Johnny Marr and the brothers Jarman have announced that they'll be heading back to the studio this year to work on their fifth studio album. Here's what they're telling fans on their website: "Despite currently being on a break, unfortunately The Cribs are not superhuman and still have to eat, therefore they will be playing a handful of Summer Festival shows this year before heading into the studio to work on their 5th album." They'll be headlining Saturday night -- June 11th -- at Scotland's RockNess Festival. They are a great live band, and I'd highly recommend checking them out.
I loved their last album, 2009's Ignore the Ignorant, and thought it was the best Johnny Marr record since The Queen is Dead. Marr's guitar work was solid throughout, and his presence seemed to tighten the rest of the Cribs lineup. I'm very eager to hear what Marr has up his sleeve for the new record. In the meantime, here they are at Glastonbury last year performing "We Share the Same Skies."
Monday, February 28, 2011
Blues Explosion!
Tonight at 9 eastern on the Travel Channel, the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion rocks again. JSBX cut the theme music for Anthony Bourdain's terrific "No Reservations" series on the Travel Channel, which kicks off a new season tonight with a trip to Haiti. And while Jon, Judah and Russell won't show up on camera, you can still enjoy about 20 seconds of the music they wrote for the series. I'm told the whole cut runs about a minute long, but the producers of "No Reservations" use about a third of that as theme and incidental music on the show.
Besides the music, "No Reservations" is easily among the best shows on TV. If you're not familiar, Anthony Bourdain is one of the smartest, most literate and most interesting hosts on TV. He's was a chef in New York for years and now he travels the world sampling local cuisines. Bourdain really cares about the cultures he visits, not just about eating the most disgusting thing he can find just for the hell of it. You get the sense that his willingness to eat (and drink) just about anything stems not from blustery machismo like so many lesser hosts, but from a true love of food. Here he is sampling guinea pig -- yes guinea pig -- in Ecuador, and enjoy the Blues Explosion's intro music at the top of the clip:
Besides the music, "No Reservations" is easily among the best shows on TV. If you're not familiar, Anthony Bourdain is one of the smartest, most literate and most interesting hosts on TV. He's was a chef in New York for years and now he travels the world sampling local cuisines. Bourdain really cares about the cultures he visits, not just about eating the most disgusting thing he can find just for the hell of it. You get the sense that his willingness to eat (and drink) just about anything stems not from blustery machismo like so many lesser hosts, but from a true love of food. Here he is sampling guinea pig -- yes guinea pig -- in Ecuador, and enjoy the Blues Explosion's intro music at the top of the clip:
Friday, February 25, 2011
How Could I Have Forgotten...
The Beta Band's "Dry the Rain"?
Deserves to be on the list of great 90s songs.
Deserves to be on the list of great 90s songs.
Video Vault Friday!
It's Friday, and every Friday we'll bring you one of our favorite videos -- viral or otherwise -- that has to do with music.
For the inaugural edition, I present the crazy Romanian truck driver who proves that music is the most important thing in life -- perhaps even more important than life itself. Why else would he dance around his truck while it's hurtling down the highway at 90 kph?
For the inaugural edition, I present the crazy Romanian truck driver who proves that music is the most important thing in life -- perhaps even more important than life itself. Why else would he dance around his truck while it's hurtling down the highway at 90 kph?
Thursday, February 24, 2011
The 90s Are Back - Cornershop? Really NPR?
Let me just start by saying that whenever so-called rock critics get together and make lists they always try to force feed you bands and tell you they are great when they are really just ok, or worse. In fact, my single biggest problem with rock critics is when they try to act like they know something you don’t. Like you, me, or anyone can’t listen to music and know whether its horrible, good or great. NPR clearly got some of the them right: Nirvana, Beck, Soundgarden, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam belong on there no matter what song you choose as your personal favorite. And the individual songs “Song 2,” “Shine” “Enter Sandman,” “Doo Wop” and “Steal My Sunshine” are solid choices, but PJ Harvey, Sebadoah, and Cornershop, the best songs of the 90s, really? Every time a 90s list is made somebody inevitably puts bands like Pavement, PJ Harvey, Sebadoah, Bjork, Moby & Prodigy on there. No offense to these bands, but none of them are great. Let’s keep it real and say what needs to be said – these bands are critics darlings who nobody in the real world actually likes.
