MUSIC DUMP

VIDEO DUMP: ELVIS COSTELLO & ATTRACTIONS "I CAN'T STAND UP FOR FALLING DOWN" (1980)

2008-12-21T13:21:00.002-05:00

This video features horrendous dance moves by pasty-white English guys (redundant?).

Wow. Just, wow.

WORST VIDEO EVER? It's in the Top 10 for me.

VIDEO DUMP: a-ha "TAKE ON ME (LITERAL VERSION)"

2008-10-08T14:04:00.003-04:00

This cracks me up. It's the "literal version" of a-ha's "Take On Me".

Ever wish songs just sang what was happening in the music video? Well now they do.

Lyrics/singing: Dustin McLean
Voices: Jason Nash, Josh Faure-Brac, Priscilla McLean
Thanks: Jonah Ray

Close up eyes!
Hand comes out!
Sketchy arm!
Grab the haaaand!

Band montaaaaaaaage!

GIRL TALK

2008-09-21T23:43:00.005-04:00

I love Girl Talk. DJ Gregg Gillis a master at mashing up anything and everything, and as a music geek I probably appreciate these songs more than most (and I'm proud of myself when I recognize the numerous backing tracks).

His new collection "Feed The Animals" available online (and you can "name your price", sort of like Radiohead did last year with In Rainbows) and it's excellent -- very similar to "Night Ripper" (2006), and perhaps more varied and even tighter mixed. Here's track 5, "Set It Off", which is my vote for "song of the summer":

Here's a short list of songs sampled on this single track alone:

0:00	Rihanna	"Umbrella"
0:01	Ying Yang Twins	"Jigglin'"
0:05	Swizz Beatz	"It's Me Bitches"
0:06	Eric B & Rakim	"Eric B. is President"
0:18	Vanilla Ice	"Havin' a Roni"
0:20	Jay-Z	"Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)..."
0:21	Radiohead	"Paranoid Android"
1:00	GZA	"Liquid Swords"
1:11	Wale	"The Freestyle (Roc Boys)"
1:25	Mary J. Blige	"Real Love"
1:26	The Guess Who	"These Eyes"
2:04	Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five	"The Message"
2:04	Aerosmith	"Sweet Emotion"
2:09	Ice Cube	"Check Yo Self"
2:09	Young Gunz	"Set It Off"
2:11	Tom Tom Club	"Genius of Love"
2:35	DJ Kool	"Let Me Clear My Throat"
2:36	Mistah F.A.B. with Turf Talk and E-40	"Super Sic wit' It"
2:38	The Spinners	"The Rubberband Man"
2:38	Fine Young Cannibals	"She Drives Me Crazy"
2:47	Bubba Sparxxx featuring Ying Yang Twins	"Ms. New Booty"
2:55	Dexys Midnight Runners	"Come On Eileen"
3:33	Eddie Floyd	"Knock on Wood"

DURAN DURAN - JAPANESE COMMERCIAL

2008-07-10T10:59:00.003-04:00

This cracks me up.

It's a Japanese commercial for whiskey featuring Duran Duran.

Ha!

VIDEO DUMP: IGGY POP "THE PASSENGER (LIVE IN MANCHESTER)" (1977)

2008-06-10T23:15:00.005-04:00

Iggy is out of his mind in this live clip from October 1977. He had to be carried to the microphone stand, for chrissake! It's only 7 and a half minutes long, and it's not nearly long enough.

About 5 minutes in he declares: "I like this music!" I hope so, it's your band, Iggy. Awesome.

Iggy Pop "The Passenger (Live In Manchester, 1977)" [YouTube]

VIDEO DUMP: ROCK-AFIRE EXPLOSION "LOVE IN THIS CLUB" (2008)

2008-06-03T22:46:00.007-04:00

I honestly could NOT stop laughing at this "music video".

Usher (feat. Young Jeezy) "Love In This Club" as performed by animatronic robot band Rock-afire Explosion.

From Wikipedia:

The Rock-afire Explosion was an animatronic robot band that played in Showbiz Pizza Place restaurants from 1980 to 1994. The show was created and manufactured exclusively for Showbiz by Creative Engineering, Inc. in Orlando, Florida. In later years, the show was sold to other restaurants and entertainment centers. The characters in The Rock-afire Explosion were various animals ranging from a dog to a gorilla. They would perform medleys of classic rock, pop, and country music, as well as original compositions.

Wow, that's hilarious. Great job by programmer Chris Thrash.

VIDEO DUMP: YO LA TENGO "SUGARCUBE" (1997)

2008-06-02T08:39:00.007-04:00

Here's one of the funniest music videos out there. It's for "Sugarcube" by Hoboken's own Yo La Tengo, featuring Bob and David of Mr. Show fame.

"The Foghat Principle: your fourth album shall be DOUBLE LIVE!"

(I can't believe this clip is 11 years old.)

VIDEO DUMP: PETER GABRIEL "SKY BLUE" (LIVE) (2003)

2008-05-24T19:38:00.004-04:00

This version of "Sky Blue" by Peter Gabriel featuring The Blind Boys Of Alabama is stunning. The extended chorus at the end is amazing.

From Peter Gabriel's Growing Up Live tour concert film from 2003.

VIDEO DUMP: TIM CURRY "I DO THE ROCK" (1979)

2008-05-23T14:51:00.005-04:00

I heard this last weekend (on XM on the way to the wedding rehearsal), and we couldn't get it out of our heads. This song falls somewhere between early Roxy Music ("Virginia Plain") and Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London". I'm just proud of the fact that I guessed it came out in 1979. And I guessed it was David Sanborn on sax. Yikes.

One thing is for sure: Tim Curry does the ROCK ROCK ROCK. And he rocks that 'fro.

That song seems longer than 4:20, doesn't it? Here are the lyrics. I have no idea what they mean.

Edith Sitwell giving readings
14 Moscow Road
Osbert's giving champagne parties
Sachie's got a cold
Gertrude's hanging pictures
Alice making tea
Me, I do the only thing that still
makes sense to me
I do the Rock
I do the Rock Rock

John and Yoko farming beef
raising protein quota
Sometimes they make love and art
inside their Dakota
Rodney's feeling sexy
Mick is really frightfully bold
Me, I do the only thing that stops me growing old
I do the Rock
I do the Rock Rock
I do the Rock Rock Rock

Well, it's stimulating
Solzhenitzin feels exposed
build a barbed-wired prison
Nietsche's six feet under but his babies still got rhythm
Einstein's celebrating ten decades
but I'm afraid philosophy is just too much responsibility for me
I do the Rock
I do the Rock

Baby Ruth and Dizzy Dean
Best and Colin Cowdrey
Little Mo, Virginia Wade
Pistol Pete and O.J.
I've always like DiMaggio
and Rockne's pretty knute you know
I could never wack a ball with such velocity
I do the Rock
I do the Rock
I do the Rock
It's stimulating - I'm a keen student

Liz and Dick and Britt and Liza
Jaclyn, Kate and Farrah
Meg and Roddy, John Travolta
Governor Brown and Linda
Interwiew and People Magazine
Miss Rona and the Queen
It must be really frightfull to attract publicity
I do the Rock
Myself
I do the Rock

Carter, Begin and Sadat
Breznhev, Teng and Castro
Everyday negotiate us closer to disastro
Idi Amin and the Shah
and Al Fatah is quite bizarre
I could never get the hang of ideology
I do the Rock
I do the Rock
I do - I do - I do - do the Rock.

I had no idea he name checked O.J. Simpson. Wow.

