VIDEO DUMP: BAND AID "DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS?" (1984)

Presenting Music Dump's A Very Special Video Dump: the greatest Christmas song written in my lifetime. Leave it to the Brits to make a Christmas song that's also a great drinking song.

FEEEEEEEEEEEED THE WOOOOOOOOOOOOOORLD!!!



MERRY CHRISTMAS!

"Do They Know It's Christmas" Band Aid (1984) [YouTube]

THE CHRISTMASOCHIST: THIS HAD BETTER BE THE LAST CHRISTMAS

For some reason, the song "Last Christmas" by Wham! has been covered forty bazillion times it seems. Okay, at least it seems like that on XM radio, and Amazon's mp3 store has nearly 100 versions of it available (including karaoke); though I refuse to install iTunes on my laptop I would guess they have 5 times as many. If you thought you hated the original (I actually don't, since I think George Michael has a great pop voice), just wait until you hear some of these horrendous cover versions. It's Christmasochism!

Britt Nicole. I can't tell the difference between this and any of 546 chick singers who wish they were Avril Lavigne. (See also: Leigh Nash.)

Hawk Nelson. This Canadian Christian punk-pop quartet--okay, I think we can stop right there.

Christmas Angels. They couldn't even get the line right, instead singing, "Once bitten and twice as shy." I'm thinking this is a band from Finland or Israel with a very tenuous grasp on the English language, at best. (See also: Bth and Eurobeat 4 Christmas.)

Caramelle. Soulless soul from the "Last Christmas 2008" collection. I have looked into the future, and this still sucks a year from now. Not to be confused with Cadbury's Caramello, which are delicious.

The Tamlins. This one breaks the first rule of reggae: it doesn't have a reggae beat. As a bonus it has tone deaf back-up singers. Definitely harshes your buzz.

Scala & Kolachny Brothers. I only include this because this German choir does impossibly nightmarish versions of "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "The Blower's Daughter" and "Creep". I'm having flashbacks to 8th grade concert chorus, when we were forced to do a stunningly bad Beatles medley.

From the dance club remix department, I couldn't decide who sucked more: Paul Active or Exone so you get both in your stocking. You click it, you buy it! No refunds or exchanges.

Collage. From "Planet Freestyle Volume 1", making me sincerely hope there isn't a volume 2. God, this fucking sucks. I hate Christmas now.

Christmas Hitters. This ponderous Muzak album has just a two word review: "Christmas Shitters". "They can't print that!"

Studio Group. Recorded at Studio. By Group. Released by Record Company.

Smokey. Ironic that he chose that name, since this guy's awful voice is pretty much the exact opposite of Smokey Robinson. This song is haunted by The Ghost of Falco Past!

Lars H.U.G. I guess they were going for "creepy European lounge lizard". Well played. Not sure what H.U.G. stands for, but this certainly does S.U.K.

Minuteman. Seriously, what the fuck is this? It faded out after 10 seconds, and should have damn well stayed silent.

Findlay Brown. From the album "The Best Kids Christmas Album In The World Ever Ever Ever!!!" Perfect if your kids are into folk music that makes you want to slit your wrists.

Peter J. Wheeler. The 2nd best master of the pan flute. (Enter dick joke here.) Once kicked Zamfir's ass in the bathroom of the Minneapolis Hooters.

Tony Evans and His Orchestra. Apparently Tony's "orchestra" is a cheap Casiotone keyboard. This "cha cha" version is guaranteed to induce seizures.

Roses Are Red. Finally--let's rock! Never mind, it's whiny emo rock garbage.

Valentin Movtosky. After all the other entries, this is actually starting to sound good to me. That's right, it's from "Golden Accordion, Vol. 1". Someone please help me.

Antonia de Lucena. From "Golden Guitars, Vol. 1"--what's with the golden instruments? Wouldn't they be too heavy and malleable to play? And why do we need the CD playing in the background of this, like one of those YouTube amateur guitarist videos?

Kidz Bop. These albums are incredibly awful. There are over 20 of them, and 9 of them have gone gold. This shit has to stop.

Elisa Mutto E Linda Cobelli Coro Dei Bambini. The Italian Kidz Bop.

No holiday would be complete without Crazy Frog, the fucking annoying ringtone that spawned five Top 20 singles in the UK. This is right up there with Kidz Bop, in that its very existence and subsequent popularity is completely inexplicable.

Peter Wheeler. From the illustrious "Christmas by Synthesizer", the album released before "Death by Synthesizer".

Band Orchestra Giuseppe Bovo & Majorettes Show. The only one that dares rock the glockenspiel!

Raunchy. Oh man, this sucks.

I'd like to apologize to little baby Jesus for this.

VIDEO DUMP: ANDREW BIRD "FAKE PALINDROMES" (2007)

Andrew Bird: singer, songwriter, violinist, guitarist, and one hell of a whistler.

Here's a video of him performing "Fake Palindromes" live at Coachella 2007.



He's appearing at the Beacon Theater on Friday, November 30.

THE SCARY CHILLING SOUNDS OF WOXY.COM

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! If you're not listening to WOXY internet radio right now, what are you waiting for? They've been doing a non-stop playlist of Halloween-y themed songs. Starting at around 9 AM, this is what they've played today:

Killing For Love - Jose Gonzalez
I Box Twenty - To Kill A Petty Bourgeoisie
Wolf Like Me - TV On The Radio
Getting It Back - The Forms
Bloodletting - Concrete Blonde
Everyday Is Halloween - Ministry
Tight Black Rubber - Black Francis
Black Steel - Tricky
Vampire Racecourse - The Sleepy Jackson
Date With A Vampyre - The Screaming Tribesmen
To The Devil A Donut - King Of Woolworths
Monster Hospital - Metric
Ghost In The Sky - Sparklehorse
Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) - David Bowie
I Know I'll See You - A Place To Bury Strangers
Duplexes Of The Dead - The Fiery Furnaces
Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
Black Flowers - Yo La Tengo
Ghost Under Rocks - Ra Ra Riot
The Killing Moon - Echo & The Bunnymen
Aisha - Death In Vegas
They Are Night Zombies! - Sufjan Stevens
Death On The Stairs - The Libertines
Ghost Highway - Mazzy Star
Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
Attack Of The Ghost Riders - The Raveonettes
Blood - Editors
Devil's Haircut - Beck
Dead Souls - Joy Division
Ghost Town - The Specials
Ghost Train - Experimental Aircraft
Ghost Town Land - The Turnbull AC's
Is There A Ghost - Band Of Horses
The Devil - PJ Harvey
Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
Creepin' Up The Backstairs - The Fratellis
Death At The Chapel - The Horrors
Grimly Fiendish - The Damned
Lucifer Sam - Pink Floyd
From The Devil Himself - Viva Voce
Hunting For Witches - Bloc Party
Love Like Blood - Killing Joke
666 Conducer - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
All The Arms Around You - Halloween, Alaska
No One Sees You Like I Do - + / -
Pumpkin - Starlight Mints
Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead - XTC
Black Math - The White Stripes
Nightmares - Violent Femmes
Dead Man - Self
Dead Kid Kicks - The Muggabears
Dead Fingers Talking - Working For A Nuclear Free City
Witchcraft - Wolfmother
Surfin Dead - The Cramps
Cross Bones Style - Cat Power
Halloween - Matt Pond PA
I Put A Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Dead Man's Party - Oingo Boingo
The Killing Jar - Siouxsie And The Banshees
There Goes The Fear - Doves
I Think I'll Be A Good Ghost - Say Hi (To Your Mom)
Good Day - Jukebox The Ghost
_______________

