Twitter Review Session #2

Here is the next batch of ridiculously short reviews I've posted on the Emotional Drumming Twitter page:

(16) Eating Us - Black Moth Super Rainbow (Graveface)
Pretty cool, melodic analog synth-fest. Smooth and 80s influenced, I think. Lots of vocoder. (6.5/10)

(17) Skin of Evil - Blackout Beach (Soft Abuse)
Uncomfortable weirdness from Frog Eyes' Carey Mercer. Difficult, to say the least. Ends on a very pretty note. (3.5/10)

(18) Et Cetera - Blase Splee (self-released)
Detroit pop/rock with some real swagger. There are a few jams, but they are more exciting live. Quite rock 'n roll. (6/10)

(19) Blood Bank EP - Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)
An EP that is just a continuation of the first album. Pretty, duh, but the last song with its auto-tune is terrible. (5.5/10)

(20) Beware - Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Drag City)
His songs are gorgeous, but I don't really pay attention to lyrics, so I get a little bored with this. (6/10)

(21) The Planets Are Blasted - Boston Spaceships (Guided by Voices)
Seemingly half-assed effort from newer Robert Pollard band. YAWN. (3/10)

(22) The Law of the Playground - The Boy Least Likely To (+1)
Totally childish, cute and fun twee pop that also happens to be quite good. (6.5/10)

(23) Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle - Bill Callahan (Drag City)
Give it up to B.C. for consistantly releasing gorgeous, dark folk records. This might be my favorite of his. (8/10)

(24) My Maudlin Career - Camera Obscura (4AD)
Another pretty Belle & Sebastian-esque pop record from these lasses and lads. "The Sweetest Thing" RULES! (7.5/10)

(25) Middle Cyclone - Neko Case (Anti-)
A wonderful country-infused pop album from the best female voice in rock music today. "This Tornado Loves You" OWNS. (8/10)

(26) City Center - City Center (Type)
Is this legitimately a sweet record or is it Fred Thomas' attempt to cash in on the popularity of Panda Bear? (6.5/10)

(27) Clues - Clues (Constellation)
Ex-members of The Unicorns and Arcade Fire bring an album that sounds more Unicornsy than Islands do. Totally decent. (6.5/10)

(28) Davy - Coconut Records (Young Baby)
Jason Schwartzman obviously loves The Beatles and does a pretty good job emulating them at their poppiest. (6/10)

(29) Fuckbook - Condo Fucks (Matador)
Sloppy, lo-fi pop punk covers from Yo La Tengo under a hilarious moniker. Difficult, but sounds fun. (5.5/10)

Emotional Listening #2

The focus of this Emotional Listening post is mainstream alternative rock from the 1990s. These are records that I obviously knew existed (who didn't?), but either didn't care about then, or just didn't have much experience with. No shame.


Nevermind - Nirvana (Geffen, 1991)
When I was in late elementary school, I considered myself a fan of grunge, namely Stone Temple Pilots and select Smashing Pumpkins (who were only sort of grunge, I guess) and Soundgarden songs. Nirvana was really hit or miss for me. I've always loved "All Apologies" (more within the past two years than ever before), but other than that and one or two others, I couldn't have cared less. I realized exactly how silly this was towards the end of 2007 when I decided to invest some time in In Utero. A year-and-a-half after this initial appreciation, I will be so bold as to claim that their breakout Nevermind is actually a little better. Sure, In Utero is more badass, has less hit singles and was produced by Steve Albini as opposed to Butch Vig. But, I really like the way Nevermind sounds, and the singles are all good, even if I've heard them too many times by this stage in my life. There are actually some song on In Utero that I don't really care for, and I think every song here is at least solid. And, recently "Drain You" has unseated "All Apologies" as my favorite Nirvana song for the time being, thanks to Dave Grohl's perfect drumming and Cobain's sweet sweet melody during the verse, which is one of the greatest of all time.
Top jams: "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "In Bloom," "Breed," "Lithium," "Drain You," "On a Plain"


Tragic Kingdom - No Doubt (Trauma/Interscope, 1995)
Here's an album that's singles reek of nostalgia from sixth and seventh grades. Truth be told, I never actually completely dug this record. "Spiderwebs" and "Sunday Morning" are two of my favorite songs from 1997 MTV and 89X (No Doubt seemed to have promoted the record for FOREVER), but I didn't really get to like anything else from it until now. Now that I'm older and my tastes have matured, I can take Tragic Kingdom for what it is: a power pop album that is sometimes influenced by ska and reggae. It definitely gets obnoxious at points ("Don't Speak" still makes me want to vomit), but it is really fund and surprisingly interesting still.
Top jams: "Spiderwebs," "Excuse Me Mr.," "Just a Girl," "Sixteen," "Sunday Morning," "World Go Round"


The Presidnts of the United States of America - The Presidents of the United States of America (Columbia, 1995)
Here's another record by another band that I never got entirely into. Of course, I loved everything about "Peaches." As for this self-titled debut as a whole, I liked it alright. But, I think I was more into the idea of the band: a fast, poppy three piece rock band with a slight punk edge who played incomplete instruments (specifically two and three string guitars). Fifteen years later, I'm over the novelty and will take these clever, energetic rock songs at face value.
Top jams: "Kitty," "Stranger," "Peaches," "We Are Not Going to Make It," "Naked and Famous"


Pablo Honey - Radiohead (EMI, 1993)
I was introduced to Radiohead in early elementary school thanks to my cousins Tommy and Greg with "Creep" (just like most everyone else). In spite of them being my favorite band of all time, to this day I think it is probably the worst song the band has ever composed. It is bad. I got way into OK Computer basically when it was first released, and several years later decided Pablo Honey was probably worth a listen. For I long time, I felt that I was wrong, that it was a complete waste of time. Now, I feel I was a complete idiot about it the whole time. For me, there is no question that Pablo Honey is still far and away the worst album the band ever relesed. But, you know what? It's actually not half bad. On it, it seems like they're paying homage to their favorite American rock bands, R.E.M. and Pixies. Throw in a little grunge, and really, it's not a bad combination. There are definitely some great guitar rock moments throughout. I won't listen to it as often or with the same reverence as OK Computer or Kid A, or anything else of theirs for that matter, but I have finally found some worth in it, and I smiled. I now appreciate these humble beginnings, and am relieved by how far along they have come since.
Top jams: "How Do You?," "Anyone Can Play Guitar," "Ripcord," "Vegetable," "Prove Yourself," "Blow Out"


Evil Empire - Rage Against the Machine (Epic, 1996)
I never got even moderately into rap or hip-hop and probably never will, and there was only about a second where I liked the merging of those genres with rock 'n roll and hardcore. But I did have room in my heart for some mid and late 90s Rage Against the Machine jams (especially that "No Shelter" track from the Godzilla soundtrack). I need melody in my music intake, and there is absolutely none her. But what Evil Empire has in spades is an immaculate groove. When bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk are locked in, nothing can stop them. And Wilk is tight as hell and sure knows how to hit his drums right. He's like a funk or hip-hop version of John Bonham. Sure, Tom Morello's other-worldy guitar sounds are impressive (what he does on "Year of Tha Boomerang" is completely insane), but it's the groove that I love the most. I'm not even going to talk about Zack de la Rocha, so, whatever.
Top jams: "People of the Sun," "Bulls on Parade," "Vietnow," "Roll Right," "Year of Tha Boomerang"

Twitter Review Session #1

For those of you not in the know: I started an Emotional Drumming Twitter account, and have been posting reviews of 2009 records that are under 140 characters long. Ridiculous, right? I love Twitter, I will be the first to tell you that.