Tim Curry "I Do The Rock" (1979) [YouTube]

COMPLETE ALBUMS LIVE

2008-05-23T10:37:00.007-04:00

The latest concert trend appears to be bands playing complete albums live, in order, from start to finish. Here's a short list off the top of my head of some recent examples:

Sonic Youth "Daydream Nation"
Public Enemy "It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back"
Sebadoh "Bubble and Scrape"
Liz Phair "Exile On Guyville"
Meat Puppets "Meat Puppets II"
Thurston Moore "Psychic Hearts"
Built To Spill "Perfect From Now On"

Those last three are all going to take place at the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in Monticello, New York, but also at other venues this summer. While I understand the lure of nostalgia, I'm not sure I 'get' this trend. Half the fun of a concert is not knowing what's going to happen next. Instead, this has all the drama of an iPod playlist you made yourself. While it's one thing to try to regain your indie cred (SY) or sell tickets (Liz) why would a band like Built To Spill agree to do something like this?

What is the reason for this trend? It's possible that artists are making a statement in favor of the album as a viable art form, but I think iTunes has effectively killed that notion. I actually went to a They Might Be Giants show where they performed their entire first album in order, but that was not pre-announced and was just a one-off novelty (for New Years Eve 1991, when the album was only a few years old). I haven't heard of bands doing this type of thing since then.

THE BLACK KEYS - TERMINAL 5, NYC, MAY 15, 2008

2008-05-16T11:26:00.006-04:00

I saw The Black Keys last night at Terminal 5. My Lord, they ripped the roof off the place. And yes, there are only two of them on the stage at all times, Dan Auerbach (gtr/vox) and Patrick Carney (drums). The sound he manages to get out of just one guitar (no bass, no rhythm to help) is astonishing, and Patrick's energetic powerful drumming is just amazing. Who knew two boys from Akron could rock so hard?

They kicked it off with "Girl On My Mind", and followed with "Set You Free", "10 AM Automatic" and never let up. Even "Oceans & Streams", the only song which featured Dan playing fuzzy distorted keyboards instead of guitar, sounded fantastic.

None of these clips are from last night's show, but I thought I'd post them anyway to show you what you missed.

"Girl on My Mind" from SXSW 2008.

Here's "I Got Mine", one of the tracks from their new album Attack & Release.

(No, I didn't take any of these videos. I wish I had.)

Here's the duo performing "Stack Shot Billy" from the incredible album Rubber Factory on Letterman.

To all you hipster douchebags who gave Terminal 5 1 star on Citysearch, I don't know what the hell you're talking about. The sound was great, there were two balconies and a huge floor section to view the stage from (only one section to the left on the 2nd floor was VIP, but could be "bought" for $20), and the bartenders and staff were extremely friendly. Maybe if you didn't see a shitty Cat Power show, you would have had a better night.

As Rob succinctly put it "THEY JUST GET IT." Indeed. Fantastic show.

The Black Keys [Official Site]
The Black Keys on MySpace

TOM WAITS "PRESS CONFERENCE"

2008-05-08T11:25:00.000-04:00

To announce his "Gloom and Doom" 2008 Tour (which won't be coming to the Northeast), Tom fashioned this humorous performance piece.

VIDEO DUMP: SPOON "YOU GOT YR. CHERRY BOMB" (2008)

2008-04-11T17:00:00.001-04:00

This is a cool video for one of my favorite songs from last year "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" by the indefatigable Spoon. It's on their 6th album, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (2007), which gets better with every listen.

Spoon "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb" [YouTube]

THESE THINGS TAKE TIME: THE SMITHS REUNION IS ON!

2008-04-01T22:00:00.000-04:00

The Smiths have put aside their petty differences after 20 years and have decided to reunite!

They have not yet set a timeline, but they may perform live for the first time since 1987 in a few choice locations in the UK, Europe and New York and L.A. during spring 2009. Depending on how these shows go, they may agree to do more dates. (Or they may not. Who knows with this bunch?)

"I think it was about time we buried the hatchet metaphorically instead of into the backs of each others' skulls," the always quotable Morrissey said at a press conference today, surprisingly sitting next to bassist Andy Rourke. "I won't lie to you: we've been offered an embarrassing amount of money to do this. Though it's not about that, it's about putting aside the animosity we've felt for so long. It's all about maturing, which as you can see, I've done like a fine wine." Rourke barely got a word in edgewise, as you could imagine.

No monetary amounts were disclosed but it's rumoured to be more than the £40 million ($75 million) initially mentioned (hopefully, it will be equally split 4 ways to avoid any bitchslapping). Johnny Marr could not be reached for comment as he is touring with Modest Mouse, but he is expected to join the band this fall for an official announcement of their future plans. This comes hot on the heels of an October 2007 comment by Marr about a possible reunion, and after the news that Mike Joyce really needs cash for some dental work.

None of this is official yet so it's a wait-and-see, but I'm psyched.

1 April 2008: Smiths reunion press conference [YouTube]

UPDATE (10:00 PM): I forgot to add . . . APRIL FOOLS!

VIDEO DUMP: BEASTIE BOYS "BODY MOVIN' (FATBOY SLIM REMIX) (1998)

2008-03-26T08:28:00.003-04:00

This video cracks me up, as it uses clips from the crappy 60s spy movie "Diabolique" juxtaposed with shots of the group. You might also remember this as the movie mocked in final episode of one of the greatest TV shows of all time, Mystery Science Theater 3000.

VIDEO DUMP: PORTISHEAD "MACHINE GUN" (2008)

2008-03-19T22:08:00.006-04:00

I can't believe it's been over 10 years since Portishead released their eponymously titled second album. I have loved this band from first hearing "Sour Times" back in 1994. This is the first track I've heard from Third, and I'm simultaneously scared/in awe of it.

Portishead "Machine Gun" [non-embeddable]

One of a kind.

Portishead are Beth Gibbons, Adrian Utley and Geoff Barrow.
Third will be released April 29 in the US.

Official Portishead MySpace Site
Official Site

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

2007-12-25T12:04:00.001-05:00

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

2007-12-10T23:16:00.000-05:00

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)

2007-11-26T23:31:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-31T13:13:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-31T00:13:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-30T00:50:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-29T23:52:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-28T13:45:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-27T16:02:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-26T01:00:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-25T00:00:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-24T12:17:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-23T13:23:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-22T22:05:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-21T22:10:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-20T14:56:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-19T16:01:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-18T23:38:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-17T14:53:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-16T00:14:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-15T00:25:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-14T00:44:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-13T12:39:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-12T16:04:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-12T12:55:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-11T00:33:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-10T23:55:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-09T11:01:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-08T23:17:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-07T22:58:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-06T22:13:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-04T23:17:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-03T11:11:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-02T15:23:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-01T13:14:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-25T20:53:00.000-04:00

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"

2007-09-21T23:28:00.000-04:00

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

2007-09-17T22:31:00.001-04:00

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

2007-09-14T13:19:00.001-04:00

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)

2007-08-16T19:45:00.000-04:00

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

2007-08-14T13:12:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-07-13T16:33:00.001-04:00

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

2007-07-13T13:15:00.000-04:00

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

2007-07-12T12:48:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-26T11:58:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-25T12:22:00.000-04:00

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

2007-06-21T12:21:00.000-04:00

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"

2007-06-19T11:21:00.001-04:00

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!

2007-06-06T15:36:00.000-04:00

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)"

2007-06-01T23:42:00.000-04:00

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

2007-05-29T16:50:00.001-04:00

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

2007-05-14T15:47:00.000-04:00

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"

2007-05-08T16:42:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-04-27T16:46:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-25T22:25:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-13T12:13:00.000-04:00

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.)

VIDEO DUMP: FEARGAL SHARKEY "YOU LITTLE THIEF" (1986)

2007-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Classic 80s cheese. I think the comment by GoToHell22 says it all: "Great video . . . or GREATEST video?"

VIDEO DUMP: ALANIS MORRISETTE 'MY HUMPS'

2007-04-12T00:05:00.000-04:00

Alanis asks the musical question first posited by Fergie: "Whatcha gonna do with all that ass inside them jeans?" This cover version is reminiscent of Tori Amos' "Smells Like Teen Spirit" back in 1992, only this is hilarious.

Damn, those Canadians are funny.

