music, etc. updated fridays

2009 Top 10 (etc.)

2010-01-03T00:32:00.001-08:00

Wow, first post since April! Hmm... there has been a lot going on since then, hasn't there? If you're in the know, you know, and if you're not - don't worry about it, you'll find out if it matters.

2009 Top 10
These are the 10 albums released this year that I enjoyed the most. I started writing out detailed explanations, but it was holding up progress, and really - if you know me and/or my taste in music, this will all make sense, and you should be able to spot which ones you might like yourself, and which ones you'll truly hate (hint: if your name rhymes with "Cars Cane" you will not like my #1 pick at all). Onward!
Honorable Mentions: The Fold - Dear Future, Come Get Me; Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
10. Passion Pit - Manners
9. Relient K - Forget and Not Slow Down
8. Thrice - Beggars
7. Paramore - Brand New Eyes
6. Taking Back Sunday - New Again
5. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
4. Jenny Owen Youngs - Transmitter Failure
3. Say Anything - Say Anything
2. The Appleseed Cast - Sagarmatha
1. He is Legend - It Hates You

20+ "Singles" That I Thoroughly Enjoyed (excluding songs from the Top 10)
Converge – “Reap What You Sow”
As Tall As Lions – “In Case of Rapture”
Dashboard Confessional – “Get Me Right”
Metric – “Sick Muse”
New Found Glory – “47”
Cartel – “Deep South”
The Seams – “This Feeling”
The Dangerous Summer – “The Permanent Rain”
Jeremy Enigk – “April Storm”
Emery – “Dear Death Pt. 2”
Muse – “Resistance”
Brand New – “You Stole”
John Mayer – “Half of My Heart”
David Bazan – “Curse Your Branches”
Manchester Orchestra – “I Can Feel A Hot One”
Mastodon – “The Last Baron”
Them Crooked Vultures – “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I”
Kevin Hammond – “Broken Down”
Motion City Soundtrack – “Her Words Destroyed My Planet”
The Steelwells – “This Dance Is Out of Your Hands”
Deas Vail – “Excuses”
Death Cab for Cutie – “I Was Once a Loyal Lover”

What do you think?

Live Demo

2009-04-03T11:33:00.001-07:00

Just spreading the word: download the debut live demo from the lower 48 at the following link:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/55nchf

Leave your comments/likes/hates in the replies!!

1 month!

2009-03-25T14:27:00.001-07:00

It's apparently been a month since my last post. Sorry. A lot's been going on.

After my computers got stolen, I've been trying to recall all the songs and lyrics that were lost, whenever possible. I'm filling up notebooks like mad. But I've also discovered a lot of it sucked, so it's probably a sign to start fresh and leave everything else behind. There are more than a few signs that point in that direction, actually...

Anyway, sorry this isn't substantial, but how about some RECOMMENDATIONS?!?!?! I accept.

Grammatrain are reuniting to record an album and play a couple of shows. Yes, you read that right. Grammatrain were the headliners at the first concert I ever attended. Though I grew out of grunge (and really, was never into grunge outside of Grammatrain), there are still a lot of great songs on their two albums, especially their second, Flying. Good times. The clips online make me optimistic...

Death Cab are releasing an EP, which Stereogum is streaming (and other sources are ripping and posting). I haven't listened to today's track yet, but "A Diamond And A Tether" was fantastic.

Farewell Flight was recommended by Taylor Armerding and it's already in heavy rotation. "Phones" is probably my favorite right now.

The Forecast just released an EP and I LOVE it. I wish they had the original tracks up on their myspace, though "You Wreck Me" is fun. "Say You Miss Me" is on repeat.

Big If features frontmen from Yellowcard (which you've probably heard of) and Reeve Oliver (which you probably haven't). Or, to put it another way, it features guitar players from two defunct Tooth & Nail pop punk bands, Craig's Brother and Dogwood! No joke.

Wait, looks like Craig's Brother is un-defunct. Huh.

The Lower 48 has finished tracking their live EP, hopefully great things are on the horizon...

15(+) Bands

2009-02-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Via Facebook: Think of 15(+) albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world.

***No being cool; Which albums have you actually listened to hundreds of times?

Readers should feel free to guess (or ask) why particular albums are there.

(I broke the rules a little bit, but for those who know me, prepare for the least-surprising list, ever)

High School:
Slick Shoes/Rusty - Slick Shoes
I can still recall standing in the parking lot at the beach the first time I heard Slick Shoes' debut EP blasting from a friend's parked car; all 4 songs and 8 minutes of it. Up to that point most of the punk I was listening to was of the MxPx/Squad Five-O variety (both of which hold special places in my heart), but Slick Shoes blew my mind. Rusty was even more stunning, featuring multiple songs which broke the 2-minute mark (and a few that entered 3-minute territory). Jackson Mould's solos are eclipsed only by his low-end riffs on songs like "Cliche" and "Rusty". Their second LP Burn Out definitely had its moments, but it was sadly downhill from there.

Diary - Sunny Day Real Estate
I can't remember when, exactly, this band gained such a hold on me, but I do recall Dan purchasing How It Feels To Be Something On upon its release, and I didn't like it; I preferred (and still do) the raw emo-rock of Diary and its close cousin, LP2. Sure lots of the songs have the exact same structure, but who cares? They're all great. And "Pheurto Skeurto" is still one of the strangest, out-of-left-field moments on an album, ever.

Something to Write Home About - The Get Up Kids
"My Apology" was the first TGUK song I ever heard, and I was hooked. While many long-time fans were decrying the pop-oriented direction the band was heading, I didn't know it at the time; I just knew that I loved the songs these guys were pumping out with a perfect blend of double-guitar attack, tight rhythm section, and just enough pretty keys to offset Matt Pryor's less-than-perfect vocals.

From the 27th State/The Moon is Down - Further Seems Forever
These two releases are closely linked in my mind, and I'm still slightly bummed that they never rerecorded a cleaner version of "Justice Prevails" - but then again, I don't know if they could have recaptured the intensity of it. Everybody has different opinions on Chris Carrabba's vocals, but if you listen to the music you will hear such an incredible variety contained within less than 40 minutes of playing time, it's crazy. The core musicians had performed for years as Strongarm, so it's no surprise that they were so in tune with each other throughout these releases, and achieved so many perfect moments no other band ever will. R.I.P.

The Colour & The Shape - Foo Fighters
Umm, you all knew this was coming. Though the band created In Your Honor to separate and showcase their equally penchants for soft and loud performances, TCATS had already done that. The quieter and aching moments found on "Doll," "See You," "Walking After You" and the first half of "February Stars" are offset by the all-out assault provided by "My Poor Brain," "Wind Up," "Enough Space," and the last half of "February Stars." And let's not forget the all-time classic radio singles "Monkey Wrench," "My Hero," and "Everlong" (and "Up In Arms," which I can never listen to enough). Incomparable.

Early College:
Clarity - Jimmy Eat World
Although I know he wasn't the only one listening to it at the time, I have to credit Jonathan Greener for really getting me into Jimmy Eat World and this album. If you don't like it, I can't convince you to, but if you do, you know it's like air in your lungs.

The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts - Refused
I vividly remember Dan rounding up James and me in Jamie's room at Wheaton and placing a burned CD (remember those?) courtesy of John Harris in the stereo (remember those?), with strict instructions to listen to the first three songs without moving from the couch. My mind was blown, and continues to be every time I hear this album. By sheer force of will this band transmogrified from a scrappy anarchistic punk outfit to a thoughtful and ferocious Socialist hardcore militia. To my knowledge no band has even tried to rip this album off, (a) because it's impossible and (b) because everybody would hate them for trying. This album is heavier and groovier than any -core band has ever created, and equally trippy and cohesive.

The Photo Album - Death Cab For Cutie
I borrowed this from Suhail Stephen (thanks!) during my freshman year, and that was pretty much it. Recently I read an interview where Ben Gibbard expressed his dislike for the album, as it was rushed to be created between tours; you can definitely hear how it is a more clinical, "studio album" than their other releases, but there is a clarity and pristine quality found here that I cannot get enough of. It always makes me think of one of those bitterly cold, clear winter days, when the sun is shining and everything is bright, but you still don't want to step outside.

Regulate the Chemicals/You Should Be Living - Twothirtyeight
One of the best concerts I ever attended, and two of the best albums ever. After the power-chord pop-rock songs that populated the Matter Has A Breaking Point EP, to call Regulate the Chemicals a departure would be putting it terribly mildly. The lonely, dissonant notes that opened the album became only creepier as a second guitar rang out over the lyrics, "Some people stay sick in bed, sick at work or in their heads." And everything just spiraled out of control from there. The album is an experiment in sparse landscapes; though almost every song features a drums/bass/two guitar lineup, they always feel alone and independent of each other and with so much room it's as if the band is playing to an absent crowd in a concert hall. To confuse matters even more, the re-release contained two southern-rock tinged tracks, which oddly fit right in. None of this could prepare anyone for You Should Be Living, though. While perhaps not as powerful in impact, it showcased the band at their peaks as songwriters and performers, and some of Chris Staples' best lyrics. The loneliness and creepiness had aged to sadness and a haunting feeling. Every song sounds like an epitaph for a different person from the same small town. They describe the worn-out, blown-out spirit found in any small Florida town, with lines such as "God... we knew you as kids, but lost you in smokey bars, we lost in the boom of lowered cars, in parties that grew into the yard," "Seat yourself, for you'll be murdered in 40-hour increments," and "Credit is a whore who won't wake up and leave, but believe me, I'm not sleeping with her anymore." God I miss this band.

Late College:
Stay What You Are - Saves the Day
I have so many good memories tied up with this album, which was released my freshman year. Despite Chris Conley's abrasive/whiny vocals, this album somehow became a staple across a wide spectrum of friends, and many hours were spent hanging out, playing Mario Kart or Halo, or doing other things that should not be mentioned in public forums. This album always reminds me of good times in Wheaton, both the school and the city.

De-Loused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta
By the time the intro track was half over, I'd already wet my pants. I'd heard their debut EP and been completely unimpressed, so when Dan popped this in I was not expecting much. What I got was more than I could handle. Though technically inferior to later albums, the raw energy of this album can overpower practically anything in its path. Focusing on a drums/bass/guitar attack, they created a sonic assault than only briefly subsides for interludes. Definitely a desert-island album.

Another Intervention - Down To Earth Approach
I went home during my last summer at college and completed an internship. As a fair amount of the work I did was performed by myself at a desk, I looked for music online anywhere I could find it. The e-card for this album was up, and I listened to it constantly, loving every minute. Though I could do without the title track, which never seems to go anywhere, the rest of the album was gorgeous, and surprisingly well-thought-out. Though they never stray far from their core formula, they change the dynamics in delicate ways so that it never gets boring, at least not to me. This is a band that I am completely in love with that I can never get anyone else to like.

Zoo - Anadivine
As much as I love Copeland and Brandtson, I think this album was the best thing The Militia Group has put out to date. It's tempting to call them a straight-ahead rock outfit, but that would give the wrong impression. They were definitely masters of subtlety and dynamics. The two guitars rarely played the same part, opting instead to play complimentary but strikingly different lines. This left the bass holding down the fort melodically, which it did with ease, adding variety but maintaining focus. The drums are among my favorite, ever. Often completely locking in with the guitars instead of the bass, there are plenty of things that go by unnoticed, like the 3-measure cycle that occurs throughout "Love, Lust and Fake Integrity": though the song is in 4/4, each 4th bar actually begins on a different kick pattern. Listen closely. Anybody who ever liked dignan but wished we had a vocalist will probably enjoy this album.

I Am Hollywood - He Is Legend
Oh man... this album slays. Schuylar Croom gives Blindside's Christian Lindskog a run for his money as the best singer/screamer in the biz, singing what mostly sound like creepy fairy tales while the band tears through riffs culled from all areas of rock: 80s cock rock and arena rock, metal, hardcore, late-90s alternative (does anyone else think the intro to "The Greatest Actor Alive" kinda sounds like Fuel?), southern rock, and even some jazz for good measure. The bass and drums are among the tightest duos in recent memory, and throughout the album the band seems to have the mindset of "what is the most difficult and least expected thing we could do at this point?" Key changes, rhythm changes, style changes, breakdowns, slow downs, brodowns... it's all there, from the opening punch of "The Seduction" (which also has one of the greatest music videos ever) to the last riffs of the title track. "Do You Think I'm Pretty?" is probably my favorite, switching from a dissonant riff to a modern rock chorus, to an intentionally-ridiculous hardcore breakdown which is followed by a mindbending 6/8 riff which spirals away until it is lassoed back in by a syncopated rhythm courtesy of the aforementioned drum/bass pair. Am I drooling on my keyboard right now? I think so.

Recent:
House of Heroes - House of Heroes
Another band that I don't think anyone else will ever get into like I am. Although an indie band, as a trio they created an album worthy of comparisons to Muse: Tim Skipper has a vocal range almost equal to Matt Bellamy, the guitar and bass lines interplay with equal ingenuity, and the rhythms holding it all together are often more varied and interesting. HOH prove to be masters of dynamics, never playing a part the same way twice, excepting some choruses (but, after all, that's what choruses are for). "Fast Enough" begins benignly enough, but by the end they're creeping along like the Grim Reaper comin' to get ya. Gives me the chills every time. Songs like "Make A Face Like You Mean It" and "Pulling Back the Skin" have fantastic rhythms and enough changeups to make a pitcher jealous. I think I should probably stop making metaphors, they're getting out of hand. I will probably alarm many people by declaring this a desert island album for me.

The Devil & God Are Raging Inside Me - Brand New
Soundtrack to my life if ever there were one.

Time Is Fiction - Edison Glass
Sure this album came out only a few months ago, but I can't imagine life without it. Fantastic from front to back, it's the kind of album that makes me nervous for their next album, because how could it possibly be this good and enjoyable? Highly recommended to anybody who likes rock of any sort, but especially dual-vocal, dual-guitar rock with interesting bass lines and fantastically flavorful and inventive drumming.

Weekly Addiction

2009-02-24T09:57:00.000-08:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been listening to the song "This Feeling" by The Seams. Over and over. Seriously 150 times by now, probably more. I can't explain why. There's nothing in the song that would make it possible for me to convince someone of its greatness. I'm just hooked.

Edit: But I'll try to explain, anyway. Down To Earth Approach (the previous band of this singer, Jonathan Lullo) is one of my all-time favorite Bands That I Am Really Into That No One Else I Know Ever Liked At All. They wrote and performed simple, straight-ahead pop rock songs that were, I thought, incredibly fantastic. Over 2 albums there is only 1 song that I don't really like, which is a far better track record than plenty (most?) of the other bands in my iTunes. Over 2 albums they also never wrote a song that reached the 4-minute mark; the vast majority were between the 3- and 3:30-mark, or as some songwriters call it, "The Sweet Spot": the perfect length for a catchy, radio-ready pop song. Of course, DTEA never made it on the radio, which is too bad. I'll be the first to admit that while I always got what the band (Lullo) was saying, grammar and linear narrative was not always his strong suit. I was/am totally o.k. with that, as the impression always made its way through.

Now, this new song from The Seams, his new collaboration with another songwriter: this song is practically perfect, if a little short - but its length also probably helped me play it 150+ times, and still enjoy it! There is a very steady feel provided by the consistent, unchanging drums with open hi-hats; I'm still trying to figure out if it's a live drummer or programming. At the very least the cymbals were recorded separately, Phil Collins-style. The guitars are distorted but smooth, and the lead lines aren't pushed to the front, but blend in and basically just hint at their existence. Though the drums are pulsing throughout, there is a lot of variety among the guitars: sometimes just one plays, sometimes both, sometimes both but no bass, straight strums for the verses but choppy All My Life-style strums for the choruses. And then we hit that magnificent bridge. "It's gonna get easier for me" Lullo sings, as the bass ascends over the choppy chords and subdued lead lines. And while that's all well and good, when the bridge is played again, it has a moment in the third stanza where the bass continues to ascend past the point it did previously, and that's where it all really comes together for me. As I've said before, music occurs in real time, and it's moments like these, however brief, that I enjoy the most. When all the pieces come together, for however brief a moment, and everything makes sense. Anyone who listens to my best songs knows that that's invariably how I structure them, and I think many people can testify to a similar appreciation, if not in this particular song.

