The rise and fall of hair metal: A play in three acts, by The Darkness

Play it: The Darkness One Way Ticket to Hell... and Back

I'm a bit reluctant to recommend this album, but it's just quite possible that it's flaws reveal the genius of The Darkness. What? Ok, hear me out.

When The Darkness released their debut (Play it: Permission to Land) there was some buzz, as it encapsulated what drew a lot of people to Hair Metal's guilty pleasure. It was full of hooks, presented as earnest (even though we know it to be a show,) and it was... well, fun. Now, since that album, The Darkness have toured and, through PR releases for the new album, have fretted over the pressure to live up to being 'the best band in the world.' The press release for One Way Ticket to Hell starts off with this bit of hubris:

Everything you've heard is true. All of it. The exhaustion and the fear, the pressure, paranoia and pan pipes, the breakdowns and break-ups, the sackings, sitar solos and endless studio sessions, and now ultimately - with this, their second album - the rebirth and redemption of The Darkness.

The story goes that as they went to record One Way Ticket..., they went through drug and alcohol abuse and even broke up briefly... but they persevered and finished this overproduced release, which quite fittingly, encapsulates the excess of Hair Metal just before it collapsed.

The album opens with pan flute fanfare ("the world's greatest pan-pipe player recorded up a mountain in Peru,") telling us right off what we're in for, and then chugs into the title track/lead single, which is like a Behind the Music for the band, complete with the snorting of blow. The rest of the album plods through excesses (orchestras, Mellotrons, Moogs, sitars, flugelhorns, saxophones, bagpipes) but there's nothing as grabbing as the singles from their debut (especially "I Believe in a Thing Called Love".) In fact, the themes seem to be about getting older... relationships, coming to terms with mortality, male pattern baldness (funny to hear from a band in the 'hair' biz,) that is to say nothing like the sex, drugs and rock n' roll of the debut. A couple songs are groaners ("Girlfriend" is cringeworthy indeed,) but there are some highlights. "Is it Just Me?" comes close to capturing the fun and hooks of the debut, and "English Country Garden" is a fun pop ride that's like Queen on speed.

The excesses and themes of the album (and the Press Release back story) all point to The Darkness mirroring the rise and fall of Hair Metal, all in the process of three years and two albums. Perhaps I'm giving them too much credit, but it feels so WWF to me, and the act is too perfect. All they need to do now, to complete Act III of The Rise and Fall of Hair Metal, is to make a video for the ballad "It Seemed Like A Good Idea at the Time," in the style of GnR's "November Rain," complete with Justin at his piano in an Axl Rose doo-rag.

The props for the video are for sale... and Stephanie Seymour might be available for a cameo.

Previously:
Hair Metal's slight return (Fargo Rock City by Chuck Klosterman)

tags: playlist, music, the darkness, hair metal, november rain, guns n' roses

Hair Metal's slight return

Play it: Nonessential Hair Metal Records I Really, Really Like (by Chuck Klosterman, from his book Fargo Rock City)

Tomorrow Hair Metal revivalists The Darkness release their sophomore release (One Way Ticket To Hell... and Back, play the advanced single "One Way Ticket") and I thought it would be interesting to get back in that hair metal frame of mind again, so I re-read Chuck Klosterman's excellent (brave) book on the era, Fargo Rock City, told from the perspective of Middle America.

Now, Klosterman's always ripe for lists (and hubris) and this book has plenty to mine (but I'm not a clear-cutter, so one will do.) The Nonessential Hair Metal Records list has all sorts of rules, one of which isn't a span of time for the record to fall into. No Led Zepp, no KISS w/ makeup, no Ozzy-era Black Sabbath, no early Van Halen, no grunge... let's just say the rules help shape what you'd already probably considered 'Hair Metal.'

Klosterman doesn't stop there, though, he also lists an amount of cash (Jack Factor) that it would take to get him to never listen to said album again. These run from $66 (Van Halen's 1984) to $5001 (Guns n' Roses' Appetite for Destruction.) I've listed the Jack Factor w/ the list's tracklisting in the comments.

tags: playlist, music, the darkness, hair metal, chuck klosterman, fargo rock city

Post-Turkey workout plan

Play it: Post-turkey baby workout plan

So what does a baby do the day after gorging himself on shredded turkey and mashed carrots? Crawl through lots of tunnels at Gymboree Play & Music.

There's been a wave of articles talking about the trend of kids gyms across the country. Analysts attribute it to parents' fear of child obesity, which is certainly not the reason we're hanging out at Gymboree on the Friday after Thanksgiving. Just looking for anything to tire the kid out on a day that wouldn't stop raining. That and it's incredibly fun to see the lil' monkey go at it.

45 minutes later Eli was taken to the mat hard by the nap bug. Mission accomplished.

tags: playlist, music, baby, gymboree, thanksgiving

Clasp Your TPS Report Say Yeah

Play it: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah "Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth"

This season of The Office has really hit it's stride, after some difficulties out of the gate last year. Already locked up for a third season, it's now able to color many of the characters out of their BBC counterparts initial lines, thanks in part to excellent performances from Rain Wilson (left) and Steve Carrell.