Where is “What I Got” by Sublime? Where is “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind? Where is any song from Green Day’s “Dookie”? How about “Under The Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers? These songs all changed the landscape of music in the 90s. I’d even go farther and ask where are The Refreshments, Tonic, Urge Overkill & Blind Melon? Every one of those bands had classic 90s songs, and albums that were solid from front to back. Just because something is a commercial success doesn’t make it a bad song, and not every commercially successful song is musical masterpiece, but come on fellas.
John & Court have hit some very important points: Stone Temple Pilots, Cake, Weezer, Dr. Dre & Rage are key omissions. The hip-hop songs included are almost laughable, but let me tell you what you all missed: 2Pac. “All Eyez On Me” is still one of the best albums of all time, and it produced several classic 90s songs such as “California Love.”
I could go on and on, and I’m sure I missed some, but I think I’ve said enough…Tell you what NPR, I'll give you PJ Harvey if you give me Red Hot Chili Peppers - deal?
Where is “What I Got” by Sublime? Where is “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind? Where is any song from Green Day’s “Dookie”? How about “Under The Bridge” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers? These songs all changed the landscape of music in the 90s. I’d even go farther and ask where are The Refreshments, Tonic, Urge Overkill & Blind Melon? Every one of those bands had classic 90s songs, and albums that were solid from front to back. Just because something is a commercial success doesn’t make it a bad song, and not every commercially successful song is musical masterpiece, but come on fellas.
John & Court have hit some very important points: Stone Temple Pilots, Cake, Weezer, Dr. Dre & Rage are key omissions. The hip-hop songs included are almost laughable, but let me tell you what you all missed: 2Pac. “All Eyez On Me” is still one of the best albums of all time, and it produced several classic 90s songs such as “California Love.”
I could go on and on, and I’m sure I missed some, but I think I’ve said enough…Tell you what NPR, I'll give you PJ Harvey if you give me Red Hot Chili Peppers - deal?
The 90s are back - the rebuttal
Looking at the NPR list and your list, I had no choice but to give my two cents on the matter. Over the past few months I learned that, surprisingly, the 90's are probably my favorite era in music. I would have thought 80's, but the 90's resonates with me maybe because of the connections I have to music at that time: from college, the summer of fun, and my 1st teaching job, to meeting my wife, marriage, masters degree, and awaiting my first child.
So, here is my take on what NPR got right:
Agree with:
Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"- the song that changed modern rock n roll.
So, here is my take on what NPR got right:
Agree with:
Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"- the song that changed modern rock n roll.
Beck - "Loser." A genius with non-sensical lyrics. I love Odelay more, but this is what got him on the map. "Drive by body pierce."
Blur - "Song 2." Another anthem for the 90's, yet most people cannot sing along!
Good artist/wrong song
Radiohead - "No Surprises." Give me "Creep." Give me anything off The Bends. Give me "Karma Police", or this gem.
PJ Harvey - "Long Snake Moan." She is really underrated. A very talented artist. Saw her in concert and was impressed. I'd go with "Good Fortune." Still a staple on my play lists.
Missy Elliot - "Hit 'Em Wit da Hee." So many good choices here, but let's go with the one that started it all. "Beep. Beep. Who stole the keys to the jeep? Vrooom!" (I cannot find the great video.)
...and "The Fixer" by Pearl Jam? Uh, this song is from 2009!!!
Songs Missing:
Court hit a ton that I clearly would have chosen: Beastie Boys, G. Love, Dr. Dre, Liz Phair, Dandy Warhols, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Suede (nice steal!)
Here are 10 that I feel he might have missed that help exemplify the sound of the 90's.
Social Distortion - 'Ball & Chain." The retro punk/rockabilly sound is strongest with Mike Ness and the boys. The Reverend Horton Heat, and Bad Religion also play a factor, but no one is cooler than Social D!
Oasis - "Acquiesce." At one time the winners of the Blur/Oasis battle, the mighty have fallen after a few great albums. My favorite is off of a "B" side compilation. It is the best example of the brothers' Gallagher musical interplay.
Cake - "The Distance." Probably the quirkiest song selected, but man it still gets me going. The build up, the horn, and especially John McCrea's deadpan vocals.