Alanis Morrisette "My Humps" [YouTube]

KWIK-E BLOG

2007-03-22T20:11:00.000-04:00

It's the MUSIC DUMP version of KWIK-E BLOG: little things that I felt like saying that don't really deserve their own entry.

List of indie bands that are popular that I just "don't get": Arcade Fire, Of Montreal, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, LCD Soundsystem, Mew, The Knife, and Sufjan Fucking Stevens. They're all incredibly whiny and just ANNOY ME. I had to get that off my chest.

I hate when people say, "Oh, The Cars are nothing without Rick Ocasek, their lead singer." While this sentence is partly true, The Cars are also not the same without Ben Orr. Most people think he only sang the hit song "Drive", but he took the wheel for more songs than you might realize. For instance, the song "Just What I Needed", that we get to hear every 15 seconds on commercials for Circuit City, was sung by him, as well as "Let's Go", "Bye Bye Love", "Candy-O" and "Moving In Stereo". So yes, Rick Ocasek sang a lot of the later MTV friendly hits, but The Cars could easily perform those songs without him . . . well, if Ben Orr didn't die in 2000.

I used to anticipate Radiohead album releases. But at this point they've been working on this new album for 4 years or so, and I couldn't give a flying crap if they finish it or not. If they break up I could care less. Ugh. They've really turned into a disappointing ego-trip-laden mess.

Did any band flame out quicker than The Strokes? Great first album, incredibly short and forgettable 2nd, almost swept under the rug 3rd album with little reason to recommend it. Nice knowin' ya!

It's irritating to see The Jam are selling Cadillacs with their classic song "Start!" Ugh.

I want to go see Robyn Hitchcock in concert at the Knitting Factory. Since I can't find anyone who likes him, I might be going alone.

I caved in and bought tickets to see The Police, July 31st in Hartford. More on that later.

ROCK THE VOTE: MARCH BAND MADNESS!

2007-03-20T18:54:00.000-04:00

It's March and of course it's time to choose your brackets . . . FOR BAND MADNESS! (Not marching band madness.)

A huge-ass bracket featuring 512 musical acts (placed in 4 brackets of 128) are matched up head-to-head until only one remains: THE BEST BAND EVER. Or something. Previous winners Nine Inch Nails are not in the running to make it more interesting. Brackets A and B are done, but Brackets C is up now and D is up tomorrow.

To get a taste of it, here's what last year's bracket looked like. I love the artist profiles, that breakdown how they did in the 2006 tournament:

Modest Mouse
2006 Tournament Results:
R1: Defeated Chicago (60%)
R2: Lost to Blue Oyster Cült (52%)

I guess Modest Mouse should have used a little more cowbell (I'm going to guess I'm not the first to make that joke).

John Lennon
2006 Tournament Results:
R1: Defeated Motley Crüe (80%)
R2: Defeated Garth Brooks (84%)
R3: Defeated Talking Heads (52%)
R4: Defeated Beach Boys (59%)
R5: Defeated Beck (63%)
Sweet Sixteen: Defeated The Who (51%)
Elite Eight: Lost to Johnny Cash

The Cure
2006 Tournament Results:
R1: Defeated Wilson Phillips (94%)
R2: Defeated Steve Miller Band (59%)
R3: Defeated John Mellencamp (85%)
R4: Defeated Paul McCartney (61%)
R5: Defeated Sublime (74%)
Sweet Sixteen: Defeated Rolling Stones (55%)
Elite Eight: Lost to Depeche Mode (58%)

Depeche Mode in the Final Four, and The Cure in the Elite Eight? Wow. Who knew?

2006 FINAL FOUR: Pink Floyd beat Johnny Cash, NIN beat Depeche Mode
FINAL: NIN beat Pink Floyd

As for the 2007 bracket, here's my Bracket C Breakdown.

The 1/16 matchups (the underdog doesn't stand a chance):
Johnny Cash (95%) vs. Village People, Led Zeppelin (92%) vs. Evanescence, U2 (92%) vs. Shania Twain, Metallica (91%) vs. Creed, The Who (91%) vs. Seal.
Ha ha, Seal! The only votes he got were for screwing Heidi Klum.

Surprisingly close matchups:
Jesus and Mary Chain (51%) vs. Incubus (49%). Please, J&MC beats any rock band with a "turntableist".
The Replacements (51%) over ABBA (49%). "Waitress in the Sky" vs. "Dancing Queen"? This should not be this close!
Queens of the Stone Age (53%) vs. Bob Seger (47%). Someone shoot Seger with a silver bullet. I guess everyone forgets those goddamn "Like a Rock" commercials now that "This Is Ouuuuuuuuuur Country".

Surprising upsets:
Robert Palmer (74%) vs. 50 Cent (26%). Wow. I think a lot of (caucasian) rockers are voting on this thing.

The 8/9 matchups (the ones I had the most trouble with):
Frank Zappa (65%) vs. The Cult (35%). I like the idea of Frank more than listening to him; there's only so much you can take at once. But The Cult is one of the most underrated rock bands of the 80s.
Beck (80%) vs. Psychedelic Furs (20%). I didn't think this would be so lopsided
Aerosmith (81%) vs. Toto (19%). That's a real headscratcher. I guess Toto sucks less. (?)

Ones I have to disagree with:
Rancid (58%) vs. Barry Manilow (42%). Somehow Rancid is winning this one, but Barry was on Colbert Report so he gets my vote.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs (62%) vs. Spoon (38%). YYY just isn't that great; Spoon is the shit.

It's hard to read this bracket to get a feel for whom will meet whom or The Who in the final 64, but it's definitely been anti-country so far, so I will be following it closely. I guess we'll wait and see. The irony: Madness is not in it.

GO ROCK THE VOTE . . . LITERALLY!

JOHN MEYER: EXPLAINING THE MEANING OF "YOUR BODY'S A WONDERLAND"

2007-03-09T16:23:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is John Meyer and I'm a popular singer/songwriter. I released my first solo album Room for Squares back in 2001 when I was only 24, and it was incredibly well received. You probably remember one of the songs from that album, "Your Body's a Wonderland". If you were a young female fan of mine back then, this was probably your favorite song. A lot of the girls in the audience used to sing the song back to me, and I really appreciated it. I suppose you imagined that I was singing the song about you. In fact, you might have even fantasized a little, and thought about what it would be like to discover me discovering you in that room for two. You may have even dreamt about me using my hands, which are admittedly kind of rough and covered with calluses from playing the guitar all the time. But some of you were really into this song, and it was all very flattering.

I just feel that I should clear the air, as this has been on my mind since I started playing it at every one of my shows. I think it's time I told you the truth about this song: IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. It's about Jessica Simpson.

That's right. Look, I don't mean to be a dick, but when I wrote this song I really wasn't picturing all the pudgy teenage girls, frumpy housewives, and pale skinny chicks that came to my shows. And although I appreciate you, my most ardent fans, I definitely wasn't writing about swimming in a deep sea of blankets with you. When I sing about 'candy lips and a bubblegum tongue', it's probably pretty obvious I'm talking about a Top 99 Hottest Women type. No offense, but that's what I was picturing, and I'm not going to apologize for it.

Let's face it, I'm a big multiple Grammy® Award winning rock star now. I worked hard at my craft to get to where I am, and my idea of success isn't slumming with some porcelain faced groupie who lives with 10 cats and cries at rock concerts. It's about tagging the hottest piece of ass I can find. And if I'm going to drop $500 on dinner at NOBU, I'm definitely not going with some fat chick; I'm going to have a world class babe on my arm when the paparazzi snap away.

I hope you understand where I'm coming from, and I hope you're not mad at me. Although I think you're a beautiful person and all that, it's not specifically your body that is a wonderland. I hope we can still be friends. My newest album Continuum is available on CD and at iTunes.