I finally got a chance to see this past Tuesday night's episode, and it featured some Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (already scooped by Merry Swankster,) playing in the background of a non-descript party. The song was my fave track from their self-titled debut, the very Modest Mouse-y "Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth." Many had pointed to them as an example of a great band that doesn't 'sell out' to tv shows, when they turned down the oppurtunity to play the Bait Shop on an episode of The O.C. I guess The Office qualifies for streed cred, at least in CYHSY's eyes.

tags: playlist, music, the office, clap your hands say yeah, thanksgiving

Thanksgiving, baby!

Here's what we're truly thankful for this year...

Happy Thanksgiving... now keep it down.

Call me 'A Pimp Named Slick Back'

Play it: The Boondocks Ep 1.02

Finally had a chance to catch up on some Tivo'd (well...technically DVR'd) programs, one of which is Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks (on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim,) adapted from his excellent comic strip. I have to confess I'm a bit let down based on first impressions... this past weekends' episode ("Guess Hoe's Coming to Dinner", ep. 1.02) exemplified why the series doesn't come near the excellence of the strip. When you have only three panels (or so) to get your point (and laugh) across, it's challenging... and McGruder's work in the field is pure genius. As I see it, the series currently suffers from a timing issue. The scenes are set up and McGruder's point of view is made well enough, but the comic timing just isn't there yet, and perhaps it's a learning process.

That being said, I sure hope it sticks around so McGruder can catch his stride with this series, because it has a lot of promise. The fact that Bill Cosby has already come out against the show also has me rooting for it. Lou Grant, Adam West and Charlie Murphy have already done voice-overs for it, and hopefully there will be more to come.

Kanye West's "Gold Digger" and Curt Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead" made there way into this past week's episode, which was, you can imagine from the title and the songs, about a prostitute who's eyeing Grandad's riches, but in the end goes running back to her purple-clad pimp (hysterically named "A Pimp Named Slickback")

Also of note, MFDoom does the voice-overs for The Boondocks' promos on Adult Swim. He sure luvs his Adult Swim.

tags: playlist, music, rhapsody, boondocks, aaron mcgruder, kanye west

Giving thanks, making a wish

Download it: Two Gallants "Las Cruces Jail"

One of the great albums from 2004 that I missed out on until recently, was Two Gallants' The Throes. If you didn't know up front this guitar n' drums duo was from S.F., you'd swear they were from the south or midwest, with their Faulknerian tales of the rural life. They take their name from a James Joyce short story, and bow to the altar of John Fahey, so their tastes are rich, but their sound is punkish roots rock of Uncle Tupelo, or, more obscurely, Portland's The Dharma Bums (singer/guitarist Adam Stephens sounds a lot like Jeremy Wilson, when he led the Bums.) Another comparison that gets thrown around is Bob Dylan, mostly I imagine because of Stephens' occasional harmonica, so it's appropriate that they ended up signing with Saddle Creek, home to Conor Oberst's Dylanesque Bright Eyes.

Two Gallants are creating quite a buzz (especially after their riveting CMJ performance) and their new album (What the Toll Tells) is slated for February 21, 2006, but prior to that, they're releasing a good ol' fashioned 7" single as their first release for Saddle Creek (available December 6th,) to which I'd like to give some thanks. "Las Cruces Jail" demonstrates something else that is fascinating about Two Gallants, which is their ability to make a longer song and hold the listener through 'the tale,' w/o the repitition that we're usually subjugated to. The download is a radio-edit (full-length is 6:50) but you get the idea.

It serves as a tasty appetizer for what's coming down the pipe, and now I'd like to make my wish that Saddle Creek make their way into the Rhapsody library prior to the February 21st Two Gallants release (What the Toll Tells.) I made a similar wish for Merge Records to make it in for Spoon's Gimme Fiction, and it was granted, so I hope that serves as a precedent.

tags: playlist, music, rhapsody, two gallants, saddle creek, download

Bowie back in Brazil

Play it: The Life Aquatic Exclusive Studio Sessions Featuring Seu Jorge

Someone finally figured out that the best part of The Life Aquatic soundtrack was Seu Jorge's Brazilian (Portuguese) interpretations of David Bowie, so we get another repackaging in time for the holiday shopping season. Jorge sang a lot of Bowie songs in the film, and I'd always hoped we'd hear them in some fashion in the future, thankfully the future is finally here.

The Life Aquatic Exclusive Studio Sessions Featuring Seu Jorge is exactly what it sounds like, Seu Jorge's sessions for the movie soundtrack. The only one I see that's missing is Jorge's interpretation of "Space Oddity," which is oddly left off. Nonetheless, it's 13 solid tracks (one track, "Team Zissou," was written for the film specifically, ie not a Bowie song.)

For those who still haven't checked out Jorge's excellent Cru, released earlier this year, here's a second prompt to do so.

