The Importance of Being Relevant

If you haven’t listened to our past few podcasts, we’ve started pre-empting our album reviews with the reading and discussion of a few music related articles. Last two weeks I’ve addressed the fact that there are just too many damn artists giving their two cents, although they haven’t been relevant for over a decade.

Look, I get being a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins, or U2. If I didn’t put the time and effort to seek out new artists and roll the die on new, and sometimes awful (see next post) music, I’d live in the past too. The point is, Bono might be a humanitarian, but there’s a lot of road and tumble weeds between Joshua Tree, and this Get On Your Boots garbage. They jumped the shark on Pop. Since then it’s all been Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me- Crappy!

Move on to their Batman OST mate, Billy “There Shall Be Only One” Corgan. Yes, he’s the last one standing. I always thought it’d James Iha left alone on stage because no one told him the gig was over. Like the MTv Movie Awards where Stevie Wonder guested with Will Smith on the craptacular rip-off sampling on Wild Wild West, and everyone left the stage, lights went down, next nominee was announced, and Stevie’s still at his piano waiting for a stage hand to put him back in the box till someone else needs to dive back into the Motown riff well. (note: Who’da thunk DJ Jazzy Jeff would be the one with any Street Cred left?). Jimmy Chamberlin left last week, and not a moment too soon, seeing as Billy’s been sucking Satan’s Cock (see: Bill Hicks), endorsing anti-trust and all around greediness.

In the meantime, Courtney Love is selling away Kurt’s memory because she sucks at life, and needs a bail-out. You remember her, the hose beast that killed Kurt, stole his music, released one good album post mortem even though her music sucked prior to Live Through This, only to follow up with the mediocre Celebrity Skin that Corgan had to sue because he insisted he had written twice the amount of songs he was actually credited for? Once she ran out of ATM’s to give ATM, she coincidentally ran out of material again. Yep, you know she did, in your heart of hearts, you know it, and now she’s dragging Frances Bean down with her.

But there is a hero. There is a champion in fishnet. Trent Reznor will save us, or at very least give us free shit and call a spade a spade. Yep, he called Billy on his crap, then turned around and release an EP called NINJA (well, NIN/JA), after Nine Inch Nails, and Janes Addiction, who are touring, and opened by Street Sweeper who also appears on the EP. I guess naming it NINJA “SS” would have just been too cool for school him.

Trent, you rock… hard! I used to think, like many, you were a weird little Emo bitch, who’da thunk you’d still be relevant after all these years. You’re now networking and getting your buddies to bit torrent with you. How Web 2.0! And with Mr.. Lollapalooza himself, Perry Ferrell none the less. Let’s hope this trickles down my friend.

Trent, this one’s on me.

For being a shining beacon in a world of tarnished memories, stagnant “Artists”, and an industry that’s trying to devoid the passion and purity from Music:

Thanks for all the years of Relevance!!!

I Got a Fever...

Karin Dreijer Andersson, the XX chromosomed half of The Knife, released her self-titled Fever Ray debut available via digital DL earlier this year on Amazon. 3/23 this album goes from magic medium to physical form, and after giving this plenty of time to grow on me, I felt it time to do a review/preview.
Atmospherically drenched in psychotropic ennui, the first few tracks titillate and draw the listener further into an eerie and anxious setting. Influences of the aforementioned Knife collaboration seep in and out, but fail to penetrate the core of this project. I feel her presence upon relistenings of Silent Shout, and it's interesting clamoring through an artists solo work to determine exactly what he or she brings to the table.
While the album fails to disappoint even the truest of blue fans, I can't help but find a monotony that saturates the tracks upon repeated listenings. The overutilization of the creepy voice machine, leaves a bitter taste of qualude inspired vocals, where her natural (albeit quirky) vocals would suffice. The percussion as well, while initially engaging and inspired, end up a mix of recycled haunting tom toms, and mystic xylophones.
Where this album wins out is the inherent Gothic undertones, the nightmare dreamscapes, and the lucid dream tones this release perpetuates throughout. The flow is constant, and nothing seems out of place. The masterful use of soundstage found in The Knife's - Silent Shout is minimal at best on this solo effort, but few albums do such a good job taking full advantage of my home audio setup that costs more than I'd like to admit. The mastering is adequate, but most of the tricks suffer from overexposure.
This may be easily one of the best releases to come out of the 1st quarter of '09, and is well worth the purchase in any of it's digital formats.

And fun times where had by Al.

Well, in preparation for our favorite season, I dug up some drinkin’ pics, among which has some pony pooper. Tag this as raw!

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Woodpigeon: a little known songbird.

