Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
The Best Albums of 2010
The years fly by in blurs. Like overclocked androids or predators dialing in prey, we weave in and out of either stealthy mood landmines or flower beds of emotions. The goals are different..for so many. From world domination...to effortless, mindless consumption...to fearfully flying that uncivil and unrested red or blue until you're red or blue in the face...... or maybe just picking out the bestest and freshest dumpsters into which to dive each day. For a distinctly small, sometimes snooty or desperate sect... music is the only guide, a compass of sorts..a soundtrack to a cluttered mess of thoughts and back-burnered dreams...a touchstone to sanity...... For others....music is just a vanilla coated soundtrack to get to the middle of the road and back...it is the nameless melodies tuned in on a whim to fuel a dance or a doobie.......pieces of sound to pique whatever, whenever. This list is not for the vanilla prone.
My criteria was simple and much like one of my favorite rock journalists, Greg Kot. I simply thought of the albums I returned to repeatedly this past year and listed them. 2010 was a tumultuous mess of a year. My writing peaked and then fell off into a sea of silent white noise and was quelled even further by my debacle of domesticity. This year, more than most of the recent years, I have depended on music to guide and hide me.
So without further pretense or pandering, here are the 20 Best Albums of 2010:
17) Option Paralysis- The Dillinger Escape Plan- A manic, brutal and unclassifiable album from the best thing to come outta Jersey since reruns of The Sopranos. These guys have been flying under the radar for much too long and the range, charisma and epic bad- assery of singer Greg Puciato deserves way more attention. Check out "Gold Teeth on a Bum".
16) Stranger-Valient Thorr- "Shooting at the walls of heartache! Bang Bang! I am a Thorrior!' (Thanx Patty Smyth) Yet another over looked band with overlooked albums..the latest being their latest with an expansion on their heavy rock/shred epic soundcraft complete with the latest batch of knowledge, warning and preparedness laced lyrics from frontman/ thing Valient Himself. As I take mental notes upon repeated listenings, am I getting any more safe, secure or informed about impending doom, social injustices or alien takeovers? No, but I sure am being rocked the fuck out.
15) Sea Of Cowards- The Dead Weather: Incorrectly labeled as a Jack White project..This is an Allison Mosshart project. On their sophomore album chock full of modern psychedelic blues and echoing washes of funk, The Kills' front woman moonlights as a restless and brash woman on the prowl, putting on a husky howl and wailing behind a fog of distorted,edgy vocals and in the sexual drivers seat for the entire ride...chewing up passengers and spitting them out in classics like "Hustle and Cuss".
14) God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise- Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs- Look, I've said it before..Ray has the best voice I've heard since Freddy Mercury...This time out he's got a great band behind him and a supremely pleasant warm batch of Sunday morning music you can use to purposely get nothing done to. I'll send you to the "radio hit" Beg, Steal or Borrow to start, but try "Like Rock and Roll Radio" as well. The dude just washes over you.
13) Dark Ages-Bison B.C.- Oh Canada! The first of three Canadian music makers on my list. The Vancouver foursome could be the most overlooked metal band in recent history. Swift and brutal, yet tuneful even under all of that gutteral growl, these songs bleed riffs. The riffs, courtesy of twin lead guitarists/singers James Farwell and Dan And, cut you like a rusty switchblade on a rainy day. Look out Mastodon, you've got some bloodthirsty Canucks on your heels....and as far as I know, Bisons aren't extinct. Epic cut: "Stressed Elephant".
12) Diamond Eyes- Deftones - Chino and Co. return with regrouped, refined and reinvented effort that showcases thrusty punches of sex rock mixed with waving, almost narcotic rushes of ethereal emotion. Chino has never sounded more in control or more moved by the source material that sometimes hovers around the concern for their fallen bassist Chi Cheng. Check out "Sextape", one of my favorite songs from this year.
11) J Roddy Walston & The Business(self titled)- This album, from a wonderfully ramshackle bunch of ruffians hailing from Baltimore of all places, really snuck up on me over the last few mos. J Roddy is a piano man from a punch drunk bizarro world, where Jerry Lee Lewis as the killer, has been killed and replaced by Richard Manuel( The Band) after a keg party. Part twisted honky tonk, part dark side of southern rock, this fine bunch of seedy songs with titles like Don't Break The Needle and Pigs N Pearls would cause an all out whiskey soaked barroom brawl at any tame dual piano bar...and that's a good thing. Please listen to "Brave Man's Death.
10) The Courage of Others- Midlake Since when did Denton, Texas become the nucleus of "forest folk"? These geniuses should be getting every gig that those nitwits Fleet Foxes get. If there is The Decemberists, then Midlake are the Januarians. The creamy smooth doubled up vocals of Tim Smith traverse the dreamy voyage through dense trails of flute and folklore in this middle earth of an album. It is the only album, which may or may not have a concept behind its natural theme and feel, that moved me to tears.....Well, Kanye West's fucked clunker did as well, but for a much different reason......Anyway, Midlake, I'm raising a glass of mead in honor of your effort. Truly outstanding. Be inspired by "Core of Nature".
9) Wilderness Heart- Black Mountain... Maybe its time for all of you rock snobs to switch focus from Montreal to Vancouver,no? This is Black Mountain's third outing..and one of the most incredible things I heard all year, yet all I read about is The Suburbs.....Get out of the subdivisions and take a hike Black Mt.'s way. This band can do it all. Deep Purple keys? Check! New Wave synth beds? Check. Marshall Thick Riffs and licks? Check! Floydian echoes? True Poetry and captivating melody? Check! And did I mention Amber Webber? Co- lead singer and possessing one of those one of a kind voices......yeah, ....Check! Check out "Radiant Hearts" or "Rollercoaster".
8) Warp Riders- The Sword Surely played more than any other album on this list this year. I'm deep into the concept of concept. Lots of Roger Waters and Rush in my wheel house this year...and lots of the Sword. Warp Riders tells a story of archer who joins a battle to bring light to the dark side of the planet he lives on..I think. As I pondered that upon the hours of listening to this I was constantly being overtaken by the precise shred assault brought tenfold by JD Cronise and Kyle Shutt...and it made me want to ride my yellow GT skateboard gingerly over to my friend Steve's house, to join the D & D battle going on with the rest of the shut-ins in his basement. Thanks, The Sword. Get pummeled by "Arrows in the Dark".
7) Infinite Arms- Band of Horses Much has been said about the band surrounding this, their third album. Its the old standard, as soon as a band gets a little fame...the purists cry foul. Man, that's so Pitchforkish... Well, I'm here to tell you, I don't run much in indie circles..and I didn't even know of Band of Horses before I heard "Laredo" . But I truly dig this album. It's warm, inviting and folksy without being too hopeful.....and Ben Bridwell has one of the most beautiful voices this side of Ray LaMontagne. Pure and simple. You should love the song "Evening Kitchen" as much as I do.
6) Spiral Shadow- Kylesa. Savannah's heaviest quintet burst back with a hearty, concussive blast thanks to Spiral Shadow, their best album yet. There is a brutal beauty in these songs. What sets them apart from mere metal bands is the dual drumming...a massive percussive monster that beats some real sense into you listen upon listen. It sounds like a doubled track, but it is incredibly visceral and bombastic. No fakery there. Mini- metal drum circles just appear in a handful of songs....so awesome. And yeah, I've got a bit of a crush on co-leader guitarist/singer Laura Pleasants...yeah, so do you and you don't even know it yet. Get crushed by "Crowded Road".
5) The Brutalist Bricks-Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Perennially overlooked and under appreciated as the true power punk pop genius that he is. Jersey Ted does it again with a superb set of songs that should have taken over an airwave somewhere, anywhere. Give Ted his due, already. I like "Ativan Eyes" and "Bottled In Cork".
4) Snakes For the Divine- High On Fire Could a polished, more melodic and tighter than ever High on Fire album be this good? Hell fucking yeah, my metal brethren!!! If riffs could talk, the riffs of every other metal band would be complaining to each other in group therapy, about being bullied, abused and forgotten by Matt Pike's riffs. There is no equal. Tony Iommi runs like a little bitch from these riffs.....but hey! Guess what? The songs are better than they ever were before. Matt's been working on the singing and songcraft..maybe because its his riff religion, and he already wrote the bible. The scream near the end of the title track will pull bone from muscle every time. But the showcase of the album is the best song of the year....."Bastard Samurai" . So dastardly epic. Yes, and then some.
3) Spark- Alain Johannes Alain Johannes is the genius songwriter, sideman, producer and guitarist that has largely and ridiculously gone unheard of for the past two decades unless you happen to be a fan of the family tree that has grown out from under Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme. He and his late wife Natasha Shneider were two thirds of the great 90s band Eleven. This album is an intensely intimate look at his response to her untimely passing from cancer in 2008. It hits so close to the bone for me, having lost my sister as well, in 2008. Mostly composed on his trademark cigar box guitar, amidst an almost tribal, percussive feel of playing at times, yet with certain songs like "Spider", there is a sparse, hollowed out longing..a ghostly presence . The single most influential song I've heard all year..perhaps in many years is the album's closer "Unfinished Plan". It it the perfect mix of pain and beauty. Simply breathtaking.
2) Brothers- The Black Keys. This album was made by 2 people from Ohio. Not Mississippi, Tennessee or Georgia. This album brings dirty doings and grimy, funky blues to the forefront of American Rock music better than any band has done in the last 25 years. Dan Auerbach is the new face of the true blues musician. He's 31 years old and white as white can be. I really didn't think they could do better than the Danger Mouse produced Attack and Release from 2008....and then came Brothers . Brother...if you ain't movin', when you listen to this, you under the ground....you drownin' in deep water..... Listen to "Next Girl", "Ten Cent Pistol", "Sinister Kid"...fuck it ..get yerself to a juke joint with a fist full of quarters and play the whole damn cd on the jukebox...over and over...well into the morning...Nobody will leave that dance floor. Wallflowers will grow wild.. Bouncers will bounce.
1) The best album of the year is Le Noise- By Neil Young. It's so good, I couldn't review it when I heard it. I still can't. It's so Neil Young and so NOT Neil Young at the same time. There's not a drum to be found within the whole damn album......Uhh, Hmmm.... I can't even explain it to you, and why should I? Just go listen to it. You'll see. And thank you, Mr. Lanois.
And thank you, my friends and readers.
I'm not writing this for my health, you know.
I am writing this for my health, you know.
My criteria was simple and much like one of my favorite rock journalists, Greg Kot. I simply thought of the albums I returned to repeatedly this past year and listed them. 2010 was a tumultuous mess of a year. My writing peaked and then fell off into a sea of silent white noise and was quelled even further by my debacle of domesticity. This year, more than most of the recent years, I have depended on music to guide and hide me.
So without further pretense or pandering, here are the 20 Best Albums of 2010:
17) Option Paralysis- The Dillinger Escape Plan- A manic, brutal and unclassifiable album from the best thing to come outta Jersey since reruns of The Sopranos. These guys have been flying under the radar for much too long and the range, charisma and epic bad- assery of singer Greg Puciato deserves way more attention. Check out "Gold Teeth on a Bum".
16) Stranger-Valient Thorr- "Shooting at the walls of heartache! Bang Bang! I am a Thorrior!' (Thanx Patty Smyth) Yet another over looked band with overlooked albums..the latest being their latest with an expansion on their heavy rock/shred epic soundcraft complete with the latest batch of knowledge, warning and preparedness laced lyrics from frontman/ thing Valient Himself. As I take mental notes upon repeated listenings, am I getting any more safe, secure or informed about impending doom, social injustices or alien takeovers? No, but I sure am being rocked the fuck out.
15) Sea Of Cowards- The Dead Weather: Incorrectly labeled as a Jack White project..This is an Allison Mosshart project. On their sophomore album chock full of modern psychedelic blues and echoing washes of funk, The Kills' front woman moonlights as a restless and brash woman on the prowl, putting on a husky howl and wailing behind a fog of distorted,edgy vocals and in the sexual drivers seat for the entire ride...chewing up passengers and spitting them out in classics like "Hustle and Cuss".
14) God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise- Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs- Look, I've said it before..Ray has the best voice I've heard since Freddy Mercury...This time out he's got a great band behind him and a supremely pleasant warm batch of Sunday morning music you can use to purposely get nothing done to. I'll send you to the "radio hit" Beg, Steal or Borrow to start, but try "Like Rock and Roll Radio" as well. The dude just washes over you.
13) Dark Ages-Bison B.C.- Oh Canada! The first of three Canadian music makers on my list. The Vancouver foursome could be the most overlooked metal band in recent history. Swift and brutal, yet tuneful even under all of that gutteral growl, these songs bleed riffs. The riffs, courtesy of twin lead guitarists/singers James Farwell and Dan And, cut you like a rusty switchblade on a rainy day. Look out Mastodon, you've got some bloodthirsty Canucks on your heels....and as far as I know, Bisons aren't extinct. Epic cut: "Stressed Elephant".