Previously:
Nice Noise from Knockout Ned (Seu Jorge's Cru)

tags: playlist, music, soundtrack, movies, seu jorge, life aquatic, david bowie

Repackaging for the holidays

Play it: Death From Above 1979 Romance Bloody Romance
Download: Death From Above "Better Off Dead (La Peste cover)"
Download: La Peste "Beter Off Dead" (both via Stereogum)

So, the holiday season is upon us, which usually means a black period for releases. This year there's a lot of repackaging going on just in time for the holiday season. Take Death From Above 1979's Romance Bloody Romance remix album. Unlike Bloc Party's Silent Alarm Remixed (on which DFA appear covering the track "Luno") DFA 1979's remix project takes just a few songs from their prior release (Your a Woman, I'm a Machine) and leave it in other's hands to 'have a go' at it. Add to that the added bonus of DFA covering La Peste's "Better Off Dead" and you have something of interest here. The two singles from YaW,IaM ("Romantic Rights" and "Black History Month") have four versions each, so on one hand you get a taste of interpretation, and on the other, bored by hearing essentially the same song over and over. The one rocker given the task, Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age, who also have a repackaged release today, a live album entitled Over the Years and Throught the Woods) adds a layer of ambience to "Black History Month," which is a bit ironic, as it's not felt elsewhere by more experienced DJ's mixes. Alternatively, the Justice remix of "Blood on Our Hands" sounds crazily frenetic, like a video game or something. All in all, the project doesn't have the flow of Bloc Party's prior remix, and really would've worked much better as an EP, or single w/ remixes.

There's more remixes then just this, though, this season... Interpol today released their own remix of Antics (an EP, not nearly as ambitious,) and Britney Spears asks you ("come on y'all!") to contribute to baby Sean Preston's college fund with her remix album (B In The Mix, The Remixes.) Next week we'll see Beck's remix of Guero (Guerolito, due to hit the shelves December 13th, just in time for most corporate holiday parties - too late for mine, though.)

Previously:
Remix of a previous blog entry (Bloc Party's Silent Alarm Remixed)

tags: playlist, music, bloc party, death from above 1979, remix, britney spears, josh homme

Things to be thankful for (this Fall)

Play it: The Fall Fall Heads Roll
Play it: Covers of The Move

Hey, it's Thanksgiving week... let's all be thankful for small things. One small thing I'm thankful for this week is the new Fall album (Fall Heads Roll,) which is another in a long list of great bands from the 80's returning to form with releases this year. Aside from many of the tracks being misnamed in Rhapsody [UPDATE - I've been assured it's now fixed and will appear as such 11/23/2005] it's nice to see it make it in time for year-end lists.

It also has a great cover of "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" from the criminally overlooked late-60's UK band The Move. I've been desperately waiting for someone to step up and release some of The Move here in the states for some time, and finally gave in earlier this year and coughed up the dough for an import-only collection ( Hits, The Singles A's & B's & Rarities, which I highly recommend... is only missing one song that I'd want on it, Jeff Lynne's "Message from the Country.") Several bands over the years have paid homage to the temple of The Move. Cheap Trick were the first US band to trumpet them with "California Man," and then Jeff Lynne covered himself with his band ELO (re-working "Do Ya," which is now featured in a couple television commercials.) Bay area power-poppers Jellyfish made a habit of covering the Move, and incorporated much of their sound. Since that time, there hasn't been a lot of momentum here in the US for any of their recordings, and unfortunately, I doubt having The Fall cover them will change anything, so they shall remain on my wishlist (for both US release and Rhapsody) indefinitely.

I suppose either a death (Roy Wood or Jeff Lynne, God forbid,) or better yet, a reunion, might facilitate a US release. Wood's still a bit of a kook, but I hold out hope that maybe they can reunite for some benefit... call me crazy, but I'd rather see that then (recent reunions) Pink Floyd or Cream anyday.

UPDATE: thanks to a tip from Greg S., here's a hard to find Cheap Trick cover of The Move's "Brontosaurus" (WMP.)

tags: playlist, music, the fall, the move, jeff lynne, roy wood, cheap trick, thanksgiving

Don't know karate, but I know crazy

Play it: The O.C. ep 3.07
Play it: Reunion 1991

Rogue Wave makes another appearance this week, this time from their 10:1 EP ("Interruptions") and we have our first Peach Pit...er... I mean Bait Shop performance, this time from the made for O.C. band The Subways. If this band becomes big, we'll know it's The O.C. as their recorded debut is on The O.C. soundtrack, and their first TV appearance is on the show, before they even have an album (notice their debut single even has an O.C. button on it.)

In plot news, the big fight that's been promoted never happens. More fisticuffs are occuring in the latest House promos then this episode (House, inevitably, gets punched by a patient's loved one.) The new villain (Volchok - sounds like a Harry Potter villain) won't leave Ryan alone and Kid Chino (Ryan's fighting alter-ego) desperately wants to come out and play, but another strike and he's out of school again. So after Marissa practically asks to be abducted, Ryan decides to play chicken, daring Volchok to enter a fight to the death complete with Chino weapons of choice (broken bottle, driftwood.)

Meanwhile our other villains, Charlotte (Jeri Ryan) and Taylor are cast out and converted. Charlotte by Julie Coop ("there's only room for one manipulative bitch in this town") and Taylor by Seth's kindness. It's truly as hoky as it sounds.

Reunion continues on it's badly-written spiral. The best part this week was seeing all the surviving friends in their bad makeup - all together. I burst out laughing (and then busted gut again when I saw Michael St. Patrick made up to look like he's 22 in a promo for next week's ep. The makeup on this show should get a comedy award. But I have to say the music scored this week... actually reminded me of the year for once (1991, my last year of college,) with REM, Jesus Jones, EMF and James.