Love,
John

GREG PATILLO "MARIO FLUTE"

2007-02-27T23:46:00.000-05:00

I guess this qualifies as music: a beatboxing flute player. Yeah, I never thought I'd type that phrase either. Here's Greg Patillo playing "Mario Flute", his rendition of the various music from the classic NES Super Mario Bros. video game. Excellent!

He also does "Inspector Gadget" and "Sesame Street". Pretty amazing.

"WEIRD" AL YANKOVIC - BOB

2007-02-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

This is nothing short of brilliant. The lyrics of this 'Weird' Al song are made up entirely of palindromes, and the video is a parody of Bob Dylan's classic "Subterranean Homesick Blues" (from D.A. Pennebaker's Don't Look Back). Hilarious.

A FISTFUL OF FESTIVALS

2007-02-20T19:33:00.000-05:00

Here's the real 2007 Bonnaroo artist lineup (partial):

The Police • Tool • Widespread Panic • The White Stripes • Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals • Wilco • The Flaming Lips • MANU CHAO Radio Bemba Sound System • The String Cheese Incident • Franz Ferdinand • Bob Weir & Ratdog • Damien Rice • Ween • Gov't Mule • Ziggy Marley • The Decemberists • Kings of Leon • Michael Franti and Spearhead • Wolfmother • Regina Spektor • The Black Keys • Galactic • DJ Shadow • Gillian Welch • Spoon • Keller Williams (WMD'S) • Sasha & John Digweed • STS9 • Old Crow Medicine Show • The Hold Steady • Lily Allen • North Mississippi Allstars • Fountains Of Wayne • Hot Tuna • Feist • Hot Chip • The Richard Thompson Band • Cold War Kids • Girl Talk • Rodrigo y Gabriela • Annuals • The National • The Little Ones • Black Angels • Lewis Black & Friends • Dave Attell • David Cross

Alas, no Tom Waits and no Dylan--I knew the "rumored" list was bullshit. The only ones they got right were The Police, Lily Allen, Fountains of Wayne, Girl Talk, Annuals, Cold War Kids, The Decemberists, and a couple of minor bands. But they added Wilco, Flaming Lips, Tool, White Stripes, Spoon, The Black Keys, Manu Chao, Damien Rice, and Richard Thompson (not to mention the comedy of David Cross, Lewis Black and Dave Attell). So it's pretty damn interesting as it is. Wait a sec--HOT TUNA? Aren't they 500 years old?

Sasquatch Music Festival is way the fuck up in the Northwest, and features Björk, Beastie Boys, Interpol, Arcade Fire, Spoon, among others. It's 2718 miles from my apartment, in George, Washington. Get it? George Washington? Crafty, those Washingtonians.

In support of their 6th album Zeitgeist(to be released 07.07.07, a neat number and also my mom's birthday) Smashing Pumpkins will also be doing the festival thing, though only in Europe so far. And no, it's not a reunion. People are even nitpicking and saying "it's not really SP without D'Arcy and Iha", but I liken it to The Cure, who can be Robert Smith and anyone and still be The Cure.

Definitely not a reunion: The Jam will be touring . . . without Paul Weller. Huh? Okay, that would be like seeing The Cure without Robert Smith.

As always, these festivals never happen in the Northeast. Grrr.

F***! THE POLICE ON THE GRAMMYS

2007-02-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

"id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5030644569879748610" />"Hello, we're the Police and we're back!" And so began the Grammy Awards last night, as the reformed trio sang "Roxanne" (which was a good bet). While it was a competent rendition, it wasn't really that exciting, though it was thankfully 100% lute free. Some people commented that he can't hit the high notes in the chorus, but he didn't attempt those in 1979 either--I think he only did that the one time in the studio, actually. I was actually focusing on how the 3 of them looked (in HD), and despite Stewart Copeland's old man glasses they looked pretty much intact. But as soon as Jamie Foxx came on after the song ended, I quickly switched to "The Simpsons", and I was done watching (8:00 - 8:05). So it's official: I can no longer say I saw their last public performance in person. Oh well.

Only two other notes I have about the Grammy winners:

1) St. Elsewhere by Gnarls Barkley won Best Alternative Album. Alternative to what? How is something alternative when it's on every radio station? They were quite possibly the biggest crossover band of the year, so they were as non-alternative as you could get. I would have given it to the Arctic Monkeys.

2) Two words: "My Humps". Yes, that shitty song by Black Eyed Peas won an award, beating Death Cab for Cutie, The Fray, and Keane for Best Song by Duo or Group. Given the choices, I would have even allowed Pussycat Dolls to win that. Are you fucking kidding me?

And with that, the Grammys can go screw themselves. I was quite happy in a world that loathed the Dixie Chicks. What a nightmare the recording industry has become.

POLICE FORCE STING TO DROP LUTE; REUNION WILL RAKE IN LOOT

2007-01-31T15:52:00.000-05:00

You might have heard that the other two members of The Police are holding an intervention at the Grammy Awards on 2/11/07, making Sting drop the lute and forcing him to play good music. I almost thought about tuning in this year because of this to wonder how they'll sound. I bet they're going to play "Be My Girl - Sally". Or maybe a medley featuring "Synchronicty II", "Man in a Suitcase" and "Don't Stand So Close To Me '07 (featuring Xhibit and Fergie)".

Everyone is assuming a World Tour is to follow, or at the very least a few festival dates. For all of this to happen I think Stewart Copeland must have compromising photos of Sting that he's using to blackmail him. Whatever the case may be, here are some things you probably didn't know about The Police:

• Sting was born Gorbley Fantastico McSwiggan, which was changed to Gordon Sumner III before he finally switched to his nickname.

• Guitarist Andy Summers is deaf. (I mean, have you heard the guitar solo during "Driven To Tears"? Yikes.)

• Because of religious reasons, Stewart Copeland refuses to play the drums before dusk.

• Sting stole his nickname from the famous WCW wrestler Steve Borden.

• During their 1982 Synchronicity Tour, the band had a "rider" that demanded that they be provided with freshly caught haddock, 12 cans of spotted dick, lawn darts, a frisbee, and an accordion tuner at every show.

• Stewart Copeland once ordered a ham sandwich in Texas, and returned it because it had mustard on it instead of the mayonnaise that he clearly ordered. The sandwich was given to him at no charge.

• The song "Man In A Suitcase" was written about a man who was found dead in a suitcase attempting to sneak on board their tour plane.

• Andy Summers' favorite season is spring.

• Stewart Copeland's drumsticks are whittled from the bones of African cheetahs.

• "Tea In The Sahara" is based on a children's book by W. Somerset Maugham entitled "Everybody Poops".

• Sting practices "tantric sex", which allows him to watch pornography for up to 8 hours at a time without sleeping or ordering pizza.

KNEE DEEP IN THE WINDOWS HOOPLA

2007-01-31T15:00:00.000-05:00

Microsoft has released Windows Vista, their latest attempt to mimic the current MAC OS, and I couldn't be more excited. And no, not because I love that "new operating system smell", it's because Jefferson Starship is helping Microsoft launch Vista. How you ask? By donating a song? Nope, by performing on a flatbed truck in L.A., San Francisco, Austin and New Orleans, presumably the only cities proven to have been built on rock and roll. To this news, I can only respond with a hearty "WTF?"

Over a decade ago Bill tried (and failed) to buy R.E.M.'s "It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" for Microsoft's Windows95 commercials, and instead threw wads of cash at perpetual moneywhores The Rolling Stones to use "Start Me Up". But this is an incredibly odd choice--was Styx not available? I don't even know who is even in the band anymore (certainly not Grace Slick, the only one I can remember). I can picture Bill Gates coming up with this brilliant idea while in his Monty Burns-like giant airplane hangar sized office, watching a bootlegged copy of the "Star Wars Holiday Special" during the holidays (on a computer using Windows Media Player, naturally):

Bill: Who are those young go-getters? I like the cut of their jib!
Smithers: Uhm, that's the rock band Jefferson Starship, sir.
Bill: Why, those young space-age scamps would be perfect entertainment for our new Vista operating system! If they're good enough for Star Wars, they're good enough for me! Just think of the merchandising--the kids will eat it up. Get Darth Vader on the telephone.
Smithers: But sir, that special was filmed in 1978 and I don't think . . .
Bill: Pish posh! Get them now, and I don't care how much money it takes! Oh, and make sure we sent Lucas one of those "Happy Life Day" cards. *Blasted spineless liberals.*

(I assume he has a Smithersesque toady that works for him.)

