Two way Monologues

Twowaymonologues.com

2006-02-10T01:51:00.000-05:00

Just a reminder if anybody stumbles upon this page and wonders what is going on?

We are still alive and well (in fact better than ever) over at our new location @ www.twowaymonologues.com

And we have added an interview section, forums, and still running the features. Our hit count is at an all time high right now and it is a very exciting time for us. Hope to see you over at TWM soon.

Cheers,

Dan

Track-fu (Terri)

2006-01-15T18:47:00.000-05:00

Back again. The list looks pretty good -- we've got a Bedouin song from Dan, and Ronan ("Job Song" by Nizlopi) and Brandon ("Take Off Your Clothes" by Morningwood) have thrown in their hats as well.

1. Shout Out Louds -- Shut Your Eyes

This song has some sweet guitar; it grabs you at the beginning of the song and sticks in your head. The Shout Out Louds are a power-indie-pop-rock outfit from Sweden; think of them, perhaps, as a poppier, less snotty counterpart to The Hives. They aren't breaking new ground with this song, but it's definitely a catchy, worthwhile pop tune.

2. Nizlopi -- JCB Song (Ronan)

This is a pretty song. It's very simple musically -- vocals, acoustic guitar, not much else -- but I think it works well that way. Throwing in some overwraught strings or something like that would cheese it up. I like the lead singer's voice quite a bit, especially with the hints of an accent that pop through (the band is from Leamington, UK). Singer-with-guitar songs can sometimes be boring, but I think this one is charming.

3. Seu Jorge -- Suffragette City

Jorge's contributions to the soundtrack of The Life Aquatic were apparently so well-received that somebody saw it fit to release all of the Bowie covers he did for the movie, including a bunch that didn't make it onto the original soundtrack -- six songs that were on the soundtrack, seven that weren't, and a Jorge original. This song is, of course, sung in Portuguese; where some of the Bowie covers added an island flavour to the Bowie songs, this one actually sounds a little moodier. The guitar sounds a bit sad. They sound good though, cause Bowie is good, and Seu Jorge is as well.

4. The Juliana Theory -- This is a Lovesong for the Loveless

I thought The Juliana Theory might be a band featuring solo artist and former Lemonheads member Juliana Hatfield. I guess not. Instead it's a kind-of-heavy alt-rock band; kind of reminds me of a former Canadian band, Econoline Crush. It doesn't really grab me; I tend to like my alt-rock geeky or British. A review I found referred to them as emo, and I don't really hear that here; maybe this is what qualifies as screamo?

5. Bedouin Soundclash -- New Year's Day (Dan)

A couple of short years ago Bedouin was a college band, albeit a very good one. Now they're covering U2. Well, la de da.

Seriously though, I like Bedouin quite a bit, and I'm glad to see that they've done so well for themselves this year. Unfortunately, our Canadian content rules sometimes mean that crappy Canuck versions of American bands are the ones that make it big (as big as you can get in Canada) while talented musicians toil in obscurity. Bedouin is actually good, as evidenced by the fact that they manage to cover an iconic song by an iconic band, bringing something of their own to it while still keeping the original spirit of the song intact. It's got a nice dub/reggae flavour, and they smartly don't try to copy U2's bombast; they go for their own vibe instead, which is nice. I think it works well.

It makes me a little sad for the days when U2 was making good music like this, or even taking a chance and making not-so-good music like Pop, instead of just rehashing the same album every two years. I mean, I don't remember those days, cause I was about five years old. But still.

6. Sarah Harmer -- Luther's Got the Blues

I quite like Sarah Harmer; she's got a lovely voice, but I think she's a sharp songwriter too. I haven't picked up her newest album though; it's inspired both by her love of bluegrass and her work towards preserving the Niagara Escarpment from development. I don't like this as much as I like Harmer's solo work, probably because of the bluegrass factor, but I do think it's well-done and I certainly don't hate it. Either way, Harmer's voice still sounds good. I would like to hear the cover of the song by Harmer's old band, Weeping Tile ("Goin' Out").

7. Awesome New Republic -- Going Down

This has an odd sort of sound -- electronic, but with some R&B-style soul influences thrown in (I hear it in the vocals occasionally, honest). I like it though -- I get the sense that the falsetto and some of the lyrics are a bit, say, ironic. Irony can be dangerous in the wrong hands, but the band manages to keep it in check. The way all the backing tracks meld together is pretty neat.

Well, the Pitchfork review tells me that this song is about blow jobs. Listening to the lyrics, I can see that.

8. Morningwood -- Take Off Your Clothes (Brandon)

Morningwood seems to have a bit of buzz going on; I've seen them popping up a fair bit lately. But honestly, they kind of bug me. If I remember correctly, their last effort to hit Track-fu didn't set me afire. The over-dramatic vocals on this song didn't really win my heart either, and they do the retro thing (new wave, 70s squealing) without bringing anything new to the table. They sound like they think they're really, really cool, and I find that really, really annoying.

Winner: I'll have to pick Bedouin, cause I think they did a good job with a cover that would be hard to pull off, and cause I like that thing they do as a general rule. Awesome New Republic and Nizlopi also performed well.

Loser: Morningwood, because I think they're probably kind of pretentious.

Track-fu (Terri)

2006-01-08T19:34:00.000-05:00

I'm back, with the first Track-fu after the holiday break. We've got a little treat today -- a song picked by Eric of Raised By Swans. It's "Daughters of the Soho Riots" by The National. For our usual contributors, Dan's put in "" by Jens Lekman, and Brandon sent "" by Notorious B.I.G.

1. Alanis Morissette -- Wunderkind

This song is from the soundtrack to the first Narnia movie, featured in the most-recent Sabotage. Morissette has kind of fallen off a bit in the last few years -- too verbose, too obtuse, too earnest, maybe? I still think that she has a great voice, though. This song has a pretty melody, and Morissette keeps her voice well in check here. She's using it well but not letting it get all over the place; she can make it a bit histronic sometimes, I think.

I was kind of worried that this song would be all twee and fantasy-like, but fortunately it's not. Pretty good.

2. The National -- Daughters of the Soho Riots (Eric)

I'd heard of The National, but didn't really know anything about them; then they popped up on a ton of year-end lists, and I got more curious. Fortunately for me, Eric of Raised By Swans chose this song as his contribution for Track-fu, which he was nice enough to participate in. I still don't know much about the band, so I'm going in blind.

This song is very pretty and evocative; I like the little plunks of piano. I really love the lead singer's deep voice. Great atmosphere. I read a listener review on Amazon that compared The National to Antony and the Johnsons, and I can sort of see that. The music doesn't sound the same, but the mood is similar.

3. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin -- Pangea

Well, that's quite the band name.

This has a nice indie-pop vibe. Very catchy. The production sounds pretty stripped-down, especially on the vocals. The singer is a little muffled sometimes, but it kind of works since the song sounds a bit off-the-cuff. The infectious guitar also helps.

4. Jens Lekman -- Maple Leaves (Dan)

Amazon classifies Jens Lekman as Swedish Pop Rock, and I guess that's sort of fitting. There's a retro sound, but it also comes across as rather modern. Lekman's got a smooth voice, for sure. The backing beats are very attention-grabbing -- it all seems a bit weird, the beats and Lekman's crooner voice and the effects that pop in and out, but it works together pretty well.

Okay, hold up? Lekman is 22? That's pretty impressive.

5. Nellie McKay -- The Big One

I heard lots about Nellie McKay when she first came out, including the inevitible Fiona Apple comparisons that come whenever a girl plunks at a piano and sings. I never actually heard her songs, though. Whenever I tried to download something, it failed. There was a vast Internet conspiracy against me hearing McKay's music without having to buy it first, it seemed.

Then she started to sound like she might be a bit pretentious, and I gave up.

Now she's got a new album out, and this song is from it. I'm not sure what I think of it yet. It sounds kind of like Fiona Apple meets...hip-hop. I know that sounds weird, and Nellie McKay doesn't really rap -- although her singing voice sounds like talking pretty often here. It's more the mood of the song, I think, and the odd sound effects. So I'm not sure what I think yet. I'm interested enough to hear more of the album. Maybe it's just not what I expected, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

6. Notorious B.I.G. -- Wake Up Now (Brandon)

This song features Korn. I fucking hate Korn, so much.

Anyway, isn't Biggie dead? Didn't he die nearly ten years ago now? Don't we have new rappers out, ones that are currently living? Biggie had skills, but I hate this trotting out of the dead. It just seems cheap.

So far the song's pretty good -- Biggie's flow was certainly tight, and the beats are heavy. I'm sort of dreading when that douchebag from Korn shows up. Oh, here he is. It's not as bad as it could have been, actually. At least he's not screaming. This song's pretty good, but I have to hate on it a little for the Korn/trainwreck factor. You should be a little bit ashamed, P. Diddy.

7. Amadou and Mariam -- Senegal Fast Food

Apparently Amadou and Mariam have been around for quite some time. I have never heard of them; they met in Bamako in 1980 and have started to grown an audience outside of West Africa late in their career. I don't understand a word of this song other than "Senegal" -- it's in French -- but this is really catchy. The music and the vocals are great. It's got me dancing around in my chair. It's definitely accessible and worth downloading. I'd love to hear more of this album now.

8. Apollo Sunshine -- Phoney Marony

This sounds kind of like a combo of Jet and The Hives to me, with a bit of a Southern Rock vibe thrown in, albeit a more upbeat one than Kings of Leon generally work with. All that's to say is that they have the sort of garage rock sound that's been popular over the past few years. I like it, but it doesn't set me on fire. It does have good energy though.

Winner: I actually liked the song by Amadou and Mariam best, because it was so infectious and joyful. The National, Jens Lekman and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin also performed well.

Loser: I'm going to have to go with Biggie -- I kind of liked the song, but it lost points for the post-mortem cash-grab aspect, and the presence of Korn. I didn't hate any of the songs, so that knocked it to the bottom.

Twowaymonologues.com is ready

2005-12-01T11:37:00.000-05:00

My friends am I in an excellent mood this morning or what? I just stumbled out of bed at 11:15 and like I have every morning for the last month or so I checked my website immediately. But what do I find? I find that the prototype page isn't functional anymore. Which normally would piss me off except for I realized what that meant the NEW site is up!

Now don't get me wrong. The site is not entirely done, the best of section and the other section are still in development. We are going to eventually add a bad ass search function for all of you. And hot links to more of the recent reviews than what you currently see on the page. However, it is damn good enough for now!

So finally today, December 1st we have the site up and functional. What is new about it? Well for one we have everything nicely archived by letter. We also have seperate archives for all the different features. We have an interviews section of which our first interview is with Canadian hip-hop artist K'naan, and we have two more coming up with Martin Tielli (mostly known from Rheostatics), and a new Canadian act Raised By Swans. The comment feature is different now, so if you click a new review and you want to comment just scroll down click comment and it will bring you to the official twowaymonologues.com forums.

Now, let me take some time to thank the people who made this possible. Firstly, Cameron Tomsett. Cam is the artist behind all of the design and everything you see about the site that makes it look stylish. Many nights Cam stayed up very late working on stuff, and then thinking he was done only to have to go back and rework and change things to make it functional. I appreciate your help Cam and it would appear I am debt to you in some way shape or form.

Secondly, Chris mother fucking Richard. The dude found the time get this site up for me while he is working crazy days in Seattle at Microsoft. And I appreciate it. Chris is the technical side of things. He is the one who made Cam's design work, and without him our site would not have been anywhere near as advanced and as stylish as it turned out. I gave you a hard time, but you have no idea how thankful I am for the help.

So, the ribbon is cut bitches:) Enjoy. I'll keep posting here for a while but soon this thing is going to collect dust. Thanks blogger, you did me well.

Cheers,

Dan and the TWM Staff.

Walk The Line Original Soundtrack (Ronan)

2005-11-29T13:56:00.000-05:00

Walk The Line Original Soundtrack

There are two main types of soundtracks. Firstly there are ones made up of many different artists – these albums often read like compilation albums and often don’t fit into the film at all (exceptions being Garden State and any Quentin Tarantino movie). Then there are soundtracks from just one artist, such as Badly Drawn Boy’s About A Boy soundtrack. Most of the time these are successful, but in some cases (Bjork’s latest atrocity) they don’t work at all. Then there are film scores, but they’re a different situation altogether. The Walk The Line soundtrack falls into none of these categories. You could say it’s like the I Am Sam soundtrack in the way that it’s all covers, but then again on the other hand it’s nothing like it. The album is all cover songs, but instead of being performed by popular artists, they’re performed by the actors themselves. No, don’t click onto another review, because this album works. Very well, in fact.

As you would expect most of the songs are Johnny Cash songs – the film is about Johnny Cash after all. And the actor playing him – that would be Academy Award nominee Joaquin Phoenix – does a fairly mean Johnny Cash impression. The album opens with ‘Get Rhythm’, a very upbeat country song which lets you immediately know what you’re in for with this album, and also shows that Phoenix does sound very, very good. You’d know it wasn’t Johnny himself, but you wouldn’t complain because Phoenix’s own voice is very good, and his JC impression is excellent. In places you’d know it was Phoenix, as his speaking voice is quite unique-sounding. The title track ‘I Walk The Line’, a more well known Cash song, is also done justice here. I won’t go into descriptions of the songs or their lyrics, because that is not what this album (or cover albums in general) are about. Heck, we all know the late Johnny Cash was a good tunesmith.

Cash’s second wife, June Carter Cash was an excellent artist in her own right, and she is played by Reese Witherspoon in the film. It originally seemed to me like a strange choice, but once you hear her voice, you understand why. Although it’s not a patch on June’s, Witherspoon does have a very country voice – and is a breath of fresh air compared to the usual actress-turned-singer crap (Nicole Kidman I look in your direction). ‘Wildwood Flower’ is not a song that I know very well, but from hearing this rendition I want to hear the original version – surely that’s a good thing!

The Jerry Lee Lewis cut ‘Louis Boogie’ has a start which sounds strangely like ‘Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds’ (I don’t know if you got that over there, but here’s a link to it on IMDb) The actor playing the role, Waylon Payne pulls the song off very well, but it’s the only song on the album which has really dated – the genre sounds somewhat stale. This is followed by Phoenix again with the seminal ‘Ring of Fire’ – everybody knows this song, so does he bring anything new to it? (I usually try not to use Brandon’s catechism style when reviewing, so sorry for using it this time B) Well, no. But he doesn’t need to. He sings it as Cash intended i.e. the way Cash did himself – In preparing for the movie, Phoenix learned everything about Cash including the way he stood onstage, and even the way he held the guitar when playing, Now that’s method acting.

The next song ‘You’re My Baby’ is sung by singer-songwriter (but here actor) Jonathan Rice who is playing Roy Orbison. Rice is that bastard who gets more credit than he deserves and is dating Jenny Lewis from Rilo Kiley (I only call him a bastard because I’m jealous, on both accounts.) We all know Rice is a good songwriter and also a good singer, and here he proves that he is a good singer – although the song is perhaps a bit too short to show this fully. ‘Cry Cry Cry’ is Phoenix again, and could very well be the best cover on the album – he just works the song so well. This is followed by my favourite Cash song: ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ – it’s my favourite song because it contains the immortal line “I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.” Phoenix doesn’t say it with the same animosity that Cash does, but how could he – he hasn’t had it as hard as Cash did – although his brother did burn out rather than fade away, so I suppose that’s where some of the emotion comes from. He probably can’t sing it like Cash because he wasn’t imprisoned like Cash was.

Track 9, ‘That’s Alright Mama’ is by the best singer on the album (or in the film if you will), Tyler Hilton who plays Elvis Presley. Although he doesn’t exactly sound all that much like Elvis, he sure is a good singer. Anyone who watches ‘One Tree Hill’ will tell you that. And don’t abuse me for watching it – it’s not a bad show, and the women in it are really fine – that and my ex got me watching it. ‘Juke Box Blues’ is Witherspoon again. My God, how much do I love her country voice. It’s just so refreshing. I’d love to hear a full album from her. ‘It Ain’t Me Babe’ is the first duet on the album – from Mr. And Mrs. Cash (Joaquin and Reese). Their voices don’t complement each other the way Johnny and June did – Phoenix overpowers the song somewhat, but in the end it still works magnificently. Like all of this album, it probably shouldn’t work, but it does, and so well too!

‘Home of the Blues’ is more from Phoenix, but this time there are no glimpses of his own voice, he just sounds out-and-out Cash. ‘Milkcow Blues Boogie’ sounds more like Elvis that ‘That’s Alright Mama’ but mainly it just showcases Hilton’s voice more 0 if his songwriting is good, he’s sure to be much better than Roy Orbison, sorry I mean Jonathan Rice. I’m just getting so carried away with it all. Sure in fact, Elvis was much better than Roy (he was much better than most everyone), so it will only reflect their characters. ‘I’m a Long Way From Home’ is Shooter Jennings’ take on his father Waylon’s excellent song, and his only contribution to the album. The song reminds me of Cash’s own ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’ though.

‘Cocaine Blues’ is good old Phoenix again – singing about two things stupid people love too much – drugs and guns. I usually don’t like dancing (to anything), but this is the kind of song which makes me want to dance (despite its lyrical content). That’s right – a country song with ‘pizzazz’ in it. (Yes, I said it, and now I can’t take it back: pizzazz, pizzazz, pizzazz.) The last track, ‘Jackson’ is the album’s other duet, and the final song on the album. Unfortunately it doesn’t have the same impact as the first duet, ‘It Ain’t Me Babe’ but that is a classic song after all. This sadly isn’t, but even so it works – how could it not with the magnificent Phoenix and the excellent Witherspoon?

Tracks to Download: Fuck it, download them all. And then go to the film, or vice versa. Do both anyway. Pity the film isn’t out until February 2006 here. Although if anyone wants to send it to me, feel free!

8.9 – I feel like I have given too many high ratings this year, but maybe that’s because albums this good keep being released. I expected it to be decent, maybe even a little fun. But I never thought it would be excellent and a lot of fun! A fitting tribute to a legend.

Sun Kill Moon: Tiny Cities

2005-11-28T14:07:00.000-05:00

Sun Kill Moon frontman Mark Kozelek is a strange character. Without argument in listening to his music you can tell he is very talented, well trained, and has a ncie voice. Reading up on him tells me he also has had success writing his own music, and has covered such bands as Kiss, AC/DC, John Denver, and now Modest Mouse. "Tiny Cities" is an entire album devoted to covers of Modest Mouse songs. As a longtime Modest Mouse fan I actually was far more intrigued by this than I was offended. I don't blame you however if you feel the opposite. I think that is completely justifiable.

But what really created a genuine intrigue for me about "Tiny Cities" is the style of the album. Had these have been slight variations that reminded me of the original I would never have heard it. But instead, Sun Kill Moon takes these aggressive, frantic Modest Mouse songs and strips them down until they are essentially naked. Until what you are left with is gentle almost classical guitar mostly acoustic, and a touch of strings the rest of the work is left to Mark's vocals. Which remind me somewhat of Lou Barlow's 2005 solo record "Emoh".

The result isn't as exciting as the description. I wanted to love this album. I wanted to feel an urge to go out and buy this album. I had a huge bias going in expecting greatness. It didn't come close to delivering. I'm still happy I heard it. I have a new appeciation for Isaac Brock's song writing ability and it was definitely an experience hearing these songs in such a different context. But it is limited. Many of the songs are boring, or repetitive and quite frankly i'm not a big fan of the tracklist. A better tracklist would have helped but not saved this project. This album has been destroyed, and adored and everything in between by reviewers. So don't take my word as gospel. But enough already let's do the songs.

Rather than get into the negative part of this review I would prefer to start with the positive. "Dramamine" is one of the better covers on "Tiny Cities". I really adore the original and so I likely put this cover up against more scrutiny and yet it still held up better than some of the more obscure tracks. I like the subtle eerie nature of this cover. Rather than the much more pretty, asthetically pleasing covers that don't work as well this song manages to keep true to a key element to Modest Mouse music. This subtle change makes all the difference in the world to the cover. It sounds much more interesting. The trademark whining quick guitar riff from the middle is here too except toned down like everything is on this album. Turns out "Dramamine" is actually a rather pretty song in this context. I never would have thought.

My other favourite is "Convenient Parking". This is just a short cover tallying in just under 2 minutes. The original is a cult Modest Mouse classic. There are few songs that encompass exactly why it is I prefer older Modest Mouse to the new stuff better than "Convenient Parking". I am happy to see it made this tracklist. This is a spirited cover, does the original proud. The acoustic guitar is being strummed harder here than anywhere else and Mark's voice has some grit and passion in it. Agan the acoustic guitar has a darkness to it that is lacking more often than not on the album. He hardly breathes between sentences, just taking a quick gasp and making an acoustic pop cover of "Convenient Parking" about as manic as he knows how. My only beef is the chorus which needed to be jazzed up somehow. Still, I like this song a fair bit.

So now on to the negative side of things. "Space Travel Is Boring" for instance. The word boring would be the most important part of that song name here. I wonder if Mark Kozelek believes in the concept so much that he just assumes all he has to do is slow down, acoustify and gently sing the lyrics to each song and it is bound to work. If so, he needs to go back to the drawing board. I could see people liking this song who dont' like Modest Mouse and just enjoy it for it being tranquil and because the lyrics are sweet. But, is that really the goal? I mean if Kozelek is making this album for non Modest Mouse fans then isn't he essentially ripping off Modest Mouse songs and trying to trick people? I would think he should want to make covers that Modest Mouse fans can appreciate as well. This song just drags and drags. The background is so minimal and repetitive that it is hard to make it to the ending. Unfortunately this isn't the only track with this problem.

When I saw this album "Grey Ice Water" stood out as a song I looked forward to hearing. This is another one of my all time picks by Modest Mouse. Now this isn't as bad the prior track. At least he incorporates a chill drum roll in the background that I like. But, this song suffers from high expectations. See.... if the original wasn't one of the best Modest Mouse songs then the cover wouldn't have to be one of the best you see where i'm going? I think that is fair of me to expect. The cover is to vanilla. That is my biggest bitch about this entire project. It is just too vanilla. You can experiment with these covers without abandoning the concept, and he does it from time to time. But why he only does it on three or four tunes is beyond me.

Last one. The only song he goes with off the last album is "Ocean Breathes Salty". And he does an adequate job with it. But here is my complaint. This song actually didn't really need to be toned down into this format. The original is actually one of the closest styles to what this album is all about anyhow. Don't get me wrong, he had to change it up to fit the format but why not pick one of the more crazy songs and do it? Oh well. I'm not sure if this is a good cover, or this song is just so good to begin with that it would sound great under almost any format. I tend to think the latter is more true.

I could tell you the same thing about most of these songs but by now you probably get the point. The best I can say about "Tiny Cities" is I think if you are a Modest Mouse fan of their entire catalogue that you should check this out at least once. It really will give you a new appreciation for the lyrics which nromally aren't the first part of a Modest Mouse song you focus on. Other than that if you never GOT Modest Mouse and always wanted too I think that you might be another person who would enjoy this. Otherwise, there are better artists writing their own music that sounds like this, or Modest Mouse themselves is far superior to this. Just my opinion.... but i'm right.

Songs to download: "Convenient Parking", "Ocean Breathes Salty" Dramamine"

SCORE: 6.0 (Had a tough time scoring this one, could have gone even lower but at least the concept was ambitious.)

Track-fu (Terri)

2005-11-27T19:36:00.000-05:00

Just got back from seeing Walk the Line, which I would recommend. Well-acted and better-done than Ray from last year.

This week we have tracks from Dan (Blockhead), Cam (King Biscuit Time) and Brandon (Death From Above 1979). Again, we'll be playing the list from Track-fu for a few hours at Two Way Monologues Radio (http://72.10.130.108:8000/) starting...now.

1. World Leaders Pretend -- Bang Theory

The music in this song reminds me a bit of Coldplay, but the lead singer's voice has a bit more nastiness in it than Chris Martin is capable of. There's something in here that reminds me a bit of U2 as well, but it sounds fresher than U2 and Coldplay are able to do. This is a bit rawer than their brand of slick rock-pop. Regardless of the comparisons, it's a catchy sound, with the rollicking guitar, violins and vocals all working well together. I really like the piano.

2. King Biscuit Time -- C I Am 15 (Cam)

The instrumentals in this song remind me a bit of those on the Gomez album In Our Gun. This is actually the new project of the lead singer of Beta Band -- I'm not familiar with the Beta Band, aside from the song featured in High Fidelity. This song has a neat vibe though, with the mellow vocals from Steve Mason and then a surprising rap near the end.

3. CunninLynguists -- Nothing To Give

I wasn't sure what to expect with this name. Turns out, it's hip hop. I like the beat; it's pretty dramatic (more piano). It's nice to hear a chorus with a male singer for once; the hook girls are getting a little old.

4. Blockhead -- The Art of Walking (Dan)

I guess hip hop collage would be the best way to describe this. It makes me think of Avalanches, a bit, with little bits of this and that popping in and out, tied together with the beat. As we've previously discussed, I never go in much for eletronica and/or music without lyrics, but this is pretty catchy. I like the little twinges of gospel.

5. Talib Kweli and Rakim -- Getting Up Anthem

This is from Kweli's new disc, which Dan wrote about recently in Tuesday Stroll. This song's got a great beat, gets in your head pretty quickly. I sometimes find it hard to write about hip hop -- I don't know a lot about it, and I don't have a very wide frame of reference for it. But I like this song, in any case.

6. Death From Above 1979 -- You're Lovely (But You've Got Lots of Problems) (Brandon)

I don't really get the point of a remix album, especially when you've only got one studio album under your belt. If I were a fan of this band, I think I'd rather that they release an album of new material.

Anyway, I don't like Death From Above 1979, at least not based on this song. I think it's atonal. Maybe that means I'm not cool; oh well.

7. The Airfields -- City-State

I will give full disclosure and say that my friend Ian is in this band, and that I am biased to like them because I like Ian so much. He's pretty awesome, let me tell you.

But as it turns out, the Airfields make pretty indie pop, and I like pretty indie pop. Everyone wins! You should go to their website and download this song, along with the other two on their EP.

(I swear, bias or not, I really do like this song. There are bells, or things that sound like bells. How can you not like that?)

8. Wilco -- Kicking Television

I like Wilco, paricularly their newer stuff, since that's what I'm most familiar with. This song is from their live album of the same name, and it appears they are a bit more revved up here than they seem to be on their last two albums. It's an entertaining performance that sounds like it was fun to hear live.

Winner: I pick the Airfields, and I know my pick will have lingering suspicions of favourtism following it for years to come, but I don't care because I like the song. I liked World Leaders Pretend and the Kweli song too.

Loser: Death From Above 1979. Noisy.

Lagwagon: Resolve (Brandon "The Destroyer")

2005-11-26T12:29:00.000-05:00

Lagwagon - Resolve
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

I sometimes wish that I had stumbled upon my love of punk music earlier in my life. In fact it would have been nice that the second that I started liking music and buying it regularly I would have diverted those efforts to punk. Instead it took me until I'd reached University before I really got into the genre, which means that all throughout my youth I missed several opportunities to listen to some punk bands that withstood the test of time and are still releasing albums today. Lagwagon is one of these bands. They were one of the first bands to sign on with Fat Wreck Chords and as a result part of the companies success has been based on these bands that were initially were signed by the label. This is the seventh studio album by Lagwagon however this one was inspired by the loss of their longtime friend and original drummer for the band, Derrick Ploude, who passed away earlier in the year. Some of the songs are a dedication to him but such a huge event in the life of this band would have me only expecting them to do a tribute or two. The saga of Lagwagon began a long time ago and I'm only getting to it now, from listening to the album three or four times now I have a feeling that Lagwagon is a band who's saga I might have to check out from the start.

One thing that I enjoy about Lagwagon is that with them you are getting some true punk, its not often on Fat Wreck Chords do I find a rather undesirable band. So Fat Wreck Chords are a company that I trust to sign good people onto the label, I mean over the years they have done well for themselves. Since there are hundreds of bands on the label I won't name them, but I'm sure at one point or another you've heard someone that is associate with Fat. The first song on the album is called "Virus", it starts with a nice little guitar grind on the way in and its combined with some good punk drums. When the vocals are used in this song it appears as if they layer it a bit, either they add another version of the lead singer over top of himself or it’s just a back up singer. In either case the effect is the same and its worth hearing, I am pretty sure that the virus they are talking about could have been the thing that killed Derrick Ploude, they talk about it being unjustified and they didn't have enough time. I mean nowhere in the song do they put it out there for you to see easily so its something you have to grab out of the air.