Anyway, here is a collection of the first fifteen that I've tweeted:

(1) Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free - Akron/Family (Dead Oceans)
Solid effort. Like the psychadelic stuff more than the folk. "River" is one of best songs of '09. (7/10)

(2) Faces Change - Alexander the Great (Crossroads of America)
Pretty good dynamic, poppy emo-ish stuff with passionate vocals, albeit a little too much so. (6.5/10)

(3) It's Not Me, It's You - Lily Allen (Capitol)
Overall better than Alright, Still, but where are the "LDN" and "Smile" caliber jams? NOWHERE. Mediocre at best. (5/10)

(4) Merriweather Post Pavillion - Animal Collective (Domino)
Best album of 2009 thus far. Still up for debate if it's AC's best, but easily their must accessible. (9/10)

(5) Hospice - The Antlers (Frenchkiss)
Dark, somewhat spacey, melodramatic indie rock. Boring in parts and a little too long, but very pretty. (6.5/10)

(6) The Crying Light - Antony and the Johnsons (Secretly Canadian)
Way over my head. Pretty, but much too slow, boring, sappy and dramatic. Stick with Hercules, Antony! (4/10)

(7) Sagarmatha - The Appleseed Cast (The Militia Group/Vagrant)
The least inspiring, most underwhelming, boring post-rock album from a band I LOVED in the early 2000s. (5/10)

(8) Hush - Asobi Seksu (Polyvinyl)
Ultra poppy shoegaze. There are nice parts, and "Glacial" is an awesome song, but otherwuse, nothing special at all. (6/10)

(9) Two Suns - Bat for Lashes (Astralwerks/Parlophone)
Very dark, slightly Bjork-esque pop. Slept on it at first, but I think I get it now. Eerie and gorgeous. (7/10)

(10) March of the Zapotec EP/Holland EP - Beirut/Realpeople (Pompeii)
As great as Condon's voice is, I dig his electro-pop better than the cultural baroque pop. Still a snoozer. (5.5/10)

(11) As Seen Through Windows - Bell Orchestre (Arts & Crafts)
There are some interesting sections on a few tracks, otherwise just your run-of-the-mill instrumental post-rock. (5/10)

(12) Noble Beast - Andrew Bird (Fat Possum)
Nowhere near as good as "Armchair Apocrypha," but it is another Andrew Bird album, and as you'd expect, quite nice. (7/10)

(13) Rayguns Are Not Just the Future - The Bird and the Bee (Blue Note)
Top-40 style pop music done the way it should be: fun, catchy AND interesting. (7/10)

(14) Grrr... - Bishop Allen (Dead Oceans)
Cutesy indie pop with solid production, two sweet songs and not much else. (6/10)

(15) 200 Million Thousand - Black Lips (Vice)
Sort of experimental, messy, lo-fi garage punk. The Clash-esque "Drugs" is great, but overall, I don't get it. (4/10)

New Favorite Song #2: Wake Up

After reading Pitchfork's obsessively flattering review and 9.7 rating of Arcade Fire's DEBUT full length, and then observing the aftermath, that was when I realized the grip that website has on the independent music scene. Sure, they had been responsible for dramatically inflating bands' popularity and critical acclaim before this (Broken Social Scene, probably Deerhoof, to name a few), but the hype for Funeral was taken to a whole new level.

I'm not going to argue with them about how amazing and important the album is. Obviously, it is quite an accomplishment. And I believe, critically, in the grand scheme of things (rock music-related, at least), Funeral is considered to be incredibly important amongst not only critics, but a nation-wide scene. What else is there that rivals the importance of Arcade Fire's DEBUT (emphasis on this because that is part of the reason why it's such a big deal) in this particular decade? And of course, I'm talking about the legitimacy of the music, not record sales and whatnot.

Here's a list of ten ten records (aside from Funeral) that a large population of critics might include in their decade-end best of lists that I thought of off the top of my head, listed chronologically by year:

- Radiohead's Kid A (2000)
- Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
- The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
- Interpol's Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
- Broken Social Scene's You Forgot it in People (2002)
- The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
- Brian Wilson's Smile (2004)
- Sufjan Stevens' Come On Feel the Illinoise! (2005)
- Radiohead's In Rainbows (2007)
- Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion (2009)

I know I'm probably missing a ton. Some comments: In my eyes, Kid A is the only album here that is obviously, without question, more important than Funeral. You know, the whole idea about them being this already huge and established band with an already respectable and important sound, completely doing a 540, and still being just as crucial if not even more so, and even ending up with a #1 hit record to boot. As for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and In Rainbows, that they are not only incredible records but all the music businessy details that surrounding their releases are what launch them up there in importance. Yoshimi, Turn on the Bright Lights, You Forgot it in People, Chutes Too Narrow and Illinoise are all arguably just as good albums, but don't quite reach the level of importance as the others. Also, we'll have to wait five years to truly be able to assess Merriweather Post Pavillion against all these others, I think. And lastly, now that I think of it, Smile might be above Funeral here as well, thanks to the fact that it was supposed to be released in the late 60s, never happened (in spite of how badly fans of Brian Wilson wanted it), and then was completely rerecorded and released in 2004, and STILL sounded amazing.

ANYWAY, it is apparent to me that Funeral is seen in this higher pantheon of records of this decade, and it deserves it.

So, why do I rant and rave so much about all of this now? Because there was a span of two years where I thought Arcade Fire's sophomore album, Neon Bible, was better. When I initially compiled my top 20 albums of 2004 list, Funeral was ranked fourth. Now, I'd probably put it at #2 or #3. I believe I ranked Neon Bible eighth on my 2007 list, granted I think that year was a better one for music. And, these are FAVORITE records we're talking about here, not BEST. There is a difference (though let's face it, it is impossible to be objective, no matter how hard you try). To summarize my most recent thoughts on both records as simply as possible, they both sound incredible, have an equal amount of songs that I love and perfectly, but Funeral has the more affecting mood and feel to it, and that is what it comes down to, for me at least.

Alright, I'll get to the whole point of this post now, seeing as it is supposed to be about a single song. At the end of March or maybe very beginning of April, I viewed the trailer for the upcoming film version of Where the Wild Things Are. One of Funeral's most epic and sweeping tracks, "Wake Up", is featured as the soundtrack to said trailer. It is appriopriate, chilling and basically wonderful in every way. That following weekend, I decided to spend some time with the album on the way up to the Traverse City area with my parents. I hadn't listened to it in a really long time, I'm not sure exactly how long. But it blew me away. Again.

While I was listening, we were pretty close to our destination (an immediate family gathering at some cabins in the general viscinity), it was the beginning of April, and there was a supprising amount of snow everywhere. It was beautiful, and the album fit this mood perfectly. From what I know of the band's experience around this album, a few of their family members had died during this time, and virtually, that is what it is about, I think? Something like that. Anyway, here I was, with my family, about to spend an entire weekend with them in beautiful northern Michigan, and it just tugged at my heartstrings. Since graduating college almost three years ago, I have come to appreciate my family so much more, and have grown closer to them (well, there's one exception that is too personal to get into), and it is a wonderful feeling. Funeral and especially "Wake Up" will now be associated with the memory of one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had with my family probably for a very long time. So, there is my emotional attachment to it.

Musically, the song is simply badass. The dirty, distorted guitar opens things up, and then when all the other instruments and vocals leap in and open things up, it is unexpected and overwhelming in the best way. The verse melody is simple, but seems like it should be inspiring, and the entire first section of the song (which is most of it) is very anthemic. Then, things sound like they're coming to a close, and just when you're ready to cut ties with the song, this beautiful, poppy piano and glockenspeil-led tag at the end brings things home, and it is PERFECT.

Honestly, "Wake Up" is nowhere near my favorite song by Arcade Fire, but since April, it has been blowing my mind more than any tune I currently have access to. Enjoy.

Wake Up - The Arcade Fire

Animal Collective/Grouper @ The Royal Oak Music Theatre 5/18/09

Almost two weeks ago I had the honor of seeing the great Animal Collective perform for the second time in less than a year. The show was at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in, you guessed it, Royal Oak, which isn't an ideal venue (too big and fancy), but is definitely appropriate for a band of AC's level of popularity. What was interesting to me is that, I had completely forgotten that I had purchased a $20 ticket until the day before. Having seen the band at the Pitchfork Music Festival the previous July, I knew what I was getting into (watching three weird dudes push buttons and bob heads to some sort of trippy light show), and apparently I wasn't all that excited.