BONNAROOMERS

2007-01-26T12:24:00.000-05:00

From the "So Ridiculous It Can't Possibly Be True Deparment", it's the rumored 2007 Bonnaroo Music Festival non-official lineup.

The Police (headline), Bob Dylan (headline), Pearl Jam (headline)

Tom Waits, Willie Nelson, Umphrey's McGee, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Modest Mouse, The Black Crowes, Ryan Adams, My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Keller Williams Band, Hot Chip, America, TV on the Radio, Fountains of Wayne, Les Claypool, The Shins, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Toots and the Maytals, The Roots, The Decemberists, Of Montreal, Cat Power, Ozomatli, Perpetual Groove, Band of Horses, John Butler Trio, Nickel Creek, Medeski Martin and Wood, Lily Allen, Neko Case, Keiren Hedben (Four Tet) & Steve Reid, The Hold Steady, Earl Scuggs, Charlie Louvin, Man Man, Grizzly Bear, Konono #1, The Slip, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Uncle Earl, Annuals, Beirut, M. Ward, Cold War Kids, Girl Talk.

So there's the long rumored reunion of The Police on there, but Bob Dylan AND Tom Waits? Don't make me regret not going to this. Some of this could be true, but it starts to read like an indie music geek's wet dream, especially when you put all these on the same bill: Shins, Decemberists, Hold Steady, Beirut, M. Ward, Lily Allen, Neko Case, Cat Power, Band of Horses, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio . . . yikes. We'll see how much of this is bullshit when the official lineup is released on Feb 14th. If The Smiths are on there, I'm definitely taking a road trip. (Yes, that same tired rumor. Of course, Morrissey said he'd rather eat his own testicles, and since he doesn't use them for anything there's still a chance. Although I think it was over when Andy Rourke sold his bass on ebay, I'm still predicting a Vegas reunion in 2018.)

Meanwhile, reunions seem to be a tradition at Coachella, Rage Against the Machine, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Crowded House are all reuniting for 2007, as they go to 3 days. Every year I think about going to one of these, and every year I think about how disgusting the whole venture is. Plus, that's way too much time to spend in the desert. Although it would be funny if Damien Rice played right after RATM. Maybe they'll do some songs together. Maybe "Leather and Lace" or that Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow song.

I can't imagine how crazy the Rage reunion is going to be. I remember seeing them at the 1993 version of Lollapalooza when people barely knew them and THAT was intense. The concert was held in this dry dust bowl of a field (Waterloo, in NJ) and when the music kicked in and the mosh pit started churning, you were immediately covered in dirt. We decided to make our way out of the crowd and stood at a reasonable distance to listen to them, and there was a veritable mushroom cloud of dust in front of the stage. Good times, good times. I'm just not cut out for that shit anymore.

REUNIONS GALORE!

2007-01-16T16:29:00.000-05:00

More reunions to warn you about:

GENESIS are set to turn it on again, touring with the "...And Then There Were Three" members (which means no Peter Gabriel, of course). Man, these guys look incredibly old, but then again they looked like old men in the 1981 videos for ABACAB. So far the only dates are in Europe, which is fitting because Phil Collins is HUGE in France (he was on the radio every 10 minutes while I was over there).

AMERICA have inexplicably reunited. They're putting out a double album this month with one disc of new songs featuring numerous guest stars, and a second disc of their hits "live in the studio". A pair of those guests, Ryan Adams and Ben Kweller, will be playing with on David Letterman tonight. "70s rock icons" might be pushing it, but they did have 3 hit songs.

What 70s band will reunite next? Bread? Orleans? And where's Seals and/or Crofts?

WHAT I LISTENED TO: 2006

2007-01-10T18:16:00.000-05:00

Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys.
No, they're not the second coming of The Beatles, or even The Jam. But you can believe the hype as these bloody lads can play, and the lyrics are quite interesting coming from a teenager. I'm interested to see what they do for an encore.

Everything All The Time by Band of Horses.
It's hard to beat this disc for sheer enjoyment. Just go download "The Funeral" now. Do it.

The Information by Beck.
Although I was secretly hoping for another Sea Change, this album has a good groove to it. Mr. Hansen can record an album like this in his sleep, it seems.

Gulag Orkestar by Beirut.
Out of left field, this album gets more intriguing with every listen. Former drummer of Neutral Milk Hotel creates something reminiscent of their excellent In the Aeroplane Over the Sea. Perfect soundtrack for your next Eastern Bloc Party!

12 EPs by Bishop Allen. These guys put out an EP every month for the entire year, and although I haven't heard all the songs plenty of them are on their website to sample. I'm impressed just by their determination. Meanwhile, I didn't do a damn thing in 2006.

Fort Recovery by Centro-matic.
Apparently these guys have been around for over 10 years, but I'm just catching up now. An effortless, solid disc. Think Wilco, circa Being There, before they went all weird on us.

Unplugged in Sweden by Chris Cornell.
Broadcast on the radio somewhere in Europe (I think) this excellent quality collection is technically not an "album". I've been begging for him to get back together with Kim Thayil and make an album like this; armed with just an acoustic guitar, you can really appreciate Cornell's incredible rock pipes. I was first alerted to this by the "Billie Jean" cover, which surprisingly doesn't suck. It's more than worth seeking it out for the Temple of the Dog and Soundgarden songs, and the Audioslave songs benefit from this uncomplicated treatment.

All This Time by Heartless Bastards.
See my previous post.

Nineteeneighties by Grant Lee Phillips.
Plaintive, folksy versions of New Order's "Age of Consent", Pixies' "Wave of Mutilation" and Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way"? Sign me up.

Broken Boy Soldiers by The Raconteurs.
Brendan Benson smooths out Jack White's White Stripes histrionics to create a fun rock album.

Orphans by Tom Waits.
3 CDs worth of odds and ends, and all of it as interestingly weird as any of his best stuff.

Post-War by M. Ward.
I first discovered this songwriter through his Transfiguration of Vincent album, and went ahead and downloaded this "full band treatment" as well. Excellent stuff. I just hope his first name isn't "Montgomery", that'd be awkward.

HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY BOWIE!

2007-01-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

David Bowie turned 60 today. I actually went to his 50th birthday bash in MSG, which I can't believe was 10 years ago. I'm more a fan of his 70s and early 80s work, and not as familiar with his latest stuff (that's not to say it's bad, it's just that I've only sporadically listened to it). Whether or not you're actually into his music, you can't deny that he's been a consistently interesting singer, songwriter, actor, and an overall fantastic performer. Of course, he also paved the way for androgynous performers across the globe, for better or worse.

On this occasion, I present the 1984 short film Jazzin' For Blue Jean. A promo for his less than spectacular Tonight album and "Blue Jean" single. Directed by Julien Temple, Bowie plays both pampered rock star Screamin' Lord Byron (self-parody, no doubt) and a fan trying to sneak into his show to impress a date. Very funny stuff.

He also recently guest starred in an incredibly funny episode of Ricky Gervais' Extras, which was already on BBC and is due to play on HBO this month.

PART I - JAZZIN' FOR BLUE JEAN

PART II - JAZZIN' FOR BLUE JEAN

ME ON U2 BY U2

2007-01-04T17:55:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to mention that the coffee table book, U2 by U2 (which I got for Christmas) is a fascinating historical account of the band. Weighing in at 352 pages, this has hundreds of excellent photos and interesting commentary by their four members. They come off as pretty humble, and surprisingly insecure about their own success. And I found this fun fact: Adam Clayton, during a 1994 hiatus before making the POP album, decided to work on his technique by reading "Bass Guitar For Dummies". No, that's not a joke.