All of the song names I have noticed are pretty short, letting us know that for the most part the song itself can be entirely accounted for within the one word they choose to title it with. Bands like Millencolin and The Soviettes I find I am comparing Lagwagon to the most. Since those are two of my favourite punk bands I'd say it’s a safe assumption that I like Lagwagon quite a bit. The third song is "The Contortionist", which is a really sad song when you listen to the words in the song. Like I said the band wasn't very happy when they created the album after the loss of their friend, well from track to track you can tell that is weighing on them, especially in some of the lyrics. In this song I would think that they are referring to Ploude as this contortionist who was able to do incredible things (on drums and in general) but not only that they say something about leaving a child behind. So the sad story continues, but the music around it is still something I can enjoy and not feel guilty about. I do wish that the songs weren't such a drag on my day but I can't justify not listening to a good album just because it’s sad. I will just reserve it for when I'm in a depressed mood or something.

I would imagine that this album is musically different to regulars of Lagwagon but to me I have no basis of comparison. But I'm sure that a talented punk band would take into account their fans wouldn't be happy if it was all that different, so its probably just the sad version of their regular music. "Resolve" is the sixth song on the album and it is my second favourite song on the album. The drums are really freaking good on this track, it’s my favourite part anyways. The chorus is a catchy part, the vocals are good and they combine well with the starts and stops that the music is doing. The song itself isn't that long, just over two minutes, but Lagwagon doesn't have any particular parameters to the song length it would seem. They are kind of all over the place with only one song that is ultra short at one minute and twenty seconds. This song was only beat out by one other in the race for my favourite and that was the seventh track, "Rager".

"Rager" is the kind of track that should play every morning in place of my alarm. If this song came on I would be up at attention and halfway through a shower before it was over, which would be convenient considering the fact that mornings are the worst part of the day for me. Now this is the shortest song on the CD and typically they aren't the best songs but I can't help it with this one its just so fucking wicked. Its like one minute and twenty seconds of all the punk I wanted them to mash into that span, basically this is the type of stuff that I get when I hear someone like The Suicide Machines because they are non stop energy for the whole album. I know that the circumstances are different here so taking that into account doesn't change the fact the song is kick ass. The guitar riff is the sickest part of the song, it starts in almost faded in the background and its pure drums and then the bass and guitar come in and start to wail. Here’s where the guitar starts to get wicked, right on the transitions, its some twangy punk guitar but whatever its still pretty bad ass if you ask me.

The tenth song is called "Creepy" and it’s a short one too. This song is a bit more emotional than the other one, and contains a few more guitar interludes which let you get a feel for the style of the band. One thing I more or less overlooked throughout this review is the lead singers vocals, for a punk band that lasted this long I figured he would have a grittier voice or something, kind of like Tim Armstrong, but instead of that I get a rather talented singer. From track to track he has a lot of range and because the music is changing so often he adapts to that well, especially on this album which is obviously different from their run of the mill album. The best part of "Creepy" is that they seem to give the guitarist a bit of freedom to roam around when he is transistioning and whatever he plays there is sicke, the drums just kind of fill in the blanks on this one and the vocals are overall well done.

The only other thing that I want to mention is that the eleventh track (which is the second last track, not the last one) has a secret song attached to it, its called "Days Of New". Well I should say the whole song is called that and theres like a six minute gap before they chime in with the secret song. It starts with a nice little melody and soften spoken vocals by the lead singer. It starts all this arond the eight minute mark, this song is the saddest song on the whole disc. It's almost like they are trying to help guide their deceased friend into heaven at first, something like he should follow the sun to get there. Like I said this is the saddest part of the album, its really low key, nothing punk about it, in fact this is the type of song that I would think you could find on an Elliot Smith album....wait no its not that depressing. Its sad though, but one of those sad songs that could help you feel better about the person that you just lost, like it could assist you in moving on, which I imagine is part of the reason that it was written.

Tracks to Steal: "Rager", "Resolve", "Virus", "Creepy", "The Contortionist", "Automatic"

How did Lagwagon fair on my first experience with them?
Do sad albums make me sad?

Judgment Passed: 8.8 (This album is excellent, its almost like a band like Lagwagon was stunted into growing up and putting together this serious tribute to Derrick Ploude. I don't know that for certain though since I have no reference point for their earlier sound, I just assume that it wasn't this dark and upset with the loss of their drummer since he was still alive for the last album. There’s nothing wrong with this album I just found that sometimes it tugged on the ol' heartstrings and that doesn't sit great with me.)

Sabotage from Dan to Brandon: Scott Stapp - The Great Divide

2005-11-25T13:27:00.000-05:00

Scott Stapp: Big Stinky (Expletive Deleted) An Autobiography

Scott Stapp the former lead singer of perhaps the greatest band of all-time, Creed. I was heartbroken to hear the news that they broke up and I would no longer be able to enjoy all that was the band Creed. But now that Stapp has released this solo album it is all much clearer to me now, Scott Stapp was Creed. Ok I have to be real for a moment, that was sarcasm and unfortunately for yours truly I can't hold on to this farce any longer, as we all know this is Sabotage and Scott Stapp is a total ass drip. I am infinitely annoyed by this album. Scott Stapp is fucking crazy, isn't Creed a Christian Rock band? Or I guess that’s past tense so weren't they one? I don't know but I seem to recall that they had some shit to do with religion. I don't know what’s a bigger joke, Stapp or religion. Ok that’s pushing the envelope enough in that direction, this is about how much the music of Scott Stapp makes me want to reach into the chest of Dan and remove something vital. You know that its really bad music when my threats are angry and directed at injuring or extinguishing the life of Dan. The other side of things is that I would want to take my own life or do something uncool to my balls, regardless Dan I'm so mad about this album. The music is pretty horrible and is something that seems very touched up in the production booth, and Stapp's voice is pretty annoying, but I think that might even have more to do with the lyrics that this fuck sings. Ok enough, I'm just going to get it over with because he makes me want to seek out his mother and slap her for squeezing that fucker out.

Perhaps one of the more hilarious songs is "Hard Way" which is the third track on this shit stain. His lyrics sing about him finding out something the hard way, and how much it stung or hurt to find out this news that way. What a fucking loser, its so broad and general, get specific you fucking idiot. I mean anyone can write a song about an experience that they could have had, its writing about the real experience that separates you from total posers. However I'm sure most of you know that Scott Stapp thinks he's a badass rock musician or someone that you could compare to lets say Pearl Jam (Stapp wishes). The truth of the matter is that this song is so shitty that I'm vomiting as I type this, serious, I'm up to my ankles in stomach bile because of this garbage that is filling my ears.

I forgot that Stapp is a fucking ninja, the second track is called "Fight Song". I know another track with the same name by Marilyn Manson and without even blinking will tell you that the more bad ass rock song of the two is Manson’s. Now why is this? Well that’s because all Stapp does to make his song bad ass is talk in a low tone of voice and makes it sound like he has some phlegm mixed in there. Regardless of what’s going on he pretends to put a lot more effort into the songs then I think he actually is. I don't buy anything this guy is selling because of musical interludes where he starts singing with a singing guitar riff and some low key drums that make it all the more intense and drawn out like Stapp is important. Every song is modeled pretty much that same, its like he is overcoming some great obstacle in his life in every song, which is totally corny because of his shitty title for the album "The Great Divide". I wonder if Stapp knows about the emotions that he is pretending to understand in his songs, I mean its hard to tell because he's so untalented but somewhere in this horrible world people actually buy this music.

"Surround Me" is the name of the sixth song on this fucking thing. If the title is any indication this is another shithole of a track. It starts off about as slow as you can go with this long ballad in filled with total cornball guitar by this fucking loser and a bunch of vocals that represent his soul. If I could see this fuckers soul I'd remove it from him in hopes of sending him to the fiery depths, I figure since he's so in love with Jesus that it'd be a bitch to never get to meet him. He keeps his lyrics at broad and general statements, stuff about being on his knees and how he is begging and stuff, but its because he needs that person to surround him or something. Anyways its really fucking stupid and it annoys me to no end, its shit like this that makes me understand why suicide is so popular. This dude wants to be rescued but he's down on his knees, hell in this song this guy keeps referring to being on his knees quite often. I think he's getting at something but I can't quite understand what. I mean we could probe the lyrics and ANALyse them but I don't know that we'd get anywhere because this dude is pretty subtle with his songs.

What could be better than the title track, "The Great Divide"? Everything. How can anyone enjoy this crap? Scott Stapp is a total asshole and has about eighty songs that sound exactly like this, I think I've heard him reinvent this track for every album that the sonuva bitch has layed his hands on. This song reminds me of that shitty Creed song that they played at least two hundred thousand times for WWE promos for pay per views. Bands like Creed go hand and hand with wrestling for whatever reason, I think it’s because there is so much unnecessary drama that is wrapped into the both of them. However if I had my choice I would rather get fucked up by any wrestlers in that fucking league than have to be forced to listen to Scott Stapp while chained down and unable to move and end his fucking life. This song is so lame, Stapp keeps talking about some person that fulfills his life and sets him free so I have no clue which boy from Creed he is talking about but I hope that their lifestyle choice makes them happy. I also hope that they bath thoroughly.

"You Will Soar" is a hilarious name for a song because if I was to only hear this song name I would just match it to Creed off that shitty name alone. Stapp has such a distinct sound to him that whenever I hear his music on radio or TV I know right away to change the fucking channel or else my ears will bleed. This song has you can imagine has a lot to do with picking yourself up after you have hit rock bottom. The reasons for doing this in Stapps probably have a lot to do with having no more money and wanting to suck some more out of his idiot fans that would pay to listen to him go on about how much of a big dick he is. While I've been listening to this music my rage bar has been slowly filling and I'm about to get to rampage level and start terrorizing the apartment building. I can't take this shit anymore man so I'm ending it all here and calling it a day, this Scott Stapp bullshit was pretty fucking bad, I need to get some weed in me to forget I heard it.

Sabotage Success: 9.0 (I was pretty disgusted with this music which is why I didn't have much to say about it. This was fucking terrible, I'm going to call your kids names and give them a friggin complex when they are like five man, have fun with the therapy bills.)

Sabotage to Dan from Brandon: Enya - Amarantine

2005-11-25T12:06:00.000-05:00

So Brandon really didn't like the Scott Stapp record, it apparently has filled him with rage. I read the review and I swear that he is trying to make me feel bad for giving it to him. But you know as well I know after reading the title of this post that I should not have even the slightest bit of guilt for giving him the Stappster. Because Brandon gave me fucking Enya. There is no mercy for someone who just sabotaged me with Enya. That my friends means war.

Enya is music for parental units. Music for parents who like to put it on and sit in their living rooms on their pretty sofas and let the stress of their job go away. Canadians have a bizarre and unhealthy obsession with Enya. When I told Terri that Brandon has sabotaged me with Enya do you know what she told me? That she saw a stat to say that nearly 1 out of every 3 Canadians own an Enya album. That is mind blowing to me. I don't know any of my friends that own Enya albums. Although if I do remember Stormy (Brandon's mom) had Enya in her collection. So perhaps the seed for this sabotage was born many a years ago.

But the distinct difference between Enya and Scott Stapp is this. Enya is a talented band with an original sound. Like it, love it, or hate it the fact doesn't change that Enya does actually know what they are doing. My big issue with them is how everything is like spiritual, and about being at one with nature and shit like that. Other than that there isn't a massive difference between Enya and a lot of the bands I listen too. Basically if you take a lot of the experimental nature out of what I listen too, and also remove any semblance of power that might be in the music and you would be left with Enya. Enya is music for the weak. Which again has me wondering why Canada has such a fascination with them.

So it is a bit hard to talk about these songs because how do you describe them? Well i'll try. The title track "Amarantine" begins with what sounds like either a cello or some classical guitar against soe violins and a few piano keys. Vocally Enya reminds me of Annie Lennox hardcore. And Annie Lennox is rather annoying to me. Everything about it is very whimsical, light as a feather. If you dropped this music off your balcony it might not ever hit the ground. I wonder what seeing this live is like? An opportunity to glance around the room and see the crowd that would show up brings a smile to my face. I don't like this at all, but it isn't really phasing me. One thing it is, is very soothing. Much like that wilderness music that people shell out money for. I am agitated a bit due to it being rather bad, but I do like the violins. The vocals are brutal.

When the album really starts to get to me is near the end. Second time listening now and both times I found myself doing pretty well till track 8 "Someone Said Goodbye". This song is one of the few songs that is a lot more blatant. Less noises, and ambience more straight vocals against a really repetitive and way less entertaining violin part. The vocals just keep repeating about having to say goodbye. And considering how most of the songs of Enya seem to at least be about more bigger issues this song definitely seems to be about relationships. The lyrics are super cheese, "Is there a reason why your broken heart begins to cry. Is there a reason you were lose although you don't know a why. Give me a reason why you never want to say goodbye. If there's a reason I don't know why". So i'm sure you could argue this is supposed to be an impowering song about getting up the guts to leave a bad relationship. either way the lyrics are awful.

Now Enya has some great negative momentum going bleeding right into the next song "A Moment Lost". This music is so much better when they spruce it up as opposed to stripping it back with just the vocals against the smaller string arrangements. Those other songs like I said have a calming influence but this is just sad. That song never has any sort of release, it is 120 percent sad full throttle coming at you the entire time and then it stops. No release, nothing. And Enya is supposed to be soothing from what I always heard, strange.

Enya completes the trifecta of sucktitude commencing with "Drifting". Three strikes and you are out so Enya though it hasn't been as brutal as I expected it to be certainly is going to get a decently bad score. So this song doesn't even have any vocals at all. Which you might think would be a good thing since I think that her vocals suck. But it isn't. Because rather than taking the chance to make an advanced instrumental track this is just a slow motion snooze fest. I am fairly sure it is supposed to signify the release, or the conquering of the sadness displayed in the previous two songs. Which on an artistical level I can get behind, but on an enjoyment level this song sucks just as much if not worse than the prior two.

I do feel obligated to mention "The River Sings" because low and behold I actually somewhat liked this song. It opens with a total chant, and not like the weak type of chant you would expect this is actually energized. Against some heavy bass, almost making it like a dance track the singer goes with some gibberish I can't understand layered and fast chanting it over the bass. This is essentially the entire song. Three minutes of a spirited chant. It isn't something I am going to keep on my harddrive, and it wouldn't be something I strongly recommend. But for a song I found on a sabotage i'm impressed.

So "Amarantine" ends up being a dreaded sabotage that doesn't quite deliver the amount of pain and discomfort that I had anticipated it would. Meanwhile last sabotage Robbie Williams was a swift kick in the junk when I expected a light jab to the face. Amusing how this shit plays out sometimes. Enya you certainly suck, and there is no way 1 out of 3 Canadians should own an Enya album. But do you suck as bad as Scott Stapp? I think not.

Sabotage Success: 8.00 (Sabotage moves in mysterious ways. I'm sure Brandon thought he had me nailed with this and I would have agreed. Let's hear what Brandon has to say about the Stappinator.)

Strangely's Bazaar 12 (Ronan)

2005-11-24T10:51:00.000-05:00

Strangely’s Bazaar: 12

For the next few weeks (from now until Christmas) I will be recollecting and reminiscing on the past year, and highlight what 2005 will be remembered for in music terms. In 2055 hopefully somebody will look back on that outdated piece of junk, the internet, and come across this article and remember what music used to be like once upon a time. To keep you interested I’m not going to tell you what the rest of the articles deal with, so you’ll have to come back and check every week. Mwahaha!

2005: The Year of...
Part II: The Double Album

As well as being the year of the “returning legend”, 2005 will be remembered for being the year of the double album. Double albums are always difficult prospects – some work, and a lot fail. But there have been many good ones, for example The Beatles’ White Album, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Smashing Pumpkins’ Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness, Cody ChestnuTT’s The Headphone Masterpiece, and rock’s first double album, Blonde on Blonde by Bob Dylan. Although some older double albums (e.g. The Who’s Tommy, and The Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street) have since become single albums. Then there’s some albums incorrectly labelled as double albums – greatest hits packages for example – these are box sets rather than proper albums.

There’s always a certain difficulty in making double albums. Listeners and also critics usually tend to prefer one part to the other, and thus one disc gets much more play, and more exposure than the other. This makes a lot of people split the album in two and release them as two separate parts and release them a few months apart. This usually allows the record company to make more money as well, so they probably encourage the artists to do this. So, what I’m trying to say is that some albums can be double albums, but in two parts. A bit like...

System of a Down’s Mezmerize and Hypnotize. Instead of releasing them as one album, the band decided to release them separately. Hypnotize has just come out (November 2005), but Mezmerize has been out since May. As you may recall, our Brandon didn’t rate Mezmerize highly, but while he may view it as rubbish, I thought it was pretty good. And I hated System of a Down before it – and I do mean ‘hate’, ask any of my friends. But Mezmerize was more than just being heavy for the sake of it; the music was actually that – music. Both parts of the double album were recorded last year – at the same time, and were originally planned to be released as a double – thus it fits the requirements.

Part I of this feature discussed the return of that legend – Kate Bush. This long awaited return was topped off with a double album. Aerial, her eight studio album, and first in twelve years, marked a supreme return to form for Bush. And features a song called ‘Pi’ (I don’t know where to get the symbol on my keyboard, and it mightn’t show up in your web browser anyway, even if I could). ‘Pi’ is one of the most innovative songs of the year – not bad for a woman who has been out of the business for more than a decade. But I won’t go into too much detail here, because, after all, I am going to review Aerial in the very near future. But it did feature the world’s best guest musician – Rolf Harris playing the didgeridoo and performing spoken word duties a la William Shatner on ‘The Painter’.

Everybody’s favourite former Nirvana drummer also released a double album this year. No not Dan Peters. Foo Fighters own Dave Grohl. The album, In Your Honor, was very much a two-part affair – much like Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below double album. One of the discs on In Your Honor is a full-on rock disc, and the other is a stripped-down acoustic disc. Grohl said the double album was “really amazing. The good thing about doing it is that you split it up so that there's no middle ground. So the rock stuff is the most rocking stuff we've ever worked on, ever.” Probably the most talked about thing about the album, however, was that track about Kurt Cobain – “Friend of a Friend”. Too much has been said about it already, so I’m not going to bother.

But the king of the double album for 2005 has to be Canada’s own Bryan Adams. Not content with being mainly known for ‘Everything I Do (I Do It For You)’ and ‘Summer of ‘69’, Adams came out of the pop wilderness and released three albums in 2005. Two of which were country or quasi-country albums. One of these, Cold Roses, was a double album. The albums are much more acoustic than his earlier albums, for example his 1983 album Cuts Like A Knife. There are no really radio-friendly songs here, you would never hear any of them in a club the same way as you might hear “I got my first real six string...”

Alright, alright, that joke’s been done many times before, but I couldn’t help myself. And now if I actually ever get to meet Ryan Adams, he’s going to punch me in the face. Oh well, it will be something to tell the grandkids. But the double album, Cold Roses is one of my favourite albums of the year. Both discs are excellent (although the first one is a little more excellent), and judging by my positive review for Jacksonville City Nights, his next album, 29, due out in December, should be something to really look forward to.

Trey Anastasio: Shine (Ronan)

2005-11-23T22:07:00.000-05:00

Trey Anastasio – Shine

I first came across Trey Anastasio from his involvement in the Dave Matthews & Friends Winter Tour of 2003/04, and from his playing on Matthews’ first solo album, Some Devil. Like Matthews, Trey Anastasio is used to playing in a band – a band who have no problem jamming onstage for extended periods of time. Unlike Matthews, Anastasio’s band is no longer making music. Shine is Anastasio’s first mainstream solo album. Seis De Mayo, and some of his other albums aren’t treated as proper solo albums, because they mainly feature his work as a composer and with his Trio and Sextet, rather than as a solo guitarist and vocalist. This album should immediately appeal to Phish fans (or should that be ‘phans’?), but the first thing you’ll notice is a lack of jamming on the album. There is some, but not enough to please those hardcore jam-band fans. The album is more polished, it’s more produced than his work with Phish, maybe even too much.

Through his work with Dave Matthews I have developed a liking for Anastasio. For one thing, he has a pretty cool beard, and since my beard-growing skills aren’t the best, this bodes well for me. Another thing is that he is a great guitarist (Voted #73 in Rolling Stones’ Top 100 Guitarists of All Time in 2003), and also a pretty good singer – in fact he’s a better singer than Matthews is. (But in my opinion, not as talented as a musician, but what do I know, I’m only a music critic.)
Shine opens with the title-track – what better way in fact? ‘Shine’ reminds me very much so of Phish’s Farmhouse album. Yeah, just because I didn’t get into Phish when they were together doesn’t mean that I don’t know their music. Well, I do, a bit. Okay, okay, I only have three of their albums, but it’s enough to get me by, right? ‘Shine’ is a good song, and it’s an awful pity the same can’t be said for the utterly annoying ‘Tuesday’ – I just can’t stand the way he sings ‘Tuesday’: it sounds like he’s trying to say both ‘today’ and ‘Tuesday’ at the same time. The song is also over-produced – it doesn’t have that same spontaneous element that made Phish great. It does have a guitar solo, but not a very interesting one. ‘Invisible’ sounds too much like ‘Tuesday’ to have a good impact on me. Although the guitar does show glimpses of being good, but only glimpses.

Track 4 ‘Come as Melody’ on the other hand, is an excellent song. The erses build up into a rousing chorus, with some great trashy guitar. You know there’s some times when you want trashy guitar – when you’re listening to Anastasio you’re expecting it, and when it does come, it’s excellent. ‘Come as Melody’ is a really powerful song – one which I hope becomes part of the next Dave Matthews & Friends tour, the way ‘Bathtub Gin’ did in the last tour. Unfortunately, there aren’t any songs as good as ‘Bathtub Gin’ on this album.

‘Air Said To Me’ continues this trashiness – and in places the vocal sounds like the loudspeaker parts of Neil Young’s Greendale. Although that’s not a bad thing, because as you may know Greendale is loved here at TwoWayMonologues. There’s also a wonderful solo at the end of the song, to lead out of it and into… ‘Wherever You Find It’ which starts off with a simple piano intro. Maybe Anastasio got the idea from ‘Out of My Hands’ from the so-so Dave Matthews Band album Stand Up. The thing is, this works well on both albums – so it must be a good technique to use. Remember this for the future guys. Strangely enough, the first guitar solo herer reminds me of Europe’s ‘A Final Countdown’ – weird. That’s right, I said “first solo” – this song is a six-minuter – and if you know me, I do have a love for long songs.

‘Sweet Dreams Melinda’ is pure radio-fodder, but Anastasio makes it work quite well. I think the song would have been better if Matthews had appeared as a guest vocalist on this song. Their voices complement each other perfectly, and it would have added an extra dimension to the chorus. As well as made it more accessible for certain radio stations. ‘Love Is Freedom’ starts off slow before going into what sounds like a phone ringing. This can get quite confusing, as I’m always looking for my phone when this part comes on. The chorus has a great sing-along quality to it, and is sure to please Anastasio fans everywhere (i.e. in colleges throughout the world half-baked or fully-baked as the case may be).

‘Sleep Again’ can get quite repetitive if you were to listen to the album a lot – if you had it “on and on / on and on / you will live again / you will live again”. Come on Trey, even you can afford to buy a rhyming dictionary. Come on, seriously, the same line five times in a row is not clever, you can do better! And I know I said that I liked long songs, but only when they’re not repetitive, this one is torture at almost five minutes. ‘Spin’ does go some way to appeasing me, but unfortunately isn’t enough. I do quite like the fast pace of the chorus and bridge, but the verses don’t do much for me. At this point you just hope the album didn’t peak in the middle, and it’s only gonna get worse from here.

‘Black’ unfortunately is not a Metallica cover. Instead it’s a slow-piano-led-ballad-as-you-may-notice-I-like-putting-hyphens-in-the-middle-of-words-where-they-are-not-needed. In fact, it couldn’t be more unlike the Metallica song of the same name. It’s actually very boring, even when it gets going it’s still dull. The final song is not the Redemption Song we were looking for, and once again proves to be a bit of a bore. Oh well, I think I’ll turn off this CD now, and from now on, only listen to the middle of it. That’s an awful pity – I expected a lot more from the sevety-third best guitarist of all time.

Tracks to Download: Love Is Freedom, Come As Melody, Air Said To Me, Sweet Dreams Melinda

6.0 – Although there are a few good songs here, the album will leave Phish fans wanting them to reunite, and leave me wanting to hear Trey Anastasio go back on tour with Dave Matthews. Whatever, it won’t leave you wanting more solo Trey.

Silver Jews: Tanglewood Numbers

2005-11-22T14:55:00.000-05:00

What originally began as a fascination with a band name -- being a quasi-Jew myself -- has developed into so much more. It began when I was searching for torrents and I found one for this album in August. Seeing the band name flickered a memory of a track being reviewed on Pitchfork; that track ended up being entered into Track-fu. (It didn't win, and that is a shame.) After a few listens it was obvious to me that I had to own the album. Only then did I realize I had somehow found a leak for it nearly two full months before the actual release date.

I must have heard that album 20 times before I ever had a chance to own it. The Silver Jews are a quaint little band. A handful of musicians show up throughout, including the extremely talented Stephen Malkmus, but for the most part the band is a husband-and-wife duo of Dave and Cassie Berman.

They don't tour at all, having only played a handful of lives shows in spite of a career spanning six albums and more than ten years. They don't shoot videos. They just record music and get it out and let the rest work itself out. And even though this has to be the worst marketing technique ever, it does work itself out for one reason, and one reason alone: they make fucking good music.

Four years have passed since the last album was released, and during that time Dave Berman attempted to commit suicide. That's something that no matter how hard you try to find out about it, you can't really get many details. All you can find out is that Berman is doing better now and doesn't really want to talk about it. "Tanglewood Numbers" sounds like someone who is doing better. It has a dry humour about it, and some optimism if you search for it. It isn't the type of album you might expect from someone who has been through what he has, although it might also be. If he really is doing better, like he says he is, maybe it is exactly the type of album to expect. The music kind of reminds me of a far more grungey, folkified version of R.E.M. from back when they were actually pretty good. The most popular comparison you'll find online is to Bob Dylan, which is an even loftier comparison, one that isn't, and shouldn't be, bandied around lightly.

The album commences with the impeccable "Punks In The Beerlight," a spirited, tongue-in-cheek folky rock/punk song that is highly addictive. The song is a playful anthem for burnouts in love who are constantly re-assuring the other how much they love the other but meanwhile are talking about their addictions and the massive problems that they encounter on a regular basis. As dark as the topic is, if you don't pay attention you'll just find yourself gleefully bobbing your head and enjoying the moment because this song has high leechability. My favourite part has to be the repeated times when Berman chants out "I love you to the max, I love you to the max." The vocals play back and forth off Bermand and his wife Cassie at times. This is the hardest rocking song on "Tanglewood Numbers" and probably the only one with any commercial potential (not that they care). I'll break the suspense, there is no way this won't have a prominent spot on my year end CD. It is probably in my top five songs overall for the year.

"Animal Shapes" opens with some awesome fiddle and cracking drumsticks, and breaks down into a full-on hoedown jig-style countrified jangle. Cassie and Dave again split the vocals up, singing simultaneously, one with the soprano and the other with the falsetto. The combination is very pleasing. You could put this song on an album for kids and I guarantee they would love it. It has that innocent playful quality to it, and yet it also totally appeals to a 24-year-music critic like me. I think the major difference is that I appreciate the intricacies in the background: the banjo, the strings, the twangy guitar (which is really low), and everything else going on here. A kid would just love the slightly hoakey but oh-so-loveable chorus "Animal Shapes, Animal Shapes, God must be carving the clouds into animal shapes."

Again it has to be said -- what I might love most about the Silver Jews is the dark humour or the tongue-in-cheek sarcasm that Dave Berman uses throughout the songs. "I'm Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You" is a sad tale about a guy who has fallen onto some tough times and finds himself drifting back to an ex-girl of his. The song finds Berman morosely singing about wanting this girl back with the simple yet snazzy chorus "I'm getting back into, getting back, getting back into you." This is one of those albums you can't fully appeciate without getting to know the lyrics. Take this one for instance: "Now my ex-wife's living in the suburbs with her guru and her mom/Now she finds her consolation in the stardust of a bong/You can call it a spinoff, say it's a knockoff, title it part two/But i'm getting back into getting back into getting back into you." There are a lot more where that came from.

That dry wit is back at it again with "How Can I Love You If You Won't Lie Down." The song has less than 75 words and it doesn't matter; each word carries important significance. This song has a bit more playfulness and less of the dry Mark Lanegan style of the prior song. Cassie's role here is to whimsically echo the last word on Berman's sentences. This is a short song running just two minutes, but you will cherish every second. Imagine a band that is known as having a heavy jangle like Kings Of Leon, but remove all influences of rock, add in a heavy dose of folk and a side of extra talent, and that is the best way I can describe this tune. Gotta give you another lyric: "Fast cars/Fine ass/These things will pass/And it won't get more profound/Time is a game only children play well/How can I love you if you won't lie down?"