Matthew Sweet - 'We're the Same." Much like Chris Isaak, or Freedy Johnston, Matthew Sweet saw his better days in the 90's writing fun, personal pop songs. With his love for anime and ability to play multiple instruments, I thought he would be in a head to head battle with Lenny Kravitz for rock god, but it never was meant to be. Most people remember "Girlfriend" but his 3rd record is the one that sopke to me the most.
Ok, if I were to make a mix cd, the song that best follows up "We're the Same" is "Glad Girls" by Guided by Voices. I know Court already included them but, I needed to add Dayton's own.
Rap has to be represented. It played such a factor in laying the ground work for today's rap. House of Pain, De La Soul, Cypress Hill, & Black Sheep all figure prominently, but it's the rough side that seems to make it's mark. NWA, Ice Cube, Dre, Onyx, & DMX all represent, but what sums up the 90's best might be the Geto Boys "My Mind's Playing Tricks on Me."
When it comes to anger, nobody does it better than Zach De la Rocha. Rage Against the Machine combined the heavy guitar of Tom Morello with the politically charged lyrics of ZDLA. Together, they created something that many tried to copy but never fully succeeded at. Here's "Killing in the Name of."
The 90's allowed the fusion of electronic dance music, rap and killer beats formulated by acts like Moby and Goldy. The one that went mainstream that showed they can create more than one song was Prodigy. "Firestarter" and "Breathe" make you move, but the dark, seedy feeling created by "Smack My B***h Up" is wrongly my favorite.
Rock wasn't dead in the 90's. Grunge ruled with Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, Alice in Chains, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc. I personally liked the glam sound of Stone Temple Pilots best. Scott Weiland is like a chameleon in the ways he can change his sound, look, and voice. I like the raw emotion of "Trippin on a Hole in a Paper Heart." Strange title? It's based off of a bad acid trip for ol' Scott.
Ok, there's 10 without including u2! AMAZING!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The 90s are back... at least on NPR
Did you hear? The 90s are back! Well, kind of. The good folks at All Songs Considered are spending the week re-living the music we were listening to when Bill Clinton was president. They're picking their most noteworthy songs of the decade here and there's plenty to agree on and plenty more to argue about. Let's start with the good -- the inspired choices on their list:
Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
No argument here -- it's the song that changed music. To quote Loverboy's Mike Reno, "Kurt Cobain ruined my career." Reno was right -- Cobain ruined the careers of all of the faux hard rockers who around in the early 90s. And we thank him for that.
Beck - "Loser"
The song that ushered in the era of slacker cool. Again, an obvious choice.
Len - "Steal My Sunshine"
Very happy to see this one on NPR's list. The perfect summer song, with a great groove and an easy vibe. To this day, it's not summer to me until I hit the back roads with the windows down and this song playing. The song is pure fun. And a very inexpensive video to go along with it. The biggest expense here is the scooter rentals.
Cornershop - "Brimful of Asha"
Indian inspired Britpop that sounded like nothing that came before or after. Again, a surprise pick from NPR, and while I wouldn't necessarily put it on my list, I am happy to see it on there.
The next category on NPR's list is what I consider to be good songs from consequential artists -- but there are better songs by those artists that I would include instead.
Radiohead - "No Surprises"
A great one to be sure, but I might go with "Karma Police" instead. Of course, if we were technical about what constitutes a decade, we'd extend the 90s through the year 2000, which would allow me to include anything from Kid A, but we'll stick to the ground rules for this one.
Blur - "Song 2"
Ah the folly of Americans. "Song 2" is Blur to most Americans. It's the song that revs up the crowd at baseball games, the one that gets used in all the beer commercials. But as Blur songs go, it's middling at best. I'd certainly include something from Blur on any list of noteworthy 90s songs, and for this list I'm feeling like anything of the seminal album Parklife would work -- the title track does the trick nicely.
The rest of NPR's list -- in no particular order -- is as follows (with my comments where applicable):
-Johnny Cash - "Delia's Gone"
Cash found a whole new audience in the 90s thanks to Rick Rubin's American Recordings. Personally, I found his versions of "Hurt" (Nine Inch Nails) and "I Hung My Head" (Sting) to be rare among cover songs -- they actually were better than the originals. Too bad each came out in the early 2000s.
-Jeff Buckley - "Grace"
A beautiful song indeed, but not one that did much for me.
