wait, but i always thought of it more as Rancid's Clash tribute album more than anything. not that it's a bad thing, but the experimentation in styles just reminded me of Sandinista in a way. but the Rancid one is much easier to get through in one sitting than the Clash.
so not even one derogatory comment about my Dashboard post last time, i was expecting at least one. maybe i just managed to erase my last shred of credibility and scared you from ever coming back. wouldn't be the first time...
so Indestructible got me to pull out the other Rancid albums and take a look back. i really love the album this track comes from, Life Won't Wait, but i always thought of it more as Rancid's Clash tribute album more than anything. not that it's a bad thing, but the experimentation in styles just reminded me of Sandinista in a way. but the Rancid one is much easier to get through in one sitting than the Clash.
so not even one derogatory comment about my Dashboard post last time, i was expecting at least one. maybe i just managed to erase my last shred of credibility and scared you from ever coming back. wouldn't be the first time...
Aug 12, 2003
np: "carry this picture" - dashboard confessional
in a moment of brutal honesty here in which i will more than likely lose the respect of all three of my regular readers, yes i actually went out and bought the new Dashboard album today. yes i did. the most guilty of all my pleasures, i'll be the first to admit. and the one that none of my friends are shy to bring up when looking for a reason to embarass me. i can't explain my attraction to Chris Carraba, and no it has nothing to do with his boyish good looks. i used to spend hours writing crap "lyrics" in high school that would fit right in with his body of work. i'm not exactly proud of this fact, but it was my method of catharsis back in those days. when i first heard DC, it struck me just how much his lyrics sounded like those i used to write, and to be honest i kinda got a kick out of it. i'm sick, i know. i guess i just respect a guy who's got the balls to lay out those thoughts for the world to see, knowing full well he's not going to gain the hipster respect or admiration. in a twisted way, its refreshing to hear someone that's not out to impress everyone with his indie cred. there's something to be said for simple, heartfelt music now and then.
in other news, i kick-started my habit of going to the gym every day after work again this week. i had nearly forgotten how good it felt to feel all sore and sweaty, knowing that i was doing something productive with my time. i really feel like i can stick with it this time, now that i've gotten it worked into my daily ritual and the new gym is right on my way home from work. driving right by it gives me no excuses not to stop after work.
in a moment of brutal honesty here in which i will more than likely lose the respect of all three of my regular readers, yes i actually went out and bought the new Dashboard album today. yes i did. the most guilty of all my pleasures, i'll be the first to admit. and the one that none of my friends are shy to bring up when looking for a reason to embarass me. i can't explain my attraction to Chris Carraba, and no it has nothing to do with his boyish good looks. i used to spend hours writing crap "lyrics" in high school that would fit right in with his body of work. i'm not exactly proud of this fact, but it was my method of catharsis back in those days. when i first heard DC, it struck me just how much his lyrics sounded like those i used to write, and to be honest i kinda got a kick out of it. i'm sick, i know. i guess i just respect a guy who's got the balls to lay out those thoughts for the world to see, knowing full well he's not going to gain the hipster respect or admiration. in a twisted way, its refreshing to hear someone that's not out to impress everyone with his indie cred. there's something to be said for simple, heartfelt music now and then.
in other news, i kick-started my habit of going to the gym every day after work again this week. i had nearly forgotten how good it felt to feel all sore and sweaty, knowing that i was doing something productive with my time. i really feel like i can stick with it this time, now that i've gotten it worked into my daily ritual and the new gym is right on my way home from work. driving right by it gives me no excuses not to stop after work.
Aug 11, 2003
np: "date to church" - the replacements
this was a band i discovered far too late, of course they were pretty much broken up around the time i started to really get into music, so its not as if i would have found out about them in their prime. the 'Mats are just one of those bands that i should have gotten into far sooner than i did. i had read references to them many times and had heard quite a few of their songs without really even knowing it actually, but i never dug any deeper than that. it all came about as during a discussion with a friend about the Singles soundtrack. i commented how much i loved "Dyslexic Heart" and my friend asked me if i dug the other Replacements stuff. but at that point i didn't even know that Westerberg was the former lead singer of the 'Mats. he was rightfully shocked and told me to get my ass out and pick up some 'Mats albums as soon as possible. well shortly after this conversation, i read that the All for Nothing/Nothing for All comp was soon to be released. i figured that would be a great place to start, so i went out and picked it up and consequently fell in love. it was pop, but not quite. there was definately an attitude buried beneath the hooks and wonderful lyrics. it was a great place to start, but each of the 'Mats albums i have heard still contain many buried gems. so my advice to you, if you are like i was and haven't yet discovered these guys, do it now. you'll wonder just how long you managed to go without hearing one of the greatest bands of the '80s.