However, the book can never be complete since U2 is still planning on recording more stuff. In fact, Bono wants to "take things to the next level" . . . whatever that means. I yawn when I hear the past two albums, so a change would be good for them. I for one was intrigued by the POP/Passengers phase of their career, but I don't see them experimenting THAT much at this stage in the game.

REUNION RUMORS ARE AT A FEVER PITCH!

2007-01-04T16:15:00.000-05:00

The Police reunion talk is at a fever pitch . . . whatever that means. Personally, I don't want them to reunite because I was at the final (public) show they played together at the Amnesty International "Conspiracy of Hope" Tour in 1986 (with U2, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, and . . . Yoko Ono).

Smashing Pumpkins reunion talks are at a fever pitch . . . but is it truly a reunion without bassist D'Arcy Wretzky (the best name to use if you need something to rhyme with Wayne Gretzky)?

The Smiths reunion talk is NOT at a fever pitch, but Morrissey did win quote of the year for this gem: "I'd rather eat my own testicles than reform with the Smiths, and that's saying something for a vegetarian."

TOP 10 UNLISTENABLE PRETENTIOUS INDIE CRAP OF 2006

2006-12-22T11:34:00.000-05:00

I want to apologize for the "Best of" music lists that I posted the other day. If you actually visited some of the sites/blogs that I linked to, you might have found some good indie rock songs. However, there's an equal chance that you also accidentally heard some unbelievably horrendous garbage. Holy sweet wolfmother, some of this stuff is atrocious! Indie bloggers seem to be in the mindset that they have to "outcool" the next guy by choosing bands that are obscure, avant-garde, and uncategorizable, preferably all of the above. They also want to praise their new find way before anyone else, and I don't think they actually spend any time LISTENING to it. When I hear some of this nonsense I wonder if people actually listen to this stuff at home, in the car, or at parties? I'm guessing no. These pseudohipsters just put it on their iPod along with 5,000 other things and listen to it on shuffle occasionally, and whip it out to impress god only knows who.

Before I slogged through some of these lists, I used to consider myself an "indie rock" fan, but I think I need a whole new genre to describe my tastes. Maybe "conventional indie rock": something with lyrics, a chorus, melodies, and a singer who can (sort of) carry a tune. A great deal of this stuff lacks all of those key ingredients that IMHO make music enjoyable and listenable.

So here's my TOP 10 UNLISTENABLE PRETENTIOUS INDIE CRAP OF 2006. Listen if you dare.

10. Grizzly Bear, Yellow House. You know, with a name like that, I expected something less wimpy. Okay, the song "Easier" is not that bad, but it surely doesn't ROCK MY FUCKING SOCKS OFF.
Favorite hipster quote: "The album was recorded in Edward Droste's mother's Cape Cod home, and that familial, clean sheets, cookies-baking warmth is weirdly palpable." (Pitchfork)

9. Regina Spektor, Begin To Hope. Just listen to the annoying way she extends the word "heart" in the song "Fidelity". I don't ever want to hear that again. I wish there was some way to UNhear it.
Favorite hipster quote: "The hushed 'Sampson' combines biblical imagery and references to Wonder Bread to sketch a relationship that's turned unexpectedly fragile." (Onion AV Club)

8. Matmos, The Rose Has Teeth In The Mouth Of The Beast. An instrumental album filled with songs about famous gay artists? What does that even fucking mean? And where's Liberace? His exclusion from this project is an outrage. (Actually, I think I just hit on something: if it's described in a review as a "project", that means listening to it is going to feel like work. From now on, I'm going to focus on "albums" with "songs".)
Favorite hipster quote: "Take for example 'Public Sex For Boyd Mcdonald' which tries to convey the writer through the sound of a pencil scribbling on paper, the street at night, warped records, and well, public sex."
(Note: I just found out that one of the 2 members of this duo is a "Pitchfork contributor". Ah ha! I caught you, you nepotistic nimwits!)

7. Final Fantasy, He Poos Clouds. A band named after a queer Japanese videogame series. An album title with the word "poo" in it. A song lyric saying something about, "His massive genitals refused to cooperate/no amount of therapy can hope to save this memory." I want to kick this twee twat in his throat with his own foot.
Favorite hipster quote: "It's the personal nature, together with the way that Pallett’s vocals veer from fey to screamingly intense, which makes the sad fates of his characters in almost every song—impotence, boredom, self-harm, being killed by giant fish—compelling rather than abstract." (Stylus)

6. Man Man, Six Demon Bag. Well, they're certainly no Tin Tin, The The or Talk Talk; they don't even beat Lisa Lisa. It sounds like James Hetfield trapped at the circus. God, what the fuck is this?
Favorite hipster quote: "The countless Kodak moments here-- from the drunken lament of "Feathers" to the Noreaga shoutout on "Black Mission Goggles"-- only attest to Man Man's ability to power pawnshop ditties with a ramshackle classic rock bigness." (Pitchfork)

5. The Knife, Silent Shout. The Pitchfork Media #1 album of the year! Uh huh. Lord knows, I tried to listen to this, but the accents and the synths just irritate me. If I wanted horrible retro Swedish crap, I'd buy a bean bag chair from IKEA.
Favorite hipster quote: "The way they structure their tracks, every sound sticks out like a lone wire waiting to be stripped, but the more you tug on any given strand, the more all the rest--unstable harmonics, queered pitches, android shanties, looping tales of forest families--is plunged into the most addictive kind of inscrutability." (Pitchfork)

4. The Liars, Drums Not Dead. I don't know where to begin with this drum heavy offering. The song "Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack" is like one long primal drum solo augmented with the screams of the tortured souls forced to listen to it. Pretty soon you'll add your own screams.
Favorite hipster quote: "You will be hard pressed to find anything better this year." (FUNTIMEOK.com)

3. Boris, Pink. God, this is so irritating to listen to, like a Mogwai CD run across a cheese grater. "Pseudobread"? Pseudomusic! (See how I turned that around?) I call it "Crapcaphony".
Favorite hipster quote: "Prickled nerves and spasmodic movements aside, Boris’ contribution to the artistic color field is soporifically monochromatic: Ryman on Risperdal." (Stylus)

2. Scott Walker, The Drift. This guy's voice contains more bombast than Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell III and Andrew Lloyd Webber combined. It's like goth opera for the mentally challenged. I defy you to listen to his song "Jesse" and not laugh your ass off, oh let's say at about 2:15 in.
Favorite hipster quote: "Presiding over this palace of gloom is Walker's gnarled, throaty croon, a gallows moan that braids sweetness and violence." (Pitchfork)

1. Joanna Newsom, Ys. This is inexplicably on most people's best of lists. If you want listen to a girl from California who has such an arty, affected voice that you'd think she's from Saturn, then this is for you. Otherwise, stay away from this pretentious Bjork ripoff.
Favorite hipster quote: "In the middle of this record, she sits alone with her harp for 10 minutes, asking stuffed birds 'Why the long face?'--it feels like four minutes, tops, and you can spend at least two of them right up toward the edge of your seat." (Pitchfork)

God, I am so done with Pitchfork and their indie sissy wannabe spinoff blogs (except if they offer free mp3s). 2007 is going to be the YEAR OF THE ROCK.

(Thanks to David Thorpe for the inspiration for this extended indie rock rant.)

MY TOP 20 FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONGS

2006-12-20T00:03:00.000-05:00

Here it is, my incredible Top 20 Favorite Christmas Songs list!