We finish with the end of the album and a gentler, more obviously emotional song, "This Is A Place." It finds Berman singing about the place past the blues that he never wants to see again, and also features an instrumental interlude over what is blacked out and referred to as a police conversation. This is basically the only time during the entire album that Berman even refers to the times he had when he almost took his own life. After the extended instrumental part Berman comes in with a refound vigour in the most rocking part of the album since "Punks In The Beerlight," breaking into a full on chant that goes like this:

I saw God's shadow on this world.
I saw God's shadow on this world.
I saw God's shadow on this world.

I could not love the world entire.
There grew a desert in my mind.
I took a hammer to it all
Like an insane medieval king

I saw God's shadow on this world.
I saw God's shadow on this world.
I saw God's shadow on this world.
I saw God's shadow on this world.

I could not love the world entire.
There grew a desert in my mind.
I took a hammer to it all.
I took a hammer to it all.

I saw God's shadow on this world.
I saw God's shadow on this world.
I saw God's shadow on this world.
I saw God's shadow on this world.

All the while it gains in intensity and in the speed of delivery. The album ends on that note, and hearing Berman sing what clearly most be uncomfortable for him leaves you with a powerful feeling. You always hear people complaining about angst or getting too involved in singing about relationships, but you will never hear people complain about lyrics like this. This is what songwriting is all about.

"Tanglewood Numbers" is an album that needs to be heard by more people. Not just the indie kids, or the music-obsessed fools like Ronan, Terri, Cameron, and myself (Brandon not a knock or anything but this just isn't close to Destroyer music and I respect that.) I urge you to find a way to experience it. I don't think I have heard better songwriting on any album I have had the pleasure to listen to in 2005. I've heard better albums perhaps, but the songwriting on this is almost unmatched. Do yourself a favour and find out for yourself.

Songs to download: Anything I mentioned sure and "Punks In The Beerlight" especially, but this truly deserves to be heard in its entirety. It will only cost you 34 minutes.

SCORE: 9.30 (Where will it end up ranking on the year end list? Well my friends, I already know that answer. You'll just have to wait and find out.)

Tuesday Stroll

2005-11-21T14:58:00.000-05:00

The Elite 5

1. Talib Kweli: Right About Now The Official Sucka Free CD

I really like Talib's work up to "Quality". His most recent album "The BeautifuL Struggle" just didn't do it for me. If you would have told me Talib would put out an album and I would not buy it I would have been shocked. But that is in fact what happened. However, this release sounds a lot more like what i've come to expect from Talib. If sound quality is your thing then this might not be for you. This is a raw recording, essentially almost like a mixtape. Kweli describes the music as being where he is at right now. Rather than taking a year to mix it and perfect it, he is releasing it as is. This is how hip-hop was when it first exploded onto the scene. Perhaps by going back to his roots, Kweli will regain his form. I'm looking forward to finding out.

2. Queens Of The Stone Age: Over The Years And Through The Woods

Xmas season is always the time for live albums to come out. Now why this album gets a 7.6 and the Green Day album of essentially the same format scores a 3 on pitchfork is beyond me. However, I am about eagerly as excited to hear this as I was the Green Day live album from last week. In terms of expectations against results "Lullabies To Paralyze" was one of the most disappointing albums I heard in 2005. Still, i'm not near ready to write this band off. Known as having a tremendous highly energized live show I have no doubt this cd should deliver. Packed in with the solid tracklist is a new song "Fun Machine" and a previously unreleased track. You also get a bonus DVD. Criticize the band for releasing this if you will but the bottom line is you the fan get a great value for the price of this one album.

3. System Of A Down: Hypnotize

Second album of 2005 for S.O.A.D. Brandon tried the first one and didn't score it very well resulting in backlash on our comments. He is also going to be reviewing this album so I expect more of the same. It just made sense for Brandon to review the next album and who knows mabye it will surprise him and us. In a normal week of cd releases this wouldn't excite me all that much but this isn't a fruitful week and so I am including it. I had a chance to finally hear some System in 2005 and liked what I heard. They are a ver innovative, and powerful band. Are they talented enough to pull off two stellar albums in 2005? You can be the judge.

4. Pursuit Of Happiness: When We Ruled

A greatest hits pack from one of the most quintessentially Canadian pop/rock bands from the 80's and early 90's. The band even reunited to record two new songs a cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry", and a brand new song "Hey Mary Anne". In addition you have the hits and a few previously unreleased songs. This is a band that will come up in any debate over the music in Canada in the last twenty years and while they weren't perhaps musical rocker scientists they definitely influenced many of the current bands on our airwaves. Want a slice of nostalgia? This will do the trick just fine.

5. Death From Above 1979: Romance, Bloody, Romance

A remix and B side album from the ever gaining in popularity DFA 1979. It wasn't more than a year and a few months ago that I heard their video on muchloud and Brandon and I almost went to see this show for like 10 bucks. In that short time that has passed they have gained enough momentum to release a remix album. Tis the season to grab cash from your loyal fans and this is again another attempt at doing that. The reason I am interested in this is because I actually really think DFA 1979's music will lend itself well to some intriguing remixes. I know Brandon has their last studio album at his place so maybe i'll get him to review this as he would be most fitting to make the comparisons.

Remember Me?

1. Scott Stapp: The Great Divide

It remains to be seen if the music world will embrance the ex-leader singer of Creed with arms wide open. Haha, i'm sorry I really am but I had to do it. This guy is a total douchebag. He was such a douchebag that his band basically divorced him and started a new band with a different lead singer. Then Stapp had nice things to say about his bandmates but they just had nothing but shit to say about him. It got so bad that he was sued by fans wo attended a show for how much it sucked. I'm serious it happened. Anyhow this is Stapp's return and Brandon's sabotage for the week. And let me tell you it FUCKING blows. It sounds like a cross between Creed/Nickelback and Christian rock. Please tell me that this doesn't become popular. I'm begging society to shun this piece of shit.

2. Ginuwine: Back II Basics

Ginwuine is still living off ridin' his pony and still some people must buy his albums because he keeps on releasing them. Here Ginuwine is offering up 15 songs that apparently go back to what made him big in the first place. But one problem exists. Ginuwine wasn't any good in the first place so what does this matter? This album is getting panned. I haven't heard one good word about it. Yet, something tells me some people will buy it and his feeble career will sputter along. Why can't someone funnier like Montell Jordan have his career continue rather than this guy?

3. Billy Joel: My Lives (box set)

In between drinking and driving Billy Joel has had a long and distinguished career. Yet it appears even he would agree that if you base his entire career off his top 40 hits that there is a good chance you would think he is lame. He has said as much in hyping the release of this box set of B sides, rarities, and songs that weren't hits. Rare is it you find an artist who basically admits that his hits are cheese and insists that listening to a rarities box set might give you a better impression of him and yet now I am intrigued. Weird how that works eh? I won't buy this but i'll give the guy a chance. I must admit though i still love "Uptown Girl".

Not My Bag, But Maybe Yours

1. Kardinal Offishall: Fire And Glory

Is Kardinal finally ready to make a splash in the mainstream music industry perhaps even outside of the comfy confines of Canada? Maybe, just maybe. His lead single is getting huge airplay and if there was ever a time to make a move in hip-hop in our country K-OS has paved the way for it to happen. Terri had me download the new song for this the other day which is a great sig for Kardinal that he is making significant progress. Club rap isn't how I role and I doubt it ever will be but if it is something you like then you may want to investigate.

2. Alexisonfire / Moneen: Switcheroo Series

This is neat. Two artists putting out an album consisting of alternating tracks of the one and then the other. Be interesting to see what other bands decide to part in this series. Now the only problem I can see is what if you don't like both bands? Take for instance Moneen who I think suck. But these are likely to be cheap and for those who find they like both bands or love one band so much that they will deal with the other this could be a sweet release. I wonder if it will work out?

3. Sugababes: Taller In More Ways Than One

So Ronan told me this girl band was huge in Europe and I thought thank god they aren't over here. Surprise! Now they are, and I am not impressed about it. So what we have here is untalented bubblegum pop bullshit that reminds me of S Club 7, Spice Girls and so on and so forth. The kinda shit I wish we could eliminate from the industry entirely. Like i said nowhere near how I role but I wanted to slander them somewhere so this is where they fell.

Beastie Boys: Solid Gold Hits (Brandon "The Destroyer")

2005-11-21T12:20:00.000-05:00

Beastie Boys - Solid Gold Hits
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

For those of you who have heard me talk about the Beastie Boys before know that they are amongst one of my favourite hip hop groups. These guys have been at it for almost twenty years, and if you are a caucasion in hip hop that is freaking incredible. I just hope that Eminem doesn't last twenty years so that people go on like he has talent or something, I mean all he does is complain and bitch about his life and how he loves his daughter. Eminem is a wad. The Beastie Boys have released their greatest hits, which I would like to think doesn't mean they are done producing new music. I think that I would really enjoy seeing these guys in concert, usually they end up playing with some pretty respectable hip hop or rock artist, so I can't imagine that wouldn't be a killer concert. The tracklist that they went with for this disc seems to be alright. I only own the newest album and their first album so really I am missing a bit of the hits that fall inbetween. Despite the fact I only have the two albums I have heard pretty much every song on the disc with the exception of "Root Down". This album features only fifteen of their greatest hits from over the years, I would say that is probably too short and that’s just because in twenty years of music you should have one song per year, it just makes sense if your that popular. As I'm sure your already well aware the Beasties are going to be a saga because they are always one with me, I probably won't buy the album but for anyone that likes the Beastie Boys and owns nothing buy them then this could be the album for you.

"So What'cha Want" is the first song on the album, and I would say that’s an acceptable way to start this album. The beat that starts off is one that is almost mixed with a church organ, or at least something that sounds a lot like an organ. The Beastie Boys use a fair bit of actual instruments within the beats that they mix, in this song you get a really cool guitar riff and some sicke drums to compliment it. On the chorus they don't even sing really, they just loop that wicked guitar riff which is good because this is a part of the song that you can rock out. This is actually a song that doesn't have much structure to it, the verses don't have a set amount of length to them and the chorus that has no lyrics is really the only consistent part of the song as far as the music is concerned. The Beasties took this style right here and made it fairly popular, it helped that someone like Run D.M.C. was there to assist them with influence, but they definitely added something to that style to help make it unique to them.

I have another concern with this greatest hits, there are three songs from the new album on it and well I find that a bit much since it came out in 2004 which wasn't that long ago. I think the other reason that I don't necessarily agree with them using songs from this album is because they choose poorly, they went with "Ch-Check It Out", "Triple Trouble", and "An Open Letter to NYC". I suppose my favourites are totally different then that but they just threw the singles from that album onto the greatest hits since that was what more people were exposed to. It’s kind of sad and lets me know they are doing a bit more marketing then is probably necessary for this album. Of the three songs I probably like "Triple Trouble" the most. You'll find it near the end of the album, track thirteen, the biggest reason for my like of this song is the beat. I think that I can always count on the Beastie Boys throwing me a sweet catchy beat that is layered with loads of production. And I don't care who you are you have to love it when they throw in the classic stuff like record scratches or they rewind a segment of the beat and then play it back, how old school is that shit?

The fourth song is "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" and this is one of the better songs on the disc that you'll get from the first album 'Licensed To Ill'. I can't stress enough that if you want to hear a sicke old school hip hop album you will get out to any used CD store and find 'Licensed To Ill'. My favourites from that album aren't actually on the greatest hits so you can imagine that for a second time I am fairly disappointed because if its a greatest hits that I want from the Beastie Boys then I might have to make the list myself. Now on "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn" you get one of the catchiest guitar riffs to exist, I am pretty sure that the Beastie boys stole this from someone and remixed it, I just can't think of the name of the original song. Near the end of the track they bust out this wicked guitar solo and fade off into the distance with it, I think thats a neat way to end a song if you are supposed to be a hip hop group. I suppose the fact that the Beastie Boys actually can play guitar, bass and drums factors into my like for them because they don't rely on anonymous third parties to complete their albums.

I'm going to talk about "Root Down" because I hadn't heard this song prior to getting this album on my computer. It starts off with a funky beat with a stupid amount of bass, it grooves along until they start singing about root down. I don't really know what root down is but it doesn't matter because this is probably my favourite song on the album, half because its new and also because its pretty good. It seems like the beat goes all over the place but always has that same bassline that I love. They keep talking about kicking it root down and putting their root down, so I don't know what the hell is going on. I want to know what album this song is on, so after some research I have found out that it is on the "Ill Communication" CD. I know that I will probably buy some of these older Beasties discs, and thats just because I always get a lot of use from them, I can listen to the albums from front to back and not get annoyed with any songs, well except that stupid song "Girls" from the first album, if you like that song your a douche.

Does anyone remember the 'Hello Nasty' album? I don't know that I will buy that album, I don't even like the first or second singles from that album. Sadly they include both of them on this greatest hits, so I'm forced to hear "Intergalatic" which is a lame and cheesey space song, and then theres "Body Movin'" but this one is remixed by Fat Boy Slim. I'm not a huge Fat Boy Slim fan so I can't say that I super excited to hear him make a bad song even worse. I think my problem is in the song "Body Movin'" there is really only one set of lyrics: "body movin', body movin', body movin', we be body movin'...", and thats just part of the problem because they don't add much to the song in the ways of music either, it really loops over and over as you hear these repetitive lyrics. The Fat Boy Slim version doesn't excite me any more than the original, so to be honest I don't really care. The only good thing that I can say about the other song, "Intergalatic" is that the video is pretty entertaining with that huge robot, I actually remember that in grade twelve art I made a replica sculpture of that robot for a project, it was sicke.
I guess I'm going to mention one last song and thats just because its one of the biggest and most recognizable songs by the Beasties from all of their music. "Fight For Your Right" is the last song on the disc and how can you argue with the lyrics that are offered up on this song? I suppose that this is the type of song that I wish appeared more on the album, a pretty kick as combination of rock and rap that is fuse together to create the style that the Beasties deliver. If I could make the greatest hits of the Beastie Boys I know that I would create a better and more legit one but I don't know that it would sell more copies then the one that they suggested. Regardless I'm pretty disappointed with the album, it has a few songs here and there I will keep because I don't currently own them, but I'm more than one hundred percent sure that I won't be purchasing this album anytime soon. The saga of the Beasties is best left to albums, so I hope that they keep heading down that path and creating more hip hop for me to listen to.

Tracks to Steal: "Fight For Your Right", "Root Down", "So What'cha Want", "Triple Trouble", "No Sleep 'Til
Brooklyn", "Sabotage", "Brass Monkey"

Did they select their greatest songs for their greatest hits?
Are the Beastie Boys done putting out new music?

Judgment Passed: 7.1 (Like I said its a decent greatest hits that casual fans should enjoy or get a good mix of songs that they may have not heard before. If you are someone like me that listens to them often then you could be in for some disappointment because the tracklist is lackluster.)

Track-fu (Terri)

2005-11-20T18:51:00.000-05:00

A treat, especially for those of you who have trouble downloading some of the songs in Track-fu -- thanks to the wonders of modern technology and SHOUTcast, we'll be streaming a mini radio show of sorts. The songs from this week's Track-fu will be playing on repeat for a couple of hours tonight (starting now) on Two Way Monologues radio (http://72.10.130.108:8000/).

Open the URL (File/Open URL) in Winamp or Windows Media Player, although you'll only see the song names in the former. You can also tune in at other times -- Dan will be streaming playlists regularly and we'll stream Track-fu weekly. We're also looking at other things we could do -- a Christmas playlist and a playlist for our end-of-the-year pics are a couple of ideas. Hope you enjoy it.

1. Mars -- Helen Forsdale

This is from a CD called No New York, a CD featuring NYC underground acts that was released in 1978 and has now been rereleased. I can't say that it's my thing -- it's arty noise rock -- but it's interesting to hear some of the influences and does sound current, so I think it's worth listening to for that.

2. Eminem -- When I'm Gone

I like Eminem more than I should, really. I'm entirely sick of his joke rap tracks. I'm not a big fan of the sexism. But every once in a while he brings out a really good track and I like him again.

This track isn't among Eminem's top five, but it has me on his good side -- I like the violins, and it's nice to hear rap that's not about loose women and big freakin' necklaces. It's a bit maudlin, and the end gets rather melodramatic, but I enjoy it anyway.

3. Fire Engines -- Candyskin

This is a really catchy song -- I like the off-beat drums a lot. The lead singer's voice reminds me a bit of Gord Downie's, for some reason. Apparently Fire Engines were an integral part of the Scottish post-punk scene in the 80s; I was not aware that such a scene existed, but considering that I enjoy this song and work by their scene compatriots, Orange Juice, I might look into them further.

4. Mike Ladd -- Barney's Girl

There's a fair bit of hip hop influence in this list. I like this song better than the Eminem track; it's got a good hook, and the instrumentals are pretty original. It's got an old school feel, but not in a conventional way, and it sounds almost ambient at times while also managing to remind me of funk/soul. It's got a very original sound.

5. Bright Eyes -- Mushaboom

This is a cover of the Feist song, which I'm really fond of. I like hearing it stipped down a bit with acoustic guitar, which lets the melody pop through really nicely. Bright Eyes' voice, while good, doesn't work as well here though. I like the pretty but strange, broken quality Feist's voice has (she actually did break it, in a way, which is part of why it sounds so different). But this is a nice interpretation of the song anyway.

6. DJ Muggs vs. GZA The Genius -- Smothered Mate (Brandon)

This is a more straight-up rap track than Mike Ladd's song (or Eminem's, but not as strikingly). It's got a good beat though; it's a forceful song. It's catchy and I like it, but it's a little harder than the rap I usually listen to (because, by my admission, I usually listen to sort-of lame rap).

7. Martha Wainwright -- I Will Internalize

Man, I can't find my Martha Wainwright CD. I need to look for it; it was pretty good. I didn't rave over it like many reviewers did, but it was definitely a worthwhile debut -- assured, pretty.

This song would fit it fine with that set of recordings -- for the most part it's Martha and her guitar, which works pretty well. It's got a lovely melody. (I do feel that occasionally Martha overuses her voice -- which is fantastic, but why the hollering? Every once in a while I just want her to sing the lyrics without bellowing out random syllables.)

8. Ninja High School -- Jam Band Death Cult (Dan)

This sounds a bit like the Beastie Boys mixed with the Go! Team. They're clearly having a lot of fun here -- lots of shouting, occasional shouts of spontaneous joy popping out of nowhere. I enjoy it; it's nice to hear something that sounds very uncalculated. I bet they're a lot of fun live.

9. Joaquin Phoenix -- Ring of Fire (Ronan)

I never really know if I should be impressed when actors sing their own songs for a movie, or if I should be a little horrified (especially when I hear that they had to learn to sing). It would be an unwise choice to do so, sometimes; Jamie Foxx actually can sing, but he was smart to lip-synch for Ray. He wouldn't have been able to approximate Charles' voice, and it would have taken away from the movie (which was middling anyway, outstanding performances aside).

Joaquin Phoenix does a better job of getting Johnny Cash; his voice is surprisingly strong and deep. He doesn't quite have the same force that Cash's voice did, even in his last years, but it's good work nonetheless. Aside from the vocals, the song is good, of course. Classic. I'll still listen to Cash's version over this given the choice, especially since the goal was to approximate Cash, not to reinterpret it differently. I'd be fine with listening to this version too, though. But I want to see Walk the Line, and I'm glad to know that I won't end up sitting there hating Phoenix for ruining Johnny's songs.

Winner: I'm going to go with Ring of Fire, actually, because it managed to leave me pleasantly surprised where I was apprehensive. It's a solid song under any circumstances. I also enjoyed Mike Ladd, Fire Engines, and Ninja High School.

Loser: Mars, because I just didn't like it, history aside.

Various Artists: Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (Brandon)

2005-11-19T00:55:00.000-05:00

Tony Hawk's American Wasteland
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

I used to play the Tony Hawk video games back when they were first invented, then I met Peter Lumsden of Ottawa fame and I quickly realised that this game blows. Now thats a lie, just when you play against a guy who can score like over ten million points on one trick then there is really no hope of beating him in the game. The single player was cool though, I liked the missions, not that I could ever reach the point totals or anything. It seems like a very natural thing that Tony Hawk's Underground would have a bitchin' soundtrack since the entire game your a skater and skaters like good music...well at least most of them do. Regardless this is one of the better punk compilations that I have seen thrown together, one of the major draws to me was the theme of the album, which is essentially all punk covers of older punk songs. The bands range anywhere from My Chemical Romance, Thrice, Dropkick Murphys, Hot Snakes, Rise Against, and thats just a few. I nominated another neighbourhood loser of Track Fu Emanuel who do an excellent cover of "Search And Destroy" which is an Iggy Pop cover. To be honest when I first looked at this album I had my doubts that I would enjoy it because I had written off most things that have the name Tony Hawk on it, but at this point I've heard this album plenty and got it the first week it came out while I was in Toronto, it was sicke cheap, like eight bucks used, but since that was the first week it was out I would just guess it was stolen.

Ok I'm starting with the My Chemical Romance song, its called "Astro Zombie" and I have no idea who did the original, hell I don't know who did most of the originals, but thats because all it does is tell me the writer of the song original, not the band...unless they all wrote it. So it’s the third song, and as you can imagine its pretty good, as most My Chemical Romance music is. One thing that I really like about the album is the vocals, which is probably the thing that I just like the most about the band. There was a rumour this band was in danger of breaking up due to a record dispute. If that is the case this song could be the last released material that I will be able to listen to of there’s unless by some miracle they reconcile and everything good as new. I have my doubts. The song is an ok track, as I said the vocals are worth a listen, however I won't go on about the music, its ok just I'm not that attached to it. In the end if this is my last MCR song then I might be disappointed.

The fifth track is "Sonic Reducer" and its done by Saves The Day. I don't know anything about this band at all so I can't really have an opinion on their other music. I don't mind this cover, I like it better than "Astro Zombies" anyways. The Beastie Boys sampled the guitar riff for one of the songs on their The Five Burroughs, the track was "An Open Letter To NYC". The chorus of "Sonic Reducer" is the second best part of the track, the sicke guitar riff is the first. When I refer to the chorus I think that the vocals are well done, which is weird because the lead singers voice isn't really that good on the verses. As confusing as all that is I still like the song, its one of the longer songs on the album and every once and a while a punk song needs to breach that three minute mark in order to show they have some talent. There is a pretty good guitar solo at about the minute thirty mark and it probably ends at two minutes, this is probably my second favourite song.

I love the Dropkicks Murphys, they fucking rock. I also like that they are on this album with a particular hardcore song, the one thing that I don't like about the song though is they don't have the familiar bagpipe sound I had got rather used to. The song is called "Who Is Who" and it is the sixth song on the disc. This song is neat, the lyrics are anyways, because this is kind of the song that promotes distrust of authority by adolescents. It mentions all sorts of things that happen, like police coming because their buddy ratted him out and that is how he got caught. Really the whole song is kind of like a blame game where on the chorus the lead singer is shouting: 'please tell me it was you!'. This is surprisingly not my favourite song but its up there as you can imagine, its definitely worth hearing once to see if you like it because its only one minute and twenty seconds.

Hot Snakes are also another band that has recently fallen victim to the break up, so as a result this might also be the last 'new' stuff that I hear by them. I say new because they have loads of older stuff from the eighties that I haven't heard and I know that I would like to hear it and thus there is material that is out there new to me. I think you get the idea. Anyways, as I was saying Hot Snakes are bitchin, they do the nineth track "Time To Escape". This song is in typical Hot Snakes fashion, the guitar has that familiar ring that you only get when you hear the Hot Snakes. I like the music of this song an incredible amount, one thing that I can always count on when I listen to Hot Snakes is that the guitar is sicke and the drums are ridiculous, now if I could only talk them into selling their albums for cheaper so that I could force myself to buy them. I don't know that I have seen one for less than $24.99 and you can go fuck yourself for that price. The lyrics are alright but the chorus is easily the better part of the song, but all in all this is still my favourite song on the CD.

Lastly I will talk about the Rise Against song, I know that a lot of people out their don't like Rise Against and thats ok, you can leave for a bit and join us at the bottom. This song is fifty four seconds and every second of it is really filthy. I don't really like it at all and thats why I wanted to mention it, for some reason the lead singer decides to take a shit in his mouth and chew it while singing.

I would recommend just listening to the first song on the disc if you want to hear a randomly crazy song. Senses Fall is the band and the track is called "Institutionalized", its totally fuckered. The lead singer sings the song basically as if he is talking to his parents and they have decided to put him in a rehab institute so that he can get over his drug problem. As I listen to this song there is no chorus, understand that all the singer does is blather on about how he needs more drugs and thats not going to happen due to the fact he is off the rehab. Its a strange song but its interesting to say the least, I like it but its not my favourite.

Tracks to Steal: "Institutionalized", "Time To Escape", "Sonic Reducer", "Who Is Who", "Search And Destroy", "Astro Zombies"

How did this compilation hold up?
When are they going to bring out a second CD?

Judgment Passed: 8.4 (At first I thought that this CD had some serious potential, maybe I just need to hear it more before I score it higher, but at the moment I think this suits it. Some of the songs I don't enjoy, but for the most part I can listen to this album straight through since even the songs I don't like are pretty fast.)

Strangely's Bazaar 11 (Ronan)

2005-11-17T18:44:00.000-05:00

Strangely’s Bazaar: 11 November 2005-11-11

Strangely’s Bazaar is back and now will be a weekly event – hopefully on a Thursday, but Friday if my usual laziness sets in. As you should know Strangely’s could be anything and usually varies a lot from week to week. However, for the next few weeks (from now until Christmas) I will be recollecting and reminiscing on the past year, and highlight what 2005 will be remembered for in music terms. In 2055 hopefully somebody will look back on that outdated piece of junk, the internet, and come across this article and remember what music used to be like once upon a time. To keep you interested I’m not going to tell you what the rest of the articles deal with, so you’ll have to come back and check every week. Mwahaha!

2005: The Year of…
Part I: The Returning Legend

2005 will be remembered for many things, but one of the main ones is the return of the legend. This year has seen the release of albums by many veteran artists, some of which were a return to form. Probably the most obvious one is Kate Bush. Her Aerial album is her first release in over a decade, and is proof that the old minx never lost it. The album took the last six years to make, and was well worth the wait. It’s full of the usual Bushisms (a term which has come to refer to a different, odder Bush in the time since Kate’s last album). As expected, the album is full of haunting melodies and watery images. She sure does love her water. And it’s great to hear that wonderful one-of-a-kind voice back on the radio. But the best thing about Kate Bush’s return is the B-Side to her ‘King of the Mountain’ single – a cover of ‘Sexual Healing’. The way Bush says it makes it a whole new song.

Another artist who has just released an excellent comeback album is Neil Diamond. Avid readers of the site, and my comments, will know that this was one of my most anticipated albums of the year, and rightly so. Of all the albums Rick Rubin has produced this year, Diamond’s 12 Songs is definitely the best. On the other hand, Weezer’s Make Believe is definitely the worst. Like the albums he produced for the late, great Johnny Cash, Rubin has given Diamond that stripped-down raw sound, and it works perfectly with Diamond’s excellent, and now more mature, voice.

Yet another highly anticipated album was Paul McCartney’s Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, which for many lived up to the hype. It was never going to match the quality of a Beatles’ album, but what albums do these days?? The album is up there with the best solo Beatle’s album in many a year. Well so some people would have you believe anyway. I, me, myself, personally thought the album was disappointing, it’s not a bad album, it’s just that Sir Paul (as he likes to be known these days) is capable of so much better. There’s not one supreme stand out track on the album, that makes you jump and shout (“like a goal jus scored” – a Basement Jaxx reference for those who don’t know).

A true return to form came in the guise of the Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang. Many people saw the band as washed-up has-beens who could only make money from extensive touring of the best of their back catalogue. But with their latest LP, everyone’s favourite sexagenarians (that’s people in their sixties for those of you who don’t read the dictionary before going to bed every night. And why don’t you? I always do, that and the Phone Directory are my bed time reading.) The album mixed the Stones of old with the much older, more knowledgeable Stones – I won’t say more mature Stones, because no matter what age there are Jagger and Richards will never be mature! And don’t worry, some of the songs do contain sex references, they haven’t grown out of it yet.

2005 also finally marked the release of Fiona Apple’s Extraordinary Machine. It took long enough anyway. No all we need is for record companies to release other shelved albums. And all it took was a few hundred thousand million billion people (alright a few hundred) to send apples to Sony. The “Free Fiona” campaign was probably one of the funniest and most memorable events in music this year. The campaign put a lot of pressure on Sony, and the album was finally released in September. The original version was produced by the absolute genius that is Jon Brion (he also co-produced Kanye’s disc this year), and featuring drumming from the new ‘drummer that guests with everyone’ (I need a snappier title for that), no not Dave Grohl, he’s the old ‘drummer that guests with everyone’, the man with the best name in hip-hop, ?uestlove. The new version was produced by some dude I never heard of before. It’s still good though. But I prefer the bootleg, so download that instead.

