Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Continuation of new jams
More jams? Yes. I have them.
Today I present Deerhoof. Admittedly, I was late to the game with these clowns. I'd heard of them for years upon years and never got around to a test jam. Shit, admittedly, it was years before I even developed suspicions inside of my mind of them being good. To take it a step further, maybe they weren't even good until the last few years. They have a shitload of albums, but I'm only familiar with the last four. And heck, they put 'em out fast too.
Can they jam? Fuck yeah. I think they're one of the best live bands around and the records don't really do them justice, but in the vast majority of time when you are not finding yourself watching them in concert, the recordings will have to get you by.
Running Thoughts
Scream Team
These two are off their forthcoming album The Runners Four. Twenty songs is hard for me to handle, especially at work where I'm only at the computer intermittently and can only jam a tune or two at a time. So, here's two that are good, but almost every song on here is as good as these two in my opinion.
More jams? Yes. I have them.
Today I present Deerhoof. Admittedly, I was late to the game with these clowns. I'd heard of them for years upon years and never got around to a test jam. Shit, admittedly, it was years before I even developed suspicions inside of my mind of them being good. To take it a step further, maybe they weren't even good until the last few years. They have a shitload of albums, but I'm only familiar with the last four. And heck, they put 'em out fast too.
Can they jam? Fuck yeah. I think they're one of the best live bands around and the records don't really do them justice, but in the vast majority of time when you are not finding yourself watching them in concert, the recordings will have to get you by.
Running Thoughts
Scream Team
These two are off their forthcoming album The Runners Four. Twenty songs is hard for me to handle, especially at work where I'm only at the computer intermittently and can only jam a tune or two at a time. So, here's two that are good, but almost every song on here is as good as these two in my opinion.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Not Freebird
I read a quote somewhere by some dude in My Morning Jacket saying the new album sounds different from their previous output. Really? How many bands actually say, "Yeah, the new album's pretty the same old shit... no change."?????????
This time the dude's not lying. Just listen to the first cut off of their new album. Keyboard atmospherics in a My Morning Jacket song? Electronic percussion? Falsetto histrionics? Wordless Chorus? Obviously.
Wordless Chorus
The next song sounds, according the Ice, like the Replacements (and I agree). You've never heard the dude sing like this. The ultimate fist pumping, throwing the dog off the boat, taking a dump on the hood of your worst enemy's car type of jam.
Anytime
I read a quote somewhere by some dude in My Morning Jacket saying the new album sounds different from their previous output. Really? How many bands actually say, "Yeah, the new album's pretty the same old shit... no change."?????????
This time the dude's not lying. Just listen to the first cut off of their new album. Keyboard atmospherics in a My Morning Jacket song? Electronic percussion? Falsetto histrionics? Wordless Chorus? Obviously.
Wordless Chorus
The next song sounds, according the Ice, like the Replacements (and I agree). You've never heard the dude sing like this. The ultimate fist pumping, throwing the dog off the boat, taking a dump on the hood of your worst enemy's car type of jam.
Anytime
Monday, August 29, 2005
Wait Two Minutes-----
FOR THE CHORD CHANGE!!!!!!! Then you are on the journey to the ultimate zone.
The new Animal Collective record is easily the most anticipated record for me this year. Am I disappointed? No. "Feels" is, not surprisingly, nothing like "Sung Tongs". I don't think there's an acoustic guitar anywhere near this shit. Electric guitars, electronics, drums, piano, noises, and some crazy-ass singing is what makes "Feels." While it doesn't reach the highs of "Sung Tongs", I think it's more consistent. The songs are more complete and thought out. Out of nine total jams, only two could be considered drones.
Banshee Beat
Did You See The Words
The first tune posted is "Banshee Beat", the stand out from when I saw them almost a year ago. It is long and worth the time. The other tune, "Did You See the Words", is the best album opener I've heard in a long time.
FOR THE CHORD CHANGE!!!!!!! Then you are on the journey to the ultimate zone.
The new Animal Collective record is easily the most anticipated record for me this year. Am I disappointed? No. "Feels" is, not surprisingly, nothing like "Sung Tongs". I don't think there's an acoustic guitar anywhere near this shit. Electric guitars, electronics, drums, piano, noises, and some crazy-ass singing is what makes "Feels." While it doesn't reach the highs of "Sung Tongs", I think it's more consistent. The songs are more complete and thought out. Out of nine total jams, only two could be considered drones.
