26.8.05

spilt milk



lately, i've been obsessed with jellyfish's spilt milk. released in 1993, the album is over 10 years old and it still stands up. i go through phases like this past week, where i'll listen to it at least 2-3 times a day. it's that good. you can hear all the influences (beatles, beach boys, and queen, for example), but it doesn't sound like a shitty ripoff. it's meticulously crafted power pop. the harmonies, the handclaps, the crunchy guitars...it's got enough hooks to keep you hangin' for days and days. spilt milk was their second and final album, the first being bellybutton. the first one is good, don't get me wrong, but spilt milk is a huge leap forward.

sadly, this can easily be found in the used sections and bargain bins. i don't understand why more people don't love this album, get it if you can. check out new mistake, which is the album's tour de force and centerpiece. it would be tough, but i guess if i had to pick only one song to represent this album, new mistake would be the one. so if you claim to like pop music, do yourself a favor and get this. hell, if you don't like it...i'll buy it from you and give it to someone who will appreciate it.

16.8.05

flying jelly attack!


np: teenage fanclub > manmade

so we made it to the aquarium yesterday, it was really cool. i didn't see any big sharks, so that was kind of a bummer. the jellyfish were mesmerising and the otters were super cute. i got to touch some starfish, a skate and a big black manta ray. it was like touching a wet suede coat. cool.

my puffy cd's finally arrived from japan. the titles are:
  • solosolo
  • amiyumi
  • jet
  • fever fever
i'm still waiting for cd's by the go! team and the innocence mission. i also ordered an old puffy tour-shirt (2002) from bar/none records. i hate waiting.

15.8.05

whirlpool


np: gillian welch > revival

my buddy rick, from bowlie, is here for the weekend. we've just been hanging out, talking and drinking. we went to ocean beach today, just to check out the view. i snapped this pic by sticking the camera out of the sunroof of my car while we were parked there. i thought the pic turned out kinda cool, so there it is. i love how the clouds look dark and ominous, like they maybe foreshadowing some sort of imminent doom. the empty park bench adds kind of a cool touch to it.

we went to amoeba before we hit the beach. i picked up the following:

chapterhouse > whirlpool
michael penn > mr. hollywood jr. 1947
teenage fanclub > man-made

i was a bit surprised to find the chapterhouse disc, as i've been looking for it for a while. i guess it's out of print, but there was only one copy, and it was used for $7.99. i've had mp3 copies of it, but the quality of the files are not very good. anyway, if you're into some shoegazey goodness, check this album out.

the teenage fanclub album is cool. it always cracks me up how much they sound like the byrds or something. i guess "cracks me up" isn't the right phrase. not that i don't like their sound, i just find it to be eerie...or something. i was able to listen to it a couple times, and it's pretty good.

i tried to listen to the michael penn disc, but it's difficult to do that in a car given his style. i'll probably have to check it on my headphones while i'm at work, or while i'm here at home typing out bullshit like this. i saw him perform at cafe dunord a couple months ago, and i enjoyed the new songs he played so i'm fairly certain i'll like the album.

time for bed, we're gonna try to get up early (read: before noon) and trek down to monterey to check out the aquarium. i haven't been there in quite a while, i hear they have a couple sharks in captivity there and a jellyfish exhibit, both of which sound really cool.

5.8.05

music, music, and more music




np: puffy amiyumi > nice buddy

http://audio.search.yahoo.com/

i guess yahoo just got this up and running, it's pretty cool. i used it at work today a couple times and was able to find what i was looking for. you know the drill; just type in the artist and/or song title.

unfortunately, the above mentioned puffy amiyumi track doesn't show up in search. it's too bad, because it's a fucking great song. andy sturmer is truly the godfather of puffy, it's pure power pop goodness at full tilt. i love it when they sing "if i could, i'd eat the clouds, it's how i feel". perhaps if you ask nicely, i'll let you come over and listen to it. if you wanna go buy it, it think it's called "don't stop!" in english. on hmv.co.jp, the title is "hajimari no uta"...but i don't know what that means. the cover is pictured above.

i've also been running with a stereolab obsession. i went to amoeba the other night and bought four albums, which brings my stereolab collection to nine titles, essentially doubling what i had.

  • abc music
  • dots and loops
  • margerine eclipse
  • mars audiac quintet
  • peng!
  • refried ectoplasm (switched on volume 2)
  • the first of the microbe hunters
  • transient random-noise bursts with announcements
  • switched on volume 1
teenage fanclub are playing tonight, at bimbo's 365 club. i have an early game, so i think i'm gonna hit the show right afterwards. i've seen teenage fanclub once, opening for radiohead in 97 or something. it was when ok computer was released. it was a great bill, i thought. i've never been a huge fan of tfc, but i've always enjoyed their jangle power pop style and their sometimes quirky lyrics. i have four of their albums:

  • bandwagonesque
  • thirteen
  • grand prix
  • four thousand seven hundred and sixty-six seconds
i'll probably try to pick up a couple more if i make it out there. i always like buying cd's at shows. it's a nice souvenir and it's a good way to support the band since they usually own those copies. there's no middle man to take a percentage of the sales. anyways, see you there.