Wednesday, November 26, 2003
Well, five days to go until the big countdown starts. Got my top 20 all set. Just have to work on a few more things. This is going to be great...
Yesterday was a huge day for yours truly. After an incredibly long wait of seventeen years, today I finally got my hands on a copy of the Live After Death vhs. I saw it once back in 1986 at a friend's house, who borrowed it from someone else. Music videotapes were not sold in Canada at the time (record companies weren't sure if they'd sell, so they waited to see what the reaction was like in the US), so metal concert films were extremely hard to find, and very expensive, running up around Canadian. Not only that, but with Live After Death, it went out of print a long time ago, and was never released officially on dvd. So the only way to get them now is on ebay...I lucked out a couple weeks ago, and here I am now, grinning from ear to ear.
What a great concert. This is Maiden at their absolute peak. They're just on fire...you see that look in Bruce's eyes as they play "Aces High" and "The Trooper"; when he hollers, "Scream for me, Long Beach!!!" he means it. He's in great form, hitting the high notes, running all over the place, and talking the crowd's collective ears off. "Revelations" is great, complete with Bruce on guitar, "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is astonishing, and the stage effects are really cool during the song, with the moving light rig and the very cool thunderstorm effect at the end of the middle section. Then there's "Powerslave", with Bruce and his silly feather mask, and the mummy Eddie running all over the stage, a precursor to the grand finale, "Iron Maiden", of course...still gives me chills to see that huge sarcophagus part, and that gigantic Eddie (mummified again) loom over the stage, arms waving, sparks shooting out of his eyes. Just an awesome show, with stuff not on the album, like Bruce's monologues, and a great version of "Sanctuary". I was in Maiden geek heaven.
Well, I ended the latest Dylan Pool on a bit of a slump, but still had a pretty good showing. Bob closed his 2004 tour with "Romance in Durango" on Monday (the first performance since 1976!), and the second ever performance of "Yea Heavy and a Bottle of Bread" last night. Hope to get these shows on cd someday.
I forgot to mention that I got my highly-anticipated copy of the Rush in Rio dvd last Friday. Incredible, just incredible. The concert on Disc One is spectacular. I've seen four of Rush's many concert videos, and heard all of their live albums, and I haven't heard them sound as great as they do here. Some highlights:
- The audience. Like Iron Maiden's Rock in Rio, they're singing almost every song.
- "YYZ", "Leave That Thing Alone", "2112 Overture", "La Villa Strangiato"...a total blast seeing these performed, and the band is en fuego here. I still can't believe the crowd sang along with these.
- The Simpsons sample at the end of "Big Money".
- Lifeson's loopy vocal take on "Strangiato", where he calls Geddy Lee "the guy from Ipanema", and intoduces himself as Stan Getz.
- The roadies changing the laundry in the driers behind Geddy.
- "Red Sector A", "The Pass", "Bravado"...three of their most powerful post-1981 songs.
- "One Little Victory"...Fire! Fffffire!
- "O Baterista". My jaw hit the floor. I could watch Peart play drums all day. He's one of the only drummers alive who's capable of delivering a thrilling drum solo.
- "By-Tor and Snow Dog, "Cygnus X-1", "Working Man"...what a way to end the set.
- Peart's essay in the dvd booklet. The man can write.
The hour-long documentary is amazing. What an engaging look at the band offstage. Those guys are incredibly funny. I'm still laughing from that dumb "shrimp cot" joke. Plus, the multi-angle features on "YYZ", "La Villa Strangiato", and "O Baterista" are fascinating, allowing you to focus on moe single member of the band. It's especially useful for Peart's big solo...you can closely examine every facet of his performance.
And I have to mention the easter eggs...here's how to find them, if you have the dvd: For the hilarious By-Tor cartoon, you have to play the documentary, then when Alex mentions By-Tor at the 26:40 mark, you hit enter, and you get the cartoon. For the freaky video of "Anthem" from 1975, you have to go to the multi-angle tracks on the main menu of Disc 2. Start to play "O Baterista", then go right back to the menu. Start to play "YYZ", then go back to the menu. Start to play "YYZ" again, and go back to the menu. Start to play "O Baterista", then go back to the menu. Going by track numbers, that's 2112, get it? The video clip will then appear on the main menu.
Monday, November 24, 2003
New review, new review. North Mississippi Allstars, to be more precise. Polaris is a really good album. Don't let anyone tell you it's a sell-out. It's much, much better than that.
One week until my monstrous year in review begins! I have my top 20 albums picked...I just have to rank them all, which is the hard part. The top five is all set.
November 23 was an historic day for Dylan fans. Last night, Bob played one of the greatest shows of his long-running Never Ending Tour. From all the ecstatic accounts, he hasn't sounded this great in years, and he whipped out rarity after rarity, including "Jokerman", "Quinn the Eskimo", "Dear Landlord", and Tough Mama". Needless to say, my pool ranking took a beating tonight. I think I set an all-time low for points. Five. That's all I got.
Friday, November 21, 2003
Okay, now things have picked up. First of all, a new review for y'all to read, my take on the new young and sexy album. Mighty fine album, that one.
Anyway, the other day I was fortunate enough to get a couple of new Stereo Total re-releases. I'm a fan of their most recent album Musique Automatique, which was released in North America, complete with bonus tracks, by the good folks at Kill Rock Stars. Well, they've now decided to do th e same thing with the band's first two albums, 1995's Oh Ah, and 1997's Monokini. And what a great pair of cd's they are, too. Back then, before they went almost exclusively electro on their most recent album, they were all over the musical map, doing everything from punk to garage rock to chanson to synth pop to disco. Being their debut, Oh Ah is a bit sloppy, but very enjoyable, as they pepper the album with rambunctious covers of such songs as Salt n Pepa's "Push It", a garage rock rendition of KC & the Sunshine Band's "Get Down Tonight", and a very winning version of "California Sun" (not only that, but several tracks were produced by Alx Chilton, of all people). It's Monokini, though, that really shows how great Stereo Total could be. Highlights include the electro "Ach ch Liebling", the wistful "Dilindam", the gorgeous ballad "Furore", and especially the Pizzicato Five-style blend of Sixties kitsch and sampling on "Schon von Hinten", which is presented in four versions on this cd (sung in German, English, and Japanese). A couple of really fun albums, well worth seeking out.
