Thursday, February 27, 2003
Been playing Idlewild's latest album, The Remote Part endlessly for the past day. Since early last year, I had been particularly obsessed with their two outstanding singles, "American English" and "You Held the World in Your Arms", and more recently, their new UK single "A MOdern Way of Letting Go"; now that I finally have the entire cd to listen to. I like it a lot (its first five tracks are outstanding), but it seems to lag in the second half. It has that agressive, loud production that North American radio likes (in direct contrast to their second album), but some great, emo-ish melodies that bear a strong resemblance to R.E.M. and The Smiths. I might like it more in a day or two, who knows...it's just that the last six songs don't grab you quite as much.
I downloaded the coolest video a little while ago. The song's by a French techno-rapper guy named Mickey 3D, called "Respire" ("Breathe"), but it pales compred to the video...it's one of the most sublime clips you'll see, with a heartbreaking ending. Download it now. It's terrific.
Monday, February 24, 2003
No, I do not like the new Stratford 4 album. I'm still constantly playing it to get some kind of handle on it, but what I do know is, it's not connecting, and it won't completely, no matter how much I listen to it. So what's wrong? Like I said a few days ago, the production is too muddy...also, their shoegazer dreampop is too repetitive, singer Chris Streng's lazy vocals are too Malkmus-y, and lastly, they're not a very good band. They have their gimmick, and that's it...no sense of creativity. A band like BRMC, on the other hand, knows what to do with the formula to make it work effectively. The first couple of songs on Love & Distortion are decent, and the album peaks with the trifecta of "Telephone", "Tonight Would Be Alright", and "The Story is Over", but that's pretty much it. The album's a real downer, not at all worth paying for.
Another interesting album is the recent debut by The Music. Horrible band name, and an alright cd...They're awfully young, and awfully ambitious, and the odd thing about the album is how it alternates between Stone Roses style Britpop, and pure, unabashed Led Zeppelin riffing. Though "Take the Long Road and Walk It" is a killer single, as is "The Truth is No Words", the band's at their best when they abandon the 70s rock stuff. "The Dance", "The People", "Disco", and "Too High" are better, and the song "Getaway" is spectacular, surely to be one of the best sons I'll hear all year. But it's pure garbage like "Turn Out the Light" that very nearly derails the whole thing. Overall, worthy of a marginal recommendation. Buy it only if it's supercheap (like it is right now), or better yet, burn it...do not buy this one at full price.
One album I really like is Whip It On, by Danish duo The Raveonettes. All 22 minutes of it. Some people are comparing them to the White Stripes, but they're actually closer to the Jesus & Mary Chain, with a really heavy Cramps influence as well. They've got the roaring guitars and the layered, dreamy vocals, but also a cool fixation on B-movies, present in both the song lyrics and the artwork (one of the best album covers in recent memory). They're a one-trick pony, but on such a short album, it works very well. Their video for "Attack of the Ghost Riders" is utterly brilliant, a mix of b-movies, film noir, old pulp novels, and Beat Generation exploitation cinema (which, of course, I love). Try either the high quality version, or the slow connection one. Hey, is that a Kerouac tattoo on Sune Rose Wagner's right arm?
Picked up the soundtrack for 24 Hour Party people the other day, and I lvoe the thing. Not a definitive look at the whole Madchester scene, but it's loaded with great tracks, focusing mainly on Joy Division, New Order, and the Happy Mondays, with lots of cool choices scattered throughout (not to mention some informative and very dryly funny liner notes by Tony Wilson). The remix of the Happy Mondays' "Hallelujah" is worth the price alone.
Saturday, February 22, 2003
I don't know what to make of the new album by White Light Motorcade. One thing's for certain: looks can be deceiving. They look like the next New York garage phenomenon, what with the denim, the leather, and the hair, but when you play the cd, you're taken aback by the fact that it's about as far from garage as you could manage. Their sound is considerately more mainstream, with more of a heavy influence from British bands, like Oasis, and especially Muse. There's more of a focus on the pop hook than just meaty guitars, which is nice, but despite their ambition, I can't help but be bored by it all. There are some songs that are good enough, like "Open Your Eyes", "It's Happening", and "My Way", but the rest is so, ugh, disappointingly pedestrian. This'll need a few more listens before I can get a proper review together.
Friday, February 21, 2003
Just heard Metallica's cover of "53rd and 3rd", from the Ramones tribute album. It's their first release in over three years, and it's a disappointingly pedestrian one. Totally by the numbers, and boring. And who's that singing Dee Dee's bridge? Lars? Kirk? Bob Rock? Ugh...
Back late last year, I downloaded the song "Get Loose", by the New Zealand garage band, The D4. It got my curiosity going, and now, I'm happy to say that the rest of their new album, 6Twenty, delivers. Simply put, those kiwi boys know how to play the rock and roll.
They remind me of a cross between the stoner riffs and monotone vocals of Fu Manchu, and the psychotic freneticism of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. With a healthy dose of Andrew WK thrown in for good measure. And there's nothing but good, pure, garage rock fun...just dig those titles: "Rocknroll Motherf***er", "Get Loose", "Come On", "Ladies Man", "Little Baby". Great, simple songs, with zero lyrical depth whatsoever. Aside from "Get Loose" and "Rocknroll Motherf***er" (which steals the riff from Motley Crue's "Live Wire", for your info), the one song that blew me away was "Rebekah", which boasts a killer riff. I should also mention "Ladies Man", which is very Datsuns-like, with its simple riffs and Uriah Heap-style organ fills...plus, the great line, "You can't see me/Cos I'm a man/D-E-C-E-P-T-I-O-N."
