So the new Radiohead album will be available next week (you get to pick your own price for it) and I'm pretty interested in checking it out. Seems like people either love them or hate them. They're one of those weird bands that are in the mainstream of public consciousness, even though they probably have no business being there at all. Anyways, Climbing Up The Walls, from OK Computer, is probably my favorite Radiohead track. I love the slow-burn, ominous pace to it, and it definitely has a soundtrack feel to it. It feels like it could fit somewhere in a movie like Se7en, The Descent or Fight Club. The track has a nice texture to it, kinda muffled but metallic, listing like a ship that's dead in the water. Thom Yorke's voice is sorta unintelligible and there's a fuzzy quality to his vocals. My favorite part of the song is at the end, when everything is peaking and he lets out a chilling scream. It's like the sound of ultimate horror. Awesome.
I've been totally stuck on the New Pornographers' The Bleeding Heart Show for, I dunno, the past couple weeks. I love the way it starts up, very reserved and demure. It slowly builds, the voices playing off each other. When it all kicks it, it's bliss. Everyone singing hey la hey la hey la hey laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Then Neko starts singing "we have arrived too late to play bleeding heart show". I have no idea what it means but it sounds great. The drumming is fantastic, sounds almost as if he can barely restrain himself, like he's about to go off the rails. Love it.
Originally, I wasn't going to go see Morrissey this week. He's playing four nights at the Fillmore. I mean, I was interested, but the ticket price is pretty high. Finally, I decided that I should see him. I've seen him once before, and that was a looooooong time ago, at a much bigger venue. It's Morrissey, and he's the man...so I shall forget about the price and go check out a living legend. I've just arranged to pick up a ticket tonight for tomorrow night's gig, which is the third show of the four.
I'm not sure if I have a favorite Morrissey song or album (we're talking solo stuff here), I've had only casual interest in his post Smiths material. I did like Your Arsenal quite a bit, as well as Vauxhall and I. I don't have his latest album, I'm not even sure of the title. Predictably, my favorite Smiths album is The Queen Is Dead, so shoot me. It's still a great album.
In any case, I'm gonna drop We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful here. It simply reminds me of the time I had seen him in 91, on Halloween night no less. That single had just been released, with a handful of live tracks (Suedehead, I've Changed My Plea To Guilty, Pregnant For The Last Time, and Alsatian Cousin) , but Your Arsenal had not yet been released. I don't know how it was elsewhere, but that single was generating a lot of the buzz here before the show.
Morrissey > We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful
Laugh if you must, but I like this cover of Rihanna's Umbrella. It's done in white girl, OC soundtrack style, but whatever. Like I said before, I'm no indie snob, I just like what I like. Or I can call it a guilty pleasure. In any case, it's Marie Digby. She's Japanese/Irish. Hott. And she has a nice voice, too.
My buddy KC linked me to this shirt and asked me if this Venn Diagram summed up our relationship. "Yeah" I said, "Pretty much." Poor KC, I hope I didn't hurt her feelings too bad. Cool shirt, I think I might pick one up. Click the pic if you want to check it out, among others, over at Diesel Sweeties.
So, here's a song you might understand someday. Just kidding, I'm not an indie snob; I mean, look at all the shit I listen to, come on. Anyways, I picked up the reissue of The Knife's Silent Shout. It comes with two additional discs: one live CD and a live DVD. The live disc is pretty sweet, I'd like to catch their show sometime. This is the live version of my favorite track from Silent Shout.
So, the new Go! Team album, Proof of Youth, is out. So far, Fake ID is my favorite track. It's got a nice melody and I still dig the cheerleader schtick. If you have the first album, Thunder Lightning Strike, you might be able to live without this one, but it's still pretty fun and worth the splash if you like the first one. PoY also seems to follow the same formula as TLS; a few songs here, then an instrumental, and then ending with an instrumental as well. It's not a bad thing, just something I noticed. The album still has that low-fi production feel, which is cool, but there's something about the production that bugs me and I'm not sure what it is. Maybe it's just because it's new, but I think this will likely end up in heavy rotation, like the previous album did. The biggest surprise is the legendary Chuck D showing up on Flashlight Fight; I am liking that song quite a bit, as well. In any case, you can pick it up at the Memphis Industries site, if you are so inclined. The album also comes with a second disc of three b-sides and a remix of Grip Like A Vice (I'm not sure if that's a limited release or not). Don't forget to check out more tracks over at their myspaXXX site.