I also, at long last, after two months of waiting, got my hands on the new Koop remix album. Fifteen months ago, I was completely blown away by their album Waltz For Koop, which made my best of 2002 list (see link to the right). The album's blend of techno and jazz was perfect, as both musical styles commingled effortlessly. Well, Koop, like every other techno act out there, have put out a remix album, but unlike most remix albums out there today, what Waltz For Koop: Alternative Takes manages to accomplish is to shed new light on the original compositions without straying too far away from each song's essence. If the original album is a chill-out record, this one is one you can dance all night to. "Summer Sun" is given a brilliant, extended disco treatment, "Modal Mile" is completely reworked, to great effect, and best of all, "Tonight" is completely transformed, as both a jazz quartet and a cool drum and bass beat combine to make an ultracool jazz tune, complete with an awesome tenor sax solo. This album is fantastic, and at times, it improves on the original. If you've never heard Koop, you'll like this one, but if you're already familiar with their older stuff, this CD will prove to be quite the eye-opener.
Monday, November 17, 2003
Good grief, it's been a slow period here. Two weeks until my big year-end extravaganza, though. It's gonna be great.
I had no idea before last week that Lamb have a new album coming out tomorrow, and whaddya know, but the thing is all over the net. I'm a huge, huge fan of their 2001 album What Sound, and it pleases me to say that the duo continue to hone their beautiful sound on the new record. It's more of what you'd expect from Lamb, entrancing chill-out music that combines languid melodies and tones with Andrew Barlow's jungle-fused beats and Louise Rhodes' distinctive voice. Right now I don't hear anything on the new album that's as magical as the 2001 single "Heaven" was, but Between Darkness and Wonder sounds a bit more cohesive, more focused.
They stay away from the more dancey element that was in a song like "Sweet", and there don't seem to be any notable guest performers this time around (Michael Franti and Me'shell N'DegeOcello played on What Sound). Barlow's arrangements include strings, acoustic guitar, and fretless bass commingling with his gently pulsating beats, but the album still has a minimal feel to it, yet sounds much more layered than something like Laika's latest album. But yet again, it's Rhodes and that voice of hers that makes the music what it is. It's a thing of odd beauty, like a cross between Marianne Faithfull and Beth Orton...an acquired taste, but I can't get enough of it. Highlights include the hypnotic rhythms of "Darkness", the mellow "Learn", and especially the gorgeous centerpiece of "Clouds Clear", "Wonder", and "Sun". This is definitely a late contender for my year end list. I only wish that those rubes who are buying the new Sting and Dido albums would listen to this instead. Classy all the way through. Lamb deserves to be much more popular than they are.
Thursday, November 13, 2003
Anton Maiden was a 23 year-old Swedish kid with a major Iron Maiden obsession. When he was 19, he took some MIDI files of his favourite Maiden songs, and recorded himself singing over them. They were put on a CD, and the result is one of those cool little outsider music discoveries that people cherish. He can't sing, and it's very, very funny, but what ultimately grabs you is his passion. He's a kid having so much fun singing this stuff, and his energy is palpable on record. It's absolutely joyous stuff.
Anyway, it was reported yesterday that Anton had taken his own life. As a tribute to the guy, his entire album has been made available for download. Give the songs a try...they're wonderful. If you're a Maiden fan, if you like outsider music, if you like pure, unabashed emotion in music, or if you've ever air-guitared in your bedroom as a teen listening to 80s metal, you owe it to yourself to hear this. Go here to download. Anton's incredibly ridiculous performance of "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" is an absolute must.
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
Been slow going here lately, so few updates, as a result. Got a couple new reviews to mention, though...my review of the new Laika album is up. Nice album, but it plays it a bit safe. Also, my review of Sepultura's Roorback cd has appeared. Decent album, but the real kicker is that cover of "Bullet the Blue Sky". Love that.
The new Kylie album, Body Language, leaked a few days ago. Pretty good album. I was hoping that the electropop feel of "Slow" would continue throughout the rest of the album, and for the most part, it does. "I Feel For You" is the one track that does not belong...it's a retread of the whole disco thing Kylie did on Fever, and sticks out like a sore thumb. As good as it is, most of the album can't quite match "Slow", but there are some really fine moments, especially the first six tracks. "Slow", "Still Standing", the fabulous "Secret" (the second best song on the album...dig that slinky beat and that cutie-pie rap), "Promises", "Sweet Music", and "Red Blooded Woman" get things off to a terrific start, but after the first couple listens, anyway, I find the second half stumbles a little bit, and doesn't regain that fine form until the closer, "After Dark".
A few months ago, I mentioned Goldfrapp's cover of Baccara's Seventies Euro disco song "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" in my top five...Now, the official studio version is out, as a b-side on the new "Twist" single, which came out last Monday, and I gotta say, it's spectacular. The live band performance was good, but on the studio version, it's all Will Gregory, who doesn't perform in Alison's band. Gregory is one of the finest producers on the planet, and he surrounds Goldfrapp's husky voice with an electro arrangment that almost sounds luxurious. The Eighties dance beat, the hints of strings, the enveloping synth thrums, and Alison's theramin steadily work their way to a rumbling climax that'll have your floor shaking. It's this minimalist, yet lush sound that Gregory creates that makes the likes of Peaches and Warren Fischer look like rank amateurs. Two years ago, it was Goldfrapp's cover of Olivia Newton John's "Physical" that blew me away...now it's this one.