Things I Currently Enjoy Probably Way Too Much

2009-02-04T10:40:00.000-08:00

- The Weepies, Hideaway
- Taylor Swift, Fearless (especially the 2nd verse of "You Belong With Me". And "Breathe". And "Love Story," of course.)
- Taken
- Two Tongues, "Tremors"
- The Gabe Dixon Band, "Disappear"
- Shure SCL3 earphones
- Blogs that you need a username and password to access
- WordTwist vs. Adam, Emily or Mikkele
- Today's Woot shirt
- New lower 48 song, "Stay True To Your Heart!"
- August Burns Red's cover of "Hit Me Baby One More Time"
- Jason Mraz's SNL duet with Colbie Caillat on "Lucky". (I have come to the conclusion that Mraz is a tool surpassed only by his drummer, but I haven't heard a live duet like that in quite some time.)

All of the above are highly recommended.

More Top 10s!!!!

2009-01-27T09:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some Top "10s" (lists, really) from friends... more things to argue about!!

Lars
(no particular order)
DCFC - Narrow Stairs
The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Beck - Modern Guilt
The Weepies - Hideaway
The Sleeping Years - We're Becoming Islands One By One
Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
Shingo Suzuki - The Abstract Truth
Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Fall Out Boy - Folie a Deux
Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
Coldplay - Viva la Vida
Fleet Foxes - s/t

Biggest Disappointment:
Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger

Dan
1. The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
2. Nada Surf - Lucky
3. Muse - H.A.A.R.P.
4. Portishead - Third
5. Sigur Rós - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
6. Shai Hulud - Misanthropy Pure
7. Meshuggah - ObZen
8. Underoath - Lost In The Sound Of Separation
9. Death Cab For Cutie - Narrow Stairs
10. Dr. Manhattan - Dr. Manhattan
11. The Kooks - Konk
12. These Arms Are Snakes - Tail Swallower and Dove
13. Edison Glass - Time Is Fiction
14. Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
15. The Roots - Rising Down

"Halfsies"
Weezer - Red Album

Honorable Mentions
Jude - Cuba
Metallica - Death Magnetic

Luke
Yeasayer - All Hours Cymbal
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Fleet Foxes - s/t
She & Him - Volume One
Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Horse Feathers - House With No Name
Sigur Ros
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Kanye - 808s and Heartbreak
Conor Oberst - s/t

Honorable Mention:
DCFC - Narrow Stairs

Disappointments:
Scarlett Johansson
Margot & the Nuclear So & So's

Mikkele
(no particular order)
Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Margot - Animal (/not animal, but mostly animal)
Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin - Pershing

Ek
1. The Mars Volta - Bedlam in Goliath
2. Protest the Hero - Fortress
3. Black Tide - Light From Above
4. Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
5. David Seume - It Is What It Is
6. Metallica - Death Magnetic
7. Alkaline Trio - Agony & Irony
8. Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation
9. Dragonforce - Ultra Beatdown

Single: Jackie Moon - Love Me Sexy

2008 In (incomplete) Review!!!!

2009-01-18T12:54:00.000-08:00

It's finally here! My 2008 round-up. In retrospect I wish it were more extensive, but it's been pushed back long enough, so... here we go!

Honorable Mentions:
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
This was on most peoples' Top 10 lists that I received, at the very least in the included Honorable Mentions. Really solid album, but I found myself only listening to half the songs and skipping the rest.
Starflyer 59 - Dial M
This album was just BARELY edged out of the Top 10. I've never considered myself a Starflyer 59 fan, but this album won me over in a big way.
These Arms Are Snakes - Tail Swallower and Dove
I'm getting hooked on these guys. Three piece semi-prog-rock that doesn't always go where you think it's heading.
Matt Pryor - s/t
Pryor's best work since The Get Up Kids broke up - and now they're back together! Highly recommended if you like TGUK, New Amsterdams, short and sweet acoustic ditties.
Reeve Oliver - Touchtone Inferno
Really great album that was originally in my Top 10 but lost its spot to Valencia, for reasons to be explained below. Can you believe the front man for Reeve was in Dogwood?
Dr. Manhattan - s/t
Crazy and inventive, but too many of the songs have similar patterns and too many deadspaces seem aimless, not purposeful.
Russian Circles - Station
Best instrumental band to come along in a while. Enter was a good release, but Station takes it to another level.
Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV: Air & Earth
Probably my favorite Thrice release since The Artist in the Ambulance. Both EPs are very expressive and elemental (as they are intended to be), and the Air EP is a personal favorite.
United Nations - s/t
Insane and intense, but gets kinda boring in its assault after a while...
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
The best Get Up Kids album since they broke up. The vocals will be make-or-break for most people, but recommended for fans of TGUK, Hey Mercedes, power rock in general.
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Completely solid album that just couldn't get its hooks into me, no matter how many chances I gave it.
Underoath - Lost in the Sound of Separation
Arguably better than Define the Great Line, but I didn't like it as much. It felt like the focus was less on songs and dynamics, and more on sheer brutality - which this album definitely excelled at.
David Vandervelde - Waiting for the Sunrise
Sounds like it was made in someone's bedroom - in 1976. And I mean that in the best way possible. See this guy live if you get the chance;
Good Old War - Only Way To Be Alone
While this album is a solid entrant into the world of acoustic pop, and will definitely please any Paul Simon fans, it just made me miss Days Away that much more.
Margot & The Nuclear So & So's - Animal! and Not Animal
Margot still writes good songs, but the way these albums were recorded leaves me wanting a lot more. Too much is almost clinical in its execution and sound, and lacks the raw subtleties that The Dust Of Retreat majored in.
Rise Against - Appeal to Reason
Completely solid and capable album, but sounds too much like The Sufferer and the Witness to stand on its own.
Cruiserweight - Big Bold Letters
Cruiserweight releases another fun pop-rock album. For fans of female-fronted power pop everywhere.
Mates of State - Re-Arrange Us
This album probably would have made it onto the Top 10 if it weren't upstaged by another husband-wife duo. Highly recommended.

Best Album from 2007 that I didn't start listening to until 2008:
Via Audio - Say Something
How did I miss this? Great from start to finish, stays away from predictable pop song tropes, yet remains catchy.

Top 3 EPs:
Emery - While Broken Hearts Prevail...
I've never been a huge fan of Emery; I liked them well enough, but never enough to listen to a whole album. Thus this EP seems to me like it came out of left field. Every track is a pure rock assault, only leaning towards "screamo" territory on a couple of occasions. "Say the Things (You Want)" and "Do the Things (You Want)" are perfect companion pieces, one summing up the end of a relationship, the other taking to task fairweather fans of music and art. Emery's versatility shines through on these songs and throughout the release, causing me to greatly anticipate their forthcoming LP.
You, Me, And Everyone We Know - So Young, So Insane
At first I just liked the first track off this album, the stellar "I Can Get Back Up Now"; but after giving the rest of the EP a few listens, that track fell to 3rd or 4th on my list. A 6-song EP that focuses on melodic pop/rock about relationships and friendships in general - I know the first thing most people would think of is Colored By Numbers' seminal release You Are Going To Be Let Down, but this EP is pretty damn good, too.
Deas Vail - White Lights EP
This release is held up by the vocals; the music isn't anything extraordinary, and in fact is downright awkward at times, but the vocals pull everything together and soar on top. "White Lights" and "Last Place" are the standout tracks here.

Random Songs that Would Make a Great Mix Disc if Arranged in the Right Order (Presented in Alphabetical Order by Band Name):
Anberlin, "Haight St."
Coldplay, "Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Mix)"
Colour Revolt, "Naked and Red"
Death Cab for Cutie, "Cath..."
Dr. Manhattan, "You Put the I In Team"
Flobots, "Handlebars"
The Forecast, "A Better Man"
Good Old War, "Coney Island"
The Hold Steady, "Constructive Summer"
House of Heroes, "Code Name: Raven" (ignore the bridge, enjoy the rest)
Jack's Mannequin, "Crashing"
Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire"
Margot & The Nuclear So & So's, "Love Song for a Schuba's Bartender"
Marnie Stern, "Prime"
Mates of State, "Now"
Matt Pryor, "A Totally New Year"
My Morning Jacket, "Evil Urges"
Protest The Hero, "Bloodmeat"
Russian Circles, "Verses"
Starflyer 59, "Minor Keys"
These Arms Are Snakes, "Lucifer"
Thrice, "A Song for Milly Michaelson"
We Are Scientists, "After Hours"

My 10 Favorite Albums, 2008 Edition
It's too nonsensical to even attempt an objective top 10 (or any similar list for that matter). But out of the music that was released in 2008 that I managed to listen to - and multiple times, at that - here are the 10 releases that I enjoyed the most, in roughly reverse order:

Copeland - You Are My Sunshine
I wasn't anticipating being a fan of this album after not enjoying 2006's Eat, Sleep, Repeat, but from the opening words of "Should You Return" I knew I was going to like it. Though it's not perfect... what Copeland release ever is? That's besides the point; there is plenty to love here. Copeland covered all their bases here - "Should You Return," "Chin Up," and "What Do I Know?" are subdued, brooding rockers; "The Grey Man," "To Be Happy Now," and "Not Allowed" are the more upbeat pop songs, and "Good Morning Fire Eater," "On the Safest Ledge" and "The Day I Lost My Voice" are signature Copeland songs: major key, gorgeous and sad, all at the same time. The only misfires are towards the end of the album: "Strange and Unprepared" is a musical copycat of Radiohead's incomparable "Videotape"; and album closer "Not So Tough Found Out" would have been better left as the art installation soundtrack it was written for. All around, though, it makes me look forward to hearing Copeland in the future... so things are looking up!

Maria Mena - Cause and Effect
I know a lot of people - probably everyone - is going to disagree with me on this one, but this is probably the most stunning album I heard all year. A little hard to get a hold of as it was only released in Europe, this album is quite the evolution from the girl that was first presented to America as the European Michelle Branch. "Only One" and "Fragile" were great pop songs, but Cause and Effect is the sound of a girl becoming a woman - or at least exorcising a shit ton of demons. I can't figure out what makes my spine tingle more: her explicit descriptions of life as the child of divorce in album opener "Power Trip Ballad" - complete with OCD, eating disorders, and terrible parental behavior - or her bitter "Ha, ha, ha, ha" that ends each verse. Her proclamation in the chorus that "You will always be the bitter, saddest part of me" is just as powerful now as the first time I heard it. The tracks that follow don't get any lighter; often they get so heavy and intimate that, as a male, I feel really awkward listening (but not in the same way I feel awkward when I hear Miley Cyrus). The music itself is raw and, while produced well, a far cry from the glossy pop most American songstresses churn out. This allows Mena's vocals to always be the focus, which is as it should be. Clear as a bell and yet full of soul and pain, it serves as the hook for every song. It is telling that the only indisputably happy song on the album, "I'm In Love," is also the shortest. The second shortest, meanwhile, is the hands-down saddest song of the year, "I'm On Your Side." It is almost as if Mena can only deal with the highest highs and lowest lows in short bursts. Makes sense to me.

Lydia - Illuminate
Easily winning the award for "Album That Sounds Most Like Copeland's Beneath Medicine Tree", Illuminate also stands on its own two feet just fine, thank you. Each track is a perfect piece of the album as a whole, always in its right place. The only downside to each track bleeding into the next is that sometimes the outros feel too brief, but that's forgivable. Most songs reach an anthem at some point, though the subdued moments are often the most memorable: the refrain of "Don't you ever get lonely?" in "A Fine Evening For a Rogue," or the beseeching, "Stay awake and I'll stay, I try and go but your game, it waits for me and you love" in "Stay Awake." I freely admit that this was the soundtrack to a breakup, earning it a particular place in my mind, but it's still a great album.

The Submarines - Honeysuckle Weeks
I did not plan on liking this album, not at all. As a rule I never like albums that I first hear in an iTunes ad. But it's really good!! The beats are fun, the melodies and harmonies are killer, and the instrumentation is lush. I don't have much to say beyond this: if you like pop (especially as a guilty pleasure), you will love this album.

The Fall of Troy - Phantom On the Horizon
Getting into the territory people always anticipate - it's loud, it's crazy, it's almost annoying in it's spasticity. A great move by this band after the less-than-impressive Manipulator, POTH sees FOT returning to their roots - literally, by rerecording the long-awaited "Ghostship Demos". Though there are only 5 tracks, it's almost 40 minutes of craziness, and that's always a good thing. For the uninitiated, just listen to the intro to "Chapter IV: Enter the Black Demon," and that will tell you if you will have any interest in hearing the rest of this album - or the band, for that matter. Though muddier in production than previous FOT releases, it still maintains the intensity and unhinged quality that has earned the band a strong following.

Alkaline Trio - Agony & Irony
As Ek has pointed out, this is Ak3's most radio-friendly release ever - and that's probably why I love it so much. From the opening moments of "Calling All Skeletons" I was hooked, and even the subpar "Love Love, Kiss Kiss" couldn't shake me. The band still maintains its pessimism and dark themes, albeit not to nearly as stark depths as early releases, but their pairing of pop-punk melodies and rhythms with darker subject matter is unmatched by anyone short of Saves the Day. Also, Derek Grant is the best drummer in pop-punk who is not named "Travis Barker."

Valencia - We All Need A Reason To Believe
Keeping in the genre, Valencia released the best pop-punk album of the year. There are no gimmicks or tomfoolery here, just straightforward songwriting gems. Reeve Oliver lost their place to Valencia due to a subject that is near and dear to my heart: awesome bridges. Many a song with a fantastic verse and chorus has fallen apart at the bridge (see: House of Heroes, "Code Name: Raven"), but Valencia kick their bridges up a notch, sometimes several. From the rising crescendo found on "Better Be Prepared" to the huge expanse on "Where Did You Go?" and the stutter-step on "Safe to Say," the bridges are phenomenal. The rest of the songs are good, too! Anyone who loves Sherwood, The Starting Line, New Found Glory or just good loud summer pop-punk will enjoy this album.

Shai Hulud - Misanthropy Pure
I can't get over how good this album is. It melts my face and blows my mind. It rewrites the book on hardcore and defies physics. It avoids chugga-chugga moments like the plague and is still the most brutal album of 2008. It has legitimate groove and beats that would perplex a percussion major. It has more unique pieces than a Lego castle yet maintains a cohesive sound. It sounds like August Burns Red sometimes. It sounds like Further Seems Forever at others. It sounds better than both frequently. It could probably cure cancer if it weren't so pissed off. Recommended for: anyone who can handle it. Not recommended for: anyone who can't, people with preexisting heart conditions or a history of seizures.

The Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
Easily the best TMV album since De-Loused in the Comatorium, it's no surprise that it is also the most cohesive and focused (most of the song names are only one word, even!). More surprising is that it is the most varied release. New drummer Thomas Pridgen has to be given some credit, but as we all know Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez are the omniscient and omnipotent gods in the world of the Mars Volta, so we must attribute it to their recent (reputed) sobriety. The rock is more intense, the grooves are more vicious, and the wanky space-outs are hardly to be found. This means, though, that almost all of the 75 minutes is actual music - actual songs - which makes for a dense, almost overpowering experience. From the barely 2-1/2 minute "Wax Simulacra" to the palm-muted riffs of "Ouroborous", the band obliterates everything in its path. They still (to quote He Is Legend) shake their things plenty often, as well - check out "Ilyena" or "Agadez" for the craziest latin jams the band has ever performed. I still wish they would have included their cover of Pink Floyd's "Interstellar Overdrive" as at least a b-side to this album, but that's about the only gripe I have.