this was a band i discovered far too late, of course they were pretty much broken up around the time i started to really get into music, so its not as if i would have found out about them in their prime. the 'Mats are just one of those bands that i should have gotten into far sooner than i did. i had read references to them many times and had heard quite a few of their songs without really even knowing it actually, but i never dug any deeper than that. it all came about as during a discussion with a friend about the Singles soundtrack. i commented how much i loved "Dyslexic Heart" and my friend asked me if i dug the other Replacements stuff. but at that point i didn't even know that Westerberg was the former lead singer of the 'Mats. he was rightfully shocked and told me to get my ass out and pick up some 'Mats albums as soon as possible. well shortly after this conversation, i read that the All for Nothing/Nothing for All comp was soon to be released. i figured that would be a great place to start, so i went out and picked it up and consequently fell in love. it was pop, but not quite. there was definately an attitude buried beneath the hooks and wonderful lyrics. it was a great place to start, but each of the 'Mats albums i have heard still contain many buried gems. so my advice to you, if you are like i was and haven't yet discovered these guys, do it now. you'll wonder just how long you managed to go without hearing one of the greatest bands of the '80s.
Aug 10, 2003
another random WinAMP post.
"Night, Nite" - Earlimart
"You Can See Me" - Supergrass
"Butcher the Song" - Cursive
"Late in the Day" - Supergrass
"Year 2000 Non-Compliant Cardia" - Mogwai
"Whatever" - Husker Du
"King & Caroline" - Guided by Voices
"The Straight and Narrow" - Spiritualized
"Everything's Going On" - Dead Meadow
"Suddenly is Sooner Than You Think" - Dntel
"Knees on Top" - Bikeride
"Night, Nite" - Earlimart
"You Can See Me" - Supergrass
"Butcher the Song" - Cursive
"Late in the Day" - Supergrass
"Year 2000 Non-Compliant Cardia" - Mogwai
"Whatever" - Husker Du
"King & Caroline" - Guided by Voices
"The Straight and Narrow" - Spiritualized
"Everything's Going On" - Dead Meadow
"Suddenly is Sooner Than You Think" - Dntel
"Knees on Top" - Bikeride
Aug 8, 2003
np: "johnny ryall" - beastie boys
every single time i pull out Paul's Boutique i remember how fucking awesome and underrated this album is. it's up there with DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... as my favorite sample based album of all time. there are just so many great samples on this album, i couldn't even begin to name them all. classic rock, Public Enemy, Sinead O'Connor, old movies - they're all there. not to mention the hundreds of pop culture references all over this thing. luckily this thing came out when it did, because it would never be released today. there's no way they could have afforded all of the sample clearance prices now.
every single time i pull out Paul's Boutique i remember how fucking awesome and underrated this album is. it's up there with DJ Shadow's Endtroducing... as my favorite sample based album of all time. there are just so many great samples on this album, i couldn't even begin to name them all. classic rock, Public Enemy, Sinead O'Connor, old movies - they're all there. not to mention the hundreds of pop culture references all over this thing. luckily this thing came out when it did, because it would never be released today. there's no way they could have afforded all of the sample clearance prices now.
np: "teenage fbi" - guided by voices
it's time for another ten random WinAMP selections:
"I'll Never Forget You" - Husker Du
"The Bridge" - Clinic
"Everything's Goin' On" - Dead Meadow
"Alright" - Supergrass
"Run Run Run" - Velvet Underground
"A Magazine Called Sunset" - Wilco
"Hidden Track #1" - Bikeride (Morning Macumba)
"Native Numb" - Enon
"Late Nineties Bedroom Rock for the Missionaries" - Broken Social Scene
"Teenage FBI" - Guided by Voices
ahhh, WinAMP. it's like the IPod for us financially challenged types. except without the portability and such. i'm kinda bummed about this whole IPod free with a New Beetle thing though, how about giving those of us who have had service problems with out Beetles free ones too?
it's time for another ten random WinAMP selections:
"I'll Never Forget You" - Husker Du
"The Bridge" - Clinic
"Everything's Goin' On" - Dead Meadow
"Alright" - Supergrass
"Run Run Run" - Velvet Underground
"A Magazine Called Sunset" - Wilco
"Hidden Track #1" - Bikeride (Morning Macumba)
"Native Numb" - Enon
"Late Nineties Bedroom Rock for the Missionaries" - Broken Social Scene
"Teenage FBI" - Guided by Voices
ahhh, WinAMP. it's like the IPod for us financially challenged types. except without the portability and such. i'm kinda bummed about this whole IPod free with a New Beetle thing though, how about giving those of us who have had service problems with out Beetles free ones too?