-Lauryn Hill - "Doo-Wop (That Thing)"
-Collective Soul - "Shine"
Really? Collective Soul? There are better choices by bands who had more vision musically and set the bar higher. Read on for more on that.
-Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun"
-PJ Harvey - "Long Snake Moan"
-Missy Elliott - "Hit 'Em Wit da Hee"
-Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - "Mustt Mustt"
-Smashing Pumpkins - "1979"
(Weak by Smashing Pumpkins standards)
-Lucinda Williams - "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road"
-Sebadoh - "Soul and Fire"
-Metallica - "Enter Sandman"
(Can't really argue, though it just reminds me of when Mariano Rivera comes into Yankees games.)
-Pearl Jam - "The Fixer"
(Not sure Pearl Jam is really deserving to be on any list. After all, they're kinda the Billy Joel of grunge, no?)
-My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep"
And now here's what I would include instead (again, in no particular order):
Beastie Boys - "Sabotage"
Not only did the Beasties reclaim their crowns as kings of hip hop in the 90s, they became a serious act. Serious in a musical sense, as their videos remained extremely absurd. This video may be the best video ever made.
Dr. Dre - "Let Me Ride"
Between Dre and Ice Cube ("It Was A Good Day") some sort of West Coast gangsta rap should be on any list of noteworthy songs of the 90s. Dre's masterwork The Chronic introduced the world to Snoop Dogg, so I give him the nod.
G. Love & Special Sauce - "This Ain't Living"
Blues and rap come together for a social commentary about living on the streets.
Sleeper - "Sale of the Century"
Britpop was overlooked on this side of the pond -- and consequently on NPR's list -- but these bands crafted so many pop gems it's hard to know where to begin.
Elastica - "Stutter"
So what if they ripped of Wire and the Stranglers? Can you name two better bands to rip off?
Suede - "Metal Mickey"
Glam when glam wasn't in style. Some of the best guitar work from Bernard Butler since Johnny Marr's days in the Smiths.
Nine Inch Nails - "Down in It"
I include Nine Inch Nails here because they really helped popularize the mainstream industrial sound. Plus, Trent Reznor's still making great music (see The Social Network).
Grant Lee Buffalo - "Dixie Drug Store"
Grant Lee Buffalo were severely overlooked. They wove indie, alt-country and folk and did all of it well. NPR misses the mark with a band like Collective Soul over these guys (or even Counting Crows).
Sponge - "Plowed"
A Detroit rocker with more energy and bite than anything on the NPR list.
Jane's Addiction - "Stop!"
Great hard rock song with one of the best intros ever -- not to mention a very cool surfing video (which I couldn't find for some reason).
Loop Guru - "Diwana"
British worldbeat techno guys that made smart dance music with a global sensibility.
Richard Thompson - "1952 Vincent Black Lightning"
No stranger to NPR listeners -- this is undeniably an epic track.
Semisonic - "Chemistry"
They were better known for "Closing Time" with its unique video, but this is a terrific piece of pop songcraft.
Magnetic Fields - "Strange Powers"
Great catchy synth pop when catchy synth pop wasn't in fashion.
Liz Phair - "Supernova"
Chick rock that guys love. We can forgive her for her Avril Levigne turn this decade.
Billy Bragg & Wilco - "California Stars"
Laying the groundwork for the folk revival?
Stone Roses - "I Wanna Be Adored"
Why isn't Madchester represented on NPR's list? I'll fix that...
Charlatans - "The Only One I Know"
Happy Mondays - "Kinky Afro"
Dandy Warhols - "Minnesoter"
Very under-rated American band that did great things in both the 90s and 2000s. Helped put Portland, Oregon on the map.
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - "Greyhound"
New Yorkers who merged punk with blues. They can still be heard on the Travel Channel's "No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain."
The Fall - "Cheetham Hill"
OK, hard to limit these guys to one decade, but you could argue that some of their best work in their 30 year career came from the 90s.
Guided By Voices -"Auditorium/Motor Away"
Low-fi goodness from Dayton, Ohio.
Super Furry Animals - "Something 4 the Weekend"
Another under-rated band that never got big here. How many bands do you know sing in Welsh?
Sigur Ros - "Svefn-g-englar"
And how many sing in Icelandic (or their own made-up language)? Sigur Ros created a whole new level of sound and music.