And now... my favorite album of 2008:

Edison Glass - Time Is Fiction
From the opening stick clicks of "Let Go" to the last fading call of "Time is fiction...", I love this album. I literally have nothing bad to say about it, nothing I would have wished to be done differently, nothing I would have done differently myself. The lyrics are poetic, hinting at the band's beliefs without overstating them. The dual vocals play off each other perfectly. The music is driving yet not overpowering, and the song itself is always the first priority. Edison Glass also easily passes my "bridge" test (see Valencia, above), almost rewriting the standard in the process. I made a partial list of other bands Edison Glass sounds like at different points throughout this album: Dismemberment Plan, At the Drive-In, Foo Fighters, Alkaline Trio, Sigur Ros, Further Seems Forever, Black Eyed Sceva, Boys Night Out, Moneen, Anadivine, Radiohead, American Football, The Get Up Kids, Copeland... and yet instead of copying any of these bands, they have created their own sound and style. Another accomplishment is relying on their main instruments - bass, drums, and 2 guitars - and keeping additional instruments to a minimum, and even then only as accents. The songs are enhanced by the occasional appearance of keys, strings, bells and even trumpet - but they'd still sound complete without them. I feel like I'm just blathering on at this point. If I had to recommend 1 album from 2008, to anybody, without knowing anything of their musical tastes, I'd recommend this one.

Register your complaints below!!

First, A Reflection

2009-01-03T17:54:00.000-08:00

While I'm finishing up my 2008 Top "XYZ" lists, I figured it'd be a good idea to take a look back at last year's post and see how I feel about it now.

A summary:

Top Ten albums:
10. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
9. Arctic Monkeys, Favourite Worst Nightmare
8. Yellowcard, Paper Walls
7. Saves the Day, Under the Boards
6. Band of Horses, Cease to Begin
5. Tegan and Sara, The Con
4. Jimmy Eat World, Chase This Light
3. The Most Serene Republic, Population
2. Lovedrug, Everything Starts Where It Ends
1. Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace

Still a solid list, despite my claim that Under the Boards was Saves the Day's Temple of Doom. Silly me. That album has done nothing but grow on me, and with good reason. If all of these bands had also released albums this past year, I would be stoked. I still listen to all of these albums pretty regularly, though if ordered in terms of frequency Tegan and Sara, Band of Horses and Arctic Monkeys would take the 8-10 slots.

The 2008 lists are coming soon!

A Whole Month?

2008-11-26T09:16:00.001-08:00

Has it really been a month since I last posted? My how the time flies. I've been working on a 2008 retrospective, and also the annual Top 10 Lists... stay tuned...

Band of the Decade

2008-10-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

I've been partaking in a running discussion about a potential Band of the Decade for the decade currently winding down. The discussion began when Ek made the claim that there isn't a potential Band of the Decade, due to the fractured nature of the current musical landscape. While he has some valid points, for better or for worse, I think Fall Out Boy have established themselves as the Band of the Decade (BotD). Let's talk about why.

Numbers
Sales aren't everything, but sales are a lot. Jimmy Eat World was discussed as a possible dark horse BotD, but let's take three bands and break it down, cajun-style.

Jimmy Eat World
While Clarity was their artistic apex, it's also the album that got them dropped from Capitol Records (and probably led to their focus on strictly pop-rock songs). Their following albums sold better:
Bleed American: 1.3 million (platinum)
Futures: 615,000 (gold)
Chase This Light: 164,000+ (according to the most recent numbers I could find, 01/08)

Fall Out Boy
Though many see Take This To Your Grave as FOB's most impressive/powerful/noteworthy album, they too found more success in its aftermath.
Take This To Your Grave: certified gold
From Under the Cork Tree: certified triple platinum
Infinity on High: platinum

Nickelback
"Nickelback?" you ask? Well, I'm trying not to be biased, and also show that numbers alone don't make a BotD. Just witness:
Silver Side Up: 5.3 million in the US, 10 million worldwide
The Long Road: 3.3. million in the US, 5 million worldwide
All The Right Reasons: 6.7 million in the US, 9.5 million worldwide
I mean, that's just crazy. (Also, their current wikipedia page proclaims that Silver Side Up "consisted of 12 versions of the exact same song." Good times!)

Now, while Nickelback has obviously sold more albums than FOB and JEW combined, are they in the running for Band of the Decade? I would say no, simply due to the fact that, other than album sales, they have had no noticeable cultural or musical impact. Chad Kroeger isn't sparking new fashions or being paid any attention to (other than when he gets a DUI, of course); and Nickelback isn't causing a legion of imitators to rise up, at least not any more so than any standard rock band. And this is the real reason why Nickelback could never be the BotD: they aren't creating a space for themselves and altering the musical landscape; they are merely filling the ever-present need for a standard rock band that plays catchy tunes but is ultimately harmless and dangerless. (Speaking of harm and danger, Nickelback are on the same record label as DragonForce, Dream Theater, Killswitch Engage, and Megadeth.)

So while Nickelback is a worldwide top-selling band, few could dispute the cultural impact FOB has had in this decade (especially the last 5 years). Taking emo/pop/rock to new heights, creating fashion trends that bands and kids copy relentlessly, collaborating with artists of all types (Babyface and Elvis Costello?), and maintaining a significant amount even buzz even 5 years into their popularity. Trust me, in 20-30 years when people are telling their kids about music in the new millenium, Fall Out Boy will routinely be the first band to come to mind. I'm not saying this is a good thing or a bad thing, it's just the way it is (and a much better option than Nickelback, you must admit).

Discuss and disagree below.

Bitch Slap

2008-10-15T13:56:00.001-07:00

It's been a week or so since first hearing the albums in their entirety, and I've come to the conclusion that I have been not only let down, but nearly despised. Few of the songs actually end; most just seem to taper off like a drunk who forgot he was speaking. There is no love or passion on these albums, merely a fascination with doing everything the exact opposite of the way they would imagine anyone would appreciate. There are plenty of parts sprinkled throughout that I genuinely love, but not a single song that I can play and not feel frustrated about at some point. Richard Edwards & Co. do not have a bone in their bodies that cares about anyone who listens to their songs. How else can you explain actions like their approach to "Broadripple is Burning": their fans fell in love with it when it first started popping up in setlists, but Margot's reaction was to take it, fuck around with it for a while, publicly express their dislike for it, and finally release - on the label's insistence, no less - the least-inspired version possible. Wait, I take that back: second-least inspired. First place would have to go their live performance of the song. You figured if a band hated a song, they just wouldn't play it (see Radiohead, "Creep"). But Margot goes one step further and plays the song in a pathetic, reluctant way - at most shows, as far as I know. Their indifference bordering on animosity seems to extend to the inner workings of the band as well. Seeing them play on the day their albums released, half of the band wore animal masks, I imagine to tie in to the imagery. The other half didn't have masks, or carried them in their hands. Of the ones that arrived with masks, half (including Edwards) removed them before even playing the first song, while the drummer alone kept his on for the first part of the set. It was confusing, but it also wasn't intentional as far as I could tell - they really just couldn't care less.

Margot has always excelled at evoking moods and atmosphere better than anything else (including songwriting), but their new albums seem to mainly evoke the attitude, "I really don't give a shit." At this point, trying to like Margot & the Nuclear So and So's is like having a crush on a lesbian. It's not that they don't like you; it's that they don't like you or anybody like you.

P.S. - Also their artwork choices are the absolute worst I have ever seen.

I guess that's one less person I have to worry about pandering to...

2008-10-14T15:09:00.001-07:00

Luke

Update for the Curious

2008-10-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

dignan lives

2008-09-27T01:37:00.000-07:00

Somehow, we always do.

Sad Day

2008-09-17T10:21:00.001-07:00

Foo Fighters take hiatus.

Of course, NME frequently prints gossipy/untrue items...

Delayed... Again.

2008-09-13T11:27:00.001-07:00

So I'm in the middle of thinking up my most ambitious and audacious post yet, but Jonathan and Emily are here, so I'm hanging out with them instead of hunkering down in front of my computer. Get psyched for it, though...

Jon and I spent 5 hours in the studio last night, and wrote and recorded a song from start to finish. Any fan of Our Father or latter-day dignan would probably love it. I know I do.

Kicking & Screaming

2008-08-28T10:33:00.000-07:00

Recently I watched the purported "cult classic," Kicking & Screaming - no, not Will Ferrell's 2nd-worst film (Superstar is first, obviously), but Noah Baumbach's first film. You may recall Baumbach as the man who helped make Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic his least-successful (and yet somehow my favorite) film to date. Baumbach's influence on The Life Aquatic can clearly be seen upon viewing Kicking & Screaming, as his characters inhabit a sequence of barely-connected scenes that ultimately ends in a hope-crushing realization, relieved only by ignoring the present and looking wistfully upon the past. If you think about it, it's kind of like a Death Cab for Cutie album. Small wonder, then, that Death Cab seems to be under the influence of this mid-90s indie film. And I'm pretty sure I've got proof.

Exhibit A: Plans
Ben Gibbard stated that the title of their major-label debut was the punchline of his favorite joke: "How do you make God laugh?" "You make plans." This joke is told in a bar by a bartender/10th-year college student. If you feel like you've been learning some of the same lessons for a decade, you might be Ben Gibbard.

Exhibit B: "You Can Do Better Than Me"
This song, off DCFC's latest album Narrow Stairs, begins with the line, "I'm starting to feel we stay together out of fear of being alone." This sentiment is echoed almost verbatim in the film, except instead of being about lovers, it is addressed to the group of friends who can't seem to move on without each other.

Exhibit C: "Bad Reputation"
This song is played over the end credits, and was covered by Death Cab for Cutie for the iTunes pre-order of Plans. Tenuous connection? Sure, but when you see the movie as a Death Cab fan it's like the final piece of the puzzle, which brings us to

Exhibit D: Tone
You'll need to see the movie to understand what I mean, but the overall tone of the movie is so much like a Death Cab record that it's eerie. There are definitely moments of playfulness and humor, cleverness and wit, but a lot of it deals with the hardship and sometimes futility of life. Stating it like that makes both the movie and the band come across as much more dour than they actually are, but they share a spirit of wistfulness, whimsy, and skepticism. Lines from the film such as "Even though all 618 of us were wearing caps and gowns out there today, I couldn't help but think it was a coincidence that we were both wearing black," and " I'm nostalgic for conversations I had yesterday. I've begun reminiscing events before they even occur. I'm reminiscing this right now." can easily be imagined to be lines from Gibbard's pen.

I understand that these could all just be major coincidences, but I doubt it. The feeling of discovering someone's inspiration (I have yet to find any stated connection between the two) is actually kinda awkward. And ultimately, does it even matter? Probably not, but if you listen to any of the characters in Baumbach's film or Gibbard's songs, they'd probably support me.

Top 5 (nos. 2-4)

2008-08-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Somebody (J-Lew?) mentioned wanting to hear my explanations on the rest of my top 5 (see previous post), so here they are, in alphabetical order:

Further Seems Forever
Further holds a special place in my heart for a number of reasons. First of all, they were the first "local" band (when I was in high school any band from Miami to Tampa was considered "local" by the central FL music scene) that I totally fell in love with (not counting Delivery Boy - my affair with them was relatively short-lived). I first saw them live with Chris Carrabba in a small upstairs room, touring on their split EP with Recess Theory, and when Carrabba picked up an acoustic guitar halfway through their set (the Sammy Hagar signature model, he made a point to mention) and played "Shirts and Gloves" from Dashboard Confessional's first album (which, at the time, was unknown by anyone in the audience - or anyone outside of south FL), it was an incredible moment only surpassed by the fact that the band slammed into "Vengeance Factor" - arguably their most ferocious song - as soon as Carrabba played the last notes. The sheer velocity of the band at that time was mind-blowing. I recall them blasting through "Pictures of Shorelines" and "Madison Prep"; "New Year's Project" was full of jagged edges when they tore into it; "The Bradley" toed the line between a rollick and a steamroll; and I'm not entirely positive because it was a long time ago, but I'm pretty sure they played a dizzying version of "Monachetti" - first explaining that it was named for a co-worker who "worked so hard he deserved to have a song named after him". Finally, though, I recall them building the eerie tension of "Justice Prevails" until the explosive chorus, and watching the little stage (on skinny legs) sway and flex under the weight of five full-grown men pouring every ounce of themselves into a song.
Though Chris left, Jason came and went, and Jon provided a tuneful but awkward conclusion to the band, this is the thing I remember most about Further Seems Forever: they always left me wanting more. I wish they released more albums. I wish their albums had more than 10 songs apiece. I wish they had written longer outros to most of their songs. But mostly I wish I could help people understand the difference between art and commerce, and that pouring your soul into something is sometimes the surest way to fail.

House of Heroes
Despite having only released one full album that I have heard, these guys are in my top 5. How? Because they're that awesome. Their self-titled album leaves a bit to be desired, especially in the guitar tone department, but they more than make up for that with their songwriting and arrangement. Lyricist/bassist AJ Babcock develops thematic elements into beautiful analogies and scenes, while vocalist/guitarist Tim Skipper melds his melodies and rhythms so perfectly that not a single line sounds out of place or overwrought. It took me a long time to pick an example because there are so many to choose from, but here's the 2nd verse from "Friday Night," which starts out sounding like a nondescript radio-ready single before morphing into a vignette of false humility and greed:

"I like myself on the following conditions:
That I'm better than the next guy at everything I'm into
And my looks are important if I'm less sophisticated
And my girlfriend's a bombshell, and I'm all she's ever dated
Money's an object if it pays for my ego
Power's a drug and pride is the needle
And it rips through my skin, goes into my bloodstream
Oh, I feel like laughing
Ha! I feel like choking on it
Regret would require less arrogance"

The album showcases fresh takes on old subjects ("Mercedes Baby", "Make a Face Like You Mean It") and new takes on sometimes uncomfortable subjects, including church politics ("Buckets for Bullet Wounds") and vengeful ex-boyfriends ("Pulling Back the Skin", which begins with the lines, "No, I don't want you back, but I don't want you with him / No, I don't love you still, I hate him so, though" and continues later with "I would like to see you only if to see you cry / I would like to kiss you, only to kiss you goodbye"), concluding with the most poetic telling of seeing a loved one in the hospital since Copeland's Beneath Medicine Tree or Death Cab's "What Sarah Said."

And that's not all.

Poetic lyrics are rendered impotent if the music sucks, but that is exactly where HOH rise above their peers, managing to use their three-piece status to its fullest and creating huge songs that don't rely on standard chord progressions or song patterns, as well as riffs that rely as much on the space between the guitar and bass as they do on the parts they are playing. They create songs that are cohesive and complete, yet throw in enough curveballs so as to avoid monotony, yet craft those curveballs well enough that they enhance the songs, not detract from them.

I literally listen to their self-titled album, straight through, at least once a week.

Jimmy Eat World
This one probably needs the least explanation. Clarity is a desert island album, plain and simple (even with "Blister"). Bleed American is a milestone in that JEW financed the whole thing themselves and completed it before shopping it to record labels, which was pretty unusual at the time; also they completely changed their sound, and never really looked back. Though Futures (underrated) and Chase This Light harken back to the Clarity era slightly more than BA, they've never returned to the grandeur of "Table for Glasses," "A Sunday," "Ten," "Just Watch the Fireworks," "For Me This Is Heaven," or "Goodbye Sky Harbor". Even the more straight-ahead rock songs off Clarity (practically all the ones I didn't already mention) have more musical depth than most of what has come along since. Which is not to say that the last three albums haven't all been excellent in their own right.
Bleed American gave us bona fide classics in 4 out of the first 5 tracks (except "The Middle," of course), and the last five are at least solid, and sometimes spectacular ("If You Don't, Don't"). Futures featured (say that ten times fast) some of the best rock guitar work the band has come up with ("Just Tonight," "Work," "Polaris"), and they also managed to pace their songs better (though Futures has some lengthier tracks than its predecessor, it always feels quicker as an album). Not to mention, "23" may possess the best Jimmy chorus ever, first appearing in suppressed minor chords but finishing in an explosive major-chord progression that makes my heart skip a beat every time. Chase This Light, meanwhile, comes across as a combination of its immediate predecessors - again tightening song lengths and pacing themselves well, they rocket out of the gate and never look back. "Carry You" develops into a much bigger song than they would have previously allowed, and "Gotta Be Somebody's Blues" maintains a pulsing beat and an eerie tension that keeps the song from becoming a ballad. Other than those two tracks (and the dance-pop "Here It Goes," which puts every dance pop band to shame), every song is a big, guitar-driven anthem, propelling the album to its fittingly-titled conclusion, "Dizzy."
Obviously this has been more of a cumulative record review than an explanation of their place in my top 5, but at the same time it is the explanation. Jimmy Eat World reeled me in hook, line and sinker with Clarity, and even though I've had my share of dislikes on ensuing albums (the obligatory too-poppy track, if nothing else), they excel in the same way the Foo Fighters do - by writing good albums full of good songs. They are reliable in a way that few bands are these days, and for that, TOP 5!!!!!!!!!