Wherever possible, there's a link to a YouTube video or an mp3 (thanks, random bloggers!). Those who did not make the cut: Lennon and/or McCartney, Elton John, Mariah Carey, Jim Nabors, Wham!, Jim Jones, Alvin & The Chipmunks, The Singing Dogs, Perry Como, Barney and Friends. Honorable mention: Death Cab for Cutie, Billy Crystal, James Brown, Run-DMC, Smashing Pumpkins, Kate Bush--there just wasn't enough room. Better luck next time!

20. Luciano Pavarotti - Adeste Fideles. Because you have to get your Latin on for Christmas, and who better to do it than the Biggest Tenor.

19. South Park's Mr. Garrison - Merry Fucking Christmas. Filthy, inappropriate, non-PC, and hilarious: yep, it's one of Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics from "South Park", back when they were shocking AND funny. It was hard to choose just one of Trey Parker and Matt Stone's side-splitting holiday tunes (Chef's "What The Hell Child Is This?", Cartman's "O Holy Night", and Mr. Mackey's"Carol of the Bells" are also highlights), but it's hard to beat Mr. Garrison singing these lyrics: "Hey there Mr. Muslim, Merry Fucking Christmas, put down that book the Koran and hear some holiday wishes! In case you haven't noticed, it's Jesus' birthday, so get off your heathen Muslim ass and fuckin' celebrate!" Wow, that's fantastic. (You know, I haven't seen it on TV in a while, I wonder why?)

18. Beach Boys - Little Saint Nick. Before Brian Wilson lost his mind, they were a quality boy band.

17. The Pretenders - 2000 Miles. I love Chrissie Hynde. She's always been a class act, and this is a great, wistful song about being apart on Christmas.

16. Brenda Lee - Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree. The original and the best.

15. The Ventures - Sleigh Ride. Surf guitar kings knock this one out of the park.

14. Cocteau Twins - Frosty The Snowman. The original shoegazer band recorded this song in 1992. I love Elizabeth Frazer's voice, even if 90% of the time I have no idea what she's saying. (Unrelated note: "Teardrop" by Massive Attack is one of my favorite songs, and is also the theme song to House M.D., albeit with Liz' vocals edited out.) Remember: if it's not Scottish, IT'S CRAP!

13.The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl - Fairytale of New York. "You scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy faggot, Merry Christmas your arse and thank God it's our last!" Ah, memories of spending the holidays with my Irish ex-girlfriend in the Bronx. Hearing this song I can practically taste the pint . . .

12. Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby. Unfortunately, most people have only heard Madonna's abomination of this song, but this sultry, smoky original version is excellent.

11. Frank Sinatra - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. You know when Ol' Blue Eyes says the line "make the yuletide gay", he ain't talking about acting all queer-like; he's talking about knocking back a few scotchs and having a fun time. Capice?

10. Ella Fitzgerald - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. Great version, and the only one I know with that "I just got back from a lovely trip across the Milky Way" opening line.

9. Gene Autry - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I remember listening to this album in our old house at 659 Holmdel Road in Hazlet. Wow, just seeing that vintage record album cover brings me back to 1975. Yeah, he sang a few songs with George Clooney's aunt back in the day.

8. Burl Ives - A Holly Jolly Christmas. From the Rankin-Bass claymation legend "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer".

7. Elvis Presley - Blue Christmas. I can picture the King washing down his fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches with a healthy swig of egg nog after singing this bluesy romp.

6. Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song. His mellifluous voice makes this the quintessential version of this Mel Torme classic.

5. U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home). Recorded during a Joshua Tree concert sound check at the height of their powers. You know, before Bono tried to save the world and all that.

4. Vince Guaraldi Trio - Christmas Time Is Here (Vocal). West Coast jazz from the 70s TV classic "A Charlie Brown Christmas". I couldn't decide between this and "O Tannenbaum".

3. Bing Crosby & David Bowie - Peace On Earth/Little Drummer Boy. From "Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas" special in 1977, the little skit preceding it with Mr. Bowie pretending to be a "neighbor just popping in" is priceless. ("Agents sliding down the chimney!" Oh, the comedy.) Anyway, it's a fantastic song, and the "I pray my wish will come true" line still gives me chills.

2. Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas? This was an event when it came out in 1984, and I can still name all the singers that sing solo on this tune (in order): Paul Young, Boy George, George Michael, Simon LeBon, Sting, Tony Hadley (of Spandau Ballet), and Bono. Of course, there's also Midge Ure, Bob Geldof, Paul Weller, Status Quo, Kool and the Gang, Bananarama, the rest of Duran Duran, Phil Collins on drums, Marilyn . . . did I lose you yet?

1. Johnny Mathis - Winter Wonderland. The first track of his Merry Christmas (1958) album, it's not officially Christmas until I hear this song. Backed by the Percy Faith Orchestra, it's got just the right amount of spirit and schmaltz to carry me to otherworldly snowy realms. Sorry, it just makes me feel tingly, especially when he says "circus clown".

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

(Just make sure you don't let that tree dry out.)

BEST OF BEST OF 2006 LISTS LIST

2006-12-19T12:44:00.000-05:00

At year's end, it's hard to avoid these damn "best of" lists. So here is my BEST OF BEST OF 2006 LISTS LIST:

10. Most Annoying Pop Songs of 2006. I really thought Fergie was going to clinch this (ugh, I hate her). This MUST be amended to put Gwen Stefani's new song on here.

9. NPR Listeners Pick Best CDs of 2006. Odd considering all the ass kissing that this is one of the few lists that Tom Waits is on. Don't miss The Decemberists on The Colbert Report tonight!

8. I Guess I'm Floating's Best Songs Of 2006. There are 25 mp3s up here, so if you're indie (ha) that sort of thing grab them now.

7. Indie Rock Cafe Top 10 Albums of 2006. Although it's a rerelase of two early albums, I like the inclusion of Spoon's "Telephono/Soft Effects".

6. Slate. Like Kris said today, I don't even know half of the things on this guy's list, and it's heavy on the R&B, light on substance. Though they like Bob Dylan.

5c. Pitchfork Media's Worst Album Covers of 2006. NOT SAFE FOR WORK--or your funny bone! Ha ha, seriously, these are bad.

5b. Pitchfork's Top 100 Tracks of 2006. Unless you're being ironic, turn that Justin Timberlake song off. I'm only linking to all 10 pages for the copious amount of free mp3s. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]

5a. Pitchfork Media's Top 50 Albums of 2006. The second list they've spewed forth in as many days is a doozy. Oddly, there were 15 albums ranked higher than their eventual #1 pick (by some Swedish band called The Knife). Maybe it's for the best, because unlistenable stuff like Joanna Newsom, and "maybe I don't get it, but they sound like an ordinary bar band to me" The Hold Steady, each of which scored a 9.4.

4. Stylus Magazine's Top 50 Albums Of 2006. I can't read more of these, I have a headache. Anyway, good to see Beirut up there. (Note: they should be finishing this up over the next couple of days.)

3. DoCopenhagen's Top 50 Videos Of 2006. This is an indie heavy list, and it's fantastic. Damien Rice's "9 Crimes" should have been on here just for its complete weirdness alone. Regardless, 50 embedded YouTube videos = an amazing time waster.

2. The Onion AV Club Top Music of 2006. They too went with the "retro record player" photo, but their list is strangely more indie than PM's. Huh. I like the Onion more and more each day.

1. Metacritic's Best of 2006. Probably the most "democratic" of all the lists, it too is a "list of lists" that compiles everyone else's best of 2006. I have to say that I'm not hip enough to know who Ali Farka Toure is. By the way, I love how everyone was all ga-ga about Gnarls Barkley at the beginning of the year, and now no one wants to admit they listened to it. Of course, if it wasn't a hit and no one bought it, it would be everyone's #1. (I don't care how many people like TV on the Radio, I refuse to buy an album called "Return to Cookie Mountain".)