It's a comprehensive and long list, and I could have made it longer but I chose not to include any bands who were more influential in other decades and just happened to make a good song in the 90s. That excludes great songs like New Order's "Regret", "World in Motion", Electronic's "Idiot Country" or anything from Public Enemy or Frank Black (even though the Teenager of the Year album is one of the best of the decade.)
What's on your list of great 90s songs?
Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
No argument here -- it's the song that changed music. To quote Loverboy's Mike Reno, "Kurt Cobain ruined my career." Reno was right -- Cobain ruined the careers of all of the faux hard rockers who around in the early 90s. And we thank him for that.
Beck - "Loser"
The song that ushered in the era of slacker cool. Again, an obvious choice.
Len - "Steal My Sunshine"
Very happy to see this one on NPR's list. The perfect summer song, with a great groove and an easy vibe. To this day, it's not summer to me until I hit the back roads with the windows down and this song playing. The song is pure fun. And a very inexpensive video to go along with it. The biggest expense here is the scooter rentals.
Cornershop - "Brimful of Asha"
Indian inspired Britpop that sounded like nothing that came before or after. Again, a surprise pick from NPR, and while I wouldn't necessarily put it on my list, I am happy to see it on there.
The next category on NPR's list is what I consider to be good songs from consequential artists -- but there are better songs by those artists that I would include instead.
Radiohead - "No Surprises"
A great one to be sure, but I might go with "Karma Police" instead. Of course, if we were technical about what constitutes a decade, we'd extend the 90s through the year 2000, which would allow me to include anything from Kid A, but we'll stick to the ground rules for this one.
Blur - "Song 2"
Ah the folly of Americans. "Song 2" is Blur to most Americans. It's the song that revs up the crowd at baseball games, the one that gets used in all the beer commercials. But as Blur songs go, it's middling at best. I'd certainly include something from Blur on any list of noteworthy 90s songs, and for this list I'm feeling like anything of the seminal album Parklife would work -- the title track does the trick nicely.
The rest of NPR's list -- in no particular order -- is as follows (with my comments where applicable):
-Johnny Cash - "Delia's Gone"
Cash found a whole new audience in the 90s thanks to Rick Rubin's American Recordings. Personally, I found his versions of "Hurt" (Nine Inch Nails) and "I Hung My Head" (Sting) to be rare among cover songs -- they actually were better than the originals. Too bad each came out in the early 2000s.
-Jeff Buckley - "Grace"
A beautiful song indeed, but not one that did much for me.
-Lauryn Hill - "Doo-Wop (That Thing)"
-Collective Soul - "Shine"
Really? Collective Soul? There are better choices by bands who had more vision musically and set the bar higher. Read on for more on that.
-Soundgarden - "Black Hole Sun"
-PJ Harvey - "Long Snake Moan"
-Missy Elliott - "Hit 'Em Wit da Hee"
-Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - "Mustt Mustt"
-Smashing Pumpkins - "1979"
(Weak by Smashing Pumpkins standards)
-Lucinda Williams - "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road"
-Sebadoh - "Soul and Fire"
-Metallica - "Enter Sandman"
(Can't really argue, though it just reminds me of when Mariano Rivera comes into Yankees games.)
-Pearl Jam - "The Fixer"
(Not sure Pearl Jam is really deserving to be on any list. After all, they're kinda the Billy Joel of grunge, no?)
-My Bloody Valentine - "When You Sleep"
And now here's what I would include instead (again, in no particular order):
Beastie Boys - "Sabotage"
Not only did the Beasties reclaim their crowns as kings of hip hop in the 90s, they became a serious act. Serious in a musical sense, as their videos remained extremely absurd. This video may be the best video ever made.
Dr. Dre - "Let Me Ride"
Between Dre and Ice Cube ("It Was A Good Day") some sort of West Coast gangsta rap should be on any list of noteworthy songs of the 90s. Dre's masterwork The Chronic introduced the world to Snoop Dogg, so I give him the nod.
G. Love & Special Sauce - "This Ain't Living"
Blues and rap come together for a social commentary about living on the streets.
Sleeper - "Sale of the Century"
Britpop was overlooked on this side of the pond -- and consequently on NPR's list -- but these bands crafted so many pop gems it's hard to know where to begin.