Tom Vek: We Have Sound

2005-11-16T17:28:00.000-05:00

I am a sucker for an ambitious solo artist who decides to go it solo and rock the one-man band approach. I blame Beck for this weakness, but whenever somebody attempts to do it I am at the very least going to give it a listen. Tom Vek, as you could have guessed attempts this very feat. With almost no help Vek's "We Have Sound" is a bold album. At times dabbling in a less blatantly catchy post punk style, other times going into folk-hop (which is likely why the Beck comparisons come from), and I should also mention Vek also spends a lot of time working with electronic elements and using cutting edge production.

The neighsayers say this album lacks feeling. That Vek has managed to micromanage and overproduce to the point that the album loses character. I don't see this criticism personally. So the guy has a dry voice... that hasnt' stopped plenty of other musicians in the past so why should it stop him? Not every singer has to have a fresh off the presses good for all audiences perfect voice and if every singer did I'd probably never be into music anywhere near as much as I am now. Instead Vek works with what he has. And you know what? What he has it damn good enough. He can be catchy when he wants to be but it is clear that isn't his sole goal with this album. If it was the entire disc would sound like "I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes" (which by the way is already doing remarkably well now that the album has been released in North America.

You are going to hear me talk about Beck a fair bit here, and I think the comparison is valid. Vek is not the same callibre as Beck but you can tell that clearly this album was highly inspired by Beck and in particular the "Odelay" record. I wouldn't call Vek a poor man's Beck both because it would be an insult to Beck and to Vek himself as this is a lot more than an impression. I think it is safe to say without Beck, Tom Vek likely wouldn't have existed at least not in this format and that is alright. Because i'm happy "We Have Sound" came out. Now we do the songs.

We kick off with "C-C (You Set The Fire In Me)" which has a somewhat dry catchiness to it. It actually reminds me a fair bit of something I would expect to find on a Soul Coughing album in that regard. His voice has that same dry, rough, and yet catch quality that Mike Doughty always had. Musically this song doesn't sound like a Soul Coughing song though. They have like an accordion, a drum kit cranked, and a little bit of bass that is about it. In particular I like the huge drums that are featured throughout, and the repetetive lyrics that draw you into the song. This is one of those songs that likes to repeat the chorus more than a few times. The drums at times even remind me of something you would find on a Fourtet record which harks back to that electronic influence I was referring to earlier. Neat song, and I like that they kept the blatant single to track two rather than misleading the listener right away.

Speaking about that misleading single track-fu winner "I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes" is soon to be assaulting the airwaves near you. Here Vek opens up with the now staple repeat guitar riff, then the predictable drums are added to the mix. And at 30 seconds the catchy vocals join. Love it or hate it this has become the accepted formula for a post-punk hit (thank you Franz). But, before you write it off this song actually excels in the format. Rather than making a prototypical rip off song Vek uses the formula and expands. The bass is much more heavy, and this isn't danceable rock it is more like a dance/electronic song that also could be considered post-punk. In that sense it reminds me more of a band like The Rapture. Speaking of which, when are they going to follow up their last album? Anyhow, big portions of this song are vocalless instead focussing on the dance quality, and the trance like drums/handclaps vibe that Vek has created. Definitely one of the best "post-punk" singles of 2005.

Still, as good as the blatantly obvious choice for a single is/was for me the Odelayesque "If I Had Changed My Mind" hands down takes the cake as the premium slice on this album. If I had my way Vek would have made the entire album this way. It commences with some out of tune sounding guitars, and Vek's vocals are distorted like he was singing out of a megaphone. The entire song has an unbalanced sound. Like Vek was singing it in the looney bin or something like that. He even drops the monotone and mixes in an attempt at hitting the high note, but the fact he can't really hit that note and it sounds forced works even better with the style of the track. The guitar much like Vek's voice attempts to hit a high note but because he is playing it out of tune it also has an awkward sound. This song is awkardly loveable. A bit of an ugly duckling thing going on. Check it out.

The album drifts further away from the mainstream as it progresses. "Nothing But Green Lights" has more in common with Fourtet than it ever would with Franz Ferdinand. The background is full of sunshine with spliced high pitched guitars sounding like they are raining down on you. Vek has a knack for knowing how to utilize a few different sounds to create a backdrop that makes up for him not having the greatest voice ever. This song sounds great jacked up, with the bass pounding, and the raining guitars splattering. I don't even need to mention the vocals, this song is good in spite of them. Vek is more talented instrumentally, and on production than he is on vocals.

Finally, the album ends with "That Can Be Arranged" which combines the the slow, sing-talking style of Mike Doughty on Soul Coughing with a nifty electronically infused backdrop sprinkled with spastic blips. The last few songs on the album are loaded with layers which take a few listens to get into. Which brings me back to the criticism that Vek doesn't have much personality. So what if he had no vocals and just made an electronic album? Would he then be said to have no personality? Just something that came to mind. I doubt people say that about Beck and his voice often lacks in the personality department. I like the intricacies of Vek's production and I think his personality is found more in the production than in the vocals.

"We Have Sound" runs just a touch under 40 with a 10 song tracklist. I have mentioned half of the tracks in this review. The other half isn't as notable as the ones I did mention. They suffer from struggling to find a home. Instead landing somewhere in nowhere's land neither poppy enough to latch onto the mainstream, or unique enough to get lauded as being full of great production and style. Overtime I think Vek will address this and become even better than he is now. Though how much I like it remains to be seen whether he embraces the radio side of his music or the talented side. We'll soon find out.

Songs to download: "C-C (You Set The Fire In Me)", "I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes", "If I Could Change My Mind", "Nothing But Green Lights", "That Can Be Arranged"

SCORE: 8.0 (Half the songs very good to great, and half the songs average to decent. Seems about right for the score.)

Ramones: Weird Tales Of The Ramones Part 2 (Brandon)

2005-11-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

Ramones - Weird Tales Of The Ramones (Part Two)
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

I think that I mentioned this in the first installment but this is the largest assignment that I think I have had to tackle as far as a CD review is concerned. I mean after a while when you do a review of these proportions then it just starts to feel like homework, which is crazy to say since that is an undesirable thing indeed. Anyways listening to the Ramones box set has not been homework, that part is a breeze, its all the typing that I have to do afterwards that makes it feel like work. Regardless of what I think this is the second review that I have done for this new box set the Ramones released in August. The second installment will focus more on popular Ramones songs that were the widely known singles that we still listen to on the radio to this day. One of the first Ramones songs to ever grab my attention was their cover of the classic "Spiderman", part of the reason for this is because when I was younger I spent a large portion of my life reading and collecting comics. The first time that I heard this song I was ecstatic so I found out how I could own it and before long I believe I bought the Saturday Morning Cartoons album where artists were covering cartoon theme songs. That album by the way is wicked and I'm glad that I still own it to this day, whenever you want to remember what it was like on a saturday for you when you were eight just pop that CD in and its like a friggin' time machine. In this review I am sure you are already well aware that I enjoy the Ramones so we can skip that part, but what you may not know is I plan to establish what song of theirs is my all time favourite. I think that finding my favourite song amidst these eighty-five on the box set should be doable but it won't be easy, so with that said its time for me to start the second saga in this two parter.

For the longest time I thought the name of this song was 'Hey! Ho! Let's Go!' or something like that, I finally figured out that "Blitzkrieg Bop" was the true name of the track and it is actually the first song on the first disc. I would say this is easily one of the best Ramones tracks of all time, between the chorus, the lyrics and the overall pace of the song it pretty much has everything it needs to be a popular song. Now I'm sure you've all heard the song before because the song is quite old and is played in lots of movies, TV shows and commercials. At one time or another you've likely heard the song, I think in my personal opinion that there might only be one other track by the Ramones that is more popular but again its hard to say with the success they've had one most of their music.

The song that I think was their most popular one, or at least is my favourite is probably "I Wanna Be Sedated". This song finds its home on the first disc of the set and its track twenty-nine and I would say because of the impact of the first disc and the singles that it contains I'm going to say that the first disc is probably my favourite one. The third disc is also good, but it just is missing a few tracks that would have me preferring it as opposed to the first one. The lyrics: '20 20 20-4 hours to go, I wanna be sedated, nothing to do, nowhere to go home, I wanna be sedated, just get me to the airport and put me on the plane, hurry hurry hurry before I go insane, I kick it to my fingers I kick it to my friend, Oh-No-oh-oh-oh-oh!'. When I listen to this song I think that just about everyone should share in my excitement as you hear the song, between the sicke vocals and the ridiculously catchy song in general its hard not to like this song.

I don't know if you remember the album or not, but a few years back there was a tribute album to the Ramones and it involved a fair amount of people who they no doubt had influenced throughout their career. The album was called We're A Happy Family: A Tribute To The Ramones and it featured artists like Rob Zombie, Green Day, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, U2, Eddie Vedder, Marilyn Manson, Kiss, and these are just a few of the seventeen artists on the discs. This is a good tribute album, most of the covers are fairly accurate, some of the artists like Rob Zombie went in a new direction with the Ramones song but that was to be expected. Regardless when I heard "Surfin' Bird" on the box set I thought for a second that it was a cover, I don't know why but I couldn't remember the fact the Ramones did the original of this song. This song is totally a beach song and if you have heard it you'll know that it is probably the best beach song that exists. I mean if there was ever a song that motivated me to surf or partake in those cheesey beach parties from the fifties it would be this one.

On the second disc the third song is "Do You Remember Rock And Rock Radio?" which is a classic Ramones track that I forgot existed until this box set was downloaded. This song is wicked, it almost makes me want to change my favourite from "I Wanna Be Sedated" to this song, but I won't because I put a lot of thought into my initial scoring and I stand by it. This song starts off with a fact radio DJ who is saying that the Ramones are coming up and they are playing "Do You Remember Rock And Rock Radio?". The best part of the song is the build up during the chorus's where they just repeat the end of the song title over and over: 'Rocking, Rock N Roll Radio, Let's Go!'. The chorus is the best part of the song, the verse actually doesn't have the same musical style to it. They seem to blend but almost awkwardly. I think part of the reason that I think this is because the chorus is so badass and the verses almost turn into a Christmas carol, or at least they have that sort of sound to them. The song itself ends with the same DJ coming back saying that we just heard the Ramones and to stay tuned for more rock on the station, this type of bit reminds me of Queens Of The Stone Age and their 'Songs For the Deaf' album.

There is no way I could go this entire second review without mentioning "Spider-man", its on the third disc and its the twenty-second song. Now I'm the first to admit that the cartoon that this song was originally made for was so shitty, I mean mid episode they would have all these acid-wash backgrounds and Spider-man would swing on one freaking web for the whole episode. They would re-use animation reels and really it was a cheap production, but it served its purpose at the time and that purpose was Spider-man kicks ass. This is a theme song that I have heard covered by several different people, the Ramones however I think did the best job with this cover out of all the imitators. The video for this song was also animated if I remember that correctly, and I'm always a sucker for an animated video, I find that it adds to a video because really cartoons can do pretty much anything that they want and usually that makes for trippy viewing. As you know the Spider-man theme is not particularly long, it last just about two minutes and then its done, one thing I will say is that this version on the box set isn't the same one that is on the Saturday Morning Cartoons disc, the one on the box set isn't better.

So this will be the last song that I talk about with this box set, its "Beat On The Brat" and you can find this song on the first disc, its the second song. The lyrics in this song are hilarious, basically they are encouraging people to beat on whoever the brat is with a baseball bat, so more or less they are all for people assaulting each other with weapons. The song has strange vocals I'll admit but they are definitely vocals that I like to hear, Joey Ramone shines again on this track. From song to song he is usually my favourite portion of every track. The drums in this song are actually something that stand out to me more than they do one some of the other tracks, they seem to have a nice addition from the snare that fits well with the music of the song. The guitar isn't anything incredible but the riff that is played still has some catchieness to it so you can't help by like it as well. All in all the Ramones box set has been one of the better compilations of music that I will likely ever hear a band throw together. Since I really only looked at about ten songs of the eighty-five that the whole set contains I can't stress enough that you should at least go to Amazon.com just to check out the tracklist. After you see the list its likely that you could be in the same position as me and you'll be adding it to your Christmas list

Does The Ramones: Weird Tales Of The Ramones live up to the hype? If I haven't already made my point with this box set then I will elaborate, this is the best collection of Ramones music that exists, they do have Greatest Hits CD's but nothing compares to the vast anthology of music you get with this three disc set. Do yourself a favour, if you like anything about the Ramones at least check it out and see if its something you might like.

How influential are the Ramones? Any band that has a tribute album has to be influential because that means that someone was listening to them when they were younger and decided that because of that Ramones track they would go into music. Well I suppose thats one way, another is that just by being involved in music, bands like Green Day, The Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Eddie Vedder, U2, etc may have heard a Ramones song they liked and used some of that style in their music. Either way its obvious that bands have been taking pages from the Ramones for quite a while now.

Should you buy this box set? Well its not that cheap, but you should probably buy it. Hell I should also buy it but I'm going to probably just ask for it for Christmas thus eliminating the expense. I have found it for a few different prices but usually its anywhere from 85-95$, so that pretty much means I'm going to keep the album on my hard drive until after Christmas.

The Ramones: Weird Tales Of The Ramones (Part 1)

2005-11-16T00:02:00.000-05:00

Ramones - Weird Tales Of The Ramones (Part One)
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

This is perhaps the largest assignment that I have ever received. The epic three disc compilation of the history of the Ramones is a must have for any die hard Ramones fan. They outfit the CD in a large booklet fashoin and makes it look like almost a comic book that kids would have bought back in the sixties, only inside there’s CDs instead of kid shit. The actual box set itself was released back on August ninth so that was quite some time ago, since then it has been on my harddrive and it has more or less been listened to on occasion. I made it a casual listen so that I could get through the eighty-five song saga without making it feel too much like a review. Now that I have heard the albums quite a few times I think that at this point I will actually be able to give the album its due in review form. The Ramones were first exposed to me in the form of "Blitzkrieg Bop" way back in the day, at least I'm pretty positive this was the first song that I heard by them. It was in a movie or TV show though. Regardless that was still something that I thought was a good song, I mean I had heard of the Ramones but never looked into the hype. Finally when I started finding out more about the Ramones it turned out that I actually liked a few of their songs that I had no idea were even by them, like "Rock N Rock Hich School", "I Wanna Be Sedated" just to name some of the bigger ones that I was unaware were Ramones tracks when I was first introduced to them. Since that time its been many years and I've grown to like the Ramones, so when Dan told me I would have the opportunity to review the new box set I wanted to make the most of it. So anyways, here it comes, perhaps the longest and most epic saga to encounter thus far, I'm not sure I'm ready but were going to fucking go for it.

There is so much to mention on this box set as it pretty much involves an anthology of their singles and other popular songs. How I've decided to split this up is simple, I'm going to make it a two review attack starting with the songs that I haven't heard of before on the three discs, then on the second one I will just go over my all time favourite songs by The Ramones which will more or less involve the songs they released as singles and were more popular. So if your looking to hear my opinion on songs like "Spiderman", "Rock N Roll High School", "I Wanna Be Sedated", "Blitzkrieg Bop", "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend", "Beat On The Brat", and other classics by Joey Ramone and the rest then you'll have to wait until I reach part two of this box set. So with that established from hereon in you'll be hearing mostly about lesser acknowledged Ramones tracks that I stumbled upon through my casual listenings of their amazing box set.

One song that I will mention on this review that was a single is "Judy Is A Punk", its the third song on the first disc. You may or may not have heard this song before, I had heard the song just did not know it was a Ramones track which is part of the reason that I am mentioning it. However I probably should have known it was the Ramones as it does sound just like them. This is a short Ramones track, its just about one and a half minutes, for the Ramones though I find the length of time for their songs is completely arbitrary, some are this short and other reach over four minutes. I like the variation, it also shows you that a punk band with this type of range can be fairly successful. I think you have to ask yourself, How many punk bands have a box set? Well from everything I know about punk I would say that with the Ramones are one of a very few. Most punk bands who have a boxset aren’t as deserving. A punk band with a box set is huge since its not always the case that a punk band can withstand the test of time.

I want to talk about the twentieth track next on the first disc, its called "Cretin Hop". This song reminds me of the one time that the Ramones guested on the Simpsons and sang happy birthday to Mr. Burns. The music is similar and the singing in the song done by Joey is backed up similar to how they executed that birthday greeting to Mr. Burns. It's funny that I draw on this comparison because in the book of the box set (the box set basically is the book) comic artists and cartoonist contributed to it. I would imagine they are people who actually enjoyed the Ramones when they were growing up. Hilariously enough one of these artists is Matt Groening the Simpsons creator. Joey Ramone has a sweet punk voice, I would say that is a huge reason why the Ramones had a lot of popularity. I mean it is clear to me that the Ramones were a catchy punk band that people loved because the tunes would stick in your head all day, the kind of shit that you would start humming to yourself in the shower. This song was a pleasant surprise and its under two minutes, what I'm likely to do once I'm finished with the box set is either get it for Christmas or select the songs I liked the most and put them all in a Ramones folder.

One thing that I neglected to mention about this box set that interests me but at the moment I am not priviledged enough to see is the DVD footage that is included in the set. It is called 'Lifestyles Of The Ramones' and it is a documentary featuring them, tour footage, family footage, and music videos. I didn't know this but apparently the Ramones were on their third disc before The Sex Pistols even cracked into the scene. So that let’s you know that they had their own role established before competition of any significant size came nipping at their heels. Ok the last song I'm talking about on the first disc is the demo version of a song called "Slug" which is a very rare song apparently on this box set. I hadn't heard this song prior to this disc so I'll buy the rareness of the song, from looking at the fact this is a demo version of the song. This does remind me a bit of a beach song, so it has that "Surfin' Bird" feel to it, but you are obviously listening to a different song. This song is ok, I don't find it to be the best song on the disc but worth mentioning because of the fact the track itself is a rare find and it doesn't share the familiar style that most Ramones tracks are done in. Which could be a large reason why this is a demo version instead of a song that we saw featured on an album they did in the past.

I believe I have heard this song before but that’s OK because its pretty good, it’s on the second disc and its the sixth song, its called "The KKK Took My Baby Away". The song has that more gritty appeal for the Ramones, in fact the one thing that I happen to notice is that the Ramones glide between a grungier or gritty punk to the more polished and studio sound that you get on some of the hugely successful singles they have released. Of the two styles I don't think that I have a preference, there is something to both styles that I enjoy so I can't say there is a clear cut winner. The song itself I don't think has any real experiences behind it. Joey Ramones lyrics basically state that he lost his girl to the KKK and they took her away. It's nothing complex but none of his lyrics usually are so I can deal with it, the guitar is totally good in this song and is probably my favourite part of it. The drums from track to track seem to be pretty consistent but not something that I would say are ever featured for a solo or just as the main component of a song. In the end this is another good track that if you haven't already heard by the Ramones then you should most certainly download it.

One song that I like the name of is "Censorshit", which is the thirteenth song on the third disc of this fucking huge saga. I don't know if you've ever sat down and examined a box set and the fact that it is a lot of music but for the most part this type of box set is something I think you could be screwing around with for a couple weeks when you first get it. "Censorshit" is the coolest song name on the whole thing, I like that all they had to do was change one letter and to me that is clever. The song itself isn't offensive but it is talking about how they would like to be free of things like censorship. The music for this song is decent but I think Joey Ramone has a unique voice to this song, especially on the later portions of the track where he starts getting more high pitched and singing 'oh yeah!'. The last song I'm going to mention is "7 And 7 Is", which reminds me a lot of those cheesey cartoons on Sesame Street from the seventies that were all about adding and how fun it was. Now despite the title they don't actually start tutoring us on math, instead they play a nice little punk song. It's pretty intense and again you are ending up with that gritty guitar and grundge image for the bands music. I think that I like the way that I've decided to breakdown this box set, this is a way that I still give a pretty big picture of all the music included but as well its some of the mainstream Ramones and some of it not so much mainstream.

Does The Ramones: Weird Tales Of The Ramones live up to the hype? Well the Ramones are arguably one of the best punk bands of all time, with that said this album does not disappoint. Joey Ramone did a personal track selection for all three of the discs before he died, so he actually did have something to do with the construction of the box set. Ramones fans will love this and punk fans should also think its pretty good since the Ramones helped create all the punk that is around these days.

How influential are the Ramones? I would say very. There are lots of bands that take pages from the songs and styles of the Ramones, and why wouldn't you with all the success that they have had?

Should you buy this box set? Any true punk fan will buy this, if you like the Ramones I imagine you already own this and really I'm wasting my breathe.

The Tuesday Stroll

2005-11-15T13:58:00.000-05:00

It's that time again. An ugly looking day today in Toronto and not surprisingly it is the day I had to go out and travel all the way to Mississauga and back via transit. Sorry if this seems a bit scattered I had 500 ml's of blood taken from me today. And not surprisingly it makes you feel a touch wonky. I will persevere, on we go!

The Elite Five

1. Green Day: Bullet In A Bible

I was supposed to see Green Day live in London early in 2005 but that never came to fruition, sadly. From what I hear that was a tremendous show. As good as that show must have been this cd/dvd is recorded from the mother of all concerts. Taken from two seperate shows in Milton Keynes in England in front of 65,000 amped up fans. This is a powerful and entertaining recording. The boys spared no expensive in putting it together as listening to it literally feels like you were there. I haven't yet seen the DVD but it apparently contains a mini documentary following the band around England while also talking in depth about the meaning of the album. This is a must have for all hardcore or even semi hardcore Green Day fans.

2. Bright Eyes: Motion Sickness

Don't rush out to HMV or your nearest big box store to find this live recording from Bright Eyes because you won't find out. Only available in an independent record shop near you (which by the way I think is boss.) I still haven't heard this but am eager to do so. Likely won't be as big of a production as Green Day and won't be as immediately gratifying but overtime it is likely to have more staying power than it. Featuring what are bound to be interesting covers of Feist's "Mushaboom" and Elliott Smith's "The Biggest Lie".

3. The Roots: Beginners Guide To Understanding The Roots

This two volume career retrospective (thus far) of The Roots coincides with their recent signing to Def Jam and in theory the first time in a long long time a label actually made an effort to get this dynamic group some exposure. "Phrenology" ranks in my top hip-hop albums of all time, "The Tipping Point" didn't impress me much thankfully that is their only album I ever had a problem with.

I can honestly recommend this album to anybody who appreciates good hip-hop because The Roots have been making it for almost 15 years now and have a lot left to give. It would be rather expensive to get their discography so this is a decent compromise. The Roots were one of the first and the most successful band to really make hip-hop music over live instrumentation in the background. When your a hip-hop group and your most famous member is a drummer ?Uestlove that says a lot. Check this out!

4. Mike Ladd: The Father Divine

What can I tell you about Mike Ladd? Very little, but from the buzz the new album has created and what I have read about it it won't be long before I can tell you more. Rooted in hip-hop Mike Ladd's music expands beyond that cookie cutter definition. Swimming through dub, punk, soul and other styles. But the most intriguing part is that it is a concept album based around a fictional religious cult figure. Described as his dirtiest, rawest, and grimiest album too date even reading about it makes me reconsider moving it up this list. And I can't help but mention the Bad Brains connection, here is a quote from Mike himself.

"I’m not one to be over-enthusiastic about any label I’m working with but for me ROIR is pretty special considering they put out one of my all-time favorite albums: Bad Brains. I’ve always loved the grimy, haphazardly compressed sound of tapes. I still use them in my music and wanted to capture that on Father Divine. "

5. Various Artists: Walk The LIne

Would this album have been better if it was filled with Johnny Cash performances rather than the cast from the movie singing the songs? Absolutely. But then that would have been a massive cash grab wouldn't it? Like the soundtrack to Ray was a massive cash grab. I'm certain the movie will be better than the soundtrack but they have chosen a rather elite list of songs for the soundtrack and curiousity has me hankering for a listen.

Remember Me?

1. Philosopher Kings: Castles

This one is Canadian if you don't remember the band. It has been 6 years since this band played a show. Lead singer Jarvis Church had one decent song as a solo artist, and members of the band have done very well in production. Needless to say I thought this band was dead and gone. Here they are back at it again. The band that brought you "Charms" is actually playing a live show tonight i think here in Toronto. Don't get me wrong this could be a decent album I swear! But I am just flabbergasted they are back. It remains to be seen if anyone even takes note of their return. Hopefully I can find something off this for the next track fu.

2. Redman: Redman Gone Wild

Wow how the mighty has fallen. I almost missed that this album was coming out this week. 5 years ago it would have been one of the most talked about releases any week of the year. I even have two Redman albums. "Muddy Waters" and "Doc's Da Name 2000". But much like his compadre Method Man, Redman has spent too much time in recent years chillin' out and getting high. You can hear it in his music. Dude just doesn't care anymore. He just wants to put whatever out and assume his hardcore fans will buy it anyhow and he'll be able to keep his ghetto fabulous lifestyle afloat. I heard some stuff off this and it fucking sucked. Misfortunate.

3. Bowling For Soup : Goes To The Movies

Are these guys done yet? Seriously... I was sick of their shit the second time I heard them and it boggles my mind that they are a rather bigtime band in 2005. But this album is the lowest of the low. Comprised of songs that come out of bullshit movies, and tv shows like the theme of Jimmy Neutron, a song from a Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen movie, and also covers Baby One More Time. How can a band look themself in the mirror after releasing something like this? I mean Bowling For Soup didn't have far to drop to hit rock bottom but I still didn't expect this.

Not My Bag, But Maybe Yours?

1. Madonna: Confessions On A Dance Floor

Madonna explodes onto the music scene every few years and either does so with a bang or a stupendous thud. Lately she has been hitting a lot more thuds than she has been bangs. What will the new album result in? The lead single isn't half bad and seems to be taking off better than anything she has had in recent memory. Could it be a return to form? I'll never know. But i'd be a fool not to mention the biggest release by far this week even if it isn't my thing.

2. Myspace Records: Volume 1

I heard about this idea and loved it. Myspace is a very neat place to go and find out about new up and coming bands so it was just a gradual extension to start releasing compilation albums. Then I saw the tracklist. These aren't new up and comers, instead bands like Weezer, Dashboard Confessional, AFI, Fall Out Boy, and The All American Rejects are here. Mixed in with a few lesser known but by no means independant bands. They took a cool idea and made it as lame as possible. Still might be decent if you like this kind of music but I am disappointed in this. Damn you myspace Tom!

3. Big & Rich - Comin' To Your City

File this under bands that I respect but you won't even find me listening too. The idea of fusing hip-hop with country music isn't a new idea. Hell, Kid Rock does it all the time. But, never has a band done it as authentically and as innovatively as Big & Rich. I still don't like it really at all, but these boys done blew up with their last album and aim to keep that streak going with the follow up. Does the idea of combining those two genres interest you? If so, i'd take a gander.

Neil Diamond: 12 Songs (Ronan)

2005-11-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

Neil Diamond – 12 Songs

Yes, that’s right, there’s a Neil Diamond review on TwoWayMonologues. No, don’t leave, I swear we haven’t changed direction. There won’t be a Madonna or Black Eyed Peas review on here any time soon. We’re not changing to NoWayMonologues quite yet. If you remember back to July when we had our mid-year review, all of the site’s writers gave their top 10 albums of the year so far, and listed their most anticipated albums for the rest of the year. Neil Diamond’s new album, which was the going to be self-titled, was one of mine. That got me quite a bit of backlash (or scoffing in Dan’s case). Luckily, I’m used to it. But was it worth the wait?

The first thing you’ll notice about 12 Songs is the album’s stripped-down rawness, the same kind of stripped-down rawness that characterised Johnny Cash’s American Recordings series. This is due to the production of uberproducer (what does that actually mean?) Rick Rubin, the owner of the best beard since ZZ Top. This is not the way Rubin produces every album (as evidenced by his work with System of a Down and Weezer this year), but is a production style reserved for those who have something special. Another thing you’ll notice is that unlike the American Recordings, there are no cover songs on the album. All the songs are Diamond’s own. After all, no-one can accuse Diamond of not writing great pop songs. After all, he did write ‘I’m a Believer’ for the Monkees.

The first song ‘Oh Mary’ sums up the album perfectly. A slow acoustic number, some added strings, and Diamond’s unique sounding vocal. The second track ‘Hell Yeah’ is where the Cash comparisons are most obvious. It’s easy to imagine the late John R. singing “If you’re thinking that my life is a hoot and a holler / From the start of the day to the dark of the night / Then it’s ringin’ like a bell / That you only wanna follow” over the same simple melody. It’s also Diamond’s way of sticking two fingers up at the music world, who had dismissed him over the past few years, it’s his way of letting off steam: “Hell yeah it is”. Even disregarding the Cash comparisons these are great songs in their own right. But before I stop referring to Cash, there’s one more thing.