The only downer is the production, which is a bit weak. There's nothing really wrong with it, but compared to the thundering sound of Brant Bjork's drumming on Fu Manchu's California Crossing, it sounds a bit weak on the lower end. Plus, I think that if I ever hear all of their fellow New Zealanders The Datsuns' album, I might like that one more. Still, these kids are talented, they're fun, they're harmless, and they're genuine. Now if only the kids out there would ditch corporate punk farces like Good Charlotte in favor of these guys, then maybe we'd have the rock 'n' roll revolution we've been craving for nearly a decade. This is good stuff.
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Well, my huge Lou Reed review is up. I can't believe I wrote it...I was exhausted beyond belief. But I'm quite proud of it...my sapped energy contributed greatly to it, and it would probably turn out quite differently if I wrote it now. I'm just glad it's over and done with.
I'll quickly mention the new Stratford 4 album, Love and Distortion...it's not bad, but hasn't bowled me over yet. More on this one in a few days.
I have a crazy three nights ahead of me...I've got one review down, can I make it four in four days? Next in the ever-growing pile is a cd by a guy named Kaada, a Norwegian techno artist who's quite popular over there His 2001 album Thank You For Giving Me Your Valuable Time is being released next Tuesday. And take my word for it, it's like nothing you have ever heard.
How do I describe something so patently indescribable? Picture the Avalanches, only more minimalist, with a David Lynchian obsession with late 50s-early 60s rock 'n' roll, but not as creepy as The Residents. It sounds like a living dream, like sitting, tied to a chair, beside a crazed muppet (Dr. Teeth comes to mind...I don't know why--it's late) who's frantically rolling an old AM radio dial back and forth just to bug the heck out of you.
I've listened to the thing four times now, and I'm flabbergasted. It's so freaky. The two best tracks are "Care", a strange electronic take on a 50s ballad, and the stupendous "Black California", which is a bit of a warped tribute to 60s kitsch, incorporating snippets of "Witch Doctor" and "Surfin' Bird". Simply beyond weird, but a marvel to listen to.
You can listen to the streaming album here, and the very cool video for "No You Don't" is also available for downloading. Be sure to give this fascinatingly kooky album a sample listen, and look out for this one in your finer record stores.
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
Oh man...download the new Limp Bizkit song immediately. It's the sound of a band and its obnoxious singer gracelessly crashing and burning. Hilarious. And pathetic. Who knew they'd miss Wes Borland this much?
Got a huge load of cd's in the mail yesterday, but right now, I'm just going to talk about one...namely, The Fine Art of Self Destruction, by Jesse Malin. And is this album ever a nice surprise. When you pop it in for the first time, you immediately want to say, "Dude, what's with your voice?" I was flipping through his bio to check to see if he was American...it's one of those introverted, marblemouthed voices that sounds totally warped by a thick NYC accent, sounding like a cross between Pete Yorn, Ron Sexsmith, and Pete Yorn. But after the first track, you're used to it, and by the end, you're loving the cd.
It's just so durn purty, it sparkles. Unlike Malin's old band, D Generation, this album's like a country rock portrait of life in New York City, full of romance and soul. "Brooklyn" (especially the rockin' version at the end), "TKO", "Downliner", "Wendy", "Almost Grown", "High Lonesome", the really cool title track...it's all so pretty.
I was trepidatious when I saw PRODUCED BY RYAN ADAMS in boldface on the back, and although Adams' fingerprints are all over this album (he plays all electric guitar on the album...very well, I might add), this album is everything that Gold isn't. It's unassuming, it doesn't try harder than it has to, and more importantly, it's emotional without going over the top (perhaps due to the fact Malin is with Artemis instead of a big label, so they're not shoving his talent down out collective thoroats). There's a quote by Adams on the sticker on the front of the cd that says, "Jesse's a genius. He scares me he's so good." Ryan ought to be scared...Jesse Malin steals all of Adams' thunder with this terrific album. This is the first excellent album of 2003...
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
As much as I like that new Lou Reed album (and I really, really like it), writing the album review was one of the most taxing, most emotionally draining things I've done in ages. I need some time to recover, and I've found the perfect musical companion:
I downloaded the entire new Yo La Tengo album tonight, and I'm rather impressed. Not completely blown away, mind you, but impressed nonetheless. I consider their last album, 2000's...And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out the band's masterpiece (as well as the best album of that year), and I've been especially curious to see what direction the trio were going to go in this time around.
Actually, the evolution of their sound has been growing more and more jazz-oriented, as we've seen on their EP's Nuclear War and Danelectro, with more of a laid-back jam style. Unfortunately, for fans of their older material, for the first time they've completely eschewed the whole loud, feedbacky drone that used to be their trademark. And to tell the truth, that's what's a bit disappointing with Summer Sun. After the stylistic mess of I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, the previous album was much more focused, and it was evident that the band was starting to go into quieter territory, but we still had a few loud tracks to break any monotony. Unfortunately, the new album has no "Cherry Chapstick" (oh man, what a perfect song that is), no "Sugarcube", no "From a Motel 6".