More:
Full O.C. music tracklisting with scene descriptions here.
"I don't know karate, but I know cah-razy!"

Previously:
Surfing a Rogue Wave (Ep. 3.06)
Ryan Atwood, Fluffer (Ep. 3.05)
Marissa's theme by Bob Mould (Episode 3.04)
In the aeroplane over the O.C. (Episode 3.03)
Lions and Tigers and Blondes, Oh my (Episode 3.02)
The Blow-C is back in the hizza (Episode 3.01)
The hole that follows Blow-C (Reunion pilot episode)

Other playlists:
Play it: The O.C. Season 1
Play it: The O.C. Season 2

tags: playlist, music, the oc, soundtrack, reunion, rogue wave, subways

Saving face

Play it: Nip/Tuck ep. 3.09
Play it: Nip/Tuck Season 2

Here it is Thursday night and I'm just getting to this week's Nip/Tuck... the songs are getting harder to track down. This episode's soundtrack utilizes minimalist/avant-garde composer Steve Reich, whose cannon of work is rich and deep. He experimented heavily with phasing early in his career, and later developed a social-political commentary in his compositions. "Dolly" (used in Nip/Tuck during the first phase of a face transplant surgery) is a 7-part piece that deals with the cloning of animals (Dolly being the sheep cloned in Scottland.) The second piece "Proverb," shows Reich's shows some of influence on Ambient and Electronica, both genres which figure heavily in Nip/Tuck's soundtrack choices, and composer James Levine's incindental work done for the show.

Back to the face-transplant, the concept was recently in the news and has some ethical repercussions not unlike some that cloning does (tying it back to "Dolly," though, not nearly in the same degree.) It's enough of a draw to pull Sean back in - well, that and the fact that Quentin is wearing his cocaine habit through his sweat glands. So, as suspected/expected, Sean will be back in and Quentin will be gone... but not before some fireworks from the ex-partner/ex-wife hookup revelation to come. Quentin's shallowness has made Christian the moral one (never thought you'd see that,) and he now is taking it home to the porn-biz fiance w/ an ultimatum - me or the porn biz, baby. We can see already that Kimber's biz has her confidant enough to call that bluff... and if it isn't, so be it. I guess this season is really about lionizing the ladies, as Julia and Gina march on with their new biz venture.

Here Sean was ready to go Witless-Protection for Anne Heche until he found out what it really meant (how could he not know, being a hired-hand for the process?) Giving up contact with his family (and acid-burning the fingerprints off his hands) were enough to turn him off the whole thing. It was just a big-toe dip, anyway, right?

You'll notice I also included all of Season 2's soundtrack, and likewise, here's Season 1 in tandem:
Nip/Tuck Season 1
Nip/Tuck Season 2

More:
Full song list posted on niptuckfans.com (eventually compiled by Avalon)

Previously:
Through the miracle of plastic surgery (Ep. 3.08)
Completeness by reduction (Eps. 3.06 & 3.07)
Pretador not posing as prey (Ep. 3.05)
Recognizing restraint (Ep. 3.04)
When 3+1=2 (Ep. 3.03)
Ape humanized, human animalized (Ep. 3.02)
Bad cop, goooood cop (Ep. 3.01)

tags: playlist, music, soundtrack, nip tuck, steve reich

Spoon's best Sneaks in

Play it: Spoon A Series Of Sneaks

it's like I knew / two of you man / the one before and after we shook hands
- "The Agony of Laffitte" Spoon

After a couple weeks delay, we finally get the final (and I'd argue, most important) piece of the Spoon catalogue, A Series of Sneaks.

Unlike most Spoonheads, for me their second release, A Series of Sneaks, is my favorite. Girls Can Tell and Kill the Moonlight are close seconds, but the pure sonic engagement of Sneaks really speaks to a band hitting their stride and breaking free of the conventions that Pixies-ish Telephono had on it. It also has the back story of being buried by Elektra on release, after A&R man Ron Laffitte abandonded them during the big label merge. Singer/Songwriter Britt Daniel wrote possibly the greatest kiss-off song response to it with the song "The Agony of Laffitte," which, fittingly, makes it on the Merge reissue... acting as a sort of prologue for the album.

Sneaks starts where Telephono left off (w/ the Pixies) but ups it more w/ some Wire and Gang of Four assault, coupled with Robert Pollard (Guided by Voices, with whome Spoon toured prior to writing these songs) gift for the melodic and lyrical vocabulary. "Car Radio" is their first straight-ahead pop, a minute and half of pure excitement, complete with a chorus of "Mah-mah-mah-mah-mah" and a shaker-laden bridge. The production was a little weird for some, as it was very geared for headphone listening - guitars split R-L almost entirely - but I loved it as you could hear everything, right down do differentiating tones on different handclaps ("The Guest List/The Execution".) Other highlights include "The Minor Tough," which laid out much of the angular Costello-ish pop that would come in later releases, and "Metal School" looks closely at what the post-punk era hath brought.

The wonderful "Quincy Punk Episode" references a cult classic episode from the tv show Quincy, which is one of the most ridiculous moments on television ever. The Reefer Madness of punk rock. Feel free to watch clips from it... it's pretty funny. Courtney Love appears in the episode, and for awhile I made myself believe Spoon's song was a specific dig on her, but I changed my opinion after seeing the lyrics mirrored the episode dialogue.