12) Diamond Eyes- Deftones - Chino and Co. return with regrouped, refined and reinvented effort that showcases thrusty punches of sex rock mixed with waving, almost narcotic rushes of ethereal emotion. Chino has never sounded more in control or more moved by the source material that sometimes hovers around the concern for their fallen bassist Chi Cheng. Check out "Sextape", one of my favorite songs from this year.
11) J Roddy Walston & The Business(self titled)- This album, from a wonderfully ramshackle bunch of ruffians hailing from Baltimore of all places, really snuck up on me over the last few mos. J Roddy is a piano man from a punch drunk bizarro world, where Jerry Lee Lewis as the killer, has been killed and replaced by Richard Manuel( The Band) after a keg party. Part twisted honky tonk, part dark side of southern rock, this fine bunch of seedy songs with titles like Don't Break The Needle and Pigs N Pearls would cause an all out whiskey soaked barroom brawl at any tame dual piano bar...and that's a good thing. Please listen to "Brave Man's Death.
10) The Courage of Others- Midlake Since when did Denton, Texas become the nucleus of "forest folk"? These geniuses should be getting every gig that those nitwits Fleet Foxes get. If there is The Decemberists, then Midlake are the Januarians. The creamy smooth doubled up vocals of Tim Smith traverse the dreamy voyage through dense trails of flute and folklore in this middle earth of an album. It is the only album, which may or may not have a concept behind its natural theme and feel, that moved me to tears.....Well, Kanye West's fucked clunker did as well, but for a much different reason......Anyway, Midlake, I'm raising a glass of mead in honor of your effort. Truly outstanding. Be inspired by "Core of Nature".
9) Wilderness Heart- Black Mountain... Maybe its time for all of you rock snobs to switch focus from Montreal to Vancouver,no? This is Black Mountain's third outing..and one of the most incredible things I heard all year, yet all I read about is The Suburbs.....Get out of the subdivisions and take a hike Black Mt.'s way. This band can do it all. Deep Purple keys? Check! New Wave synth beds? Check. Marshall Thick Riffs and licks? Check! Floydian echoes? True Poetry and captivating melody? Check! And did I mention Amber Webber? Co- lead singer and possessing one of those one of a kind voices......yeah, ....Check! Check out "Radiant Hearts" or "Rollercoaster".
8) Warp Riders- The Sword Surely played more than any other album on this list this year. I'm deep into the concept of concept. Lots of Roger Waters and Rush in my wheel house this year...and lots of the Sword. Warp Riders tells a story of archer who joins a battle to bring light to the dark side of the planet he lives on..I think. As I pondered that upon the hours of listening to this I was constantly being overtaken by the precise shred assault brought tenfold by JD Cronise and Kyle Shutt...and it made me want to ride my yellow GT skateboard gingerly over to my friend Steve's house, to join the D & D battle going on with the rest of the shut-ins in his basement. Thanks, The Sword. Get pummeled by "Arrows in the Dark".
7) Infinite Arms- Band of Horses Much has been said about the band surrounding this, their third album. Its the old standard, as soon as a band gets a little fame...the purists cry foul. Man, that's so Pitchforkish... Well, I'm here to tell you, I don't run much in indie circles..and I didn't even know of Band of Horses before I heard "Laredo" . But I truly dig this album. It's warm, inviting and folksy without being too hopeful.....and Ben Bridwell has one of the most beautiful voices this side of Ray LaMontagne. Pure and simple. You should love the song "Evening Kitchen" as much as I do.
6) Spiral Shadow- Kylesa. Savannah's heaviest quintet burst back with a hearty, concussive blast thanks to Spiral Shadow, their best album yet. There is a brutal beauty in these songs. What sets them apart from mere metal bands is the dual drumming...a massive percussive monster that beats some real sense into you listen upon listen. It sounds like a doubled track, but it is incredibly visceral and bombastic. No fakery there. Mini- metal drum circles just appear in a handful of songs....so awesome. And yeah, I've got a bit of a crush on co-leader guitarist/singer Laura Pleasants...yeah, so do you and you don't even know it yet. Get crushed by "Crowded Road".
5) The Brutalist Bricks-Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Perennially overlooked and under appreciated as the true power punk pop genius that he is. Jersey Ted does it again with a superb set of songs that should have taken over an airwave somewhere, anywhere. Give Ted his due, already. I like "Ativan Eyes" and "Bottled In Cork".
4) Snakes For the Divine- High On Fire Could a polished, more melodic and tighter than ever High on Fire album be this good? Hell fucking yeah, my metal brethren!!! If riffs could talk, the riffs of every other metal band would be complaining to each other in group therapy, about being bullied, abused and forgotten by Matt Pike's riffs. There is no equal. Tony Iommi runs like a little bitch from these riffs.....but hey! Guess what? The songs are better than they ever were before. Matt's been working on the singing and songcraft..maybe because its his riff religion, and he already wrote the bible. The scream near the end of the title track will pull bone from muscle every time. But the showcase of the album is the best song of the year....."Bastard Samurai" . So dastardly epic. Yes, and then some.
3) Spark- Alain Johannes Alain Johannes is the genius songwriter, sideman, producer and guitarist that has largely and ridiculously gone unheard of for the past two decades unless you happen to be a fan of the family tree that has grown out from under Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme. He and his late wife Natasha Shneider were two thirds of the great 90s band Eleven. This album is an intensely intimate look at his response to her untimely passing from cancer in 2008. It hits so close to the bone for me, having lost my sister as well, in 2008. Mostly composed on his trademark cigar box guitar, amidst an almost tribal, percussive feel of playing at times, yet with certain songs like "Spider", there is a sparse, hollowed out longing..a ghostly presence . The single most influential song I've heard all year..perhaps in many years is the album's closer "Unfinished Plan". It it the perfect mix of pain and beauty. Simply breathtaking.
2) Brothers- The Black Keys. This album was made by 2 people from Ohio. Not Mississippi, Tennessee or Georgia. This album brings dirty doings and grimy, funky blues to the forefront of American Rock music better than any band has done in the last 25 years. Dan Auerbach is the new face of the true blues musician. He's 31 years old and white as white can be. I really didn't think they could do better than the Danger Mouse produced Attack and Release from 2008....and then came Brothers . Brother...if you ain't movin', when you listen to this, you under the ground....you drownin' in deep water..... Listen to "Next Girl", "Ten Cent Pistol", "Sinister Kid"...fuck it ..get yerself to a juke joint with a fist full of quarters and play the whole damn cd on the jukebox...over and over...well into the morning...Nobody will leave that dance floor. Wallflowers will grow wild.. Bouncers will bounce.
1) The best album of the year is Le Noise- By Neil Young. It's so good, I couldn't review it when I heard it. I still can't. It's so Neil Young and so NOT Neil Young at the same time. There's not a drum to be found within the whole damn album......Uhh, Hmmm.... I can't even explain it to you, and why should I? Just go listen to it. You'll see. And thank you, Mr. Lanois.
And thank you, my friends and readers.
I'm not writing this for my health, you know.
I am writing this for my health, you know.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 09, 2010
The Map of Metal
I need a vacation. Mostly from myself. However, one where I get in the car, train or paddle boat and actually go somewhere would be much more relevant to my situation. I've packed some powdered eggs and rolled my quarters for beer money, I have a cluster of destinations picked out and I'm using this map.
http://mapofmetal.com/#/home
Prepare to join me...put some black eyeliner, a chain wallet, one flannel shirt, a studded choke collar, platform boots, a coupon for the medieval/archangel tattoo of your choice, The Anton LeVey auto-biography, one eye of newt and a pelt from a roadkill badger in a black backpack and you'll be good to go for this trip. It's most likely a one way sort of deal so be warned.....
http://mapofmetal.com/#/home
Prepare to join me...put some black eyeliner, a chain wallet, one flannel shirt, a studded choke collar, platform boots, a coupon for the medieval/archangel tattoo of your choice, The Anton LeVey auto-biography, one eye of newt and a pelt from a roadkill badger in a black backpack and you'll be good to go for this trip. It's most likely a one way sort of deal so be warned.....
Wednesday, December 08, 2010
It Was 30 Years Ago Today
I don't remember much about junior high, but I remember that day. I was 12, and had been listening to my parent's Beatles albums for years at that point. In the years since, I have become a musician, a writer, a dad and a human being completely touched by John's music. I owe him so much. It is so hard to believe that I am actually older than he was when he was taken from here.
Today my playlist will include Mother, In My Life, Norwegian Wood, God, Working Class Hero, Isolation, Oh My Love, Dear Prudence, Jealous Guy, Crippled Inside, Happiness Is a Warm Gun, Sexy Sadie, I Want You(She's So Heavy) and of course, Across The Universe.
Make one of your own.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Positively Dead End Street
I was given a link to this fascinating Wall Street Journal article about old rockers, Bob Dylan specifically. It states what I've been saying for years. Bob Dylan is a national treasure. Bob Dylan is one of the most influential musicians in history. Bob Dylan is an arrogant old man whose voice is completely shot and is non -intelligible in any live performance. Bob Dylan should quit.
Here is the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704594804575648691223353352.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_editorsPicks_3
Don't hate me and this writer because we speak the truth. Everybody has a shelf life. The bottom line is, if you are a singer, songwriter, musician who HAS to sing songs...it is your JOB to sing songs and you can NO LONGER sing those songs, don't try to fool your fans by plodding along and touring relentlessly like nothing is wrong, when you sound like a smoked out, burnt up throat cancer survivor who can't hit any notes, who sings in a mumbled monotonic rush of refashioned lyrics. We aren't hearing the songs. We aren't hearing anything.
Your legacy is intact.
Go back to gardening or even motorcycle riding. Unless your voice can heal, unless you give a shit about finding it again, you've got to stop. And all of you critics who call Time out of Mind, Love and Theft or Modern Times masterpieces....c'mon now.....as you get older the ears are the first of your parts to go.
Here is the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704594804575648691223353352.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_editorsPicks_3
Don't hate me and this writer because we speak the truth. Everybody has a shelf life. The bottom line is, if you are a singer, songwriter, musician who HAS to sing songs...it is your JOB to sing songs and you can NO LONGER sing those songs, don't try to fool your fans by plodding along and touring relentlessly like nothing is wrong, when you sound like a smoked out, burnt up throat cancer survivor who can't hit any notes, who sings in a mumbled monotonic rush of refashioned lyrics. We aren't hearing the songs. We aren't hearing anything.
Your legacy is intact.
Go back to gardening or even motorcycle riding. Unless your voice can heal, unless you give a shit about finding it again, you've got to stop. And all of you critics who call Time out of Mind, Love and Theft or Modern Times masterpieces....c'mon now.....as you get older the ears are the first of your parts to go.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Seano Returns, Armed to the Teeth
Grammy Nominations.
Do we even care? Nobody's buying albums except country fans who happen to glance at a Sugarland cd during a WalMart run for adult diapers or tractor oil.
I don't care either. But I had to comment on Eminem and Katy Perry. Eminem gets !10! nominations including album of the year for his me aculpa woe is me record Recovery. A record with a a shitload of prescription regret and a slew of slightly less misogynistic rhymes than his last snappy batch of drivel. My son (he is 4) got caught singing that song "Love the way you Lie". He was punished and sent to his room 2 weeks ago and he's still there. I roll a hot dog under the door every so often, so don't worry about him.
Katy Perry has a beautiful face, great cans, a good voice and horrible, generic, over produced pop songs. Did I mention she's got great cans? That's musician speak for HEADPHONES, ladies, so stop freaking out. She has absolutely no business being in any category unless they invent one for Cans of the Year.
On to the next debacle....
Take a look at these nominees for Album of the Year:
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
For established duos or groups, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.
My Brain is going to bleed....long before they trot out JAY Z and Alicia Keys and these people:
Do we even care? Nobody's buying albums except country fans who happen to glance at a Sugarland cd during a WalMart run for adult diapers or tractor oil.
I don't care either. But I had to comment on Eminem and Katy Perry. Eminem gets !10! nominations including album of the year for his me aculpa woe is me record Recovery. A record with a a shitload of prescription regret and a slew of slightly less misogynistic rhymes than his last snappy batch of drivel. My son (he is 4) got caught singing that song "Love the way you Lie". He was punished and sent to his room 2 weeks ago and he's still there. I roll a hot dog under the door every so often, so don't worry about him.
Katy Perry has a beautiful face, great cans, a good voice and horrible, generic, over produced pop songs. Did I mention she's got great cans? That's musician speak for HEADPHONES, ladies, so stop freaking out. She has absolutely no business being in any category unless they invent one for Cans of the Year.
On to the next debacle....