What we do have is a plethora of mellow, mellow, mellow tracks...but that's not to say it's dull, nor as sleepy as, say, Lambchop's Is a Woman. "Little Eyes" is a sweet song, with Georgia Hubley's distinctive whispery voice, while "Season of the Shark" is light and whimsical. The sublime "Tiny Birds" is James McNew's fist appearance on a YLT album since I Can Hear the Heart...'s "Stockholm Syndrome", while "How to Make a Baby Elephant Float" combines a cocktail bar bossa nova beat with Ira Cohen's always romantic lyrics: "I'm not averse to pillow talk/But I prefer a private joke/The memory it evokes/Because it's out porchlight." This album has more keyboards than they've used before, and is most evident on tracks like the funky instrumental "Georgia vs. Yo La Tengo", "Winter a Go Go", and the fun "Moonrock Mambo".
Highlights, along with "Little Eyes", include the ballad "Don't Have to Be So Sad", with its weird similarity to U2's "With or Without You", the country-tinged "Take Care", but shining above everything else is the ten-minute jam "Let's Be Still", which dives headlong into jazz territory. With a perky, shuffling beat, it fuses a simple piano-bass riff with flutes, guitar, and trumpet, giving it a wispy, Chet Baker, West Coast jazz feel, while still sounding like a typical YLT song. It's remarkable, and one of the best songs I've ever heard by them.
Still, what's missing from Summer Sun is the magic, the timelessness that was present on ...And Then Nothing.... The best songs on the new album have a glow to them, but all the songs from ...And Then Nothing... practically shimmered, such as "Our Way to Fall", "Last Days of Disco", "You Can Have it All", "Tears Are in Your Eyes", "Madeline", the majestic "Night Falls on Hoboken", and especially the stunning "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House". I listened to the cd tonight for the first time in ages, and it still sounds perfect...
But this is still a really, really good album, and unlike the previous album's six-pack-on-a-porch-swing-at-midnight vibe, this one's more breezy, more, well, sunny. And it's great to see Yo La Tengo continue to grow. It's been 16 years now, and they still keep sounding fresh.
Friday, February 14, 2003
Got a nice surprise yesterday morning as UPS dropped off a copy of Lou Reed's Poe-obsessed opus The Raven, and was even more thrilled to learn it was the big double cd version, which is selling for $40 where I live. So I'm relieved...I really wanted to hear this one.
And wow, that album is exhausting. I've listened to it twice, and I'm totally drained. What I can't figure out is, why are so many people dumping on this album? It's pretty darn good. There may be the odd misstep, like "Edgar Allen Poe" ("He'll tell you tales of horror/then he'll play with your mind/if you haven't heard of him/you must be deaf or blind"...oh, come on, Lou!!!), "Broadway Song" (just does not fit at all), and "Hop Frog" (okay, Bowie is singing...so what?)...but aside from those three tracks, I have to say, I found the rest to be highly enjoyable.
I'm probably wrong, but Reed sings on only ten (give or take a couple) of the 46 tracks...the rest are instrumentals and spoken word tracks. His songs are decent, he rocks out quite admirably with that ace band behind him ("Change", "Blind Rage") and he also pulls a couple mellower tunes out, like "Call On Me", "Who Am I", and "Guardian Angel".
Still, though, it's the readings that grab you the most, and though the actors are excellent, notably Willem Dafoe, Steve Buscemi, Fisher Stevens, and the psychotic Amanda "Honey Bunny" Plummer, the bulk of the credit should go to producer Hall Willner. Arguably the best spoken word producer on the lanet, Willner has produced stellar albums by three of the four integral voices of the Beat Generation (Ginsberg, Burroughs, Corso), as well as a previous cd of Poe readings, and the readings on this album are mesmerizing, sounding like modern radio dramas.
My favourite moment has to be near the end, as the creepy "Courtly Orangutans" segues into "Fire Music": Plummer screams, "Burn, you monkeys!!!", which leads straight into Reed's great post 9-11 instrumental, which is spectacular, 2 1/2 minutes of pure sonic catharsis. Metal Machine Music may have been a bit over the top, but this brief burst of noise totally works.
The album is an ungodly mess: it's horribly uneven, Reed butchers Poe's poetry and prose with often unintentionally hilarious results, and Tiny Tim-voiced weirdo Antony really creeps me out on the reworking of "Perfect Day" (though he's growing on me), but still, The Raven is never short of enthralling. As for advising folks on what cd to purchase, the single cd is totally useless, missing most of the best tracks, but the double cd is worth it, but only if you're willing to shell out the extra cash. You might want to either download it or get a bud to burn it before deciding. I may like it, but it's not for everybody.
Thursday, February 13, 2003
My review of The Best of Morphine 1992-1995 is now up. Go take a look, and be sure to get the cd. It's an excellent compilation from a band that I miss dearly.
Well, I ordered Coldplay tickets from the special pre-sale...I don't get them until a week or so before the show, which is on May 20, so I have three months of "Will the tickets arrive? Will the tickets arrive?" ahead of me. This had better work.