Finally got around to listening to my latest Amazon Music download. (love their service BTW) I admit, I found out about Woodpigeon through one of my favorite blogs “Obscure Sound”, who have been turning me on something fierce to some really hot bands. My Google calendar is littered with release dates because of it.

I feel pretty good about myself, because after trolling my favorite torrent sites, only to come up empty handed, all the while listening to the 3 free tracks. I felt that I had to have this album, and immediately proceeded to the all too convenient one-“click checkout”.  I saved a buck buying the “old” version (same tracks) of the Songbook album. It was re-released Jan. 19 ‘09, so they just added a new release for a buck more???

For indie pop fans this is a laid back must! Shins comparisons are obvious, but deep underneath you’ll find clinging the soul of latter New Pornographer’s efforts. Add a dash of Belle and Sebastian and I’m in coffee-shop pop heaven.

I’ve gotten what I asked for as late; Dan Auerbach’s solo project was like getting to catch the second performance of the Fantastipotomas, and The Black Lips rocked my socks off with 200 Million Thousand’s uncouth, free for all noise explosion. When I wanted something to just chill and blog with, this fabulous young band came along an set me free.

Check out Woodpigeon: Treasury Library Canada & Houndstooth Europa released stateside from these wiley Canucks, released Feb. 3 ‘09. This one’s one my wish list…

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Technorati Tags: indie,music,woodpigeon,songbook

Dan the man Auerbach, rides again.

After a very enjoyable, albeit lost weekend, I came back home to my  girlfriend’s busted up computer, and my own riddled with viruses. Needless to say I've been less than eager to sit and do a review. Luckily, I've found just album to come home to. 

Dan Auerbach, of Black Keys fame, comes through this effort in a blaze of gritty rock glory, sporting a fancy new Yusaf Islam look to boot. Musically, we travel  no road not previously Google mapped before. Difference being, this time he goes not alone, or at least sans drummer producer Patrick Carney. The result, a fully fleshed out, and truly realized album. Not unlike when Jack White broke away to do the Raconteurs, but without the feeling there was a lot of ego stroking behind the scenes. This is one man's fully realized vision, with the proper accompaniment to ease him along.

It rocks, it grooves, and it swaddles me all the while, unfortunately setting the bar for the Keys on their next outing. I'd go as far as to pose the question, who's the real side project here.

Well, just wanted to get a quickie out of the way to shake the rust from my fingers. Have a couple more coming, including Woodpigeon, and the Black Lips.

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Grading the Lily.

Lily Allen- It's not me, it's you:

Is a follow up to, Alright, Still, released in Dec. '06, and album I found myself liking more than I like to admit. I still wonder how much that has to do with the creepy old man factor, when I thought she was only a 17 or 18 (at best) year old girl. In actuality she's only a few years younger than I. She blends dry catty Briticisms, powder-puff power pop, and pseudo introspective lyricism, to create a facade of vunerability with a girl interrupted wild streak.

Musically, very little of this album I would listen to on my own volition. I typically hate heavily processed studio albums. Last week we covered the Bird and the Bee which straddled that thin line, and came out, for the most part, for the better because of it. I try not to come into a review with a predetermined criticism, but sometimes it's the elephant in the room when evaluating my criticisms. 

I found Lily's last album to be fun and cheeky, and at the times, I thought her lyrics to be quite adult and risque for a young girl, but seeing how she's 23 now, I'm not sure how lenient I can be when the chorus to one of her songs is simply "Fuck you, very, very much". 

A few exceptions throughout were several stripped down tracks. Musically simplified, drum machines at half capacity, and she just sits and bares her soul, dropping the former pretension, found at the front of the album.

I'm curious how much concern she truly has for the issues she addresses. That is to say, if she truly has any real concern over the Sierra Leone blood diamond trade, or if she's just singing to hear her own voice. While I can't pretend to see into her heart on this, I typically frown on preachy artists, no matter what the issue. I don't even like when Bono does it, and he's won Humanitarian awards. Saul Williams, yes. Kanye West, maybe. Lily Allen giving her 2 cent's on God, not gonna happen.

Truth is, her bread and butter are the smash and grab relationship tracks. When she starts to get preachy about the seedy nature of things, I have to tune out. 

Bottom line: I surprised to find this album so well reviewed. That's why I chose it before even listening to it. That and I liked her first LP. I feel this is really aimed to a much more easily impressed audience. I heard it all already last time, and she adds very little new on this effort. Aside from a few stellar tracks peppered throughout, I feel it to be a mediocre follow up at best.

Letterman shines!

I'll probably comment later, currently at work, but I just laughed my balls off. Please watch the late great Joaquin Pheonix make a dick of himself on national TV. That's what he gets for trying to rap.

I love David's last remark. If you don't get the reference, google Farah/Letterman.