First off, I'd like to direct you to the Detroit music blog Deep Cutz for this fascinating critique on the performance as well as the overall atmosphere of the show (at least from Jeff Milo's perspective). Personally, I didn't notice this vibe of fake, snobby neo-hipsters, but after a conversation I had a week-and-a-half later with my best bud Travis, I continued to digest Jeff's blog post. What I got from my dialogue with Trav is this: does the music of larger indie bands like Animal Collective (The Shins were also mentioned) unintentionally become insincere and does it deflate in value and relevance when people who just a year or two ago were listening to mall-emo or the other shit that's on 89X start becoming fans? We debated this for a bit, and I understand Travis' point (considering how seriously he takes his music and how much more there is to our discussions regarding it: not only the technical elements of songs, but artist image, popularity, relevence, personal experiences and revelations, etc.); it totally makes sense coming from him.

Now, here is where I realize why I didn't notice this apparently overwhelming sense of bullshit, pretentious hipsterdom. It's because I don't care who likes what, or how they arrived at it. If Bobby Humphrey or Jimmy Huston (by far the two biggest douchebags I knew of in college) all of a sudden were inspired to get into interesting, worthwhile music (instead of Linkin Park, which, if I remember correctly, was Bobbo's favorite band), yeah, it kind of sucks, and initially I'd want to abandon any band they love. But, more power to 'em, ya know? Stop listening to shit.

ANYWAY... I'll step off my pedestal now. While I love discussing and debating technical aspects and relevance of music, I think I have a fairly pure, maybe even naive outlook on the personal effects of it. This made my experience at the Animal Collective concert (and most other shows I have attended) more enjoyable.

But first, let's rap about the opening act, Grouper. There on this enormous stage to a sold out crowd sat a girl doing God knows what, and I think singing. From the speakers came gorgeous drones, at least for the first few songs. It was boring, and got old fast. This was the time to catch up with friends.

Now, why in the hell is an act like this performing live? Especially opening for such a huge and arguably crucial band like AC? WHAT'S THE POINT? I will admit, however, I'm interested in checking out the most recent record, Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill. It seems like Grouper might be good, or interesting at least, headphone music. Or creepy nap music.

Next, after making us wait an additional hour post-Grouper, three completely normal looking dudes, Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist took to the stage. And what did they do the entire time (with the exception of Strawberry Jam's "Fireworks," from what I recall)? That's right: pushed buttons and bobbed their heads. At Pitchfork, they had an enormous, elaborate, seizure-inducing light show. This one was not so, though I still found myself in a trance from time to time. It saddens me that I never got to see them when they toured for Sung Tongs and Feels; when they actually played instruments on stage. I like to assume that the reason for the button pushing instead of instrument playing is due to the absence of that asshole Deakin. There is obviously too much going on in their songs for three people to be able to pull it off with guitars, keyboards and drums. And, just as obvious: Merriweather Post Pavillion barely features any live drums, let alone guitar.

One of my favorite things to occur in a live setting is when a band throws a curve ball right from the start, opening with something completely not obvious. My most memorable experience with this was my third time seeing Death Cab for Cutie (yeah, I know) back in the fall of 2004, when I thought they would be crazy not to open with "The New Year" to that young crowd, but instead, shockingly started things off with We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes' meandering "The Employment Pages." Animal Collective's decision to begin with the poppy slow burn of Merriweather's "Also Frightened" was not so dramatic, but I still smiled and nodded my head in agreeance.

From there on, the show got even better. The setlist was fantastic, though I was disappointed by two things (more on that later). "Summertime Clothes," "Daily Routine," and the extended and messed-with version of "Fireworks" (when Panda Bear actually played drums to amazing effect) were all obvious highlights. "My Girls" and "Brother Sport" were even much more so, when a portion of the crowd was actually dancing and singing along (also, those are two of my favorite songs of the year so far). They even played two or three new jams (I expected more, since that's what they usually do), and of course they were great, though I don't remember much about them. The best move AC made, though, was including completely revamped versions of more than likely the two best songs from Sung Tongs, "Leaf House" and "Who Could Win a Rabbit?," dissecting and reassembling them through the lens of Merriweather. These instances were where I was most ready to trade in the acoustic guitars for those sequencers and synthesizers.

My two complaints: (1) I had read that they had been playing Feels' "Banshee Beat," probably my favorite AC song ever, on this tour. Where was it on May 18th, guys? And, (2) I was not expecting them to play it live, but was hoping for some "Taste." By far the most criminally underrated song from Merriweather. It's gorgeous, catchy as hell and totally bumpin'. They should incorporate it into their set, and more people should love it as much as I do (it's my second favorite song on the album, and maybe even of 2009).

Okay, so this wasn't the best show I've ever seen in my life, and I guess I have my complaints. But, still, I'm glad this band exists. I have been eating the hype since '05, and I believe they are just as important as Pitchfork says they are.

Emotional Listening #1

Okay, a couple things. It has been forever since I've posted a Weekly Listening Update blog. This whole "actually being busy at work" and "job searching" thing is really cutting into my blog time, unfortunately. So, I am editing the title to this segment as simply, "Emotional Listening," and am starting the count all over. Same premise though: going through newly (or semi-newly) aquired or barely listened to CDs and blogging about a batch of them at the time. How frequent or infrequent will this be? I'm not sure. Also, this one is like from a month-and-a-half ago.


Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant - Belle & Sebastian (Matador, 2000)
I've debated with my dear friend Matt about which era of Belle & Sebastian is better: the softer, twee, more somber sounding version, or the more straight-forward (not in a bad way) pop/rock direction they've taken since 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress. I prefer the older sound, though that's probably only because of their 1996 masterpiece, If You're Feeling Sinister. The Boy With the Arab Strap (1998) and Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant are fine and all, but they are very second-half heavy; the first halves of each record are a little too sleepy. And, that's not to say that DCW and 2006's The Life Pursuit aren't good, because they totally are. Anyway, I picked up Fold Your Hands Child... maybe a month ago at Encore and was pleasantly surprised. It is sleepy and sad, but their are a few beautiful If You're Feeling Sinister-esque moments. It's way more consistant than The Boy With the Arab Strap, and just all around a better album.
Top jams: "The Model," "Nice Day for a Sulk," "Women's Realm," "Family Tree"


Milk Man - Deerhoof (Kill Rock Stars/5RC, 2004)
I was rooting for 2004's Milk Man to end up as my favorite Deerhoof record. Why, I'm not really sure. When I heard the title track probably over a year ago, it gave me tremendous hope for the entire album (the song had been the best thing I had heard from the band at that point). Unfortunately, this may even be my least favorite of theirs. It is obvioiusly a Deerhoof record (weird, jagged rhythms, insane drumming, classic rock guitars, obnoxiously cute vocals), but it is nowhere near as consistent as The Runners Four (2005) or my favorite, 2008's Offend Maggie. I even like Friend Opportunity (2007) better, which has an even more distracting flow, and of the Deerhoof that I am familiar with, is the most bizarre and least accessible album (even if the first 90% of it could loosely be considered pop music). But, don't get me wrong. Milk Man is still really cool. The title track might be the be all/end all Deerhoof jam, and there are several other greats. I guess my issue is just that there are more throw-away tracks than I've come to expect from this, one of the great modern indie rock bands.
Top jams: "Milk Man," "Desaparecere," "C," "Dream Wanderer's Tune," "That Big Orange Sun Run Over Speed Light"


Transmissions From the Satellite Heart - The Flaming Lips (Warner Bros., 1993)
This, the album that launched The Flaming Lips into the indie rock (and mainstream, for a second) spotlight, happens to be my least favorite of theirs (as seems to be the trend of this blog entry so far). Yes, I even like it less than 2006's dreamy and severely underrated At War With the Mystics. Still, this leap from The Who-inspired experimental punk to drugged out psychadelic pop rock is a great one. Here is an educational, entertaining and satisfactory peek at what exactly the Lips would amount to, and I think that's exactly why I don't have more appreciation for it. I already knew that Clouds Taste Metallic is totally badass, that Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is simply brilliant, and that The Soft Bulletin is one of the greatest albums of 1990s (if not of all time). But, I'll take Transmissions... for what it is: a solid, experimental 90s alternative rock record. And, I can't argue that "She Don't Use Jelly" is one of the best songs from that decade.
Top jams: "Pilot Can at the Queer of God," "She Don't Use Jelly," "When Yer Twenty Two," "Slow Nerve Action"