Sunny Day Real Estate
I still don't know what these guys were doing half the time. Though Diary, for example, is composed of 10 songs that follow the same formula (intro, verse, interlude, verse, chorus, interlude, verse, chorus, out) and "Pheurton Skeurto", I couldn't play most of them for you. Shrouded by production which is simultaneously clean and yet thick like pea soup, Diary and LP2 in particular give away none of their secrets, instead reveling in their own hidden genius. Which really sums up Sunny Day Real Estate. You can listen to them and understand exactly what they're doing, yet you can't explain it to anyone. Which is why their music is still regarded, first and foremost, as artistic. Largely aided by Jeremy Enigk's indescribable vocals, the band's music also stands the test of time, turning simple arrangements into works of art. And like any good work of art, they have as many foes as they do fans. Plenty are turned off by Enigk's vocals and seemingly-nonsensical lyrics. Granted, their later, post-reformation releases showcased a more "typical" rock sound and lyricism, but even those remain accessible in many ways, which, in the end, was their greatest struggle: beginning as a band nobody understood almost on purpose, when they actively tried to be understood, nobody got it. Except me. And perhaps you. Sunny Day Real Estate ultimately only spoke to one person at a time, which is why they'll never be understood by a large audience - there simply isn't enough time. But their dedication to their attempts earned their way into my heart, mind, soul, and top 5.

Why Guitar Hero Sucks

2008-08-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Somehow amidst all the hoopla of guitar-shaped controllers and the bastard stepchildren of electronic drum kits, I have managed to keep from playing Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and/or any similar game. Admittedly, at first it was because I was being a total snob/asshole and didn’t want to be associated with the unwashed masses who could now, as CNN.com phrased it, “play as if they have talent.” But as time has gone on I have come to completely loathe the games, and for reasons much subtler and sinister than any hipster trend: they actually attempt to demystify the art and beauty of music. By reducing songs to their intrinsic physical values – notes of a certain pitch played at certain intervals in the company of, and in relation to, other instruments and/or singers – the games remove the mystery of music, for musicians and listeners alike. Additionally, they promote the theory that music is only “good” if it is played “correctly” – bringing back nightmares of overbearing music teachers to many ex-students. Screw it up and you get the grating guitar-flub sound; too many, and you lose the round. (I don’t even want to get into the fact that it completely ignores the realms of dynamic and intensity – a tap on the button is the same as mashing it.)
One way or another, the games advocate the idea that when someone writes a song they are merely lining up colored buttons on a timeline, and that songs can just as equally be reduced to their components. I'm sure some will favorably compare the timeline found in Guitar Hero to sheet music, but the games, by their nature, remove the human element. Sheet music provides (often very strict) guidelines, but they are still only guidelines - each performance of the same music can vary in tempo, dynamic, and even pitch, affected by a player's skill, memory, and even mood at the time of performance. Not so in Guitar Hero - you learn, not to play music, but to play a monkey while the console grinds its organ.
Any artist will tell you that art is the truest application of the idea of “synergy”: though ultimately a song is just a series of notes played in succession to a particular rhythm, and a painting is just a collection of paint strokes with different colors and styles of paints, and literature is just a collection of ink marks on pages, they are made more than that by the artistic processes which place them in the contexts they eventually exist within. They cannot be reduced again to their original elements – but they can be destroyed, if you so wish.
(I realize I may be over analyzing what is, after all, a game, but as more makers and users of the games promote their “instructional” benefits, I begin to balk at the comparisons to real instruments and practice.)

Top Five

2008-07-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I had a discussion about top five bands. It made me curious to see what other people would say, so I'll list mine here and anyone and everyone who reads this should feel free to add your own picks.

(In no particular order):

Foo Fighters
O.k., no surprise here. They remain my all-time favorite. Not only because they just released one of the best albums of their career (13 years in - who else can make that claim?), but because they consistently write good songs. Sure I love Coheed & Cambria's insane concept albums and The Mars Volta's outrageous prog-rock epics, but the Foos keep plugging away at making good albums made of good songs, and even when they fail at that (One By One, arguably In Your Honor), they still manage to have some of the most phenomenal songs - "All My Life," from One By One, could be the defining statement of the band's career, and "Razor" is probably the most unexpected yet subtly powerful Foo Fighters song, delivered at the close if In Your Honor's second disc. What I'm saying is, even at their weakest they blow everyone else away.

Unfortunately I don't have time to really flesh out the next four, but I will list them:

Sunny Day Real Estate
Jimmy Eat World
House of Heroes
Further Seems Forever

And what have you been listening to?

2008-06-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Friends always like to know what their friends are listening to, but when I hear a new album I'm usually curious about what the artist has been listening to, both when writing and recording their albums. Here are some guesses:

Shai Hulud has definitely been listening to Further Seems Forever. If you take the vocals out of their latest album, Misanthropy Pure (but why would you? Those vocals are sweeeeet), a lot of parts sound like early FSF in particular, and even the hardest and fastest parts still have that Josh Colbert (primary FSF songwriter) flavor (if you have any real doubts, just listen to 1:44-1:51 on "Be Winged"). It makes for one of my favorite hardcore releases in recent memory.

Coldplay has, ironically, only been listening to themselves, but that's probably not surprising to many people. What is surprising is how Viva la Vida is also surprisingly reminiscent of Take Me To Your Leader-era Newsboys. The main guitar riff from "Violet Hill" as well as the bridge on "Lovers in Japan" smack of Peter Furler and his boys. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing at ALL.

Weezer have been listening to... well, a lot of things. If I had to guess I'd say Gordon Lightfoot, Cat Stevens, Joan Baez, Eddie Rabbitt, Abba, Devo, Pat Benatar, Bruce Springsteen, Grover Washington, Quiet Riot, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Slayer, Debbie Gibson, Michael Jackson, the Fresh Prince (and Jazzy Jeff, I’m assuming), and Nirvana. (Sorry, that was a long joke, and not even funny, but I couldn't really resist.)

The worst offender as of late, and the real reason the subject came up, is the Offspring. Those guys have been pissing me off for years with blatant ripoffs. It's one thing to pay homage to someone, but when you blatantly reuse ideas (like on "Why Don't You Get a Job?," which pillages the Beatles' "Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da") and achieve massive success with it, that's just bad form, as Capt. Hook would remind you. Their latest offense involves their single "Hammerhead," which steals so many dynamics from Rise Against's "Chamber the Cartridge" it should be illegal. Let's list them:
Intro
"Chamber" features an audio recording of the L in Chicago, eventually announcing "This is Noyes" (a stop on my way to work for many months, by the way, and I often thought about how sweet it would be to use that announcement as an album intro; RA beat me to it). As this is going on, a lo-fi drum roll starts, eventually joined by a dirge-like guitar riff. It eventually swells into a drum roll which leads into the (hi-fi) song.
"Hammerhead" starts with some (lo-fi) instrumental noodling before a crappy punk drumbeat starts up. Still lo-fi, a minor-key guitar riff joins it, then they play a fill which leads right into the (hi-fi) song.
Chorus
Shouts of "Woah-oh-oh" are nothing new in pop or punk-rock, but the striking similarities between the two songs cannot be denied.
Outro
"Hammerhead" dissolves almost completely before returning with a much more groove-oriented rhythm that destroys any energy the song had. "Chamber," meanwhile, dissolves to a kick drum and a new guitar riff before returning with a groove-oriented rhythm that kicks serious ass.

It's been ten years since the Offspring's biggest hits, and I'd probably be running on fumes, too. But since Rise Against has burst on the scene (I hear them on KROQ more frequently that any other band -they currently have four singles from their latest album, The Sufferer & the Witness), people have been taking notice. It's not surprising that the Offspring are some of those people. But by copying the band poorly, all they really illustrate is the massive discrepancy between the two bands - the Offspring is a bunch of rich ex-hipsters (seriously, they've got a corporate jet with an anarchy logo on the tail - if that's not irony, I don't know what is), while Rise Against are probably on track to be the first band since Refused to break up due to how strongly they hold to their worldviews - but in the meantime they're giving us some of the most raucous, fist-pumping anthems in years.

Prelude

2008-06-19T17:09:00.000-07:00

O.k., I swear I’ve been meaning to write a few lengthy articles here, but things have just been slipping away from me lately. I have been actively preparing a few things, though, and hopefully will post them all soon.

In the meantime I just checked Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s MySpace and discovered the best news of the fall – Oct. 7th will see the release of two albums: Animal! and not animal, as they call it. I’m super excited for both. Not animal actually has more songs that I’ve been dying to have recorded versions of (“Broadripple,” “As Tall as Cliffs,” “The Ocean”), but Animal! will also be great, I am convinced. I’ve seen plenty of crappy YouTube videos of new songs and have remained skeptical, but seeing the new songs performed live recently (in person) really blew me away. Sure, they weren’t all as instantly catchy as “Vampires in Blue Dresses” or “Quiet as a Mouse” (“German Motor Car” definitely IS as catchy, though), but the new songs showcase an increased musical depth and lyrical, well… psychosis may be the most fitting term. It all adds up to a bizarre, Tom Waits-meets-Anathallo-meets-Indiana sort of vibe, which is hard to quantify but sounds like nothing else. “At the Carnival” and “Love Song for a Schuba’s Bartender” creep along like black smoke, while the aforementioned “German Motor Car” has the most radio-ready opening they’ve performed before devolving into something else entirely, and “My Baby (Shoots Her Mouth Off)” is reminiscent of twothirtyeight’s “The Bathroom is a Creepy Place” (at least in its live incarnation), and we all know that sounding like twothirtyeight is never a bad thing (don’t we?).

I have now used far too many parentheses in this post. More soon.

P.S. - Animal! will be released only on vinyl and digital download, while not animal will be released on CD and digital download. Apparently that's how you solve a game of tug-of-war with your record label. Win-win for the fans!

Self-Promotion

2008-05-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm currently preoccupied (in addition to keeping up at work) with writing lyrics for the songs I've got recorded/demoed. Recording vocals tonight, so for those of you that like my music, hopefully there will be some new, mostly-completed songs very soon.

Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Red

2008-04-18T10:31:00.000-07:00

I'm off to San Francisco in just a little bit here, visiting the Stawarzes!! And anyone who knows who they are know how fun it's going to be. I hope they don't expect me to change any diapers, as I still have never done that IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. No joke.

So this week I'm not all full of musical thoughts (or maybe I am, just not verbose). So let's go straight to recommendations!

Something Old:
Steve Taylor, Squint
I may have mentioned this album before, but it deserves another bump. While the music is starting to feel slightly dated, Taylor's lyrics still hold up as a modern masterpiece of genuine Christian critique, not slander, cynicism or disdain. Thoughtful and catchy, with an undercurrent of humor and even joy, Squint stands, sadly, quite alone.

Something New:
House of Heroes, The End Is Not The End
While I'm still withholding a complete verdict until hearing the album as a whole, after hearing 8 songs I'm pleased with most of it. While they sometimes flirt with too much studio trickery, HoH are poised to present an enjoyable follow-up to their unexpectedly fantastic self-titled album.

Something Borrowed:
Foo Fighters, "Band on the Run"
I'll be honest, I've never been a huge fan of Foo covers, this one is incredibly good. Just search around and you'll find it online, it's well worth whatever amount of effort you expend.

Something Red:
Weezer, "Pork & Beans"
From their third self-titled album (otherwise known as "The Red Album"), Weezer seem to be getting at least a little of their old spark and ingenuity back. The chunka-chunkas right before the chorus are monstrous, and the "I don't give a hoot" line is reminiscent of their early carefree attitude. Throw in the fact that Rivers Cuomo is sporting an unabashedly horrific molestache now, and you can feel the excitement building.

H.A.A.R.P.

2008-04-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

I picked up Muse's new live DVD on Tuesday, H.A.A.R.P. It is a mind-boggling picture of a band that has reached the pinnacle of rock and roll - their performances are flawless, the stage show is captivating, and their sonic presence is incredible. The fact that they remain a three-piece for most of their songs adds to the unbelievability of it all. But what really impressed me was their resonance with the crowd.

And by resonance, I mean the singalongs.

I don't think Muse would strike many people as a "pop" band, yet their rhythms and melodies get stuck in the brain, and their songs are easy to sing along to, even if you can't reach Matthew Bellamy's high range. What is probably more influential, though, is their lyrical content. The only area where comparisons to Radiohead can be even partly justified, Bellamy's lyrics tend to focus on conspiracies and paranoia. Even uplifting songs ("Invincible," "Starlight") have sinister undertones. And while Bellamy finds inspiration in contemporary subjects like aliens, government mistrust, and the scientific program their live album is named after, paranoia in music can easily be traced back to the blues, if not further.

You may be looking for the blues/paranoia connection, but it's there. What is the draw for so many people to blues music, and for that matter, any music with sad or depressing sounds or subject matter? Paranoia. Maybe your life is going great, but everyone can relate to a bluesman singing about a broken heart. And our paranoia causes us to revel in someone else's singing (whether based on real events or not) about such hard times: we like the reminder that things aren't so bad for us, but we also want to be prepared for when things get tough again (as they surely will). And, of course, we like feeling a little bit of sympathy for a sad troubadour.

When it comes down to it, we listen to music, and experience art in general, because of an artist's ability to better or differently express feelings and emotions we ourselves experience. Listening to music that can give us the creeps - or, alternatively, suggest a way to fight such creepy feelings - is a form of release. Even (especially?) if it's hearing Bellamy scream, "Our time is running out!"

Other recommendations:
Led Zeppelin's fourth album. Is there a better opening riff in rock music than "Black Dog"? I propose to you that there is not. The middle of the album has some high points too.

I'm Tired.

2008-03-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

O.k., I'm fried from an extra-long work week, so instead I'm just gonna give a few recommendations.

Lydia, Illuminate
I first really heard this band on Monday, ordered the CD, and it arrived yesterday. It's basically Beneath Medicine Tree part 2, for better or worse. Mindy White adds some keys and vocals which fit perfectly in this indie blend, and help give it a bit more of a distinctive sound. Things get confusing on "Hospital," though, when Copeland's Aaron Marsh shows up to add vocals to the most Copeland-sounding non-Copeland track ever. Good stuff. Current favorite track: "A Fine Evening for a Rogue" ("don't you ever get lonely?")

Once, Original Soundtrack
I just saw this movie last night. It reminded me of why I could never fall for a girl who is an accomplished musician; we'd just fight like James and I do (which is fine for James and me, but probably not for a stable opposite-sex relationship). Anyway, the songs are fun, and the part on the bus near the beginning of the film was a total Jonathan Greener moment.

Death Cab for Cutie, "I Will Possess Your Heart"
O.k., this song isn't as good as it is long. It sounds really thin compared to... well, everything else Chris Walla has ever produced. Oddly, the first 4-1/2 minutes sound like seminal Wheaton jam band I.R.A.T.E., while the last 4 minutes (did I mention it's a long song?) have some good lyrics, but overall are quickly forgotten. I'm still optimistic about Narrow Stairs, releasing in May, but not quite as much as I was.

Motion City Soundtrack, Even If It Kills Me
This album didn't make it into 2007's Top Ten, and I'm still bothered by the "She's the pizza of my eye" lyric, but it's a really solid album. And the production perfectly matches the band's sound, elevating the songs higher than they could reach on their own. Current favorites: title track, "This Is For Real," "Last Night"

That's all. The tank's dry. Have a great Easter weekend.

Oh No He DIDN'T

2008-03-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

While meeting for coffee with a seasoned veteran of rock recording, I was confronted with the idea that the Foo Fighters could be to blame – at least in part – for the current “loudness war” occurring in modern rock music production. 1997’s The Colour and the Shape was presented to me as the first of the “loud” records – an album that jumps out of the stereo and into your head, not only melodically but also sonically. There is nothing in producer Gil Norton’s discography at that point to indicate a thirst for pushing the limits of volume, yet TCATS attacked with a vociferousness that none of its contemporaries possessed. The choruses on singles like “Monkey Wrench,” “My Hero,” and “Everlong” simply explode, and the verses are usually not far removed. So this got me thinking – could my favourite album from my favourite band be an instigator of the downward spiral we find ourselves a part of?