12 Songs also has its own ‘Hurt’ – it’s own standout track that Diamond could be remembered for. All it needs is some radio airplay and a touching video. ‘Evermore’ starts off with some background chatter between Rubin and Diamond, before leading into a soft yet pounding melody which proves to be a triumph of music. Just listen to it, go on download it. Go off and do it now, you can come back to this review in a minute. See, isn’t it great? So good in fact that it might be #1 in my top songs list come the end of the year.

‘Captain of a Shipwreck’ is Diamond at his most Diamond-like. It has the sound of some of his earlier work, but at the same time sounds like the work of an older more experienced artist (which you would expect from him at this stage, he is a veteran of the music business, believe it or not). It could also be the most beautiful love song of the year. And one that I’ll be putting on any mix tapes I make from now on! ‘Save Me A Saturday Night’ also improves on old-school Diamond, and as Terri pointed out in a recent Track-Fu, is a very sincere effort.

‘Delirious Love’ is the best radio-pop song Diamond has written in decades, and contains shades of his former hit ‘America’ as well as taking in what the best of today’s acoustic singer-songwriters have to offer. I’d expect to hear the song all over the airwaves and MTV in the near future, unless of course it’s out there already. ‘I’m on To You’ contains some lovely rhyming couplets (too many to quote here) and even has segments which sound like they’re taken from swing songs. Maybe Rubin was listening to The Best of Frank Sinatra before sitting down at the recording desk for this song.

Unlike American Recordings and all of Santana’s latest albums, 12 Songs doesn’t contain any guests. Except of course on one of the bonus tracks – a version of ‘Delirious Love’ with Brian Wilson. The song is given a different stamp by Wilson, but this only serves to highlight how good a songwriter Diamond is. The thing is, however, Diamond doesn’t need guests. His vocals are already magnificent – and dare I say it, his voice is far stronger that Cash’s could ever be. Songs like ‘What’s It Gonna Be’ might sound average if sang by today’s generation. But Diamond’s superb voice makes a song like this magnificent.

‘Man of God’ features some church-style organ which adds to the religious overture of the song. The chorus(es) also remind me of an old Diamond song, but I just can’t put my finger on it at the moment. If anyone can figure it out, send your answers on a post card to the usual address. In the song, Diamond really makes you believe that he is “a man of peace”, “a man of God”, and “a man of son” – something he definitely is. ‘Create Me’ has a bizarre title, very simple guitar strumming, and also in places has vocal sections akin to the songs in musicals (it reminds me of a song from Annie especially). “Know that my destiny is tied to yours” is also an especially wonderful line. I wish I had written it myself in fact.

One of the best things about the album is how Diamond has taken many genres and styles and made them all his own. ‘Face Me’ sounds like 80s pop (no 80s synth-pop, just 80s pop), but at the same time sounds both current and timeless. ‘We’ is like a theme tune from a cartoon – it has a sort of a Linus and Lucy feel to it. During the verses this metamorphoses (like Kafka’s Gregor Samsa) into a more Diamond-style melody, before then going back to its playground quality again. Even the lyrics are playful. Think Badly Drawn Boy, and then imagine if he made music aimed at children, this is what ‘We’ sounds like. “Conjunction Juntion, what’s your function?” indeed.

The album may be called 12 Songs, but mine has 14 on it. The bonus track ‘Delirious Love’ with Brian Wilson is #14. But #13 (another bonus) is called ‘Men are so easy’ and is a sort of narrative of a boy growing into a man. But underneath the boy remains. And for all you ladies out there (shake it like a polaroid picture), this will tell you how to understand your man. “Men are so easy, just love them and let them be free / It’s not complicated, men are so easy, like me”. You may be easy Neil, but you’re also a genius.

Tracks to Download: Buy the album, support the aging. Provide for Neil Diamond’s pension fund.

9.0 – I expected it to be a pretty solid album, but what I didn’t expect was it to be an album made of solid gold, one full of utterly magnificent songs.

Track-fu (Terri)

2005-11-13T19:03:00.000-05:00

Back again with this week's Track-fu. There's quite the mixed bag here this week -- we've got "High Prices Going Down" by the Deadly Snakes from Dan, "Area" by the Futureheads from Brandon, and "Sexual Healing" by Kate Bush from Ronan, among others.

1. Old 97s -- King of All the World

I'm sure that I've heard this song before, and I have no idea where or how. In any case, I really like it -- I like Old 97s, as well as the lead singer Rhett Miller's solo stuff. I don't know why I don't own an Old 97s album, really.

This is a melodic song with an alt-country influence, but not an overly twangy one. Just a good song.

2. Cyndi Lauper -- Money Changes Everything

As I admitted in the comments for this week's Tuesday Stroll, I quite like Cyndi Lauper's first album. I think it's underappreciated, that she got unfairly forgotten when the Madonna juggernaut came through town. I bought She's So Unusual used for $5 last weekend. I have it on vinyl at home in Newfoundland; apparently I had good taste when I was five (I also loved Thriller). So there.

"Money Changes Everything" is probably my favourite song on the album. It's really catchy. I don't like it quite as well in acoustic format, although I like how they've used different instruments to get a similar-but-different effect here -- violin instead of keyboards, for example. Anyway, this is a legitimately good song; don't count Lauper out just because of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun".

Apparently Cyndi Lauper is 52. God, that makes me feel old.

3. The Deadly Snakes -- High Prices Going Down (Dan)

Well, this is pretty different from Cyndi Lauper. It's a bit of a dirge, with a blues influence. I have no idea where The Deadly Snakes are from, but if I had to pick a place they sound like, I'd pick New Orleans. The song has a strange instrumental backing -- sounds like someone clanging a heavy metal bell. It's got a lot of atmosphere, though. It's very moody but definitely not overwraught, and it's a little bit creepy.

4. Towers of London -- Fuck It Up

"Fuck It Up" opens pretty loudly -- loud guitar, chants of the title lyric. It's a good punk song -- some melody, but not too poppy, a chorus that's fun to holler along too. The Rancid influence is a bit too obvious, especially in the lead singer's voice, and it gets a little repetive near the end, but it's a good track nonetheless.

5. The White Stripes -- Walking With A Ghost

This is a cover of a Tegan and Sara song, of all things. It's a good song anyway when Tegan and Sara do it themselves, but I think the Stripes do a really good job with the cover. There's a slightly noodle-y bit in the middle that could go, but I think Jack White's voice goes well with the straightforward chorus.

6. Kate Bush -- Sexual Healing (Ronan)

Kate Bush just put out another album (a double album, in fact) after a long absence. I don't think I've heard anything from Bush's older albums -- nothing comes to mind, anyway --but I'm interested in hearing some stuff off her new album because she's often listed an influence for artists I enjoy, like Fiona Apple and Tori Amos (pre Strange Little Girls).

This is not from Aerial, though. This is a cover of the Marvin Gaye song, and it fares better than some lamer covers of that song. I like hearing a woman's take on it. It's not enough to make me buy Aerial unheard, but I still want to hear some of her original stuff.

7. The Futureheads -- Area (Brandon)

There was a while when The Futureheads got quite a bit of airplay in our house. I haven't been paying attention to the 80s retro thing much lately -- it got a bit played, no? -- but The Futureheads do it pretty well in this song. I keep being reminded of Duran Duran, but it's a fun, catchy song that changes up enough to keep things from getting repetitive. The trick will be to see if The Futureheads (and other bands of their ilk) can keep things moving forward once mainstream audiences have moved on to another trend.

8. The Like -- Mrs. Actually

I have heard of The Like -- they're a band of young women whose fathers are all in the industry (an A&R guy, a drummer, a producer). That's probably good in terms of getting them heard, but not as good in terms of getting cred.

They're pretty good though -- they don't do the Avril Lavigne tough-girl pop thing that I feared they might. It's got more of an indie ethos. I like it. The song grows on me more with every minute.

Winner: I really like about half of these songs, but I'm going to pick The Like because it's an original song. I'm going to check out more of that album.

Loser: I will pick Towers of London, because it sounded a little too familiar, but I don't think it was a bad song. Just the least-good one.

Sabotage from Brandon to Dan: Robbie Williams - Intensive Care

2005-11-11T21:55:00.000-05:00

What a relief. Those were the immediate thoughts that ran through my mind when Brandon decided to give me Robbie Williams as a sabotage. It seemed that everything he has been giving me lately is bubblegum pop bullshit, and while this isn't really much of a departure from that it IS something that had a chance to not be mind numbingly brutal. I've heard some Robbie Williams living with Terri because she has a few of his albums and is a big fan, and while I didn't like I didn't hate it with a burning passion either. So of course the album ends up being a total piece of shit. Hilarious how that works. I thought I had this sabotage in the bag but now I don't know. This is going to be close.

For the most part Robbie Williams has two styles of songs. The one is the slowed down, often acoustic but very heavy on the dramatics, ballad. OR the dance infused, highly energized club song. And yes you are going to find exceptions to this rule. Now, personally I can't stand the songs of his that fall into the first category. "Make Me Pure" falls into the third category. But, I still can't rule it out with absolute certainty. Remember "Angels" that song was a slower Robbie Williams tune and if it came on the radio I wouldn't cringe that much. But this suffers from the often mentioned midi file syndrome. It just has nothing interest going on. Sure later they add some gosep style choir backgrounds to it, but it just comes across sounding forced. Same with the eventual violins that are mixed in. And that voice of Robbie Williams, that voice which is his secret weapon well on this song that weapon is never unsheathed. Instead everything is somewhat controlled, seemingly afraid to go that extra mile and blast out the vocals the way he is known to do. I thought this song might be a blip compared to the rest of the album.

It wasn't. The very next song the very lamely titled "Spread Your Wings" grabs the ball of suck and carries that towards the endzone. Who would listen to this? It sounds like Robbie Williams impersonating Three Doors Down without actually rocking out, and mixing in some gospel style backdrops. And it sounds about as bad as that should sound. He even stops singing for a while to talk out some lyrics, and tell you a bit of a story about the lyrics of this song. But the lyrics aren't any good so why he decides to put the emphasis on them is another mystery. Robbie Williams loves the drugs, the dude has admitted as much. But so he says he is off the drugs at the moment. Maybe that is why all of this music seems so basic and uninspired. Maybe Robbie can only make ambitious music when he deep in the depths of a serious addiction. Wouldn't be the first time, wouldn't be the last time. He uses the lyrics "Spread your wings before they fall apart, home is where your heart is darling, follow your heart" again and again. If those lyrics were any more predictable it would be a Meatloaf song.

Not all of these songs reak of sucktitude. "Tripping" is totally decent. It has a little bit of a reggae vibe, with some steel drums mixed against some heavy bass and a chill dance vibe. Williams forgets this slow motion adult contemporary bullshit and rocks the falsetto and embraces the style of the background and low and behold it works! Maybe he doesn't want to make this type of music anymore, maybe he is trying to grow as an artist I have no idea. Perhaps Robbie is just depressed and has a tough time doing these upbeat happy go-lucky tunes anymore. But whatever it is dude needs to get over it because these are the style songs that makes him viable in the music industry. Fans will only put up with that trife bullshit on the last two tracks so long before they write him off as finished. I can't possibly imagine that this won't be a single, and when it is a single expect that you will hear your fair share of it. When this song was on Terri (who by the way wasn't that impressed by the album) was impressed with it. That is just more proof that Robbie Williams was misguided with most of this cd.

Robbie Williams has some of the most horrendous, stereotypical boy band style titles for these songs. "Please Don't Die" i'm not sure that I share those sentiments in regards to you Robbie. I suppose I shouldn't be so shocked. This douchebag was a frontman for Take That. Remember that shit? "Back For Good" was their best song! Their best song! Try to think about that for a second... i know it is hard to comprehend but it is the truth. Alright back to this song. I swear i've heard Robbie Williams recycle these lyrics before, and the song is set against something that is confused whether it is dance or lounge. This isn't AS bad as some of the other songs but it is so much like the other songs that the lines begin to blur. Robbie Williams provides us with a dozen tracks and approximately 9 of them sound just like this. Another disturbing trend is how these songs always digress as it moves along. Once you get up over the four minute mark I usually find myself inflicting punishment on myself to try and forget about the autrocity i'm listening too.

I have to mention this because it is funny. Robbie Williams has a song called "Your Gay Friend". The song basically amounts to Robbie Williams pining to be able to be the gay friend because of all the benefits that come along from it. Except for that in Robbie's fucked up little world he is the gay friend who still gets to fuck the girl? I don't know how that works... but this is his album and the hilarity of the theme of the song is pure jokes. This one might actually be worthy of downloading just to listen to the lyrics.

One more! "Sin Sin Sin" starts off reminding me of something from The Wedding Singer soundtrack.... for about 12 seconds. THen when I realize that the 80's synth is looped again and again constantly and nothing else is being added to it and Robbie Williams is doing another slow although slightly more engaging ballad over it. Vocally the closest comparison on these songs would be Elton John. But! And this is a big but, Elton John can actually pull this shit off. If you put on an Elton John album I could tolerate it. I wouldn't be thrilled, and if it was something off the Lion King I might end up doing 10 to 20. But assuming it was some of his classic work I could cope. Whatever it is that Elton possesses that allows him to pull it off, Robbie Williams needs to borrow some of that. I'll tell you what is a sin these lyrics, and this sinful song. "Ain't the sin, of the sin, of the sin, of the sinner deep inside?" Say whhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaatttttttttt??

Robbie Williams vs Bette Midler has turned out to be a far more intense battle than I ever would have thought. You have the ultra lame pushing 60 yeard old heathen who brought "From A Distance" into the world swaying through bullshit renditions of Peggy Lee's song against Robbie Williams impersonating Robbie Williams and doing a miserable job at it. I have given this some serious consideration and I have to be one hundred percent honest. This album stung. Did it suck more than Bette? I can't honestly say that so for the first time ever..... we have a DRAW.

Sabotage Success: 8.8 (And I thought Midler would be a guaranteed winner. Robbie Williams you just made my shitlist. "Intensive Care" is what your career needs at this point Robbie Williams. That's right bitches, my friends call me PUN Dawg.)

Sabotage from Dan to Brandon: Bette Midler - Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook

2005-11-11T21:54:00.000-05:00

Bette Midler - Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

If there is one thing that you could accomplish on this earth what would it be? If you did not answer end the existence of Bette Midler then the reason for that must be the only difference we share, that being I have heard her sing the Peggy Lee songbook. I don't know why but she irritates me, kind of like that fucking woman on The View with red hair that look similar to her and acts like her. Bette Midler is loud and I think that she’s of the belief that she’s hotter and younger than she really is, like put your tits away already you saggy mother fucker. I'm altogether disgusted with Bette Midler, and I haven't even got to the musical end of things yet. In case things couldn't get lamer guess which 'legendary' musician will be assisting Bette on her imitations of Peggy Lee? Barry fucking Manilow. It upsets me even further because the bastard does a duet with her on one of the songs, I can just see them in the booth having this crappy recording session where Bette Midler yells at Barry about how he's doing it all wrong. Barry even sticks around to produce this crap, I can't believe he'd want to actually have involvement with that Hocus Pocus movie or her short lived TV sitcom in the year two thousand. I think that the one thing that intrigues me about Midler is the fact she is sixty years old and the cosmetic surgery she’s had nipping and tucking her all her life has made her look drastically younger. She's a sixty year old annoying plastic thing that sings the songs of Peggy Lee, well lets see why I'm ready to kill myself.

The one thing I can thank the powers to be for is the fact this is a ten track album spanning only thirty-three minutes. The first cyanide tablet is "Fever", which is ironic because I'm feeling under the weather at the moment as I try to stomach this gruel. Do you understand that this is slow and jazzy shit? There are finger snaps for fucks sakes, I can hardly take it, I'm reminded of the 1930's, and those weren't exactly happy times. I mean it was called 'The Great Depression' for a reason, due to the fact that every person was poor. As I listen to this music I close my eyes and listen to Bette, she sings with one of those pretend badass females in a jazz song. Bette is the type of person who sounds like she is trying to be sexy in this track only she isn't sexy and therefore I think of an ugly chick trying to be sexy and that is really gross. I mean ugly chicks suffer from last meal syndrome (which is complicated to explain, but prisoners on death row get a last meal right? So if its your last meal you want to fucking give'r on the order, which is exactly what ugly people do with sex, give'r like theres no tommorow because who knows there might not be if they are fucking ugly as sin). Bette isn't as ugly as sin, but shes's sixty and that’s gross, I think people lose sex appeal ones they hit fifty, what’s the reasoning? Because you are old and once your old your gross in any sexual context. This song is lame, its totally jazzy and has lotsa Bette thrown into it so of course you can understand why its just an overall bad song.

The third track has to be mentioned "I Love Being Here With You" because this is the track that features Barry Manilow. They trade off from verse to verse about how much they love to be wherever they are because its so wicked as long as the other is there with them. Basically its chees and the one not singing with throw in lame snappy comments about how they are taken about by the stuff the other person would do to be there with the other. I hate to say it Bette but I really think that your music is for old people, and because I am not old, or old enough anyways that I could understand where you are coming from this is all horrible to me. Which makes me think Dan is diabolical, I mean there’s basically no way I could ever find some good in music like this. It offers me nothing not lyrically, not musically, its pretty much a glass of horseshit. Do you get the feeling if you had an argument with Bette Midler that she might do something crazy or unstable that would scare you into losing the argument on purpose? I do. Well maybe not commit murder, but she’s threatening for sure, regardless Barry Manilow only makes this song worse and it reminds me of a song I'd find on a TV Cartoon show sung between two of the characters. But guess what? This isn't the end of the CD its only the third song, only seven more lethal injections to go.

Ok so this isn't exactly like closing your eyes and praying for death, but the album gets close at times just because I can't stand this type of music. It's just really the total opposite of everything that I like about music and of course the person singing it is someone that I am also not that fond of. The seventh song is "He's A Tramp". Now as you know these are all covers of Peggy Lee songs, so a lot of these songs have old school lyrics that don't apply these days, why someone would want to do this I don't know but Bette Midler figured it would be an alright idea. The song reminds me of a freaking Christmas carol as far as the music is concerned but of course the song is actually referencing more to a person that Peggy Lee must have found that she fancied and thought was a tramp. Either way the term tramp is a fucked up one that is outdated and I have no time to wrap my head around it, there is a heavy amount of clarinet in this freaking song too and it makes me puke.

The eighth song is about a painful as having someone rollerskate over your balls, its called "The Folks Who Live On The Hill". This is another song that reminds me of the Christmas season, and I hate Christmas songs. The season itself is fine but the songs fucking drive me nuts. Maybe it has something to do with working in a mall, anyone who ever worked there agrees with me because they have all heard the same shit day in and out for two months. Anyways this song is like one of those epicly long winded ones that Bette draws on and on and I really just want it to end. This is one of the longest songs on the disc, it tops out at just over three minutes. But obviously the disc is short as I mentioned before, most tracks are two minutes. I can't take this song its like that Chinese water torture, at first you don't notice it and then it starts to drive you nuts and makes you want to remove Midler's ability to sing. I mean seriously, your sixty, what is this a joke? Do you honestly still think that you are in your prime Bette? Man she irritates me.

Some people just don't know when to die, and I think that is why Bette is under my skin. People need to stop supporting this woman's contributions to music because they are failing miserably. One thing about "Mr. Wonderful", the tenth and final kinfe in my back by Dan is that it is probably the same song as "The Folks Who Live On The Hill". Well that’s not true, its totally worse and bothers me more, its the worst track on the CD. I think my beef with this disc is she's covering Peggy Lee but she’s doing it like Peggy Lee, at very least she could have taken a page from Paul Anka and covered new songs in his style or even covered Peggy Lee's songs in her style. If she had gone with either of the noted suggestions above I think this would have been a better listen, I doubt my eardrums would be bleeding and my will to live almost extinguished. Ok so I'm exaggerating, that happens with sabotage, but this is one seriously bad album, the one saving grace is it was only thrity-three minutes. The length of the album is what allowed me to keep my sanity I think, I have a hunch that this sabotage will influence me to find someone else even worse in this line of music that Dan will get to listen to.

Sabotage Success: 8.8 (Yeah it hurt, a lot, but since its not totally noise or anything I can't say that she made me more angry than Star Wars or Bjork, who by the way are ball lickers.)

We Are Scientists: With Love And Squalor (Brandon "The Destroyer")

2005-11-10T22:22:00.000-05:00

We Are Scientists - With Love And Squalor
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

We Are Scientists is a strange name for a band of musicians. These guys remind me of several bands but that is because they are almost in the realm of post punk. It does remind me a fair bit of The Futureheads, because they have some eighties dance backgrounds that are thrown into the track and thats something that they do. The guitar is melodic rock for the most part, and the drums contain a heavy bit from the high hat. The voice of Keith Murray isn't terrible but its not anything particular, his voice almost reminds me of that Sondre Lerche guy. Not that he ever carries a high pitch, but when they are both singing regularly then the comparison is more warranted. This album probably is something that would be more enjoyed by Dan or Terri in the end, but that is mostly because as far as post punk from Britain goes these days I'm only really into the bands that are going to give me a killer rock show. We Are Scientists don't really contain as much energy as a band like Futureheads who are easily a better band to me if not for the pacing in their songs alone. We Are Scientists aren't untalented, that would be unfair of me to say but they are a band that just doesn't grab my attention. When you sit in a market that is laden with bands that are similar in style and sound then you really have to stand out, even if that means selling out just a bit more than the man or woman next to you. It's a sad truth, but if this album had more songs like the fourth one, "Callbacks" then I would probably really like it. That song is badass, a lot of the other songs do not fall victim to the same fate, which in this case is a fate that you would actually like to have happen to you. We Are Scientists do try to bring the saga and I'm sure for some people this would be the musical saga would be just right, unfortunately for We Are Scientists, "the Destroyer" has a bit of a different idea of what the word saga means.

"Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt" is a nice way to start off any album. So for starters ,We Are Scientists get something right because this track isn't too bad at all. On the chorus of the song Murray starts to sing about how his body is nobody's but his, which is hilarious because this reminds me of my grade nine gym class. I don't know if you guys got to see the 'Am I Normal?' video but it was friggin' hilarious, as I recall most of the class remained talking about this comedy film months after its initial viewing. I'm off topic though, "Nobody Move, Nobody Gets Hurt" is one of the better songs that is on the CD, I think a lot of it is to do with this chorus and the nostalgia in my life that it reminds me of. The verse's actually have large gaps in them that are filled with drums and guitar, the guitar is totally catchy, but it’s hard to establish a presence with the drums if you aren't really using the whole kit. From what I can tell they are using the bass drum, cymbal and high hat, that’s about it, I mean sure they probably use the other stuff but its nowhere to be heard and that is a bit infuriating due to how much I like drums these days. This album I find to carry a bit or a groove to it which is probably why I don't hate the album when I compare it to most or the other post punk that I am listening to from Britain.

I mentioned before that the fourth track "Callbacks" was a song that We Are Scientists could learn their own lesson from. Well that statement is still very much true, because I know that this is my favourite song that is on the CD and a huge reason for that is the guitar and the life that is breathes life into this track. My only beef with the song is its two minutes long, which is a funny thing for me to complain about, but since most of the songs on the disc are over three minutes I feel that I was screwed over with my favourite track on the CD. This song is loosely based around a request that has been made by Keith Murray and he is wishing that someone would call him back because it was out of context (his original request). The lyrics are certainly clever so I can't be upset about the intelligence level of the band members, I just wish that there were more lyrics so that they song could be longer and I'd have more of my favourite song to listen to.

The term "Cash Cow" is quite hilarious, this is the name of the fifth song on 'With Love And Squalor'. The song starts with a pretty catchy guitar riff, its not the fastest guitar riff but it is not without charm. One thing that I would really like to see them do is incorporate this kind of guitar riff into more of their songs because I do like the way that it sounds and it seems to suit their style more than something more hardcore or thrashy. The vocals on this one by Murray are acceptable, they are actually a lot more like spoken word that is darker than most of the other songs he has done. I don't know why they decided to go off in this direction but the music also adds to that darker feel which actually is surprisingly well done, I thought that the darker this band got the worse it would sound. Most of their songs try to sound more upbeat so as a result I guess I typecast the band, but they pull this song. Of all the songs on the CD this is one of the ones that I would actually prefer to hear again.

Since there are only eleven songs on the CD its only about a thirty four minute disc. The seventh song is called "The Great Escape", this song is probably the silver medalist on the disc. Most of the reason for that is the beginning of the track, it reminds me of a song that I have heard before in a beer commercial, sadly I can't remember who the hell the artist is so really this is another moment brought to you entirely by marijuana. Anyways, the point of my ramblings is it sounds familiar It’s better than that song I'm thinking of too, the guitar riff is sicke, if the vocals were better this could take the gold. The vocals are decent, just I think Murray could have a better chorus. Actually I don't think the chorus is that good and it holds the song back. The guitar riff for the verse is ridiculously catchy and then the chorus riff is much more plain so the song is a bit like night and day. Its hard to explain really so I just suggest you listen to it, its not a bad song, just it changes quite a bit from verse to chorus and it might throw you off.

The ninth song is "Lousy Reputation", this is one of those songs that is formatted very similar to that of the Futureheads. I like this song a lot, the vocals are incredible and play a large part in my reason for even paying attention to the song. The music isn't that bad, but it reminds me a lot of several Futureheads songs so I won't go into to much detail other than if you like the Futureheads then you will most likely enjoy this song. Overall though We Are Scientists don't continue this sound enough to be as consistent or as good as the Futureheads, which is disappointing but its still a band that has a few tracks worth hearing. I don't think that this song was a saga that was for "the Destroyer" though as I mentioned previously, when it comes to post punk these days I like mine to sound like Maximo Park, who in my opinion are still the best thing to happen to that whole genre. The vocals for "Lousy Reputation are the shining star of the song, but if I had to pick something else worth noting it would be the guitar riff that they use for the chorus, its catchy enough that I could see myself humming it in the shower.

Tracks to Steal: "Callbacks", "The Great Escape", "Lousy Reputation"

Who is the right person for an album of this style?
Do I think that Dan would have liked the album a bit better than me?

Judgment Passed: 6.5 (Like I said, there’s some good stuff about the album and some songs on the album that I will definitely keep on the hard drive after I'm done with it. I just don't find them good enough that I would consider listening to them with frequency, so save the few exceptions I mentioned above you I just don't think its a saga for me.)

Portastatic: Bright Ideas

2005-11-09T19:45:00.000-05:00

I'm going through a very prolific period in terms of music reviews. I haven't felt this charged to review albums in a while. I think it mainly has to do with how close we are to launching the dot-com, andwith how relieved I am that the archiving is more-or-less finished.

So today we are going to look at "Bright Ideas" by Portastatic. The album has been out a touch over two months. Portastatic originally started as Superchunk's Mac McCaughan's side project. However, in recent years Portastatic has became the main project while Superchunk simmers on the backburner.

This is the first album Mac has recorded with Portastatic that features an entire band. Superchunk's guitarist Jim Wilbur is the bassist here, and Mac's brother Matt takes on the drums. The result is a sound more fitting of something that has become a lot more than a casual side project at this point.

"Bright Ideas" is an endearing album that harkens back to a early to mid-nineties sound without living in the past. The album takes that old sound and revitalizes and renews it with what works in 2005. At times the songs are fun and introspective, and at other times they are dark and atmospheric. Mac has a way of bringing the listener into his music so that instead of just listening it you are experiencing and feeling it.

It is these changes of pace and style that keep the album remarkably fresh throughout. It is also why the replay value stands up after multiple listens. These changes occur with a much larger sound, and in turn a more enticing groove. This is a pleasant and very soothing listen. It's good late night music, or if you are a stoner it likely would also work very well for a chill session. Onwards to the songs.

The lead song is also the title track and the best track on the album hands down. How good is it? Well -- I played it when Brandon was here and although the style of music is nothing like what he would normally listen to he made a comment about how good a song it is. This song works a dark, hypnotic trance vibe. The percussion is really quiet but rythmic, and is the driving force behind the trance the song can put you under. Guitar and bass are part of the song but really just to hard to the atmosphere. Vocally, the lyrics are sung in short abrupt sentences that are delivered rather slowly. Everything about this song is subtle. It seems to be doing everything but try to be catchy, and before you know it you are rocking back and forth like a zombie muttering the lyrics along with it. Mac has written some quality lyrics here: "Every step I take is part of my path/but none of my jokes ever make me laugh/Sometimes you want to put the past in the past/but every generation gets bit in the ass." The song is 5-plus minutes and you'll hardly think it more than three.

As is more and more frequent in my reviews we now will talk about a Track-fu loser. "White Wave" didn't actually get labelled the loser loser, but it didn't win either, and for all intents and purposes I consider that a loss. This is more of a straightforward throwback early 90s rock song. It reminds me of bands like Age of Electric, Soul Asylum or Local H, except it is better than any of the aforementioned bands by far because it updates the sound. It even has the trademark transition guitar riff/band rock-out segment before the next verse. Pure early 90s.