A Daisy Chain For Satan - My Life With Thrill Kill Kult
Sun Red Sky Blue - Kenna
Don't Talk To Strangers - Prinzhorn Dance School
The Line Between The Devil's Teeth - Peter Murphy
Devil In My Car - The B-52's
Gang Bang Suicide - Kevin Drew
Set Yourself On Fire - Charlotte Gainsbourg
Down In The Valley - The Broken West
Mansard Roof - Vampire Weekend
Revival - Soulsavers
Jack The Ripper - Morrissey


Okay, that last one is stretching the theme a little, but there are some great songs in there.

ROCKTOBER: NIRVANA "BREED" (1991)

What more can be said about Kurt Cobain, Dave Grohl, and Krist Novoselic? This is "Breed" from their 1991 Halloween concert (16 years ago today!) at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. That was the year they singlehandedly brought rock music back from the brink.



I hope you enjoyed ROCKTOBER. I know I did.

ROCKTOBER: THE BEATLES "LET IT BE" ROOFTOP CONCERT (1969)/LIVE AT SHEA STADIUM (1965)

ROCKTOBER could not be complete without The Beatles.

"Let It Be" is not currently in print, but these three clips from their famous rooftop concert in 1969 are the highlights (unless you prefer watching it in nine separate parts).

Part 1 ("Get Back"/"Don't Let Me Down")


Part 2. ("I've Got A Feeling"/"One After 909")


Part 3. ("Dig A Pony"/"Get Back")


Ah, screw it, here's one more clip, because it's ROCKTOBER and I fucking said so. Live from the (thankfully) soon-to-be-demolished Shea Stadium in 1965, named after Cuban guerilla leader Che Stadium. They just started cracking up during "I'm Down", because they knew no one could really hear them.

("Twist And Shout"/"Baby's In Black"/"I'm Down")


Some might disagree, but you can't name a more influential band in rock history. And they did it all in the span of about 7 years.

ROCKTOBER: QUEEN "BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY" (1982)

Quite simply, the greatest rock voice of all time: Freddie Mercury. Here's Queen performing "Bohemian Rhapsody" live at Milton Keynes Bowl, June 5, 1982.



I still have this 45 that I bought when I was 5 years old. Believe it or not.

ROCKTOBER: BUILT TO SPILL "STOP THE SHOW" (1999)

Doug Martsch is a guitar god. However, I didn't really appreciate him until seeing B2S (yeah, that's my cool shorthand) live in 2002. "Stop The Show" is from their essential Perfect From Now On album from 1997. This live video with mostly tight shots of the guitars is very interesting.

ROCKTOBER: SONIC YOUTH "TEEN AGE RIOT" (1988)

Great song from the Daydream Nation album. Great video, too: a short-attention span, 80s pop-sub-culture feast. See how many you can spot! Patti Smith! Pee Wee! Harvey Pekar on Late Night With David Letterman! I just wish it wasn't so grainy, it sucks even for YouTube.



Sonic Youth set the tone for every shaggy haired slacker indie band to come out of the 90s, for better or worse.

ROCKTOBER: STEVIE NICKS "EDGE OF SEVENTEEN" (1981)

I realized that women are horribly underrepresented here during ROCKTOBER, so what better female rock singer to choose than Stevie Nicks? In the 80s, every rock fan wanted to either be Stevie or be with her, or both. Here she is singing "Edge of Seventeen" on Dec 12, 1981, the last night of her first solo tour before returning to record with Fleetwood Mac.



(I love the comment, "Is something wrong with Stevie?" Yes, SHE'S HIGH! She's a rocker in the 80s, probably on a heroic amount of cocaine. Helloooo?)

There's a commentary version here that's very interesting. She wrote the song about John Lennon, which I never knew.

ROCKTOBER: SPOON "JONATHON FISK" (2002)

From the fantastic Kill The Moonlight album, here's the Austin, Texas band Spoon with "Jonathon Fisk".



"Religion don't mean a thing, it's just another way to be right wing."

ROCKTOBER: THE CULT "SHE SELLS SANCTUARY" (1985)

The Cult live at the Ritz in New York City singing their classic "She Sells Sanctuary", from the essential 1985 album Love.



These guys are back out there touring again with a new album, but this was the Cult in their prime before they convinced themselves they were rockstars.

ROCKTOBER: BLACK KEYS "YOUR TOUCH" (2006)

The Black Keys performing "Your Touch", live at Grimey's Records in Nashville, TN, 2006.



I can't get enough of these guys. There were about 145 videos I could have chosen, but this is one is just down home and dirty.

ROCKTOBER: U2 "OCTOBER/NEW YEARS DAY (LIVE AT RED ROCKS)" (1983)

Today's ROCKTOBER entry can be found over at Open Hockey blog: U2 "OCTOBER/NEW YEARS DAY (LIVE AT RED ROCKS)".

ROCKTOBER: FOO FIGHTERS "BEST OF YOU" (2005)

I would be remiss if I didn't include the Foo during ROCKTOBER. Dave Grohl is my rock hero. Here's the great video for 2005's "Best of You".



They just put out another album Echoes Silence Patience & Grace, and although it might not be their best, it predictably rocks. That's hard to come by on today's album charts.

There goes my hero, watch him as he goes.

ROCKTOBER: TENACIOUS D "KICKAPOO" (2006)

There was no way I could resist a Tenacious D video during ROCKTOBER. This clip kicks off the movie Pick of Destiny and includes a side of Meat Loaf, singing in his first movie since Rocky Horror Picture Show's "Hot Patootie". Here is "Kickapoo" featuring a hilarious young JB.



DIO!

ROCKTOBER: THE HIVES "TICK TICK BOOM" (2007)

These Swedish dudes sure are strange, but they are no stranger to the rock, no? Here's their interesting video for the first single off of their "Black and White Album" album, "Tick Tick Boom" (2007).



They built their own studio in Sweden called "Hive Manor". How zany. I bet it's furnished completely by IKEA.

ROCKTOBER: THE WHITE STRIPES "FELL IN LOVE WITH A GIRL" (2002)

From the album White Blood Cells, this is a good use for those old LEGOs you might have around the house. This "brickfilm" (didn't even know that was a term) was directed by Michel Gondry.

