I'm fortunate, I married someone who shares my disdain for Valentine's Day. In fact, her disdain may outweigh mine, because really, my disdain is probably more indifference wrapped in a stubbornness against the fact that we're all supposed to show our love and affection for our significant others on some predetermined day each year. You know, Hallmark holiday, etc, etc. So, in dishonor of this stupid, stupid, made up "holiday," here are some anti-romance songs. Share some earbuds and listen with a loved one.
And of course, this blog post wouldn't be complete without a Smiths song. Only problem was picking just one.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Top 10 of '11 (not to be)
I have compiled a list of my Top 10, 15 or 20 albums of the year on this here blog since 2006; this would have been the sixth consecutive year. But it was not to be. To arrive at my lists in years past, I often had listened to upwards of 25-30 albums that had been released in that calendar year. And not just "a" listen either. Most were probably given at least 3-5 full listen-throughs, and many in the 10-15 listens range. I got to listen to a fairly decent amount of new music each year. Well, not this year...
Having a job that has kept me busy and a daughter that went from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years old really put a damper on my music listening endeavors this past year. Priorities and shit. Well, I did manage to persevere and get some new music listened to -- just not enough to put a passable list together that I (and literally NO ONE else) might look back at a few years from now and feel comfortable with. That's not to say that music wasn't listened to. Oh, it was. Just not the latest and greatest that 2011 had to offer. To borrow a well-worn sports cliche -- there's always next year. Here are a few albums I DID get to listen to, and enjoy...in no particular order:
Radiohead -- The King of Limbs
Smith Westerns -- Dye it Blonde
PJ Harvey -- Let England Shake
Bon Iver -- Bon Iver
Fleet Foxes -- Helplessness Blues
TV on the Radio -- Nine Types of Light
Having a job that has kept me busy and a daughter that went from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 years old really put a damper on my music listening endeavors this past year. Priorities and shit. Well, I did manage to persevere and get some new music listened to -- just not enough to put a passable list together that I (and literally NO ONE else) might look back at a few years from now and feel comfortable with. That's not to say that music wasn't listened to. Oh, it was. Just not the latest and greatest that 2011 had to offer. To borrow a well-worn sports cliche -- there's always next year. Here are a few albums I DID get to listen to, and enjoy...in no particular order:
Radiohead -- The King of Limbs
Smith Westerns -- Dye it Blonde
PJ Harvey -- Let England Shake
Bon Iver -- Bon Iver
Fleet Foxes -- Helplessness Blues
TV on the Radio -- Nine Types of Light
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
I've been busy...
New job where actual WORK needs to be done. Daily. Insane, I know. I'll get back to all my imaginary readers soon. Promise.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Late to the party - The Avalanches
One great thing about recorded music, perhaps the greatest thing even, is that since it is recorded, it can be discovered and enjoyed by the listener at his or her convenience. No duh, right? Well, in a time when most albums are leaked months prior to their release dates to enterprising downloaders clamoring to put some tracks on their blog or brag to their friends, it's nice to know, for the rest of us, the music will be there when we get to it.
Case in point: The Avalanches fantastic album Since I Left You, which was released in 2001, and which I am just now getting around to enjoying.
As most of you probably know, this isn't some obscure record that went unnoticed and has just recently garnered some praise. It was pretty much unanimously heralded as a masterpiece and wound up toward the top of many a 2001 best albums list. Add to this I was very aware of the album, and at one point even had the album in mp3 form on a disc full of other mp3 albums. Needless to say, it never got burnt onto a disc in music form, nor did it find it's way onto my first generation iPod. And that is a shame. But it waited for me, just like whole bunch of other bands and albums did, and as many more will continue to do.
Case in point: The Avalanches fantastic album Since I Left You, which was released in 2001, and which I am just now getting around to enjoying.
As most of you probably know, this isn't some obscure record that went unnoticed and has just recently garnered some praise. It was pretty much unanimously heralded as a masterpiece and wound up toward the top of many a 2001 best albums list. Add to this I was very aware of the album, and at one point even had the album in mp3 form on a disc full of other mp3 albums. Needless to say, it never got burnt onto a disc in music form, nor did it find it's way onto my first generation iPod. And that is a shame. But it waited for me, just like whole bunch of other bands and albums did, and as many more will continue to do.
Friday, December 10, 2010
My Top 20 Albums of 2010
I would have to say that 2010 was a fine year for music. A lot of really good releases early on, some great stuff in the spring and summer, and then it finished strong, like Michael Phelps anchoring a relay (with a bong waiting for him at the finish). My year-end list is dominated by guitar rock (even more so than usual), but I'm not quite sure what that means other than a lot of great guitar-based albums came out and I managed to steer clear of a lot of the electronic stuff. Which is neither good nor bad. That stuff will still be there for me to listen to in 2011 or 2012, or whenever I get to it. On to the list!
20. Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts
Dips its toes in the lo-fi wading pool at times, but really, just a great straight forward rock album. Plenty of hooks and a few surprises, just when you think you got 'em pegged. Worthy debut from these Brits.
19. MGMT - Congratulations
Sure, there's no "Time to Pretend" or "Kids," or even "Electric Feel" for that matter. But if you listened to the rest of the band's disjointed first album, you could tell they weren't really just about those electro-pop moments. This is modern psychedelia at it's finest. Enjoy it for what it is, don't hate on it for what it's not.
18. Best Coast - Crazy For You
Love the West Coast 60s vibe of this album. Clean, simple pop songs, just like they did it back in the day. The perfect album to play in SoCal when you're grilling burgers on a warm summer afternoon. Or, to warm you up when you're outside grilling on a winter night and the temp is inching too close to the 40s for comfort.
17. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Dancey electro-pop with a bit of an edge. Like you're at a party in a sketchy neighborhood and you're having fun, but you feel the need to keep looking over your shoulder, JUST IN CASE. An odd opening track and a second half that fizzles out a bit kept this from cracking my top 10.
16. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
Driving beats, subtle atmospherics and darker lyrical content make this the yang to Best Coast's California yin. If BC is the sound of the beach and backyard barbecues, Dum Dum Girls is a night out on the town in Echo Park. Also a bonus - all females.
15. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Los Angeles is in the hizz-ouse!! Counting the album just ahead of this one and the two behind it, that makes four L.A. bands in my top 20. Very nice 2010, L.A.! Standout track "Airplanes" sucked me in immediately and the rest of the album proved to be very solid - packed with interesting percussion and staccato rhythms, whatever THAT means.
14. No Age - Everything In Between
I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed at first with this album. Not sure what I was expecting, but I had REALLY high hopes for this one. Maybe too high. It's a little more moody and subtle where I was expecting more bombast and hooks. But it IS a good album, expectations be damned.
13. The New Pornographers - Together
I think we've been spoiled by a few bands over the years, and this is definitely one of them. Consistency isn't as cool as whatever the new crop of up-and-comers are doing, but rest assured, most of us will be listening to this album a few years from now while most of those up-and-comers will have flamed out. Ho-hum, another New Pornographers album, another set of catchy indie pop done to perfection. Yawn.
12. Black Keys - Brothers
This album was released in May, but I just got around to listening to it over the past couple of months. Glad I did. More blooze rock mastery from Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Who needs the White Stripes when these guys keep putting out albums like this?
11. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
These Floridians come off as the perfect mix of West Coast chill and East Coast cool on their debut. Weezer is the comparison that gets thrown around the most, and I see it, but only on a few songs. Only "time will tell" if they've got the "staying power," but this is great guitar rock to "live in the now" with. (Cliche-bot 2000 over here)(Also, BARF). Bonus points for using "Jabroni" in not one, but TWO song titles. Well done, guys!
10. The National - High Violet
The National released one of my favorite songs of 2009, "So Far Around the Bend," off the fantastic Dark Was the Night comp, so I was eager to hear a new batch of songs. High Violet isn't as instantly enjoyable as their previous two albums, but given a few listens, the songs do start to reveal themselves in greater depth. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" just missed cracking my Top 10 songs list.
9. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
Right from the start, Mr. Leo lets you know he's about business on this new one. "The Mighty Sparrow" kicks off the album with urgent vocals and a chugging guitar and it never looks backs. I wasn't a fan of his last release, but I'm back on board with this one. Full review here.
8. Vampire Weekend - Contra
Vampire Weekend really make it look easy, don't they? Simple hooks and simple, pretty little melodies. Well, take it from a guy who has never written a song in his life - that shit ain't easy! The "afro" part of the afropop equation is pretty much gone, just leaving the "pop" on this, their second album. This album routinely cheers me up while driving in traffic.
7. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
There's a lot to digest here. A loose Civil War theme, readings from Abraham Lincoln speeches, references to Billy Bragg and The Boss, and most of that happens on track one! This is really just a powerful, timeless punk record that helps remind me why I spent a good chunk of my early 20s consumed by punk rock. Thanks for the reminder, guys.
6. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
I'm pretty sure I like this record more than most people. What that means to me is that "most people" are totally missing out. And that I am much cooler than most people. BSS may suffer from the same "consistency" plague I mentioned above about The New Pornographers. Damn, we are a spoiled lot.
5. Spoon - Transference
I'm either getting damn boring in my old age or the old guard indie heroes really came through this year. Probably both. All you cool kids can take your Crystal Castles and Salem and I'll gladly take another set of tightly wound guitar rock from Britt Daniel and co.
4. The Walkmen - Lisbon
Imma be straight witchu because if there's one thing I believe in, it's straight talk. Well, that and the fact that there will be a zombie apocalypse in 2012. So I guess I believe in two things. Sue me! We're all gonna get eaten by zombies anyway. Back to the straight talk. I may have this album ranked too high. There, I said it. Again, SUE ME! But it has my favorite song of the year and some other really good ones as well. Perhaps not as good as You & Me, but still very good.
3. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
There's talk that this may be the last LCD album for a while, or forever even. That would bum me out almost as much as a zombie apocalypse. I know James Murphy will still be making music in some regard, but LCD Soundsystem is a fantastic vehicle for his musical talent and wit. Say it ain't so, James!
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
This album is a little less dramatic in scope compared to Funeral and Neon Bible, at least from a musical standpoint. Win Butler's lyrical content is still grandiose, however, and at times, a bit overwrought. But we've come to expect that from him, now haven't we? I like the range of songs on this album, though, and they manage to pull it off without the album sounding too disjointed.
1. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Almost every band in my Top 10 from 2008 made an album this year. Four of them are on this list and the band with my favorite album of that year is the same as this year. Considering how different Deerhunter's 2008 release, Microcastle, is from their latest, it's pretty impressive (as impressive as getting the top spot twice on a blog no one reads can be, I suppose). Where Microcastle was a bit of a post-punk juggernaut, Halcyon Digest has many more pop moments and many of the songs have a more stripped down aesthetic. At this point, if Bradford Cox's next releases were an R&B album followed by a jazz-fusion number, and they were both great, I wouldn't even blink. Right now, he can do no wrong.