Got ahold of two tracks from the new Mars Volta album, and all I have to say is, they blow Sparta out of the freakin' water. The songs, "Roulette Dares" and "Inertiatic", continue where At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command left off, and although they're rough mixes, they are absolutely searing. The new album could be something really big.
Also got two new cd's in the mail today...Dredg's El Cielo is a bit of an odd one at first, but after a few listens (I think I'm on Number Five right now), it really starts to sound great. It's completely compelling progressive rock, but less metal than Meshuggah, less murky than Tool, and less punk than Mars Volta. In fact, the melodies are often of the uplifting, soaring variety, like the best emo records out there. "Same Ol' Road" is gorgeous (and has a cool video, too); this album is just rich in variety, innovation, and passion, slickly produced, but not overly so. I'm going to delve more into the lyrical themes, which appear to be centred around sleep paralysis. More on this one later.
Also got the Adaptation soundtrack...I wanted this, strictly based on Carter Burwell's great music for Being John Malkovich, but I don't know about this one. It's a movie where you're so wrapped up in the dialogue, you don't notice the music. I think the cd would have been better with dialogue excerpts...still, it's pretty good, as far as movie scores go.
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
At last! A new review to mention: my write-up on The Very Best of Parliament, which appeared les than two days after I wrote the thing. So it's factory-fresh...
Got a couple of mp3 clips from Dylan's Australian tour...sounds good, as always, and the version of "Saving Grace" from Melbourne a couple nights ago is really nice, with Bob plinkyplunking on the piany.
Just finished the heavily-hyped Donna Tartt book, The Secret Friend, her first book in a decade. And you know what? It reads like she took a decade to write the thing. It has its moments, particularly the last fifty pages (the ending is excellent), but oh man, does it ever plod at times. It's like you're sinking in a quagmire of over-writing. There's nowhere near the same thriil you feel when you read her other book, The Secret History. It's a decnt read in the end, but a huge downer, compared to her first book, and not at all worth the hardcover price.
Sunday, February 9, 2003
I've got to say, those McDonald's NHL mini jerseys are the coolest thing since the Labatts Stanley Cups. Already picked up my little Saku Koivu sweater...
Saturday, February 8, 2003
I had resigned myself to the fact that I'd have just one measly cd to review this week, when, at literally the last minute (4:55 pm), UPS dropped off a copy of Funked Up: The Very Best of Parliament, which was nice (some publicists are much kinder than others). It's yet another in an ever-increasing line of P-Funk compilations, but this one really caught my eye. It's not as comprehensive as the two-disk Tear the Roof Off collection, but it has six more tracks than the old Parliament's Greatest Hits album, which I've had for years. Anyway, it's stuff we all know, but it's all so much fun, and it hasn't aged a bit. Why can't more contemporary artists deliver funk like this? They're always hiding behind weak samples...as The Roots prove time and time again, real instruments sound best.
I came across an excellent P-Funk website that has an absolute wealth of information...it'll help me fine-tune my review. Well worth a look.
The new Lou Reed album is a complete mess, but I'm dying to get ahold of a copy of the Limited Edition double cd version. However, it's outrageously priced ($40 Canadian) where I live...if any kind soul out there in internetland wants to burn me a copy of the double cd, please e-mail me...
Thanks to a fellow colleague, I've become very interested in Chicago band Assassins...they have a very cool sound, like a cross between New Order, Beta Band, and Idontknowwhat. More thoughts on these guys in the future...
Roger Ebert has a terrific new article about his time spent with Russ Meyer and the creation of Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, (here I go again) one of the best movies I have ever seen in my life. It's coming out on dvd later this year...
Metacritic has fixed up their site...very nice. Good to see it updated, as well.
That "Shiny Disco Balls" song, as well as Tim Deluxe's "It Won't Just Do", won't leave my head. Both tunes are very stupid, and very catchy.
So it turns out that BBC Kids airs brand new episodes of Top of the Pops every Friday...it's cheesy, but a handy way to see all the UK acts we never get to see over here. And need I mention the nightly Doctor Who episodes?
Thursday, February 6, 2003
Well, another Dylan tour has started in Australia today, which means, of course, another Dylan pool! Hope I do better this time around.
So Charlie Sexton's officially finished his tenure with Bob...his new replacement is Billy Burnette. Don't know much about the guy, other than that he has a lot of weird connections with Fleetwod Mac...We'll miss Charlie. He was cool.
I finally have the full, eight-minute version of Dylan's "Cross the Green Mountain", from the Gods and Generals soundtrack...not a bad song at all. Seems to be told from the point of view of a Civil War soldier. Some nice fiddle and organ, and some great singing by Bob.
How cool is Matador? They've posted two free mp3's from two of what I consider to be highly anticipated albums...
The New Pornographers - "The Laws Have Changed"
Boasting some [i]ultra[/i]-catchy pop hooks, and the always-great Neko Case (and Carl Newman) on vocals, and the usual esoteric lyrics, this bodes very, very well. Easily the best song I've heard in 2003 so far (heh...all five weeks!), it now deeply pains me to have to wait three months for the new album, which should be a real doozy. I've played this song countless times already...it's phenomenal stuff.