Take a look at these nominees for Album of the Year:
2. Album Of The Year
Award to the Artist(s) and to the Album Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s)/Mixer(s) & Mastering Engineer(s), if other than the artist.The Suburbs
Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire & Markus Dravs, producers; Arcade Fire, Mark Lawson & Craig Silvey, engineers/mixers; Mark Lawson, mastering engineer
[Merge Records]Recovery
Eminem
Kobe, Lil Wayne, Pink & Rihanna, featured artists; Alex Da Kid, Boi-1da, Nick Brongers, Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin-Quee, DJ Khalil, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Jason Gilbert, Havoc, Emile Haynie, Jim Jonsin, Just Blaze, Magnedo7, Mr. Porter, Robert Reyes, Makeba Riddick & Script Shepherd, producers; Alex Da Kid, Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin-Quee, Kal "Boogie" Dellaportas, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Mauricio "Veto" Iragorri, Just Blaze, Robert Marks, Alex Merzin, Matthew Samuels, Joe Strange, Mike Strange & Ryan West, engineers/mixers; Brian "Big Bass" Gardner, mastering engineer
[Aftermath/Shady Records/Interscope]Need You Now
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum & Paul Worley, producers; Clarke Schleicher, engineer/mixer; Andrew Mendelson, mastering engineer
[Capitol Records Nashville]The Fame Monster
Lady Gaga
Beyoncé, featured artist; Ron Fair, Fernando Garibay, Tal Herzberg, Rodney Jerkins, Lady Gaga, RedOne, Teddy Riley & Space Cowboy, producers; Eelco Bakker, Christian Delano, Mike Donaldson, Paul Foley, Tal Herzberg, Rodney Jenkins, Hisashi Mizoguchi, Robert Orton, Dan Parry, Jack Joseph Puig, RedOne, Teddy Riley, Dave Russel, Johnny Severin, Space Cowboy, Mark Stent, Jonas Wetling & Frank Wolff, engineers/mixers; Gene Grimaldi, mastering engineer
[Streamline/KonLive/Cherrytree/Interscope]Teenage Dream
Katy Perry
Snoop Dogg, featured artist; Ammo, Benny Blanco, Dr. Luke, Kuk Harrell, Max Martin, Stargate, C. "Tricky" Stewart, Sandy Vee & Greg Wells, producers; Steve Churchyard, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Serban Ghenea, John Hanes, Sam Holland, Jaycen-Joshua, Damien Lewis, Chris O'Ryan, Carlos Oyanedel, Paris, Phil Tan, Brain Thomas, Lewis Tozour, Miles Walker, Emily Wright & Andrew Wuepper, engineers/mixers; Brian Gardner, mastering engineer
[Capitol Records]
The difference between real artists and those that were "created" in a factory (in the genres of pop, Hip Hop and R&B) is right in front of you. The fakery is unbelievable. And the sheep continue to graze until they gorge, tip over and seize up in a vast field of mediocrity. Look at how many people are involved in the production of a stupid hit record. You cannot even keep track , can you? How preposterous it is to give one of these lone "artists" the award for ALBUM OF THE YEAR when they can't seem to sit down and write a "song" the good old fashioned way by strumming a guitar, sitting at a piano, fleshing out a lyric and piecing it together WITH THE MEMBERS OF YOUR BAND! They enlist whole armies of bit players, pro tool gurus, a guy who hits the auto tune button, hired guns and beat hoarders who lie, cheat lift, cut and paste these "albums" together.
Lets be honest. Lady Gaga is a 3rd rate pop star with a costume fetish and a face for radio. Although I am holding out for her tour with openers The Goo Goo Dolls and Kajagoogoo.
Lets be honest. Lady Gaga is a 3rd rate pop star with a costume fetish and a face for radio. Although I am holding out for her tour with openers The Goo Goo Dolls and Kajagoogoo.
I don't even like the Arcade Fire and their asymmetric haircuts, but at least they did it themselves.
Here's another one of my favorite nominees:
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
For established duos or groups, with vocals. Singles or Tracks only.
Don't Stop Believin' (Regionals Version)
Glee Cast
Track from: Journey To Regionals
That's Right.....GLEE, people. Best Pop Performance! OF A COVER! BY OVERLY EXCITABLE SACCHARINE SUCKING BROADWAY HACKS. It's like Up with People fucked Saved by the Bell and Glee was their baby which they couldn't raise so they put it up for adoption. put to music. its worse than Kidz Bop.
My Brain is going to bleed....long before they trot out JAY Z and Alicia Keys and these people:
Angela Hunte, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic & Shux, producers; Ken "Duro" Ifill, Gimel "Young Guru" Keaton & Ann Mincieli......
to accept the award for record of the year. Better make the stage bigger. Mr. Carter's ego is already larger than life, but his produce- a- posse will come up to collect n' reprahhhsent, y'all.
At least Neil Young and his latest offering "Le Noise" was nominated for Best Rock Album. Right next to the across- the- board, critically -agreed -upon- phoned- in yawner MOJO by TP and the Heartbreakers.
Neil is also up for Best Rock Song of the year for " Angry World" off of Le Noise, which he wrote all by himself. His song goes up against the awesome track "Tighten Up"- by the Black Keys..who can do more with two guys than Eminem does with his 30 person beat brigade.
The Grammys will be on tv on Feb 12 2011, usually the coldest day of the year. here is a link to the complete list of nominees:http://www.grammy.com/nominees
Sunday, November 14, 2010
A New Low
I've reached deep down to figure out whether I should post about my life lately, mostly centered around this past year, I guess I'm gonna, right here and now. Here's the disclaimer: A trail of my tears is not enough to put out the eternal hellfire that burns ahead and behind on this path. There is nothing musical about what I'm about to write. But I don't have another blog on which to spew my venom or wail in wordy pain. This is the place. This is where I release any beast that happens to inherit my blood and bones. If it reeks of reaching out, its probably something else you smell. But it is undoubtedly rotten.
Three days ago, I hit a new low for this year. By low I mean I just cant take any more hits. If any more mental shrapnel even brushes against my brain, I'm done. I'm going hermit, recluse, embracing silence, like an excommunicated luddite, genetically fused with a mild case of Kaczynski.. I've got to go middle earth or desert search and bury myself in white noise and flatline panoramas. I'm not talking about ending it. That's cowardly, I've got a son who needs me and the last thing I want is for my endless punches of pain and a selfish act like snuffing it to cause more pain to the few people I love.
But I'm beyond tired. You want the laundry list, or maybe you don't.. Fuck it.
My sister died 2 years ago, she was young and innocent, but cancer doesn't care about that shit. Cancer found my family and it will go on finding others while endless wars and banks get bankrolled into oblivion. I never got a chance to mourn her, I promised to be more involved with the children she left, I haven't.
I'm 42 years old and feel 62, going through a divorce that shreds my psyche on a daily basis. I don't have the money to pay for it. I can't even talk about my soon to be ex as much as I would like, because wrath brings wrath tenfold. It's like tossing grenades into the rubber room with me. Not worth the endless shrapnel that just keeps deflecting back into my face.
For the first time in a decade, I've got to get a place to live, a vehicle, and health/car insurance. All in one big messy money shot. Then I've got to live here with no friends or family.
I cannot write. I cannot bring any passionate/sarcastic commentary about music to the surface. It's all clotted up like a pipe hairball in the folds of of a dull grey matter. I cannot find the energy to write at night, which is the only time I can with a fully frantic four year old taking up most of my time in this cavernous and blemished mini mansion on the hill. After he's in bed, I just want to lay down, watch Dexter, swipe the annoying cats from my slow breathing chest, flick the stink bugs from my beard and hoppily drown in my sorrows. Good times, I tell ya.
I've got at least 15 reviews due, that I ain't getting paid to do anyway, on a couple websites that nobody reads..so please don't waste your cautious breath asking me if I care. Most of my new followers are following to follow, with no real intention to engage. So why not just write whatever the fuck I want, alienate, illuminate and humiliate. Nobody knows me and the world keeps spinning busily enough, while Kim and Kanye continue to make news nobody can use. Almost 85 percent of what you read online is disposable family van facebook fodder and you know it.
But this latest story.....This one spun my withered last bits of out of control and into a strangulating fit of exhaustion. It ended with the bulk of my hospitality gone horribly wrong while Leslie, a young touring band from Charleston, SC(who are good friends of mine) lost $10,000 of their equipment between the hours of 3am and 6am on Fri Nov 12 while they slept soundly in my house on a quiet street in the suburbs of Philadelphia. My sort of good moods have been tethered together as blood covered buoys in a blood blue sea. Most of the time, I'm either drowning to get there, coming up for air and grabbing for a lead laced life preserver. Now, my barely good moods are gone..I'm negative zone forever.... after some crackhead scumbag pried open a trailer on my street, which nobody heard as they shuffled around heavy equipment and made off with a vintage Gibson SG, a Fender Jazz Bass, a Gibson ES 335, a Hiwatt head, a Fender Hot Rod deluxe amp, 2 loaded pedal boards and the morale of three fantastic musicians.
Yeah, the police got a print, yeah I've been troubleshooting every pawn shop in town and trolling the Craigslists of the tri- state area. Leslie has a family of great musicians and fans down in Charleston who have really rallied behind them with, benefits, money and love and support. But to me... its yet ANOTHER loss. A level of stress and sorrow tossed on my pile and this one while I tried to do something nice for someone. I've had it. I want to leave Philly, and I can't . I need to be somewhere where the corruption, blatant racism from both sides and corruption don't exist. Shit, I lived in NYC for six years and nothing ever happened like this. Not even close.
I want the last 15 years of my life back, but its not going to happen.
So honestly, I just want to be left alone with a life time of crushingly loud music as a bitter soundtrack shielded from anything but the necessary rituals that make up being a single dad. No sympathy needed.
I'm tired of riding the cliche wave of being a tortured artist. Shit, I don't even feel like an artist anymore. I feel like a sperm donor and a chauffeur who throws a witty quip your way every so often.
Most of all, I'm just tired. Faceless and moodless and spent.
And I'm making no apologies for the shape or sporadic input to Circle of Fits right now.
It is, what it is.
Three days ago, I hit a new low for this year. By low I mean I just cant take any more hits. If any more mental shrapnel even brushes against my brain, I'm done. I'm going hermit, recluse, embracing silence, like an excommunicated luddite, genetically fused with a mild case of Kaczynski.. I've got to go middle earth or desert search and bury myself in white noise and flatline panoramas. I'm not talking about ending it. That's cowardly, I've got a son who needs me and the last thing I want is for my endless punches of pain and a selfish act like snuffing it to cause more pain to the few people I love.
But I'm beyond tired. You want the laundry list, or maybe you don't.. Fuck it.
My sister died 2 years ago, she was young and innocent, but cancer doesn't care about that shit. Cancer found my family and it will go on finding others while endless wars and banks get bankrolled into oblivion. I never got a chance to mourn her, I promised to be more involved with the children she left, I haven't.
I'm 42 years old and feel 62, going through a divorce that shreds my psyche on a daily basis. I don't have the money to pay for it. I can't even talk about my soon to be ex as much as I would like, because wrath brings wrath tenfold. It's like tossing grenades into the rubber room with me. Not worth the endless shrapnel that just keeps deflecting back into my face.
For the first time in a decade, I've got to get a place to live, a vehicle, and health/car insurance. All in one big messy money shot. Then I've got to live here with no friends or family.
I cannot write. I cannot bring any passionate/sarcastic commentary about music to the surface. It's all clotted up like a pipe hairball in the folds of of a dull grey matter. I cannot find the energy to write at night, which is the only time I can with a fully frantic four year old taking up most of my time in this cavernous and blemished mini mansion on the hill. After he's in bed, I just want to lay down, watch Dexter, swipe the annoying cats from my slow breathing chest, flick the stink bugs from my beard and hoppily drown in my sorrows. Good times, I tell ya.
I've got at least 15 reviews due, that I ain't getting paid to do anyway, on a couple websites that nobody reads..so please don't waste your cautious breath asking me if I care. Most of my new followers are following to follow, with no real intention to engage. So why not just write whatever the fuck I want, alienate, illuminate and humiliate. Nobody knows me and the world keeps spinning busily enough, while Kim and Kanye continue to make news nobody can use. Almost 85 percent of what you read online is disposable family van facebook fodder and you know it.
But this latest story.....This one spun my withered last bits of out of control and into a strangulating fit of exhaustion. It ended with the bulk of my hospitality gone horribly wrong while Leslie, a young touring band from Charleston, SC(who are good friends of mine) lost $10,000 of their equipment between the hours of 3am and 6am on Fri Nov 12 while they slept soundly in my house on a quiet street in the suburbs of Philadelphia. My sort of good moods have been tethered together as blood covered buoys in a blood blue sea. Most of the time, I'm either drowning to get there, coming up for air and grabbing for a lead laced life preserver. Now, my barely good moods are gone..I'm negative zone forever.... after some crackhead scumbag pried open a trailer on my street, which nobody heard as they shuffled around heavy equipment and made off with a vintage Gibson SG, a Fender Jazz Bass, a Gibson ES 335, a Hiwatt head, a Fender Hot Rod deluxe amp, 2 loaded pedal boards and the morale of three fantastic musicians.