And that's that. Looking forward to revisiting this list in a few years to see how my picks held up. Much of what the new kids were doing this year just didn't grab me. We'll see if it hits me in 2011.
20. Male Bonding - Nothing Hurts
Dips its toes in the lo-fi wading pool at times, but really, just a great straight forward rock album. Plenty of hooks and a few surprises, just when you think you got 'em pegged. Worthy debut from these Brits.
19. MGMT - Congratulations
Sure, there's no "Time to Pretend" or "Kids," or even "Electric Feel" for that matter. But if you listened to the rest of the band's disjointed first album, you could tell they weren't really just about those electro-pop moments. This is modern psychedelia at it's finest. Enjoy it for what it is, don't hate on it for what it's not.
18. Best Coast - Crazy For You
Love the West Coast 60s vibe of this album. Clean, simple pop songs, just like they did it back in the day. The perfect album to play in SoCal when you're grilling burgers on a warm summer afternoon. Or, to warm you up when you're outside grilling on a winter night and the temp is inching too close to the 40s for comfort.
17. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
Dancey electro-pop with a bit of an edge. Like you're at a party in a sketchy neighborhood and you're having fun, but you feel the need to keep looking over your shoulder, JUST IN CASE. An odd opening track and a second half that fizzles out a bit kept this from cracking my top 10.
16. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
Driving beats, subtle atmospherics and darker lyrical content make this the yang to Best Coast's California yin. If BC is the sound of the beach and backyard barbecues, Dum Dum Girls is a night out on the town in Echo Park. Also a bonus - all females.
15. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Los Angeles is in the hizz-ouse!! Counting the album just ahead of this one and the two behind it, that makes four L.A. bands in my top 20. Very nice 2010, L.A.! Standout track "Airplanes" sucked me in immediately and the rest of the album proved to be very solid - packed with interesting percussion and staccato rhythms, whatever THAT means.
14. No Age - Everything In Between
I'll be honest, I was a bit disappointed at first with this album. Not sure what I was expecting, but I had REALLY high hopes for this one. Maybe too high. It's a little more moody and subtle where I was expecting more bombast and hooks. But it IS a good album, expectations be damned.
13. The New Pornographers - Together
I think we've been spoiled by a few bands over the years, and this is definitely one of them. Consistency isn't as cool as whatever the new crop of up-and-comers are doing, but rest assured, most of us will be listening to this album a few years from now while most of those up-and-comers will have flamed out. Ho-hum, another New Pornographers album, another set of catchy indie pop done to perfection. Yawn.
12. Black Keys - Brothers
This album was released in May, but I just got around to listening to it over the past couple of months. Glad I did. More blooze rock mastery from Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney. Who needs the White Stripes when these guys keep putting out albums like this?
11. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
These Floridians come off as the perfect mix of West Coast chill and East Coast cool on their debut. Weezer is the comparison that gets thrown around the most, and I see it, but only on a few songs. Only "time will tell" if they've got the "staying power," but this is great guitar rock to "live in the now" with. (Cliche-bot 2000 over here)(Also, BARF). Bonus points for using "Jabroni" in not one, but TWO song titles. Well done, guys!
10. The National - High Violet
The National released one of my favorite songs of 2009, "So Far Around the Bend," off the fantastic Dark Was the Night comp, so I was eager to hear a new batch of songs. High Violet isn't as instantly enjoyable as their previous two albums, but given a few listens, the songs do start to reveal themselves in greater depth. "Bloodbuzz Ohio" just missed cracking my Top 10 songs list.
9. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - The Brutalist Bricks
Right from the start, Mr. Leo lets you know he's about business on this new one. "The Mighty Sparrow" kicks off the album with urgent vocals and a chugging guitar and it never looks backs. I wasn't a fan of his last release, but I'm back on board with this one. Full review here.
8. Vampire Weekend - Contra
Vampire Weekend really make it look easy, don't they? Simple hooks and simple, pretty little melodies. Well, take it from a guy who has never written a song in his life - that shit ain't easy! The "afro" part of the afropop equation is pretty much gone, just leaving the "pop" on this, their second album. This album routinely cheers me up while driving in traffic.
7. Titus Andronicus - The Monitor
There's a lot to digest here. A loose Civil War theme, readings from Abraham Lincoln speeches, references to Billy Bragg and The Boss, and most of that happens on track one! This is really just a powerful, timeless punk record that helps remind me why I spent a good chunk of my early 20s consumed by punk rock. Thanks for the reminder, guys.
6. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record
I'm pretty sure I like this record more than most people. What that means to me is that "most people" are totally missing out. And that I am much cooler than most people. BSS may suffer from the same "consistency" plague I mentioned above about The New Pornographers. Damn, we are a spoiled lot.
5. Spoon - Transference
I'm either getting damn boring in my old age or the old guard indie heroes really came through this year. Probably both. All you cool kids can take your Crystal Castles and Salem and I'll gladly take another set of tightly wound guitar rock from Britt Daniel and co.
4. The Walkmen - Lisbon
Imma be straight witchu because if there's one thing I believe in, it's straight talk. Well, that and the fact that there will be a zombie apocalypse in 2012. So I guess I believe in two things. Sue me! We're all gonna get eaten by zombies anyway. Back to the straight talk. I may have this album ranked too high. There, I said it. Again, SUE ME! But it has my favorite song of the year and some other really good ones as well. Perhaps not as good as You & Me, but still very good.
3. LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening
There's talk that this may be the last LCD album for a while, or forever even. That would bum me out almost as much as a zombie apocalypse. I know James Murphy will still be making music in some regard, but LCD Soundsystem is a fantastic vehicle for his musical talent and wit. Say it ain't so, James!
2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
This album is a little less dramatic in scope compared to Funeral and Neon Bible, at least from a musical standpoint. Win Butler's lyrical content is still grandiose, however, and at times, a bit overwrought. But we've come to expect that from him, now haven't we? I like the range of songs on this album, though, and they manage to pull it off without the album sounding too disjointed.
1. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Almost every band in my Top 10 from 2008 made an album this year. Four of them are on this list and the band with my favorite album of that year is the same as this year. Considering how different Deerhunter's 2008 release, Microcastle, is from their latest, it's pretty impressive (as impressive as getting the top spot twice on a blog no one reads can be, I suppose). Where Microcastle was a bit of a post-punk juggernaut, Halcyon Digest has many more pop moments and many of the songs have a more stripped down aesthetic. At this point, if Bradford Cox's next releases were an R&B album followed by a jazz-fusion number, and they were both great, I wouldn't even blink. Right now, he can do no wrong.
And that's that. Looking forward to revisiting this list in a few years to see how my picks held up. Much of what the new kids were doing this year just didn't grab me. We'll see if it hits me in 2011.
Friday, December 3, 2010
My Top 10 Songs of 2010
What was supposed to be a Top 5 has supersized itself into a Top 10. It's the American way, right?
10. "All to All" - Broken Social Scene
Easily the most beautiful song on a beautiful album. Vocals courtesy of not Feist, nor Emily Haines, but one Lisa Lobsinger, whose breathy delivery floats on a sea of bubbling synths.
9. "Infinity Guitars" - Sleigh Bells
I can't make it all the way through this album in one sitting, but damn, if this song didn't end up in a ton of my playlists in 2010. Shouty vocals, like some sort of punk rock cheer, hand claps and fuzzy distorted guitar. All turned up to 11, and then 13 for the final 40 seconds.
8. "Swim" - Surfer Blood
Not much cool music comes from Florida, but these young Sunshine Staters delivered a very solid album (Astro Coast) full of blistering reverb-heavy guitar rock. "Swim" treads in Blue Album Weezer territory without sounding like a rip-off.
7. "Crash Years" - New Pornographers
A gentle-yet-up-tempo pop song with strings and Neko Case's velvet pipes. What the hell else do you need? Nothing, that's what. Well, the coy little Smiths reference, "honey child you're not safe here" didn't hurt either.
6. "Answer to Yourself" - The Soft Pack
This straight-ahead garage jam is like a pep-talk in holey jeans and a threadbare t-shirt. It's sometimes tough to tell if the singer is talking to us or himself, but the sentiment is great and the rolling bass line and tight guitar licks almost will you to get off your ass and DO SOMETHING. San Diego, represent!
5. "Giving Up the Gun" - Vampire Weekend
VW's shimmering pop has gotten even shimmering-er on their second album, and no song illustrates this like "Giving Up the Gun." A bouncy beat buoyed by some well-placed synths tells the tale of an old war hero thinking about his past. The video, however, features famous people playing tennis. And it is fantastic.
4. "Airplanes" - Local Natives
Easily the most sentimental song in my list, a grandson lamenting not getting the chance to spend more time with his dead grandfather as he goes through some old photos and possessions. Sappy shit, to be sure. But the music sounds triumphant and frames the whole event as a celebration of life. I still can't help but picture many a young hipster playing the "I want you back" refrain into their phones after a fight with their girlfriend. Like I said, sappy shit.
3. "A More Perfect Union" - Titus Andronicus
Oh, Titus Andronicus, how you bring me back to my ramshackle (not really, but play along) punk rock past. This song makes me want to find the nearest circle pit (Chain Reaction, maybe?) and throw my skinny elbows around like it was 1999.
2. "Ambling Alp" - Yeasayer
No album made me dance around my house when the wife and kid weren't home this year more than Odd Blood. And the biggest reason was "Ambling Alp," a jam tailor made to make the indie kids test the elasticity of their skinny jeans. No sicko, because they're dancing. Get your mind out of the gutter. Want to keep the dance party going? Check out "ONE" as well.
1. "Angela Surf City" - The Walkmen
When The Walkmen recorded this song, they obviously had me in mind. And by "me" I guess I mean people who are suckers for the quiet-loud-quiet formula. Hot damn, when the drums speed up and signal the onslaught that is the song's perfect chorus, I pretty much lose my shit, metaphorically. I honestly never thought they could record a song I'd like more than "The Rat." Well, they did.
I was going to post YouTube clips of each, but decided against it to keep the post a reasonable length. Most can found in two previous posts here and here.
10. "All to All" - Broken Social Scene
Easily the most beautiful song on a beautiful album. Vocals courtesy of not Feist, nor Emily Haines, but one Lisa Lobsinger, whose breathy delivery floats on a sea of bubbling synths.
9. "Infinity Guitars" - Sleigh Bells
I can't make it all the way through this album in one sitting, but damn, if this song didn't end up in a ton of my playlists in 2010. Shouty vocals, like some sort of punk rock cheer, hand claps and fuzzy distorted guitar. All turned up to 11, and then 13 for the final 40 seconds.
8. "Swim" - Surfer Blood
Not much cool music comes from Florida, but these young Sunshine Staters delivered a very solid album (Astro Coast) full of blistering reverb-heavy guitar rock. "Swim" treads in Blue Album Weezer territory without sounding like a rip-off.