No.

No it cannot.

The real culprit, my friends, is all around the release of The Colour and the Shape, but not in it. Though 1997 saw the release of fellow masterpiece OK Computer, it also heralded the arrival of Deftones, Green Day’s Nimrod, and Re-Load, as well as, oh yes… the Backstreet Boys. Their self-titled album went platinum 14 times over in the US alone, and was followed by *NSYNC’s debut the following year, no slouch either, selling 11 million copies. 1998 also saw Korn’s first mainstream success, Follow the Leader, and here we start to see two different but equally-popular methods arising: the crystal-clear polish of the boy bands, and the bass-heavy, kick-drum-triggered nu metal crunch. Both approaches and styles were taking over airwaves and the first stages of the internet. After the successes of grunge, alternative, and pop-punk in the early- to mid-90s, rock music was getting pushed aside. Fighting for a place and a sound, producers took both elements – the pop sheen and the nu metal EQ – and threw them together. The result is where we find ourselves today: we have the best equipment to record, mix, and play music with the greatest dynamic range ever, yet we use less and less of it on records, to paraphrase the engineer I spoke with. And our ears are getting tired.

Whereas rock fans in the 70s and 80s related to albums on a personal and intimate level, blasting them through stereo systems or headphones, we cannot do that with the majority of albums released today. Putting aside how we connect to music currently, most records today literally fatigue our ears as we listen to them, assaulting them with so many frequencies and at such high intensities that we can only put up with it for so long. I’m sure many people have experienced situations where they find themselves physically unable to listen to music, usually after experiencing a high-volume setting for more than a short period of time. Sadly, this leads us to not value the experience of listening to and experiencing music as much as we should or could. Yet another reason why listeners no longer value music as a worthwhile piece of art, and instead treat it as a disposable commodity.

But at least it’s not the Foo Fighters’ fault.

"We're Getting the Band Back Together"

2008-03-04T11:01:00.001-08:00

2008 is already the year of the reunion. Nobody cares that 2007 brought a new Smashing Pumpkins album and a Spice Girls reunion tour. 2008 is already brimming with possibilities, not even counting the New Kids on the Block rumors that are swirling.

Living Sacrifice - Demon Hunter's recent track, "Sixteen," illustrates why 90% of the metal/metalcore bands should just quit. Guest vocalist Bruce Fitzhugh shreds harder than most of the guitars out there right now, and it wasn't even a particularly stunning performance for him. It doesn't even matter that the line he growls is a word-for-word ripoff of Skillet's first single, "Gasoline." This guy could read cooking directions or road signs and it would still make my skin tingle (in a good way).

Stavesacre - Nothing's certain, especially with this band, but the current plan involves writing one last record with original guitarist Jeff Bellew (How to Live with a Curse was intended to be their last, but you get the impression that they weren't exactly satisfied with it). Judging by the gusto with which they're approaching their upcoming show in Germany, I'm getting optimistic.

Sixpence None the Richer - According to a recent blog post from Leigh Nash, she and Matt Slocum are at least making music together again. At first this made me happy, then I got uneasy flashbacks to Billy Corgan's Chicago Times ad and the resulting album. Fingers crossed.

Colored by Numbers - They're approaching it Postal Service-style (since the six members now live in Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Long Beach, Costa Rica, and Syria), but it's far too early to speculate.

dignan - No, not the band from Texas. The other one.

Artists I'm Still Hoping To Hear About: Steve Taylor, Fleming and John, Further Seems Forever w/Chris Carrabba (yeah I went there), Hey Mercedes, twothirtyeight.

The Backlash

2008-02-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

There is a backlash coming, and I can't wait.

Less than a decade ago, mp3.com arrived as a source for music of all kinds - mainstream, indie, obscure, global, local, you name it. It gave way to PureVolume and eventually MySpace (and the popularity of P2P networks), but the surge had started. People - mainly youth - were able to download anything they wanted, as long as they searched hard enough for it. Record and digital music collections exploded, giving rise to the changing perspectives on music that I have written about previously.

Before this point, music (and music opinion) was received largely via close friends and family, large media outlets (radio and MTV), and perhaps the odd group activity like a school dance or Christian skate night. The focus in many of these contexts was a collective experience of an individual performance. You listened to the radio while doing errands with your family or on long road trips. You watched MTV with friends (especially if you didn't get MTV and were forced to go to a friend's house to watch it). Dances and skate nights were obviously not about the music. Music was a soundtrack, but an incomplete one.

The digital age made music a constant, almost unbearable soundtrack. If you aren't listening to your iPod on the bus every morning, you can look up and note the many who are. Many people have large enough music libraries to play - without pause - for weeks or even months. The digital age also allowed for a rise in the number of recording and music-producing bands, who began to go on tours to support their passion.

But we're kinda getting sick of it.

Talking with friends and colleagues, there is a growing weariness with the state of music. There are so many bands, so many songs, so many mash-ups, not to mention so many websites, blogs, magazines, and TV channels. So many shows, and as a generation, we're sick of going to them all the time. Especially since we find ourselves disappointed by the performances more often than not. We'd rather listen to an album that we like, and not risk having it ruined for us by seeing an ill-prepared musical unit try to create a faithful rendition of it or an interesting digression from it.

We're also spending our own money now. And we're becoming more picky. Thus a backlash is on the horizon. Bands are starting to feel it, as are record companies. Both complain of music sharing harming their careers and investments. Sure, there may be a correlation there, but I'd be more inclined to believe that as the first generation to experience such music overload has moved from high school to college and now post-college life, it realizes that there are plenty of other ways to spend time than to sit at a computer and hunt down the latest and "greatest" musical acts.

But take heart, dear bands and musicians with true talent, passion, and commitment: the backlash that is coming will not destroy you, but it will thin out the herds quite a bit. At least, we can all hope it does. You can be sure that there will always be an audience for a truly kick-ass concert that's coming through town.

Musical Espionage

2008-02-01T23:11:00.001-08:00

I was thinking earlier this evening about how cool it would be if I were a world famous rocker and was contacted by a secret spy organization, who wanted to know if I would put coded messages in my songs, so as to communicate with their spies abroad.

I instantly realized this idea was absurd, because there's no way I could encode messages in songs and release them fast enough and with wide enough distribution to make any sort of difference.

But then I thought, isn't every artist, in a sense, taking part in a scheme like that? Almost every artist has a message in a particular piece of work, even if their message is self-absorption or "there is no message," which is a message about how sometimes things don't need to have a message. ("He's got a point, there." Name that movie!) Every artist has a message, and that message comes from somewhere, whether the artist believes it comes from the literal voice of God or simply synapses firing in the cerebral cortex. Musicians have a particular genre of message that many other artists do not share, that of the unstoppable sequence. I mentioned this in my first post here, how you can't stop music and observe it. Of course you can read musical notation and look at scores, but the actual music itself cannot be frozen and observed. It requires that we submit to its string of occurences in the 4th dimension.

Take time to listen to the codes, but don't let it jam your airwaves.

I Know It's Not Friday, But...

2008-01-15T22:35:00.000-08:00

...Stavesacre is playing in the room next to me, and it made me want to write. When I say "Stavesacre," I don't mean a CD... I mean the actual band. It's a long story, but there they are. They just jumped into "Sundown Motel" (for the second time).

I love music. I love hearing it, I love playing it, I love thinking about it. I love it more than I love practically anything else. I love driving with the windows down and blasting it (but I don't like doing this on the highway because (a) then I can't hear the music as well, and (b) I actually performed a rather detailed study and series of experiments in an Environmental Science class about the potential hearing loss that can occur when driving with the windows down).

I love writing about music, too, and arguing about it as well. Which is how this whole blog started. I hate the discussion threads on sites like absolutepunk.net where it's just talk about anything EXCEPT the actual music. Whatever.

That being said, what I say here is rarely a complete opinion. So yes, though I think "pizza of my eye" is one of the dumpest lyrics ever written, - ever - I still like Motion City Soundtrack and listen to that CD rather frequently. And while I diss DLD a disproportionate amount, I still have 3 or 4 of their songs in my iTunes. And while I LOVE the Foo Fighters, anyone that knows me knows I can discuss my likes and dislikes with equal veracity. I love music, but I have a hard time loving it subjectively. So the hunt for the objective truth continues, if not about what is really "good" or "best," than at least about what I personally like most. So while I disagree with Noah's opinion about Coheed & Cambria, I'm glad he said it, because I didn't know he listened to ANY Coheed. Next time I see him we can argue - I mean, discuss - our different opinions. Or maybe we'll just skip it. That's beside the point. The point is that I love music and I love how it has bonded me to people in my life in so many different ways. Even if Luke is a bastard and doesn't allow comments on his blog.

2007 Top Ten (and then some)

2008-01-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Albums of 2007, in reverse order:

10. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
I’ve listened to Wilco often enough in the past, but none of their albums ever struck me like this one. From the subdued opener which leads into the stuttered strut of “You Are My Face” and the Allman Brothers-flavored “Impossible Germany,” Wilco sound like a band from another era, but still fresh and lively. The perfect road trip album, whether driving across the country or just hopping over to Vegas (both of which I did this year, and listened to SBS while doing so).
9. Arctic Monkeys, Favourite Worst Nightmare
Plenty of bands last year tried “becoming punk” with little or no success. Arctic Monkeys accomplished this easily by sticking to the basics: write short, fast songs, release so many EPs and singles that everyone loses count, and don’t be afraid to employ every cliché and stereotype available. From false endings to questionable puns to nonsensical rhymes, all wrapped up in swagger and spit, Favourite Worst Nightmare has enough bombast for three albums, but not in the American style of “blinger is better” – Arctic Monkeys are from the anti-Fall Out Boy/Panic! at the Disco camp, and joyfully so.
8. Yellowcard, Paper Walls
This album reminds me of high school, in all the best ways. It contains all the major-key bite of classics like Slick Shoes’ Rusty and MxPx’s Life in General, but with the more advanced sense of melody and harmony that Yellowcard has always maintained.
7. Saves the Day, Under the Boards
This album would probably score much higher if it weren’t following up the excellent Sound the Alarm. As a stand-alone album it is head and shoulders above the competition, but it can’t compete against its predecessor. The title track opener is eerie until the whole band kicks in, and then it sounds so much like BOC’s “Don’t Fear the Reaper” that it’s distracting. “Woe” and “Because You Are No Other” sound like unfinished pieces of potentially good songs, while “Stay” is the least memorable ballad StD has recorded and “Getaway” is ferocious until the laughable chanting over the bridge. That’s not to say there are no bright spots on the album: “Radio,” “Can’t Stay the Same,” and “Get Fucked Up” comprise one of the best trilogies of songs Chris Conley has ever written, and “Bye Bye Baby” is among their best singles. Closer “Turning Over In My Tomb” turns in a strong finish, as well, leaving me excited for the closing chapter in this audio trilogy. Sadly, Under the Boards is this band’s Temple of Doom.
6. Band of Horses, Cease to Begin
I didn’t even realize this album would make it into my top ten until well into December, when I kept thinking about “that album that is always playing on my work computer.” Lo and behold, it’s Cease to Begin, a combination of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Explosions in the Sky. The perfect album for staying in all weekend. Put it on repeat.
5. Tegan and Sara, The Con
Tegan and Sara are identical twins and lesbians, which totally killed my celebrity crush on Tegan (the cute one). Not that crushing on a lesbian is wrong, per se, but I felt like it was just completely futile and unfair (not that any celebrity crushes aren’t futile, but…) This is all beside the point, though, which is that The Con is the best female-fronted rock album in my lifetime. (Anyone caught mentioning Exile in Guyville will be ignored.) Not only are the songs catchy and the lyrics witty and memorable, they’re also sonically rich and often transcend the traditional verse-chorus-verse formula with ease. Lines like “I was nineteen” seem simple enough on paper, but when infused with T&S’s passion and melody, they come to life and hit you as if you wrote them yourself.
4. Jimmy Eat World, Chase This Light
For a few days after I got this album, I decided that it was at best a distant third in the JEW oeuvre, behind Clarity (duh) and Futures (an increasingly underrated album). However, the more I listened to Chase This Light, the more it sucked me in with its subtle genius. Jim Adkins’ lyrics don’t appear any different, yet I find myself relating to them more closely than ever before. Lines like “Could going through the motions lead to real emotion?” and “Slap my face just to feel you somehow again” jump out at me. The album is not perfect, however; “Feelin’ Lucky” is this album’s “The Middle” (or “Jen,” from the Futures b-sides), and “Gotta Be Somebody’s Blues,” while not a bad track, oddly sounds much more like earlier Stavesacre (“Wither” from Absolutes) than Jimmy Eat World. Those are the only two songs that I routinely skip, though; the rest of the album is exceptional, and “Here It Goes” may be the single most catchy song JEW has ever recorded, which is a bold claim. But it can at least contend for that title.
3. The Most Serene Republic, Population
As this band doesn’t write songs so much as “soundscapes,” an accurate description is difficult. Imagine Anathallo with more rock, The Arcade Fire with more punk and less Canadianism (though TMSR are fellow Canucks), Sigur Ros on speed, or even Sufjan with less eccentricity, and you’re getting warm. Just check it out already.
2. Lovedrug, Everything Starts Where It Ends
This is a bit of a surprise to me, as I’ve been ambivalent about Lovedrug since I first heard them (opening for 238 on their farewell tour). But this album makes all the right moves, and I’ve been listening to it consistently since I first picked it up. More focused than earlier releases, ESWIE rocks and rolls its way through 11 tracks of post-grunge indie perfection before the beautiful closing track, foregoing pessimism for the uplifting “Wake up, you’re alive. We’re on your side.” Worth hearing repeatedly, every year.
1. Foo Fighters, Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace
Is this a surprise to anyone? The Foo have released a number of disappointments recently (worst offender: In Your Honor, which was, mathematically, not even half good), but make up for all of them in one fell swoop. ESPG saw the band returning to producer Gil Norton (responsible for Foo Fighters’ The Colour and the Shape and Dashboard Confessional’s A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, among others) and dropping contrived rock ‘n roll, instead favoring inspired songwriting. The result is the band’s best album, on all fronts, since TCATS. Opening track “The Pretender,” while the band’s best balls-to-the-wall track since “All My Life,” is only the gateway to an album as rich with barnburners (“Let It Die,” “Erase/Replace,” “Come Alive”) as it is with ballads (“Stranger Things Have Happened,” “Statues,” “Home”). An impressive performance from a band many were beginning to suspect had long passed its prime.

Top 7 EPs:
7. The Rocket Summer, The Rocket Summer EP
6. The Spill Canvas, Denial Feels So Good
5. Flight of the Conchords, The Distant Future
4. Arctic Monkeys, Brianstorm
3. Bright Eyes, Four Winds
2. This Town Needs Guns, Cats and Cats and Cats Split EP
1. Days Away, Ear Candy for the Headphone Trippers

Miscellaneous:
Best Debut: Pierce the Veil, A Flair for the Dramatic
Best Album I Wish I'd Been Listening To Since Its Release: The CafFiends, Fission, Fusion, and Things Made of Concrete (2004)
Best Improvement Over Same Band's Last Release: August Burns Red, Messengers
Best Re-Release: Foo Fighters, The Colour and the Shape (this would have made it into the Top 10 had I not decided to disqualify it).

16 Standout Tracks:
RULES: None of these songs appear on The Top 10 Albums or Top 7 EPs, but are fantastic tracks. Organized in alphabetical order, but if sequenced properly, make a BITCHIN' mix disc.
"After the Devil Beats His Wife," Emery
"Clean Breaks," Dashboard Confessional (Best Song of 2007)
"Currents Convulsive," Pierce the Veil
"Don't You Know Who I Think I Am?," Fall Out Boy
"(Fork and Knife)," Brand New
"Hands On Me," Vanessa Carlton
"Love Like This," Natasha Bedingfield (the version without Sean Kingston)
"Night Moves," Down to Earth Approach
"Pearl," Maritime
"Say," John Mayer
"Soon We'll Be Living In the Future," Straylight Run
"The Truth," The Spill Canvas
"Up Against the Ropes," August Burns Red
"Videotape," Radiohead
"Waiting for the 7:18," Bloc Party
"Wax Simulacra," The Mars Volta

It's Funny, See?