I will now get off my Spoon soap box. As you were.

Previously:
Every Spoon but the big shiny one

tags: playlist, music, spoon, series of sneaks, quincy

Get some 'Copy-Protect' Protection

Play it: Sony BMG Copy-Protected CDs

For the last couple months several people have been blogging about the vicious nature of Sony BMG's Copy-Protection software. Essentially, when you load these CD's, they make you install software which in turn buries a 'root kit' deep in your Windows OS. Mark Russinovich went into amazing detail a couple weeks ago how they were doing it, and illuminated much of the software's maliciousness (Freeware Sysinternals.) Last week it came to a head when three lawsuits were thrown at Sony BMG over the software, and this week, Sony BMG finally backs down and promises to recall all unsold CDs with this Copy-Protection. They accept no blame (leaving that for the software company they used to create the Copy-Protection) but do have a link up stating their concern and offering solutions, even including swapping out with an newer unaffected CD (when they become available.) (UPDATE - Microsoft, this morning, has chimed in and said they will offer a tool to remove the program entirely.)

The playlist above has 40 of the 49 CD's that were affected by this invasive program (see tracklisting.) I've, by principle, avoided buying any album w/ Copy-Protection until I found My Morning Jacket's Z used and tried it out. Let's just say I wish I hadn't. Take a look at the list and see if you've got one in your collection. If you do, get this software update from Sony.

Note that Sony BMG hasn't given up on the concept of Copy-Protect Software, they just have to go back to the drawing board. Hopefully, enough people will make a stink and we can be rid of this insidious concept.

UPDATE: A good solution to bypass the software on these CD's is to hold the shift key down while the CD loads. As soon as the CD stops spinning, it should appear in Rhapsody/RealPlayer/iTunes/WMP/whatever you use to rip it.

From the My Morning Jacket forum.

More:
Sony BMG Recalls Copy - Protected CDs (New York Times)
Sony copy protection problems at a glance (Yahoo! News)
Time to scan for that Sony BMG malware (Computer Review Online)
Mark's blog on Sony's refusal to supply uninstalls with the software
Google the story

tags: rhapsody, playlist, music, sony bmg, copy-protect, my morning jacket, consumer report, rootkit

Let the year-end lists begin

Play it: Amazon Editor's Picks for Top 100 Albums of 2005

Along with the early holiday music and decorations, retail sites also get the year-end lists season going early. Amazon jumps the gun here to try and get some holiday buying action, and I guess I can't blame them for that. But I can blame their editors (and believe me, I know a few of 'em,) for some blatant mistakes in their top 100.

Their top 5 read 1. Sufjan Stevens (Illinois,) 2. M.I.A. (Arular,) 3. The New Pornographers (Twin Cinema,) 4. My Morning Jacket (Z,) and 5. Amadou & Mariam (Dimanche a Bamako.) The top four, I have no problem with (all make my current top 6,) while the fifth only seems to serve as a quota (need to have an album of 'world' interest in there... which I'd argue Arular already serves that purpose.) Dimanche a Bamako is a fine album, but top 5? Come on!

My main beef with the list isn't necessarily with the order (although, there is a beef there to be argued,) but rather with the glaring album selections that were left off the list (it's 100 albums, remember.)

In no particular order, here are albums that left off that leave us all scratching our heads:

Andrew Bird And the Mysterious Production of Eggs
Wolf Parade Apologies to the Queen Mary
Eels Blinking Lights And Other Revelations
The Go-Betweens Oceans Apart
Broken Social Scene Broken Social Scene
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

There's many more, as you'll see, but these are the ones that even taking into account subjective tastes, make this list feel like a big mistake. Other mistakes include the burying of Stephen Malkmus' Face the Truth (#56,) Sleater-Kinney's Into the Woods (#60, one place ahead of Mariah Carey [?],) Animal Collective's Feels (#66) and LCD Soundsystem (#94 [!]) At least they had the good sense to bury Coldplay's latest at #77 (it made #1 on customer favorites.) Anyway, there are a lot more problems that I have with the list, but those are purely subjective.

What else do you see that stands out from this (mostly commerce-driven) list?

Amazon Editor's Picks for Top 100 Albums 2005

tags: rhapsody,playlist, music, sufjan stevens, top albums, amazon, year end list

Kick your television

Play it: Wilco Kicking Television: Live In Chicago

Boy... this is the week for live releases, I guess. Guided By Voices (The Electrifying Conclusion DVD,) Wilco (Kicking Television,) Bright Eyes (Motion Sickness) and Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Summer In The Southeast.) The only Rhapavailable one, however, is thankfully the most anticipated. A two-disc set, Kicking Television was recorded over four-nights in front of a sold-out hometown crowd at Chicago's historic Vic Theatre earlier this year, and you can just hear all the hugging going on as the audience recognizes a song.

After the disappointing A Ghost is Born, I've been worried about the outfit. They had appeared to become a Jeff Tweedy solo project, band in name only. Here, though, they build on those songs with new arrangements and achieve something greater, with much help from guest guitarist extraordinaire (and Tweedy foil?) Nels Cline. Just listen to what he adds to "Handshake Drugs," "Hummingbirds" and "Spiders (Kidsmoke)."