ROCKTOBER: THE CLASH "POLICE ON MY BACK" (1983)

There will only be ONE music festival and that's the US Festival.

Here's The Clash, live at the US Festival in California in 1983, doing "Police on My Back".

ROCKTOBER: JANE'S ADDICTION "THREE DAYS" (1997)

I actually attended the show at the Hammerstein the previous night (Oct 30, 1997) featuring Flea on bass, and I might have even smoked something. It was sort of an accident; I had gone to Filene's in Danbury to buy Devils hockey tickets, and the cashier asked if I wanted to buy them since he had printed out tickets for the incorrect date for someone else.

Here's the fantastic "Three Days" (in Two Parts).

Part I:


Part II:


I'm going watch this and try to forget that ESPN featured Perry, Kelly Rowland and 50 Cent on some NCAA college football game night song last Saturday night.

ROCKTOBER: THE CURE "NEVER ENOUGH" (1990)

I think The Cure's Robert Smith must have listened to a lot of Jimi as a kid.



(I'm two weeks into this and not one person has commented. Oh well, fuck it. I kinda knew I was doing it for my own entertainment anyway.)

ROCKTOBER: PIXIES "WHERE IS MY MIND?" (1988)

I saw them open up for Love & Rockets and The Cure back in 1989 in Giants Stadium. That seems like a long, long, long time ago now.

ROCKTOBER: DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 "ROMANTIC RIGHTS" (2005)

These guys were only around for a few years (2002 - 2005), but they knew how to rock.



"I don't want you, I need you."

CONTROL MY DISGUST

I'm looking forward to seeing Control, as I stated earlier. But after I saw this on the official site, and I'm voting it for the Worst Movie Poster of the Year:

Poster art for "Control."

Almost as bad as the Velvet Goldmine DVD US artwork vs. the European one.

This design is even worse when you consider über-photographer Anton Corbijn directed it. What, is he James Dean? I had no idea cigarettes killed Ian Curtis, I thought he hanged himself. And pink letters? PINK??? I even hate the rakish angle of the cigarette--it's barely in his mouth! It's so prominent and unnecessary, it's as if it was Photoshopped in by RJR Nabisco at the last minute. Thank You For Smoking!

In fact, just about any still frame taken from the trailer would have been better than that.

Or this:

Or anything else would have worked.

My friend Phil had this to say about the about the "selling" of this film in the US: "You'll like this: the American distributor of the film tried to get JOY DIVISION to play at the premiere. Think about that. That must - MUST - mean that the US distributor of the film doesn't know how the film ends." Oh sweet fancy Moses, I hope he's kidding--but I know he's not. Actually, I heard the original ending didn't test well with American focus groups, so they "tweaked" it and now he drives off into the sunset with that replicant chick. No, wait, how about Ian Curtis eating onion rings at a diner, listening to Iggy Pop on the jukebox--and then the screen goes black. (I would have picked "Don't Stop Believin'" as the song, but it hadn't been written yet.)

UPDATE: Nope, he wasn't kidding. Here's an excerpt from the article.

Losing Control: America forgets Ian Curtis is rather R.I.P.
Shortlist magazine has revealed that distributors in the US, working the new Anton Corbijn film Control, asked if Joy Division could perform live at the US premiere. Says Joy Division and New Order bassist Peter Hook: "Someone from the film's US distributor's office phoned up saying that the New York premiere was on 25 September and would Joy Division play?" I replied, 'Well, the last I heard, the lead singer was dead but I'll give them a ring and see if anything has changed'."

Wow, that's shitastic. Man, do I want to slap one of those douchebags in the face. Still, it's nice to see the NY Times put a few articles in the Sunday edition about Joy Division, even though it's a bit of revisionist history at its best.

Music to Brood by, Desolate and Stark By SIMON REYNOLDS, October 7, 2007, NY Times
The Cult of the Lads From Manchester By DENNIS LIM, October 7, 2007, NY Times

Back in 1987, Jon Pareles wrote off the entire genre as being "mope-rock" (GLUM ROCK: MOPE AROUND THE CLOCK), a term he's apparently proud of since he's trotted out for the last 20 years, up to and including the latest Interpol concert last month (Glum as Can Be, but Those Suits Sure Are Natty). Yes, I never forget a douchebag's name.

ROCKTOBER: RUSH "TOM SAWYER" (1981)

Today's ROCKTOBER entry features one of the best live bands ever, doing what they do best. This video has the most hockey hair on display than all the others. It's the Exit Stage Left version, even.



Oh Canada!

ROCKTOBER: PEARL JAM "PORCH (UNPLUGGED)" (1992)

When I heard they were doing MTV Unplugged I thought it wouldn't work, but Pearl Jam proved you don't have to be plugged in to rock.

ROCKTOBER: RADIOHEAD "PARANOID ANDROID" (1997)

Why are there so many blog posts about In Rainbows? Instead of spending any more time on the new Radiohead album that I just downloaded today (it's very good, and even better considering I only paid £1.45, or roughly $37.50 US), here's a clip of them just flat out rocking: a performance of "Paranoid Android", live on the Jools Holland show in 1997.

ROCKTOBER: ALICE IN CHAINS "WOULD?" (1993)

Excellent performance video from the "Later with Jools Holland" show in 1993.



And no, YouTube, I refuse to click on the "Live 2006 with Sebastian Bach" video ("Man in the Bach"?).

ROCKTOBER: THE POLICE "MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE" (1979)

Originally released in 1979, The Police played this song to kick off their 2007 show and you could hardly tell what year it was--they sounded fantastic. I was going to post an amateur video of them from Bonnaroo 2007, but I decided to post this since I'd never seen it before.

It's from a BBC series from 1978 - 1981 that showcased up and coming rock bands called "Rock Goes To College". This is the first time they performed the song live, on Feb 21, 1979.



BONUS: Here's the Sting version from "The Secret Policeman's Other Ball" (1982). Great music and Monty Python: what more do you need?

ROCKTOBER: THE WHO "BABA O'RILEY" (1978)

I remember seeing this video on an almost daily basis in the early years of MTV. Man, is Pete Townshend LIT UP for this show. I thought he was going to break his hand hitting that tamborine.

ROCKTOBER: JIMI HENDRIX "VILLANOVA JUNCTION" (1969)

There was only one Jimi. Here he is at Woodstock in 1969 playing "Villanova Junction", which features some of the sickest guitar work committed to film.

ROCKTOBER: THE SMITHS "WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?" (1983)

This month (well, Sept. 29, to be exact) marks the 20th anniversary of The Smiths final (and weakest) studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come. Although there are some great songs, weak maudlin tracks like "Paint A Vulgar Picture" and "I Won't Share You" seem to mark a band falling apart at the seams.

Before all that happened, and the Smiths reunion rumors began flying over the past year or so ($75 million? BULLSHIT), they played some fantastic live shows (or so I've heard; the one show of theirs that I was planning to see was cancelled due to Andy Rourke getting stung by a sting ray, or some such nonsense).