Tuesday, November 4, 2003
Okay, I was a bit off ony my assessment of the Dizzee Rascal album a couple weeks ago. I've been slowly getting into it since the summer, and just this past weekend, it connected for me. I think it was "Do It" that actually, erm, did it, for yours truly. That track and "Sittin Here" make two brilliant bookends for what is essentially a punk album, but one with a heart. It's an album that really needs to be given the time to grow on a person.
The new album by the North Mississippi Allstars is a good one. Much more mainstream, and the sound takes you completely by surprise the first time you hear it, but you have to resist dismissing this album as an empty sellout, and give the thing a closer listen. Polaris has so much depth...it's blues, it's pop, it's soul, and it's Southern Rock, all at once. Simply put, it's a mighty fine Americana album, more ambitious than the Drive-By Truckers, less gimmicky than Kings of Leon, not as jam-oriented as the Derek Trucks Band, and nowhere near as mind-numbingly self-indulgent as Phish. "Eyes", "Meet Me in the City", "Kids These Daze", and the brilliantly insane jumble of styles on "Be So Glad" are the album's best moments. Definitely the band's most consistent release to date.
I have to say how much I love the long version of New Order's "The Perfect Kiss". Egads, that song reaches euphoric heights...I could never understand why the weaker shortened version always pops up on most compilations.
Been going through a real Accept revival as of late. I've played "Balls to the Wall" perhaps two million times in my life (one of the greatest metal songs ever recorded), but aside from that and a handful of other classics ("Fast as a Shark", "London Leatherboys", Restless and Wild"), I had totally forgotten about the rest of the Balls to the Wall and Restless & Wild albums. It's all so freakin' amazing: "Losers and Winners" ("Write a LETTAH!"), "Flash Rockin' Man", "Head Over Heels", and especially the ridiculous genius of "Princess of the Dawn", one of the most bombastic metal ballads ever made. This compilation is perhaps the best Accept cd there is.
The new Looney Tunes dvd is phenomenal. I'm halfway through the thing right now...
Iron Maiden's video compilation Visions of the Beast it terrific, as well. Neat to see the band evolve over the three-hour running time, and it's cool to see some vids I haven't seen in a long time, like "Holy Smoke", "Wasted Years", and "Tailgunner". Call me crazy, but the Blaze Bayley era material (1995-98) is really growing on me. I never gave that guy a fair chance. Oh, and "Wasted Love" is both the worst video and the worst song the band has ever done. Ugh.
Friday, October 31, 2003
I am absolutely, head over heels, shamelessly, crazy about Ladytron's new mix cd, Softcore Jukebox. It came out back on October 7th, but I only heard about it twelve days ago. I took a peek at the tracklisting, and seconds later, I was instantly craving it. My obsession grew a hundredfold when I heard the reactions among fellow cohorts over at SOMB. Well, I found it at the local rekkid store yesterday, and I caved like a sandcastle at high tide, like a marshmallow sunroof. And I'm just going flippy over this thing. Talk about your perfect cd compilations.
What this cd does more than anything is hint at all the influences Ladytron use in their music...from post-punk, to electro, to shoegazer, to dance punk, to psychedelic pop, the selections are varying and eclectic, but there's a common thread running throughout: every single song has a tremendous hook to it. Everything is, was, or still is avant-garde, but Ladytron are out to show us that being artsy still only works if you have the pop hooks to go along with it. The first seven tracks focus on more ethereal, post-punk and electro, with songs like My Bloody Valentine's "Soon", Wire's gorgeous "The 15th" (covered by Fischerspooner, don't forget), and The Fall's "Hit the North". Ladytron even show up with a reinterpretation of their recent single "Blue Jeans", this time, with a heavy emphasis on guitar. Cristina's super-obscure new wave song "What's a Girl to Do" is a revelation, a brilliant portrait of a snarky, nonconforming young woman (produced by Don Was, much to my surprise). However, by the eighth track, the focus shifts to pure dance, and for a good 40 minutes, it's nothing but pure groove. You have forgotten Madchester band New Fast Automatic Daffodils, the always funky !!!, Fat Truckers' minimalist "Teenage Daughter", Fannypack's fun "Hey Mami", the disco-tinged "Manila" by Seelenluft, and soul singer Candi Staton, whose "You Got the Love" is given the techno treatment by The Source. Utterly perfect. As the cd ends, you're treated to Ladytron's cover of Tweet's "Oops Oh My", Shocking Blue's 1969 song "Send Me a Postcard", and "Some Velvet Morning", the weirdly trippy duet between Lee Hazlewood and Nancy Sinatra. This cd is all about fun, and it's been a while since I've liked a compilation so much. Easily one of the best comps of 2003.
Thursday, October 30, 2003
Got young and sexy's new album, called Life Through One Speaker, and what a charmer it is. The beginning of "Oh My Love" is incredibly awkward, like two kids knocking their teeth together when they nervously try to kiss. It's a strange, homely way to start an album: an insistently strummed acoustic guitar, haphazardly punctuated after one bar by snare and piano. But then that organ comes in, with its steady note, settling things down, as the band sounds like it's decided to start over, the bass gently thrumming, toms being thudded with more subtlety than that ugly intro. Then that bewitching female voice comes in, guitar re-entering, building up to a chorus that would make the angels weep, nothing but overdubbed harmony vocals singing "Oh, my love," over and over again, the drums providing an urgent, insistent beat, like the racing pulses of those two commingling kids, before segueing into an ethereal coda in its last minute and a half. This is one of the prettiest, most superbly crafted love songs I've heard in ages.