Don't get me wrong, I'm a big Tweedy fan, but I'm a much bigger fan of the back n' forth he gets from another personality... by himself, I feel he gets a bit too self-indulgent, as A Ghost Is Born demonstrated. While with Uncle Tupelo, he was more Jay Farrar's foil until the last album, but later on with Wilco, he had both Jay Bennett and Jim O'Rourke to bounce and be bounced off of.

tags: rhapsody,playlist, music, wilco, jeff tweedy, nels cline

The Electrifying Conclusion, part V

Play it: Guided By Voices The Electrifying Conclusion (An abridged tracklist)

Let's stay on the Robert Pollard front for now. The last Guided By Voices concert, recorded this past New Year's Eve, was preserved for posterity, and finally sees it's release tomorrow. Clocking in at 240 minutes, the beer-fueled Robert Pollard leads his troop through a couple encores and 63 songs (playlist above has 43 of 'em, lovingly kept in the same order and using live tracks whenever possible.)

For those that have seen GBV (and even those that saw their Austin City Limits performance taped last year,) you know that Pollard and the band puts away a lot of alcohol and part of the attraction is being amazed at how they can even stand by the end. Uncle Bob by the end is slurring his intros and exclamations ("If the guy next to you ever bought a Counting Crows album, punch him in the face!") but you just can't stop the rock from rolling, and The Electrifying Conclusion is the perfect documentation of both Bob's liver and his rock 'n roll guts.

Previously:
Early surprise from Uncle Bob (Robert Pollard FaCE)
The Electrifying Conclusion Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

tags: playlist, music, robert pollard, guided by voices

Early surprise from Uncle Bob

Play it: Robert Pollard From a Compound Eye

After achieving cult-status with the band Guided By Voices, Robert Pollard retired the name last year (last show was New Year's Day in Chicago,) but promised not to stop writing songs. And how could you expect a man who once said "I go to take a sh*t and come out with four songs... and three of 'em are great!" to stop writing? Well, he's put those non-fears to rest with this double-album (yes, FaCE is a double-album!) due to come out this January 24th.

By some miracle, it's in Rhapsody right now, so take advantage of it pronto (in case it's a mistake - it's not available for Rhaps-to-go, which makes sense [UPDATE - now available!]) Merge Records plan a vinyl release that comes with a digital locker of all the songs upon purchase, which is a brilliant idea (if it works.)

My first impressions are that it's going to be a classic. It doesn't have the feel of typical GBV or any of his other offshoot projects, yet harkens back to them just the same. That's part of the reason given for shutting the doors at GBV Inc., because Bob was tired of writing for the expectation of the band. Well, FaCE like he's achieved his defying of expectations, and I consider that a boon to my ears. Not really a dud here, like w/ most his sprawling projects, and while it may not necessarily equal the brilliance of his Not in My Airforce, first impressions have me feeling it comes close. "Dancing Girls and Dancing Men" and "U.S. Mustard Company" are beautifully orchestrated, and are Bob at his poppiest. "I'm a Widow" is a high octane late 60's flavor, and sounds like a lost track from the aforementioned Not in My Airforce, while "I Surround You Naked" and "Recovery" sound like they could've been standout tracks on either of the last couple GBV releases. Not to be left out, Bob's prog-rock offshoot band Circus Devils also appear to be stylistically represented with "50-Year old Baby," "Conquerer of the Moon," and "Numbered Head."

So you could say Bob is all over the place... but he's all over his spacious place, so take a seat on the old sofa, kick up your legs and crack open a beer... the club is back open.

More:
Check out the book Guided by Voices: A Brief History : Twenty-One Years of Hunting Accidents in the Forests of Rock and Roll by James Greer w/ intro by Steven Soderbergh

Previously:
The Electrifying Conclusion Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV

tags: playlist, music, robert pollard, guided by voices, circus devils, merge records

Surfing a Rogue Wave

Play it: The O.C. Ep. 3.06
Play it: Reunion 1990
Play it: Peter Gallagher Seven Days in Memphis

This week's soundtrack nugget is "Publish My Love" from Rogue Wave, from the excellent Descended Like Vultures release (and the newly released O.C. Mix 5.) It would've been a hell of a lot better used to show some surfing, but they didn't show any surfing... just actors on the beach acting like they just got done surfing. Also got some delicious Ladytron at a Bizarro Seth's (Chilli's) house party (Dawn Patrol party.)

This Bizarro world O.C. thing is basically done now, I guess. Johnny=Ryan, Chilli=Seth, Casey=Summer... where instead of comic books there are surf boards. Oh and let's not forget Marissa=pathetic Marissa ... but Casey just got caught in bed with someone else (a new villain... just in time, we were short one,) so I'm assuming that one's out. She did it to pre-empt the Johnny-Marissa collision (in progress) so most won't blame her - but instead, how 'bout speakin' up girl, and fightin' for you man? A little cat fight would've been nice.