Here's "What Difference Does It Make?" performed live at the Hacienda in Manchester, England on July 6, 1983.

ROCKTOBER: SOUNDGARDEN "FELL ON BLACK DAYS" (1995)

Here's the video for Soundgarden's "Fell On Black Days". This is a great live in studio version, not the Superunknown album version.



Whatever happened to Kim Thayil? And does he do weddings?

Since it's cliche to say "remember when MTV played videos", I'll say instead: "Remember when MTV2 was created just to play videos?" So much for that.

(Another blow for music video: cable channel The Tube went belly up this week. Oh well.)

ROCKTOBER: STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN "VOODOO CHILE (SLIGHT RETURN)" (1983)

ROCKTOBER. STEVIE RAY. 'NUFF SAID.

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble perform Jimi Hendrix's "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" live at the El Mocambo in 1983.



A song passed down from one guitar god to the next. The part at 2:47 where he plays with one hand just blows my little mind. If I had 7 hands I'd still never be able to play that great.

ROCKTOBER: TOOL "SOBER" (1993)

I missed Tool when they played on the second stage at Lollapalooza in 1993. At least I didn't miss Alice in Chains, Primus, or Rage Against the Machine. Or Arrested Development (no, not the show, the band).

Here's a clip from that tour of Tool performing "Sober".

ROCKTOBER: AC/DC "LET THERE BE ROCK" (1977)

Amidst all the indie rock nonsense that I'm surrounded by (and willingly listen to), I realized that we really need some more rock up in this piece. I'm sick of sensitive singers like Feist, St. Vincent, Arcade Fire, and Sufjan Stevens. It's ROCKTOBER so let's kick some ass.

To start it off, here's some classic Bon Scott-era AC/DC from 1977, performing "Let There Be Rock".



I was never a huge AC/DC fan, but this kicks. Can't get enough of Angus Young in those disturbing shorts. Plus it looks like they're performing in a high school gymnasium.

FABCHANNEL

My new favorite find is Fabchannel, a website from Amsterdam chock full of complete live concert videos, over 800 from many different indie artists, including Spoon, Bright Eyes, The Frames, Frank Black (doing a cover of Tom Waits' "Black Rider", even), Damien Rice, The Black Keys, and many more.

After watching some of this Andrew Bird show from the past year, now I KNOW I have to see him in concert.



My Playlist:

FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEOS: SMASHING PUMPKINS "TARANTULA"

This video is amazing. It was created by the winner of a Smashing Pumpkins website "Green Screen Challenge", Levi Ahmu, and it's better than most professional music videos I've seen in the past couple of years.



Now THAT'S a video. Simply stunning.

UNDERRATED: APB

I'm not sure how to describe the band APB.

This tight rhythmic trio didn't really fit in with the punk or synth bands of the day, and weren't pop enough to get MTV airplay, so let's just call them "post-punk" with a little funky bass thrown in. Though they hailed from Scotland, they became almost exclusively a greater New York City area cult favorite in the mid 80s, due to heavy radio airplay of their singles in dance clubs and on Long Island's famous 92.7 WLIR. A compilation of their singles was released in 1985 entitled Something To Believe In, and after a good run their popularity probably peaked around 1986 with this show, one of several they headlined at the Ritz in Manhattan.



Ahh, 80s concerts. I couldn't help but watch the kid who dances on stage and yells into the mic near the end of the song, as I regularly rocked that same outfit (acid washed jeans/denim jacket/t-shirt). I actually never saw them play live, and they had called it quits by 1990 having made only 2 albums. I still have my vinyl copy of their singles collection, and recently began to wonder what had happened to them and why their CDs were out of print. As it turns out, not only was the album given a 20th anniversary re-release in 2006, but the band actually reunited after being broken up for 17 years to play a few area shows (and even recorded a third album).



You won't find them on any cheesy "80s new wave" compilation albums or cutesy retro movie soundtracks, and I kind of like that. They were a very underrated band of pecularly local interest (they probably don't have as many fans back in their native Scotland as they do here), so it's interesting to see them back playing again after all this time. I wonder if they can be hired to play at high school reunions . . .

APB - Official Site
APB "What Kind Of Girl?" - Live At The Ritz, NYC, 1986 [YouTube]

CONTROL - JOY DIVISION MOVIE

I want to check out the movie Control, directed by black & white loving über-photographer Anton Corbijn, which opens sometime this month. It's the story of Ian Curtis and Joy Division, and it looks quite interesting. One thing I can guarantee: there will be no happy Hollywood ending. Here's a clip of them live at the BBC show "The Wedge" from 1979.



Now that I watch that, I doubt the movie could match that 3½ minute clip. Interesting note: this clip is bookended by John Cooper Clarke reading the lyrics to his song "Evidently Chickentown" (which was used by David Fucking Chase during the final season of "The Sopranos".)

VIDEO DUMP: INXS "DON'T CHANGE" (1982)

This is one of INXS' breakthrough MTV videos, one of the first to make it to the States (after "The One Thing"). I remember the first time I heard of them, when it was announced that they just won a Best New Artist award in Australia. We were shocked because, before this, the only rock band we knew from Down Under was Men at Work. We still didn't know how to pronounce their name (inks?), but they quickly became a favorite with the release of Shabooh Shoobah from whence this song came, almost 25 years ago. This video features the band jumping off a pickup truck and running into our living rooms, literally. It's not much more than a low-budget performance video filmed at a warehouse, but it showed that Michael Hutchence could really move and--wait, why is the keyboard strung up on a rack? This is the 80s, it doesn't have to make sense.

(I just found out that the band formed on August 16, 1977, so this marks their 30th anniversary, of sorts. And while we're talking milestones, happy 50th birthday to guitarist Tim Farris. There, I think that's all I've got.)

I would later play their song "What You Need" on a radio show I guested on in 1985 (WVRM 89.3 FM in Hazlet), for what I believe was the first time ever in the US. That's right, bitches, I premiered it. See, I had just bought a cut-out promo copy of the album Listen Like Thieves, which hadn't even been released yet, at a record store on 8th street in NYC. By the time we went to air I hadn't even heard the whole album, but I knew the groove and the bassline of the leadoff track could not be ignored, and chose that song to play. Later in 1986, it would end up the band's first in a string of Top 10 hits (#5) in the US. I'd like to think that I was a part of that.

INXS was one of the classiest rock bands to come out of the 80s, and their sound still holds up for the most part. I regret that I never saw them play live when Michael Hutchence was still alive (I hear there were always a lot of hot chicks at their shows). I'm going to go watch this and try to forget that whole Rock Star: INXS thing ever happened. (Don't change, my ass.)