7. "Crash Years" - New Pornographers
A gentle-yet-up-tempo pop song with strings and Neko Case's velvet pipes. What the hell else do you need? Nothing, that's what. Well, the coy little Smiths reference, "honey child you're not safe here" didn't hurt either.
6. "Answer to Yourself" - The Soft Pack
This straight-ahead garage jam is like a pep-talk in holey jeans and a threadbare t-shirt. It's sometimes tough to tell if the singer is talking to us or himself, but the sentiment is great and the rolling bass line and tight guitar licks almost will you to get off your ass and DO SOMETHING. San Diego, represent!
5. "Giving Up the Gun" - Vampire Weekend
VW's shimmering pop has gotten even shimmering-er on their second album, and no song illustrates this like "Giving Up the Gun." A bouncy beat buoyed by some well-placed synths tells the tale of an old war hero thinking about his past. The video, however, features famous people playing tennis. And it is fantastic.
4. "Airplanes" - Local Natives
Easily the most sentimental song in my list, a grandson lamenting not getting the chance to spend more time with his dead grandfather as he goes through some old photos and possessions. Sappy shit, to be sure. But the music sounds triumphant and frames the whole event as a celebration of life. I still can't help but picture many a young hipster playing the "I want you back" refrain into their phones after a fight with their girlfriend. Like I said, sappy shit.
3. "A More Perfect Union" - Titus Andronicus
Oh, Titus Andronicus, how you bring me back to my ramshackle (not really, but play along) punk rock past. This song makes me want to find the nearest circle pit (Chain Reaction, maybe?) and throw my skinny elbows around like it was 1999.
2. "Ambling Alp" - Yeasayer
No album made me dance around my house when the wife and kid weren't home this year more than Odd Blood. And the biggest reason was "Ambling Alp," a jam tailor made to make the indie kids test the elasticity of their skinny jeans. No sicko, because they're dancing. Get your mind out of the gutter. Want to keep the dance party going? Check out "ONE" as well.
1. "Angela Surf City" - The Walkmen
When The Walkmen recorded this song, they obviously had me in mind. And by "me" I guess I mean people who are suckers for the quiet-loud-quiet formula. Hot damn, when the drums speed up and signal the onslaught that is the song's perfect chorus, I pretty much lose my shit, metaphorically. I honestly never thought they could record a song I'd like more than "The Rat." Well, they did.
I was going to post YouTube clips of each, but decided against it to keep the post a reasonable length. Most can found in two previous posts here and here.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tips to surviving a Zombie Apocalypse
It very well may just be a "guy thing*," but there are certain movies and TV series that, after watching, it is nearly impossible NOT to imagine yourself in similar circumstances. Cases in point: Red Dawn, Castaway, Alive. I rest my cases!
Let's take Red Dawn for instance. Any red-blooded American male who watched that movie and didn't imagine themselves fighting off Soviet and Cuban invaders guerrilla warfare-style should be put into a time machine and sent back to 1980s Russia, cuz youz a COMMUNIST!
On to the meat of this blog post. So, AMC has a series called The Walking Dead, which is about a zombie apocalypse, and also which is freaking fantastic. And which, YES NERDS**, is based on a comic book I never read because I'm not a "comic book kinda guy," whatever THAT is. I won't get into the particulars of the show, because you already watch it, RIGHT? Suffice it to say that zombies are fucking everywhere and they are hell bent on eating you, as zombies are wont to do.
A quick aside. I'm not really a horror movie, blood and guts and gore kinda guy. It's just not my thing. That said, I've had a soft spot for zombies ever since I saw The Return of the Living Dead and Night of the Comet as a tween.
OK, back to the matter at hand - surviving a zombie apocalypse. Watching The Walking Dead has given me some REAL insight when it comes to tips to staying alive while the world is crawling with flesh-eating zombies. Here are my suggestions:
Let's take Red Dawn for instance. Any red-blooded American male who watched that movie and didn't imagine themselves fighting off Soviet and Cuban invaders guerrilla warfare-style should be put into a time machine and sent back to 1980s Russia, cuz youz a COMMUNIST!
On to the meat of this blog post. So, AMC has a series called The Walking Dead, which is about a zombie apocalypse, and also which is freaking fantastic. And which, YES NERDS**, is based on a comic book I never read because I'm not a "comic book kinda guy," whatever THAT is. I won't get into the particulars of the show, because you already watch it, RIGHT? Suffice it to say that zombies are fucking everywhere and they are hell bent on eating you, as zombies are wont to do.
A quick aside. I'm not really a horror movie, blood and guts and gore kinda guy. It's just not my thing. That said, I've had a soft spot for zombies ever since I saw The Return of the Living Dead and Night of the Comet as a tween.
OK, back to the matter at hand - surviving a zombie apocalypse. Watching The Walking Dead has given me some REAL insight when it comes to tips to staying alive while the world is crawling with flesh-eating zombies. Here are my suggestions:
Monday, November 29, 2010
Homeward bound
It's dark now as I make my way out of the building after work and head to my vehicle. I don't mind the cooler weather fall brings, but the early nightfall, I could do without. Another nondescript day of work like so many before it, gone by the wayside. Another day, another dollar, they say.
I hop into the driver's seat of my metal and plastic mode of transport after throwing my laptop case in the back seat. I have my iPod, but decide to see what the talking heads of drive-time AM sports talk have in store for me first. What else - NFL talk. The NFL dominates the sports landscape during its off season, so it's no surprise the topic of conversation 24-hours-a-day while games are actually being played.