But hey, let's just get the Marissa-Ryan breakup over with and be done with it. If the girl can't deal w/ getting a cold shoulder after a 4AM call ("I had a bad dream," sob bob,) then she's obvs in need of her own wake-up call. But Johnny listens to her... well of course he does! The cute damsel in distress bit always hooks the Johnnys (and the Ryans) but it wears off after awhile (one would assume, right Ryan?) And Johnny was lying through his teeth anyway, with his attempt to align himself with Marissa's equally faux-pain.

As for the villains... Taylor's wings were clipped, but she still flaps dem like she thinks she's still gonna fly, which I suppose, makes us (and Seth) feel pity for her. But damn bird, just because you're having trouble flying don't mean you fall for the penguin (Seth.) Of course she's probably just going to try and make it look like their smitten to change Summer's season. Meanwhile Jeri Ryan's character Charlotte (or whatever her real name may be) is dragging Julie Coop into her criminal plot. I'm just anxiously anticipating Julie Coop's youngest daughter (who disappeared after season one like the elder siblings in Happy Days and That 70's Show) to return to the show soon. Apparently, she's supposed to be absolutely wicked... a chip of the Julie Coop.

And Sandy? Who cares... Peter Gallagher's got a new album out, though, stepping right into the Bruce Willis, Don Johnson circle of shame (thankfully, neither of which are Rhapavailable.)

Reunion's '1990' continues with the awful writing, and this week we find out who was killed, but do we really care? For the soundtrack, since the featured song was The Smiths' "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" and it's not Rhapavailable, I'm including the magnificent cover by Muse (done for the soundtrack to Not Another Teen Movie.)

Until next week...
More:
Last week's The Stranger on the O.C. Effect
Full O.C. music tracklisting with scene descriptions here.

Previously:
Ryan Atwood, Fluffer (Ep. 3.05)
Marissa's theme by Bob Mould (Episode 3.04)
In the aeroplane over the O.C. (Episode 3.03)
Lions and Tigers and Blondes, Oh my (Episode 3.02)
The Blow-C is back in the hizza (Episode 3.01)
The hole that follows Blow-C (Reunion pilot episode)

Other playlists:
Play it: The O.C. Season 1
Play it: The O.C. Season 2

tags: playlist, music, the oc, soundtrack, reunion, rogue wave

Through the miracle of plastic surgery

Play it: Nip/Tuck Ep. 3.08

Actress Anne Heche reverses her Nicole-Kidman-in-The Hours-prosthetic nose, with the help of Sean's plastic surgery in this week's Nip/Tuck. Slated for the Witness Protection Program, Anne Heche's character (and son) get some plastic surgery via the FBI and Sean steals them away to his house as a surrogate family.

Not that his wife would mine, since she's tango-ing ("Por Una Cabeza") with former partner Quenton (Matt's kissoff to Quenton, after reading him the rights: "Comprende esse?") It's becoming more obvious that the Troy-Costa partnership is doomed, and this should seal that deal. And when Sean discovers how difficult it is to not get involved w/ his FBI job patients, he'll snap back. It all should coincide with the discovery of who the carver is, to wrap up the season, donthca think?

After an encounter with a patient (and patient's family "Family Affair",") Christian decides (in desparation) to forge a relationship with his recently found birth mother. It, predictably, doesn't go well ("You're my son. But I can't be your mother.") Fortunately, my recent discovery went (and is going) well, but they all don't turn out that way, as finds out. His birth mom isn't ready to tell her children... but what did he expect... most children given up for adoption and/or foster care represent a bad memory, and not every mother who is found is at a place in their life to deal with it. My birth-mom never kept me a secret, and is at ease with the decision now, as best I can tell. However, I'm still a shameful secret with my birth father, who has informed me never to contact him. He was, and still is, married with five children from a historically devout Irish Catholic family (lots of priests and theologians,) and has no qualms about taking my existence to his grave.

More:
Full song list posted on niptuckfans.com

Previously:
Completeness by reduction (Eps. 3.06 & 3.07)
Pretador not posing as prey (Ep. 3.05)
Recognizing restraint (Ep. 3.04)
When 3+1=2 (Ep. 3.03)
Ape humanized, human animalized (Ep. 3.02)
Bad cop, goooood cop (Ep. 3.01)

tags: playlist, music, soundtrack, nip tuck

Let's pretend we're dead

Play it: Playlist for a funeral (tracklisting)

Back in January, I wrote a piece following my sister's death on interesting songs to play at a funeral... just thought I'd revisit it since Robert of the Radish just put together another stellar community playlist based on a similar idea. For my own theoretical funeral (not coming anytime soon, I assure you) I chose Tom Waits' "Come on Up to the House," but I most want to hear Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice Mama, It's Alright" at someone else's funeral... I think that's how I'd go out if I wasn't happily married.

tags: playlist, music, funeral, tom waits, bob dylan

Indie loves indie

Play it: The White Stripes "Walking with a Ghost"
Play it: Indie Peer Covers
Play it: Tegan & Sara "Walking with a Ghost"
Play it: Sun Kill Moon Tiny Cities

Today, The White Stripes officially released their version of Tegan & Sara's "Walking With A Ghost," which is the rare cover that outshines the original. I have to admit that I mostly prefer Tegan and Sara to The White Stripes at this point, but Jack White's animated vocals and horror-flick backmasking send this one over the top to delicious heights and make me re-think The White Stripes again.