INXS "Don't Change" (1982) [YouTube]

EIGHT TRACK MIND

A lot of people have iPods/mp3 players nowadays, and can't imagine what they did without them. The cassette and the once ubiquitous Sony Walkman are all but dead, and most would even consider CDs to be a passe and awkward design for mobile media. But how quickly we forget about one of the most popular and subsequently maligned media of the 20th century: the 8-track tape.

The 8-track was quite popular in the 1970s, yet it was probably the worst music media ever invented. It was basically an endless loop of tape inside a bulletproof plastic casing, so while it was "continuous play" you couldn't fast forward or rewind it. Instead, it took an album and split it into 4 "programs" of equal length; if you wanted to hear a particular song, you'd have to wait for it to come back around again. Sometimes, an album's songs (most recorded with the two-sided vinyl LP record in mind) couldn't be split up equally amongst the 4 programs, so occasionally a song would fade out halfway through before it switched to the next "program" and then continue after fading back in. Other times, a song would appear on the tape TWICE to fill it out. Atrocious. I distinctly remember "Dark Side Of The Moon" to be one of the worst victims of this limitation.

There remains some misplaced nostalgia about these, proving yet again that people are strange. If I had to find a silver lining, the best part was that they were nearly indestructable, making it the ideal media to carry around, or throw under the seat of the family van (we had 2 vans throughout the years). Consequently, we had a few dozen 8-tracks that we got from various places over the years: defunct stores like Two Guys and Bradlees, various yard sales, and the famous Englishtown Auction, just to name a few. This is not a complete list, but here are some titles that I recall our family used to own:

Bee Gees "Greatest"
Billy Joel "Glass Houses"
Genesis "Three Sides Live"
Paul McCartney & Wings "Back to the Egg"
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band "Stranger In Town"
Steve Miller Band "Greatest Hits"
Styx "Grand Illusion"
Supertramp "Breakfast In America"

Atlanta Rhythm Section "Champagne Jam"
Cat Stevens "Moonshadow"

Seals & Crofts?
Dave Mason?

Yikes. I recall buying a carrying case and getting a few of those as part of the package. Since you never "flipped it over" and there were no "sides", I guess the Genesis one could be called "Three Programs Live"? I know we had a bunch more, but I feel nauseous after typing those out. I have to go lie down now.

In closing: the 8-track tape was a complete piece of crap.

INTERNET RADIO SAVED (FOR NOW)

According to Savenetradio.org, Wired News has reported that internet radio stations have gotten a temporary reprive on the collection of royalties . Some stations that offer personalized content, a la Pandora, were set to close down as of Sunday, July 15 before this injunction.

It remains to be seen what will happen in the long run, but it seems that our congressmen actually are listening. I still think stations with other revenue streams like Last.fm and WOXY (Lala) will survive, as will stations with terrestrial counterparts (KEXP and KCRW, WFUV), but I don't know about the others (Radio Paradise, Soma). I might have to call up my congressman this week.

DON'T MAKE ME SHOP AT TARGET

DON'T MAKE ME SHOP AT TARGET!

I was shocked to see both Spoon and Interpol's new discs being featured in the weekly ad for Target. Shocked AND stunned. But there they were, right next to T.I., Fabolous [sic] and "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" DVD. I've seen these two bands play live (twice each, thank you very much, ha ha) so they've definitely earned my praise, but now they're rocking TARGET? Unable to resist the great bargains, I ended up going there on Wednesday during lunch to pick them up. However, I had to fight for a parking space at the mall with all the dirty Muggles taking their annoying Mugglespawn in to see "Harry Potter and the Magical Money Machine". That being said, buying a copy of "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" (with a throwaway bonus CD "Get Nice!" that you will listen to only once) is the best $7.98 you will ever spend. Also, a 12 pack of Kleenex Cottonelle Toilet Paper with Aloe is totally worth the price, especially if you hate chafing as much as me.

I also considered buying the new Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist, after hearing a few good songs and despite reading mostly "meh" reviews. But I was confused as to "which" album I was getting, as there are several different versions: iTunes, Best Buy, Target, and other, all have DIFFERENT TRACK LISTINGS. What is that all about? So I ended up not buying it, because I don't want anyone to see my CD and scoff at me, "Ohhhh, you got the TARGET one. That one is for idiots that go to the store to buy deodorant and end up with a CD as an afterthought."

However, one of the reviews I read directed me to this live clip of "United States" . . . and I'm reconsidering my decision.



Sweet Holy Jebus, Jimmy Chamberlain's drumming sounds simply fantastic. Billy's scream near the end gave me goosebumps. This certainly is a classic Pumpkins track. But where does Billy find these hot bassists? Do they clone them in a lab somewhere? If they play a big show in these parts somewhere, I might have to go see them . . .

Smashing Pumpkins "United States" (Live @ Rock Am Ring, Nuremberg, Germany, June 2007) [YouTube]

10 YEARS AGO: OK COMPUTER BY RADIOHEAD

On July 1, 2007, Radiohead's OK Computer was released in the US, and it sure doesn't sound 10 years old. I'm sure a lot of people will talk about it (Stereogum even has an intriguing song-by-song tribute on their site), as it was a definite turning point for the band propelling them from arena pop/rock into a less categorizable and more cerebral/progressive direction that they've continued on to this day. It remains one of my all-time favorite albums (in fact, I'd actually pay to buy this disc again, and was secretly hoping they'd release a special edition as mine is severly worn out--I think it skips on "Let Down" and "Electioneering").

Way back in 1993, the band's loud/quiet/loud debut single "Creep" became a smash hit, but was unfortunately accompanied their weakest album Pablo Honey. Their sophomore effort The Bends, is a solid rock record with nary a weak track to be found; however, it was all but ignored in the US, where despite some excellent singles and MTV airplay (on the much missed 120 Minutes, and even a live performance by the pool at the MTV Beach House--blech) it garnered lukewarm public and critical reception (I recall a blah review in Spin, who gave it a 6/10). However, OK Computer was a different animal altogether, charting high in the States and garnering universal acclaim. Released pre-millennium and post-grunge when UK-based Britpop and electronica were prevalent, it didn't neatly fit into any category (and may have inadvertently created its own). There was simply no way to predict they were capable of an album like this, and a decade later, there still hasn't been anything quite like it.

When I first heard the album, I was immediately taken by its sound: a dense, claustrophobic din, with chiming guitars and expressive vocals. But it is the creeping dread, and themes of alienation and paranoia brought on my the pressures of modern society found in Yorke's lyrics that set it apart. Almost overnight, they went from being the second coming of The Who to appearing to need some serious psychotherapy. It certainly was a polarizing album for many fans, who preferred the more accessible guitar rock of The Bends. But it was the edgier, more experimental feel, and the deeply affecting yet detached lyrics that I found more attractive. (My girlfriend at the time didn't get it at all, and I don't think she really got me either, which is probably one of the reasons why that relationship didn't last. Yes, I blame this album.)