Yeah, the police got a print, yeah I've been troubleshooting every pawn shop in town and trolling the Craigslists of the tri- state area. Leslie has a family of great musicians and fans down in Charleston who have really rallied behind them with, benefits, money and love and support. But to me... its yet ANOTHER loss. A level of stress and sorrow tossed on my pile and this one while I tried to do something nice for someone. I've had it. I want to leave Philly, and I can't . I need to be somewhere where the corruption, blatant racism from both sides and corruption don't exist. Shit, I lived in NYC for six years and nothing ever happened like this. Not even close.
I want the last 15 years of my life back, but its not going to happen.
So honestly, I just want to be left alone with a life time of crushingly loud music as a bitter soundtrack shielded from anything but the necessary rituals that make up being a single dad. No sympathy needed.
I'm tired of riding the cliche wave of being a tortured artist. Shit, I don't even feel like an artist anymore. I feel like a sperm donor and a chauffeur who throws a witty quip your way every so often.
Most of all, I'm just tired. Faceless and moodless and spent.
And I'm making no apologies for the shape or sporadic input to Circle of Fits right now.
It is, what it is.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Mojo Still Risin'
Jim Morrison may get a pardon after all these years. This from CNN....
...
(CNN) -- The charismatic but unpredictable lead singer of American rock band The Doors could be about to receive a posthumous pardon almost 40 years after being convicted of exposing himself on stage.
Jim Morrison had been performing with the band at a typically raucous concert at Miami's Key Auditorium on March 1, 1969 when the incident took place. Reportedly drunk and slurring obscenities at the crowd, he was accused of unzipping his pants and simulating a sex act, a charge he denied.
Despite being acquitted of lascivious behavior and drunkenness, Morrison was convicted of indecent exposure and open profanity and sentenced to six months in jail. He was still appealing the verdict in 1971 when he died in Paris at the age of 27.
Four decades on and the outgoing Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, has said he may consider an official let-off for the legendary hell-raiser.
"It's something that I haven't given a lot of thought to, but it's something I'm willing to look into in the time I have left," Crist told U.S. Congressional newspaper The Hill. "Anything is possible. Stay tuned."
Doors fans have long appealed for an official pardon for Morrison, petitioning previous Florida governors without success. Many argue that the trial was a sham and that there was no conclusive evidence supporting the exposure charge against Morrison.
Crist was first approached about the issue of clemency in 2007. According to The Hill, he said he would consider it, acknowledging "there was some doubt about how solid the case was."
But with Crist set to leave office in January after losing his bid for the Senate in the recent Midterm elections, time is running out for Morrison's supporters as the request must be submitted by December 9.
Under state law a pardon must have the consent of the governor and at least two other members of the Florida Board of Executive Clemency.
...
Jim Morrison (second from right) died in Paris in 1971 while his appeal against the conviction was pending.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Jim Morrison was performing with the band in Miami on March 1, 1969
- Accused of shouting obscenities at crowd and then exposing himself
- Sentenced to 6 months in prison but died in 1971 with his appeal pending
- Outgoing Florida Governor Charlie Crist considering clemency request
Jim Morrison had been performing with the band at a typically raucous concert at Miami's Key Auditorium on March 1, 1969 when the incident took place. Reportedly drunk and slurring obscenities at the crowd, he was accused of unzipping his pants and simulating a sex act, a charge he denied.
Despite being acquitted of lascivious behavior and drunkenness, Morrison was convicted of indecent exposure and open profanity and sentenced to six months in jail. He was still appealing the verdict in 1971 when he died in Paris at the age of 27.
Four decades on and the outgoing Governor of Florida, Charlie Crist, has said he may consider an official let-off for the legendary hell-raiser.
"It's something that I haven't given a lot of thought to, but it's something I'm willing to look into in the time I have left," Crist told U.S. Congressional newspaper The Hill. "Anything is possible. Stay tuned."
Doors fans have long appealed for an official pardon for Morrison, petitioning previous Florida governors without success. Many argue that the trial was a sham and that there was no conclusive evidence supporting the exposure charge against Morrison.
Crist was first approached about the issue of clemency in 2007. According to The Hill, he said he would consider it, acknowledging "there was some doubt about how solid the case was."
But with Crist set to leave office in January after losing his bid for the Senate in the recent Midterm elections, time is running out for Morrison's supporters as the request must be submitted by December 9.
Under state law a pardon must have the consent of the governor and at least two other members of the Florida Board of Executive Clemency.
The Doors formed in Los Angeles in 1965 and comprised of Morrison on lead vocals, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore.
Ride the snake....Ride the snake..the snake is long..seven miles.
Here's to Mr. Crist for his consideration.
Jim was only adding to his performance of "The Celebration of the Lizard"...it was all exhaltation and presentation . Give the dead guy a break.
Do something right Florida , you're our most fucked up state.
Friday, November 05, 2010
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Play the Game
Lets Play a game! I found this on Buzzfeed and did really well with it. Quite simply, each colorful square depicts the name of a band. After last night's devastation, lets start out today with a fun non partisan, game, huh?
I hope you do nowhere near as well as I did. I will list the correct answers tomorrow.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
The Scariest Halloween Costumes I Can Think Of
The Bitching(oops!) ..Witching hour is upon us. And Seano is, at the time of this writing, sans costume. I really want to scare the shit out of people..maybe scare some kids bad enough to make 'em soil their flame retardant Snooki costumes so they drop their candy crammed pillow cases in my yard and I'm left with sweet treats for a week or so.
But I'm perplexed. I'm running dry in the choose a costume dept. I thought of being ax-murdering psychopath, not scary enough, John Wayne Gacy in a dirty, bloodstained clown outfit...nope not scary enough. A NAMBLA member, a shoe bomber..Glenn Beck? Nope not scary enough. Close, but still not doing it for me.
What about these?
Jann Wenner -This scary bastard puts Madonna and Run DMC in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and nominates Bon Jovi before Rush or Yes. That's fucking scary.
This greasy character can be seen with his stank fedora hat head, shirt unbuttoned and swilling Coors Light at any high class function. He thinks his shit don't stink, but it really really does. He's so scary that millions of people keep buying his stinky shit, probably because they're scared...scared of where this country is going, scared of pulling their pants up,and scared of having one original thought in their head. Scares the shit out of me. He jumps genres when the one he used to perform ain't selling any more. He loves soldiers and Chevy trucks so much its frightening.
These are Juggalos. These aimless cretins are one small rung up the human food chain next to pedophiles. These white trash clowns scare me to death. They've mastered white ebonics, but can't use it in a sentence, they love hanging around mini markets, eating copious amounts of Little Debbies anything and mixing Faygo with antifreeze for fun. Horrifying.
This terrifying freak is called Irving Azoff. He wants you to refinance your home in order to be able to afford concert tickets. He wont tell you where the money for all of your extra charges go, and he doesn't care. His smarmy ,greedy smirk is akin to that of a leader of flesh eating zombies. Wait, that's cash eating zombies, sorry.
This new monster is a chameleon like caricature. The scare factor is high with this one because of his uncanny ability to shun 30 years of influence and entertainment, and abandon it to be a glossy sextegenerian shill for the scariest show of all time. Dude looks like a shady lady.
But this is the costume I picked. It's perfect. I get to masquerade as a horrific underwhelming, self important artist, spit fake blood while sucking blood from empty pocketed fans, blow my own horn relentlessly wherever I go, put my (he who should never be)name on everything from laxatives to limousines, like a big bloody Scarlet "G" and then sell it. He is soulless, and that is why he wants you to sell your soul to him. And then he puts his make up on, but that is much less scary to me. I like him unmasked, unattractive, unreal, undead.
That's the one. I'm putting my costume together, now. Does anyone have some fresh hairballs from a black cat. If you send enough of them in I could glue them together and recreate his wig. The head is really big. I might need some extra latex for that .
Happy Halloween !
But I'm perplexed. I'm running dry in the choose a costume dept. I thought of being ax-murdering psychopath, not scary enough, John Wayne Gacy in a dirty, bloodstained clown outfit...nope not scary enough. A NAMBLA member, a shoe bomber..Glenn Beck? Nope not scary enough. Close, but still not doing it for me.
What about these?
That's the one. I'm putting my costume together, now. Does anyone have some fresh hairballs from a black cat. If you send enough of them in I could glue them together and recreate his wig. The head is really big. I might need some extra latex for that .
Happy Halloween !
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Notes on Kylesa 10/26 in Philly
I went to see a great band last night. It's very close to Halloween, so I dressed up like a rock critic and headed down to the Starlight Ballroom in Philly to see Savannah, Georgia's own Kylesa. They happened to be opening for High On Fire, they have a hot, tough chick who plays pretty sick lead guitar and sings, they have two drummers who make Jaimoe and Butch from the Allman Bros. look like rank amateurs...and they are loud enough to make the Yeungling bottles shake like scared children in the back of the bar cooler. Their new album is called Spiral Shadow, and its louder than a Tea Party. Go get it.
Here are my notes, scratched into a moleskine in the dark, as usual. Some pics will follow.
Goldtop entrado
Burning grenades in a rusty tumbler
convulsion and propulsion from twin skins
coughing rockets
spiral shadows trembling
gold bottom goddess
a rush of pretty finger.
Cant see your sleeve
let me see your sleeve
ride cymbal pinging rivets like a brain metronome
click track bomb track
shooting bullets into a god operated wind tunnel
invite only.
So many beats, so little time
frenetic pace of huffing riff
aromatic dangling spliff
Its the rhythm, stupid.
ball peen hammer in the membrain.
drum circle gone wrong, wring of
black fire.
Hacking dragon, wing swept riff
finger tapping amperage princess
up and down the neck like she's waterboarding Thor.
These thunder gods like chainmailed rockettes
kicking out beastly rhythms in unison.
She sings from gossamer to gargoyle.
There is a ticket taker in Hades counting the scratch.
Every song a sludgy meth march to an unveiling
stripped us down to tooth and bone
shivering then ground to dust and memory.
Pummeled into powder for a confidence gun
battle cries hurled from crests
of castle walls and bottomless pits
This busted busty hussy popping wrist veins
choking out notes
clunky wrings clutching knuckles
both barrels blown
we're barely breathing.
As the four sticks submit, we submerge
from stunned punching
popping bearings careening off of
bulldozer blades ,
pushing the sleep away,
liquify crust.
This rain dance brings fire
this drum circle sparks war.
Kylesa rolls the bottom, down in the hole
crash cymbals like mountains high fiving in storm fronts.
Georgia has the cold dead finger on the racing pulse of metal, these days. Mastodon, Baroness, Kylesa, Black Tusk. Don't fear those beards. And when 3D blacklight posters of band Co-leader Laura Pleasants come out, ship mine here.
Here are my notes, scratched into a moleskine in the dark, as usual. Some pics will follow.
Goldtop entrado
Burning grenades in a rusty tumbler
convulsion and propulsion from twin skins
coughing rockets
spiral shadows trembling
gold bottom goddess
a rush of pretty finger.
Cant see your sleeve
let me see your sleeve
ride cymbal pinging rivets like a brain metronome
click track bomb track
shooting bullets into a god operated wind tunnel
invite only.
So many beats, so little time
frenetic pace of huffing riff
aromatic dangling spliff
Its the rhythm, stupid.
ball peen hammer in the membrain.
drum circle gone wrong, wring of
black fire.
Hacking dragon, wing swept riff
finger tapping amperage princess
up and down the neck like she's waterboarding Thor.
These thunder gods like chainmailed rockettes
kicking out beastly rhythms in unison.
She sings from gossamer to gargoyle.
There is a ticket taker in Hades counting the scratch.
Every song a sludgy meth march to an unveiling
stripped us down to tooth and bone
shivering then ground to dust and memory.
Pummeled into powder for a confidence gun
battle cries hurled from crests
of castle walls and bottomless pits
This busted busty hussy popping wrist veins
choking out notes
clunky wrings clutching knuckles
both barrels blown
we're barely breathing.
As the four sticks submit, we submerge
from stunned punching
popping bearings careening off of
bulldozer blades ,
pushing the sleep away,
liquify crust.
This rain dance brings fire
this drum circle sparks war.
Kylesa rolls the bottom, down in the hole
crash cymbals like mountains high fiving in storm fronts.
Georgia has the cold dead finger on the racing pulse of metal, these days. Mastodon, Baroness, Kylesa, Black Tusk. Don't fear those beards. And when 3D blacklight posters of band Co-leader Laura Pleasants come out, ship mine here.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Van Zeppelin?