So This is Goodbye - Junior Boys (Domino, 2006)
After spending a little more time with this 2006 synth pop opus and the recently released Begone Dull Care, Junior Boys have become one of my favorite electronic acts (probably following only Daft Punk). While I appreciate Begone Dull Care more as an album, some of the songs from So This is Goodbye are untouchable, namely "In the Morning" and "FM." This record is smooth, sexy, and actually, really pretty. Bonus that there are some smart and sublte beats (and blips, bleeps and bloops) that are hard not to bounce to.
Top jams: "The Equalizer," "In the Morning," "So This is Goodbye," "Like a Child," "FM"


Electric Version - The New Pornographers (Matador, 2003)
Ah yes, The New Pornographers. What an album, by what a band, right? From what I know, New Pornos can't do wrong (I haven't listened to Mass Romantic, though). This, their sophomore effort, is a DOOZEY. Leaps and bounds better than 2007's more boring but still somehow satisfactory Challengers, but not even close to 2005's slam dunk, Twin Cinema. The all-star band flourishes here with their characteristic upbeat, sweet and sugary, catchy and tight as all hell power pop. The melodies, oh, THE MELODIES. A.C. Newman is a MASTER of them. They are easily the best part about Electric Version, but there is plenty more to love, like Neko Case's background vox, the album's pacing, and that tight and awesome drumming. Like your typical New Pornos album, Destroyer's Dan Bejar penned three tracks. But, unlike the next two records, his are not my favorites here (though, he completely owned Twin Cinema with "Jackie Dressed in Cobras"). Newman, you take the cake. Now, just go back to recording albums more like this, okay?
Top jams: "The Electric Version," "The Laws Have Changed," "The End of Medicine," "Loose Translation," "Chump Change," "July Jones"

Know Your Onion #15

Sorry, but the blog is pretty much on hiatus for now. I'm losing my job at the end of June, and we've already started cleaning out the office and whatnot, so I don't really have the time to emote on here nowadays. I'm also trying to spend as much time computer time (which is not much right now) as possible working on the job hunt and fixing up my resume. I will post when I can, but it will be pretty scarce for a while, I'll bet.

Enough of this riff-raff. I did feel the desire to share this Onion article I read today, one of my favorites in quite some time.

Manny Ramirez: 'Am I In Trouble?'

Junior Boys/Max Tundra @ The Pike Room, 4/1/09

April Fools Day 2009 was kind of special. My friend Travis and I had decided to attend the Junior Boys/Max Tundra show at the Pike Room a while back. The day of, our friend Dan decided to join us, plus I won two free tickets from Eat This City (that blog I have a very love/hate relationship with. Perhaps Jay was trying to make up for the debacle he pulled with me back in December?

Anyway, after some Golden Wall Chinese food in Ypsi, we made the trek out to Pontiac and arrived not long after doors had opened. The venue was pretty empty and thankfully continued to fill up and was fairly packed by the time Junior Boys went on.

But, first was the wonderful enigma, Max Tundra. I had watched his A>D>D segment on Pitchfork TV, and though his drumming was less than desirable, I could tell he is obviously talented in all other facets of his music. Thankfully, he didn't have a drum kit in tow and focused on his synthesizers, vocals and dancing. His dancing, by the way, was absolutely hysterical. When he wasn't playing synth or singing, he was performing these intense, staggering and jittery moves that I couldn't help but crack up at. It was truly a sight to see.

That Tundra's songs were really good was an added bonus. Dan appropriately described them as playful. This guy did not seem to take himself seriously whatsoever and that works really well for his songs, which are complex, funky pop songs that require a short attention span. One of my favorite things in the world is having no expectations for a live performance I'm about to see and then being completely blown away by it. This most definitely occured here.

Junior Boys had a tough act to follow, and though they weren't quite the level of performers that Max Tundra was, they mostly succeeded. I am a newer fan of theirs and it was nice to see them pull there smooth and sexy electronic pop off live, especially with a drummer on stage with them which added a whole new dimension. The bookends of there set were, without question, THE highlights, opening with "Hazel" (my favorite track from the just released Begone Dull Care) and closing with what I think is the best Junior Boys song, "In the Morning" from 2006's So This is Goodbye. Aside from "The Equalizer," which is a GREAT song title, FYI, it was hard for me to differentiate between what songs were on which album, thanks to my new fandom. They were right on, though. Jeremy Greenspan's vocals were perfect (and he looked like a dad who had just woken up and thrown on the first clothes he found, which was hilarious and ironic to me), the sound was really good and the drummer was tight and creative. Also, a good portion of the crowd were dancing their asses off (Travis was worried of getting blasted by a certain emotional dancer in front of him), which though I didn't really participate, was nice to see since that never happens in Detroit.

I figured this would be a good show and I was not wrong. It was worth the trip (and would have been worth the $14 ticket) to see two really great electronic pop acts from outside of the US.

Know Your Onion #14

Bill Bellamy Elected To Rock 'N' Jock Basketball Hall Of Fame

Weekly Listening Roundup #9

Prime Candidate for Burnout - Blenderhead (Tooth & Nail, 1994)
Blenderhead were one of the first truly underground Christian bands I ever got into, and what a statement their debut full length, Prime Candidate for Burnout, seemed to be. I remember how controversial the CD booklet seemed to me (this was back in 1997, before my 13th birthday, mind you). The cover featured a cartoon dude who looked to be in serious pain wearing a blender on his head. Inside, there was a photo of drummer Matt Johnson smoking a cigar, and later a picture of one of the band members pointing to another who's buttcrack was sticking out of his pants (though it was censored). Obviously, this is all laughable now, but Blenderhead's brand of messy, technical punk rock stilll seems pretty edgy for a Tooth & Nail release in 1994. The guitars are loud, screeching and dirty as shit, the drums are played with a tightness and skill level that is still impressive to this day and jeez, all that yelling! It's fun that I can still listen to it while appreciating it for all the same reasons I did before.
Top jams: "Escape Reason," "Cesspool," "Power Trip," "Purgatory," "Spare Change"


Muchacho Vivo - Blenderhead (Tooth & Nail, 1995)
Muchacho Vivo is Blenderhead's second album and features the same screeching guitars, technical drumming and intense vocals. It is all just recorded better and the tempos are a little slower. There are moments that are more dischordant and even difficult than Prime Candidate..., but the songs that are great are by far the band's best. While still being pretty punk rock, overall the record seems to lean to a little more of a post-hardcore or dare I say emo sound comparible to Jawbox a little, maybe?
Top jams: "Haven," "Tow Truck," "Vacancy," "Chicane Cardigan Smile," "Queen of the Day," "Breaking Skin"


Rock Action - Mogwai (Matador, 2001)
Post rock is so incredibly boring to me, but, somehow Mogwai completely nail it on Rock Action. It definitely helps that the album only has eight songs and clocks in at under 40 minutes. Also, there are vocals here and there, which doesn't hurt either. The band really doesn't do one thing wrong here, balancing between subtle electronic experimentation, mellow acoustic jam sessions and slow building epics. There is enough variation that keeps things interesting the whole time, and the album ends at the perfect time.
Top jams: "Sine Wave," "Take Me Somewhere Nice," "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong," "Secret Pint"