Can 2003 get any better when it comes to Canadian indie rock? I'm not being a homer here, Canadian music was always a really acquired taste for me up until a few years ago. But what's transpired this year is amazing, and this cd is the latest in an impressive line of top-notch records to come out this year. young and sexy has toured with The New Pornographers in the past, but unlike the New Pornos, who go for instant pop gratification each time, young and sexy opt for the slow simmer instead. They don't chase the hooks, they let them come around when the time is right. Life Through One Speaker is more understated (it's produced by New Pornos bassist John Collins), with the focus on organ and piano, as singers Lucy Brain and Paul Hixon Pittman alternate lead vocals. They have a great give-and-take that works really well, especially when they duet (the song "Young & Sexy" and "Weekend Warriors" being perfect examples). Highlights include the aforementioned "Oh My Love", the upbeat "Herculean Bellboy", "One False Move", and the downright shoegazer drones of "In This Atmosphere". Seek this one out...it's a little gem.
Monday, October 27, 2003
Just spent the last two nights being simultaneously entertained, befuddled, and annoyed by Chuck Palahniuk's new book Diary. At its best, it's a mildly enjoyable rip-off of The Wicker Man and Rosemary's Baby, but at its worst, it's a ridiculous, sloppily-written story with holes the size of Saskatchewan potholes. Like every other Palahniuk book, it starts off well, becomes frustrating in the mddle, and scrambles to redeem itself at the end. I don't know why I keep reading his stuff. Perhaps it's in hope that he can put together another fluke like Fight Club. The recent Salon review of Diary is a bit mean-spirited, but quite dead-on. If you pay the Canadian for this thing, you're nuts. Just get it from the library like I did, read it quickly, and move on to the next book. It's nothing more than a grossly overpriced pulp novel.
Friday, October 24, 2003
This just in, my big review of The Strokes' Room on Fire is now up. Again, anyone who dismisses this album does not know what they're t alking about. It's one of the year's finest albums.
My review of the new live album by Steve Earle is now up. Great album, but I've already gone into that a couple weeks ago. Read my review if you feel so inclined.
I can't totally get into the Dizzee Rascal album. It's a good album, just not a great one. The music is stunning, I've known that for a long time, and it's a credit to the guy for creatin g it all by himself. But the lyrics are just too weak. "Jezebel" is jaw-dropping, but the cd isn't exhibiting enough lyrical creativity. When he's eloquent and shows compassion for his subjects, he's brilliant...he just doesn't do it enough. This album and Original Pirate Material are completely different albums, but Mike Skinner's thoughtful, unorthodox, conversational narratives made his album special. I'm just not getting the same feeling from Dizzee.
That said, here's an excellent review of Boy in da Corner from PopMatters. I just don't know if I fully agree with it yet. It's going to take some time to grow on me, perhaps.
The new album by Sepultura, called Roorback is mildly impressive. It's never easy for a band, let alone a seminal metal band, to replace a lead singer, and Sepultura has yet to match any of the classic albums from the Cavalera era. The new cd, though, is pretty strong...not overly fantastic, but you hear some real passion in these guys this time around. There's one song that really delivers, and it's a bonus track. The fact that a band like Sepultura had decided to cover U2's "Bullet the Blue Sky" might sound a bit odd, but you know what, they pull it off, in thrilling fashion, mind you. U2's original version has always come off as heavyhanded, but in a bombastic genre like metal, you can get away with heavyhandedness much more easily, and the band actually pumps some real power into the song, as Derrick Green provides some great vocals, and guitarist Andreas Kisser makes the original riff his own. What can I say, it works really well.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
More catching up to do here...First of all, back to The Shins. It hit me sometime on Friday night, yes, Chutes Too Narrow is much better than their first album. Quite a bit better. Oh, Inverted World is a good little debut, but the new one is such a leap: better production, more adventurous, and much catchier (as good as "New Slang" is on the first album). Just a tremendous cd..."Kissing the Lipless", "So Says I", "Turn For a Square", and the phenomenal, Wilco-ish "Gone For Good" rank as the highlights. And am I crazy, but do I detect a startling similarity to Zumpano/Destroyer/New Pornographers? The Shins' form of indie pop is so smart, catchy, and natural sounding, that judging by the best indie albums of 2003, you'd think they were Canadian. Anyway, here's my review.
Laika's got a new album out right now, their first in three and a half years, called Wherever I Am I Am What is Missing. After the enveloping, nocturnal feel of Sounds of the Satellites and Good Looking Blues, with all their experimentation and emphasis on mood, this album is surprisingly minimalist in comparison. It has a similar live feel to Good Looking Blues, but here, it's completely stripped down. Margaret Fiedler's vocals are now the focal point, more hook-oriented, as she becomes a full-fledged singer (no more rapping) on this cd, accompanied by live drums, bare-bones keyboards, and subtle, unobtrusive samples. It sounds unfinished, which is their point, I guess...the title is lifted from the Mark Strand poem "Keeping Things Whole", and the minimalist tone of the poem goes well with the spare musical arrangement. The previous album had a heavy Bitches Brew vibe with the addition of bass clarinet, and this time around, you get the same feeling, but with the heavy reliance on electric piano instead. Not so much bass on this album, either. Not as many of those cool, undulating, dub basslines that rattle your insides. There's bass, but it's pushed down in the mix.
I like the album, but I can't ignore the fact that Laika's regressing a bit with this one. The best tracks are "Girl Without Hands" (which I love), "Falling Down", "Barefoot Blues", and "Dirty Bird". Although I can't say I dislike this cd, I'd recommend Lamb's What Sound instead...it's a similar electronic pop record, but much more daring one.
Finally got a chance to go see Lost in Translation this past weekend. The movie is perfect. Just perfect. Quietly funny. I was enjoying the movie all the way through, but when I saw Scarlett's eyes glaze over in the next to last scene, then JAMC's "Just Like Honey" came on, that did it. I love this movie. The shot-on-the-fly, nighttime Asian urban scenes totally reminded me of Wong Kar-Wai's great movies Chungking Express and Happy Together...