2007-11-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

So lately, like many people, I have been enjoying new shows like Flight of the Conchords and Metalocalypse. Also, I recently watched Wayne's World 2, so humor and music have both been on my mind.

Humor and music have a relationship extending back for generations, most notably in variety shows and Vaudevill-era travelling acts. In recent years they have been separated, but we are starting to see a reuniting of these auditory arts.

I think I probably speak for many people when I say that I can listen to Weird Al Yankovic for about 20 minutes, tops. I appreciate his talent and his ability to parody popular music (much of it deserved), but such humor seems to quickly lose its taste. I get distracted by the fact that the music is identical to songs I already know, but the lyrics are different; this begins to decrease my enjoyment. I'm a creature of habit. Weird Al's popularity spawned a number of imitators, most notably R. Kelly, who parodied R&B (and himself) so spectacularly with "Trapped in the Closet" that it didn't need to be parodied - though Weird Al did so, with the admittedly brilliant "Trapped in the Drive-Thru". R. Kelly perhaps achieved better longevity with the dual format of song and video: if the series had not been released in the music video format, it would probably have foundered in obscurity.

Enter TV shows like FoTC an Metalocalypse. Combining humorous songs with humorous shows, they seem to get the bost of both worlds: the songs are short and relevant to the episodes, which are carried by their own humor apart from the music. These shows also excel because they music they create is actually GOOD: though Dethklok's lyrics are usually inane beyond belief, the music is a wonderful collage of every metal cliche, done to perfection. Flight of the Conchords, meanwhile, come across like the Smothers Brothers. Their songs and harmonies are always catchy, and the lyrics (usually done in a folk/storyteller fashion) stand as well within episodes as they do apart from them. Their iTunes EP will probably be my first purchase of a musical comedian's work (my best friend growing up had all the Weird Al albums).

One other notable sector of musical comedy is the musical stand-up comedian, currently being popularized by Demetri Martin and Zach Galifianakis, to name a couple. Both these comedians use music in their acts, but usually only as background music to tell jokes over. Martin has tried one or two actual songs, but they are not very good. Here music serves a dual purpose - as a background, as a noted, but also as something for the comedians to do when picking their next joke, so they're not just feeling the pressure of dead space and silence. Both comedians have a more relaxed style, and appear to leave more time between jokes than other comedians (Dane Cook). While Galifianakis plays piano, Martin focuses on guitar but is also known to come up with more intricate setups (bells on the floor that he steps on, tape decks that he plays along with, etc.) that add a comedic element via their needless complexity.

Despite my earlier comments about Weird Al, he puts on a fantastic live show, which is a good reminder that comedy at its best is a shared experience, both with the performer and the audience. For a lot of readers of this little blog, another winter is starting - don't forget to laugh.

It's Fall, right?

2007-10-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

I'm still getting used to California. Today it was gray and rainy, which made me feel like I was back in Chicago or Wheaton... until I stepped outside and it was in the high 60s/low 70s. So yeah, it's a different world out here.

Fortunately, my prediction for the autumn seemed somewhat accurate - and I didn't even know about In Rainbows at the time!

The new Dashboard Confessional and Jimmy Eat World albums have both proved to be enjoyable and reliable, if not devastatingly revolutionary (I think we're past the point of expecting that from either outfit, though).

The new Foo Fighters album, on the other hand, single-handedly revived a band that's been aimless since the fourth track of One By One. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace not only rocks and rolls, the songwriting is the best "pure rock" writing since Queens of the Stone Age's Songs for the Deaf. Before this album, Foo shows consisted largely of songs from the first three albums, with 2 or 3 from each of the last two albums thrown in for good measure. Now they have an entire new album's worth of material that works as well in the studio as it does on the stage. On top of that, they throw a number of actual rock guitar solos in, that sound nothing like Rush or anything remotely prog! Like Wilco, they found success in harkening back to 70s rock albums while still maintaining their own sense of self as a band. Easier said than done; just ask Jet.

The Spill Canvas also released a capable followup, but one not nearly as solid or endearing as their breakthrough, One Fell Swoop. Though it starts strong, "Saved" sounds like they were bored playing it, and rush through it without much thought. This starts a downward slide that is only slightly slowed by moments in "Appreciation and the Bomb" and "Lullaby." Where Swoop was endearing because of its over-the-top lyrics and deft musicianship, No Really, I'm Fine only rarely succeeds in spite of these.

Coheed & Cambria were poised to make the most outrageous, bombastic record of their (and perhaps their listeners') lives - instead, they finish their epic story with a whimper: a collection of mostly forgettable songs that delve deeply into the lore they have crafted, but forget to make it relatable or at least interesting.

Albums That I Want To Like More Than I Actually Do:
Motion City Soundtrack, Even If It Kills Me. Some really strong tracks on here, but lines like "She's the pizza of my eye" just leave too bad a taste in my earmouth (?) to be ignored.
New Found Glory, From the Screen to Your Stereo, Pt. II. The first half of this album is solid and provides for some sing-alongs, while the last half stinks up the joint. Proof that cover albums work best as EPs (Hello, On the Cover).

Release That's Making Me The Happiest:
Days Away, Ear Candy for the Headphone Trippers. How can this not inspire smiles all around? Days Away prove that the reason they're no longer on Fueled By Ramen is that no other band on the roster could compare to them. I was going to say it's the best label-free release recently, but that whole In Rainbows deal might have a leg up on them. But Days Away wins the concise and melodic awards.

Release I Wish I'd Started Listening To When It Was Released:
Matchbook Romance, Voices. If I have any friends who listened to this album and didn't think of me... well, apparently we don't know each other very well, after all. It has some troubles down the stretch, but for the most part comes across as Muse's snotty, younger brother, willing to sometimes forego intricacy so they can just rock out.

Release I'm Most Happily Surprised By:
The Most Serene Republic, Population. They're a Canadian ensemble and you probably won't be seeing them on late night TV anytime soon. Writing and performing "soundscapes" instead of songs, all I know is that its closest comparison is The Mars Volta. Songs are broken by dissonance and textures, but they never forget where they're going. Meanwhile, they're also less abrasive than TMV, with melodic cousins like Broken Social Scene, Sufjan Stevens, and even Margot and the Nuclear So & So's making a better comparison in that arena. Abram tried to get me to listen to their first two releases, and I didn't like them. I listened again after enjoying Population so much... and I still don't like them. Sometimes we just need to be grateful for what we have, though.

Release My Fingers Are Still Crossed On:
Saves the Day, Under the Boards. I'm just hoping and praying.

Update

2007-09-23T19:10:00.000-07:00

I'm not dead, I swear. Between the move to California and not having internet - or a stove, or a fridge, or hot water - I've been kinda busy. But updates should be more regular, or at least that is the hope.

First off, I'd like to address a few comments that have been made recently:
- Stay on My Side Tonight (Jimmy Eat World) is not better than Futures. Perhaps the original ideas were more creative than some of the ideas found on Futures, but their execution is poor and usually repetitive. "Disintegration" displays Jim Adkins at his 80s-influenced worst, and "Over" sounds like a Static Prevails-era b-side. "Closer" is a bright spot, but even its big arena-rock riff at the 3:40 mark is eerily reminiscent of "If You Don't, Don't" (which is a much better song). Also, what I've heard of "Chase this Light" is less than promising, but I'm withholding judgement.
- Daphne Loves Derby is one of the most overrated bands in existence currently. I'm sorry, Lars, but it's true. If it weren't for current digital technology (AutoTune, anybody?), the band would still be just another PureVolume lurker.
- I saw the Starting Line last week, and while their live show is tons of fun, hearing new songs alongside older ones proved my point: they don't hold up as well. The show was going great until the started "Are You Alone?" and killed all the energy for 3+ minutes. "Direction" was hilarious thanks to the (seated, geeky) keyboard player doing most of the shouts and yells in the verses. High comedy. While they've admittedly become more technical, I think the newer songs have less instant melody, which has been a TSL staple. Better luck next time.

Lastly, I'm seeing the Foo Fighters tomorrow. In a venue the size of the Metro, for all of you familiar with that famous Chicago location. To say I'm stoked would be the understatement of the year, especially since their new album has proved to be their best one since "There Is Nothing Left to Lose," if not "The Colour and the Shape" itself. I'm prepared to take on any challengers of that statement (as usual), so feel free to fire away.

Love you all, hopefully you'll be seeing more of me soon.

Sticky Wickets

2007-08-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

The seemingly-eternal “is downloading music legal or illegal?” question is really only a few years old, but it will be debated and argued for years to come, by the looks of it. Though the issue as a whole is too vast to address in such a miniscule manner (i.e. anything less than a book, if not a series), there are a couple of initial issues that can be explained relatively quickly:

1. Why bands encourage downloading until they get signed, and then “sell out” and stop encouraging (or actively discouraging) such activities:

When a small band creates an album, they usually put up the money for it themselves; they pay the studio where they record and any relevant people there (producer/engineer), they pay for the duplication of the record and maybe for the design and layout (many times they do this part themselves). Once they have paid for that album, what they choose to do with it is entirely up to them.
This is why smaller bands generally encourage downloading. Once they are signed to a label, though, they are no longer autonomous. This can include lots of benefits, but it also means that they are not free to tell people to share, upload or download anything - they are in a business partnership with a label and it is in the label's best interests to sell albums, not encourage downloading. The bigger the label, the more likely it is that more money is paid out (by the label) for promotion, recording, touring, merchandise, etc. (Whether these contracts are always fair or equally beneficial to the involved parties is irrelevant - once the parties mutually agree to a contract they are bound to uphold it unless and until the contract ends or a dissolution of the contract is sought.) And thus it becomes more important for copies of the album to be sold – for the benefit of the label, the band, and their continued business partnership.

The fact of the matter is, nobody truly “owns” the music. What they own is the right to distribute the music AS THEY SEE FIT. If a band enters a contract with a label, it is expected that they will record and release an album and the label will be able to sell it, when they want, where they want, for the price they want to. There is not total freedom, of course - market forces come into play. If you do not have the means to pay for the way which the band and label have agreed to distribute their musical recordings, though, you have no right to be in possession of it.

Many people decry the current state of record label contracts, a complaint which seems to have some validity. But again, no one is forcing any artist to sign with any record label; that decision may seem unfair, but if they agree to it they are implicitly stating that it is the best possible avenue for them to take at the given time. Seeing as more and more people are aware of this trend, as well as the rise of agents and managers taking interest in smaller bands and alternate (label-free) forms of production and distribution, this argument is less and less relevant as time goes on.

2. The argument that downloading is a benefit for all those “too poor” to afford the music:

If you have a computer and a fast internet connection (fast enough to make downloading albums a viable option), you are not too poor. Poor means "I have a hand-me-down Windows '98 computer with a 14.4kbps modem and neither the luxury of money or the time required to invest in that." Poor means “I don’t even have a computer, I can only use one at school or the library.” Maybe you are too poor to purchase every album you would “kinda-sorta” like to, but that does not necessarily mean you are too poor to purchase the albums you really want.

I admit that I've been guilty of downloading beyond my means. What I discovered, though, as I went through my computer and deleted everything that I had not legally obtained, was that I didn't really miss any of it. It was all overflow and junk, flash-in-the-pan songs that were never listened to after the first week. And if I did miss something, I'm willing to analyze how much I want it and if I'm willing to invest in it, and I think the average person can do this as well. If so, purchase it; if not, don't, and forget it. It's not worth thinking about after that. We live in a culture of people that feel that they have the “right” to freely obtain any music they would like. This is an extension of the “right” to have the latest and the greatest fashions, toys, or hobbies. These are not rights, though; they are luxuries, and the difference between the two is distinct, unchangeable, and quickly being forgotten.

Summer Bummer

2007-08-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Or,
Why Does Music Suck All of the Sudden?

I hate to admit it, but we’re in a slump. Forget complaints like declining sales, bland radio formats, and the lack of good spirits: I’m scrounging the internets, reading every magazine I can find, taking chances whenever possible (buying random albums, clicking on random links), and struggling to find a breath of fresh air of any type. Promising new artists seem extinct and new releases from established acts have been – almost across the board – disappointing. Every recommendation that comes my way seems mind-boggling; who could rave about the new Mae seriously? Even listeners who are enjoying new releases aren’t touting them as ground-breaking or amazing in any way. At best these albums are acceptable for the time being, but it is doubtful they are destined to become anyone’s favorite album or even end up on any top 10 lists at the end of the year. Whatever happened to the times of blasting Jimmy Eat World’s “Bleed American” while making a Slurpee run? Listening to “Understand This is a Dream” while ruminating the changes fall will bring to your post-high school relationships? Going on roadtrips where the music was a mix of the latest guilty-pleasure pop songs and Fall Out Boy? Those days seem much further away than they actually are. But fear not, friends, fall is almost upon us, and it looks to fulfill dreams we dared not dream this summer. In the meantime, here's a brief run-down of the latest summer releases:

Cartel, “Cartel”
Among the stronger releases this summer, Cartel still suffer from a severe case of takeourselvestooseriouslyitis. This is evident from the overwrought opener, brief though it may be. “Tonight” really gets the record going, however, and the next few songs are an enjoyable pop-rock set, though the marching-band brilliance of “Wasted” is again dragged down by lyrical missteps. The last few songs seem to have nothing in common with the first, though, and the band struggles through a number of songs before reaching the worst remix ever plastered together. Grade: B

Down to Earth Approach, “Come Back to Me”
One of the summer’s brighter spots, “Come Back to Me” follows almost exactly the same pattern as DTEA’s debut album, “Another Intervention.” And you won’t find me complaining about that. Musically falling between the Get Up Kids and the New Amsterdams (i.e. similar sound but middle-ground intensity), DTEA follow the time-honored tradition of verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus-chorus, but then again so did Sunny Day Real Estate’s “Diary.” While DTEA pumps out some good tunes, the lyrics lack a certain sing-a-long-a-bility, and are filled with non sequiturs and questionable grammatical choices. Also a bit of a letdown are the two tracks previously released as acoustic songs; their full-band incarnations seem like they’re trying too hard, whereas the acoustic originals were relaxed and easygoing. Grade: B+

Paramore, “RIOT!”
Paramore play to their strengths with their sophomore release, but reveal a striking number of weaknesses as well. Written and performed by mostly high school-aged band members (22-year-old bassist Jeremy Davis being the lone exception), their knack for catchy intros is, unfortunately, not paired with skills at writing the rest of the song. Most songs simply switch back and forth between two themes, never bothering to find a new melody or bridge. All that said, though, the majority of songs won’t drive you crazy, and you’ll probably find yourself humming at least a couple of choruses. Grade: B-

Mae, “Singularity”
What the hell? Mae is the perfect example of a band that has become more popular in an inverse ratio to the quality of their records. Their latest tour finds them supporting Motion City Soundtrack along with Anberlin, and their latest album is a Capitol Records release, engineered by the “great” Howard Benson (P.O.D., Blindside, Daughtry, Hoobastank, Papa Roach, Saosin, Flyleaf). Yet it also is their worst collection of songs yet, marred by uninspired lyrics (“Will you be my rocket?”), unoriginal melodies and poor arrangements. At its best it sounds like Switchfoot, Delirious?, and even Grammatrain at times; at its worst, it sounds like a poor mashup of two indistinguishable pop-emo bands (say, All Time Low and Amber Pacific), but slowed down. They also repeatedly succumb to letting their keyboard player play whenever he damn well pleases. Mae needs to take a cue from Chris Dudley of Underoath: the dude rocks out and, when necessary, has some smooth piano parts, loops, and atmospherics. Mae’s keyboardist Rob Sweitzer doesn’t “rock out” so much as “violently assault the air around him while playing,” which, I’ll grant you, is still entertaining. But worse than that, his musical contributions have now become overbearing and tasteless. The keyboards repeatedly ruin ideas that would be executed much more successfully with just guitars and bass providing the melody. To be honest, “Singularity” feels like a case of “too many Master Chiefs”; while talented musicians, they seem to have not figured out how to turn down any idea that is suggested, to the detriment of many bloated, forgettable songs. Grade: D-

Bright Eyes, “Cassadaga”
Bright Eyes meets Dylan, and everybody sleeps. Excepting “Four Winds,” which is phenomenal, “Cleanse Song” and “No One Would Riot For Less” are the only songs I didn’t find myself skipping through. Those three tracks would make the foundation of an A-grade EP; for the album, C.