Aug 6, 2003
np: "c'mon" - junior senior
keep your Beyonces. your Sean Pauls. your Dizzee Rascals. your Ashantis. this is all the pop i'll need for the remainder of this summer. oh my god, this is like an orgasm in round, plastic form. seriously. this makes me want to jump up, strip naked, and dance all over the fucking place. but i'll spare you that image. this is honestly, without a doubt, the single most fun album i have heard in years. if i were to try and mix-up my own Junior Senior at home, this would be my recipie:
(2) heaping tablespoons of white boy funk
(1) steaming slab of psychadelic pop
(1) glimmering disco ball
(2) teaspoons of early '80s new-wave
(1) box of pure, granulated sugar
(3) cubes of shout-along choruses
and just a pinch of that gay sass
cook in the fire in the disco, fire in the taco bell for 45 minutes at 450 degrees.
serve hot, very hot.
keep your Beyonces. your Sean Pauls. your Dizzee Rascals. your Ashantis. this is all the pop i'll need for the remainder of this summer. oh my god, this is like an orgasm in round, plastic form. seriously. this makes me want to jump up, strip naked, and dance all over the fucking place. but i'll spare you that image. this is honestly, without a doubt, the single most fun album i have heard in years. if i were to try and mix-up my own Junior Senior at home, this would be my recipie:
(2) heaping tablespoons of white boy funk
(1) steaming slab of psychadelic pop
(1) glimmering disco ball
(2) teaspoons of early '80s new-wave
(1) box of pure, granulated sugar
(3) cubes of shout-along choruses
and just a pinch of that gay sass
cook in the fire in the disco, fire in the taco bell for 45 minutes at 450 degrees.
serve hot, very hot.
np: "we looked like giants" - death cab for cutie
still enjoying the hell out of this new DCFC album, and still several months away from the official release. this is rapidly progressing towards becoming my favorite album yet, more so than even We Have the Facts..., which was one of those impulse purchases of a band i had never even heard of at the time. that album didn't do a whole lot for me the first couple of spins, but it continued to call out to me from my rack - begging to be listened to again and again. and since i usually heeded the call, i grew to love it. both "405" and "Company Calls Epilogue" made it onto several mixes at the time. The Photo Album was a decent enough release, but it never hit me in the same way as WHTFAWVY did, although i really liked the cover of "All is Full of Love" on the bonus disc. so now comes Transatlanticism and i'm falling in love with the band all over again.
so perhaps i was a little quick on the Pajo leaving Zwan comment last night, as that hasn't been confirmed just yet. but Paz is definately out. what's she going to do now that she can't ride the coattails of Maynard or Billy anymore? it's not as if she's that good of a bass player.
ahh, Pitchfork, why have you forsaken me? there's just something that's not clicking with me about this latest relaunch. i'm not sure if it's the color scheme, the breaking news header/map, or the new pop-oriented singles column, but it just doesn't quite sit right with me. and why the pop thing? the thing i liked about the 'Fork when i first discovered it years ago was the way it virtually ignored the mainstream. it was kind of like that cool older-cousin you have, the one that hates everything but still manages to turn you to some cool new shit. now its more like that annoying younger cousin who despite his addiction to Snoop and Biggie, you haven't abandoned all hope on because he still digs that new Sonic Youth. or maybe i'm just growing older and more cynical. nah...
still enjoying the hell out of this new DCFC album, and still several months away from the official release. this is rapidly progressing towards becoming my favorite album yet, more so than even We Have the Facts..., which was one of those impulse purchases of a band i had never even heard of at the time. that album didn't do a whole lot for me the first couple of spins, but it continued to call out to me from my rack - begging to be listened to again and again. and since i usually heeded the call, i grew to love it. both "405" and "Company Calls Epilogue" made it onto several mixes at the time. The Photo Album was a decent enough release, but it never hit me in the same way as WHTFAWVY did, although i really liked the cover of "All is Full of Love" on the bonus disc. so now comes Transatlanticism and i'm falling in love with the band all over again.
so perhaps i was a little quick on the Pajo leaving Zwan comment last night, as that hasn't been confirmed just yet. but Paz is definately out. what's she going to do now that she can't ride the coattails of Maynard or Billy anymore? it's not as if she's that good of a bass player.
ahh, Pitchfork, why have you forsaken me? there's just something that's not clicking with me about this latest relaunch. i'm not sure if it's the color scheme, the breaking news header/map, or the new pop-oriented singles column, but it just doesn't quite sit right with me. and why the pop thing? the thing i liked about the 'Fork when i first discovered it years ago was the way it virtually ignored the mainstream. it was kind of like that cool older-cousin you have, the one that hates everything but still manages to turn you to some cool new shit. now its more like that annoying younger cousin who despite his addiction to Snoop and Biggie, you haven't abandoned all hope on because he still digs that new Sonic Youth. or maybe i'm just growing older and more cynical. nah...