I'm currently enjoying Martin Popoff's new book, The Top 500 Heavy Metal Songs of All Time. Just a fascinating book, much, much better than you'd expect from a result of a measly internet poll. It's loaded with excellent interview clips, and some very well-written commentary by Popoff, which is often dryly funny. And talk about loads of terrific download suggestions...recent revelations to yours truly include Deep Purple's "Child in Time" (never heard the original before), Iced Earth's stunning, 16 minute epic "Dante's Inferno", and Dream Theater's "Pull Me Under" (I always found them boring in the past, without giving them a fair chance).
There are some selections in the book that baffle me...for instance, why the heck is Deep Purple's "Burn" ranked #41? What a weak song...it's a mediocre rip-off of "Highway Star", and isn't helped by Davis Coverdale and Glenn Hughes, two of the most boring singer who ever lived (next to Joe Lynn Turner, of course). Two other bands who figure prominently, but I can never fully appreciate, are UFO and Saxon. I just don't get those guys, I never have. UFO is good, and yeah, Michael Schencker and Pete Way were talented, but the songs are so one-dimensional. "Lights Out" is pretty cool, as is "Rock Bottom", but I'd put that stuff on the level of Rainbow, circa 1982: safe, weak hard rock. "Doctor Doctor" is much too limp. As for Saxon, I have never, ever seen what their appeal is. Again, their music isn't awful, it's just so stupid. "Denim & Leather" is moronic, and "Power and the Glory", while packing much more of a punch, is still a bit on the ridiculous side. Plus, it was noted that Saxon was a major inspiration behind This is Spinal Tap (the other band being Uriah Heep--I read that in Mojo magazine a few years ago)...I just can't take them seriously. How can you, especially when you hear the story of Biff Byford's "singing teeth"?
Iron Maiden's Dance of Death tour started last night in Europe. The setlist is interesting, albeit a bit on the short side...I'd like to hear Bruce's take on "Lord of the Flies". Here's a good pic of the new stage set-up.
Friday, October 17, 2003
How To Make A Good Best-Of Compilation
How NOT To Make A Good Best-Of Compilation
Finished my big Strokes review. Watch for it really soon.
Currently digging the new Shins album. Is it better than the much-lauded Oh, Inverted World? Don't know yet. This new one has more of a Badly Drawn Boy vibe. I like it, but I don't know how much quite yet.
What is it with Scooter that makes me want to play their garbage late at night? They've become my guilty pleasure, my quick sugar fix. I'm fascinated with how annoying these guys are. If it's not "Weekend!", it's "The Night"...now, it's "Maria (I Love it Loud)" that I can't get out of my head. They're easily the worst, most obnoxious act on the planet, but also the most insidious, as their contrived melodies get stuck in your brain for long periods. With "Maria", it's that incredibly stupid call-and-response of "Ta - ta - ta - tadata - ta - ta/Tata - ta - ta - tadata - ta - ta!" And if it's not the lowest-common-denominator hooks, it's the rapping, which I've got to admit having a perverse fascination with. I don't know what's a worse line: "Respect to the man in the ice cream van!", "We are not the monkeys, but we've got the key", or my current favourite, "Alright everybody...TIE YOUR SHOES!!!" Oh, man.
Wednesday, October 15, 2003
Okay, where was I?
My review of the debut album by The Redwalls (formerly The Pages) is now up. Fun album. I can't get enough of "It's Alright". Download the album here.
Kill Bill is too awesome. I want to see it again...the anime sequence was worth the price of admission alone. Oh, the violence. Who knew Uma, Lucy Liu and Daryl Hanah could all be so deviously cool? Great cameo by Sonny Chiba, too. Can't wait for Volume Two.
Speaking of anime, there's an incredible anime video of Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" floating on the net. It's a homemade pastiche of clips from Megaman.EXE, and it's very well done. Such melodramatic hard rock is perfectly suited for the over-the-top fantasy of anime. It can be found if you look o n your favourite p2p filesharing program. It's 30 megs, but it's worth it. Kudos to Pat for the tip!
Sugababes' new album Three has leaked. It's not as good as Angels With Dirty Faces, but it does have some very cool moments. "Hole in the Head" is a terrific first single. "Whatever Makes You Happy" swipes the hook from Sly Fox's "Let's Go All the Way", and uses it smartly, tweaking it enough not to make it seem like an empty rip-off. Pop ballads usually bore me, but "Caught in a Moment" and especially the extremely cool "Maya" are worth listening to. The light 70s funk of "Twisted" and the murky beats of "Nasty Ghetto" are also pretty good, but much of the album is little more than filler. Instead of the electro sound of the last album, this one has more samples of acoustic guitar and piano. It's a nice departure, but I can't recommend this album as highly as the last one. Nothing here is as good as "Freak Like Me" or "Round Round". Best to download and burn before you buy.
Joss Stone, however, is a real keeper. The fact that someone has been able to put together a brilliant, audacious album of old-school soul covers is one thing; it's another to learn that it was pulled off by a sixteen year-old English girl. Unlike all the other American lolitas, whose act is getting really, really old, Stone puts her voice to good use, singing breezy, often funky soul. And what a voice...her cover of The White Stripes' "Fell in Love With a Boy" (note the gender change) is the best cover song I've heard all year. Recorded in Philly with ?uestlove and The Roots, it shatters the Stripes' original: the main riff is carried by a very slinky guitar sound, the bouncy, wickedly funky, Bootsy-Collins-like bass is supercool, and Stone makes the song so much more sultry and passionate than Jack White could ever manage. This entire album is fabulous, from her rendition of "Super Duper Love", to the brave cover of "Some Kind of Wonderful", to the stunning performance of "For the Love of You". Hey, you out there with that Norah Jones cd: throw that trash away, and buy yourself some real music. Many, many thanks to norton for the hook-up.