PANDORA BOXING DAY

2006-12-18T12:02:00.000-05:00

I found a great way to listen to Christmas music on Pandora. Create a new station, and type in your favorite artist and type "holiday" in parentheses. Like this: "Bing Crosby (holiday)" and you'll get all the Bing holiday classics that you can shake a bowl full of jelly at. Then you can add music to the station using the "(holiday)" name. Although beware: Barney (yes, the purple dinosaur) was just caught singing "Twelve Days of Christmas" on my station, and I had him captured and shot. We're not having another Jurassic Park fiasco. Not on my watch.

Merry Pandora!

RANDOM DUMPAGE

2006-12-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

U2's Bono and Edge were on something called "Off The Record with Dave Stewart" on HBO. Although it felt a little like an hour long commercial for their new completely nonessential U218 singles album (IN STORES NOW!), it was interesting to listen to them talk about the genesis of songs such as "Bad" and "Bullet The Blue Sky". Eurythmics founder/producer Dave was an affable, knowledgeable host, but he did this weird "association" segment where he showed them album covers and had them comment on each one. When showed a copy of "Sgt. Pepper", Bono said something about The Beatles being "the overall top group ever . . . but I think we've got them on the run", which elicited groans from the crowd, and from me sitting at home. I also didn't agree with them when they said that "their best work is yet to come." Personally, I think I already own all of their vital music. After seeing them in concert in October 2005, and hating their last two discs, I don't have any use for them. But hey, they had a good run.

This is the best "rock n' roll mission statement" I've ever read: "Ghostland Observatory is not a band, but an agreement between two friends to create something that not only heals their beat-driven hearts, but pleases their rock 'n' roll souls". Amen, brah.

I love David Thorpe's hilarious musical rantings on Something Awful called Your Band Sucks, and his latest musings about heavy metal are priceless.

COMING SOON: MY TOP 20 XMAS SONGS OF ALL-TIME!

ALL YOU NEED TO BUY IS LOVE

2006-11-30T22:54:00.000-05:00

When I first heard about The Beatles releasing LOVE (JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS!), I gagged. The sheer audacity of these guys, constantly reworking, remastering, and rehashing their catalog and spitting it back at us, forcing us to purchase it over and over again. When I heard it was remixed by George Martin and his son for a Cirque de Soleil show, I cringed. When I saw the subtitle "At The Mirage" on the cover, I threw up in my mouth a little. The Beatles in Vegas! God, how I wanted to hate it.

Then I listened to it. I apologize; this album is excellent, inventive, sonically impressive, outstanding.

The Beatles have had all of these adjectives and more used to describe them over the last 40+ years, and when they were in their creative prime it's hard to argue that they didn't earn them. Like the Pitchfork review says, they were so good that they're no longer interesting to talk about. In fact, I get sick of hearing about them, and I'm a Beatles FAN. However, this impressive 21st century updating of their best material just might make them interesting again.

The best thing about this: it's not a "best of" (purists, you may leave now, and take a copy of 1 on your way out). On this sprawling 26 track suite, the songs seemlessly flow from one to the next; the sheer scope of this project is impressive, and overall the source material has never sounded better. But while a number of their songs remain mostly intact, lovingly tweaked and augmented with various instrumental clips, the fun of this collection is the artful reinterpretation of various songs remixed to fit right in with the current "mashup" music landscape. Hearing "Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing" and "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter", "Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows" blended together is nothing short of a revelation. It also reinforces my theory that producer George Martin was the glue that held this foursome together as they personally began to unravel during their final few albums.

The highlight for me is the reworking of "Strawberry Fields Forever", which starts with a smooth transition from Lennon's initial acoustic strumming to the final psychedelic masterwork, and closes with musical flourishes taken from "Sgt. Pepper", "In My Life", "Penny Lane", "Piggies", and "Hello, Goodbye" among others (yes, they're so familiar at this point that they might as well be tattooed on my brain)--the overall effect is simply stunning. And while not every track is a slam dunk (the string-laden "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", now 100% Clapton-free, is a little too maudlin for me, and no one needs more "Octopus' Garden"), it's a great representative cross-section, as well as a creative revisiting, of the Beatles' best songs.

Say what you will about this collection from a commercial aspect, but this sonic recreation of their best songs reminds me why I loved The Beatles in the first place: they were peerless songwriters, and a fun pop band that didn't take itself as seriously as their fans do. Viva Los Beatles!

(Great. There's a 5.1 surround version I haven't heard.)

TOM WAITS NEWS: THE DAILY SHOW AND MORE!

2006-11-29T16:50:00.000-05:00

I'm sure everyone has seen The Daily Show but me, but for some reason a video clip of his performance isn't up on CC's oh-so-wittily named MotherLoad (ha ha, I get it!!!). I'll have to watch it tonight on the 8PM rerun.

Meanwhile, here's a great Mr. Waits interview on Pitchfork. You know, for every 10 things I hate about them, they manage to come with 1 or 2 good ones.

This book also looks interesting, in case you need to get me another Xmas gift: "Innocent When You Dream: The Tom Waits Reader" (edited by Mac Montandon), which is a compendium of interviews from 1974-2004.

TW will also be starring in a movie called Wristcutters: A Love Story, about people who attempted suicide. Sounds like another lighthearted romp for Mr. Waits, to rival Mystery Men! The official MySpace info site is here.

Orphans is also available on Emusic.com. Hmmm, I'll have to download it (at least the first two discs worth).

DIE, PITCHFORK, DIE!

2006-11-29T16:42:00.000-05:00

Here's a great Slate.com article: DIE, PITCHFORK, DIE! by By Matthew Shaer.

To me Pitchfork Media is pretty harmless, and I only read the reviews for comic relief (and download their free mp3s, of course). If you take their pompous 8th-grade-English-class-quality musings that seriously, you need to get your head examined. Anyway, screw music reviewers, and their condescending, arrogant 1.9 ratings for Damien Rice's new album (I have to admit, it's a chore to listen to). As a famous songwriter once said: "There's a new band in town but you can't get the sound from a story in a magazine." That's right, I just quoted William "Billy" Joel. I suddenly feel like Chuck Klosterman.

TOM WAITS ON LETTERMAN

2006-11-28T00:47:00.000-05:00

The elusive Mr. Waits visited the Late Show studio tonight in New York, and even got a sit down segment with Dave. During their discussion, he talked about raking leaves on Thanksgiving at his house in Spittleville, California (?), his kids' TV watching habits (TV meaning "turkey vultures" apparently) and the (incorrect) origin of "dead ringer". Okay, the stories are much more interesting when he tells them.

He closed the show with a performance of "Lie To Me", from the new Orphans collection. (Note: CBS has cut a deal with YouGoogle, so this performance may end up there at some point. I'll keep an eye out.)

I'm still waiting for him to add some more tour dates. I might have to make a road trip and actually see him this time. Tomorrow he's on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. (Maybe he'll be the second guest to perform a song, like The White Stripes a few years back. We shall see.)

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO: THE HEARTLESS BASTARDS

2006-11-08T11:30:00.000-05:00

To answer the eternal question "What's on my non-iPod digital music player?": The Heartless Bastards. Yes, they sound like a punk band, but like Death Cab for Cutie they sound nothing like what their name would imply. This Cincinnati, Ohio blues/rock group's second album, All This Time, starts off with a simple two-chord piano riff and builds to a chorus with rumbling drums and growling guitars, punctuated by singer Erika Wennerstrom's intriguing voice (I hear a little Patti Smith and Beth Orton in there). Their sound is simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, and unpretentious.

The entire album is streaming on their website, and their record label's site has two free mp3s to DL (see below). Fellow Cincinnatians WOXY.com website has a great "Lounge Act" in-studio live performance that will give you a taste of their sound.

But about that name . . .

Band: The Heartless Bastards [official][MySpace]
Members: Erika Wennerstrom (singer/songwriter/guitarist), Kevin Vaughn (drums), Mike Lamping (bass)
Album: All This Time [Amazon][emusic]
Label: Fat Possum
Best Tracks: Into the Open, All This Time, Searching for the Ghost, Came A Long Way.