Wilco, “Sky Blue Sky”
I just got this album from my brother a couple of days ago, but it is so far pretty damn good. I’ll give an extended review later, but I’ll give it a tentative B+.

The Starting Line, “Direction”
Did you like TSL’s last album, “Based on a True Story”? Then you’re going to love this album. Or maybe not. The thing is, “Direction” is arguably the closest a record has ever come to sounding exactly like the band's previous record. The band and producer proudly use the exact same drum, bass and guitar sounds, and even some of the same riffs (play “21” slowly and you’ve got “Bedroom Talk”). Ironically, then, what it boils down to is which batch of 12 songs the listener prefers. While “Direction” does have some strong moments (“Island,” “Hurry,” “Birds”), on the whole the band appears to be stepping a little too far away from familiar territory, though not erring nearly as egregiously as Mae. Also, expect TSL’s drummer to be replaced within the next year; it's obvious that he has reached the limits of his abilities and imagination. Especially since lead singer Kenny Vasoli has been performing and recording with Aaron Gillespie (all-star drummer of Underoath and the man behind the Almost), you can bet that his rhythmic expectations will continue to increase. Grade: B-

August Burns Red, “Messengers”
“Bone-crushing” is the first word that comes to mind when listening to this album. It’s intense. Almost too intense. And while ABR continue to thrill and excite with their phenomenal rhythm section and fierce vocals, they exhibit shortcomings similar to Paramore's, albeit in a much more terrifying manner. While the guitars have become more technical since their last outing, the band still relies too heavily on metalcore standbys like the jug-juggajugga-jug-jug-juggajuggajugga-jug-jug and the jug-jugjug-jug-jug-jug. You know what I’m talking about. Though they’ve mastered smooth transitions and memorable intros, most songs have interchangeable verses and choruses and run 60-90 seconds too long, each. But who cares? Have you heard their drummer?! Grade: B-

Coming Soon:

Saves the Day, “Under the Boards”
“Stay the Same,” currently streaming on their MySpace, is as intense and catchy as anything on their last release, “Sound the Alarm,” which is fitting, as “Under the Boards” is the second in a trilogy. The live versions of “Get Fucked Up” and “Bye Bye Baby” sound like contenders for Top 5 Songs of the Year lists. Needless to say, anticipation is running feverishly high.

Jimmy Eat World, “Chase This Light”
Having only heard one song in a live setting, I’m withholding judgment and trying not to get my expectations up. But when have Jimmy ever let me down? O.k., true, their post-Futures EP was sub-par, but let’s remember that this is the same band that wrote both “For Me This Is Heaven” and “The Middle,” so you never know what to expect from these guys.

Foo Fighters, “Echoes, Silence, Patience and Grace”
Can you deny first single “The Pretender” rocks? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Returning to the producer that helped make “The Colour and the Shape” such a classic album (Gil Norton, also responsible for the production of Dashboard’s “A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar” and Jimmy Eat World’s “Futures”), the Foo give every indication that this will be their best work since at least “There Is Nothing Left to Lose,” if not TCATS itself.

Motion City Soundtrack, “Even if it Kills Me”
MCS have grown on me with each release (I don’t own “I Am the Movie,” and it took me a long time to finally pick up “Commit This To Memory”), and the 3 tracks they’ve released so far are promising. Though not extraordinary, they have a distinct sound and are concise, and there is something to be said for getting rid of the extraneous.

Coheed & Cambria, “Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV, Volume II: No World For Tomorrow”
“The Running Free” is more boring than most of Volume I, but it’s also the lead single (and most likely the "most accessible" song on the album); C&C are impossible to predict, so this one will just have to be given the proper full-album treatment upon release.

Holy Cow (an addendum)

2007-05-18T15:30:00.000-07:00

In my post about 10 albums at least 10 years old, I made a couple of unforgivable omissions, which I will nevertheless try to make amends for here. And, in the spirit of camaraderie, I will dedicate the first omission to Girdo and the second to Mikkele and Josh. Sorry, friends. (On the other hand, no one called me out on these omissions, so you could be considered culpable, too…)

Silverchair, Frogstomp
Does anyone else remember hearing this album in 1995 and thinking, “These guys are only a couple years older than me?” I know I do. This amazement was tempered by reading an interview a couple years later where frontman Daniel Johns explained each track on the album, mostly with variations of, “This song is about something I saw on TV.” Regardless, Frogstomp was never an amazing album in and of itself; it was, however, amazing that a bunch of bored 15-year-olds created the thing, let alone in the oft-ignored musical landscape of Australia.

Winning the chance to make a record through a radio contest, Silverchair knew there were no guarantees after this album so they strove to make it count. Opening slowly with the bass line of “Israel’s Son,” the track culminated in punk rock thrashing before segueing into the radio hit “Tomorrow.” Songs like “Pure Massacre” and “Undecided” wear their Nirvana influences on their sleeve, but others such as “Shade” and “Suicidal Dream” show a remarkable level of restraint before still-inevitable explosive conclusions.

The genius of the album is in its focus and consistency. For better or worse, every album since has seen the band trying to prove that they are more (or different) than a straight-ahead rock band, but to no avail. Freak Show tried too hard to upstage Frogstomp, and subsequent releases tried to rock tangentially, but the highlights of every Silverchair album are when they simply let loose and ROCK.

Songwriting is nothing without proper presentation, and here again Frogstomp shines brighter than its competitors and successors. Recorded in nine days, it contains a frenetic energy that is palpable even in slow and subdued moments. The drums are big and loud, sometimes threatening to break apart and wash away in the swell of their own sound. The guitars are raw and generic, but this helps their cause by furthering the “we just came from our garage” aesthetic.
Sure, the lyrics are wholly banal and forgettable, but they were still groundbreaking to a generation of kids who were playing guitar in their bedroom and trying to think of a rhyme for “girl” other than “world.” Young bands were still relatively few and far between in 1995, and Silverchair were HUGE. More than anything else, Frogstomp was the sound of possibility and dreams coming true, which is why the band’s career is a disappointment from that point on; honestly, where do you go from there?

Five Iron Frenzy, Upbeats and Beatdowns (Nov. 1996); Our Newest Album Ever! (Nov 1997)
Good lord, how could I leave these out? I must have hit my head or something…
The O.C. Supertones were the first huge Christian ska band, but 6 months after the release of their debut album, Five Iron Frenzy snuck up and clobbered them. Whereas the Supertones looked back to 1st and 2nd wave ska and tried to punk it up, FIF took everything current and added upstrokes and horns. Upbeats and Beatdowns was a goofy celebration, but one which never got boring or redundant. Punk songs like “Old West,” “Arnold and Willis and Mr. Drummond” and a cover of Amy Grant’s “Everywhere I Go” were offset by slower numbers like “Faking Life” and “Amalgamate,” as well as complicated rockers like “Beautiful America” and “Third World Think Tank.” The album’s strongest points are separated, one on each end, on the equal-parts wild and worshipful “Where the Zero Meets the Fifteen” and “A Flowery Song.” The Supertones may have been the latest band to make Christianity a little bit hipper, but Five Iron got kids singing the Doxology.

While serious issues were an FIF staple from the beginning (literally, as “Old West,” the album opener, was about mistreatment of American Indians during the settlement of the west), so was goofiness; but while the Supertones and other ska bands seemed to create a calculated goofiness, Five Iron’s was spontaneous and real, showing through in songs like “Combat Chuck” and the aforementioned “Arnold…” as well as the 4-second, self-explanatory “Shut Up.”

While Upbeats and Beatdowns was a phenomenal debut, the “sophomore slump” has been known to affect even the greatest of bands (I’m looking at you, Craig’s Brother), so the release of FIF’s second effort, Our Newest Album Ever!, was anticipated by many with equal parts excitement and nervousness. Lucky for us, it was arguably the band’s BEST album ever.

Released a year after their debut, Our Newest Album Ever! was light-years beyond it in multiple respects. Already forgoing punk rhythms for the more straight-ahead rock that would dominate their later albums, there was also a reduction in the amount of traditional ska upstrokes, acknowledgment that the fad that was originally their friend was quickly fading. What was more present was mature (yet still catchy) songwriting, and the strongest batch of lyrics the band ever produced. Though still goofy (witness “Kitty Doggy,” “Oh, Canada” or “Where Is Micah?”), the overall tone was much more serious, with songs touching on subjects as diverse as divorce, racial injustice, the futility of life, the futility of greed, and general roadweariness – yet remaining hopeful throughout.

Whereas Upbeats and Beatdowns had more than its fair share of high points, Our Newest Album Ever! was a steady succession of them, culminating in the definitive FIF song (and perennial concert-closer) “Every New Day,” a song which starts somber and sad yet finishes triumphant.

While 3rd wave ska seemed to come and go quicker than most fads, Five Iron Frenzy were able to adapt and succeed; their musical talent and knack for writing memorable songs assured them a place even long after the rude boys had disappeared or morphed into punks, goths and emos. Their early albums paved the way for these transitions, which is why they remain listenable even now.

*Music Irritant of the Week: A commercial is currently on TV with Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” as the background music; but when a voice starts singing, it is simply a female voice singing “la la la” over and over, to the same melody and cadence as the original song. How dare they.

Oh, Irony

2007-05-11T18:22:00.000-07:00

I recently watched a slightly schizophrenic love story in the form of The Holiday. I say “schizophrenic” not in a manic sense but in a true, split-personality sense. Following two story lines that do not appear together until the final holiday montage, it does not have enough time to follow either as close as could be desired (even though it is almost 2-1/2 hours long). But I’m not really concerned about the film at the whole (at least, not presently); I’m concerned with music. And irony.

Music is present in the film through two avenues – the traditional film score and soundtrack, and Jack Black’s character, a film composer by trade (amplified by Black’s own musical aptitude). Black spends various scenes talking about the importance of music in a film, how certain songs become definitive, making good scenes iconic, etc. etc. The irony is that The Holiday contains the worst (mis)uses of music I can recall in recent history. I was clued into this fact when Frou Frou’s “Let Go” – which was a captivating song even before it became the ultimate moment in Garden State, itself a defining (albeit divisive) moment in independent cinema – was used within the first 10 minutes of the film. That’s like rewriting The Usual Suspects to reveal Keyser Soze in the first act. While I never expect big-studio films to show particular care in their song selection and utilization, The Holiday kept grabbing my attention with its questionable uses of pop and orchestral music. Plenty of films have committed this crime, but Black’s character's occupation created a keen sense of irony, which began to overshadow everything else for me. There was even a scene where Black and Kate Winslet (who has surprisingly rebounded from her Titanic days to actually be attractive) walk through Blockbuster while he gushes about classic films and their scores, and how they helped highlight certain iconic moments, etc. (Chariots of Fire and The Graduate were two examples.) This created an additional level of irony as I realized that this film is not only not a classic, it doesn’t even contain a defining or pivotal moment of any sort; it is only notable in its mediocrity.

The Holiday also features Jude Law, in a role where he is somehow both shallow (sleeping with Cameron Diaz upon their first meeting – and while drunk) and sympathetic (widower with two young daughters). His role is a mess. Four years before this film, however, he appeared in Road to Perdition, which is, in all ways, the complete opposite of this movie. (I know it might be unfair and inadvisable to try to compare two vastly different films, but… I really don’t care.)

Where The Holiday is long and dull, trying to conjure up sparkling moments and impart some sort of enlightenment, Road is long and brooding, using its chilly ambiance to tell a story of loyalty, nostalgia, and the bond between father and son. By not attempting to impart a message but instead tell a good tale, we are taught something anyway. But again, that’s not really what I’m concerned with. I’m here for the music, man. And Road to Perdition features one of the most stunning soundtracks in cinema history.

The film itself has a number of elements which help the score become so effective: a green filter gives the scenes a gritty and hazy quality (the director and cinematographer reportedly aimed for an Edward Hopper-like feel); the cinematography is largely slow and sweeping; and the script is sparse, leaving long periods without any dialogue whatsoever. These elements leave plenty of room for the score to carry the film, and it does. In addition to this film, let’s see what else composer Thomas Newman has done:
- Revenge of the Nerds
- The Lost Boys
- Little Women
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Meet Joe Black
- American Beauty
- The Green Mile
- White Oleander
- Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events

Any questions? Among these, White Oleander also stands out in my mind as having a good score, and Lemony Snicket is also noteworthy. But Road stands above all the rest. Its crowning achievement is its main theme, which straddles the line between major and minor keys, allowing itself to slide to either side depending on the instrumentation involved and the intensity with which it is played. This mirrors life itself, which is rarely just one emotion, but usually somewhere in the midst of a lot of them. It is frustrating to see a movie and realize that the music was considered as almost an afterthought, as filler or, even worse, as a manipulator to explicitly dictate what you are supposed to be feeling. A good score, on the other hand, accentuates but does not overshadow the action on the screen, working together with the direction, acting, cinematography and sound as an important part of a larger puzzle.

There is a saying used frequently in the customer-service industry to the effect that customers rarely remember quality dining experiences vividly, but they always remember bad ones in specific detail. Applied to the cinematic realm, the saying still has merit, but Road is one of the good experiences you can't help but remember. Anytime I hear “XYZ film has great music,” I instantly think “Is it as good as Road to Perdition?” And then I think, “You are such a nerd.”

Ten Albums Ten Years (or more) Later

2007-04-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

More albums are pumped out now than ever before, but how many have staying power? Not too many, sadly, but I've been noticing lately how often I keep returning to the "classics," as it were. So, without further ado, here are 10 albums that are at least 10 years old that could still take on anything similar released today (though, for most of them, there is no comparison to be made to any current release).

Sunny Day Real Estate, Diary (1994)
SDRE craft a defining debut album which is cathartic but not chaotic, beautiful but not sappy, and throws just enough curveballs (“Pheurton Skeurto”, “Grendel”) to sound as fresh on the last track as it does on the first. Even the artwork is cute and creepy at the same time, illustrating (literally) the fine balance between contrasts which even Sunny Day could not maintain forever. Best track: “The Blankets Were the Stairs.”

Poor Old Lu, Sin (1994)
It was not until years after my brother listened to this repeatedly that I began to understand its brilliance. The raw-but-professional sound of a suddenly-mature rock band cannot be contributed to any one factor, but rather the combination of talent and humility that allowed them to recogne their strengths and play to them. The vocals are odd and husky but flow freely with musings on life, love and faith; the guitars are so expansive and original that you forget there was only one guitarist; and the rhythm section works like a well-oiled machine, channeling everything from shoe-gazer (“Sickly”) to country (“Hope For Always”) to funk (“Bliss Is”) to all-out rock (“My World Falls Down”), somehow making such disparate genres sound related and relatable. Best track: “I Am No Good.”

Sometime Sunday, Drain (1995)
Hailing from the same region (Pacific Northwest) as the majority of the bands on this list (Sunny Day, Poor Old Lu, MxPx, Foo [sorta], and Slick Shoes), Sometime Sunday can be applauded for releasing two albums with one-word titles – and every song had only a one-word title, too! Though that may be the quickest way to distinguish the band, it’s not the best. Mikee Bridges delivers a vocal performance foreshadowing what was to come for the next decade – vacillating between a whisper and a howl, while remaining surprisingly understandable throughout. Backed by a trio that took the grunge sound and turned it on its ear, Drain was the band’s masterpiece. Songs were bursts of energy that seared and grooved simultaneously. Notable in the band’s sound is the heavy reliance on bass and drums (the last track is an instrumental, guitar-less jam), with no double-tracked guitars to be found – yet the group maintained an intensity and fury that remains rarely approached (just listen to Bridges ask, “Did you ever find the nails in your hands?” on the album’s centerpiece, “Stone”). Best track: “Eye.”