I hop into the driver's seat of my metal and plastic mode of transport after throwing my laptop case in the back seat. I have my iPod, but decide to see what the talking heads of drive-time AM sports talk have in store for me first. What else - NFL talk. The NFL dominates the sports landscape during its off season, so it's no surprise the topic of conversation 24-hours-a-day while games are actually being played.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Arcade Fire "The Suburbs" Video
Spike Jonze-directed video for the title track from the newest Arcade Fire album. I don't post videos just for the sake of posting videos, but this is pretty good. And a bit unsettling.
It's not you, it's me (well, maybe it's you)
Our relationships with bands isn't too dissimilar to our relationships with people. Some are built to last. Some start out great and then fade over time. Some just weren't meant to be. Sometimes it's the band's fault. Other times, it's the listener who's to blame. And sometimes, it's no ones fault - listeners and bands simply grow apart.
This, of course, happens on a monthly basis when you're a teenager. One week it's hip-hop, the next it's classic rock, the next you meet a cute goth chick who works at Starbucks and you're all about Bauhaus and eyeliner. You get the point. Sure, everyone's musical palette refines at a different rate, but I'd guess for most, by the time you hit your mid-to-late twenties, you have a pretty good grasp of the music you will probably listen to till you either can't hear anymore or you die (just pictured myself listening to Fugazi as a 90-year-old).
So, with this in mind, here are a few bands I've more or less broken up with over the last few years, along with a brief history of the torrid affair. Scandalous!
This, of course, happens on a monthly basis when you're a teenager. One week it's hip-hop, the next it's classic rock, the next you meet a cute goth chick who works at Starbucks and you're all about Bauhaus and eyeliner. You get the point. Sure, everyone's musical palette refines at a different rate, but I'd guess for most, by the time you hit your mid-to-late twenties, you have a pretty good grasp of the music you will probably listen to till you either can't hear anymore or you die (just pictured myself listening to Fugazi as a 90-year-old).
So, with this in mind, here are a few bands I've more or less broken up with over the last few years, along with a brief history of the torrid affair. Scandalous!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The forgotten song
Look, people, I'm getting old. I forget things. My back gets sore for seemingly no reason. I change into sweat pants or pajama bottoms the minute I get home from work. It takes every ounce of restraint for me to not yell at the neighborhood kids when whatever "game" they're playing spills onto my lawn. Anyway, let's get back to me "forgetting things" before I forget the point of this post. I forgot about a song. Not just any song, mind you. A song I would consider in my top 15 or 20 songs of ALL TIME.
"How could that happen?," you might ask.
Well, I'll tell you as soon as I finish this Werther's Original.
Mmmm, tasty. OK, so my iPod crashed maybe two years ago. I had recently moved, so my CDs (see, old) were all boxed up and the computer that had since served to house all my mp3s (whatever those are) was no longer functioning. No biggy. My Bridge partner, Terry, had nearly everything that was on my iPod on an external hard drive. Problem solved! Now, let's go to Hometown Buffet, it's nearly 6:30.
Flash forward to last week. I'm sitting where I am now, at my desk at work, and I'm not quite sure how, but something triggers this forgotten song. It's a Pixies song. I know it's a song on Bossanova, but it's not the version that's on Bossanova. So I fire up the old Google machine and within seconds, my memory sufficiently jogged, I remember the song is the Pixies At The BBC version of "Is She Weird."
The Pixies are one of my favorite bands. EVER. Top five as of right now and that ain't changing anytime soon (I'm set in my ways, just like any self respecting old person). So why the fuck wasn't this song on my iPod? Well, my Bridge partner and I share many musical interests. The Pixies aren't one of them. So when I restocked my iPod with all his digital goodies, the Pixies were left out in the cold. And as of me typing this, I still only have Surfer Rosa on the iPod because I'm lazy and don't want to find the box that has all my Pixies CDs.
Total sob story, huh? I need another Werther's.
"How could that happen?," you might ask.
Well, I'll tell you as soon as I finish this Werther's Original.
Mmmm, tasty. OK, so my iPod crashed maybe two years ago. I had recently moved, so my CDs (see, old) were all boxed up and the computer that had since served to house all my mp3s (whatever those are) was no longer functioning. No biggy. My Bridge partner, Terry, had nearly everything that was on my iPod on an external hard drive. Problem solved! Now, let's go to Hometown Buffet, it's nearly 6:30.
Flash forward to last week. I'm sitting where I am now, at my desk at work, and I'm not quite sure how, but something triggers this forgotten song. It's a Pixies song. I know it's a song on Bossanova, but it's not the version that's on Bossanova. So I fire up the old Google machine and within seconds, my memory sufficiently jogged, I remember the song is the Pixies At The BBC version of "Is She Weird."
The Pixies are one of my favorite bands. EVER. Top five as of right now and that ain't changing anytime soon (I'm set in my ways, just like any self respecting old person). So why the fuck wasn't this song on my iPod? Well, my Bridge partner and I share many musical interests. The Pixies aren't one of them. So when I restocked my iPod with all his digital goodies, the Pixies were left out in the cold. And as of me typing this, I still only have Surfer Rosa on the iPod because I'm lazy and don't want to find the box that has all my Pixies CDs.
Total sob story, huh? I need another Werther's.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
"Island 5" Albums
This is a well-worn subject. The old "you're stranded on a desert island and you can only have five movies/albums/etc..." We've all played it, numerous times, for sure. So why not again?