Monday, October 13, 2003
It's been a crazy week. Incredibly busy every day, feeling much too tired to update this page, aside from the new Dylan Pool scores. So I've got some catching up to do...
First, there's a cd review to mention: my piece on the new Teenage Fanclub best-of compilation. What a great cd. A perfect introduction for those who are new to their stuff. Though it really, really needed "Alcoholiday" on there...
I was mulling over how to go about reviewing the new Strokes album this week, and was hit with the sudden realisation that the whole "it's the same, but it's different" feel of the album is totally similar to The Ramones' first album and the follow-up, Leave Home. Then just a couple minutes ago, I looked at David Fricke's Rolling Stone review, and he said the exact same thing. I nearly cried. Back to square one...sigh.
Finally, finally, finally got the new Steve Earle live album on Thursday, and it was worth the wait. It embodies everything there is to love about a live album: it's raw, sloppy at times, loud, boisterous, and passionate. Over the years, he's proven to be a master of the first person narrative, carrying on the old folk ballad tradition. Earle puts himself in the shoes of his subjects brilliantly: the songs on this collection show his incredible versatility, as he sings from the points of view of Kentucky miners ("Harlan Man", "The Mountain"), death row inmates ("Over Yonder (Jonathan's Song)", "Billy Austin"), and the American Taliban ("John Walker's Blues"). His portraits of the downtrodden are sublime, delivered with sensitivity to his subjects.
The live set comes to a spine-tingling close, as Earle says, "And the most important thing to remember is, no matter what anybody tells you, it is never, ever unpatriotic or un-American to question any fuckin' thing in a democracy," the guitars starting to drone louder, as the band then pounds into an spirited cover of Nick Lowe's "What's so Funny About Peace, Love & Understanding". Earle and his band have never sounded stronger. Highly recommended.
I haven't mentioned the new album by Kings of Leon here, but I've been pooh-pooing the band elsewhere, dismissing as a low-rent Southern rock band who can never match the brilliance of the Drive-By Truckers, and although that fact remains true, they've grown on me. I've been playing the album, and I was struck by how good it is. It's nothing great, by any stretch, but it's some fine, loud rock & roll, which I never object to. And that hidden track is especially good...
I still have to talk about Joss Stone, King Crimson, Kill Bill, Sugababes, and other stuff I've probably forgotten, but I'm too tired to continue. Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, October 7, 2003
It's a slow time right now, with few new arrivals, but just recently, I've been spending some time listening to the new cd by Frank Black & the Catholics, called Show Me Your Tears. It's not bad, more of the countrified rock that Black has been playing for the past several years. It's nothing too earth-shattering, but it's got a couple of keepers in "Horrible Day" and "Massif Centrale"..."Horrible Day" is a fun country sing-along that has Black taking on his emotional problems with plenty of dark humour. "Massif Centrale", though, is a harder rocker, more reminiscent of the Pixies, or even his first couple of solo albums, with more of a spoken word delivery. It goes for a good five minutes, as Black regales us with an oblique tale about a sojourn in Central France, his refrain of, "Please don't run away," sounding more emotionally raw and desperate the longer the song goes. So should you buy this album? If you're a fan, sure. If not, download a few samples and try 'em out. If a dustbowl Country vibe is what you're looking for, buy Calexico's Feast of Wire instead.
Thursday, October 2, 2003
My review of Iron Maiden's Dance of Death has appeared. I gave it a favourable review, but in the weeks since, it's grown on me a little more. It's a fine album..."Rainmaker", "Montsegur", and "Paschendale" rank as very good Maiden songs.
I've heard two perfect albums so far in 2003, and one of them is The Strokes' Room on Fire. I downloaded it, but was too lazy to take half an hour to listen to the thing. Fact was, I was ready to be underwhelmed. I'd grown a bit tired of Is This It, and basically forgot how good this band can really be. On the new album, they employ the same tactics as on their debut: same producer, same muffled vocal sound, same post-punk guitars, sametaut, catchy melodies. Only this time around, it sounds fuller, there's more stuff going on, the songs seem smarter. As each of the eleven tracks went by, I kept thinking, "I cant believe it...this is perfect." I need some more time with this album to decide what the best tracks are (first reaction: "Reptilia" and "The End Has No End" are the frontrunners), but it sure doesn't take long for you to be dumbstruck by the cold, hard fact that this is one of the very best albums of 2003. I thought I had a rough idea of what my top five would be come December. Now I have to seriously rethink things.
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
My review of the new Raveonettes album has appeared. A surprisingly good album. I wrote down my thoughts on this one a week or two ago, but this reviewgoes into slightly greater detail.
The new Kylie single, called "Slow", is brilliant, just brilliant. It seems she's continuing where the Fischerspooner remix of "Come Into My World" left off, abandoning the straightahead disco, in favour of full-on electropop. This bodes well for her upcoming album.
I've been reading a lot about the Welsh band Funeral For a Friend over the past couple months, and I've finally gotten ahold of a couple of their new tracks, and I really like what I hear. People might label these guys as nothing more than a "screamo" band like Glassjaw or Thursday, but I'm hearing more of a metal influence in these guys, and the vocals, which vary from death metal growls to some catchy harmonies, aren't full of the usual annoying histrionics like the singing Glassjaw bugs me with. I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of their new album, which comes out in a few weeks.
Monday, September 29, 2003
No, I have not heard the new Strokes album yet.
Friday, September 26, 2003
My review of BRMC's Take Them On, On Your Own is up today. I like the album fine, but wow, it should have been much, much better than it actually is...