Loveless - My Bloody Valentine (Sire, 1991)
I bought Loveless from my friend Joel after I think he purchased it on vinyl back in early 2005. I felt it necessary that I own it if I consider myself a fan of underground music. I can count on one hand how many times I had listened listened to it in its entirety until now. Sure, there were always a select few jams that I really enjoyed, but the whole thing didn't hit me until the past few weeks. This album is a big, beautiful mess that is difficult to decipher what exactly is going on, but that's the point. I feel like every time I will ever listen to it, I will catch things I never have before (even though there aren't as many layers of guitars as people think, according to Mike McGonigal's 33 1/3 book about it). I still have a beef with how utterly boring the sampled drum beats are, but even I can look pass that when your guitars sound so frickin' awesome. Plus, I finally came around ot the fact that "Soon" is an incredible song.
Top jams: "Only Shallow," "To Here Knows When," "When You Sleep," "Blown a Wish," "What You Want," "Soon"


The Open Heart - New Grenada (Plumline, 2002)
The first time I had ever heard Detroit's New Grenada was back in March of 2004, when I saw them open for The Walkmen and French Kicks at the Magic Stick. At that point in my life, I guess I wasn't ready for kinda cute, messy indie pop of their kind. I was silly then, and maybe still am. I have only seen them live once since then (and I think it was just over a year ago), and though I wasn't really into the Model Citizen EP that they were releasing at said show, I wonder if there is potential for me to be a fan. Well, anyway, I'm glad I started with 2002's The Open Heart, because it is good. Sure, they do the 90s indie rock thing pretty well ala Pavement, a poppier Dinosaur Jr., etc. What really does it for me though is that a good portion of the songs bring to mind The Promise Ring, especially Nothing Feels Good-era. These songs are what totally make this record.
Top jams: "Fashion Disaster," "Steady Diet of Slayer," "Decoder," "Fuckfriends," "Zaxxon," "Commando," "Jenutley"

New Favorite Song #1: 1901

So, I've decided to start another blog series. It shall be titled "New Favorite Song." Whenever I come across a song that I fall absolutely in love with (old or new), I will post about it and include streaming media (most often if not every single time from iMeem).

The inaugural jam I felt called to rave about is the first song released from Phoenix's upcoming album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, titled "1901." Let me tell you, it is FANTASTIC. It is everything I hoped for when I read that they were coming out with a new record. Based off my knowledge of the band, I see them as pretty hit or miss. But, when they are on, THEY ARE ON. Take "Consolation Prizes" from 2006's It's Never Been Like That, or even further back to "Too Young" and "If I Ever Feel Better" from 2000's United, for example.

It seemed like Phoenix were fooling around with a mix of funk, soul, radio pop and rock on their first few releases until they settled on a really crisp pop/rock sound on It's Never Been Like That. I remember thinking that record seemed pretty bland for the most part (with the exception of a few standout tracks), though I haven't listened to it in a while and plan on going back it.

"1901," which I believe to be the first single from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, is the band at their best. Featuring clean yet crashing guitars, driving synth bass, Thomas Mars' smooth sing-a-long melodies, and some of the most pristine sounding drums around, it is ready for alternative and maybe even pop radio popularity. In spite of how well they had pulled off a funkier sound earlier in their career, I think they've found their niche in alternative pop music. I don't know what it is that sets them apart to my ears, because this is as clean and simple as it gets. The stars have aligned just right for Phoenix to record perhaps the best song of their career.

P.D.A.D. #2: Keith Moon

Late last week I snuck myself a little listen to The Who's Who's Next. It had been a while since I had graced my ears with Keith Moon's spastic, mega-jungle drumming. When I'm not thinking about Moon, I often times don't consider him my favorite drummer ever (most recently that title has gone to The Dismemberment Plan's Joe Easley). But, when I'm listening to or watching him play, I can't help but think that he is. At least, I think he is the greatest rock drummer in history. Yeah, I'll go there.

Interesting that I included Deerhoof's Greg Saunier in the first installment of Public Display of Affectionate Drumming, as his and Moon's styles are very similar (I would put money down that Saunier considers Moon an important influence). Moon just used a lot more unneccessary equipment (as you can tell from the photograph above), and also he was ahead of his time.

As far as Moon's drumming being affectionate or emotional, I think it's obvious. If I had to come up with a metaphor for his playing off the top of my head, it would be this: his drumming is comparable to the excitement of a young puppy. Moon's drumkit is to him as a puppy's owner just arriving home from a long day of work is to the puppy. When he sits down and eyes that drumkit, he gets so excited that he can't help it or restrain himself, he must lash out in overwhelming joy and anger and cry and piss all over the place. Does that make sense, or am I just being ridiculous?

Anyway, this performance of "A Quick One While He's Away" is taken from The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus event back in December of 1968. Based on my limited knowledge of rock and roll performances, I'd wager that this has got to be one of the greatest.

On second thought, maybe this is more of an instance of P.D.C.O.D.D.: Public Display of Completely Obliterated by Drugs Drumming. Either way, Moon still rules.

Weekly Listening Roundup #8

This post has been a long time coming. I have been distracted and neglectful of this blog, especially the Weekly Listening Roundup segments, and for no good reason. Maybe it's because of the vast options the internet offers me, or maybe it's because I am nervous to take the blog to such a dark place.

Anyway, this roundup really covers about the last three weeks. I was on a guilty pleasure kick, and it's amazing how it worked out. I have a lot of guilty pleasure records by bands whose name begins with the letter M (not including Blink-182, for obvious reasons).

So, here are the guilty pleasure albums I have been appreciating lately. Don't judge me.

Enema of the State - Blink-182 (MCA, 1999)
I may be challenged on this claim, but truthfully, I do not consider myself a fan of Blink-182. Have you listened to their catalog? A lot of my friends say that 1997's Dude Ranch is THE ONE, but I actually hate it. It sounds like crap and the drumming is uninspired. Enema of the State is my jam; the only decent Blink-182 record, in my opinion. I don't like that I like it, mostly because these guys just seem like real douchebags. But I can't help it. The songs are catchy, energetic and it brings me back to early high school. Also, I am still impressed by Travis Barker's drumming. Not only is he good and really tight, but he is creative with it and shows off with some nice intricacies that I would never expect to hear on a pop punk record. I could do without the splash cymbol, though.
Top jams: "Dumpweed," "Aliens Exist," "Going Away to College," "Dysentery Gary," "Mutt"

De-Loused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta (Universal, 2003)
For a short time in my life, back in late 2003 and early 2004, I was way into this record. It combined a lot of what I loved about At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command with interesting hints of Latin music and Yes-ish song structures (I also was obsessed with The Yes Album at the time). More recently I came to the conclusion that it is a pretentious wankfest. I still have a soft spot for some of the more tolerable jams. The one-two punch of "Son et Lumiere" and "Inertiatic ESP" is a great opening to the record and "Take the Veil Cerpin Text" sounds like a lost and fattened up Relationship... track.
Top jams: "Inertiatic ESP," "Eriatarka," "Take the Veil Cerpin Text"


Let's Face It - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (Mercury, 1997)Ska played a crucial role in my life in junior high and early high school. Sometime in 2000 is when this silly passion fizzled out. I am done with it, but once every great while I like to treat myself to revisiting some of those ska records that I loved. I hadn't listened to Let's Face It since the spring of 1997 and remembered very little of it. I was shocked to discover that, for the most part, it is a solid record. One of those third wave ska records with slightly more punk distortion than reggae upbeats. It's not perfect, obviously. For one, it's a ska record. It is definitely corny in places, and Dicky Barrett's shouty vocals are irritating (though there surprisingly are quite a few nice melodies throughout the album). But, it is a fun record without a bad song. In fact, there are several tracks I would consider awesome, "The Rascal King" being the best, without question.
Top jams: "Noise Brigade," "The Rascal King," "Royal Oil," "Let's Face It," "That Bug Bit Me"


Commit This to Memory - Motion City Soundtrack (Epitaph, 2005)
Motion City Soundtrack have become totally corny and cliche, but there was a short time in my life when I LOVED them. To this day, their debut, I Am the Movie, is great front to back. It's got that Something to Write Home About kind of sound, with impressive melodies and legitimately clever and funny albeit juvenile lyrics. The band nailed it though. Commit This to Memory is much of the same, but not even close to as good, and is a bit cheesier. Thankfully, the awesome melodies are still present, and there are some standout JAMS.
Top jams: "Everything is Alright," "Make Out Kids," "Time Turned Fragile," "Better Open the Door"


Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo - MxPx (A&M/Tooth & Nail, 1998)
MxPx was the first pop punk band I had ever gotten into, and though this isn't my favorite record of theirs, it might be their best. It didn't have the insane tempos, time shifts and stops-and-starts of Life in General, but I would consider it a more mature album. It is produced better, the song structures are more pop-oriented and they are catchier (there are some terrific melodies here). All things that would rub a punk purist the wrong way. But MxPx weren't trying to be pure punk, and in my eyes were very successful at writing punk-infused pop songs.
Top jams: "Under Lock and Key," "Tomorrow's Another Day," "Party, My House, Be There," "For Always," "Set the Record Straight," "Inches From Life"


New Found Glory - New Found Glory (MCA/Drive-Thru, 2000)
Is this the album I should be most ashamed of coming back to? Whatever. New Found Glory's self-titled major label debut is a really good whiny pop punk record. I will admit, it has not aged gracefully. The vocals are hard to swallow, and the lyrics are even worse. But, it is really fun, and again, very very catchy. I always liked the band's two guitar attack, and they are at their best on "Better Off Dead" and "Second to Last." Those two tracks along with "Sincerely Me," "Vegas," and "All About Her" still make this a worthwhile album in my collection.
Top jams: "Better Off Dead," "Sincerely Me," "Second to Last," "Eyesore," "Vegas," "All About Her"

Saturday Morning Watchmen

Today is opening day for what I believe will be the greatest comic book film of all time, Watchmen. Yes, yes, The Dark Knight was great, but it was far from perfect. Very flawed in fact (not that I know much about film, honestly).

Watchmen the book is not only amazing for a graphic novel, but it seems like it being one of the greatest pieces of modern literature in history is a common opinion. I read it last spring, and even though I know I need to read it at least one more time to understand all of its intricacies, it was still incredible. The fact that it is so complex is one of the many things that make it so good.

If you've seen the trailors, which I'm sure you have, you know it looks visually stimulating, to say the least. In fact, everything looks perfect; right on with the book.

Having read it before seeing it, I know I'm going to have my complaints, sure. But, I predict it will be leaps and bounds better than The Dark Knight, if only because of the story. There isn't any stand-out character to the degree of Heath Ledger's Joker. The closest thing would probably be seemingly ultimate creep Jackie Earle Haley as ultimate controversial bad ass Rorschach. All of this to say, it looks phenominal, and I am STOKED.

Now, the real point of this post is to share the video below. I got the link from Buzzgrinder who got it from You Ain't No Picasso who got it from /Film. It is the opening theme of an early 90s Saturday morning cartoon version of the book. It is a parody. It is absolutely hilarious. I LOVE THIS.

Please watch. Hopefully it doesn't give too much away.

Weekly Listening Roundup #7

This is way late. The internet, as beautiful and amazing of a thing it is, is also distracting. I've spent all week at work reading Wikipedia entries about my favorite Squaresoft and Square Enix role playing games. I am silly.

Well, here are the records I enjoyed from last week. It seems like there is a mid-late 90s rock theme going here.


Blur - Blur (Virgin, 1997)
It seems like my friends Alec, Matt and Travis have all been pushing Blur on me off and on for a couple years now. Finally, I take the plunge with their 1997 self-titled album, and am moderately impressed. A lot of it is bland and obvious brit pop. But there are some definite gems. I think I remember opener "Beetlebum" as a very minor single on 89X, and it sounded way better this time. "Country Sad Ballad Man" is epic but really nice indie pop. And, even though I have been sick of the song for several years, "Song 2," which is annoying and mediocre at best, is a hilarious critique (musically speaking) of early and mid 90s American rock. The album goes on a little too long, and I feel a sense of arrogance all around (not as much as say, their rivals, Oasis), but the production is fabulous and there are enough good songs to merit my owning of the album.
Top jams: "Beetlebum," "Country Sad Ballad Man," "M.O.R.," "Look Inside America," "Strange New From Another Star"


The Power of Failing - Mineral (Crank!, 1996)
EMO! The Power of Failing is melodramatic, whiny emo at it's purest. I picked the record up back in the summer of 2003, and boy was it a struggle to get into, because the production is SHIT. My high school emo roots really wanted to like Mineral, and thankfully the Mark Trombino-produced swan song End Serenading was not so difficult to get into. I've come to terms with it all, though. The way I look at it, The Power of Failing's production is not much worse than Sunny Day Real Estate's Diary (which, stylistically, TPoF sounds like a slower, slightly brighter version of), and it is substantially better than The Jazz June's earlier releases. Also, I think End Serenading is a more solid album, but, with the exception of kinda title track, "& Serenading", TPoF's good songs are better.
Top jams: "Gloria," "Slower," "If I Could," "July"


The Lean Years Tradition - Model Engine (Sara Bellum, 1997)
Ahhh... Here is another one of those christian bands I was into back in middle school and early high school. I don't quite know how to describe Model Engine. On The Lean Years Tradition, I guess they just play some indie rock. At the time, one might have called it "college rock" or something like that. To pick it apart a little, the songs aren't structured by the typical verse/chorus standard. There are some nice melodies sung by a passionate vocalist. Rhythmically, it is pretty nuts, too. And for a christian act, the lyrics are surprisingly dark and actually kind of interesting. It's definitely one of those rare christian albums that I consider being pretty original.
Top jams: "Scarred by Smarter," "Reeperbahn," "Weathervanes," "Walking Wounded," "Anonymous F," "Rosinante"


This is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About - Modest Mouse (Up, 1996)
Trying to love Modest Mouse is hard times for me. I waited too late and started with 2004's masterpiece Good News for People Who Love Bad News, which I absolutely love. Then I tried The Moon and Arctica (which everyone else considers a masterpiece), and I still struggle with it, even if there are quite a few amazing tracks. Next, I traveled back to The Lonesome Crowded West, which I didn't understand and completely hated. In the summer of 2006, my roommates at the time, Danny and Julian, pushed the b-sides collection, Building Nothing Out of Something, on me, and it totally worked. To this day I believe it is my favorite Modest Mouse release. I'm not even going to touch on 2007's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, because it is tripe and it simply sucks. Finally, I came across This is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About. I'll rank it somewhere between The Lonesome Crowded West and The Moon and Antractica, which it does not even come close to touching. It is exactly what you'd expect the band's first record to be: really dark, really rough around the edges and way too long. There were only a few songs that kept my attention. I don't have the patience for everything else on it.
Top jams: "Dramamine," "Custom Concern," "Beach Side Property," "Ohio"

15 Life Changing Albums

Sorry, this will be my last post for the day.

Today I got tagged by three different friends to compose a Facebook note listing 15 albums that have changed my life. I decided to go the extra mile by not only including explanations and photos, but also posting it on my REAL blog. This one right here.

Two important notes before I get started:

(1) Determining what albums have literally affected or changed my life deeply is very difficult. In all honesty, I can only consider two albums fully life changing (OK Computer and Pet Sounds). The other 13 on this list are the next closest things.

(2) I'm going to try to list these in chronological order, not by the year the album was released, but the year and hopefully month in which it entered and/or became crucial in my life. To the best of my knowledge, at least. Also, this is from the point when I first started getting really serious about music until now.

Oh, and one more thing.

(3) These aren't necessarily my 15 favorite records of all time (although that list would look pretty close), but 15 records that have had a major impact on my outlook on life and in music. Somehow, there is a difference.

Here we go!


OK Computer - Radiohead (Capitol, 1997)
NOVEMBER 1997 - This is what slowly but surely pulled me up from the depths of my ska and pop punk listening shenanigans. It helped me look at the world in a more realistic and even skeptical manner. It inspired me, creeped me out and probably made me cry. It is my favorite album of all time.


Weezer (The Blue Album) - Weezer (Geffen, 1994)
MARCH 1999 - I was way behind with this one. Back when it first came out, I tossed it aside because it wasn't Christian or grunge. But when I finally sat down with it, boy did it hit me hard. The first album to convince me to give pop music a chance.