So even the mighty Led Zeppelin have succumbed to the reunion madness. Sheesh, this one is all over the place, even I couldn't stay away from it. Apparently John Bonham's son, Jason, will be playing drums in his father's absence. Apparently, it's a one-off gig in memory of Ahmet Ertegun (co-founder of Atlantic Records) but there are swirling rumors of a full blown tour as well. A few months ago, I happened to catch a PBS documentary on Stax Records. For a while, Stax was affiliated with Atlantic Records, and they briefly talked about the artists that Ertegun had signed and produced, and his vision. He was an amazing guy when it came to music, so I guess it seems only fitting that Led Zepppelin should get back togther to honor the guy who helped them start their legendary career. I have a hard time listening to Zep these days (they were really overplayed in high school), so check out this cool cover by Kristin Hersh.
They're 5 miles high As the crow flies Leavin' vapour trails Across a blood red sky Movin' in from the East Towards the West With balaclava helmets Over their heads YES!
But if you think that Jesus Christ is coming Honey, you've got another thing coming If he ever finds out who's hijacked his name He'll cut out his heart and turn in his grave
Islam is rising The Christians mobilising The world is on it's elbows and knees It's forgotten the message And worships the creeds
"It's War" she cried "It's War" she cried "This is War!" Drop your possessions All you simple folk You will fight them on the beaches in your underclothes You will thank the good lord For raising the Union Jack You'll watch the ships sail out of harbour And the bodies come floating back Watch the ships sail out of harbour And the bodies come floating back
If the real Jesus Christ were to stand up today He'd be gunned down cold by the C.I.A. Oh, the lights that now burn brightest Behind stained glass Will cast the darkest shadows Upon the human heart But God didn't build himself that throne God doesn't live in Israel or Rome God doesn't belong to the Yankee dollar God doesn't plant the bombs for Hezbollah God doesn't even go to church And God won't send us down to Allah to burn God will remind us what we already know That the human race is about to reap what it's sown
Islam is rising The Christians mobilising The world is on it's elbows and knees It's forgotten the message And worships the creeds The world is on it's elbows and knees It's forgotten the message And worships the creeds
Armageddon days are here again Armageddon days are here again Armageddon days are here again Armageddon Days Are HERE!!!
So, football season happens to start this weekend, which reminds me of of this song, Backfield In Motion, by Mel & Tim. I'm not much of a football fan by any stretch, but this song is ridiculously catchy and amusingly riddled with sports references (mostly football) and innuendos (even though I generally feel that most songs about sports are pretty lame)(don't you hate parenthetical asides?). Apparently, these guys are cousins from Mississippi who were discovered in Chicago in the 60s, and this was their biggest hit. I grabbed this track from the most excellent box set, Beg, Scream & Shout: The Big Ol' Box of 60s Soul, which is pretty much worth whatever it says on the price tag. Check it.
I can't decide which version of this Yo La Tengo song I like better. The album version is so elegant and understated, while the EP version is completely revved up. Georgia's voice is really pretty in both cases, so I guess it's just a matter of whether I am feeling up or down. You can find the original on the Summer Sun album, and the rock n' roll version on the Today Is The Day EP. If you are interested in more, their website appears to be down at this writing, but definitely check out the inevitable myspaXXX page and the Matador Records site.
My favorite Eluvium track is As I Drift Off, from When I Live By The Garden and the Sea. The intro has dialog, from a movie I presume, but I have no idea where it's from or what context it's in. Somebody is screaming "we're the ones who are acting suspicious and lighting fires, we're the lunatics, it's us, not them!" Then, and this is the moment that really gets me for some reason, he pauses and quietly says, "it's us", as if he's finished with his tirade and is turning away to leave. The music transports me away, maybe to an alien planet, floating on a cloud past mountains made of metal and glass; through canyons and valleys, screaming with static and electricity. It is cold and quite abrasive, but there's also an underlying warmth and calmness at the center of it all. Maybe the music is like a key to a portal, or maybe it's only in my mind. Maybe it's just past the hillside that's depicted on the cover of the EP, or maybe it's nothing at all.
I'm off to sunny Florida for a week or so, you kids be good.
So I've been offline for a few days (read: I forgot to pay my internet bill) and I am back. I mean, I was never really gone, but you know what I mean...and stuff. Anyways, this dude in Chile peeped me to this band called the Fleeting Joys, and they're from fucking Sacramento, which is like an hour and a half drive from here. The internet is making the world smaller and smaller, I tell ya. So yeah, this guy is into MBV (like, who isn't?) and pointed me towards the Fleeting Joys. The album, Despondent Transponder, is verrrry Loveless, I think it's pretty darn good. I'm especially taken with this particular track, Get Come Back. Fucking hell, it's just so, so gorgeous. I love it. Listen to them over at myspaXXX and buy their album over at Only Forever Recordings, which is their own label, I believe. Also, they are playing Cafe du Nord in early October, I think i'm gonna hit that gig.
I used to really like the Catherine Wheel's, Black Metallic, way back when. It came up briefly in conversation this past weekend, which made me want to listen to it again. I like the fuzzy, shoegazey noise and the density of the song. It just feels big and heavy to me. I came to them by way of an old housemate who loved them, and this was the song I liked best. Dunno what ever happened to them, they just seemed to disappear. I think Rob Dickinson may have released a solo album or two, but I can't say that I'm too fussed to look them up.