Here we are, ten tumultuous years later, and it still sounds fantastic. "Airbag" kicks it off with a soaring and swooping guitar, which is joined by a second guitar's arpeggio and kickstarted with a driving beat, and Thom Yorke declares, "In an interstella burst/I'm back to save the universe"; it's simply a great opening track. I still don't know how they got that shimmering/squealing guitar sound on the alien abduction anthem "Subterreanean Homesick Alien": it somehow manages to sound both otherworldly and comforting. "Climbing up the Walls" is easily one of the creepiest songs they've ever written; the Romeo + Juliet (1996) inspired "Exit Music (For A Film)" starts off as a slow burn and erupts into a stunning climax; "No Surprises" features a great melody backed by chiming guitars and fantastic multitracked harmonies at the end. (I could go on and on, but I won't. Though I will mention that the slick, menacing video for "Karma Police" fits its subject matter rather well.)



However, the cornerstone of the album is "Paranoid Android", a non-radio friendly 6½ minute long pastiche of three seemingly disparate songs, much like the structure of the Beatles' "Happiness is a Warm Gun". Brilliant and confounding, it's the band's most epic and schizophrenic song. A moody shuffling opening section featuring scathing lyrics ("Ambition makes you look pretty ugly"), followed by a searing guitar solo, a forlorn middle bridge ("Come on reign down on me/From a great height"), and a clamarous ending. If you hate this song (and I don't necessarily blame you because it's a pretty harsh rollercoaster ride), there's a good chance you never listened to Radiohead again. But I've always thought it was an incredible song, and the (tortured) soul of the entire album. Even the video featuring a removed, detached antagonist floating through a particularly crazy day seemed to sum up the overall feel of this album: concerned (but powerless).



Radiohead set the bar pretty high with this album, and I think they'd be the first to admit it. Wisely, they didn't try to repeat themselves with an OK Computer 2.0, and instead went even more overboard and overwrought with the experimental and occasionally brilliant Kid A and Amnesiac sessions. It may not have made us all fitter and happier, but this album stands apart as the one to beat.

Happy 10th Anniversary, OK Computer!

Radiohead - Official Site
Radiohead - Original OK Computer website

INTERNET RADIO: NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE

Many internet radio stations have declared today a "National Day of Silence". Several stations are not broadcasting today (my favorite, WOXY.com, being one) to protest the impending bill that will substantially increase music royalties (a 300 - 1200% increase!) and could subsequently put many small stations out of business on July 15, 2007.

If you enjoy music like I do, it's about time you clicked on SaveNetRadio.org and did something about it! I've already contacted my senators (Chuck & Hillary!) about it and hope something can be done to amend this bill. The first stations to fold will likely be "personalized" ones like Pandora and Finetune (although probably not Last.fm, who was just bought by CBS). The music industry is so backwards, they don't realize that these stations actually HELP stimulate music sales (I know I've found some great new stuff just from listening to net radio). In trying to create more revenue for musicians, instead this could have the unintended effect of driving music listeners to turn to illegal ways of obtaining music. Good work, idiots!

Here's a good article from a legal website (not all lawyers are useless!) that agrees that this is a horrible idea:

A Look at Radio Silence: When Copyright Law Reform Goes Terribly Wrong

SAVE NET RADIO! Otherwise, I might have to listen to my coworkers all day instead. *shiver*

RETROCRUSH TOP 100 WORST COVER SONGS

This is a great list: Retrocrush Top 100 Worst Cover Songs. As of today they're up to #13 and they update it frequently.
Some good ones so far:

#85 "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'" by Jessica Simpson
Even if she changed the lyrics to "These Jugs Were Made For Suckin'" it'd still be hard to listen to.

#69 "We Will Rock You" by 5ive
For starters, I hate 5ive for using a "5" instead of an "F" in the first letter of their band's name. It's pretty 5ucking 5oolish. This cover of the Queen classic may have band members from Queen in it, but once the boy band tough guy "vocals" kick in, you just start praying for a zombie Freddie Mercury to take the stage and eat all of their brains (which admittedly wouldn't be much to snack on).

#49 "More Than This" by 10,000 Maniacs
Swapping Merchant with Mary Ramsey is like losing Al Pacino in your movie and getting Screech to take his place.

#45 "Another Brick in the Wall" by Korn
You know, Pink Floyd seemed smart enough to say, "We don't need no education" with some authority, Korn...not so much.

UPDATE: Well, it's all over but the crying. I agree with some of their later additions, including #18 "Love Song" by 311, #16 "Chop Suey!" by Avril Lavigne ("the musical equivalent of your girlfriend yelling at you on the phone for an hour"), and #12 "911 Is A Joke" by Duran Duran (that whole covers CD was torture).

Here are their Top 10:

#10 "Piece of My Heart" by Faith Hill
#9 "Downtown Train" by Rod Stewart
#8 "The Greatest Love of All" by Kevin Rowland
#7 "Ring of Fire" by Olivia Newton John
#6 "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" by Ol' Dirty Bastard and Macy Gray
#5 "American Pie" by Madonna
#4 "Behind Blue Eyes" by Limp Bizkit
#3 "Stairway to Heaven" by Dolly Parton
#2 "Every Breath You Take" by Puff Daddy
#1 "Layla (Unplugged)" by Eric Clapton

Yes, I agree with many of these, especially #9 "Downtown Train" by Rod Stewart ("I'm sure Waits had said that he would have never even recorded this had he known that Rod was going to wipe his ass with it like this"), and certainly the talentless hack Puff Daddily Diddly, who makes Madonna look like Mozart.

I would have also added: "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Paul Young (Joy Division), "'Heroes'" by The Wallflowers (David Bowie), "American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz (The Guess Who), "Under Pressure" by My Chemical Romance (Queen/Bowie), "Comfortably Numb" by Scissor Sisters (Pink Floyd). Ugh.

I don't agree with #1, however. Isn't a cover song technically done by someone other than the original artist? (They have two of these in the top 13; the new version of "Candle in the Wind" is just as shitty as the first). Yes, Slowhand's unplugged version ripped the balls off of the song, making it no longer "a song to steal George Harrison's wife with", but he was trying a different interpretation of it (like every 'unplugged' album did at the time). Sure, it made you forget how great the original was (When that piano kicks in at the end? That's hard to beat). And while it was a novelty the first time you heard it, and after the 40,000th time it was just a gimmick, it's not the worst cover song ever.

Of course, the big question is: why isn't Bill Shatner on here? Did these kids not get the memo that his "Transformed Man" album was actually intended as a serious work of art? It may seem hard to fathom but it was NOT a novelty record, and he was NOT in on the joke back then, like he is now. He was 100% dead serious about that album, reading poetry and reciting popular rock lyrics like he was some sort of renaissance man, and it was 100% incredibly bad.

Therefore, I am removing Clapton and replacing him with William Shatner "Mr. Tamborine Man" at #1. Done.