Banshee Beat
Did You See The Words
The first tune posted is "Banshee Beat", the stand out from when I saw them almost a year ago. It is long and worth the time. The other tune, "Did You See the Words", is the best album opener I've heard in a long time.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
I appreciate comfortable and/or affable mediocrity above all else
Love Child:"Sofa"
Love Child:"Start to Smile"
Love Child:"Willpower"
Love Child:"Know Its Alright"
I'm not dumb enough to say that I learned more of value at WUOG than at the library, but what I picked up in the vinyl and cd vaults have stayed with me more than anything from Lexis-Nexis or a microfiche. For example, Love Child. The first time I remember hearing about them was when Badaboom Gramophone ran a Trouser Press update near the end of the century. The writer fellow went on about Love Child like they were the most unfairly neglected band ever, as if every '90's indie-rock band of note was stealing what was rightfully Love Child's. I was familiar with Alan Licht and Rebecca Odes, but didn't know anything about their first band (or third songwriter Will Baum, for that matter), and decided to track something down, based on this ridiculously positive review. WUOG had their first album, Okay?, on vinyl, and although it's nothing Earth shattering, it's always struck me as a very likable little record. It's basically a bunch of sloppy, rudimentary pop songs, with a somewhat restrained Licht occasionally splattering guitar nonsense all over the place, sort of like Ira Kaplan. I used to play this all the time on WUOG, both on Blank Generation and on my rotation shift. I could never find a copy of my own, though. A few months ago, I was able to rip mp3s from a friend's vinyl copy, and so now here are some songs from Okay?. Again, nothing fantastic, but I find this all very charming in that "hey, we're in college, let's start a rock band, and be kind of arty, but not really try to cover up our inherent dorkiness, or anything" kind of way. Sort of like the France, maybe.
Love Child:"Sofa"
Love Child:"Start to Smile"
Love Child:"Willpower"
Love Child:"Know Its Alright"
I'm not dumb enough to say that I learned more of value at WUOG than at the library, but what I picked up in the vinyl and cd vaults have stayed with me more than anything from Lexis-Nexis or a microfiche. For example, Love Child. The first time I remember hearing about them was when Badaboom Gramophone ran a Trouser Press update near the end of the century. The writer fellow went on about Love Child like they were the most unfairly neglected band ever, as if every '90's indie-rock band of note was stealing what was rightfully Love Child's. I was familiar with Alan Licht and Rebecca Odes, but didn't know anything about their first band (or third songwriter Will Baum, for that matter), and decided to track something down, based on this ridiculously positive review. WUOG had their first album, Okay?, on vinyl, and although it's nothing Earth shattering, it's always struck me as a very likable little record. It's basically a bunch of sloppy, rudimentary pop songs, with a somewhat restrained Licht occasionally splattering guitar nonsense all over the place, sort of like Ira Kaplan. I used to play this all the time on WUOG, both on Blank Generation and on my rotation shift. I could never find a copy of my own, though. A few months ago, I was able to rip mp3s from a friend's vinyl copy, and so now here are some songs from Okay?. Again, nothing fantastic, but I find this all very charming in that "hey, we're in college, let's start a rock band, and be kind of arty, but not really try to cover up our inherent dorkiness, or anything" kind of way. Sort of like the France, maybe.
Monday, August 22, 2005
we still exist
Circle: "Lokki"
Sorry.
Although I liked the comic books, and Kirby’s Asgard is still an amazing sight, I’ve never liked the way Marvel designed their Norse gods. The blonde, beardless Thor is bland, some anonymous Harlequin romance cover model. His hair should be the color of fire and blood, with a big burly beard obscuring half his face. Loki should look like some ancient Viking hipster, not some gold and green fashion-plate. And those long, slender horns are way too effete. Listen to Circle’s “Lokki”, from their awesome 2002 live album, Raunio. Does this sound like a dude who’d have girly little handle-bars sticking two feet out of his head?