Something to Write Home About - The Get Up Kids (Vagrant, 1999)
MARCH 2000 - The perfect high school album. I at least thought that I related to the lyrics at the time, and I sure as hell loved singing along to 'em. So catchy and interesting for me at the time, and the impressive drumming only helped.


Frame & Canvas - Braid (Polyvinyl, 1998)
NOVEMBER 2001 - I was introduced to this at the height of my obsession with emo. Braid should have been one of the first for me, but alas, they were not. Not being one who pays attention to lyrics that much, I couldn't relate to them at the time, unlike so many others (too clever, I guess). But, this is the record that completely sold me on the idea of one day going on tour. It also was fun to imagine me playing Damon Atkinson's drum parts, and how amazing that would be.


Emergency & I - The Dismemberment Plan (DeSoto, 1999)
OCTOBER 2002 - Probably the first truly out there and bizarre album I had ever gotten into. This changed the way I looked at both melodies and drumming forever.


Discovery - Daft Punk (Virgin, 2001)
NOVEMBER 2002 - I hated dancing, and then this sexy baby came along, and now I only love to dance to it (unless I'm under the influence AND with the right crowd). Discovery opened my mind to funky, sexy music, and reminded me that music is really fun to listen to.


The Royal Tenenbaums Original Soundtrack - Mark Mothersbaugh/various (Hollywood, 2001)
NOVEMBER 2002 - Mark Mothersbaugh's original score + amazing songs by The Clash, Nick Drake, Nico, The Ramones, The Velvet Underground, etc. + it being the soundtrack to my favorite movie = greatest movie soundtrack I have ever heard. BEAUTIFUL.


Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys (Capitol, 1966)
JANUARY 2003 - Here is what finally sold me on pop music, and how if it's done right, it can be the most beautiful thing you've ever heard.


Keep it Like a Secret - Built to Spill (Warner Bros., 1999)
JULY 2003 - Just when I was getting sicking of hearing the guitar, this album comes along and pulls me right back in. My favorite guitar album of all time.


Transatlanticism - Death Cab for Cutie (Barsuk, 2003)
OCTOBER 2003 - Not necessarily the best Death Cab album, but the one with absolutely perfect timing. It came out during what might have been the greatest month of my entire life in the greatest year (school, not calender) of my life. Lots of great memories and emotions attached to this one.


You Forgot it in People - Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts, 2002)
DECEMBER 2003 - This album is stunning. I'm at a loss of words. Perhaps it's another one of those "perfect album with perfect timing" stories. I don't know. It heavily contributed to the glory that was the 2003/04 school year.


The Soft Bulletin - The Flaming Lips (Warner Bros., 1999)
APRIL 2004 - One of the weirdest yet most beautiful things I had ever heard at this time. The way this record sounds, primarily the drums, has had an eternal effect on me. It is my dream to have drums that I record sound like this.


London Calling - The Clash (Epic, 1979)
APRIL 2004 - At this stage in life, I was so sick of punk rock. Not that this is a punk album through and through. In essence and attitude, it is, but really, it seems like this punk band, The Clash, wanted to make a pop album. And they did. And it was Long Calling. And it sold me again on the idea of punk rock.


The Biz - The Sea and Cake (Thrill Jockey, 1995)
AUGUST 2006 - Here began a long and extensive love affair with this band that probably will never end. Not necessarily their best, but the first that I got into. And what a beaut it is!


The Beatles (The White Album) - The Beatles (Capitol, 1968)
DECEMBER 2007 - It took me 23 years and 7 months, but in December of 2007, thanks to Matt Rickle putting "Martha My Dear" on a mix CD for me, I FINALLY felt ready to give The Beatles a go. I have not looked back once. And this is my album. Though, to be completely honest, I haven't spent nearly as much time on the second disc as I have the first. But that first disc is IT!

The Sea and Cake @ The MOCAD, 2/13/09

I had originally planned on posting this only a couple days after the concert, but then I just totally forgot about it. My best bud Travis' post this week about his recent experience seeing Ben Folds live inspired me to just go ahead and still do it.

So, last Friday I had the opportunity to see my newly positioned second favorite band, The Sea and Cake, at an art opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD). I had planned to recall the entire set list for the night (not necessarily in order), and I totally blew it by waiting too long to post this. However, I will try to recall their set to the best of my abilities.

First off, the band was incredibly tight. This was not very surprising as they were pretty much perfect when I saw them at the Magic Stick back in October of 2007. Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt both just did their thang with their guitars, not being too showy, displaying just the right amount of coolness. Of course Prekop's voice was smooth as hell. John McEntire banged the shit out of his drums amazingly. That dude is just sick. And once again, bassist Eric Claridge proved to me that he might be the most crucial member of the band. He knows when to hold it down and keep everyone together and when to let loose and wail. Seasoned professionals are what they are.

The set list was great. They played most of their newest record, Car Alarm. It was exciting to see some of my top jams from the record such as "A Fuller Moon," "On a Letter" and "Window Sills." "Weekend" was especially awesome. 2007's Everybody was represented well thanks to splendid performances of "Middlenight," "Coconut" and "Exact to Me." I was pretty bummed they didn't play "Crossing Line," but I guess that's okay. The band also highlighted some old favorites, the best of which were "Parasol," "The Biz," "Sporting Life," and "Midtown." All of this plus several others from Car Alarm, some oldies and a few songs I didn't recognize (one in particular that McEntire completely dominated) in an hour-and-a-half set that included a four song encore. They must have been feeling generous.

Great set guys! You are truly fantastic both on record and live.

Know Your Onion #13

Kim Jong Il Unfolds Into Giant Robot

Here's a classic.

P.D.A.D. #1: Greg Saunier

Tonight, I begin a new series of themed blog posts, titled P.D.A.D. (Public Display of Affectionate Drumming). I guess, I could have made it P.D.E.D. (for Emotional Drumming, duh), but this is an attempt at being clever.

Pretty much, I will dedicate these posts to sharing videos of some of my favorite drummers wailing on their drums affectionately, emotionally, or awesomely.

Here is a Juan's Basement performance by Deerhoof, who's drummer, Greg Saunier, is a master at the sloppy and improvisational Keith Moon style of drumming. It is the title track from 2004's Milk Man, which I don't own, but should.



Awesome, right?

Weekly Listening Roundup #6

Dirt - Alice in Chains (Columbia, 1992)

Last Friday, I heard Alice in Chains' "Would?" via 89X on the way to work. I never listen to the radio, like, ever, and it was between switching out CDs. However, I was compelled to stop and shamefully allow the song to play its course. I had completely forgotten that "Would?" was one of my favorite songs back in fifth or sixth grade. Oddly, I noticed some things that made me appreciate the song more than ever before; things that I would have never even thought to pay attention to back then. This inspired me to go back and listen to 1992's Dirt. As of just a few weeks ago, I would have agreed to the claim that Alice in Chains are one of the worst things to ever happen to the grunge scene. I was stupid then. There are some serious jams here, far beyond the singles (which all are awesome). What blew my mind listening to it now, is how they were so heavy and sinister sounding compared to other grunge bands at the time. They truly bridged the gap between 80s metal, butt rock, and modern 90s alternative rock. And some of the chord progressions, time signatures and harmonies are truly bone-blowing. I can't believe I'm saying this, but what a record!

Top jams: "Them Bones," "Dam That River," "Down in a Hole," "Rooster," "Dirt," "Would?"

Sha Sha - Ben Kweller (ATO, 2002)

Right around the release of Ben Kweller's debut, Sha Sha, I recall him being viewed as a child prodigy of sorts. Then he got really uncool really fast. I purchased this record the day before I moved away for my freshman year at college. It had quite a consistent role in my music listening habits during that first semester. The lyrics on Sha Sha are very young and clever, almost to an annoying degree, and I realize this now. In addition to this, there is nothing new to be found anywhere. There are some Beatles tunes Ben Folds tunes, and most frequent, some hard rockin' Weezer jams. This did not phase me back when, especially the Weezer-ish tunes, which to this day are still pretty awesome. There is a little too much drama throughout the record, and I feel a little too old to be into it now, but for this dude's age at the time, he really did a great job at paying tribute to his idols. All in all, I am able to look past these newer revelations and still take this for what it is: a solid pop album.