Elastica - "Stutter"
So what if they ripped of Wire and the Stranglers? Can you name two better bands to rip off?
Suede - "Metal Mickey"
Glam when glam wasn't in style. Some of the best guitar work from Bernard Butler since Johnny Marr's days in the Smiths.
Nine Inch Nails - "Down in It"
I include Nine Inch Nails here because they really helped popularize the mainstream industrial sound. Plus, Trent Reznor's still making great music (see The Social Network).
Grant Lee Buffalo - "Dixie Drug Store"
Grant Lee Buffalo were severely overlooked. They wove indie, alt-country and folk and did all of it well. NPR misses the mark with a band like Collective Soul over these guys (or even Counting Crows).
Sponge - "Plowed"
A Detroit rocker with more energy and bite than anything on the NPR list.
Jane's Addiction - "Stop!"
Great hard rock song with one of the best intros ever -- not to mention a very cool surfing video (which I couldn't find for some reason).
Loop Guru - "Diwana"
British worldbeat techno guys that made smart dance music with a global sensibility.
Richard Thompson - "1952 Vincent Black Lightning"
No stranger to NPR listeners -- this is undeniably an epic track.
Semisonic - "Chemistry"
They were better known for "Closing Time" with its unique video, but this is a terrific piece of pop songcraft.
Magnetic Fields - "Strange Powers"
Great catchy synth pop when catchy synth pop wasn't in fashion.
Liz Phair - "Supernova"
Chick rock that guys love. We can forgive her for her Avril Levigne turn this decade.
Billy Bragg & Wilco - "California Stars"
Laying the groundwork for the folk revival?
Stone Roses - "I Wanna Be Adored"
Why isn't Madchester represented on NPR's list? I'll fix that...
Charlatans - "The Only One I Know"
Happy Mondays - "Kinky Afro"
Dandy Warhols - "Minnesoter"
Very under-rated American band that did great things in both the 90s and 2000s. Helped put Portland, Oregon on the map.
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - "Greyhound"
New Yorkers who merged punk with blues. They can still be heard on the Travel Channel's "No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain."
The Fall - "Cheetham Hill"
OK, hard to limit these guys to one decade, but you could argue that some of their best work in their 30 year career came from the 90s.
Guided By Voices -"Auditorium/Motor Away"
Low-fi goodness from Dayton, Ohio.
Super Furry Animals - "Something 4 the Weekend"
Another under-rated band that never got big here. How many bands do you know sing in Welsh?
Sigur Ros - "Svefn-g-englar"
And how many sing in Icelandic (or their own made-up language)? Sigur Ros created a whole new level of sound and music.
It's a comprehensive and long list, and I could have made it longer but I chose not to include any bands who were more influential in other decades and just happened to make a good song in the 90s. That excludes great songs like New Order's "Regret", "World in Motion", Electronic's "Idiot Country" or anything from Public Enemy or Frank Black (even though the Teenager of the Year album is one of the best of the decade.)
What's on your list of great 90s songs?
A Blessing or a Curse - Response
It truly is a conundrum, although my kids are still too little to fall victim to pop radio. (Chloe does seem to like pretty much everything she hears on Sirius First Wave, save for "Rehumanize Yourself" by The Police.
Check out this link for what one Dad is doing:
http://kids.baristanet.com/2011/02/listening-to-music-with-your-kids/
Check out this link for what one Dad is doing:
http://kids.baristanet.com/2011/02/listening-to-music-with-your-kids/
Monday, February 21, 2011
A Blessing or a Curse - Pt. 1
My kids love music: all of them. The problem – their musical preferences blow. ITunes cards are like gold in our house. Everybody wants something. The question is, what is being chosen.
I believe in being an equal opportunist. Everyone should get what he or she like (as long as it’s clean or appropriate.) But I’m in a conundrum. Should I influence their choices, or let them discover music on their own?
As a kid, my tastes, early on, were shaped by my parents. My mom was the music lover in my house. Her love of mellow rock like Simon & Garfunkel, Seals & Crofts, Carole King & the Beatles were groups that I still appreciate today.
My dad would go berserk and turn the radio off when a guitar solo from Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4” or Steely Dan's "Reelin’ In the Years” came on. From there I found my own musical paths.