Yo La Tengo - "Don't Have to Be So Sad"
This one's from their follow-up to ...and then nothing turned itself inside-out, which was my pick for 2001 album of the year, and continues in that hushed, ethereal style that they started doing more on their last album. It's like Yo La Tengo meets Daniel Lanois, with gentle drum machine and thrumming bass, with Ira Cohen doing his usual whisper-singing thing. This one is quite nice, but didn't blow me away...Yo La Tengo albums are always very lengthy records, and if it's all like this, then I'll be disappointed. Here's hoping for some diversity on the Summer Sun album...something tells me that this band will provide it.
I also found an mp3 from the brand-new Soulwax/2 Many DJs mash-up extravaganza. Apparently, it's not as ambitious as As Heard on Radio Soulwax Vol. 2, but the track I have is very cool, as they blend Garbage's "Androgyny", Blur's "Girls and Boys", Prince's "Girls and Boys", and the Chemical Brothers' "Hey Boy Hey Girl", with little snippets of Motley Crue's "Girls Girls Girls" and the Waitresses' "Know What Boys Like". Amazing.
Wednesday, February 5, 2003
Another recent cd arrival to mention: The Best of Morphine 1992-1995...I've been a huge Morphine fan since 1993's Cure For Pain album, and was devastated when singer-bassist Mark Sandman died onstage in Italy a few years ago. Their albums over the years were hit-and-miss, but it was when they really connected on a tune that showed how special that trio could be.
Why did I love Morphine so much? That slinky 2-string slide bass, sax and drums fused rock, soul, and jazz like nobody had really done before. It was a simple gimmick, but Morphine really made it work over the years, never sounding stale. Sandman's hipster poetry made him a bit of a modern Beat poet, possessing more passion than kitsch (unlike, say, early Tom Waits). Then there was Dana Colley's wicked baritone and tenor sax licks that often rocked harder than all the faux-grunge bands of the time. But above all else, they were so freaking cool.
This new compilation has all their best songs from their four albums for Rykodisc, as well as four great previously unreleased tracks. "Buena", "Cure For Pain", "Thursday", "Radar", "Honey White", "You Look Like Rain"...this stuff is some of the greatest mood music ever. If I had one gripe, it would be that "Sheila" didn't make the cut.
Cure For Pain remains the band's best album (five tracks from that record are on the best-of cd), but the two albums from 2000 that came out after Sandman's death, the underrated The Night and the excellent live disc Bootleg Detroit are also worth owning. However, if you'e new to Morphine's super-ultra-maxi-mega-super-funky-American cool, this new cd is the perfect place to start.
Monday, February 3, 2003
Yikes...I'm back home, and I have waaaay too much stuff to mention...
First of all, Steve Earle was great last Friday. His voice had improved somewhat, and he valiantly soldiered on for about an hour and 45 minutes. Not quite the marathon Earle show I wanted to see, but it was still terrific, thanks to the fact that he played all but one song from the [i]Jerusalem[/i] album. Here's the setlist...the song order could be off slightly:
Amerika v. 6.0
Whats a simple man to do
Ashes to Ashes
Conspiracy Theory
My old friend the blues
Someday
Guitar Town
Taneytown
Harlan Man
Copperhead Road
Billy Austin
The Truth
Some Dreams
I Remember You
Go Amanda
John Walker's Blues
Jerusalem
NYC
The Unrepentant
encore:
Devil's Right Hand
Time Has Come Today
Opener Garrison Starr was pretty good...she has a really sweet voice (not unlike Emmylou Harris), and did a great job dueting with Earle on "Conspiracy Theory" and especially "I Remember You".
I picked up a copy of the new Zwan album last week... It's very good, but too long, another case of an eagerly anticipated record being too bloated for its own good. The first five tracks are terrific, as are "Ride a Black Swan", "Endless Summer", and the great epic title track, but if four songs were pared off, it might have been a real contender for my year-end top ten. "Of a Broken Heart", and "Yeah!" are the two lowest points. Still, the cd is loads of fun, and it's the most enjoyable Corgan album since Siamese Dream.
I also got that pesky Sugababes album. By "pesky", I mean that it's incredibly catchy, something that niggles inside your brain. As I mentioned before, "Freak Like Me" blew me away last year, so after I had downloaded the other album tracks, my resistance was basically nil when the album was released in Canada last week. I never buy pop cd's, so this took some courage on my part, but take my word for it: this is one very good album. Has a couple down moments, but overall, it blows away all of the children's pop music coming out of North America.
And yes, that t.A.T.u. album is a certified guilty pleasure of mine. Its insidious combination of the wholesome with the manipulative and the tawdry gives it a real Russ Meyer vibe. This can only come from a collaboration between the Russian mafia and Jimmy Iovine...
Tuesday, January 28, 2003
Enroute to Edmonton today, among other things familial, to see Steve Earle on Friday (hopefully...get well, man!!!), and the Oilers and Wild tomorrow night. Woo-hoo!
Now that was fast...my review of Calexico's Feast of Wire album, which I finished Saturday night, is now up at PopMatters. Good album...I especially love the jazz jam "Crumble"...
Also, my review of Doro Pesch's latest album, Fight, is also available for your perusal. It has its ups and downs, and sounds a bit rawer than her last album, but it's still some quality, old-school metal.
Found a used copy of Oasis's Heathen Chemistry album yesterday. It's about flippin' time I got it...I've been putting off buying it for nearly a year. Pretty decent, but not a classic or anything...just another album that just manages to satisfy this longtime Oasis fan. It's high time that band stopped coasting.