Top jams: "How It Should Be," "Wasted & Ready," "Family Tree," "Commerce, TX," "Harriet's Got a Song," "Falling"


IV - Led Zeppelin (Atlantic, 1971)
Is this supposed to be THE Led Zeppelin album? I feel like I've read that somewhere. Well, I've been missing out. Last week was the first time I've even listened to this sucker, in spite of my brother-in-law being a big fan. He decided to push Rush on me instead, I guess. Anyway, there definitely were some familiar tracks, of course ("Black Dog," "Stairway to Heaven," "When the Levee Breaks"), but those aren't even close to the best offered here (unlike "Misty Mountain Hop" with its tremendous groove, and the folky "Going to California," which I think are). And the production, let me tell you about the production. It is AWESOME. I can't believe how good those drums sound. I'm not sure if that's John Bonham's doing or the engineer, but MAN, they sound great. This is one of the major reasons why I was so impressed with the album. Well, that and the fact that Bonham just tears it up on the kit. It doesn't hurt that most of the songs are good. I'm not a "Stairway to Heaven" fan, though.
Top jams: "Rock and Roll," "Misty Mountain Hop," "Going to California"


Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin (Atlantic, 1973)
In my opinion, Houses of the Holy is easily the superior album to IV. It's not that there is any disparity in sound quality or performance between the two. Simply put, this just has better songs, and more of 'em. I've always liked "Over the Hills and Far Away," but I think it might be top tier worthy on my favorite songs of all time list (which I will probably never compile, unfortunately). Hs of the H mixes Zep's bad assery with great beauty, which isn't anything out of the ordinary for them, but they do it best here. And "D'yer Mak'er" is like, an awesome, legitimate pop song.
Top jams: "Over the Hills and Far Away," "The Crunge," "Dancing Days," "D'yer Mak'er"


Go Forth - Les Savy Fav (Frenchkiss, 2001)
The first time I ever heard Les Savy Fav was at the 2005 Intonation Music Festival, which was curated by Pitchfork. It was one of the most entertaining performances I have ever seen. I was hoping this intensity and energy would translate perfectly to record when I purchased 2001's Go Forth at that very fest, and initially I was disappointed. I saw them again in 2008 and still felt the same way, even though I liked the band's 2007 triumphant return, Let's Stay Friends, better than this (and still do). This time around, I can admit that Go Forth is a better artsy punk record than I was originally willing to give it credit for. It is solid. Not every song is awesome or anything, but there are some rare moments where that live energy is perfectly intact, and those accompany the best songs. There is some fairly innovative stuff going on, mainly in the guitar riffs, and the band is obviously talented. Just not the best punk-ish band around, on recording.
Top jams: "Tragic Monsters," "Reprobate's Resume," "The Slip," "Adopduction," "No Sleeves"


Forever Changes - Love (Elektra, 1967)
"Alone Again Or" has been one of my favorite songs for several years now, but it took me quite a while to realize the overall genius of Love's 1960s psychadelic pop classic, Forever Changes. In a book I read about Belle & Sebastian's seminal If You're Feeling Sinister, it was said that Love played a crucial role in the development of Stuart Murdoch's early musical ideas. I hadn't noticed this, and though I don't think it's as obvious as the book made it seem, I can sort of see how Love was a very early incarnation of that twee sound. Maybe Forever Changes is a little darker, and psychadelia definitely comes in to play way more here than with B&S, but this makes for a really unique and beautiful listening experience.
Top jams: "Alone Again Or," "Andmoreagain," "The Daily Planet," "Maybe the People Would be the Time or, Between Clark and Hilldale," "The Good Humor Man He Sees Everything Like This," "You Set the Score"

Radiohead @ the 2009 Grammys

So, Radiohead played at the Grammys last night. I am surprised they would lower their standards to perform at such an offensive event in music. But, they are Radiohead, and they can do whatever the hell they want, and no one will really question them for it. I am okay with this.

If you're like me and hate everything the Grammys represent, you obviously missed a mindblowing performance of In Rainbows opener "15 Step." With the USC marching band. I can only imagine, especially if any of the marching band members were actually fans, how it must have felt to be performing on stage at the biggest (unfortunately) music awards show of the year, with the greatest band in the entire world, to a song with such a bad ass beat.

In case you missed it, here is the performance. It is really good, I'm sorry the video quality is so terrible.

Weekly Listening Roundup #5

Alright, I'm going to have to expedite this week's listening roundup, for a few reasons. Work was a little busier than I expected today, I've been distracted trying to score free t-shirts from Threadless (via their Twitter contest, which I succeeded at), and it's Friday and I want to get on to the weekend.. So, I'm going to try to post this as quickly as possible. Here goes.

Veni Vidi Vicious - The Hives (Burning Heart/Epitaph, 2000)

The Hives were all the rage when Sire re-released Veni Vidi Vicious back in 2002. "Hate to Say I Told You So" was a huge song, and also a very good indication of what the entire album sounds like. They were tagged as a nu-garage rock band, but really they played raw 70s punk rock more than anything, while singer Howlin' Pelle Almqvist portrayed an incredibly arrogant Mick Jagger. Entertaining, and actually pretty good.

Top jams: "The Hives - Declare Guerre Nucleaire," "Hate to Say I Told You So," "Statecontrol," "Knock Knock," "Supply and Demand"

Tyranosaurus Hives - The Hives (Interscope, 2004)

Tyranosaurus Hives is the cleaner, long-awaited follow-up to Veni Vidi Vicious. It is just as raw in the sense of emotion and pissed off-ness, but it definitely sounds like it was released by a major label. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, however, because their is more diversity in the way the songs sound (both technically and stylistically). I consider this a major plus. It is still really fast and bad ass, but it is not as straight ahead punk. There are some Rolling Stones and Stooges references throughout, and "Dead Quote Olympics" sounds like early Clash.

Top jams: "Walk Idiot Walk," "No Pun Intended," "A Little More for Little You," "See Through Head," "Love in Plaster," "Dead Quote Olympics"

North to the Future - Joe Christmas (Tooth & Nail, 1996)

This one is sort of embarrassing. Joe Christmas was an underground Christian indie rock band I used to listen to back in middle school and high school. They were on Tooth & Nail Records, which back in the late '90s actually put out some really great records, but in the 21st century have come to offend my taste, hearing and probably my faith a little bit. Anyway, North to the Future was Joe Christmas' second and final full length, and overall it has a really sloppy and lazy indie pop feel; sort of a cross between Pavement, Yo La Tengo and Sebadoh maybe? It has a surprising amount of highlights.

Top jams: "I'll Bet You Do," "Dreaming for the Gold," "Haunted Mystery," "A Pretty Girl Never Lights Her Own Cigarette," "East Coast Angle"

Okay Sweetheart - Kiddo (Microindie, 2007)

I'm not sure if Kiddo is still actually an entity in the Detroit music scene, but these lovebirds are most definitely still productive. Singer and guitarist Christian Doble plays in the artsy, spazzy punk act Child Bite as well as '90s indie rock odesmyths Copper Thieves. and bassist Lizzie Whitman plays in Friendly Foes with Ryan Allen (of Thunderbirds Are Now!). On Okay Sweetheart, Kiddo play good, jangly pop punk with some Neutral Milk Hotel-esque melodies thrown in at times. Sometimes they sound way too cute, but even those moments are hard not to like.
Top jams: "This Could Take Forever," "Otherguys," "Sunday," "Rocketship"

Know Your Onion #12

Polamaluesque Puppy Dominates Puppy Bowl

Know Your Onion #11

Action Figure Fights On Despite Loss of Dragon Sword

Super Bowl XLIII: VICTORY

I know this is a day late, but my boys made history!

And, my prediction was actually very close.

Looking forward to next season.