Here's a funny parody video of the above song:


SEE ALSO: Kirk & Spock: Their Celestial Musical Fantasy

ALMOST PERFECT: THE MOST SKIPPABLE ALBUM TRACKS

In this fast paced, crazy iPoddified world, nobody sits and listens to CDs anymore, or so I'm told. In fact, most people don't even purchase entire albums anymore, but in the olden days some of us would actually listen to a CD from start to finish. Now you can just listen to a thousand tracks on shuffle, select just the tunes you want to hear, or never even buy the crappiest tracks to begin with. However, some albums are actually listenable all the way except for one glaring defect that just had to be skipped over. Here are a few albums that are SO CLOSE to being perfect.

The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, "Within You Without You". Other people might claim that Paul's schmaltzy "When I'm 64" kills this album's momentum, but I disagree. There's just something about the sitar, especially the one on this George Harrison song, that is just grating. It was probably cool at the time (and might still be, if you're high), but now it's merely an annoying, atonal downer.

The Police, Synchronicity, "Mother". This Andy Summers wailing, tuneless dirge brings this album to a complete halt. Here's the irony: I bet he's full of shit and doesn't even have mommy issues; they probably met for tea every week. He just wanted to try to upstage that smug bastard Sting, and he does so in a song that comes at you like a musical game of chicken, daring you to not hit the skip button. The next track, Stewart Copeland's limp "Miss Gradenko", is listenable by comparison.

U2, The Unforgettable Fire, "4th of July". Sure, Brian Eno's ethereal soundscapes are nice, but not from the band that brought you Sunday Bloody Fucking Sunday! This little instrumental interlude, in which The Edge puts his guitar echo effect up to 11, is just dying to be skipped to get to the anthemic "Bad".

The Smiths, Strangeways, Here We Come, "Paint A Vulgar Picture". From their last and weakest studio album, this song is excruciating to sit through because of Morrissey's less than stellar lyrics about posthumously released albums: "Reissue, repackage, repackage! Re-evaluate the songs!" I don't know if he's musing about Elvis, Liberace or predicting his own bands' fate, but ironically they have more "collections" in their catalog than studio releases (a live album, two Best Ofs, two Singles, and a Very Best Of--can an outtake/B-sides boxset be far behind?).

Radiohead, OK Computer, "Fitter Happier". After a stunning first half, the album hits a speed bump with this track featuring a droning computer voice reading a checklist of self-improvement mantras on top of a lilting background piano and creepy synths. A social commentary about the increasingly robotic nature of modern life, this track gets more annoying every time I listen to it and interrupts an otherwise classic album.

VIDEO: ARCTIC MONKEYS "FLUORESCENT ADOLESCENT"

Here's a funny music video from the Arctic Monkeys' great 2nd album Worst Favourite Nightmare.

Send in the clowns . . . TO KILL!



Thanks to Kris for the tip.

Arctic Monkeys "Fluorescent Adolescent" [Domino Records/YouTube]

FREE SPOON!

Free shows = good shows.

SPOON is one of many bands that will be performing as part of the River To River Festival 2007 in various outdoor NYC venues.

SPOON. On the heels of their sixth album release, one of the most acclaimed bands in indie music delivers a rocking concert including some of their latest material. DATE: July 11, 2007, TIME: 7:00pm, LOCATION: Rockefeller Park

It would be great if they sang "Rockafella Skank". I'm definitely going to check out that show (weather permitting). Other bands playing freebies: The New Pornographers (7/4), Menomena (7/13), Bishop Allen (7/20), The National (8/17), Camera Obscura (8/24), among others.

Meanwhile from June 4 - 15, Spoon is streaming a song-a-day from their upcoming new album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga , out 7/10. Good stuff.

FRIDAY NIGHT VIDEOS: THE POLICE "WALKING IN YOUR FOOTSTEPS (LIVE)"

The Police kicked off their reunion tour with a show in Vancouver, BC, which was essentially a "dress rehearsal" for about 4000 fan club members. This YouTube video of the entire song "Walking In Your Footsteps" is pretty damn good, considering most of them look like shit and are only 43 seconds long. It's good to see that it's only the three members of the group playing, sans backup singers and keyboard players, etc.



The Police - Walking In Your Footsteps (Live in Vancouver, May 27, 2007) [YouTube]

JEFF BUCKLEY: TEN YEARS LATER

It was 10 years ago today (May 29, 1997) that Jeff Buckley drowned in the Mississippi River at age 30. It's one of those things that I remember where I was when I heard the sad news (driving past the Danbury Fair Mall after work). Though he only released one proper studio album, Grace, it left a lasting legacy. Since then, a plethora of posthumous collections have been released (in fact, another collection was released last week--seriously, this has to stop), but they are only the tip of the iceberg, and constantly underline the fact that he will never release that long-awaited follow-up.

He was a brilliant singer/songwriter whose love of music was vast and whose future possibilities seemed limitless. I first remember seeing his video for "Grace" on MTV at around 2 AM, after the 120 Minutes program was finished with their typical lineup of grunge and new wave bands. After soaking it in I recall saying to a friend, "What the hell is he doing on that show?" His incredible vocal delivery and intensity made him stand apart from everything else--hearing him was like a slap in the face. I bought the album and immediately was taken by his talent and versatility. I think the lyrics to Grace were the first ones I ever looked up and printed out on the internet's new fangled "world wide web" (on my IBM clone 386-40).

I was also lucky enough to see him play twice on the "Mystery White Boy Tour" in the summer of 1995, the first time opening for Juliana Hatfield at the Trocadero in Philly. He was a consummate showman, witty and endearing, and he had the crowd (mostly the girls) eating from the palm of his hand. The second time I saw him at Tradewinds in Sea Bright, NJ. Before the show he was sitting out in the deck area with his band; we were too chicken shit to go talk to him, but we watched him order tea with honey and lemon while he smoked. Most of all we were amazed that such a powerful voice could come out of such a scrawny body. There will never be another artist like him, period. He will most definitely be missed.



Check out one of my favorite music blogs I Am Fuel, You Are Friends awesome JB tribute as well.

Jeff Buckley - Lover, You Should Have Come Over (Live @ Metro in Chicago, 1995) [YouTube]

BLUE MONDAY: NEW ORDER 1981 - 2007

New Order have split up after 27 years of making music. No, really, I think they're serious this time. A "Blue Monday", indeed. (Yeah, I wrote that joke all by myself.)

I honestly haven't heard much of anything they've put out since "Republic" in 1993, but I sure did listen to them a whole lot in high school and college. Their double CD collection "Substance" (1987) remains a must-own.

I project their reunion show at Coachella in 2013.

VIDEO DUMP: BEIRUT "ELEPHANT GUN"

Great video, for the song from the "Lon Gisland" EP by Beirut (which is just 20 year old singer/songwriter Zach Condon, really).

Beirut - Elephant Gun

REUNION MANIA!