This style of music has been all but forgotten which licks. Seriously, what has it been replaced by? Bands like fucking Default? Give me a break. This song is ultra-fun; nothing more and nothing less. It isn't as big of a musical achievment as "Bright Ideas" but not every song has to be; sometimes you just want something like this.

More of this style of music continues on "I Wanna Know Girls" which is currently available as a free download over at Amazon.com. On first listen you might write this off as another song about a guy longing for a certain type of girl, and on the most minimal levels, yeah, that is what it is. But really, it is much more clever, a tongue-in-cheek positive/negative evaulation of whether it actually is better to have more or less knowledge when it comes to knowing girls. Musically it again hops in the time machine to the early 90s, even using the do-doo-doo-doo background vocals that so many songs used to rock back in the day. And it is two-sided as well. He even waxes intellectual about how, for the most part, men ruin everything in most relationships. Too many people in 2005 hear a band like Fountains of Wayne or Ween and appreciate it as being this style of music. Those bands are brutal in comparison to this, take a listen and hear for yourself.

Back to the more serious stuff. Portastatic has a really adorable tune on this called "Little Fern", which is a song written by Mac about his little daughter. It has a countrified jangle to it, and is a rather playful but obviously heartfelt song confessing his feelings toward getting used to having a daughter. You can tell that he doesn't get to see his daughter as much as he would like. I get the feeling that he isn't with the mother anymore and that is part of why. And you can tell that he doesn't feel so hot about that. This is the more serious heartfelt ying to the more bubblegum mindless yang that I was talking about earlier. A good album has both.

Lastly, we'll wrap this up with "The Soft Rewind". This is a much more rocking song that actually has me thinking of Limblifter every time I hear it. Mac's vocals are never going to be as fragile and different as those found on a Limblifter album but just the style reminds me. This is somewhat of a combination of both the ying and the yang. If you want you can just listen to the song and have fun rocking out too it, and enjoying the infectious vocals and guitar. Or, if you prefer you can listen to the lyrics, which are very impressive. The song -- and I'm just guessing -- is about time moving too fast and always feeling like he and his girl are missing out on things. And it talks a lot about the sun going down and it opportunities being lost, and waiting for the second chance (soft rewind). Or something like that. Far too indie to find out for certain what it means. I like to think I am right.

Like so many other albums it could use a touch more consistency, but "Bright Ideas" really does prosper. Recording the album with an entire band really allowed these songs to flourish and for the band itself to take a step out of the sheltered obscure solo recorded indie pop scene towards the rest of the world. And no, you aren't about to flip on your top 40 radio station and hear "Bright Ideas", but this is inevitably going to reach more ears than it would have otherwise. So if you are in the mood for some fresh new music that will also satisfy your yearning for some early 90's nostalgia then I prescribe Portastatic. Trust me, it will be just what the doctor ordered.

Tracks to download: "Bright Ideas", "Through With People", "White Wave", "Little Fern", "I Wanna Know Girls", "The Soft Rewind"

SCORE: 8.1 (Let's just say if all the songs flourished like the above mentioned songs this score would be higher. But I'm not really complaining.)

Propagandhi: Potemkin City Limits (Brandon "The Destroyer")

2005-11-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

Propagandhi - Potemkin City Limits
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

Propagandi is a punk band that has been around for quite some time, I am guilty of hearing only this album. From what I can tell they have about five albums, which is pretty alright in the punk world considering the amount of people that can produce it these days. Having never heard anything but this album I don't know if the hardcores will be mad with my opinion, but I think that its totally decent. These days with all the crap in punk I can honestly say this doesn't fall into that familiar disappointing category. They are a relatively polished punk band so I can't really draw the comparison to something hardcore or full of thrash, it doesn't even have that old school feel that you would get with The Sex Pistols. I guess what I think is they are most similar to Millencolin of all the bands that I like. Nikola Sarecevic though has a much better voice than whoever is the lead singer in Propagandhi, not that his voice is bad, just as far as punk vocals go I think Nikola has one of the better voices. Some of the songs on this CD are good hard punk songs, I think Propagandhi was first introduced to me with the Punk-O-Rama 2 compilation. That was a wicked CD, I suppose for all intent purposes that CD was really what launched my love of punk music. At least from that moment I started to have a much larger interest in the music from the punk scene. Regardless Propagandhi is a pleasant surprise because lately I have been listening to a lot of hip hop, in order to reverse that trend a nice little punk album like 'Potemkin City Limits' has seemed to be a saga that suited me nicely.

The first track to mention will be the first one, its called "A Speculative Fiction". To start it just chills out, plays a nice little melody and nothing is really juiced full of energy yet. I like the beginning, and it doesn't last more than twenty seconds so its totally tolerable, however unlike most bands that I know and love they didn't jump right into it going mach nine from the get go. It's a welcome change of pace, but come the part of the song that it all starts to get ridiculous, you are hearing guitar ripping away while the lead singer lays down some awesome vocals. The drums are pretty standard, they dictate the pace but don't really do much but blend in with the scenery. In the end the track isn't really that big of a deal to me and it is the lead track so they don't score the most points. As I mentioned above the vocals are really good, and the guitar starts to really give'r when they get into it but the rest of the song seems to lack a chemistry that it would normally have to fit together with the rest of the instruments. It's hard to tell if this is something that came from production or the band itself, I have never noticed this really in previous listens so maybe it just has something to do with the fact that I'm reviewing it now that I see the negative parts.

"Fedallah's Hearse" is the third song on the disc, this track from the get go pretty much cranks up the good. The song starts in with about a second of sweet guitar that is accompanied by a pause and then it doubles back and starts up that sicke guitar again, only on the second attempt they are done teasing you and they put the pedal down. The guitar is easily the most attractive part of this song, it has the most energy and it is completely independent on the earlier portion or the song, it does a bit of a solo in the build up portion on the track. The drums are there but for the most part aren't something that I'm noticing much past the fact that its filling holes. It seems that the focal points for the band, and this is true of all songs not just the ones that I've mentioned thus far, are the vocals and the guitar. In "Fedallah's Hearse the vocals aren't as good as they were in the first song but they are still something that I happen to enjoy. Overall I like the energy level more in this song but I wish that the vocals had a bit more variation to them, especially because the guitar has so much variation, it would be nice to see them compliment each other.

The fifth song is called "Bringer Of Greater Things", the song itself has a fairly large drum component to it. This is a welcome change because I was getting tired of just listening to guitar and vocals featured for the most part. The vocals are solid on this song, its pretty much the most consistent part of the album, from track to track though there isn't a terrible amount of range so I don't know what would happen if they asked him to go in a new direction. The lyrics and music have a positive feel to them, they are talking about the bringer of greater things, someone to save the day, which I suppose is a metaphor but from what I can tell is they have been saved. I don't know that this is a God reference though but if it is, it;s rather subtle, I think that given their lyrical style they wouldn't omit such a large detail. This song is probably just a touch above average for a punk song, I just thought that I would talk about it because of the vocals and drums that are on it.

"Die Jugend Marshiert" is the sixth track, this is a song that starts off badass. It kicks in with some serious guitar that reminds me of Millencolin, and later they steal the riff from that song that The Ataris covered a few years back. I don't really know what the hell the title of the song is, but it lookes German or Swedish, either way I hope its not offensive to me. The guitar that you get at the beginning is rapid fire, which isn't the way that they play the guitar for the whole song, during this initial segment as I mentioned before, the Millencolin comparison is very clear to me, it really sounds like "Bullion". This song in the style that I'm mentioning lasts until about the two and a half minute mark and then you get those riffs from “Boys Of Summer” by the Ataris. All in all I'm pretty excited about the song, I wish that they had kept the 'Millencolin' section going for the whole track, but I suppose its ok that they went off in their own direction whenever they decided that would be a good idea.

Ahhh yes, a song that is one minute long, it’s called "Impending Halfhead". The song is in overdrive from the moment that it starts, which if you ask me is ridiculously fun. This is my favourite song on the disc, it actually really reminds me of Sucide Machines and if you remember them they are about as hardcore and energy infused as any band that I may have reviewed. I checked on some of their earlier work (Suicide Machines) and it is actually less hardcore and more ska influenced. Regardless I'm getting way off topic. This song is as I said only about a minute, but the highlights are all the guitar and drums, they are moving about as humanly fast as the people who are playing them can move. It's quite a feat if you ask me, the vocals aren't bad, but they are a bit mumbled together do to the fact the song is only one minute and it is moving at the speed of light. Sure its short and sure theres not much talent behind the overall construction of the song but I do still think this is my favourite song on the CD.

I'm going to mention another short song only because this one is even shorter than the other one. It's the tenth track and it is called "Superbowl Patriot XXXVI", this song is only thirty-six seconds long and its hilariously crazy. When I say that, you have to think what does a band do in thirty seconds? Well in a punk band usually the objective is to fit as much stuff as humanly possibly into that brief thirty seconds so that you can make it crazy fast. Mission accomplished on this track, I don't know that the song means that they are Patriots fans, if so then I should deduct some serious points because I hate that team. However I don't think I will be factoring in their sports loves, especially since the Patriots are falling apart this year. Obviously I'm off topic, so as the last thing I'm saying that is music related, the song is thirty seconds basically so you don't get much, but its a fun listen, just like most thirty second punk songs.

Tracks to Steal: "Impending Halfhead", "Superbowl Patriot XXXVI", "Die Jurgend Marshiert", "Iteration", "Bringer Of Greater Things",

Do I need to check out some older Propogandhi?
Will shorter songs affect the overall score?

Judgment Passed: 8.2 (Fairly consistent all the way through, I like the style of punk they use and that’s always a good thing. Propagandhi you have perked my interest so that means you are worth me investing some time into hearing some of your older albums.)

The Tuesday Stroll

2005-11-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

As you can see the blog is still functioning. I would love to say we are going to launch by a certain day but I am the mercy of my buddy who is working on the site. I have put in many hours working on the archiving, and everything looks good on that front. We are stupid close to launching. And I am doing my best to speed that process along. Bare with me. It won't be long.

The Elite Five:

1. Neil Diamond: 12 Songs

So I heard the rumblings, Neil Diamond records with Rick Rubin and strips back his music in an attempt to revitalize and legitamize a career that has become somewhat of a joke. And I scoffed at it. Ronan put Neil Diamond's new album in his most anticipated albums left of 2005, and I scoffed at it. And then I heard the album. I'm not scoffing anymore. Rick Rubin somehow convinced Neil Diamond to completely change his act. Now, I listen to this album and i'm reminded of a Johnny Cash. Diamond's isn't as dry, or as powerful as Johnny Cash but this is a powerful album that absolutely took me by surprise. Don't be surprised if Neil Diamond gets showered with praise and awards for this album, and they wouldn't be unjustified.

2. Beastie Boys: Solid Gold Hits

This is a greatest hits album that I will lobby for potentially being brought into our house. Terri and I both like the Beasties, but neither of us are obsessive about them. Looking at the tracklist I have to say pretty much every song I would ever have wanted from them is here. "So Watcha Want", "Brass Monkey", "Hey Ladies", "Root Down", "Intergallactic", "Sabotage", "Fight For Your Right To Party" and more. So many bands release questionable greatest hits packages, but nobody is going to argue that the Beastie Boys don't have the material to back it up. Brandon will be reviewing this I imagine.

3. Tragically Hip: Yer Favourites

I am far from being a massive Hip fan. The only album I ever owned is/was "Trouble At The Henhouse". And they pissed me off by letting the fans choose the tracklist as they left off numerous songs that I would have wanted on this double cd. That said, at the end of the day this is the Hip we are talking about and this cd does have a place in my/our collection. It also doesn't hurt that I really like the new track "No Threat" that was an admirable loser in Sunday Night's tack-fu.

4. Floetry: Flo' Ology

I can't tell you all that much about this group. I can tell that Floetry is renowned as being extremely talented. I can also tell you that Floetry's appearance on Blackalicious's "The Craft" is stellar. Combining elements of soul, jazz, funk, r&b, all against hip-hop/spoken poetry Floetry isn't about to be blasting at the clubs or anything. I am interested in reviewing this album. Anyone who follows the hip-hop albums I review can tell for the most part typical hip-hop doesn't interest me in the slightest. It is stuff like this, that catches my attention.

5. The Damned: Play It Your Sister (Box Set)

So how good is your punk history? Like you probably know The Clash, The Ramones, and The Sex Pistols. But do you know the bands just a step back from that? Bands like The Damned, Wire, Circle Jerks, and Bad Brains. The Damned are one of the many bands that are responsible for punk becoming more poppy overtime. Brandon put them in track-fu way back when, and when he did it gave me a chance to hear some. I liked what I heard. Now, I can't afford a box set right now. But, if you are hardcore into the punk scene and want to pay respect to some of your elders. Hit this up.

Remember Me?

1. Cyndi Lauper: The Body Acoustic

I hope this doesn't become a new fad. Alanis tried re-recording an album acoustically and it is one of the most popular finds at any used CD store in the nation. I have never given a fuck about Cyndi Lauper save the one song she had in the Goonies movie. Terri on the other hand is actually rather fond of her. Cyndi has brought in some notable guest stars to try to help this cd along. Shaggy, Sarah Mclachlan, and Jeff Beck are all in the house for this recording. And providing I can find it, something off this is likely to end up in next week's track-fu.

2. Jimmy Buffett: Live at Fenway

How can this guy who is famous for two things, singing Margaritaville and in recent years being a naughty and annoying celebrity drunk in public places. And now he has somehow managed to land a gig at Fenway and is releasing an album. I hate the public's fascination with long past their time musicians. Just let them fade away.

3. The Eurythmics: The Ultimate Collection

I hate Annie Lennox! This is her old band. The main song they are responible for is "Sweet Dreams". Although that didn't stop them from putting out an 18 song greatest hits which according to amazon is their second such album with many of the same songs on both. Let me explain this, when you are a band and you retire it is ok if you put out on greatest hits comp to make some dough. However, once you do that it is over for you. What is this bullshit of releasing a cd with your "singles", and then a cd of your "hits" and then maybe a live album. Give it up. No wonder people illegally download so much.

Not My Bag, But Maybe Yours

1. The OC Mx 5: Various Artists

I'm sure my brother is going to buy this and I can see why. I won't buy it out of principle. And you know what? Some of these songs are totally decent, but I despise the O.C. and would much prefer to download the songs I like and buy the albums that are worthy than spend a dime in its general direction. You got bands like The Subways, Gorillaz, Kasabian, and Phantom Planet (who are on every compilation imaginable it seems) on the album. This is the type of album that likely is the best cd in terms of musical taste in thousands of young kids in North America's collection. Sadly, those people never bother to check out the bands on it. And that sucks.

2. Kate Bush: Aerial

Kate Bush is doing the enigma thing. It has been 12 years since her last album and the long wait has added to the hype this release is getting. Add to it that she has decided to go the route of a double album and this has the makings of a triumphant return. It just isn't really a sound that I am that intrigued by. Terri on the other hand might find it right up her alley. Odds are this will be in track-fu in the next few weeks as well. I also think Ronan would tell you good things about this album so I figured it was definitely worth mentioning. Amazon is mentioning names like Joni Mitchell, Fiona Apple, and Tori Amos in their sounds like section.

3. Fenix TX: Purple Reign In Blood

I try to hook Brandon up as well with a mention of a hard rock/ punk album that might intrigue. Fenix TX broke up four years ago but have recently re-united the band and been out touring. This is a kinda Greatest Hits / Live album. A new studio album will likely follow. Fenix TX is a totally decent punk band and I had one of their albums for a second. I'm just not one who has ever been big time into punk. If you missed Fenix TX their first time around, this should be a good refresher course.

Grandaddy: Excerpts From The Diary Of Todd Zilla (EP)

2005-11-07T12:41:00.000-05:00

Back again to talk about another recenly released EP by a rather notable band, Grandaddy. This one came out at the end of September, the album is apparently recorded due to singer Jason Lytle's growing frustration with living in Modesto (something that allegedly might end up breaking up the band). Sometimes when a band is at their most vulnerable they can record some dynamic music. Take for instance the only Grandaddy album I own "Sumday" (whichI certainly enjoy on some level), it just sounds absolutely sheltered at times in comparison to a few of the tracks on this EP.

To the point where longtime Grandaddy fans are somewhat taken aback by the intensity, and bold departure that a few of these songs embrace. Whereas to me, a casual fan of the band it offers me something they never had before. Incorporating what basically amounts to metal/screamo in the midst of an other wise poppy song has resulted in a lot of backlash in the feedback i've read from the fans. Was this intentional? Does Grandaddy even care? I wonder how many people there are like me who actually are much more likely to buy the new and perhaps final Grandaddy album after hearing this EP.

"The Diary Of Todd Zilla" consists of seven songs, some considerably more user-friendly than others. The lead single "Pull The Curtains" has a sunshiney, almost less abstract Flaming Lips like feel to it when you hear it. Although lyrically there are many more layers to uncover. This single should do rather well in terms of exposure. I mention this because running out to buy the EP because you like this catchy song would be a faux pas. With EPS I like to talk about all the tracks so i'm done with the refresher course.

As seems to always be the case now the lead single opens the EP. Another band that i'm reminded of with the style of this song on a few levels is the Polyphonic Spree but this is much less innocent and more electronic than they are. Basically what Grandaddy has concocted is a highly charged, playful rock song. Vocally it is very much done in a falsetto, and the main guitar riff and isolated drums almost border on cheese. That sounds like an insult, but it all blends together in a way that it is actually very entertaining. If you are into Canadian music and can remember Age Of Electric they are another comparable sound that I can think of. Well, think Age Of Electric's energy, mixed with Polyphonic Spree's innocence, and the Flaming Lips sunshine and that would be my best way to sum it up. Or... you could just hear it yourself. Up to
you.

"At My Post" is a slow plodding, sombre and yet whimsical track. Everything seems to drag here a little bit, and I think it is intentional. The music in my opinion is trying to portray a kinda exhausted ambition. And the lyrics speak about wanting to leave, but not being able to follow through. It has its bright spot, and that bright spot is the chorus and the instrumental part just before the chorus. It is absolutely exuberant by contrast to the rest of the song. It isn't that the song sucks, because it is an alright song. It just isn't all that good either. And at six minutes plus the song drags on about 2 minutes too long.

The EP gets back on the track right away with "A Valley Son". I would again use the word whimsical to describe this song, and still the mood and pacing of the song is very slow and sombre but something is different. For one I much prefer the minimalistic background, with the feature being put on the piano rather than the jumbled production on the prior song. This song is steeped in sadness. Hearing Jason Lytle sing so disheartingly about how in his head he has already departed and left Modesto behind. You wouldn't think leaving a city would be such a traumatic experience, but in this case it seems to be life-changing. The more times I listen to this the more obvious it appears Grandaddy are soon to be no more.

Here we go again. "Cinderland" sounds like a really poor man's Flaming Lips. Like a welfare recipient's Flaming Lips. It suffers from the same problems as "At My Post". Where it succeeds is by keeping the song length down around 3 minutes. As an aside it would likely have been advised for the band to split up the down trodden, slow moving, angst songs about being disheartened with Modesto with some of the more cathartic energized efforts.

Now here is another song worth gushing about. "Fuck The Valley Fudge" has a legitimate shot in making my end of year comp. There are a few distinct reasons why this song stands out. The most obvious is the lyrics are much more subtle, and it sounds less self indulgent because of it. The piano is back again, and that would be another step in the right direction. But the chorus, which Grandaddy really is great at is the icing on the cake. Lyrically, as opposed to just bitchin' about the Valley this song is written as the reasons for hating the Valley are the ingredients and the recipe is for making Fuck The Valley Fudge. If you don't like your music sparse, then don't bother because this song is almost naked.

So I put "Florida" into track fu a few weeks back and was shocked that it didn't lose outright. I mean this song is fuckered. And usually when I put fuckered songs into track fu they don't do very well with Terri. So this is the contrast, this song is highly charged and the type of music you can actually dance too. Well... except for the chorus, and the portions of the song that border on Death Metal with Jason screaming at the top of his lungs. I don't hold it against it, I actually think that is the reason I like this song so much. The abrupt back-and-forth changes in style and emotion borders on split personality, and I love it. They even bring out the harmonica! I might be wrong, but I think after listening closely to the lyrics the idea if Jason is trying to trick himself into feeling ok about where he is, and then when the screaming sections come in he is cracking and realizing that is impossible. Neat song, check it out.

The album finishes by losing some but not all of the momentum created by the last two dynamic tracks. "Goodbye" fittingly ends the album with some more of the sparse, mostly acoustic guitar and vocal style. This music is likely very soothing if you are feeling dejected, or down on your luck. And I can absolutely see how recording these songs might have given Jason some temporary satisfaction. I just wish that the seven track ep didn't consist of four extremely similar songs that excuse me for saying it border a bit too much on self indulgence.

So what is the final verdict? I still insist this is another quality EP, although I can't say it is as good as Jimmy Eat World's EP i reviewed about a month back. Perhaps if it had of been a 5 track EP rather than 7 it would have been superior, but as is it has a serious issue with duplicate song styles. "Florida", "Fuck The Valley Fudge", and "Pull The Curtains" all need to be on all of your computers. The rest of it, I can't in good faith recommend.

Songs to download: Kinda just said this but "Florida", "Fuck The Valley Fudge", "Pull The Curtains"

SCORE: 6.8 (3 out of 7 quality songs doesn't normally warrant a score this decent but the three are REALLY good. AND, the other four aren't that bad. I just have a problem with a band not being able to say consistent for a freaking EP!.)

Rev Run: Distortion (Brandon "The Destroyer")

2005-11-07T11:35:00.000-05:00

I look at the cover of this CD and I see Rev Run dressed up like a Magician with a cape or Jack the Ripper, its really hard to tell what the hell he is going for. The point is he looks pretty lame as he flexes his muscles and struts with his cane looking like a 1930's pimp. I'll be honest, Rev Run is someone I do have a fondness for but all the old music that he did that I liked was completely associated with Run D.M.C. So this is a solo album that I could very well like if it does bare some similarity to Run D.M.C.'s sound, you would think that after however many years they were together that Rev Run would be able to parlay some of that into a half decent solo project. The rap is a bit old school which is good because hip hop in that category does seem to be more popular with me. I only remembered that this album existed when Dan asked me what I thought about doing a review for Rev Run. I was more excited at the time then I really should have been, since then most of that excitement has faded, but I think that is because the album itself after hearing it is less exciting than I had it all worked out to be. It's not a terrible album or anything its just that it seems to be missing something that I have yet to place my finger on, throughout the review I hope to be able to identify this. Rev Run delivers a saga and its good because I haven't heard a new hip hop album that I thought I might listen to again for quite some time. From hearing the album there are definitely some songs that I will want to hear again and therefore I will maybe need to keep a few of the songs before deleting the rest of the album.

The first song that I'm going to talk about is the second one, its called "Home Sweet Home". This is a song that samples "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd which turns out well if you ask me. They whole beat really samples the one guitar riff from the beginning of the song that plays during the intro. It's definitely a more simple version of the riff but that’s good because I think that gives Rev Run a lot more room to make the song actually his rather than a cheap knock off. This song is one of my favourites that is on the disc. And it has a country feel to it so that is very weird that it would end up that high on the depth chart considering the country music comparison. This album is extremely short, its actually only thirty minutes, now at first I thought this hurt Rev Run, but after hearing the album a few times I think that the shortness of it benefits the album more than it harms it. A lot of these tracks aren't too complex as far as the beat goes. It really just stays the same for the entirety of the song, especially in the case of "Home Sweet Home". With beats that repeat you tend to notice it after a while. This isn't as bad of a thing since Rev Run seems to do a good job of shortening the songs so that its not a big issue, but if they were 4 or 5 minutes in length it'd be really bad.

The fifth song on the disc is called "High And Mighty Joe". This song starts off and sounds like a song that you could hear by System Of A Down. This is really odd considering that Rev Run is supposed to be mainly hip hop, overall the song remains hip hop, the chorus and the record scratches that are mixed in have a lot to do with that. But the verses are very rock influenced musically, they have a tight little guitar riff, some heavy bass and a sweet drum kit working in the background. The song itself is two minutes so there isn't a lot of time to build it up or establish any real direction, but this is one of the more interesting songs on the disc because of how different it is from the rest. Despite its weirdness and the fact that I think the chorus doesn't really fit the verses I still think that the song is worth hearing so you might want to download it just because of how 'individual' this track is.

I might as well talk about the sixth song since its good and I prefer it to some of the others that surround it. It's called "The Way", and this song has a badass guitar riff that you get to experience for the duration of the track. This song to me sounds like you could find it on a Beastie Boy album, the song itself does bare remarkable resemblance to "Rhymin & Stealin" from their debut album Licensed To Ill. I'm not complaining since not only is this a ridiculously good hip hop album but its also one of my favourite ones that I own. This song has more of a low groove to it though, so there is a bit less energy to the beat which to be honest works with Rev Run's vocals since he has a far less annoying voice then some of the Beasties. In the end this song is solid, and if not for the eight hsong on the album then it could perhaps be my favourite. One song that I think sounds corny is the seventh song, its called "Don't Stop Y'all". The thing that you should think about this song is ask yourself to write a song and title it the same as this song title, without knowing the words I bet you get awfully damn close. There is nothing complez about it and the beat is pretty lackluster, it reminds me of something I could hear in the club that is pretty R&B and shitty.

My favourite song is the eighth track, its called "Mind On The Road". This is the hip hop track that is influenced the most by rock and roll, actually this one sounds a lot like it is sampling the riffs from the song "I Love Rock N' Roll". This song is in that classic style that you can take directly from his roots in Run D.M.C. which is great to see since all of his previous success in music can be traced to this group. Again I could probably say that the song also sounds a little like The Beastie Boys, but it has more of that rock and roll and hip hop thing going on and that is directly associated with Run D.M.C. To me this is something that hip hop has to do more of, sample a completely sicke guitar riff and make it an original beat that they can turn into a great song. Rev Run seems to have hit the jackpot in the production booth with this song, because a lot of work has been done to the beat prior to it actually being produced. It was pieced together with various riffs and record scratches, which is a tell tale sign that the artist you are dealing with is old school, by the number of scratches it contains.

The last song I'll mention is the ninth song "Take A Tour". This song has a heavy influence from Jamaica or the Bahamas in it, because you get a lot of steel drum and bongo in this track. Not that I’m complaining because its totally wicked and chill, this is one of the more distinct songs on the CD too since there isn't really anything else that contains these instruments. The bongos are played really well, which is one of the best parts of the song for me, they have like a rapid fire action thing going on, played with some serious pace and that sucks me in. The song is super short though and that is my sole complaint. I mean its two minutes, some songs don't make it that far, but just when I'm enjoying this song and sliding into its groove, that’s when it ends and that kinda pisses me off. All in all though I can't complain with the aggressive rapping style of Rev Run and how he has presented himself on this solo album. I don't think that it’s radically different from his work with Run D.M.C., save a few exceptions, but it certainly is worth looking into if you like old school hip hop on any level.

Tracks To Steal: "Take A Tour", "Mind On The Road", "The Way", "High And Mighty Joe", "Home Sweet Home", "Distortion"

How'd Rev Run perform on the solo project?
Is he able to separate himself from the Run D.M.C. sound?

Judgment Passed: 7.9 (This album has its ups and downs and I look forward to actually keeping in on my harddrive for a bit to determine which tracks that I am going to keep, I don't think I'll buy it because it lacks consistency but I am more impressed with Rev Run than I thought I'd be).

Track-fu (Terri)

2005-11-06T20:04:00.000-05:00

First, a public service announcement from Dan: if you're wondering why he hasn't been doing a lot of reviews himself lately, it's because he's hard at work archiving a year's worth of blogging for the new dot-com.

And now, on to Track-fu. This week's picks: "Lovecats" by Paul Anka from Ronan, "Tuesday" by Trey Anatasio from Dan, "Rager" by Lagwagon from Brandon, and "Roaches and Rats" by Outkast from Cam.

1. Paul Anka -- Lovecats (Ronan)

I'm really sick of this trend of rerecording current tunes in old-timey fashions. The gimmick was entertaining for a couple of minutes, and now it's just lame and unoriginal. There's a complete lack of inspiration in this, to my ears.

Paul Anka sings just fine, but he doesn't have anything to add to a Cure song even without the cheesy phrasing and tepid instrumentals. With them...well, somewhere Robert Smith's eyeliner is running. Cause he's crying.

I mean, Paul Anka is capable of writing songs. So why lame up someone else's tunes?

2. The Joggers -- We've Been Talked Down

This is a weird song -- the vocals are a bit monotonous, the singing and the instruments seem to be out-of-sync. It works pretty well though, oddly enough. Despite the odds, you can tap your feet along to it, and it all comes together in the end.