This song is absolute bliss. Since I don't speak French, I have no idea what it's about so I will make up my own meaning. It's probably about lying on green green grass next to a cool cool river while underneath blue blue skies and a giant yellow sun on a warm summer day. Or maybe about zombies that go around eating the faces of the survivors of a deadly government-created plague. Uhh, riiiiight.
Tanya Donelly has one of the sweetest voices I've heard. Restless is about a lover who is, well, restless. It's the little things she notices about him, still starin' at that wall like it's a window and you hold my hand like it's a razor, that build up to the point where she finally asks, baby, are you dyin' to fly? I always wondered what the answer was that she heard. The moment is sooooo heartachingly gorgeous, I love it. At the time I had first heard this song, I had been trying to talk myself into breaking up with the then current girlf, and Restless earned many repeat listens for me during that period of time. So the answer for me was, yes. Dyin' to fly, indeed.
The EP upon which this track appears, Sliding and Diving, is out of print now, from what I can tell. You'll have to look for a download or maybe hope the tracks get posted, in some form or another, on Tanya's site, but the 4-track disc is quite worth it (if just for Restless and Swoon) if you feel like hunting it down. There are also a couple (different) tracks for you to check out (from her excellent newest album, This Hungry Life) via myspaXXX.
This song sounds and feels so serene (it just played on random), it's kinda nice to hear it late at night. It's sounding especially good right now at 10pm on a Sunday night. The canned drums sound cool against her voice in the beginning, and the melody kind of soars. It's just...really pleasant, for lack of a better adjective. I also dig the little siren sounds that sound like they're about to get all distorted, but then they end just as quickly as they start up. I ended up buying this album, Scary World Theory, because of the articles that said Radiohead's Kid A was a ripoff of this band called Lali Puna. I think I'd like to check out more of them, as I have only this album. It didn't stun me or anything, but it's really quite good.
So, I'm about to buy a pair of tickets to see The Pogues, they're playing here in October. I remember the first time I had ever seen or heard of them. They were playing on Saturday Night Live, fuck, I don't even remember what year it was. I just couldn't wrap my head around them at the time, and I thought Shane MacGowan's voice was awful. Fast forward some years later, a friend gives me a copy of Rum Sodomy and The Lash, and I finally get it. I can feel the energy, what they're trying to do, and I love Shane MacGowan's voice. It all just fits so perfectly. I'm not an uber fan by any stretch, but I really enjoy them. I've never seen them live, so this is my chance. Even Shane is back with the band, after having been kicked out for whatever reasons they may have been. It should be fun.
Cover tunes are weird. I mean, you either love them or hate them. In the case of, let's say, Michael Bolton doing Sittin' On The Dock of The Bay (just because it's an easy target), you're left scratching your head, wondering why, in the name of all that is good, was he allowed to do that song. Who actually said, "Yeah Mike, this is a great choice for a cover. You will completely own this song." And if he came up with it on his own, why didn't anybody try to talk him out of it? It just sounds so soulless and over-produced. It's music for people who don't like music. Okay, so that is one example of a bad cover.
A good cover might be The Clash (yeah, I'm still in Clash mode, sorry) doing the Bobby Fuller Four's I Fought The Law. It's a good choice because that song totally encapsulates what the Clash were all about and it's also a catchy pop tune. It was played so well and got enough airplay, that people often mistake it for a Clash original.
In any case, I came across this track recently and was a little bit hesitant to check it out. I don't know a lot about Al Green, but I do know he's an amazing singer. Add a classic Beatles tune to that equation and I wasn't sure what to expect, but....it's pretty awesome. I especially like the horns, and the beginning of the song where he says "We got the feelin' now!" Hell fucking yeah, we do. In my mind, this is every bit as good as the original, and I love the Beatles. Who's the man? Al Green is the man. You can find this track on his Green Is Blues album, if you like it.
So the new Radiohead album will be available next week (you get to pick your own price for it) and I'm pretty interested in checking it out. Seems like people either love them or hate them. They're one of those weird bands that are in the mainstream of public consciousness, even though they probably have no business being there at all. Anyways, Climbing Up The Walls, from OK Computer, is probably my favorite Radiohead track. I love the slow-burn, ominous pace to it, and it definitely has a soundtrack feel to it. It feels like it could fit somewhere in a movie like Se7en, The Descent or Fight Club. The track has a nice texture to it, kinda muffled but metallic, listing like a ship that's dead in the water. Thom Yorke's voice is sorta unintelligible and there's a fuzzy quality to his vocals. My favorite part of the song is at the end, when everything is peaking and he lets out a chilling scream. It's like the sound of ultimate horror. Awesome.