I actually like tATu's completely devoid-of-any-irony-whatsoever cover of the Smiths' "How Soon is Now?" Am I going crazy?
Just downloaded the video for Dylan's "Crossing the Green Mountain", from the soundtrack to the upcoming movie Gods and Generals. Now we know where Bob got his infamous Newport disguise! Good vid, and pretty cool that Bob's band (minus Charlie Sexton) appeared. Even cooler that Larry Campbell played a priest...
New cd arrival yesterday, too...more specifically, Bettie Serveert's new album called Log 22. I've always liked that band...Can you believe it's nearly 11 years since their Palomine album? They've always been a bit of a one-trick pony, but it's always been a good trick they've done, combining those Crazy Horse and VU-inspired jams with Carol Van Dyk's awesome voice, that smooth, marblemouthed, Dutch Lucinda Williams singing of hers. Their last album, Private Suit, was a good one, but it basically rehashed the same old formula.
Their new one is a really refreshing change. There's more of a pop sound, some tastefully-used samples, horns, keyboards, and such, but there's still that guitar rock sound at the core of every song. It's Van Dyk, though, who's the main focal point this time around, and her singing is the best she's done. Songs like "Wide Eyed Fools", "Have a Heart", "Captain of Maybe", the pretty "Cut 'n Dried", the snappy guitar pop of "Not Coming Down", and the dancey "The Love-In" sound like a band that's been totally rejuvenated.
Still, the best songs are the lengthy jams they do, namely "De Diva", "White Dogs", and "The Ocean, My Floor". The band have always been big fans of the Velvets (I have to find their live album of VU covers), and they do a great "What Goes On" stomp on "White Dogs". They score some extra Cool Points on "The Ocean, My Floor": as the song builds and builds to a real chuggin' pace, there's an extended solo based around the melody from "Lady Godiva's Operation"! Love it!
The album isn't out until March 10, I think, but their "Smack" for the first single, "Smack", is available for downloading. It's an odd duck of a song, the weakest on the album, but it really shows how different an approach the band has taken on this record. Oh, and the album cover will likely be the worst of 2003...there's no image of it yet on the net, but trust me here. But ghastly cover and weird choice for first single aside, this album is a very pleasant surprise.
Friday, January 24, 2003
New review up today: my thoughts on the Derek Trucks Band's latest, Joyful Noise. A surprisingly pleasant album, with only a minimal amount of self-indulgent noodling, it boasts a much more diverse, much more talented line-up of guest musicicans, including Solomon Burke and Ruben Blades. Very enjoyable.
Well, as I wrote a while back, the script for Bob Dylan's new movie Masked and Anonymous sure looks weird, and today, Roger Ebert echoes my sentiment. Sadly, this movie sure looks like a spectacular train wreck.
The Anti-Hit List is back! That's right, six months after it was retired by the Toronto Sun, John Sakamoto has resurfaced with his weekly guide to the coolest songs, this time for Eye Weekly.
And if you ever rent the dvd for 24 Hour Party People, make sure you watch it a second time with the commentary by the real Tony Wilson. It's every bit as entertaining as the movie itself, and at times funnier.
Thursday, January 23, 2003
Finally watched 24 Hour Party People last night, and loved every bit of it. Funny, fascinating, bursting with life, and full of some fabulous music that I didn't want to stop hearing. Think I'll watch it one more time before I return the dvd...
Just got some news concerning Kieslowski's Three Colours Trilogy dvd's: the Canadian release date is set at March 18. So, I'll have to wait a little longer.
Yesterday, I received a copy of Calexico's forthcoming album, Feast of Wire, and I'm quite impressed so far, after about six or seven listens, but what I keep thinking of is, how similar the album is to The Sadies' recent Stories Often Told. Take a look at what I mean:
- Members of both The Sadies and Calexico appear on Neko Case's Blacklisted album.
- There's a Canadian connection to both bands (Sadies are from Toronto, Calexico's Joey Burns was born in Montreal).
- They're two of the best alt-country bands on the planet, incorporating the sounds of more traditional country music, with Calexico possessing more of a Mexican vibe, as opposed to The Sadies' more jangly sound.
- Both albums are interspersed with amazing, highly theatrical-sounding, sweeping instrumentals, highly influenced by Ennio Morricone.
- Both bands evoke thoughts of rugged landscape: The Sadies - bitterly cold Canadian winters, Calexico - scorching desert vistas.
- Both albums have the bands taking their music to fascinating, new territory: The Sadies - the psychedelic freakout "Of Our Land", Calexico - the amazing jazz freakout "Crumble".
- Like Stories Often Told, Feast of Wire is a bit of a grower.
Taking both albums to account, although I really like Stories Often Told, I give the slight edge to Feast of Wire, which is laced with some vivid, rich Latin tinges. I really like Joey Burns's voice, for one; he always sounds like a shy guy pouring his heart out. Standout tracks include "Sunken Waltz", "Quattro (World Drifts In)", the very Mercury Rev-like "Black Heart", the Wilco-styled ballad "Not Even Stevie Nicks..." (love the title), and the breezy speak & spell limbo (believe me) "Guero Canelo". Standout instrumentals include "Pepita" (I'd use this as the opening credits score for the movie in my head), "Attack El Robot! Attack!" (again, love the title), and the aforementioned "Crumble", which is perhaps the best song on the record. Well worth picking up, especially if you dug Blacklisted, Stories Often Told, or Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
I can't forget to mention the very cool cover art, done by Chicano artist Victor Gastelum...