My kids think the likes of Iyaz, David Guetta, Flo Rida, and Usher are the greatest. My son even told me once “Rock stinks. Pop & Rap are what’s cool.” While letting them listen to Sirius Hits 1, Mumford & Sons came on. I was excited that something I found interesting came on their station. All I got was, “Change the station.”
I hope that their love for music continues, but we can find a common avenue – or is that just me getting old?
Friday, February 18, 2011
The Real Scott Walker
You may have seen the news out of Wisconsin, where new Republican governor Scott Walker wants to strip the state's public employees union of their collective bargaining rights. Tens of thousands of teachers and municipal workers are protesting at the state capitol at Madison. I can't help but think of that other Scott Walker, that enigmatic singer from the 1960s who briefly was a pop star before disappearing to England. His best-known song is probably "30 Century Man" -- which was featured in Wes Anderson's "Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou."
There was also a documentary about Walker a few years back. Here's the trailer:
I just thought it was important to think about the other Scott Walker on a day when someone else named Scott Walker is making news.
There was also a documentary about Walker a few years back. Here's the trailer:
I just thought it was important to think about the other Scott Walker on a day when someone else named Scott Walker is making news.
Brand New Radiohead
Radiohead bumped up the release of its new album "The King of Limbs". The guys from Oxford were originally set to release the album tomorrow as a download but pushed it up a day. Radiohead said in a statement that "with everything ready on their website, the band decided to bring forward the release rather than wait until the previously announced date."
There's also a video for the first single, "Lotus Flower." Bottom line, Thom Yorke's quite the dancer, but he's no Napoleon Dynamite.
There's also a video for the first single, "Lotus Flower." Bottom line, Thom Yorke's quite the dancer, but he's no Napoleon Dynamite.
Portlandia Tonight
It's Friday and if you're like me, you'll be watching Portlandia tonight at 10:30 on IFC.
I never was a big Sleater Kinney fan, but I have to say -- as an actress, Carrie Brownstein is really very talented. She and Fred Armisen are a very strong pair as they poke fun at Portland hipsters, and this skit just sums it up for me:
While Brownstein brings musical chops to the series, the best thing about the show musically is the great song that plays over the opening credits:
It's clearly not a Brownstein tune -- it's more a slow groove of electronic funk. After some digging, it's a song called "Feel it All Around" by Washed Out, which is actually the stage name of Ernest Greene, who makes music in the bedroom of his parents rural home in Perry, Georgia. Here's the whole song:
I never was a big Sleater Kinney fan, but I have to say -- as an actress, Carrie Brownstein is really very talented. She and Fred Armisen are a very strong pair as they poke fun at Portland hipsters, and this skit just sums it up for me:
While Brownstein brings musical chops to the series, the best thing about the show musically is the great song that plays over the opening credits:
It's clearly not a Brownstein tune -- it's more a slow groove of electronic funk. After some digging, it's a song called "Feel it All Around" by Washed Out, which is actually the stage name of Ernest Greene, who makes music in the bedroom of his parents rural home in Perry, Georgia. Here's the whole song:
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The iTunes Conundrum
When do you download single songs, and when do you download whole albums? I've had a hard time pulling the trigger on iTunes lately, ever since they raised single track prices to $1.29 while lowering many albums to $7.99.
Take Sleigh Bells, for instance. The whole Treats record is $7.99. I've heard most of it, and it's fine, but apart from, say, three standout tracks ("Tell 'Em", "Kids", "Rill Rill") I'm don't feel like I need to own it. But by the time I've purchased three tracks at $1.29 each, I'm halfway there. So what do I do?
In the old, pre-iTunes days, my philosophy on buying music was much more liberal: If there were two good songs on a record, I'd usually buy it. There were only a handful of bands whose albums I would buy without hearing anything. But now, with the option of cherry-picking individual tracks, I have too much choice and end up buying less music.
How do you deal?
Take Sleigh Bells, for instance. The whole Treats record is $7.99. I've heard most of it, and it's fine, but apart from, say, three standout tracks ("Tell 'Em", "Kids", "Rill Rill") I'm don't feel like I need to own it. But by the time I've purchased three tracks at $1.29 each, I'm halfway there. So what do I do?