So The Metal Den has unearthed a demo, jam tape..whatever you wanna call it from 1975 of a young band from Pasadena, doing a cover of a brand new Led Zeppelin song. Yeah, that's when Physical Graffiti was released. The song is Trampled Underfoot and the young band was Van Halen. You can have a listen here:
http://themetalden.com/index.php?p=16418
The quality begs me to wonder if they recorded it using one of those sears cassette player/recorders perched on a case of Heineken in Eddie's garage, but you get the gist.
As any serious Zep Fan knows, Trampled Underfoot has probably the most lyrics of any song in their catalog, (I count 9 short verses in between the "talkin' bout loves") and most are unintelligible because of the rate of speed in which the riff is repeated.
It's pretty much about comparing a hot babe to a hot rod.Lots of pipes, hoods and checking oil.
I think Diamond Dave gets a good 10 percent of the lyrics right. But he probably looked fabulous in that garage, breaking in the spandex for the first time.
Van Halen is back in the studio, with Wolfgang and Dave. Eddie will be doing all of Wolfies parts over on bass and they'll bring in a female singer to mimic Michael Anthony's stellar trademark VH back ground vocals.
Look for an exclusive Wal mart release in early 2011. And soon to follow, a tour sponsored by Nicorrette.
http://themetalden.com/index.php?p=16418
The quality begs me to wonder if they recorded it using one of those sears cassette player/recorders perched on a case of Heineken in Eddie's garage, but you get the gist.
As any serious Zep Fan knows, Trampled Underfoot has probably the most lyrics of any song in their catalog, (I count 9 short verses in between the "talkin' bout loves") and most are unintelligible because of the rate of speed in which the riff is repeated.
It's pretty much about comparing a hot babe to a hot rod.Lots of pipes, hoods and checking oil.
I think Diamond Dave gets a good 10 percent of the lyrics right. But he probably looked fabulous in that garage, breaking in the spandex for the first time.
Van Halen is back in the studio, with Wolfgang and Dave. Eddie will be doing all of Wolfies parts over on bass and they'll bring in a female singer to mimic Michael Anthony's stellar trademark VH back ground vocals.
Look for an exclusive Wal mart release in early 2011. And soon to follow, a tour sponsored by Nicorrette.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Review: Valient Thorr @ North Star Bar Philadelphia
Here in the terra firma of a dark bar, patrons loom anxious and curious like Area 51 gatecrashers armed with pints of special nectar. The anticipation of a sighting is overwhelming, and from the information we have gathered there are otherworldly glints of celestial beards afoot. We have been warned, probed and scanned for clearance and are about to witness a vision quest of extra terrestrial rock star bravado and virtuosity, a space brigade of five mysteriosos disguised in cut off denim jackets. What is this? Where did we get this information?
A sweaty mess of space eggs holographically appear under the lights. They vibrate and break open and Valient Thorr hatches out to inhabit the stage, huffing spastically, riff ready and aiming to spread a plethora of prophecies and blessings by way of their galactic gospel spewing leader, Valient Himself.
The sermon is called Stranger, their brand new release and the set is heavy with numbers from it. The set is heavy for it. “Disappearer” was chock full of mind numbing ampheti- speed, with enough gacky punch to bust a neck hinge off. We were amidst a dancing thrust of notes whirring in a thunder cloud as the new track” Double Crossed” slays us like lasers in the front row, letting us know we are all “liars”, and we believed it.
During the lethal whip crack of “Night Terrors”, a song about being taken by the light of bad dreams, we were privy to an escape as Valient directed us in a virtual group row. We got down on the floor and rowed like fearless dream Vikings, adrift through the stormy solos, slumber thrown asunder.
Thorriors know there is always some interplanetary wisdom given back at every show by the band, and this night was no different. This wisdom, probably collected throughout various missions, was doled out in fan favorites like “Tomorrow Police” and “Obituary”
Valient Thorr have outdone themselves on Stranger and to witness it live during one of their rare landings is a treat for any mere earthling. Track their ship and catch it in your town.
Here is their new video for "Double Crossed".
Stranger is out NOW. You don't need a beard to appreciate it. go to valientthorr.com for details!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Crocktober
Shit, I've been growing a baseball beard and working on my curmudgeon costume this past 12 days, sorry folks.
Real hard times at home are grinding my craw to a crawl... makes me look like the Boston(band) of the blog world, with an output of a post every 8 years or so. Anybody got a car, an apartment and some black market health insurance, let me know. If you're in a band and happen to have access to these things, I'll give you a great review, even if "heart beats like a drum" is anywhere on your lyric sheet.
There were a couple of highlights, though.
I went out to Washington for a wedding last week, hugged some massive trees, hiked(huff, puff) up to a clear view of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams, was out of any cell/internet service for 6 days and got to know the locals in Stevenson at the Walking Man Brewery as I drowned down a couple two, three, six Knuckle Draggers. When I came to, a day later, I had the opportunity to watch local up and comers Jackbone Dixie do a stripped down acoustic set as the wedding band. Emily Albaugh has one of those rare, one of a kind smoky, husky and bold voices, and she's all of 90 lbs. She should go pretty far with a tightened set and a move to nearby Portland.
Speaking of Portland, I finally got to meet the world famous Isorski, from Isorski's Musings. From what I remember, as we sampled a plethora of Oregonian pints, it was a great time. I only made fun of his Kiss devotion maybe 10 or 12 times. Hmmm, I wonder what he thinks about this fresh music news story?
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpps/entertainment/gene-simmons-targeted-by-hackers-dpgoha-20101018-fc_10165503
Even in the aftermath of leaving/losing my brand new 64g Itouch in the Dallas airport, that story makes me feel good.
Maybe even enough to get back on track and salvage this Crocktober for everyone.
Real hard times at home are grinding my craw to a crawl... makes me look like the Boston(band) of the blog world, with an output of a post every 8 years or so. Anybody got a car, an apartment and some black market health insurance, let me know. If you're in a band and happen to have access to these things, I'll give you a great review, even if "heart beats like a drum" is anywhere on your lyric sheet.
There were a couple of highlights, though.
I went out to Washington for a wedding last week, hugged some massive trees, hiked(huff, puff) up to a clear view of Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Adams, was out of any cell/internet service for 6 days and got to know the locals in Stevenson at the Walking Man Brewery as I drowned down a couple two, three, six Knuckle Draggers. When I came to, a day later, I had the opportunity to watch local up and comers Jackbone Dixie do a stripped down acoustic set as the wedding band. Emily Albaugh has one of those rare, one of a kind smoky, husky and bold voices, and she's all of 90 lbs. She should go pretty far with a tightened set and a move to nearby Portland.
Speaking of Portland, I finally got to meet the world famous Isorski, from Isorski's Musings. From what I remember, as we sampled a plethora of Oregonian pints, it was a great time. I only made fun of his Kiss devotion maybe 10 or 12 times. Hmmm, I wonder what he thinks about this fresh music news story?
http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/dpps/entertainment/gene-simmons-targeted-by-hackers-dpgoha-20101018-fc_10165503
Even in the aftermath of leaving/losing my brand new 64g Itouch in the Dallas airport, that story makes me feel good.
Maybe even enough to get back on track and salvage this Crocktober for everyone.
Wednesday, October 06, 2010
Readers Block
I am over tired from treading water in an over chlorinated pool of inspiration and information.
I am drowning in words that I have not read.
Forming sentences and ideas from disjointed dreams instead.
Time is my dance partner and I've never lead.
I'm chasing a storm that never lands
words on a page that I won't understand
smuggled into a lazy brain like contraband.
These are the books I have purchased in the last year and never started or never finished
Let It Blurt-Bio of Lester Bangs by Jim DeRogatis
Psychotic Reactoions and Carburetor Dung-Collective Writings by Lester Bangs
Open Up and Bleed- The Iggy Pop Bio by Paul Trynka
The Rock Bible-A book I recommended on this here blog and never finished
Soon I Will Be Invincible- Austin Grossman
Go Now-Richard Hell
The Raw Shark Texts-Steven Hall
Surviving The Death of a Sibling- T.J.Wray
Lush Life-Richard Price
I Hate New Music-Dave Thompson
What is the What-Dave Eggers
Middlesex-Jeffrey Eugenides
The Town That Forgot How to Breathe-Kenneth J. Harvey
Francis Bacon:Anatomy of an Enigma-Michael Peppiatt
Never Mind The Pollacks-Neil Pollack
King Dork-Frank Portman
Writers Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing
Child Of God-Cormac McCarthy
Moby Dick-Herman Melville
Chuck Klosterman IV- A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas
If You Want To Write- Brenda Ueland
Isn't it awesome when you really, really want to write..so you buy a heralded book called If You Want to Write, written by a 93 yr old woman.....and you let it sit there....not even reading page one.
I am drowning in words that I have not read.
Forming sentences and ideas from disjointed dreams instead.
Time is my dance partner and I've never lead.
I'm chasing a storm that never lands
words on a page that I won't understand
smuggled into a lazy brain like contraband.
These are the books I have purchased in the last year and never started or never finished
Let It Blurt-Bio of Lester Bangs by Jim DeRogatis
Psychotic Reactoions and Carburetor Dung-Collective Writings by Lester Bangs
Open Up and Bleed- The Iggy Pop Bio by Paul Trynka
The Rock Bible-A book I recommended on this here blog and never finished
Soon I Will Be Invincible- Austin Grossman
Go Now-Richard Hell
The Raw Shark Texts-Steven Hall
Surviving The Death of a Sibling- T.J.Wray
Lush Life-Richard Price
I Hate New Music-Dave Thompson
What is the What-Dave Eggers
Middlesex-Jeffrey Eugenides
The Town That Forgot How to Breathe-Kenneth J. Harvey
Francis Bacon:Anatomy of an Enigma-Michael Peppiatt
Never Mind The Pollacks-Neil Pollack
King Dork-Frank Portman
Writers Digest Handbook of Magazine Article Writing
Child Of God-Cormac McCarthy
Moby Dick-Herman Melville
Chuck Klosterman IV- A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas
If You Want To Write- Brenda Ueland
Isn't it awesome when you really, really want to write..so you buy a heralded book called If You Want to Write, written by a 93 yr old woman.....and you let it sit there....not even reading page one.
Saturday, October 02, 2010
Thoughts on the 2011 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees
Its that time of year again...The dreaded Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees have been announced...my comments are akin to a game of setting up Pabst Blue Ribbon cans on a fence some 20 yards away and using a shotgun to try and knock 'em down blindfolded while having just huffed 17 straight whippit canisters. Take it with as much relevance as you want
Let's have at it, starting with the obvious(and mostly way overdue) choices for induction.
Alice Cooper -Long overdue, the original shock rocker...a pioneer in stage show theatrics: snakes, guillotines, staged faux executions, eviscerating live chickens,and blood. Facepainted long before those losers in Kiss were covering up those pocked up butterfaces of theirs, and longer before those bigger losers in Insane Clown Posse were weeping at a Barnum and Bailey outing.Was rocking spandex, leather and crossdressing while Marilyn Manson was still in detention in some Floridian middle school, was using horror movies as inspiration while Rob Zombie was still peeing in his Garanimals watching The Exorcist. Now lets talk about the music....The first five albums with the original classic line up of Alice, Glen Buxton, Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith stretched the limits of what rock could be..conceptual, art rock, glam, hard rock and even the Garage-y sounds of their native Detroit. Give another listen to Love it to Death, School's Out or Billion Dollar Babies...you'll hear what I mean. IN
Neil Diamond- That schmaltzy baritone and that 70s Jewffont isn't whats going to get him in....the man is a songwriting MACHINE...A Brill bldg. legend...I'm a Believer? Kentucky Woman? Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon? Red,Red Wine? All NEIL's work. Name one other songwriter who wrote for ELVIS and DEEP PURPLE! You can't. But I think he should get in for this album cover alone, for Hot August Night. The album where he shows all of the ladies just how big his "solitary man" really is!!!
Tom Waits-Another prolific songwriter whose influence(not record sales) should get him admitted . The "hits" Downtown Train, Jersey Girl were afterthoughts for Waits..and given to Bruce and Rod to play around with. But his albums like Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, Bone Machine, The Black Rider, Mule Variations.....they really sound like no others. Using a wide range of uncommon instrumentation (Waterphones, Bassoons, pump organs, marimbas and accordians) and stretching into primal blues, deserted cabaret music and forgotten folk...Waits' style became his own. And that growl, that one of a kind voice that sounds like his nodes have been flame broiled and put through a shredder....is enough for me to want him IN.
Dr John- One of the godfathers of New Orleans zydeco/funk/blues...The piano man has paid his dues. He's played on a million albums with the likes of the Stones, Van Morrison, Rickie Lee Jones, The Band and Neil Diamond. Shit..he wrote and sang the theme song for BLOSSOM, y'all! IN.
DEFINITELY MAYBES- Laura Nyro, Donovan, Darlene Love and the J Geils Band.