Now, “Lokki” is one right-on depiction. At first it’s only kind of tricky, slightly confounding and dizzying with that kraut-rock groove. Gradually it grows more and more sinister, until its true evil is revealed. And then it gets tied to a rock with the entrails of its son. But the song is one amazing jam, bridging the miniscule gap between early Hawkwind and kraut-rock, dropping some excellent sustained guitar wizardry on top of a patented Can beat. I can’t recommend Raunio highly enough. Circle’s playing at the Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta on September 10, with Providence’s Urdog opening.
Circle: "Lokki"
Sorry.
Although I liked the comic books, and Kirby’s Asgard is still an amazing sight, I’ve never liked the way Marvel designed their Norse gods. The blonde, beardless Thor is bland, some anonymous Harlequin romance cover model. His hair should be the color of fire and blood, with a big burly beard obscuring half his face. Loki should look like some ancient Viking hipster, not some gold and green fashion-plate. And those long, slender horns are way too effete. Listen to Circle’s “Lokki”, from their awesome 2002 live album, Raunio. Does this sound like a dude who’d have girly little handle-bars sticking two feet out of his head?
Now, “Lokki” is one right-on depiction. At first it’s only kind of tricky, slightly confounding and dizzying with that kraut-rock groove. Gradually it grows more and more sinister, until its true evil is revealed. And then it gets tied to a rock with the entrails of its son. But the song is one amazing jam, bridging the miniscule gap between early Hawkwind and kraut-rock, dropping some excellent sustained guitar wizardry on top of a patented Can beat. I can’t recommend Raunio highly enough. Circle’s playing at the Drunken Unicorn in Atlanta on September 10, with Providence’s Urdog opening.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Club Soda unbridled
Silver Jews - Tennessee
I'm not the hugest fan of the Silver Jews but maybe that's because I really haven't given them (him) the chance. David Berman is a wizard with the words & though I'm mostly a music first, lyrics second kind of gentleman, sometimes I do pay attention. One of my favorite little bits of this song is the one that goes "punk rock died when the first kid said/punk's not dead".
He's got a new record coming out soon & there's a somewhat candid interview (drugs/depression/rehab/fanboys) at ye olde Pitchfork. Pretty decent beard too.
I'm not the hugest fan of the Silver Jews but maybe that's because I really haven't given them (him) the chance. David Berman is a wizard with the words & though I'm mostly a music first, lyrics second kind of gentleman, sometimes I do pay attention. One of my favorite little bits of this song is the one that goes "punk rock died when the first kid said/punk's not dead".
He's got a new record coming out soon & there's a somewhat candid interview (drugs/depression/rehab/fanboys) at ye olde Pitchfork. Pretty decent beard too.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Do not touch mic, be careful
MED - Whut U In It
Madvillain - Money Folder (Four Tet Remix)
I wish I had the server space/bandwidth to blather on about Madlib. He's one of those musicmakers that's just shitting out great beats & records & side-projects & guest spots every darn day. The MED album is nearly all Madlib production except for one Just Blaze track that sticks out but not like a sore thumb, more like a more radio-friendly but still amazing head-nod thumb. The Madlib beats hooked me, induced multiple listens even though I'm not that interested in MED's rhymes. He kind of reminds me of Diverse but with less interesting things to say.
The Madvillain track is kind of a fake-out because your regular Madlib beats have been replaced with Four Tet's take on the keyboard & horns loop. Drum breakdowns replaced with freejass-out. The marriage of vocal & instrumental isn't as nice as it could be but I still love it to death. I wonder if anyone will want to listen to to the skronktronica record I'm going to make that only samples Ayler's ESP output & Filipino gamelan records. Probably not.
I wish I had the server space/bandwidth to blather on about Madlib. He's one of those musicmakers that's just shitting out great beats & records & side-projects & guest spots every darn day. The MED album is nearly all Madlib production except for one Just Blaze track that sticks out but not like a sore thumb, more like a more radio-friendly but still amazing head-nod thumb. The Madlib beats hooked me, induced multiple listens even though I'm not that interested in MED's rhymes. He kind of reminds me of Diverse but with less interesting things to say.
The Madvillain track is kind of a fake-out because your regular Madlib beats have been replaced with Four Tet's take on the keyboard & horns loop. Drum breakdowns replaced with freejass-out. The marriage of vocal & instrumental isn't as nice as it could be but I still love it to death. I wonder if anyone will want to listen to to the skronktronica record I'm going to make that only samples Ayler's ESP output & Filipino gamelan records. Probably not.