3. Babyshambles -- A'rebours

I still think that Pete Doherty is a trainwreck, whether or not his musical output appears to be evidence otherwise. And I don't hold to the theory that musicians are better when they're not messed up. Regardless, Doherty somehow manages to participate in bands where the output is better than his recreational behaviour would have you believe it ought to be. This is a catchy Brit-Pop; it's almost a little wholesome sounding, with its cheery melody and strummy guitar.

4. Ted Leo -- I'm Looking Through You

Is this Ted Leo's third track-fu appearance? I think it might be. Anyway, Ted Leo gets a lot of play in our household, and the albums have been steadily growing on me. He writes reliably good tunes; this one's not an exception, although I don't like it as much as I do some of his other songs. There's a chill groove running through the track that works pretty well with the occasional bursts of frantic guitar.

5. Criteria -- Prevent the World

And now we're turning the guitars up, after a relatively mellow opening set. The hard-chorus-softer-verses formula is a little done, but the song is still pretty good overall -- some creative vocal mixing keeps things a bit interesting. I actually like that the vocals are kept a bit lower here; the guitar and drums are loud, and I think the vocals sound better when the singer is accompanying them and not always shouting above them.

6. Outkast -- Roaches and Rats (Cam)

This Outkast track is from the soundtrack to their upcoming film. It sounds more like Stankonia than Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. It's a sweet track -- great rapping, great beats. I think Outkast is pretty reliable there, though. I love the deep bass vocals in the chorus. It doesn't reach the same heights as some of their standout tracks, but that's a pretty lofty goal.

7. The Tragically Hip -- No Threat

This is one of the two new songs on the Tragically Hip's greatest hits double disc, which is coming out on Tuesday. (As if "Thugs" didn't make the cut.) It's kind of come to the point where it's not cool to like the Hip anymore, but I like them anyway; I was never a manic fan, but they've got some quality tunes in their back catalog. The backlash against them is so typically Canadian.

I like this song more immediately than I have their other singles since "Bobcaygeon". They're rocking pretty hard, Downie is doing his crazy-man caterwauling, the bass is good.

8. Lagwagon -- Rager (Brandon)

Loud punk song, fast vocals, crunchy guitars. This is more Brandon's thing than mine. It's not really anything new under the sun, regardless.

What? That's it? It was about a minute and a half long. I know punk songs run short, but that just feels lazy.

9. Trey Anastasio -- Tuesday (Dan)

Anastasio is formerly of Phish, who I never got into -- I don't really like that noodley jam band thing. I like this song though -- it's catchy, with a nice vibe. It's a bit shinier and catchier than anything I've heard by Phish, but I think it works well. It wouldn't sound out-of-place on the radio, but it's better that the songs you'd likely hear played before and after it in the playlist.

10. Neil Diamond -- Save Me A Saturday Night

We're beginning and ending this one with the geezers, apparently. Diamond worked with uberproducer Rick Rubin on his latest disc. Rubin convinced him to strip things down a bit, leaving his voice and his guitar playing to carry the songs. It works pretty well -- this is not the Neil Diamond of glitter and Vegas. It's pretty, actually, and a bit sad, although the twinkly noises are a bit twee. Having the melody so bare makes it clear why Diamond's such a well-known songwriter -- he can string a tune together.

Winner: I've got that Trey Anastasio song stuck in my head now, so I'm going with that. I liked the songs from Outkast and the Hip as well.

Loser: I didn't really like Lagwagon song, but I especially didn't like the Paul Anka song (But especially Lagwagon; but especially Paul Anka). I mean no offense to Paul, but it was cheesy where Neil Diamond's was sincere.

Franz Ferdinand: You Could Have It So Much Better (Brandon)

2005-11-03T12:59:00.000-05:00

Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

One thing is for certain the rest of the planet and myself couldn't get enough of the first album that this band released. The debut album by Franz Ferdinand was something that was largely accepted by the public, with songs like "Take Me Out", "This Fire", and "Jacquline" to name a few, it was hard not to like this album. Now this was back in 2004 so we the listener since that time have been salivating for the chance to hear anything that was new by Franz. They toured for a while and released that album that lots of bands release now where you essentially re-release the first and tack on like a new track or two and maybe throw in a DVD of tour footage. Really that’s more for the hardcore fan, I don't really dig all that backstage access stuff I'm just into new music, so if you'd waste less time filming and more time recording like a proper musician then you could satisfy your fans cravings faster. I will admit that I wasn't as excited as I thought I would be for the release of this CD, but I think it was because I had fallen out of that post-punk love that I used to have. To prepare for this new album I wanted to get back into the swing of things in a positive way so I listened to the first album to remind myself why Franz Ferdinand was different than all the rest that seem to blend into the genre. It worked, which is good because it helped me revisit my love of Franz Ferdinand's music and also I am more excited now for the new album than I had been before hearing the first album. All in all Franz will deliver me a saga, and I am curious to see which direction the band has decided to go in what with the success of the first album.

Well one track that was my favourite off the old album was the first song, on this CD that doesn't change because of "The Fallen". This track has that familiar mix of drums and guitar that is only featured in a Franz Ferdinand track and if you do happen to see it anywhere else it is because someone is ripping it off poorly. The guitar that is used has a really catchy riff for the verse portion of the song, on the chorus it changes to something else entirely with a lot more variation. But the riff on the verses is something that can be chalked up to typical Franz Ferdinand formatting and possibly even the production. Regardless this is part of the reason that I like the band, because they do stuff like this that is consistent and good. How can a band not gain favour if it usually falls in those two categories? On this song the singing is something that I was taken a bit back by a first, but I think its because there’s spoken lyrics to the point where it is borderline rap, well I suppose I say that because it is Franz Ferdinand, this is about as close to rapping as the lyrics would ever get, and its only on the verse that I'm talking about. The chorus reminds us that it is a Franz song because the style of singing changes completely and there is also a portion of the chorus that is devoted to 'la la la'ing' which I don't think you would see too much in hip hop, ever.

This song is short and it still is pretty good, it’s the third track, "This Boy". The beginning of the song is a lot of guitar buildup with a bit of drumwork featured as well. Before long they get to the verse where they already begin to talk about 'this boy' who from what I can tell this is not necessarily about Franz, but moreso about a fictional character who sounds rather greedy. There is a large portion of the song that is actually devoted to the lyrics 'I want a car', it always follows the chorus and it is pretty neat if you ask me. It really adds to some of the randomness that comes out of the head of this band, because this is a quick song that is nicely packaged at just over two minutes. The guitar all the way through has a pretty wicked riff once again, which as you will notice with most of Franz Ferdinand's songs the guitar is something that I usually enjoy a particularly large amount. As I said this song is over before you know it which is the only reason that I don't make it my favourite song on the disc, however it was close just when it ended I didn't feel like I was satisfied yet.

I'm going to mention this song, but its not my bag, its the fourth one, "Walk Away". This is a slower Franz track, so as you can imagine there is no high kicking guitar or badass lyrics. The song does sound rather sad though as it is about someone walking away and the pain that Franz goes through because of this person who is going away. As far as slow and sappy tracks go I can stomach this one so good news Franz I won't throw you to the dogs. I think I will halt my assault on this track in favour of talking about a song that isn't that bad to me, like the sixth song, "You're The Reason I'm Leaving". Which if the title didn't tip you off is a song that is totally about someone who is the reason that the singer is leaving, for obvious reasons that are mentioned within the track. The guitar has a twangy sound to it on this song, especially near the beginning, the girl that is being talked about is someone that Franz is talking about as so distant from him that he can't stand her and therefore he is leaving. The song has a catchy chorus and I suppose that is the reason I was attracted to it, but there are other redeeming qualities, like the thirty second guitar solo that is featured between the minute thirty and two minute mark.
The title track is the eleventh track, "You Could Have It So Much Better". This song is pretty badass, it moves between totally chill and dark and then it jumps into a chorus that breathes this spirit of rock into the song and is totally fucking sicke. This is probably my favourite song on the disc, which is the reason that is has to be mentioned. The guitar alone could be the reason that I love this song, it is totally wicked throughout the whole song when it is allowed to be. I say allowed because when he has to chill out in the buildup periods on the song it is still good but obviously not as badass as the portions of the track that he is allowed to cut loose on. This is the type of Franz track that really embodies the spirit of rock and roll on it, it’s not a post-punk track, its bad ass rock and roll and they succeed at it. "Outsiders" is the thirteenth song on the disc, which is also the last track on the disc. It starts off crazy, almost sounds like the opening of "Istanbul" by They Must Be Giants. I like the beginning of that song though, and once Franz begins to sing it actually loses that sound all together. There is a strong vocal and drum prescence in this song and despite the fact they are missing their catchiest ingredient I still think the song is pretty good. It just goes to show you that Franz Ferdinand is a pretty talented band, now I'll say that this album is probably not as good overall yet to me but a lot of that could stem from this only being my third listen of this album. If I heard it as many as I have the first then who knows, it could be a closer race.

The last song that I want to talk about is actually the the second one, "Do You Want To". The song itself reminds me of "Jacqueline" just a bit because of the riff that they feature for the verse. It is similar but they do a lot to the song that makes it completely original, in fact the guitar itself on this song is overlapped on the chorus by some lyrics that are added to heavily in the production booth. The effect of that however is much cooler than I just described it, and with there being no way for you to actually know what I am talking about unless you hear it then I just suggest that you hear the song, so buy or download this album if you haven't already. Near the end of the song they start this buildup to the end where they are singing 'lucky, lucky, your so lucky', this repeats over and over for about the last thirty or so seconds on the track before it all ends with a cymbal getting smashed. One thing is for sure, the new album by Franz Ferdinand is good, however for the time being because I haven't had the same amount of time to evaluate the two albums I can't say that I prefer the second one over the first. Who knows though, the end of the year list is coming up and I will have had time to hear this album a lot more between now and January, so its possible it could end up as high on my list as the first album did.

Did Franz Ferdinand go through the sophomore slump?
Will we see this album on my year-end list?

Judgment Passed: 8.7 (A couple of the slower tracks don't interest me that much, but also if I was to score the first album it would get like a ninety one or something and I definitely prefer that one still. All in all though Franz Ferdinand fans should be fairly happy about the new album, it’s not radically different from the first so it couldn't scare them off.)

Tracks to Steal: "Do You Want To", "Outsiders", "You Could Have It So Much Better", "This Boy",. "The Reason I'm Leaving", "Walk Away", "The Fallen"

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals: Jacksonville City Nights (Ronan)

2005-11-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Jacksonville City Nights

Every musical genius needs a backing band. Neil Young has Crazy Horse; Bruce Springsteen has The E Street Band; and Bob Dylan had The Band. Ryan Adams has The Cardinals, a bunch of people you’ve probably never heard of (including one hot female bassist). But when Adams and The Cardinals join up they sure do make some sweet country music. But is this what we here at TwoWayMonologues want to hear? This review is done in two sections: the first is the first listen section, and then the repeated listen section. Understand? No, oh well, I couldn’t care less.

Track 1: A Kiss Before I Go
First listen: What is this crap? Where’s the Ryan Adams of Gold and Rock N’ Roll gone?
After repeated listens: This is the Ryan Adams of Heartbreaker, Love Is Hell, and Cold Roses not his crazy alter-ego. Ah yes, the Ryan Adams we actually like. The credible Ryan Adams. I wonder what it’s like being a schizophrenic, well I don’t know either, you tell me. The song is a little short, but lets the listener know exactly what they’re in for: a more country album that any of his previous ones. It must be The Cardinals’ influence. And why aren’t they off playing Baseball in St. Louis anyway? Oh yeah, the season’s over.

Track 2: The End
First Listen: My God, this album sucks a big one. This song is a little better than that crap that was track 1, hopefully by the end we might have one good song.
After repeated listens: Hmm, I really like this song. It’s kind of a throwback to his Whiskeytown days. In fact the entire album is. This is also the song which provides the title for its album with its sweet chorus “Oh Jacksonville”. And when Ryan puts the word “Oh” in choruses, it always works: see ‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’ and ‘Oh My Sweet Valentine’ (a rare unreleased track) for marvellous examples.

Track 3: Hard Way To Fall
First Listen: How could I have spent €20.99 on this?
After repeated listens: Yeah, I was right the first time, this isn’t a great song. But it’s not bad either. Just not as bad as I originally thought, and not as good as the other songs here. It is a “Hard Way To Fall” Ryan: You don’t need to try to sound like Gram Parsons, sounding like Ryan Adams is good enough.

Track 4: Dear John
First listen: Ah Norah Jones joins Ryan here. And guess what, it’s just as bad as the rest!
After repeated listens: Two bad songs in a row, now this is not what we’ve come to expect from you Ryan. Oh no wait, it is. You release too many albums, and therefore too much filler. But some of the stuff on them does turn out to be gold. Just not this one. Although the two singers’ voices do complement each other nicely.

Track 5: The Hardest Part
First listen: This is actually alright. It’s a pity the rest isn’t.
After repeated listens: Ah now I know why they put on the Norah Jones track. It makes this sound unbelievable, and they probably were contracted to do it too, so they couldn’t cut it from the record. It is a very good song, and a good choice for the album’s first single. This is the Ryan Adams we love. Hopefully his third album of the year, the oddly titled 29 will be entirely this good. (He’s 31 this year, so that isn’t it; I wonder what ‘29’ actually means).

Track 6: Games
First Listen: Bleh.
After repeated listens: Back to the slower stuff again, but this is definitely an improvement on the oh-so-boring ‘Dear John’ which Mojo magazine seemed to love for some bizarre reason. If it was this song I could have seen why, but not on that Norah Jones-mulch. He should have got back Rachael Yamagata to guest instead (as she did on Cold Roses).

Track 7: Silver Bullets
First Listen: I didn’t know I bought a country album. And a crap country album at that. What was it doing in the rock section anyway?
After repeated listens: I love this song. It’s so moving, so exposed. It’s Adams at his most vulnerable. This reminds me of some of the tracks on Love Is Hell part 1, probably one of my favourite albums of all time, and Adams’ crowning achievement.

Track 8: Peaceful Valley
First Listen: Why can’t I find a Peaceful Valley where I don’t have to listen to this crap?
After repeated listens: Adams sings of “trying to find a peaceful song / to sing when everything goes wrong”. This could be it: both sparse and meaningful. He always did write good lyrics. And maybe country is the way to go with them. He once said he became an alt-country singer because he couldn’t sing punk, and judging from his side project The Finger he was right.

Track 9: September
First Listen: Boring. Yawn. Yawn. I’m now asleep.
After repeated listens: This album was going to be called September originally. If it had have been called after this song, a more apt name would have been Cold Roses II. I’m sure I heard this exact same song or a variation of it on Cold Roses (I didn’t but you get my meaning.) But that doesn’t make it a bad song. Because if you haven’t realised by now: I really love Cold Roses. It’s a wonderful album; both discs are excellent, it just takes a few listens to get into. A bit like this album really.

Track 10: My Heart Is Broken
First listen: Not even Toby Keith is this bad. It sounds like it’s a country song from the 50s.
After repeated listens: The most straight-out country song here. It’s actually a pretty solid song. It makes me want to go back and see what I was missing in dismissing the music of Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard et al. It is over all a bit too quickly though

Track 11: Trains
First Listen: I think I had turned the radio off by this point.
After repeated listens: The rhythm at the beginning actually sounds like a train. Well I think so anyway. You can feel it approaching. The start-stop vocals add to this feeling too. It’s a very strong song, and clocks in at over four minutes. Which is always good in my opinion. The longer a song is the better (within reason, I’m not looking for anything over ten minutes, that’s just stupid).

Track 12: Pa
First Listen: Dull, where’s the music? It’s far too basic, isn’t it?
After repeated listens: Many critics have said that this is the best song on the album, and they could be right. Its simplicity makes it all the more appealing. The chorus is even very basic: “sha la la la”. Them’s some good lyrics, Pa. Heck maybe that’s why it’s called ‘Pa’ and not ‘Dad’ or ‘Father’ because it’s a country song.

Track 13: Withering Heights
First Listen: This isn’t Kate Bush.
After repeated listens: Calling it ‘Withering Heights’ is always going to draw comparisons to Kate Bush’s ‘Wuthering Heights’, and this song is nowhere near as good. But what song is really? But taking it out of that context, it is a good song, with a nice chorus. And whoever that lady is on backing vocals is she sounds pretty good.

Track 14: Don’t Fail Me Now
First Listen: Thank God it’s over!
After repeated listens: This song, formerly known as ‘When The Rope Gets Tight’ has been played live since 2000. You’d think after all that time the lyrics would have evolved a bit. However, the music is really good, so the lyrics don’t actually matter that much (thankfully).

Special Mention: Always on My Mind
First listen: He can’t ruin this can he? Great, he didn’t. It’s good!
After repeated listens: Different versions of the album come with different bonus tracks. But this is the best of them. Like Wonderwall (from Love Is Hell) this is an excellent cover which more than does justice to the original. Well done Ryan.

Tracks to download: I’m not going to tell you, read the review it’s fairly simple to figure out the ones I like. Oh okay then. The Hardest Part, Pa, The End, September, Trains, and the bonus tracks Always on My Mind and Jeane

Rating: 7.2 – I set out to review this album after that one listen, and give it a really bad mark. This was to contrast it with the high mark for Sigur Rós. However, after a few listens it grows on you. Not in the same way as Cold Roses does, but you do realise it’s not a bad album. Just a bit too much filler for my liking. If only Ryan could decide to release only one album a year. Then we’d have some brilliance.

The Tuesday Stroll

2005-10-31T11:03:00.000-05:00

The Elite Five:

1. Vashti Bunyan - Look Aftering

Imagine Joanna Newsome only ever released one album and overtime as the mainstream forgot about it, new artists started to pop up citing this album as a reference. To the point where the album developed a mystique about it, and it kind of became its own legend. This scenario happened to Vashti Bunyan whose last album came out 35 years ago. 35 years after her first album "Diamond Days" Vashti returns with her new album. One can only imagine the pressure to live up too and yet she apparently has. I haven't seen a bad review for it yet. Joanna Newsome, Devandra Banhart, and others appear on the album. If those artists send a shudder down your spine then it might not be for you, otherwise you ought to check it out. 35 years later, and she has done it again. Impressive!

2. Nirvana: Sliver - The Best Of The Box Set

I never bought said box set because nobody I know who did buy it thought it was very good. Which means, more than likely this was done to support Courtney Love in her habits. Now, releasing an additional solo album with the best songs from the box set seems like even more of a cash grab. However, it might be a much more tolerable listen. For those Nirvana fans who didn't want to fork out the big bucks for the box set this might be the right amount of cash grab for you. Sadly, I think I will check it out.

3. Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself

A North American release although Ronan likely has already heard it. I put an Imogen Heap song in track fu a month or two ago and it didn't win. I heard about 5 or 6 songs off the album while selecting the choice. I liked what I heard. She has a great voice that lends itself very well to the electronic aspect of the record. In terms of this style of music I can't really say I have heard anyone do it better this year and in a while. You might call it electro-pop but I think it is a bit less straight forward than that.

4. Ozzy Osbourne - Under Cover

I like Ozzy. I liked him before the reality tv show, and I like him now. I've gone as him to a Halloween Party, I have the bobbleheads and numerous albums. Some would argue his solo career has been lame and especially in recent years, and that argument would have substance. Even if it is lame there is something about his music that I get a kick out of. What we have here is Ozzy doing a cover album which has me intrigued. I have no idea how Ozzy is going to pull off some of these songs. Maybe he won't. I want to hear for myself. Some of the ones i'm anticipating are "Sympathy For The Devil (Stones), "Work Class Hero (John Lennon), "Sunshine Of Your Love" (Cream), and "Good Times" (Eric Burdon).

5. Trey Anastasio - Shine

I never got into Phish. I imagine I would be more apt to enjoy their music in 2005 than I was when they were at their height of popularity. Along the way I always heard about how great of a musician Trey Anastasio was. His solo work has been compared to that of John Frusciante and I cn see why. Still, i've never got around to hearing it. Now in 2005, i've heard rumours that this album takes a bold step towards the mainstream. This could either be a good thing or a bad thing. Be interesting to see how my opinion, and the opinion of a long time fan will differ. Either way I am hankering for some bitchin' guitar work and this should provide me with it.

Remember Me?

1. Santana - All That I Am

Sure took a long time for this to come out. "Supernatural" was so popular Brandon's mom bought it for him. Brandon! Think about the music he likes and then somehow this came into his collection. I don't think the new album is going to have that type of impact. Bottom line, Santana did that well because of the guest stars. And I'm sure he'll have more on this album. Those songs didn't hold up over time and I think people realize that they were taken a bit by the hype. If this album isn't actually good, people aren't going to be as quick to ignore it.

2. Public Enemy - New Whirl Order

Public Enemy are classic. Chuck D is one of the most talented artists to ever be involved with hip-hop. Flava Flav is not. At this point, the two should file for a divorce in my opinion. It is hard for the band to move forward when Flava Flav is so firmly planted back in the 80's. No doubt this album will still showcase chuck D and that alone makes it worth a listen. But Chuck, it is time to go solo fulltime buddy.

3. Burt Bacharach - At This Time

Burt is a funny guy. Last time he checked in with the mainstream public was due to him being a major part of Austin Powers. That sparked a few years where people were again interested in his music. Now comes 2005, and Bacharach has been given up for dead again. Well what does he do? Collaborate with Rufus Wainwright, Dr. Dre (yes Dr. Dre), and Elvis Costello to raise some eyebrows and try to buy a few more years worth of a career. Do I sound cynical? That is because I am. And what the fuck is Dr. Dre doing on this record? That guy is a farce.

Not My Bag, But Maybe Yours

1. Blink 182 - Greatest Hits

Here is a band that I never agreed with the world about. "Dude Ranch" was decent, and their last self-titled album was very good. In between to be frank I thought they sold out rather hard. Now that the band appears to be broken up this release was inevitable. I'm sure a couple of these tracks are new but being less than a moderate fan I can't tell. Either way, my opinion doesn't matter. This is going to sell like hotcakes. So I thought I should mention it in case you are fans.

2. Lagwagon - Resolve

Another longtime punk band has a release this week. Lagwagon didn't let the loss of their drummer deter them. And as you can tell by the album name they seem to have recorded this album with him on their mind. That could make for an interesting listen. Lagwagon's style of punk has never been the type you wold expect to deal with death, and overcoming that loss. I'll see if i can find this and if I can i'll add it to Brandon's to-do list.

3. Motorhead - The Best Of Motorhead

Lemmy Kilmister may have the best metal voice of all-time. Motorhead and metal are two things that aren't really my style but dude can whale! I have the utmost respect for Lemmy and anyone who cites Motorhead as one of their favourites is alright by me. Just because I can't get into it doesn't mean it isn't good. My ears just don't work well for metal. If you are someone like Brandon who I know likes Lemmy, and who I know has liked some Motorheads songs but not enough to go run out and buy 10 albums. This could be what the doctor ordered.

Various Artists: Stubbs The Zombie

2005-10-31T01:04:00.000-05:00

Could it be that video game soundtracks are about to become a big part of the current music landscape? With more and more video games breaking the bank to bring in famous actors to take part, and with arguably almost as many kids playing these games as they are seeing movies it would appear logical to assume a strong market exists for video game soundtracks. The problem in establishing this market is providing soundtracks worth buying. This is the same problem that effects movie fans. Most soundtracks fucking blow. Sometimes this isn't the case but usually they have a couple good songs and the rest is crap. One way around hitting this rut is to go with a gimmick for the soundtrack.

And that is exactly what Stubbs The Zombie did. The video game consists of you playing as a zombie and reaking havoc, eating brains, and other zombie like activities. But rather than filling the game with the music you would expect, the game is accompanied by cheery 50's and 60's songs being redone by current bands and artists. Apparently this sounded like fun because they landed some plum acts. The Flaming Lips, Cake, Death Cab For Cutie, The Walkmen, and The Dandy Warhols to name a few. Covering favourites that are for the most part instantly recognizable to almost anyone who hears them.

I'm going to bite right into this one so I can talk about more tracks. Ben Kweller opens the show with his rendition of "Lollipop". This is vintage Ben. And by that I mean it is unlike his previous album which was polished, and attempted to show a maturity that he had always been criticized for lacking. The result was a muddled sounding album, that didn't hold a flame to his previous effort which I love. Ben doesn't try to turn this song into something else, instead he might even strip it down more than the original. Just some sparse guitar, and the tune of the song is slowed down to suit his voice. And don't worry, they still keep that popping sound effect that would be blasphemous to leave out. There is something endearing about Kweller's voice in this type of format.

Everyone's favourite indie or perhaps no longer indie darlings Death Cab For Cutie cover a timeless cheesey love song classic in "Earth Angel". Terri loves this song, and so do a lot of girls. I always thought it was somewhat lame. However, Death Cab For Cutie has somehow managed to tweak it enough that I no longer question my sexuality while listening to it. This song is harder than the original, more bigger drums, the guitar track is turned up and a bit of production work done to the vocals that I like. But really just like the original the track is made by the smooth vocals. Just a great love song, and it is probably fun eating humans while listening to this song as well.

I've always said that Cake could be compared to Sinatra. A few people have gave me a confused look after that comparison. Well, now you can hear it for yourself. Cake covers "Strangers In The Night" in what is probably the pinnacle on the album. Most fans of Cake likely haven't heard them doing as serious sounding of a song as this very often, but don't worry it works. And they even find a way to incorporate some trademark Cakestyle horns. Cake never is going to re-invent the wheel. If you haven't been able to get into his voice before, you won't now. But any Cake fan or even casual admirer should hear this song. I would love to hear their take on a couple more Sinatra classics.

The most eccentric cover goes to The Flaming Lips, and why doesn't this shock me in the least. Rather than covering a top 40 hit, they dip into the freakin' Wizard Of Oz and choose to do "If I Only Had A Brain". And they do it up in true Lips style, turning it into an acidic circus trip version of the original. And much like "Lollipop" they still have the munchkins, and the spirit of the original is firmly intact but still it wouldn't be a Lips cover if they didn't fuck it up a bit. A purist like my brother is going to scratch his head hearing this one, but a music fan will likely appreciate this rendition. This isn't the best track on the album, but it is the most unique. As soon as I am in good enough health to smoke some weed again I'm going to do so and listen to this song, write that down.

The Dandy Warhols piss me off a bit. Their 2005 release pretty much stunk. It stunk so badly that I didn't have the patience to review it with so many other albums that I would rather take the time to tell you about. But since I am talking about this song I figured i'd take the time to say don't waste your time with "Odditorium". "All I Have To Do Is Dream" however is a different story. I love the original, and I love what they do with this. Which is a rather large departure from the original. The vocals are in a high falsetto, very quiet, and distorted a bit. The background on the other hand is cranked up, loaded with bass, and is pretty much the polar opposite to the way the vocals are done. This is another one of those instances where it might not sound like a good idea, but it works so what do I know?

I don't know who Milton Mapes are, does anybody else want to enlighten me? I thought it was a solo act, and now after a quick amazon check i'm thinking it is in fact a band. Their take on "Lonesome Town" is easily the strongest performance by an act that is new to me. Only Cake's song tops it. This song sounds very authentic. You can do a cover this way, or you can do it the way of the Lips or the Warhols. Both can be good, and both can be awful. I like the way this song is countrified, and the singer for Milton Mapes has a really nice voice. To be able keep you enthralled when the song is plodding along at such a slow pace requires vocal talent. All of the music from this timeframe had a certain innocence to it. The artists were so much less jaded then, and when you do a cover as authentic as this or "Lollipop" that element of the songs still shines through.

It is easy to write something off just because it is a video game soundtrack and that would be a mistake. Not every song is as noteworthy as the mentioned ones but other than Rose Hill Drive's "Shakin' All Over" the other 12 are totally decent. This is the perfect album to play at a gathering, or a party because everyone will know the songs and want to know what they are hearing. It also is a great album to just put on when you are chilling out and don't want to think too much. Under intense microscopic listens i'm sure that it might get a bit stale but that isn't the point of the album at all. Rarely is with soundtracks. Stubbs The Zombie is a winner with a killer concept.

Songs to download: "Lollipop" (Kweller), "Earth Angel" (Death Cab), "Strangers In The Night" (Cake), "There Goes My Baby" (The Walkmen), "All I Have To Do Is Dream" (Dandy Warhols), "If I Only Had A Brain" (The Lips), and "Lonestome Town" (Milton Mapes)

SCORE: 7.8 (It goes about as far as a fun album full of covers can go and this score reflects that. I bought it and I think that is more reflective of what I think about it than the score.)

Track-fu (Terri)

2005-10-30T19:01:00.000-05:00

Settling down to Track-fu after a busy weekend. Ther's a bit of variety in the mix this week -- we've got "I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes" by Tom Vek from Dan, "Bom Bom Bom" by Living Things from Brandon, and "This is the Dream of Win and Regine" by Final Fantasy from Cameron, along with the other tracks you'll find below.