Got two surprises yesterday...one good, one not so good. First, the new Rykodisc Big Star best-of compilation Big Star Story came in the mail. I was really looking forward to hearing it, but what caught me offguard was how bad the compilation really is. Not that the music's awful, of course it isn't. It's Big Star, for crying out loud. I love their music. It's the job by Ryko that stinks. The album is only 58 minutes long, wasting more than 20 minutes of valuable CD space. The sequencing is so out of whack, that there's no continuity: you get pop gems from #1 Record and Radio City haphazardly interspersed with darker material from Third/Sister Lovers, making it impossible to hear Big Star evolve as a band. The liner notes are awful, and heinously misleading, failing to inform potential listeners that six of the album's tracks are inferior live or rehearsal performances. However, what's worst of all is the track selection. Where's "When My Baby's Beside Me"? "I'm in Love With a Girl"? "She's a Mover", "Oh My Soul", "Kanga-Roo", "Big Black Car", "Watch the Sunrise"? It's inexcusable.
Yeah, there are the great songs like "September Gurls", "Ballad of El Goodo", "Holocaust", "Back of a Car", "Thank You Friends", etc., but the six live/rehearsal songs just drag it down. The rough rehearsal version of "Don't Lie to Me" and the live versions of "You Get What You Deserve", "Thirteen", and "Mod Lang" all pale in comparison to the originals, and as decent as the covers of T. Rex's "Baby Strange" and Loudon Wainwright's "Motel Blues" are, both Chilton and Bell amassed enough superb material of their own, that the focus should be strictly on their own songs. Also, the one "new" track, "Hot Thing", has no business being on the album. Remove the cover songs and the new track, and you'd have room for maybe nine or ten more songs on this CD. The wasted potential here is frustrating.
Still, despite being a complete shambles, Big Star Story's one saving grace is that, flaws and all, it's still impossible to hate. The songs, save for the new one, are all enjoyable. The sad thing is, there is no reason whatsoever for anyone to shell out their hard-earned money for this CD.
Wednesday, September 24, 2003
A couple of reviews to mention today. There's my brief little paragraph on Ima Robot's Public Access, a mighty fine little debut single. I heard their new full-length doesn't quite live up to expectations, but personally, I have yet to hear it. Also up is my review of Hope is a Thing With Feathers, the new one by Trailer Bride. I've always liked them, and this new album is more of what we've come to expect. It's clear they're starting to sound more and more redundant, but the new cd has a few really good moments that redeem it somewhat.
The other day, I got a copy of the new Teenage Fanclub retrospective, brilliantly titled Four Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty-Six Seconds: A Short Cut to Teenage Fanclub. It's very close to being a perfect compilation, with eighteen brilliant old songs, and three new ones. No huge complaints whatsoever, but you've got to wonder why "God Knows it's True", the beautiful "December", and the pop brilliance of "Alcoholiday" were not included. As for the new stuff, Norman Blake's "Did I Say" is shockingly good, two and a half wondrous minutes of the best Badfinger imitation that you'll ever hear, proof that the band still has what has made them great for so long. You can't satisfy all the fans with a best-of tracklisting, but this one is terrific, a perfect place for new listeners to start. Highly recommended.
Saturday, September 20, 2003
Another slow week. My review of The Byrds' great Sweetheart of the Rodeo album did appear on Thursday, though. It's an excellent, comprehensive look at both the album and Gram Parsons' early career, with both The Byrds and the International Submarine Band. Definitely worth picking up.
Over the past few days, I've been spending most of my time listening to the new albums by The Raveonettes and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, trying to decide which one I like better. My conclusion? They're both good albums, but one is a bit disappointing, and the other is quite a pleasant surprise. Both bands are always lumped into the same, oft-used "they're just like the Jesus and Mary Chain" category, but on their second releases, both are starting to veer off in very opposite directions: one toward Sixties bubblegum, the other toward mainstream rock.
When you listen to both The Raveonettes' Chain Gang of Love and BRMC's Take Them On, On Your Own, the differences become glaring. BRMC is all about Marlon Brando, wraparound shades, and The Velvet Underground, while The Raveonettes evoke images of Phil Spector, Wayfarers, and Pinky Tuscadero.
Yeah, the same loud guitars are as prevalent as they were on both bands' first cd's, but the real surprise with Chain Gang of Love is the focus on melodies. Gone are those boring harmonies that wore thin on Whip it On; this time around, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo engage in some sweet melodies, diving headlong into Sixties bubblegum, offering an oddly sweet boy-girl give and take like those old Frankie and Annette songs. The focus is almost exclusively on just how catchy Wagner and Foo can make each song, and the result is surprisingly effective. When you hear it, you're awash in retro sounds: rockabilly guitar, surf guitar, heartbreaking ballads ("Love Can Destroy Everything"), Buddy Holly style energy (the irresistible "Heartbreak Stroll"), and even that cheesy chain gang rhythm on the title track.
On the other side of the coin, Take Them On, On Your Own is at times a very good album, but some may be disappointed with just how much the band plays it safe. The production on the record, which was recorded in the band's rehearesal space in London (they had since relocated there), is a huge improvement over the first album, as the band shows just how powerful they can be live. There are some songs that are brilliant doses loud guitar rock, but any sense of adventurousness has gone out the window. It would have been interesting to hear the band take the more brooding sound of early songs like "Red Eyes and Tears" and "White Palms" into new territory, but instead, the emphasis is strictly on the louder, more driving tunes. It sounds great, but strip the tracks down to their core, and most of them are painfully ordinary. In fact, if you're looking for a band to compare these guys to, it'd have to be Oasis: it's good, safe music, but little more than that.
The Raveonettes make that distortion-meets-bubblegum thing come together perfectly on "That Great Love Sound", a brilliant piece of college rock bubblegum that just might be the song that gets indie kids dancing. However, the real defining moment on Chain Gang of Love can be heard in "Little Animal". In the song, Wagner sings about a girl who won't leave him alone. Then, a minute later, the song goes into a middle eight section, with Sharin's bass playing the melody from Little Peggy March's "I Will Follow Him", as Sune's guitar frantically squeals and wails. It's like Sune is scrambling to get the hell out of there, but Sharin, playing the relentless stalker, is calmly going, "I love him, I love him, I love him, and where he goes I'll follow..." It's as brilliant a combination of modern rock noise and pure bubblegum as you'll ever hear.