Saturday, January 18, 2003
New review! take a peek at my take on System of a Down's Steal This Album!, the best collection of studio rejects since Nirvana's Incesticide...
Friday was a day that I always have circled on my calendar: the annual big cd sale at the local community radio station. They always unload a ton of vinyl albums, but me without a turntable, I always check out the cd's, and there are always huge finds, and they're at absurdly bargain prices to boot.
I'd been balking at buying the debut album by The Coral for months now, but when I found it today, I had to grab it. Back when I sampled it in a store last summer, I was taken aback by how odd it sounded, compared to the usual fare we get from the UK. But when I finally let myself get over it, I was floored by this crazy little record. This is easily one of the most original UK debut albums I've heard since Doves' Lost Souls...how to describe the sound? Britpop meets Sixties garage rock meets ska meets punk meets Frank Zappa, with Don Van Vliet on lead vocals. As for standout tracks, I can't really say...the album's going to take some getting used to, but I love it all so far. It's so full of cheeky energy, it's completely enthralling. Absolutely worth the eight bucks I paid for it...how could that radio station part with this? Brilliant stuff. For some stupid reason, it's not available in the US yet. (Be sure to take a look at the good review of the album at PopMatters)
I also got Elbow's 2001 album Asleep in the Back, one that I really wanted to get when it originally came out, but then I completely forgot about it. It's sort of a cross between Radiohead's studio wizardry and the shameless misery of The Tindersticks. It goes on just a touch too long, and gets desperately whiny at times ("I'll be the corpse in your bathtub/Useless/I'll be as deaf as a post/If you hold me like a newborn"...sheesh!) but it's still impressive, especially the Pink Floyd-y "Any Day Now" (singer Guy whatsisname sounds a lot like Floyd's Richard Wright), and especially the very beautiful "Red", a song I had downloaded eons ago, sometime in 2000. Defintiely worth three bucks.
I even stumbled across a copy of Haven's Between the Senses, which continues in the tradition of emotive little British rock bands like Coldplay, Starsailor, and the much-maligned Lowgold. I really liked "Say Something" a year ago, a sadly overlooked single, and the rest of the album is pretty much like that. Which is a bit of a problem...you wind up with 55 minutes of sensitive-guy crooning, and it starts to grate after a while. Elbow's saving grace is their creativity; Haven is more of a straight-ahead guitar rock band, so they sound a bit one-dimensional (the singer really has that Jeff Buckley thing down, too). It has its good moments, but it's best enjoyed in small doses. Worth three bucks, but not much more.
Finally, I came across a copy of Koop's outstanding recent album, which I snagged for my lil sister and her hubby. Unopened, complete with bonus dvd, all for three dollars. Insane. So, four good cd finds, costing $17. Not bad at all.
Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Nice find at the local used cd store today, as I stumbled across a copy of Tool's Ænima album. Tool fans love that album, so it's hard to find used, and I never wanted to pay full price for it. So, hooray. It was originally released before my personal "heavy music renaissance" in 1998, so I really missed out on this one. A pretty solid album, but I think it's nowhere near as great as Lateralus is. Compared to their 2001 record's crisp, in-your-face production, Ænima sounds muddy, with Keenan's vocals buried too deep in the mix. Still, I'm glad to have it, since "Stinkfist", "H", "Forty Six & 2", "Ænima" (which completely floored me when I saw Tool last October), and "Third Eye" are such phenomenal songs. The rest, though, is dicey at best. Lateralus, on the other hand, is consistent all the way through.
And in case you're wondering how I made that cool "Æ", just do alt-146, or alt-145 for lowercase...
Monday, January 13, 2003
Uuuuuggghh. Bad head colds are dot buch fun. Thank gooddess for fisherban's freds...
My review of Pulp's Hits album is now up, complete with a neat little sidebar I'm very happy with (bless you, O Wonderful Editor!).
I finally saw Adaptation over the weekend, after a long wait (I read The Orchid Thief over two years ago, knowing that Kaufman and Jonze were tied to the project), and it's true, even if you loved Being John Malkovich, nothing can prepare you for the mind freakydeaky that Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman do to you. It's exhilerating: you've got Susan Orlean researching her book, Kaufman reading the book, the story in the book, Kaufman adapting the book, Kaufman's fantasies, Kaufman's real life, Orlean's life based on what Kaufman thinks it is, all in the same two-hour movie. The way it shifts from scene to scene is astounding. And that last 20 minutes is pure genius. I have to see it again.
David Poland has written an excellent three-part analysis of the movie, and if you've seen it already, his very detailed look at the film will want you to head back for a repeat viewing.
Beware of spoilers!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Saturday, January 11, 2003
Wow. The Trois Couleurs dvd cover image has now appeared. It's actually happening. It's actually happening...*drool*...
Thursday, January 9, 2003
My review of The Flaming Sideburns Save Rock 'n' Roll is finally up today. A good album, but a bit disappointing considering the brief glimpse of massive potential in the song "Flowers", which I raved about back in November. The song is one of 2002's best, but sadly, the rest of the album doesn't match its magic. But hey, give 'em points for trying.