ARE YOU F#@%$#N KIDDING ME: Bon Jovi???????? What did he ever do except moisten the panties of a couple million high haired gum smackin' girls in the 80s who then turned into those made up moms in mini van convoys blasting "Bed of Roses" and "I'll Be There For You ", blue-toothing it yenta style while on their way to pick up the kids at the hockey rink. NO NO NO.
Beastie Boys??? One of the only talented bands with ahem..three MC- style hip hop sensibilities in their spirited and lengthy repertoire, but really.....there is no rock anywhere to be found on Paul's Boutique, no matter how classic it is except the two drum samples from Jamies Cryin' and When the Levee Breaks. Sorry, Eggmen. NO NO No.
LL COOL J- Please go back to Cali. Preferably Fresno or Bakersfield. And put a shirt on before the flight.
Donna Summer- Remember when unruly(YES!!) Chicago DJ Steve Dahl and 10000 unruly(YES!!) and rabid rock fans blew up shitloads of disco albums in the outfield of Comiskey Park in 1979???? DID THAT NOT MEAN ANYTHING?
Chic- See above comments, and last years comments and any comments I probably made before that anywhere while enchanted by my fourth shot of Jager. Those are my "GOOD TIMES"!
SNOBBERY SNUBBERY: Say it with me...RUSH, YES, IRON MAIDEN, CHEAP TRICK, BIG STAR, THE CARS, BRIAN ENO, ROXY MUSIC and HEART!!! What the hell..throw in Chicago, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, MC5, Journey and Duran Duran in there too.
It ain't ever gonna be close to perfect, people. And thank my lucky stars for that or I'd have nothing to write about!!!
Now come forth, out of the shadows of night, basement bars and backs of cars and lets talk about it!!!
Let's have at it, starting with the obvious(and mostly way overdue) choices for induction.
Alice Cooper -Long overdue, the original shock rocker...a pioneer in stage show theatrics: snakes, guillotines, staged faux executions, eviscerating live chickens,and blood. Facepainted long before those losers in Kiss were covering up those pocked up butterfaces of theirs, and longer before those bigger losers in Insane Clown Posse were weeping at a Barnum and Bailey outing.Was rocking spandex, leather and crossdressing while Marilyn Manson was still in detention in some Floridian middle school, was using horror movies as inspiration while Rob Zombie was still peeing in his Garanimals watching The Exorcist. Now lets talk about the music....The first five albums with the original classic line up of Alice, Glen Buxton, Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith stretched the limits of what rock could be..conceptual, art rock, glam, hard rock and even the Garage-y sounds of their native Detroit. Give another listen to Love it to Death, School's Out or Billion Dollar Babies...you'll hear what I mean. IN
Neil Diamond- That schmaltzy baritone and that 70s Jewffont isn't whats going to get him in....the man is a songwriting MACHINE...A Brill bldg. legend...I'm a Believer? Kentucky Woman? Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon? Red,Red Wine? All NEIL's work. Name one other songwriter who wrote for ELVIS and DEEP PURPLE! You can't. But I think he should get in for this album cover alone, for Hot August Night. The album where he shows all of the ladies just how big his "solitary man" really is!!!
Tom Waits-Another prolific songwriter whose influence(not record sales) should get him admitted . The "hits" Downtown Train, Jersey Girl were afterthoughts for Waits..and given to Bruce and Rod to play around with. But his albums like Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs, Bone Machine, The Black Rider, Mule Variations.....they really sound like no others. Using a wide range of uncommon instrumentation (Waterphones, Bassoons, pump organs, marimbas and accordians) and stretching into primal blues, deserted cabaret music and forgotten folk...Waits' style became his own. And that growl, that one of a kind voice that sounds like his nodes have been flame broiled and put through a shredder....is enough for me to want him IN.
Dr John- One of the godfathers of New Orleans zydeco/funk/blues...The piano man has paid his dues. He's played on a million albums with the likes of the Stones, Van Morrison, Rickie Lee Jones, The Band and Neil Diamond. Shit..he wrote and sang the theme song for BLOSSOM, y'all! IN.
DEFINITELY MAYBES- Laura Nyro, Donovan, Darlene Love and the J Geils Band.
ARE YOU F#@%$#N KIDDING ME: Bon Jovi???????? What did he ever do except moisten the panties of a couple million high haired gum smackin' girls in the 80s who then turned into those made up moms in mini van convoys blasting "Bed of Roses" and "I'll Be There For You ", blue-toothing it yenta style while on their way to pick up the kids at the hockey rink. NO NO NO.
Beastie Boys??? One of the only talented bands with ahem..three MC- style hip hop sensibilities in their spirited and lengthy repertoire, but really.....there is no rock anywhere to be found on Paul's Boutique, no matter how classic it is except the two drum samples from Jamies Cryin' and When the Levee Breaks. Sorry, Eggmen. NO NO No.
LL COOL J- Please go back to Cali. Preferably Fresno or Bakersfield. And put a shirt on before the flight.
Donna Summer- Remember when unruly(YES!!) Chicago DJ Steve Dahl and 10000 unruly(YES!!) and rabid rock fans blew up shitloads of disco albums in the outfield of Comiskey Park in 1979???? DID THAT NOT MEAN ANYTHING?
Chic- See above comments, and last years comments and any comments I probably made before that anywhere while enchanted by my fourth shot of Jager. Those are my "GOOD TIMES"!
SNOBBERY SNUBBERY: Say it with me...RUSH, YES, IRON MAIDEN, CHEAP TRICK, BIG STAR, THE CARS, BRIAN ENO, ROXY MUSIC and HEART!!! What the hell..throw in Chicago, King Crimson, Jethro Tull, MC5, Journey and Duran Duran in there too.
It ain't ever gonna be close to perfect, people. And thank my lucky stars for that or I'd have nothing to write about!!!
Now come forth, out of the shadows of night, basement bars and backs of cars and lets talk about it!!!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Le Noise is Le Best Neil Young album in a Long,Long Time
Goosebumps. On the very first listen. Songs like Love and War, Hitchhiker, Angry World. Joy. Bliss. Heaven and Noise. His best since Harvest Moon......Maybe even since Harvest.
When I come down..I will review it. In the meantime, stop what you are doing and go and get it. Go find Daniel Lanois and give him a hug.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Un-Aerosmith Idle
Finally...a rant shows up, bumps me as it walks by, smelling like a mixture of Coke and a new fragrance called "PitchyDawg" and taunts me to push it around. First, let me show you this picture:
Steven Tyler has joined the cast of American Idol. Let that sink in for a minute.
The rumors were true. One of the toxic twins....Lead singer of Aerosmith...well, probably Former lead singer of Aerosmith now...has joined the cast of this debacle of a show as a judge.
This show, that has dumbed down an American music listening audience into moronic,mediocrity slumming consumers of shit rate entertainment...fucking glorified karaoke...and made the back yard church stars who sing this shit famous long enough to get a 2nd tier role in an off Broadway musical or a tour one step below fucking Disney on Ice.
Steven Tyler joined this show, putting away 30 plus years of being in the same great band, nullifying the time ,sweat and the everlasting stamp on rock history with at least 4 classic albums and 6 more very good ones....quite possibly ruining any bit of love, trust and brotherhood left between he and Joe Perry....after he fell off a fucking stage and decided to recuperate for a year while conjuring up plans to write an autobiography, do a solo album.....and alienate the rest of Aerosmith, making them wait on his shifty decision to come back for another tour.......THEN HE DECIDES TO DO THIS??????????
I just don't get it. Does he need the scratch? Fuck no. Cmon...how much does one man really need?? Does he really think this fading show, which even the bocephuses in the fly- over states have stopped watching , NEEDS HIM? What can he bring to it????? YOU CANT MAKE MUSICIANS OUT OF PEOPLE WITH LITTLE OR NO TALENT!! YOU EITHER HAVE IT OR YOU DON'T. WHY ARE MILLIONS of PEOPLE SO EASILY ENTERTAINED????? I BLAME YOU FOR THIS. ALL OF YOU.!!!!!! EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE FUCKING FAMOUS NOW. ITS BECAUSE OF YOU REALITY TV WATCHING JABBA THE HUTS ADDICTED TO BIG GULPS AND RINGTONES AND DANCING INSTEAD OF WALKING AND COVERS OF COVER SONGS PERFORMED BY COLORFULLY DRESSED ACTORS ON NETWORK TV AND BUYING DISPOSABLE SHIT COVERED SINGLES FROM APPLE AND READING STAR MAGAZINE ON YOUR IPADS WHILE DANCING FROM TACO BELL TO TARGET!!!!!
GO BACK TO YOUR CHURCH CHOIRS
GO BACK TO YOUR MALL TOURS
GO BACK TO YOUR FIST PUMPING
GO BACK TO YOUR INCESSANT TEXTING ABOUT NOTHING
GO BACK TO BELIEVING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND TIN EARED CO WORKERS WHO BELIEVE IN YOUR BARGAIN BASEMENT OFF KEY SUMMER CAMP ASSEMBLY OF A VOICE...
GO DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT WITH YOUR LIVES ...STOP LINING UP FOR THESE AUDITIONS LIKE OVER EMPHASIZED VOCAL GYMNASTS, STOP FEEDING THE FAT and DROOLING LEMMINGS AND INFLUENCING PEOPLE LIKE .....
Steven Tyler. Way to go Steven. You have LESS THAN ZERO credibility now.
Steven Tyler has joined the cast of American Idol. Let that sink in for a minute.
The rumors were true. One of the toxic twins....Lead singer of Aerosmith...well, probably Former lead singer of Aerosmith now...has joined the cast of this debacle of a show as a judge.
This show, that has dumbed down an American music listening audience into moronic,mediocrity slumming consumers of shit rate entertainment...fucking glorified karaoke...and made the back yard church stars who sing this shit famous long enough to get a 2nd tier role in an off Broadway musical or a tour one step below fucking Disney on Ice.
Steven Tyler joined this show, putting away 30 plus years of being in the same great band, nullifying the time ,sweat and the everlasting stamp on rock history with at least 4 classic albums and 6 more very good ones....quite possibly ruining any bit of love, trust and brotherhood left between he and Joe Perry....after he fell off a fucking stage and decided to recuperate for a year while conjuring up plans to write an autobiography, do a solo album.....and alienate the rest of Aerosmith, making them wait on his shifty decision to come back for another tour.......THEN HE DECIDES TO DO THIS??????????
I just don't get it. Does he need the scratch? Fuck no. Cmon...how much does one man really need?? Does he really think this fading show, which even the bocephuses in the fly- over states have stopped watching , NEEDS HIM? What can he bring to it????? YOU CANT MAKE MUSICIANS OUT OF PEOPLE WITH LITTLE OR NO TALENT!! YOU EITHER HAVE IT OR YOU DON'T. WHY ARE MILLIONS of PEOPLE SO EASILY ENTERTAINED????? I BLAME YOU FOR THIS. ALL OF YOU.!!!!!! EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE FUCKING FAMOUS NOW. ITS BECAUSE OF YOU REALITY TV WATCHING JABBA THE HUTS ADDICTED TO BIG GULPS AND RINGTONES AND DANCING INSTEAD OF WALKING AND COVERS OF COVER SONGS PERFORMED BY COLORFULLY DRESSED ACTORS ON NETWORK TV AND BUYING DISPOSABLE SHIT COVERED SINGLES FROM APPLE AND READING STAR MAGAZINE ON YOUR IPADS WHILE DANCING FROM TACO BELL TO TARGET!!!!!
GO BACK TO YOUR CHURCH CHOIRS
GO BACK TO YOUR MALL TOURS
GO BACK TO YOUR FIST PUMPING
GO BACK TO YOUR INCESSANT TEXTING ABOUT NOTHING
GO BACK TO BELIEVING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AND TIN EARED CO WORKERS WHO BELIEVE IN YOUR BARGAIN BASEMENT OFF KEY SUMMER CAMP ASSEMBLY OF A VOICE...
GO DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT WITH YOUR LIVES ...STOP LINING UP FOR THESE AUDITIONS LIKE OVER EMPHASIZED VOCAL GYMNASTS, STOP FEEDING THE FAT and DROOLING LEMMINGS AND INFLUENCING PEOPLE LIKE .....
Steven Tyler. Way to go Steven. You have LESS THAN ZERO credibility now.
Band of Joy on Jimmy Fallon
The Golden God does Raising Sand Part II. Band of Joy is a pack of legendary Nashville session players with Percy out in front...looking a little salt and pepper and a lot less golden, but I love it anyway. He does what he wants nowadays....leaving Jimmy Page with nothing left to do but release expensive coffee table books and roll in more royalties.
There's a bit of mysticism/folk with reverb on pretty much everything on the Band of Joy album. I keep waiting to hear Alison Krauss and her smooth, soothy siren of a voice on every track but it never shows up. This track is as loud as it gets by the way, so all of you Zep fan boys and girls who chose the Battle of Evermore as your favorite track will love this album. It's for adults who like to sit around and roll joints on Sunday mornings and need a soundtrack for reading the Times or baking hash brownies. But I love it anyway.