BRMC's efforts are much more inconsistent (it goes on for 15 minutes too long), but when they get it right, it works very well. Once you get over the initial disappointment of the pedestrian quality of the music, you still can't help but warm up to much of the record. It's easy to lose yourself in the steady drone of guitars and supercool vocals by Turner and Hayes, and it's the record's one redeeming quality. "Stop", the album's opening track and first single, is a great, raw, garage rocker: Hayes's guitar licks are a bit on the ordinary side, greatly resembling Noel Gallagher's work, but it's Turner's groovy, hypnotic bassline that makes the song what it is. An outstanding bassist, Turner gives the song a condident swagger, making it impossible for the listener not to bob their head along. The terrific "U.S. Government", which most fans already know by now (it was a bonus track on the Japanese version of the first album), is the band at its most passionate, something you feel instantly in Jago's insistent, minimalist drumming (not unlike Maureen Tucker's work on VU's White Light/White Heat), as well as in the caustic lyrics. The album comes to a rousing finish on the last two tracks: "Rise or Fall" is driven by a wicked bassline by Turner, as Hayes lets loose with some killer guitar fills, and the seven-minute jam "Heart + Soul" continues where "Stop" left off, bringing the album back to the simplified, catchy rock that started it all off.
Both of these albums are far from the most groundbreaking releases of the year, but in their own unique way, they serve up some satisfying music. The Raveonettes are overachieving with this album; there is not an original ounce in their bodies, but they make it all work well for 33 quick minutes, making for a very fun ride. On the other hand, BRMC is underachieving. Take Them On, On Your Own gives listeners enough quality guitar rock, which is always good, but its sheer mundaneness of it all makes the whole experience a bit hollow. It's worthy of a mild recommendation, but you've got to wonder if such BRMC can get away such laziness a second time around. Both albums are definitely worth it if you can get them for a good sale price, but while one cd may be a total one-album wonder, the other should have been much, much better.
Sunday, September 14, 2003
My review of NOFX's recent cd The War on Errorism is up for the weekend. Before you just shrug off this one as just another lame skatepunk album, I have to say that that this one, though sloppy, sophomoric, and unfocused, still has its heart in the right place. Kudos to a band who want their fans to be more aware. Plus, "We Got Two Jealous Agains" is a cute song.
Thanks to Steverino for the pile of cd's. Some good stuff that I'll be mentioning soon...
Thursday, September 11, 2003
Sugababes, one of the only pop groups that I truly enjoy, are back with their new single "Hole in the Head". Not bad...not quite on par with the Numan mash-up genius of "Freak Like Me" or the enticing vocals of "Round Round", but still a quality three and a half minute pop diversion, the most enjoyable bit of ear candy I've heard since Lene's "It's Your Duty". There's more of a straightforward dance beat, but it's carried by a cool acoustic guitar sample, their usual sassy lyrics ("Just because you made me go 'ooh'/Doesn't mean I'm running with you"), and it's got a nice hook. "Why'd you pray-ee-ay-ee/For the day-ee-ay-ee" was in my head all afternoon yesterday.
Wednesday, September 10, 2003
My review of the excellent new Bad Brains compilation has appeared. Very comprehensive look at a very, very good band. Thoroughly satisfying.
Well, I got the new Iron Maiden album Dance of Death yesterday. So what do I think of it? Pretty good, but not as good as 2000's Brave New World. The previous album was a huge surprise, their best album in 12 years, but this one is a bit of a step back. Nothing here that I really hate, but few tracks possess the power of anything from the last album. "Wildest Dreams" is good, but it's no "Wicker Man", "No More Lies" is good, but it's no "Ghost of the Navigator", and so on. "Wildest Dreams", "Rainmaker", "No More Lies", the title track, "New Frontier" (Nicko McBrain's first songwriting credit!), and the epic "Paschendale" are the real highlights. "Montsegur" and "Age of Innocence" don't work very well, and the album goes on about 15 or 20 minutes too long. Still, Bruce is in superb form (especially on "No More Lies") and the band sounds great. Yeah, their best days are behind them, but they're still plugging away, with their dignity intact. Good for them. Thumbs up from me. Definitely better than Metallica's St. Anger.
Friday, September 5, 2003
Two new reviews. First, there's The Darkness's Permission to Land, which I've already written about a couple of times here (see the archive on the right). Just a great little album, and I'm quite happy with my review. It comes out over here in less than two weeks. Also, my review of the latest by I Can Lick Any SOB in the House is also up. I wrote a brief bit about them back in early May, got the cd in July, and finally reviewed it a couple weeks ago. Good, angry, liberal Southern Rock.
It's been a slow week, as I've been taking a break from everything, getting prepared for some great new Fall releases. I'll write about 'em as soon as I get 'em.
I'm not a huge fan of Starsailor, but I couldn't help but be a little curious when I heard that Phil Spector produced this brand-new single (is this Spector's first producer's credit since the Ramones' End of the Century?). It's your standard ballad, with Spector's trademark urgent drum beats and gradual crescendo to a majestic, multilayered climax with strings and background singers, basically sounding as if the Righteous Brothers were a couple of effete English Verve fans. But you know what? This song is good. Starsailor can be a very annoying band, but this is one fine tune. It's not anything earth-shattering, and it's like Spector is on auto-pilot, but the two make a nice fit.
The video is online (Realvideo: Lo, Hi), but you're better off downloading the single via your favourite file-sharing outlet, just to hear the thing properly, to get the subtle wall of sound wallop.
Oh, and I should mention that the new video by Unkle, called "Eye For an Eye". Their songs are always good, but their videos are always better, and this one is no exception. Superb.