The single itself points to growing trend in the indie community of not just recording covers (which is out of control) but each other's music. Much of it is via live shows (see Now That's What I Call Indie Covers, via You Ain't No Picasso,) or special one-offs (see The Believer's Covers Compilation.) But recent full-fledged releases highlight the attraction to 'throw some love' in the direction of peers that artists admire and respect. Red Painters singer Mark Kozelek's side-project Sun Kill Moon just released a full album of Modest Mouse covers (Tiny Cities,) Bloc Party's remix album features a great cover of "Luno" from Toronto's Death From Above 1979, and Hard-Fi made sure The White Stripes' were covered as well with their "Seven Nation Army" (The Flaming Lips also covered it on their limited edition Late Night Tales album released earlier this year.)

Most of the time, the cover love has been reserved for those who came before and didn't get their due, so it's interesting to see songs less then a year old getting this kind of respect.

tags: playlist, music, indie rock, covers, white stripes, tegan and sara, bloc party, death from above 1979, mark mozelek, sun kill moon, modest mouse

Baby Jasper

Play it: Jasper's Star Wars Themes

My friends Myke and Jackie just had their first child Jasper a couple weeks ago, and I only now am getting around to giving them some thus spake drake love.

Please welcome Jasper Michael Fedyk, born October 25th weighing in at 7 lbs 10 oz.

While completely geeked out in Star Wars fashion, note how his hands are already in form to play bass.

Seattle weather forecast

Play it: 90-day forecast



And so begins our annual 90-day sentence here in Seattle.

(Of course as I write this, the Sun is peeking through the clouds... such a tease, Senora Sol.)

This salad bites

Play it: Peter Gabriel "Digging in the Dirt"

Friday night's episode of Threshold creeped the hell out of me. There's a scene where Molly (played by the tasty Carla Gugino) investigates a garden and finds a head of lettuce that has grown teeth. Seems they've been genetically-modified by alien interests... that's why I say go organic.

As the team comes in to dig up the garden of all these genetically-modified vegetables, the song that's played is Peter Gabriel's "Digging in the Dirt." Let's just say I hope I never hear that song while eating a salad.

This month's Wired mentions Threshold in their monthly wired/tired/expired graph:

wired: watching Threshold and thinking of Lost
tired: complaining about Lost
expired: raving about Lost

tags: playlist, music, television, soundtrack, threshold, peter gabriel

Ryan Atwood, Fluffer

Play it: The O.C. Mix 5
Play it: The O.C. Ep. 3.05
Play it: Reunion 1989

As of now they still haven't published the songs that appeared on last night's episode (3.05 "The Perfect Storm", [SINCE UPDATED]) so instead I give you a reassembled preview of their 5th soundtrack release - that's right 5 in only 2 1/5 seasons. I've got 8 of the 12 songs from the album, featuring songs from Rogue Wave, LCD Soundsystem, Of Montreal, Imogene Heap, The Gorillaz and up and comers The Subways. The album drops this Tuesday with album-only tracks from The Shout Out Louds and Youth Group - who's song, a cover of "Forever Young", recently registered more than 5,000 iTunes downloads its first week thanks to play on the episode "The Last Waltz."

At the end of last night's episode of The O.C. ("The Perfect Storm",) a tidbit snuck by the censors. After Ryan's aborted attempt at quitting school to become a fisherman, Seth jokes about other wacky occupations he could try, and ends with, as they begin to fade out, "Ryan Atwood, Fluffer" (wikipedia's detailed occupation description.) Prolly the highlight of a weak week of TV.

So why was Ryan flirting with the fishes? It appears the Dean attached a note to his transcript that would sabatoge any attempt at getting into a fine four-year institution, so Ryan moped and decided to become a commercial fisherman (which, actually, isn't a bad option... you make good money, and because you're at sea, you can't spend any of it. Looks a lot better then the Armed Services right about now.) He got no love from Marissa over it. Chino kid don't need that kind of aggro, ya know?

Anyway, as even a 12-year old predicted, the S&S (Summer n' Seth) gang exploited Dean and evil Taylors tryst and got the Dean to rescind both his transcript sabatoge and his expelling of Ryan. (and... for some inexplicable reason, his moving across the country... as Sandy tells him "you better check Craigslist...") So that removes one villain (and cuts another off at the knees - Taylor,) but what about Jeri Ryan's character? Who cares... this transparent villain thing is so old, and not even trashy enough to make fun of anymore.

Oh yeah, Reunion's back as well (groan.) Maybe with one of the main characters in Seattle we'll get some interesting music from that in the coming weeks (doubt it.)

More:
This weeks The Stranger on the O.C. Effect
Full O.C. music tracklisting with scene descriptions here.

Previously:
Marissa's theme by Bob Mould (Episode 3.04)
In the aeroplane over the O.C. (Episode 3.03)
Lions and Tigers and Blondes, Oh my (Episode 3.02)
The Blow-C is back in the hizza (Episode 3.01)
The hole that follows Blow-C (Reunion pilot episode)

Other playlists:
Play it: The O.C. Season 1
Play it: The O.C. Season 2

tags: playlist, music, the oc, soundtrack, reunion, rogue wave, fluffer, lcd soundsystem, of montreal, youth group