There's a bit of mysticism/folk with reverb on pretty much everything on the Band of Joy album. I keep waiting to hear Alison Krauss and her smooth, soothy siren of a voice on every track but it never shows up. This track is as loud as it gets by the way, so all of you Zep fan boys and girls who chose the Battle of Evermore as your favorite track will love this album. It's for adults who like to sit around and roll joints on Sunday mornings and need a soundtrack for reading the Times or baking hash brownies. But I love it anyway.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
OK Go -This Too Shall Pass Video
Thanks to Bob Lefsetz, for shining a light on this video from that crazy, innovative band OK Go. This band got a lot of attention with their video for Here it Goes Again..the one where they do a wacky dance while on a treadmill? Yes you and millions of others have seen it too.
With each and every video since, they have tried to out do themselves. I applaud their efforts, At least they bring something new, daring, freakishly conceptual and fun to the music video.
I somehow missed this version of the video for This Too Shall Pass. With over 16 million views on You Tube, it looks like a hit....video. I like the song a lot, catchy, great chorus, singable.....but the video might be the coolest thing I've ever seen. I will let it speak for itself....
With each and every video since, they have tried to out do themselves. I applaud their efforts, At least they bring something new, daring, freakishly conceptual and fun to the music video.
I somehow missed this version of the video for This Too Shall Pass. With over 16 million views on You Tube, it looks like a hit....video. I like the song a lot, catchy, great chorus, singable.....but the video might be the coolest thing I've ever seen. I will let it speak for itself....
Sunday, September 19, 2010
New Neil Young Video- "Hitchhiker" !
Is there anyone kicking more ass as a senior citizen than Neil Young?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
White House Feedback
No this has not turned into a political blog. Unless you want to talk about putting Paul McCartney on a postage stamp or outlawing hip hop ring tones. No, the title to this post refers to the video below. Dave Grohl doing his best dirty lookin' longhaired Paul McCartney with a performance of Band On the Run at the White House. This is from the recent PBS Special that nobody saw but everybody talked about.(I posted the vid of Jack White doing Mother Nature's Son a few weeks back). Lets hope for a DVD release. The distortion that kicks out the middle jam around 2 minutes in may have knocked a few of the First Lady's hairs out of place. It may have blown a fuse in the press room, or caused a jolt to knock out a few senatorial pacemakers who knows. I can't think of any other time when something this loud was played at the WH.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Bang Camaro Update
I am happy to link to an explanation/article posted on Bang Camaro's website which is a full disclosure from the band's co-founder and guitarist Alex Necochea as to the past present and future of the band.
I was a member of the band's choir on their last American tour in the spring of 2009(above, far left). It is a time in my life that I hold dear. When I think back to traversing across the country in a white extended van with 12 other guys....When I close my eyes and can relive the putrid medicinal smell of the entrance to another truck stop Subway, when I see smoke coming from a burning wheel of a small white trailer, when I see a triple chinned woman peeing in a Big Gulp cup while driving at around 80 miles an hour... my black heart warms up to a pale blue. Life was hard on the road and I loved every minute of it. I am honored to have been a part of it.
Here is the link: http://bangcamaro.com/wp02/?p=813
Sunday, September 12, 2010
All Of My Best VMA Tweets Right Here
I'd like to give Justin Bieber a swirlie until the bubbles stop.
I don't know who the fuck Nikki Minaj is, but she must have all custom made toilets in her house. You could fit several swing sets into her back yard. Those are massive cheeks...makes J Lo look like a piker.
Why is Will-I'm Not dressed like a tar baby?
Commercial for Vagisil right after Shaq stuffs a ball through a hoop.
Kesha is wearing a garbage bag..but it failed to reach all the way to her head. I wonder if she'll leave the awards with wads of gum and tampon wrappers stuck to her.
The whole concept of hip hop as a live performance is ridiculous. Eminem with a full orchestra??? Does that help his drama get sold better? So you had a pill problem, who gives a shit. Keith Richards never sang about his "recovery". He didn't need to. All hip hop is false drama, with jewelry. On teef.
Ellen Degenital-less definitely has an extensive strap-on collection.
Lady Gaga does ask, and does tell.
Best Rock Video...in the tradition of best rock videos, joining Guns and Roses, Nirvana and now 30 seconds to mars.............release the crickets.
I'm watching this Bieber kid...this semi gloss caricature of a human being....lets think back to when we were thirteen....this kid would have been skinned alive on his way to school, we were new teens listening to AC DC and Led Zeppelin..not practicing our disney boy band dance moves and grooming our rat tails ....I'm sure even the girls who had teen idols back then would have thought he was a pussy. Not worthy of a name etched on a textbook cover(right next to Duran Duran).. I've had it. I want all children beTWEEN the ages of 11 and 15 to be quarantined on an island not yet featured on a reality show and forcibly caned if they pick up any smartphone, ipod or X box. I want them to be forced to read nothing but philosophy, poetry, Philip K. Dick, Psychotic Reactions and Carburator Dung, Please Kill Me, The Dirt, Geek Love and the Dharma Bums. Lock up your tweens. They're tearing us the fuck apart.
Florence and the Machine-great voice...but Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks and Beth Orton already did it. She's wearing slightly longer curtains. Shit why does everyone need so many fucking DANCERS? WHY IS AMERICA DANCE CRAZY? WHY ARE YOU MOVING. SIT FUCKING STILL.
GLAA GGAA RAHH RAHH GLEE GLUMM GLAMMM GODDDDDDDDDDD DAMMMNNN MAAKKKEEEE ITTTT STOPPPPPPP.
oh no not another painfully weak and off key song from taylor swift. who signed this trailer park 7th place karaoke performer? Show yourself. Then show yourself out. I found myself crossing my bruised fingers(from punching the wall)and praying for autotune. Her hair got that curly from the static of wrong notes.
Drake ...is Canadian...whats with the ebonics? These rhymes are not poetry, more like verbal diarrhea. Soul-less skankness could use a good douching. All repetitive rhythm , no soul. Rappers wave their hands because they have no instruments.
All these collaborations in pop hip hop reek of weakness. Not one part can stand on their own.. so patch in some aggressive rapper bling blang blung over a somber piano track and a sweetly sung chorus phoned in by a mall punk with cherry kool aid hair and you got a hit tailor made for the mediocre mass of manic mall rats racing around in aimless idoltry.
I'm done. Got my punches in. Gonna dream of clean things. Good things. Anything but Kanye. Better Days of the music behind this. 'gnight.
I don't know who the fuck Nikki Minaj is, but she must have all custom made toilets in her house. You could fit several swing sets into her back yard. Those are massive cheeks...makes J Lo look like a piker.
Why is Will-I'm Not dressed like a tar baby?
Commercial for Vagisil right after Shaq stuffs a ball through a hoop.
Kesha is wearing a garbage bag..but it failed to reach all the way to her head. I wonder if she'll leave the awards with wads of gum and tampon wrappers stuck to her.
The whole concept of hip hop as a live performance is ridiculous. Eminem with a full orchestra??? Does that help his drama get sold better? So you had a pill problem, who gives a shit. Keith Richards never sang about his "recovery". He didn't need to. All hip hop is false drama, with jewelry. On teef.
Ellen Degenital-less definitely has an extensive strap-on collection.
Lady Gaga does ask, and does tell.
Best Rock Video...in the tradition of best rock videos, joining Guns and Roses, Nirvana and now 30 seconds to mars.............release the crickets.
I'm watching this Bieber kid...this semi gloss caricature of a human being....lets think back to when we were thirteen....this kid would have been skinned alive on his way to school, we were new teens listening to AC DC and Led Zeppelin..not practicing our disney boy band dance moves and grooming our rat tails ....I'm sure even the girls who had teen idols back then would have thought he was a pussy. Not worthy of a name etched on a textbook cover(right next to Duran Duran).. I've had it. I want all children beTWEEN the ages of 11 and 15 to be quarantined on an island not yet featured on a reality show and forcibly caned if they pick up any smartphone, ipod or X box. I want them to be forced to read nothing but philosophy, poetry, Philip K. Dick, Psychotic Reactions and Carburator Dung, Please Kill Me, The Dirt, Geek Love and the Dharma Bums. Lock up your tweens. They're tearing us the fuck apart.
Florence and the Machine-great voice...but Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks and Beth Orton already did it. She's wearing slightly longer curtains. Shit why does everyone need so many fucking DANCERS? WHY IS AMERICA DANCE CRAZY? WHY ARE YOU MOVING. SIT FUCKING STILL.
GLAA GGAA RAHH RAHH GLEE GLUMM GLAMMM GODDDDDDDDDDD DAMMMNNN MAAKKKEEEE ITTTT STOPPPPPPP.
oh no not another painfully weak and off key song from taylor swift. who signed this trailer park 7th place karaoke performer? Show yourself. Then show yourself out. I found myself crossing my bruised fingers(from punching the wall)and praying for autotune. Her hair got that curly from the static of wrong notes.
Drake ...is Canadian...whats with the ebonics? These rhymes are not poetry, more like verbal diarrhea. Soul-less skankness could use a good douching. All repetitive rhythm , no soul. Rappers wave their hands because they have no instruments.
All these collaborations in pop hip hop reek of weakness. Not one part can stand on their own.. so patch in some aggressive rapper bling blang blung over a somber piano track and a sweetly sung chorus phoned in by a mall punk with cherry kool aid hair and you got a hit tailor made for the mediocre mass of manic mall rats racing around in aimless idoltry.
I'm done. Got my punches in. Gonna dream of clean things. Good things. Anything but Kanye. Better Days of the music behind this. 'gnight.
Why am I Blooging About the MTV VMAs?
Because I've never been in a physical fight in my life...and this will feel like taking a crowbar to someone's skull(in written form, of course..I'm really a deeply faithful follower of the Gandhi principles)
Circle of Fits rates a lot of things in the music realm on a shit meter..and the VMAs fills the steamy summer festival port a potty to the seat every time.
I can't wait.
Circle of Fits rates a lot of things in the music realm on a shit meter..and the VMAs fills the steamy summer festival port a potty to the seat every time.
I can't wait.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Mannish Boy/ Masculine Playlist
Something made me feel like a masculinity challenged piece of shit recently...stopped me in my tracks, head tilted like a dog..silent.. and I'm kind of incensed about it. There is a huge part of me that wants to shout into my own ear..something like "Suck it Up, Dude" or "Suck It Up, Pansy". Either one would get a response, now I guess......Yesterday as I was shopping for a tool belt(I lost mine while running shirtless into a burning building to save three children and a parakeet on my way back from marathon training) in Home Depot. I'm often at Home Depot. I like to hang out there and high five anyone who walks by in a flannel shirt while holding a large adjustable impact wrench.
.But anyway....Mannish Boy(the muzak version) was playing through the store's speakers and it got me thinking about putting a playlist together of all the songs with the word "Man" or "Men" in the title. I went home, sat on the couch in my underwear and wrote down this list while on my sixth set of curls with a 40 pound dumbell......
1. Mannish Boy
2.) Man on a Silver Mountain
3.) Maneater
4) Magic Man
5) Rocket Man
6) Madman Across the Water
7) One Inch Man
8) Walk Like a Man
9) Dude Looks Like a Lady
10) Spoonman
11) Simple Man
12) Astro Man
13) Iron Man
14) Piano Man
15) Guitar Man
16) Man in a Box
17) Betterman
18) Egg Man
19) Candy Man
20) Son of a Preacher Man
21) Mr. Tambourine Man
22) The Man Who Sold The World
23) Man in the Mirror
24) Man in the Moon
25) I'm a Man
26) Brown Eyed Handsome Man
27) Man in the Long Black Coat
28) Solitary Man
29) Nowhere Man
30) Man on a Corner
31) Old Man
32) Stringman
33) Lucky Man
34) Young Man Blues
35) Ballad of a Thin Man
36) Fat Man
37) Sickman
38) 21st Century Schizoid Man
39) Ramblin Man
40) Ramblin Gamblin Man
41) Sharp Dressed Man
42) Macho Man
43) Real Men
44) Ape Man
45) Working Man
46) Drowning Man
47) Super Man
48) Poetry Man
49) Hurdy Gurdy Man
50) New World Man
51) Secret Agent Man
52) Stand By Your Man
53) Listen to What the Man Said
54) Dead Mans Curve
55) Rubberband Man
56) Watch That Man
57) Handy Man
58) Don't Pay the Ferryman
59) Soul Man
60) Old Man River
61) Its Raining Men
62) Rastaman Vibration
63) An Innocent Man
64) California Man
65) Enter Sandman
66) Street Fighting Man
67) Ice Cream Man
68) Men of Good Fortune
69) Monkey Man
70) Baby You're a Rich Man
71) Man In Black
72) Here Comes Your Man
73) Cinderella Man
74) Hey Man Nice Shot
75) Crackerman
76) King Contrary Man
77) My Old Man
78) Demolition Man
79) Back Door Man
80) Man of Constant Sorrow
81) The Old Man Down the Road
82) Hoochie Coochie Man
83) Star Man
84) Boogie Man
85) Big Boss Man
86) Well Respected Man
87) Walk Like a Man
88) When A Man Loves a Woman
89) Its a Man's Man's Man's World
90) Whatta Man
Man up and let me know if I missed any...