Black Eyed Sceva, 5 Years, 50,000 Miles Davis (1995)
The follow-up to their debut album, 5 Years took the trio’s formula of indie/folk rock with a touch of southern charm and turned it up a notch. The first four tracks display vocalist/guitarist Jeremy Post’s increasing confidence both musically and lyrically, while the last four (three live cuts and a cover of The Police’s “Invisible Sun”) showcase the band’s prowess and imagination, respectively. Post’s riff-writing ability was never better than in opener “Ryan’s Driveway,” making angular, monochromatic guitar lines sound smooth and melodic. “Ecumenical,” meanwhile, could arguably be considered the defining statement of the band, on all fronts. 5 Years foreshadowed an album they deserved to make, but sadly an album that was never written, as the band disbanded shortly after (eventually morphing into the inferior Model Engine). Best track: “Ryan’s Driveway.”

Sixpence None the Richer, This Beautiful Mess (1995)
Before “Kiss Me,” there was a rock band. A rock band whose poster was banned in our house, despite attempts by my brother and myself. Because, apparently, everyone in the band looked “like ghosts,” which was not too pleasing to the parents. Oh well. In any case, the album itself is a mesmerizing blend of surreal poetry, echoey guitars and ethereal vocals… but don’t think it’s a pop album, the dark undertones and driving rhythms are all rock, usually deceptively so. Best track: “Within a Room Somewhere.”

MxPx, Life in General (1996)
There have certainly been more successful “new school” punk albums (umm, by any of their peers), but has there been a better one? It’s up for debate. Ironically, MxPx made their attempt to break from the “Christian band” tag by making their shiniest record to date, a hook-laden tribute to all things young, dumb and punk. By their third album (and high school graduation) they’d passed their juvenile (Pokinatcha) and idealistic (Teenage Politics) stages, and entered a level-headed realist phase, which served as inspiration for their best songs, from the tongue-in-cheek “Middlename” to classic chick songs like “Do Your Feet Hurt?” to introspective rockers like “The Wonder Years” and “Southbound”. Even the campy “Chick Magnet” (which is arguably the band’s most well-known song) is equal parts sappy and inspired. The album art may have been a terrible idea, but everything else is solid gold. Best track: “Sometimes You Have to Ask Yourself.”

Foo Fighters, The Colour and the Shape (May 20, 1997)
Anyone that knows me knows I could probably write an entire book about this album, so I’ll just say… the only negative thing about this album is how no other rock album since (including subsequent Foo albums) has approached its level of greatness. Best track: “February Stars.”

Zao, The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation (May 20, 1997)
Who knew this was released the same day as the album above? I never connected the two in my mind, probably because the release date was the only thing these two albums had in common. From the opening track – with the most menacing feedback ever recorded leading into Shawn Jonas’ yelp of “Once! Again! To! Strive!” – Zao scorched their way through 10 tracks of uplifting metalcore, setting the standard for years to come. The majority of Zao fans would probably choose subsequent releases like Liberate Te Ex Inferis or the self-titled album as the pinnacle of the band’s career, but in my opinion it was all downhill after this point. Best track: “The Children Cry For Help.”

Slick Shoes, Rusty (June 24, 1997)
I remember the first time I heard “Last” on a sampler CD, and the utter shock I experienced – not only because it was a great song with a screaming solo that paid homage to “Sweet Child O’ Mine” (and was the first real guitar solo I ever learned), but also because the song broke the 3-minute barrier, something which the band had failed to do on their debut EP (and which only happened twice on Rusty). Unlike many of their contemporaries, though, Slick Shoes didn't just play power chords and one-two beats, instead packing their short songs to the brim with breakneck drumming, snotty vocals and enough guitar riffs to choke a camel (these are all compliments). If you didn’t drive around in a Ford Pinto packed with friends and sang, air-guitared, and air-drummed along to this album in 1997… what was wrong with you? Best track: “Last.” (Or maybe “Walk Out.” Or “Cliché.” Or “Rusty.”)

The Promise Ring, Nothing Feels Good (Oct 14, 1997)
As an insightful friend once pointed out, “He has a lisp!” Sure, Davey von Bohlen’s distinctive, husky voice seems more suited to an unfrequented bar, but that doesn’t change the fact that The Promise Ring were among the first “indie” groups to be unashamed in their sugar-coated pop fun. Evidence of this is abundant on Nothing Feels Good, where songs have silly names and phrases are carried from one song to the next. Many songs had – at best – three lines of lyrics that were then repeated, rephrased, and rearranged to mine every ounce of impact from them. The effect is not annoying, though, but rather reassuring, as if with every repetition Davey believes it more and thus makes it truer. Despite this penchant, though, Nothing Feels Good is filled with a variety of riffs and rhythms, never copping out in the musical creativity department. The Promise Ring reminded us that it’s o.k to be silly, just not dumb. Best track: “Red and Blue Jeans.”

The Decline of Excellence (at the Behest of Perfection)

2007-04-13T17:08:00.000-07:00

I’ve tried to fight it, tried to convince myself that it isn’t true, but it seems too pervasive to ignore any longer: music is suffering from a horrendous lack of excellence. More records are produced each year than the one before it, but the amount of variety is no more than usual, if not less. We’ve got genres, sub-genres, sub-sub-genres, and niche bands so exclusive that they do whatever possible to remain inaccessible (I’m looking at you, Deerhoof). Despite all this, though, we are forced to suffer through a whole lot of “perfect” albums and too few great ones. Or, hell, even good ones. Too many bands appear to have peaked previously (MxPx, anyone?), though most still keep slogging it out. Big bands always have enduring fanbases, though, which is as it should be. No matter how mediocre each successive Foo Fighters album gets, I will still buy it (and let’s not forget, Gil Norton’s at the helm this summer, for the first time since TCATS! Get excited!). What is of concern is the growing number of bands, and their overall attitude of turpitude. (Yes, it’s that bad.)

The internet explosion, particularly the MySpace explosion, resulted in the worst possible outcome: children of the Internet Age have come to view instant gratification as a right. The result for the music world is that no one is forced to put any effort into the music they create – what they ARE forced to put effort into is the means of creating said music. Once people started realizing that they could record their songs in the basement or the bedroom, they started doing so, at first with great results. Artists that had been striving for years unsuccessfully to get wider exposure were able to record their songs for cheap, on their own timetable, and then upload them to the internet for a (potentially) global audience to access. This positive soon turned into a negative, as any joker with a Dell could make a recording; a fair number even learned to make their recordings sound comparable to an album from a signed musician – at least, sonically speaking. What is largely missing, unfortunately, is the craft of songwriting. (I do not mean to limit the understanding of “songwriting craft” to traditional pop structures; this applies across the board.) Instant gratification now comes into play in reverse, as well: an artist now has to wait approximately 1 second before his finished work is available to a wide audience. This lack of effort on both sides (artist and listener) creates a synergy of dis-appreciation: the artist does not have to put any effort into getting his voice heard, and the listener does not have to expend any time, energy, or money to hear the artist’s voice. Phrased another way, the artist doesn’t care if the listener hears, and the listener doesn’t care if the artist speaks. Or , for that mater, is silent. Ambivalence reigns.

As this trend continues, it gets steadily worse. Pop any album into a CD player – err, I mean, download any album and import it into your iTunes – and you will be graced with crisp vocals, huge guitars, fat bass, and drums so steady you could set your watch by them. The production values are higher than ever – they’re almost unrealistic, in fact, and certainly rarely lifelike. And, after a while, boring. But this is what we have come to expect from albums – not good songs, but a good sound. Albums have muscle but no mind; they’re hip but heartless.

Has everyone already forgotten the fifth Beatle? Not Pete – George. George Martin, that is. His name is synonymous with every major Beatles release, and for good reason. While he didn’t write the songs, he proved to be an invaluable sounding board and resource. Who knows how the Beatles records would have sounded without him? For that matter, how would Nevermind have sounded without Butch Vig producing and Andy Wallace mixing? Would Nirvana still have exploded like that? Would Sunny Day Real Estate’s Diary still sound fresh and alive without Brad Wood at the mixing board? Would The Get Up Kids’ On a Wire been a better album without Scott Litt? Who knows? The point is that the role of the engineer/producer/mixer can be literally incalculable. While there are a number of artists that can successfully operate as a self-contained unit – and here I use the phrase “successful” to denote artistic achievement, not necessarily financial – most can benefit from the outside, more-impartial ear of a producer. As a musical unit, it is in an artist’s best interest to believe wholeheartedly in the goodness and merit of his music. As a producer, it is in his best interest to highlight the strengths of an artist and strengthen or eliminate his weaknesses. This role can be an immediate boon to the artist, as no one can be fully aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and to the artist’s audience as well. I hate to use the word “synergy,” but it seems appropriate. When bands forego the influence of a producer they risk wallowing in their own ineptitude, and this happens more often than not. Sadly, the George Martins of the world are disappearing.

Now, I know I appear to be contradicting myself, first stating concern for the overproduced nature of current music and then bemoaning the demise of the record producer. But it must be understood that the difference between “production” and “overproduction” is as important as the one between “cooked” and “overcooked” – one is tasty, the other, not so much. What is missing from music is humility and a desire for excellence – this is where producers first came in, offering an outside opinion with the goal of producing the best album possible. What is all too common in music is pride and bad ideas that go unchecked. In the process, albums lack soul and individuality. I know many “indie” artists and fans in particular like to praise the DIY ethic, but what I am lamenting is not the disappearance of major-label control or producer input; what is disheartening is the acceptance of mediocrity that has become commonplace. Any professional and dedicated visual artist is aware that his work is best served when he has an outside source of critique – whether a friend, a gallery operator, or even a complete stranger. The current music climate of self-production and promotion too often creates an insular world without commentary, creating self-absorbed “artistes” who really have nothing of value to say or share. The volume of music today (in both geometric and audio senses) is not enough to belie the dearth of talent, skill and work ethic (and this should play a factor). There are too many voices vying for attention, valuing self-expression over objective self-critique. The current musical landscape does a grave disservice to music by allowing any weed to flourish.

There is an additional aspect to this debacle: the value of investment and maturity. I hate to imply that it can be boiled down to an economic principle, but there are some similarities. In the pre-digital age, record production was largely reserved for the artists that earned it – for the ones that put everything they had into their music, worked their asses off, and had the talent and skills to handle it. This meant that many garage bands stayed in the garage, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. This also meant that artists were forced to mature, through time spent writing, performing, and honing their craft. They were forced to look at their work as any other artist or craftsman would. To return to the beginning of this whole sermon, the current climate allows a record to be created with little or no forethought or effort; as a result there is an increasing lack of afterthought, as well, and the (often realized) potential for no laboring to occur over the input or output of an album.

There is a potential danger for reaching a state of critical mass in the amount of music available to the global audience. When music becomes so prevalent it is not a conscious joy but instead an unconscious afterthought, the true artists will continue their labors and the rest will find fulfillment elsewhere.

On a Temporal Art Obtaining a Physical Space

2007-04-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Music is a temporal art form, existing only in the moment you listen to it. If you pause it, you cannot draw it out - it is necessarily silenced. There is no way to "look at it from a different angle," as it were. Any change to it or the way in which one is intended to experience it necessarily destroys the art or modifies it to such a degree that it ceases to be its original art; at best it becomes a work of art by a different artist (remixes, reinterpretations, etc.).

Despite its temporal nature, up until recently music has maintained a distinct embodiment in the physical space. In music's earliest history this physical space was created by the audience's experience - the lack of recording technology required people to be in the presence of both a musician and his instrument in order to experience music. This required being in the right place at the right time, and thus physical markers were tied to musical events. With the advent of music notation, a new physical marker was created: the musical score. Copies of popular scores were valued commodities, especially among musicians. Musicians themselves became commodities, hired on by individuals and institutions to create specific works. (Interestingly, while "selling out" is a phrase thrown around like a hot potato these days, many classical composers were under the employ of people and groups who would then dictate reasons for the composer to create [plays, cantatas, celebrations, etc]. This could be equated to modern record labels, though their dictates are usually based on the need to sell more records [and related products], and the music created rarely seems to have such staying power. In any case, the artist, like any craftsman, has always been inextricably tied to his consumers – for better or worse.)

Progressing into the modern era, recorded music became a popular investment, beginning with record disc singles. Music was still enjoyed primarily in a group setting, and recorded music in particular allowed youth a way to dance to the latest tunes without having to pay to attend a concert or hire a live group. Still, the means to play recordings were not widespread, remaining a luxury reserved for more affluent society. The rise of the Beatles in the 60s was a formidable force in the recorded music market. Teens everywhere wanted to have a piece of the Fab Four, and the falling costs of record players and record production enabled even the poorest to listen to their own recordings.

The ensuing two decades saw an explosion of recorded content, most popularly in the vinyl record format. Large 33-1/3 rpm records became the album standard, and the packaging itself became linked to the audio recordings it contained. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," for instance, is probably more famous as a piece of visual artwork than an auditory one. In addition to the massive popular impact such recordings had, they also occupied a physical space. A music fan could be classified by how many records he had purchased. One could look in his house or apartment and witness the extent of his devotion; modifying attire to match a certain group or musical style also became popular. Such physical relationships to the temporal art of music continued throughout the next two decades: fashions changed from neon 80s pop to unkempt 90s grunge to the goth-influenced emo look that has pervaded the first decade of this millennium. Music's recording format has also shifted: from the record to the 8-track to the cassette and then the compact disc. The means for playing recordings also changed to become more convenient and portable. Turntables gave way to stereos, which in turn gave birth to car stereos, walkman headsets and portable CD players, culminating in the iPod and similar digital music players. And here is where the story takes a precarious turn.

The iPod, current king of convenience in the digital music world, allows for instant access to entire libraries of music. Each user's Kit Kat-sized player can hold any combination of music, pictures, movies, contacts and games that the space allows, all within the same inches-by-inches-by-fractions of an inch-sized box. Thus the physical aspect of music all but disappears. We no longer have shelves full of records, tapes or CDs as a monument to our interest in music. Without the physical space such recordings take up, music ceases to have a tangible impact on our lives. Sure we listen to it everywhere - in cars, coffeeshops, elevators, stores, restuarants, in movies, on tv, when working out, walking down the street, and even when on hold. But when it's gone, it's gone, and neither its presence nor its absence seems to make a difference.

Sadly, the iPod is the harbinger of music’s irrelevance. With our tiny little boxes we do not think about the work that went into creating the album. We do not think about the stacks of records or CDs the music would have previously inhabited, and how much time would have to be spent to listen to so much. We do not consider the money spent to acquire so many recordings. We do not appreciate the dedication someone would give to a passion, whether for music on the whole or a particular group or style. (My oldest brother used to have two things in his bedroom that took up the most amount of space: his racing bike, hanging from the ceiling, and his music collection. Ask me what his biggest passions were, and I could tell you. Ask me what he spent his money on, I could tell you. Today music remains a passion of his, but I no longer am amazed by the size of his music collection, simply because he doesn’t have one [or rather, one that occupies a significant physical space]. The closest I can get is jealousy that his iPod is bigger and better than mine, but that’s really a technological issue, not a musical one.)

Previously a person would have to make a point to go to a record store or other outlet, find his purchase and bring it home (or mailorder it). With the rise of downloading (both legal and illegal), even the slightest desire to hear a tune can be satisfied with a few clicks of the mouse. But what good is a desire if it is not left to simmer? Our instant gratification produces numbness and kills our appreciation for the artistic and aesthetic value of music. It instead becomes an unappreciated pacifier, a purchase instead of an investment. The iTunes "play count" feature can testify that many songs never earn a full listen, and one can even see the last time the desire for a specific song occurred.

This, of course, is just the tip of a vast iceberg. I'm reminded of Inigo Montoya after bringing the Man in Black back to life: "Allow me to explain: No; there is too much. Let me sum up:" The current cultural attitude toward music cultivates indifference and mocks the notion of appreciation.

*Ironically, currently the convenient iPod is servant to a larger unit: the personal computer. Though laptops come in increasingly smaller sizes they are still significantly larger than portable music players, and many users have their iPods linked to desktop computers which can be as big as record turntables. Until music providers do away with every step between the music and the user (i.e., building the music-purchasing software into the digital player itself and enabling wireless downloading), a larger physical (though not inherently artistic) presence will remain.