This week's "huh?" reunion goes to Squeeze. The early 80s band are best known for quirky pop tunes like "Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)", "Hourglass" and "Black Coffee In Bed". The group's singing/songwriting team of Chris Difford and Glenn Tillbrook have buried the hatchet and are doing some shows together for the first time since 1999. Why, you might ask? To sell their brand new (old) rereleased back catalog! At least they're not dishonest about their motivations. No word on the rest of the lineup, which has featured Paul Carrack (the other singer, on "Tempted") and Jools Holland during its various incarnations. I saw them open for Bowie back in 1987 and they were an infectiously fun band in concert. Their first show stateside is in Londonderry, NH, of all places.

In other news, Spinal Tap are "reuniting" for a London show called Live Earth (to benefit the earth, I guess). This reunion should also garner a "what?", except for the fact that they HAVE to appear as Spinal Tap at least once every 5 years or so to keep them alive, since they don't own the rights to the band (French company Loreal actually does, for some reason). Also appearing at the 7/7/07 show at Wembley: Genesis, James Blunt, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Duran Duran, and Mrs. Guy Ritchie.

There's also a Giants Stadium show, which includes The Police, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, KT Tunstall, Fall Out Boy, Roger Waters, Kanye West and Bon Jovi --why do we get the suckiest lineup? I blame fucking American Idol. At least "The Simpsons" parody was mildly funny. The best part of the Jack Black clip (below) is Kyle Gass' reaction shots with the white rose.

SPOON @ THE STONE PONY, ASBURY PARK, NJ, APRIL 24, 2007

I don't know why Spoon aren't bigger than they are. When I say that, people make faces and don't seem to understand. No, I'm not having trouble eating my cereal, and I'm not quoting "The Tick". I'm talking about the indie rock band from Austin, TX who just played an awesome show last night at the Stone Pony. Yes, the same place (more or less) that the Boss made famous decades ago--I didn't know it was still around either. I'd seen exactly two shows there in my lifetime: Morphine/Soul Coughing and Hole (back in 1995 and 1994, I think).

When we arrived at Asbury Park, I was amazed on how the area hasn't changed much in the 12 years that have passed; that is to say, despite all the claims of the area's "revitilazation", it still looks like a total shithole. Although they built some new condos, there are still a lot of of the old (now-abandoned) buildings everywhere. We parked on a makeshift dirt median (I assume this is part of the "beautification" project) and entered just as the opening band was going on, and although the crowd was initially sparse it filled in rather quickly. I was a little leary of the fact that is was an "all-ages" show, but it ended up being an excellent, enthusiastic crowd, and not packed with annoying scenesters like your average NYC show. I'm also glad I saw them here because no matter where you are in the Pony you're close to the stage.

I last saw Britt Daniels & Co. back in 2003 in support of their "Kill The Moonlight" album, and they once again sounded fantastic. Many songs from the aforementioned album were featured ("Stay Don't Go", "Paper Tiger", "Someone Something", "The Way We Get By", and "Small Stakes" which really rocks live--it's amazing what a simple backbeat can do). This time around I got to hear a number of "Gimme Fiction" songs ("Two Sides/Monsieur Valentine", "The Beast and Dragon Adored", "Stay Don't Go", "I Turn My Camera On", "My Mathematical Mind", "I Summon You", "They Never Got You"), and a healthy dose of songs from "Girls Can Tell" made the cut ("Fitted Shirt", "Lines in the Suit", "Me and the Bean", "Anything You Want"). They also played about 4 new songs from their new album "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" (out 7/10) which were good; "Don't Make Me A Target" is the only title I could figure out. At one point, he said this was their first show in New Jersey--before being corrected by a band member that they had been at Maxwell's in Hoboken already, but the crowd gave him a pass. For the encore, they played my pick "Everything Hits At Once", and Joe's pick "Jonathon Fisk" closed the show.

For their straightforward, enjoyable songwriting and accessible rock sound, Spoon should be bigger than they are. But at the same time I'm kind of glad they aren't.

UPDATE: I added some pictures taken with my cell phone (the Samsung A930) and no, they're not that great (had I known security was going to be virtually non-existent I would have brought a proper camera). It's funny how the cell phone has replaced the lighter at concerts now, and for the first time I was actually envious of kids who had better camera phones than me. Anyway, once I learned how to use the zoom feature I got some okay shots. I don't know why the thought of Britt wearing the "I am old enough to drink" bracelet during the entire show cracks me up.

(Although I have Bitpim and a USB data cable I still haven't figured out how to access my videos--gah!)

RANDOM DUMPAGE

All I've got is a borrowed acoustic guitar, 5 chords and the truth. Of my many regrets, I wish I could read music. I guess you don't have to be able to do that to be a rock star, but it would be nice. I also want to get one of those home recording studio programs, but everyone says I'd need a $3000 Mac to do it.

Björk should make a punk rock album, I would love to hear that. Not the angular, quirky pop of The Sugarcubes, I'm talking full-bore punk shit. She wouldn't do it because it's too obvious and conventional, but I'm just saying that I wouldn't mind hearing that, or maybe an upbeat rock record with The Fratellis. You know, a kind of a bizarro Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Does she still have a house in Piermont? Because she doesn't hang out in the Nyack bars so I'll probably never bump into her. Anyway, she will be the musical guest (with host Scarlett Johansson) on SNL on April 24, so I'll have to tune into that.

The Sopranos sucked on Sunday. It's a shame to see such a quality show hit the shitter like this. Moreover, the music used to be a highlight of the show, and even that has fallen off. The best we got was Carmela (Edie Falco) singing a karaoke version of "Love Hurts". Blech.

There were a lot of decent bands to come out of Madchester, England in the late 80s/early 90s, but Happy Mondays wasn't one of them. That stupid "Kinky Afro" song makes me cringe everytime I hear it. God, I hate Happy Mondays.

Modest Mouse has initiated their own green screen challenge; Stephen Colbert could not be reached for comment. Does anyone think those Tek Jensen cartoons are funny? Because I don't.

Nothing will get me out of a store faster than 1) long lines at the checkout, or 2) horrible music on the PA system. Normally, I like shopping at Trader Joe's but not when they're plyaing Ray Parker, Jr's "The Other Woman". Ugh! I wouldn't have minded "Ghostbusters" at that point. Let me tell you something: busting makes me feel good!

Spoon is playing at Stone Pony on the 24th, and I've decided I'm going to go. It's a bit of a hike since I don't live 'down the shore' anymore, but I love Britt Daniels & Co. enough to make it worth it. They are also releasing a new album this summer called "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" (best title since "De Do Do Do De Da Da Da") so we'll get to hear some new stuff as well. I haven't been down there since Soul Coughing (who we missed) opened for Morphine.

(Side note: Will Ferrell's last few movies have really stunk, but at least he his characters' names are funny: Ron Burgundy, Ricky Bobby, Chazz Michael Michaels. I guess they forgot to write a script after coming up with a funny name. I might have to see that "Stranger Than Fiction" on DVD, just because Spoon was involved with the soundtrack.)