Saw Confessions of a Dangerous Mind last night. I had been looking forward to this one for a couple years, ever since I learned that Charlie Kaufman had written the screenplay, and it didn't disappoint. Like every other Kaufman movie, you can't take it completely at face value..whether or not Chuck Barris was a member of the CIA is not the point; the movie is more of a darkly comic tour through the guy's warped head. As David Poland points out in his excellent review, the movie is more about deep self-loathing and Barris's ultimate redemption. It's at times very funny, and strangely touching. And before you go and slam George Clooney's directing abilities, take a look at the rollicking scene where Barris applies for a job at the NBC studios...it's done with such seamless ambition and gleeful energy, that you soon become aware that Clooney's no hack behind the camera. I'd love to see this one again.
So I've listened to the new System of a Down cd several more times, and I have a much better grasp of it. Steal This Album! is more like a collection of song fragments, displaying all of the elements of the Toxicity album. The lyrics, while ambitious, are a bit sloppier, and not quite as succinct and ambitious as the ones heard on Toxicity, and are often just lines repeated ad infinitum (to the point where I'm often compelled to keep saying, "Pepperoni and green peppers mushrooms olives chives," for no apparent reason). Still, it's a good, fun collection of the band's discarded junk, with the closing quartet of "Egobrain", "Thetawaves", "Roulette", and "Streamline" providing the album's best moment.
Wednesday, January 8, 2003
I am hopelessly addicted to these...
System of a Down's Steal This Album! arrived in the mail today, and it's a real pleasant surprise. Unless I'm a die-hard fan, studio out-take compilation albums are hardly worth listening to, but this one really packs a wallop. Some songs are more frivolous than others, and some songs are more overtly political than others, but for the most part (based on one listen, mind you), the songs are solid throughout, and sound great as well (thanks to Rick Rubin and Andy Wallace). Of all the songs, "Streamline" was the one that really got my attention, sounding good enough to have been included on Toxicity. When a band's junk recordings sound this powerful, it's undeniable proof how special a band System of a Down is. Can't wait for the next album now. My review should appear sometime soon.
Tuesday, January 7, 2003
Two new reviews to mention...first, my review of The Essential Leonard Cohen has finally appeared. How much do I love this compilation? Read for yourself.
Also, there's my review of the two new Bill Hicks cd's, Lovelaughterandtruth and The Flying Saucer Tour Vol. 1. Two very good comedy albums, but if you're new to Hicks, I suggest listening to Philosophy before anything else.
How's this for weird? The cool, rock-meets-disco song "Danger! High Voltage", which was released as a 7" single in 2001 by an outfit called The Wildbunch (featuring Jack White on vocals), and appeared also on 2002's best mash-up album by 2 Many DJs, has now officially become a big hit in the UK, only this time, under the new moniker Electric Six. Strange how these odd trends appear from out of nowhere over there...we should be so lucky.
Amazon is finally taking pre-oders for Kieslowski's Trois Couleurs trilogy on dvd. It looks like it'll be a box set only...fine by me. The next two months are going to seem interminably long.
Monday, January 6, 2003
Well, I'm back, after my month-long year-end extravaganza, which was a huge undertaking. It's been archived, and the link is over there on the right.
My first-ever contribution to PopMatters' year-end critics' lists is now up. Basically, it's a heavily truncated version of my huge, 9,000 word rant, so if you're too lazy or don't have three hours of reading time to spare, go ahead and give the short version a look-see. And be sure to take a peek at the other critics' picks...there's a real nice variety, as well as several intriguing similarities.
Here's one of the stupidest jokes I've read in ages. It still made me laugh, though.
So, as it turns out, I'm going to go see Steve Earle in Edmonton on January 31st. Should be great, but it strikes me a bit odd that the show is at Red's in (groan) the West Edmonton Mall, as cheesy a venue as I can think of. Just picture it: "Oh, wasn't 'Ellis Unit One' great?" "It sure was. It really makes you think about how inhumane the death penalty really is. Say, you wanna go glow-bowling?" What's next? Wilco playing beside the Fantasyland Whack-A-Mole's? Sheesh.
I just spent the entire week agonizing over my review of the new Pulp best-of compilation...it was brutal for some reason. I've been raving about Pulp since 1995, yet I couldn't form one flippin' sentence. Talk about your writer's block. Then when I got going, I went on far too long, and furiously chopped out passage after passage. It was enough to make me want to quit, but I think I'm over the hump now.
But enough whining. The Pulp album is a great compilation, the best "best-of" since Blur's from a couple years ago (oh, and the recent Leonard Cohen disc as well). A good, albeit safe, collection of their best singles, along with the nice new song, "Last Day of the Miners' Strike". The Canadian version that I have does not have "Underwear", which is only on the UK edition for some stupid reason. I only wish that a collection of Pulp's great b-sides and soundtrack contributions would surface...there's a great wealth of songs, like "Ansaphone", "Like A Friend", "The Professional", "Cocaine Socialism", among others, which should be made available to the masses.
It sure looks like Pulp's days are pretty much over, sadly. After hearing their performance of "Common People" from their most recent gig a few weeks ago, the farewell Jarvis Cocker gave was pretty grim.