The impetus for this post was reading this on the NPR Music blog. The writer, Robin Hilton, made some interesting points while revisiting his own "Island 5" from a few years ago. Namely, it would be easy to just list your five favorite records, but what if a few of them are really similar in tone, mood, tempo, etc.? As much as you may love them, having virtually the same sounding album may not be the best choice when you're "stuck" with just five. One must choose wisely and account for differing moods and states of mind. I'm not sure if I did that or not. Essentially, I picked an album from each of my five favorite bands, and I did cheat and pick a compilation (gasp!) for one of them.
Here are my "Island 5" albums:
The Clash - London Calling
The Smiths - The Smiths
Fugazi - The Argument
Radiohead - Kid A
Pixies - Death to the Pixies
Before cheating with my Pixies compilation, I had The Thermals album The Body, The Blood, The Machine on the list. I needed an up-tempo rocker as my picks were decidedly mid-tempo. I tried to settle on just one Pixies album, and I couldn't. So I copped out and picked a compilation. Sue me, I'm stuck on a freaking desert island for chrissakes!
But wait! I do have an original caveat to add to this VERY ripped off post. From your five albums, pick the song you want playing when you're being rescued. Picture this: You board the rescue boat, weak from a diet of coconut and shellfish. You're handed a bottle of water and you immediately begin guzzling, so fast you nearly choke. You're lips are dry and chapped, you're face is weathered and sun burnt. The boat takes off and you're in the back, looking at the island you called home for a few months slowly disappear from sight. You're saved. What song from your list of five albums is playing?
Mine: "How to Disappear Completely" from Kid A. It's actually an insanely prefect song for the occasion. The mood, the lyrics, the title - EVERYTHING. Oh, my rescue would be magnificent with this song playing in the background.
So, go ahead and list your five albums in the comments along with your rescue track.
The impetus for this post was reading this on the NPR Music blog. The writer, Robin Hilton, made some interesting points while revisiting his own "Island 5" from a few years ago. Namely, it would be easy to just list your five favorite records, but what if a few of them are really similar in tone, mood, tempo, etc.? As much as you may love them, having virtually the same sounding album may not be the best choice when you're "stuck" with just five. One must choose wisely and account for differing moods and states of mind. I'm not sure if I did that or not. Essentially, I picked an album from each of my five favorite bands, and I did cheat and pick a compilation (gasp!) for one of them.
Here are my "Island 5" albums:
The Clash - London Calling
The Smiths - The Smiths
Fugazi - The Argument
Radiohead - Kid A
Pixies - Death to the Pixies
Before cheating with my Pixies compilation, I had The Thermals album The Body, The Blood, The Machine on the list. I needed an up-tempo rocker as my picks were decidedly mid-tempo. I tried to settle on just one Pixies album, and I couldn't. So I copped out and picked a compilation. Sue me, I'm stuck on a freaking desert island for chrissakes!
But wait! I do have an original caveat to add to this VERY ripped off post. From your five albums, pick the song you want playing when you're being rescued. Picture this: You board the rescue boat, weak from a diet of coconut and shellfish. You're handed a bottle of water and you immediately begin guzzling, so fast you nearly choke. You're lips are dry and chapped, you're face is weathered and sun burnt. The boat takes off and you're in the back, looking at the island you called home for a few months slowly disappear from sight. You're saved. What song from your list of five albums is playing?
Mine: "How to Disappear Completely" from Kid A. It's actually an insanely prefect song for the occasion. The mood, the lyrics, the title - EVERYTHING. Oh, my rescue would be magnificent with this song playing in the background.
So, go ahead and list your five albums in the comments along with your rescue track.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
You should read this
Not this. This post on the Aquarium Drunkard blog. Read it if you're looking for something good to read. Or even if you're not.
Conan to the rescue?
After nine months away from the medium that made him famous, Conan is back. Back doing an opening monologue, back interviewing celebrities with something to promote, back introducing musical guests that hopefully fall more in line with those on his old Late Night show and not from his short stint on the Tonight Show. Yes, Conan is back. Doing the normal things late night talk show hosts do. Were you expecting more?
I wasn't, but I'd bet there were more than a few Conanites who were expecting a glorious return to television whereby he would use his new platform on basic cable to revolutionize the stale genre, or at the very least, spruce it up a bit. Two shows in, and it's pretty much business as usual. And that's just fine by me. The genre of late night TV may be old and stale, but as of now, it still sorta works. People want to hear jokes about the news of the day, and watch celebrities get interviewed, and watch bands play their newest singles. Like any show, it's not always gonna be good. Monologue jokes will miss, celebrities will phone in their interviews and Kings of Leon will occasionally be booked. It happens. But having Conan back to laugh it all off while laughing at himself, and in turn, giving us something to laugh at, is a good thing.
Monday's show was a bit predictable. Cold open. Jokes about NBC. More jokes about NBC. Jack White. It was good, familiar. Last night was better. Conan's visit to the TBS Standards and Practices guy was hilarious and I don't remember a single joke about NBC or Jay Leno. Which is good. He's really beaten that horse to death already, no? He had an entire comedy tour with jokes and songs based solely on that, and he joined Twitter (thankfully) and he's done some bits for the web. It should be out of his system. And he doesn't need it. He's too smart and too funny to keep going to that well (which, let's be honest, dried up before the summer). Now I'm sure guests will bring it up now and then and a stray monologue shot may be fired, but as I said above, hopefully those are few and far between.
So, welcome back Conan! It's good to have you back, goofing around on TV. Just don't book Kings of Leon all that often, huh?
Here's last night's bit with the TBS censor. Classic Conan.