In the old, pre-iTunes days, my philosophy on buying music was much more liberal: If there were two good songs on a record, I'd usually buy it. There were only a handful of bands whose albums I would buy without hearing anything. But now, with the option of cherry-picking individual tracks, I have too much choice and end up buying less music.
How do you deal?
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Old Music, Dudes
We've covered bands that rip off other bands in our first couple of posts. But here's something that may be worse: bands that rip themselves off. In the case of Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, who have released a new record recently, it may be an attempt to re-capture the glory days.
Take a listen to the lead-off track "New Babies, New Toys." Tell me if you don't hear the resemblence to "If You Leave." The chord structure and the chorus are nearly identical. Check out the chorus at 1:19
Here's "If You Leave" for comparison:
Anyway, the new record is called History of Modern. And sadly for OMD, the first word -- history -- may be the operative one. Having said that, the cover artwork is very cool and is unmistakably Peter Saville -- who designed all those great Factory covers back in the day.
Take a listen to the lead-off track "New Babies, New Toys." Tell me if you don't hear the resemblence to "If You Leave." The chord structure and the chorus are nearly identical. Check out the chorus at 1:19
Here's "If You Leave" for comparison:
Anyway, the new record is called History of Modern. And sadly for OMD, the first word -- history -- may be the operative one. Having said that, the cover artwork is very cool and is unmistakably Peter Saville -- who designed all those great Factory covers back in the day.
My Dog's a Rock Star
Tonight's the final night of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. We don't have a dog, but we'll get one some day. So what kind of dog would we get, and what would we name it? I think I'm leaning towards a Manchester Terrier named for Happy Mondays dancer/percussionist/drug supplier Bez.
The Queen is Dead - Long Live the Queen
Funny, this topic was heavily under debate after last night's Grammy awards. The battle pits the reigning female of pop royalty, Madonna against the challenger, Lady Gaga. Gaga's new song, Born This Way appears to be a sound alike to Madonna's Express Yourself. It was only a matter of time before these two would start to spar. I'll let you be the judge:
Truthfully, does this battle really matter anyway?
When thinking off of the top of my head, the two most obvious ones are the ones that went to court: The Chiffons, She's So Fine & George Harrison's My Sweet Lord, and Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters & Huey Lewis' I Want a New Drug. Both lost, so I offer these three. You be the judge.
Imagine by John Lennon vs. Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis (Listen to the Intros!)
Lust for Life by Iggy Pop vs. Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet
American Girl by Tom Petty vs. Last Night by The Strokes.
When thinking off of the top of my head, the two most obvious ones are the ones that went to court: The Chiffons, She's So Fine & George Harrison's My Sweet Lord, and Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters & Huey Lewis' I Want a New Drug. Both lost, so I offer these three. You be the judge.
Imagine by John Lennon vs. Don't Look Back In Anger by Oasis (Listen to the Intros!)
American Girl by Tom Petty vs. Last Night by The Strokes.
Song of the Year?
OK, so no one's ever gonna mistake the Grammy Awards for an actual merit-based music contest. But when the song of the year -- Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" goes beyond the usual derivative dreck and into total rip-off territory, you have to wonder.
There's no question in my mind that the Song of the Year is actually a rip-off of "Eye in the Sky" by the Alan Parsons Project. See for yourself. Here's the Lady Antebellum song:
And now "Eye in the Sky". Pay close attention to the chorus, which hits at 3:20:
They're practically interchangeable. I'm just glad LA is giving APP some props. Now how about some songwriting credit?
That got me thinking about who else deserves a Grammy based on this sort of criteria. I offer Elastica's fine 1995 song "Waking Up", for which they were sued by the Stranglers for appropriating the unique guitar riff. Take a listen:
There's no question in my mind that the Song of the Year is actually a rip-off of "Eye in the Sky" by the Alan Parsons Project. See for yourself. Here's the Lady Antebellum song:
And now "Eye in the Sky". Pay close attention to the chorus, which hits at 3:20:
They're practically interchangeable. I'm just glad LA is giving APP some props. Now how about some songwriting credit?
That got me thinking about who else deserves a Grammy based on this sort of criteria. I offer Elastica's fine 1995 song "Waking Up", for which they were sued by the Stranglers for appropriating the unique guitar riff. Take a listen:
How about giving a Grammy to the ultimate rip-off artists -- Milli Vanilli? Oh, nevermind.
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