.But anyway....Mannish Boy(the muzak version) was playing through the store's speakers and it got me thinking about putting a playlist together of all the songs with the word "Man" or "Men" in the title. I went home, sat on the couch in my underwear and wrote down this list while on my sixth set of curls with a 40 pound dumbell......
1. Mannish Boy
2.) Man on a Silver Mountain
3.) Maneater
4) Magic Man
5) Rocket Man
6) Madman Across the Water
7) One Inch Man
8) Walk Like a Man
9) Dude Looks Like a Lady
10) Spoonman
11) Simple Man
12) Astro Man
13) Iron Man
14) Piano Man
15) Guitar Man
16) Man in a Box
17) Betterman
18) Egg Man
19) Candy Man
20) Son of a Preacher Man
21) Mr. Tambourine Man
22) The Man Who Sold The World
23) Man in the Mirror
24) Man in the Moon
25) I'm a Man
26) Brown Eyed Handsome Man
27) Man in the Long Black Coat
28) Solitary Man
29) Nowhere Man
30) Man on a Corner
31) Old Man
32) Stringman
33) Lucky Man
34) Young Man Blues
35) Ballad of a Thin Man
36) Fat Man
37) Sickman
38) 21st Century Schizoid Man
39) Ramblin Man
40) Ramblin Gamblin Man
41) Sharp Dressed Man
42) Macho Man
43) Real Men
44) Ape Man
45) Working Man
46) Drowning Man
47) Super Man
48) Poetry Man
49) Hurdy Gurdy Man
50) New World Man
51) Secret Agent Man
52) Stand By Your Man
53) Listen to What the Man Said
54) Dead Mans Curve
55) Rubberband Man
56) Watch That Man
57) Handy Man
58) Don't Pay the Ferryman
59) Soul Man
60) Old Man River
61) Its Raining Men
62) Rastaman Vibration
63) An Innocent Man
64) California Man
65) Enter Sandman
66) Street Fighting Man
67) Ice Cream Man
68) Men of Good Fortune
69) Monkey Man
70) Baby You're a Rich Man
71) Man In Black
72) Here Comes Your Man
73) Cinderella Man
74) Hey Man Nice Shot
75) Crackerman
76) King Contrary Man
77) My Old Man
78) Demolition Man
79) Back Door Man
80) Man of Constant Sorrow
81) The Old Man Down the Road
82) Hoochie Coochie Man
83) Star Man
84) Boogie Man
85) Big Boss Man
86) Well Respected Man
87) Walk Like a Man
88) When A Man Loves a Woman
89) Its a Man's Man's Man's World
90) Whatta Man
Man up and let me know if I missed any...
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Send Me Suggestions for Rants
All of the sudden, I have almost triple the followers that I used to have just one short month ago. This is due to the press picking up on a Philadelphia(where I live) based story that featured several bloggers(I was one) and their reactions to the City's plan to "tax" those who make money from their blogs(errr, businesses).
Thanks to the groovy people at Blogger(my blog platform) as well. They made Circle of Fits a blog of note for the last week in August. I have had more comments than ever..which creates conversations here and elsewhere...which is the real reason I started Circle of Fits in 2008.
I hope to get to know a great deal of you, see what you're made of and check out your blogs...it will take time as I'm very busy criticizing everything that's right and wrong with music today....yes...this is mainly a music blog....but not just any music blog that micro-hypes super obscure bands you've never heard of (I'm not indie enough), or bombards you with trivial music news(there are only 7 million blogs that already do that, no thanks)......No, I like to verbally eviscerate, poke fun, give overbearing props, and lace most everything in my Circle of Fits elixir with SARCASM.
I'm not one of the "those who cannot do, teach" dudes either. I've been a semi pro to pro rock singer in various bands for over 20 years. Yet, not one with Lead Singer Disease, or one who ever demanded his own tour bus( for road head privacy) or private accommodations (ever sleep with 8 other band members in one hotel room? I have.). I'm pretty humble, and ripe with self deprecation. So I'd like to believe in/promote my own slogan, which is "I only do two things very well...sing and complain."
That brings me to one of my favorite things to do on this blog......RANT. RANT about something ridiculous, unfair, juvenile, heinously overrated, and targeted to the most common denominators of the general listening public. It is usually about music..especially processed pop from vapid tweens and Hip Hop(the #2 cause of the downfall of society in the last 15 years..right behind reality television). I'm good at it, it makes people leave and never come back sometimes, but most of all it makes everyone think. or call the proper authorities...you choose.
SOOOO...I'd like to experiment a little with my new "followers". Are you following because you like? Or are you following for a link? We'll see. I'd like you to send ME in your suggestions for a good (music/pop culture) rant RANT that I could expand upon and put my personal 2-99 cents worth of super salty opinion into. Please do not be shy....nothing will be censored, nothing will be tame...... If I like your rant, I will link to you/follow your blog. If I don't, its OK, they can't all be winners...all bloggers must know this. The winner gets the RANT expanded upon and here and a bunch of praise/link love for originality and bite.
Thanks for playing. Thanks for reading. Really, thanks for taking the time out to find this place. And thanks for the conversation.!
Let the RANT suggestions begin!
Thanks to the groovy people at Blogger(my blog platform) as well. They made Circle of Fits a blog of note for the last week in August. I have had more comments than ever..which creates conversations here and elsewhere...which is the real reason I started Circle of Fits in 2008.
I hope to get to know a great deal of you, see what you're made of and check out your blogs...it will take time as I'm very busy criticizing everything that's right and wrong with music today....yes...this is mainly a music blog....but not just any music blog that micro-hypes super obscure bands you've never heard of (I'm not indie enough), or bombards you with trivial music news(there are only 7 million blogs that already do that, no thanks)......No, I like to verbally eviscerate, poke fun, give overbearing props, and lace most everything in my Circle of Fits elixir with SARCASM.
I'm not one of the "those who cannot do, teach" dudes either. I've been a semi pro to pro rock singer in various bands for over 20 years. Yet, not one with Lead Singer Disease, or one who ever demanded his own tour bus( for road head privacy) or private accommodations (ever sleep with 8 other band members in one hotel room? I have.). I'm pretty humble, and ripe with self deprecation. So I'd like to believe in/promote my own slogan, which is "I only do two things very well...sing and complain."
That brings me to one of my favorite things to do on this blog......RANT. RANT about something ridiculous, unfair, juvenile, heinously overrated, and targeted to the most common denominators of the general listening public. It is usually about music..especially processed pop from vapid tweens and Hip Hop(the #2 cause of the downfall of society in the last 15 years..right behind reality television). I'm good at it, it makes people leave and never come back sometimes, but most of all it makes everyone think. or call the proper authorities...you choose.
SOOOO...I'd like to experiment a little with my new "followers". Are you following because you like? Or are you following for a link? We'll see. I'd like you to send ME in your suggestions for a good (music/pop culture) rant RANT that I could expand upon and put my personal 2-99 cents worth of super salty opinion into. Please do not be shy....nothing will be censored, nothing will be tame...... If I like your rant, I will link to you/follow your blog. If I don't, its OK, they can't all be winners...all bloggers must know this. The winner gets the RANT expanded upon and here and a bunch of praise/link love for originality and bite.
Thanks for playing. Thanks for reading. Really, thanks for taking the time out to find this place. And thanks for the conversation.!
Let the RANT suggestions begin!
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Bad: Apparently the entire country is swept up in Glee fever.
Journalists keep incessantly writing about it, The Emmys took way too much note of it, its on the cover of Rolling Stone, half of the cast (name ONE member) are in talks for their own reality shows..,etc.,etc. Meanwhile, I've yet to meet ANYONE who watches it besides well- kempt men who own flower shops, people who always pick a Journey song at Karaoke and understudies for the lead male cheerleader at any Division One school.
I think I'll buy some Dharma Initiative beers on Ebay for 600 bucks a six pack before I'll believe that Jorge inspired this album in any way.
Wednesday, September 01, 2010
Come on Feel "Le Noise"
This from the Los Angeles Times:
Neil Young to put 'Le Noise' out
Los Angeles - — Nearly every decade since Neil Young launched a solo career in 1968, the Canadian rocker has put out a watershed album with which he's upped the ante for himself. In 1969, it was his sophomore effort, "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." In 1979, punk rock was powerfully on his mind in "Rust Never Sleeps," while 1989 brought "Freedom."
"Silver & Gold," released in 2000, didn't quite hit the same level of accomplishment, but with "Le Noise," to be released Sept. 28, Young's peaking in yet another decade. The title is a wink to his collaborator, musician-producer Daniel Lanois, who premiered the album last week at his home here. Listeners packed into the living room of the mansion to hear it on a first-class sound system, in the dark.
"Silver & Gold," released in 2000, didn't quite hit the same level of accomplishment, but with "Le Noise," to be released Sept. 28, Young's peaking in yet another decade. The title is a wink to his collaborator, musician-producer Daniel Lanois, who premiered the album last week at his home here. Listeners packed into the living room of the mansion to hear it on a first-class sound system, in the dark.
"Le Noise" was made predominantly with Young and a guitar. His hollow-body Gretsch electric slashes and burns for most of the tracks; a couple are built around acoustic instruments. Both are amplified by Lanois' looped vocals and guitar bass notes enhanced with electronics.
The eight songs travel a path from the electrified reverie of "Walk With Me," through the nakedly autobiographical "Love and War" and into the acoustic-guitar-driven "Peaceful Valley."
The recent losses of two close friends certainly had to figure in the new material, which Lanois said they crafted together "over four full moons."
Lanois said the project started out as an all-acoustic album, but he began prodding Young to get at what was in his heart. "He has the ability to really reach down deep inside," Lanois said during a break before the album was played a second time, accompanied by gritty film footage of Young singing.
Young's manager, Elliot Roberts, said "Le Noise" will be released in a variety of formats, in keeping with Young's ongoing exploration and exploitation of new technology.
Young and his record label have been digging through the vaults for material for his huge "Archives" multiyear boxed-set project - Vol. 2 is due in 2012, Roberts said.
Daniel Lanois is a master of using the natural acoustics and architecture of "rooms" to bring out the beauty of the bare bones approach he has used to record with Peter Gabriel, U2 and Bob Dylan. Yeah, you've heard of those guys , but check out his own work on incredible albums like Acadie(1989) and The Beauty of Wynona(1993) (my personal favs).
And now he sprinkles his faerie dust on Neil Young with this upcoming release...on of my most anticipated releases for 2010. Neil is no stranger to recording with just he and his guitar...a highlight, believe it or not, would be his MTV Unplugged album from 1993 and of course a revamped- for- his Archives re-release(2007) of the famous Massey Hall show from 1971. But this is a perfect combination...2 masters obsessed with getting the perfect sound to match the song. I cannot wait.
The eight songs travel a path from the electrified reverie of "Walk With Me," through the nakedly autobiographical "Love and War" and into the acoustic-guitar-driven "Peaceful Valley."
The recent losses of two close friends certainly had to figure in the new material, which Lanois said they crafted together "over four full moons."
Lanois said the project started out as an all-acoustic album, but he began prodding Young to get at what was in his heart. "He has the ability to really reach down deep inside," Lanois said during a break before the album was played a second time, accompanied by gritty film footage of Young singing.
Young's manager, Elliot Roberts, said "Le Noise" will be released in a variety of formats, in keeping with Young's ongoing exploration and exploitation of new technology.
Young and his record label have been digging through the vaults for material for his huge "Archives" multiyear boxed-set project - Vol. 2 is due in 2012, Roberts said.
Daniel Lanois is a master of using the natural acoustics and architecture of "rooms" to bring out the beauty of the bare bones approach he has used to record with Peter Gabriel, U2 and Bob Dylan. Yeah, you've heard of those guys , but check out his own work on incredible albums like Acadie(1989) and The Beauty of Wynona(1993) (my personal favs).
And now he sprinkles his faerie dust on Neil Young with this upcoming release...on of my most anticipated releases for 2010. Neil is no stranger to recording with just he and his guitar...a highlight, believe it or not, would be his MTV Unplugged album from 1993 and of course a revamped- for- his Archives re-release(2007) of the famous Massey Hall show from 1971. But this is a perfect combination...2 masters obsessed with getting the perfect sound to match the song. I cannot wait.
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