I wasn't, but I'd bet there were more than a few Conanites who were expecting a glorious return to television whereby he would use his new platform on basic cable to revolutionize the stale genre, or at the very least, spruce it up a bit. Two shows in, and it's pretty much business as usual. And that's just fine by me. The genre of late night TV may be old and stale, but as of now, it still sorta works. People want to hear jokes about the news of the day, and watch celebrities get interviewed, and watch bands play their newest singles. Like any show, it's not always gonna be good. Monologue jokes will miss, celebrities will phone in their interviews and Kings of Leon will occasionally be booked. It happens. But having Conan back to laugh it all off while laughing at himself, and in turn, giving us something to laugh at, is a good thing.
Monday's show was a bit predictable. Cold open. Jokes about NBC. More jokes about NBC. Jack White. It was good, familiar. Last night was better. Conan's visit to the TBS Standards and Practices guy was hilarious and I don't remember a single joke about NBC or Jay Leno. Which is good. He's really beaten that horse to death already, no? He had an entire comedy tour with jokes and songs based solely on that, and he joined Twitter (thankfully) and he's done some bits for the web. It should be out of his system. And he doesn't need it. He's too smart and too funny to keep going to that well (which, let's be honest, dried up before the summer). Now I'm sure guests will bring it up now and then and a stray monologue shot may be fired, but as I said above, hopefully those are few and far between.
So, welcome back Conan! It's good to have you back, goofing around on TV. Just don't book Kings of Leon all that often, huh?
Here's last night's bit with the TBS censor. Classic Conan.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
More song of the year finalists
Here are a few more songs in consideration for what will ultimately be a Top 5 list of my favorite songs of 2010. More to follow, most likely.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Gateway music (in a good way)
I made a lot of questionable music choices in the mid-to-late 90s. Southern California was awash in 2nd generation punk, or melodic punk as I've heard it called, and I was all about it. ALL. ABOUT. IT. I bought the CDs, wore the t-shirts, attended the shows (multiple Warped Tours!). Punk was definitely not dead as far as this skinny little white boy was concerned, and I cruised around greater Orange County in my Mazda pickup, windows down, detachable face Pioneer stereo cranked up to offensive decibel levels to prove it.
But questionable music choices or not, I regret nothing. For while my foray into the punk scene may have introduced me to the less-than-stellar Unwritten Law, Strung Out and Guttermouth (among many, many, others), it also introduced me to The Clash, The Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, Descendents, The Stooges, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains and The Jam. Just to name a few. All seminal bands in their own right that transcend any genre or "scene" - bands that have stuck with me and still grace my iPod today.
As for all the shitty bands along the way - I'd like to think I helped put some of their kids through college, because I bought an obscene amount of CDs back then. I'll probably get rid of them someday, but for now, they're still a reminder of a fun period of my life. And a little NOFX every now and then never hurt anyone.
But questionable music choices or not, I regret nothing. For while my foray into the punk scene may have introduced me to the less-than-stellar Unwritten Law, Strung Out and Guttermouth (among many, many, others), it also introduced me to The Clash, The Buzzcocks, Stiff Little Fingers, Descendents, The Stooges, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Bad Brains and The Jam. Just to name a few. All seminal bands in their own right that transcend any genre or "scene" - bands that have stuck with me and still grace my iPod today.
As for all the shitty bands along the way - I'd like to think I helped put some of their kids through college, because I bought an obscene amount of CDs back then. I'll probably get rid of them someday, but for now, they're still a reminder of a fun period of my life. And a little NOFX every now and then never hurt anyone.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Musical regrets
My friend Vicki, whose blog you should peruse if you're the video game-playing type, mentioned in a tweet and on said blog that she laments not seeing At The Drive-In live before the band famously imploded.
I, on the other hand, did.
But really, that's beside the point. This isn't to rub it in (more than I already have) that I saw one of the best live acts of the early aughts and she didn't*. Hell, she was just a teenager and I was in my concert-attending prime. The point is, reading her mentions of ATDI got me listening to some of their stuff again and searching for some live clips of the band. The below clip, which I remember taping to VHS, shows ATDI not long before the aforementioned implosion, but still in face-melting form.
So watch as At The Drive-In blows the roof off the Ed Sullivan Theater and the toupee off Letterman's dome. This one's for you, Vicki.
*My big musical regret: Not seeing Elliott Smith before it was too late. Especially a show he did at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.
I, on the other hand, did.
But really, that's beside the point. This isn't to rub it in (more than I already have) that I saw one of the best live acts of the early aughts and she didn't*. Hell, she was just a teenager and I was in my concert-attending prime. The point is, reading her mentions of ATDI got me listening to some of their stuff again and searching for some live clips of the band. The below clip, which I remember taping to VHS, shows ATDI not long before the aforementioned implosion, but still in face-melting form.
So watch as At The Drive-In blows the roof off the Ed Sullivan Theater and the toupee off Letterman's dome. This one's for you, Vicki.
*My big musical regret: Not seeing Elliott Smith before it was too late. Especially a show he did at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Some song of the year finalists
I've done a year end list of my favorite albums released in that calendar year ever since I started this blog in 2006. In fact, I think it's the sole reason I started it, other than to pick up chicks ("that's right, I'm a blogger baby"). It's kind of a big deal (to me). I think this year I may just start a new tradition and also put a little list together of my favorite songs from that year as well. Thinking just a Top 5. Over the next few weeks I'll post some YouTube clips of those tracks, and I welcome some suggestions in the comments. Here's a few to start:
I'll be posting more as they come to me. Suggestions, please!
I'll be posting more as they come to me. Suggestions, please!
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