1. Madonna -- Hung Up

After spending the last couple of years talking up Kabbalah and falling off horses, Madonna's back with a new single. This one is more successful than some of her more recent releases, due in no small to the sample from Abba's "Gimme Gimme Gimme". I love Abba. Seriously.

The song reminds me a bit of Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head", in spirit. The lyrics aren't mind-bending, but they're servicable enough. All I ask of pop tracks is that the lyrics aren't distractingly bad, because with a song like this they're sort of besides the point.

So if you never like pop tracks, you probably won't like this, but as far as pop songs go this is pretty good. In any case, anything is better than Madonna's cover of "American Pie".

2. Beck -- Clap Hands

This song was a bonus track on the Japanese release of Guero. It's a weird little track, but I like it. I always like hearing Beck's laid-back voice with crazy beats -- it's an odd combination, but it works well. This song could get stuck in my head for days, I think; it's got that ear worm quality.

3. Rogue Wave -- Are You On My Side

This is a pretty song. I like the almost-whispery vocals that nearly become a chant in the chorus (such as it is), and the rolling guitar that holds it all together. It's got a good vibe.

4. Modest Mouse -- I've Got It All (Most)

Good News For People Who Love Bad News, probably my favourite album of 2004 and one that still gets regular play in my discman (I am quaint), is being re-released. This is one of the new songs they've added to the album; it originally appeared as a B-side for "Float On".

I like the song, but not as much as I like most of the other tracks on that disc; then again, much of that album took a while to really appeal to me, so maybe this song is the same. Apparently it's stuffed right in the middle of the existing playlist for Good News, and I'm not sure what I think about that.

5. Fat Lip -- What's Up Fat Lip?

This is a track from Fat Lip, previously of The Pharcyde. It's got a chill, old skool production style that I enjoy. I think it might have been released at the wrong time of the year, though. I can hear it coming out of open car windows in the summer.

6. Tom Vek -- I Ain't Saying My Goodbyes (Dan)

This sounds a bit like the Killers as a solo artist with a stronger punk influence. Vek's turned down the slick retro a bit and turned up the noise. I like that it's a bit more angular and less predicitable than the music by some of the bands Vek might run comparisions to, but it's still catchy and accessible.

7. Final Fantasy -- This is the Dream of Win and Regine (Cam)

I wonder if Final Fantasy is going to find himself having some legal issues with the producer of the video game?

I like that the violin is prominent in the song -- it's an underused instrument, usually shoved to the background when it does appear. I think this is the kind of song that would grow on me -- there are some pretty melodic segments, and I like the sparse instrumentals. I don't love it instantly, but I'm liking it more as the song goes on.

8. The International Noise Conspiracy -- The Dream is Over

International Noise Conspiracy sound awfully loud compared to some of the songs in this list. It's a good rock song though, with piano. I like rock songs with piano; it's part of the reason for my affection towards the Afghan Whigs.

I'm not really familiar with International Noise Conspiracy's earlier work, but apparently this album is a bit more mainstream than much of that. It was produced by Rick Rubin, for Christ's sakes. So if you are a long-standing INC fan, consider that your warning.

9. Living Things -- Bom Bom Bom (Brandon)

This song has an intro that reminds a bit of cock rock 70s songs. It's a cool riff, but I feel like the song doesn't quite get anywhere. It's not that I don't like it, it's just that I don't think it's got that something extra.

Winner: Tom Vek, because I think out of the bunch it was the most memorable. But really, they're all pretty good, and Madonna and Rogue Wave get honourable mentions.

Loser: Living Things, but it's not a real loser. I didn't dislike any of these songs.

Sigur Ros - Takk (Ronan)

2005-10-30T10:27:00.000-05:00

Sigur Rós – Takk...

‘Takk’ means thanks in Icelandic. And what could be a better name for this album than thanks? Thanks Sigur Rós for everything, for showing people that you can make good music, and hopefully showing Bjork that Icelandic people can still make good music. ‘Takk’ is the fourth album proper from Sigur Rós – a band who shot to prominence with their second (and perhaps still best) album, Agaetis Byrjun. So, are you having a hard time pronouncing all this then? It’s not going to improve for the remainder of the review: songs here include ‘Meo Blodnasir’ and ‘Saeglopur’. My version of the album also came in a really nice case, not your ordinary case. This tells us two things class: one, that it’s always better to buy an album you can hold rather than through iTunes (which is now going to force this site out of business because of that statement), and second, that this kind of production value marks Sigur Rós out as a very special band altogether. After all, weren’t the rest of their albums in a made-up language called ‘Hopelandic’. This time around the songs are in Icelandic, but unless you’re from Scandinavia this will make little difference to you. But it does mean that the songs now have meaning: albeit meaning you can’t and probably never will understand.

So is the album actually any good then? Or is it all just about the pretty packaging and the unpronounceable names? I’ll let you answer this one class, what do you think....?

(As usual a silence fills the room whenever the teacher asks a question. After two or three unsettling minutes, the teacher decides that no child is willing to look studious in front of their peers, and answers the question himself.)

The eponymous first song, ‘Takk’ for those of you who need to consult a dictionary to understand that long difficult word, leads gently into the album and is a mere intro of what’s to come in the remainder. Ten seconds in to ‘Glosoli’ the listener can see that nothing has changed, the old Sigur Rós are still here. But that’s no bad thing, definitely not. ‘Glosoli’ could have appeared on any of their previous albums and wouldn’t have been out of place. Nor is it out of place here, on the most mainstream, the rockiest of their four albums. (On a side note I can’t believe there’s a new Rocky film coming out!) Song three is proof of this, the song ‘Hoppipollla’ sounds a bit like Coldplay, but is fifty million billion trillion gazillion times better than Coldplay. And I gave their album a 9 remember, class?

‘Med Blodnasir’ is a symphonic trail through brilliance, and ‘Se last’ starts off like a Postal Service tune, but soon develops into Sigur Rós territory. Like many of their songs it starts off slow and builds up into a crescendo, and then leads into a brass section, eerily reminiscent of those former musical geniuses led by Tim DeLaughter. And does anyone know what they were called? (One child raises a hand.) “Was it the Beatles, sir?” By God, you’re right. That was it The Beatles. No you fool! It was the Polyphonic Spree, how do ANY of you expect to graduate at this rate? The next song, the beautiful ‘Saeglopur’ also builds up into a crescendo, but the come back down that follows is just as special. It takes you about twenty seconds to half a minute before you realise that you’re actually listening to ‘Milana’ (I could be spelling these wrong, the tracks are written in handwriting on the case, or should I say scrawled in handwriting.) But the silence and faint keys only serve to accentuate the rest of the song. No Timmy, put your hand down, I’m not explaining what accentuate means. The song is one of the longest here, but when you’re listening to Sigur Rós you forget all about time and the outside world, and instead are submerged into their all-encompassing spectral world. What exactly do I mean by that last sentence, we’ll never know.

‘Gong’ expectedly contains not one gong. And I’m just wondering how come nobody uses gongs in songs anymore. See that internal rhyme I used there? I must be learning musical techniques from Sigur Rós. Gongs, they could be the new cowbell! The song itself is the most up-tempo song the band has recorded, and could see a new direction for their next album or EP. It’s just an awful pity you can’t understand the words. But one thing about Sigur Rós is that you can make up your own words – some of the words sound like English words, so you can make your own incoherent English sentences – a bit like the ones made by http://www.tashian.com/multibabel/ (Check it out it’ll keep you occupied for a good, uhm, fifteen minutes). No, Mary, no-one else is allowed out to go to the toilet, you’ll have to wait until John comes back, and then you can go.

‘Andvari’ takes us back into familiar territory. And a bit of the lyrics sound like “Inside I’m floating” which is a metaphor which works especially well with Sigur Rós. Outside I’m merely sitting here listening to an album, but inside I’m floating. Inside I’m floating, inside I’m free. The remainder of the album sounds just like it should – like Agaetis Byrjun II. It’s no Rocky VI, but it will have to do until Rocky comes along. (Now wasn’t that the strangest review you have ever read? I had to do something different to be in line with the music)

Tracks to Download: With Sigur Rós you need to listen to the album as a whole, not as individual songs. You see it all segues together in the end.

Rating: 9.4 – How could I give this anything less? Sure I could give it more, but that wouldn’t leave the band much room for improvement. And I want them to improve, because Agaetis Byrjun III sure sounds good to me!

Sabotage from Dan to Brandon: t.A.T.u. - Dangerous And Moving

2005-10-28T11:10:00.000-05:00

t.A.T.u. - Dangerous and Moving
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

False Advertising. Thats what I associate the most with t.A.T.u., the reason for that is because they are showing us something that just has to be complete bullshit. If you pay attention to the lyrics and the videos and the live performances you'll see these two girls holding hands or hugging or making out, whatever the case may be I doubt that either has munched a little rug. BUT these two girls would have you the listener believe they are total lesbians, by insinuating they can't live without each others touches or something sentimental and lame. Don't get me wrong, as a heterosexual male its my job to love lesbians and download them on the internet and I do all that, just when I get this too good to be true lesbian act I just don't buy it. Basically they are offering us something that normally isn't seen in music, singing girls that play with each other and undress each other with their eyes while they are performing live on stage. As hot as this is I won't be fooled, I know your faking it bitches so just hang it up because you are horrible. They sound like Evanescence, and they fucking blow assholes too, but I think if I had a preference it might be Evanescence. Oh man this band infuriates me, because the one redeeming quality they had was totally fabricated and when that is gone your left with nothing, which is pretty much the extent of this album. Well thats kinda untrue, because it was 41 minutes of my life completely wasted.

They have an intro to this 'saga', its called "Dangerous And Moving" and of course its the first one. This song has one thing in it, and its a beat that just repeats itself for about one minute. The beat isn't the best as you can imagine and the reason why its not very good is because of the weird electricity type of sound that is on full display at the beginning of the track. To be honest its short and I don't have to hear them sing so what the fuck am I complaining for? This is about as good as this batch gets at least from the listening that I have done so far, because as soon as you add those two fesbians (fake lesbians) the songs go extremely downhill at an alarming rate.

Since that song was short I'm going to just talk about the second song next, "All About Us". As you can imagine the lyrics seem to imply that ever since they found each other it has been all about them, which sounds a lot more like they make out or do stuff right? But as you can imagine my hopes are high because I know the fesbians aren't gonna make out or do stuff at all, they'll hold hands and then go in the back and fuck some dudes, and you know why? Because they love the cock. It starts with some really intense beats that are accompanied by a piano so its a pretty jarring combination. The song is obviously bad, they must say its all about us at least 30 times, I am not exaggerating, you'd be surprised how many times you can say the same thing over and over in a 3 minute time span. Each chorus alone has like 7 or 8 of them so its no wonder, hell theres probably closer to 50 of them, so you know they are rich with lyrics and talent. If the song was much longer than it is I would probably end my life due to the overwhelming fact that its horribly written and the beat is something that just scares the crap outta me.

The sixth song is called "Gomenasai", I mention it because of its completely ridiculous name. However I seem to recall that these two aren't from North America, which really starts to explain a bit more of the stuff they sing about and the words that they choose to express their feelings if english is in fact not their first language. Regardless it doesn't change the fact that this song is completely bad and contains a word that I don't have any idea what language its from or even if its a word. They seem to talk a lot about needing a friend immediately because this is a sad song for t.A.T.u., it has those big piano moments where it thunders in for a defining moment of the song. They use a lot of them however, in fact I would say they use way too many, but thats because theres like seven. The repeat lyrics that aren't particular good started to irritate me from the get go, so I have a feeling that I'm going to pretty much hate everything they sing due to the fact they are unintelligent. I mean if they were smart and had talent, they wouldn't be pretending to be lesbians for money right?

Holy shit this is bad, "Friend Or Foe", this is the fifth track on the train wreck. The lyrics go like this on the chorus, "we used to love one another, lived for each other, cuz I need to know, are you friend or foe?" How bad is that? Seriously, I mean good for them with the rhyming, that means they passed grade school at bare minimum before turning to a life of a fesbian. The music is not good at all, there is nothing worth mentioning in a positive light, between the backup singing which is by some electronic background singing girl robot and the totally fucked up organ they are using. Its just all too much to include in a bad song, how can you be ambitious when you are totally bad to begin with? Shouldn't your ambitions align more to making good music? At least thats what you would like to think a rational human being would come to that conclusion, unless they were a fesbian. I think most of this album can be blamed on the fake lesbian thing because that image is helping these songs to be created, and that isn't a good thing because the music is total bullshit to begin with, so stop contibuting to this farce. Oh and by the way, this is easily the worst song on the album, it infuriates me to no end, the electronic singing is the biggest headache.

So the next track on the hit list is the tenth one, its called "Perfect Enemy". As you can imagine its not very good and it includes the keyboard for a large portion of the actual music in the song. They mix in a bunch of other stuff and layer it up to fool you into thinking that the song isn't as bad as it actually it. The girls have pretty much the same appeal they did in past songs, the lame Evanescence singing style but all the lyrics point to a show they aren't selling. I mean I don't knoe that they write their own lyrics or not, but I would think that its likely since they aren't complex and I think just about anyone could make the music that is featured from track to track. Nothing is complex, I think their music is mostly based on actually seeing them as you listen to it, at least thats what it is to me since hearing it makes me want to remove my eardrums with this pair of tweezers I just found. They only have a few songs where they aren't yelling their lyrics into the mic, those are the ones where I get to at least appreciate how 'less' bad the song actually is.

Ok this is the last one, promise. The song is called "Dangerous And Moving" which has the track number of twelve. You'll notice that they already had a song on this CD that had the same name and that is because they ran out of ideas and liked the first one that they had. This is actually a similar song, as you recall from before the intro song was just an instrumental track, now with this one they decided to make a track of it by adding themselves. This song is just another headache to me, because this beat is something that I already heard before, and then of course theres the addition of the fesbians and they have done a good job at ruining the entire song so far. I suppose after thinking about it whether they were legitimate lesbians or not the music is extremely terrible and that is unacceptable under any circumstances. The fact that they just fake the muff dive is something they do to puch record sales, its total horseshit really, but what can you do they are likely told to ante up the stakes by sixty-nining by their record executives.

Sabotage Success: 9.1 (I can't believe how much this shit ruined my day, like its bad music with a horrible thing that I hate the most in the world, fakery. One thing I'll kill you Dan, and on your birthday weekend no less, you better lock the door.)

Sabotage from Brandon to Dan: Ashlee Simpson - I Am Me

2005-10-28T09:23:00.000-05:00

Have you heard the one about the girl who breaks into the music industry on the strength of her older sister? Said sister's floundering music career is rescued by a calculated ploy involving a reality tv show centred around her and her newlywed husband. The show gains astronomical popularity, and along the way it is again very carefully made known that this sister has a younger sister who also wants to record an album. Not accidentally this revelation results in another reality tv show centred around the younger sister and the recording of her album. One problem, this younger sister can't sing.

Not really a problem though or so it would appear. The project pushes forward and the album is released and does remarkably well on the charts. Younger sister actually sells more copies, and becomes more successful in the music industry than her big sister. But then it happens. Little sister lands a gig on Saturday Night Live and during her performance it is revealing that she was blatantly lip synching. After a botched attempt to blame the band, she takes responsibility and braces for the damage to her career. Except no damage is done, her fans are so blind and oblivious to the royal screwjob they are a part of that they still love her. So much so, that her next album is met with eager anticipation. This is Ashlee Simpson's next record, "I Am Me" and I am certain I am in for a treat.

Ashlee Simpson likes to pretend she is a rocker. She dresses like a skater chick, and jumps around like a punk-rocker. And for the millions of young girls across the world they are willing to buy it. Too lame of music taste to actually like someone singing punk rock, they embrace this and view it as a sort of rebellion. Again, everything about the Simpson family is a carefully planned out scam. Take this first song for instance, "Boyfriend". The song opens with a guitar riff that is so obviously attempted post-punk that it is ridiculous. It sounds like Franz Ferdinand, Hot Hot Heat, or any other post-punk band du jour. Odd, you didn't hear this on the last album but that is the craze right now. Like I said, CALCULATED. The only problem is when Ashlee joins in her voice sounds the same as it does in every song because she can't sing. Hard to make songs sound different when the singer is so limited. For what it is worth her band is actually alright. Why they play with her I don't know? Her voice is fucking monotone and mechanical and people still overlook it. The good news, this seems a lot less inspired by her than the first album. Hopefully that hurts her sales and it starts the beginning of the end of her shitty career.

So Brandon has T.a.T.u. and I have L.O.V.E. an absymal 80's high synth sing talk track by Ashlee Simpson. What happened to her here? This isn't even a little bit pop-punk, this isn't rock. This is pure bubblegum bullshit and she is even worse at this than she is at what she was doing before. The chorus has her reciting the letters L.O.L.O.L.O.V.E.L.O.L.O.L.O in basically a lame Brittney Spears sexy voice impersonation. The background sounds like it came from a S Club 7 reject track. I'm amused because everything i've heard or seen from Ashlee is her talking about how she fought to have her imagine be rocky/punky because that is her style of music. And here she is doing this now... clearly she just does whatever the hell she is told to do. Not wanting to follow in her sister's footsteps? Sure doesn't sound like it.

And here we are again with Ashlee Simpson abandoning everything she said was important to her. "Burning Up" is a roadwreck. I think the song is supposed to be a sexy song, about how badly Ashlee Simpson is burning for some guy. But the background doesn't correspond at all. The background is a bad attempt at a chill groove and her singing is a bad attempt at sounding seductive. It sounds like bad karoakee or maybe a Lindsay Lohan song. Say what you will about the first album but a few of those singles when I heard them I had to admit were catchy. It was all production because Simpson can't sing but on this album I haven't stumbled upon any songs like that whatsoever. The other thing i'm noticing is every chorus of our songs consist of her making noises like ah-ah-ah or whatever and passing it off like viable lyrics in her chorus. This isnt' the most unlistenable thing Brandon has ever sent however it might be the least talented bubblegum pop he has sent.

What do you say when an album is going downhill from the beginning but gets worse towards the end? Falling off a cliff? Because that is what this one is doing. "Catch Me When I Fall" is a four minute super slow ballad with Ashlee accompanied by nothing but a piano for most of it. Alicia Keys can pull this off (although I still don't like it), Ashlee cannot. Is this supposed to put to bed the rumours she can sing? I would LOVE to hear her try to do this live, well actually no I wouldn't. I would like to have someone tell me about her attempting to do this live. Somebody told her rasping in a voice that could possibly be mistaken for singing was enough to get a record deal. Well, who am I kidding having a mega hot sister with a bigtime reality show is the key to getting a record deal. If I was Jessica Simpson's brother I could probably land a record deal and I CANNOT sing.

"I Am Me", what can we read into this title? At face value it would appear Ashlee Simpson is making yet another bold statement about how she is her own person, who will make her own style of music regardless of what her sister does. But one listen to the album dispells that right away. So what I think they are actually trying to say is that it was Ashlee Simpson's idea to embrace this new sound. The Simpson family just enrages me. That dad micromanages both of his daugher's careers and legitimately creeps me out. It is to the point where I can't ever take anything either of them does seriously because I just assume they are doing it for publicity reasons. How does someone manage to spin lip synching on Saturday Night Live into perhaps even more record sales? Where was this guy when Milli Vannili fucked up. Not the worst album i've heard, but one of the worst musicians I have ever experienced. I actually tend to think the Duff has more talent than this hack.

Sabotage Success: 8.7 (With a bad album like this usually the saving grace is decent production, or some tolerable beats. Nothing like that here though. Just bad through and through.)

Gogol Bordello: Gypsy Punks Under The World Strike

2005-10-25T22:15:00.000-05:00

Russian gyspy polka punk is what we will be discussing today. Anyone still listening? Hopefully at least a few of you decided to hear me out, because it will be worth it. See whereas many people would hear of this seemingly ludicrous combination of styles and be deterred for me it was the main reason that I ended up hearing Gogol Bordello. I absolutely had to know what this was going to sound like. And you know what it sounds like? Exactly what you would expect from Russian gypsy polka punk.

Basically, the sound is that of a drunken bar riot mixed in with accordions, shouting, and spliced with reggae and dub influences throughout. The entire thing sounds like it was recorded with the lead singer so drunk he could hardly stand on his own two feet. He shouts and slurs his words with intensity but never clarity and this is a good thing. Seeing this live must be a total trip, and maybe a dangerous one. Polka on its own is more or less intrinsically lame, but the accordion is not. Pumping up the accordion and setting it against high energy punk music is actually very clever. Much like Yellowcard and their fiddle was a good gimmick except this is a) way better and b) less financially motivated.

Are they actually gypsies? That is a damn fine question. I would hesitate to guess that they are in fact no actual gypsies but going to their website would not tell you the answer. Actually, going to the website would lead you to believe they are gypies but so would any good gimmick. Whether they are or they aren't they act like they are. They recently signed to Side One Dummy records and that could mean they will get more exposure. This is the same label Bedouin Soundclash recently signed with. So who would I recommend this too? Well, I thought Brandon but he doesn't like it all that much. The two people I have found who like it were girls who aren't even necessarily exclusively punk rockers. If you like innovative, high energy music, and enjoy combining genres and can handle a thick Russian accent singing polka punk then yeah I recommend it. But you are never going to hear anything else like it so even if it sounds weird I say give it a taste.

Brandon would be proud of Gogol Bordello for adhering to his policy of opening the album up with authority. "Sally" might be the purest, most highly energized true punk song on the album. Starting with some gibberish, and then some awesome two part violin playing off of one another the song doesn't take long to suck you in. The violin actually is used even more than the accordion on the album but it is done so much differently than the Yellowcard. The violin has a kinda possessed manic dance/mosh vibe on Gogol's songs. Their is also a version of this song kicking around with the Dropkick Murphies on it as well. But I haven't found it yet. You can't really call this singing so much as he is shouting, grunting out the words and I love every second of it. I don't know why I like it so much but I can't get enough of it.

Next up "Immigrant Punk". The chorus is so simple just going"immigrant, immigrant, immigrant punk" and then repeating it again. Maybe it isn't even the chorus because it is done throughout the song so much but whatever you want to call it I call it awesome. His voice actually reminds me a lot of Joe Strummer except with a thick Balkan accent. This song uses the accordion as the main instrument. What is really unique is that the guitar is basically an afterthought on the entire album. Instead they choose to fill spots where you would expect a guitar with accordion, violin, drums, and various other substitute instruments. Show me a band that thinks outside the box and odds are you've shown me a band I like. Now that bloody chorus is back in my head. Gogl has a way to do this to you.

My virgin experience with Gogol Bordello was the track "Start Wearing Purple". Any limewire search for this band is going to result in tons of hits for this song because it was featured on the most recent Vans Warped Tour compilation. Obviously I liked it enough to download the entire album. This track is more of a slowburn. With the creepy, haunted sounding accordion set against some soft bass with the vocals being at first sung rather quitely. Each verse they pick up a little bit but not to the point of shouting at all, but don't worry it is coming. The best way to describe this is it sounds like a drunken polka campfire song. With the repetitive, sing-along style lyrics. I'm sure the fans get a kick out of this whenever they do it live.

Opening up with what is basically a reggae opening, "Not A Crime" again shows Gogol Bordello has a lot more range than I would have ever thought to give them credit for. Check the violin on this track because the intense violin opening is as notable as any guitar solo on most punk albums. I am sitting here in my chair basically doing the equivalent of a one man sitting mosh and yeah it probably looks pretty fucking ridiculous. Hearing a band of this style utilizing obvious reggae influences is impossible to explain you have to hear it for yourself. Polka, punk, and reggae spliced together should not work but it does. I would say the high energy songs like this are more likely to be accessible to the casual punk fan so this would be advised listening if you only want to try a track or two. I can hear the Clash here, and through the Clash I can hear Bob Marley very easily. Can you?

I saved the best for last though. The title track "Under The World Strike" currently has actually taken over "Immigrant Punk" as the fav. The first thirty seconds is just a violin and accordion playing off one another before they even get to the vocals, well other than what amounts to grunts. These guys play Conan at the end of November and I have to remember to see it. I must know what they look like live. This song is very sparse in comparison to the others. It amounts basically to an acoustic track without actual really acoustic guitars instead its just one instrument either an accordion or violin accompanying the vocals at any given time. Hearing a violin in as isolated a setting as I do on this track makes me realize what an unbelievable instrument it is when used in new ways like this.

Front-to-back the songs aren't all as consistently excellent as the ones mentioned above but they aren't all that far away either. I always listen to the album straight through and unlike most punk albums Gogol Bordello serves you up over an hour's worth of music. Considering what you are likely to pay for it that is a good thing. This album has given me a new found appreciation of the violin, and accordion. I will eventually be buying this I have no doubt. Because when I feel like polka punk what the hell else am I going to listen too?

Tracks to download: "Sally", "Never Young", "Not A Crime", "Immigrant Punk", "Avenue B", "Start Wearing Purple", "Under The World Strike"

SCORE: 8.30 (This album is a bit more fun than it is groundbreaking which explains the score. Hands down, the best "punk" album i've heard in 2005.)

Tuesday Stroll

2005-10-24T21:43:00.000-05:00

Awwwww shit. If not for album releases Tuesday would be such a miserable day. But ever since early in highschool Tuesday has become a highly anticipated day of the week for me. Sure, not every week is something of substance coming out but more often than not I have something to look forward to. What about this week?? Let's dial it up.

The "Elite" Five

1. The Fiery Furnaces - Rehearsing My Choir

The Furnaces are to experimental alternative/indie-pop what MF Doom and Madlib are to hip-hop. The best word to describe them is prolific. If you haven't heard them before then what to expect is some of if not the most wild music you have ever heard in your life. Listening to the Furnaces is a draining experience, and it takes a handful of listens for the original shock to wear off. This one is getting mixed reviews but I am still absolutely jacked to hear it.

2. Fatlip - The Loneliest Punk

What's up Fatlip? Anyone remember that track? Anyone know who Fatlip is? If you don't here is a quick refresher couse. Fatlip was the main dude in the legendary hip-hop group The Pharcyde. A group that never reached their peak due to legal troubles. Fatlip also released an amazing track called "What's Up Fatlip" a few years back. I have the mp3 if anyone wants this. Expect this to be old school hip-hop, with hopefully sensational flow if Fatlip still has his A game. If you are into that whole old school meets new school hip-hop sound then hit this up.

3. This Bird Has Flown - Various Artists (Beatles tribute)

Hmmm a tribute album based off the Rubber Soul Beatles album featuring Ben Harper, Sufjan Stevens, Fiery Furnaces, Ted Leo, The Donnas and more. It caught my interest right away. I've heard some samples of this and despite what Pitchfork would have you believe it sounds totally decent. Especially the Ted Leo cut.

4. Antony & The Johnsons - You Are My Sister (EP)

What else do I have to say? They won the mercury prize. That very album is almost guaranteed to crack my top 5 on the year end list. Antony & The Johnsons make some of the most jarring, beautiful, powerful music that I have ever heard. I can listen to "I Am A Bird Now" infinite times without it going stale. Watch for a review of this EP in the next few weeks.

5. Slum Village - Slum Village

Neat. I didn't realize this was coming out this week. Slum Village really caught my attention a few years back with the single "Tainted". THey haven't really lived up to the talent shown on that single since in my opinion. Instead going far more mainstream, and using big time guest stars like Kanye West rather than just doing it with good music. I haven't wrote them off yet and in a relatively weak week of releases this still cracks the top 5. I might just see if I can get this for Brandon to review.

Remember Me?

1. The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity

Remember "Lovefool"? I totally was in love with the girl from the Cardigans when that song came out. Her blue eyes entranced me. Turns out they are still kicking, and while they are nowhere near mainstream anymore their music is better reviewed, and apparently more talented than ever. They are lot bigger outside of North America than they are here. I won't hear this but somebody with taste like Terri's might want to look into it.

2. Aerosmith - Rockin' The Joint

What the fuck is this? I have no idea. It has a few old songs on it though so I don't think it is a new studio album. Aerosmith have become the Rolling Stones except they were never as good as the Stones, they never will be as good as the Stones, AND the Stones actually put out a decent album in 2005. What has Aerosmith done lately? Jackshit. They just get by on approaching middle age ex rockers who still feel their youth when they hear the same songs again and again. Meh.

3. Bette Middler - Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook

Somebody shoot me.

Not my bag, but maybe yours

1. Robbie Williams - Intensive Care

I can't get say I like Robbie Williams. Really I think he sucks. Partially that is due to him being in that brutal band Take That. But I saw him perform live on the Live 8 broadcast and he has a set of chops on him. My girlfriend wants to bang him pretty bad. It would appear a lot of people want to both men and women. As much as I don't like him I will never argue that he isn't talented, because that would be foolish. Odds are if you are into this type of thing this album won't disappoint.

2. Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures

Rogue Wave cracked a lot of top 20 lists in 2004 and I had always intended to investigate that album but never got into it. It isn't that I thought it was bad, just not as good as other stuff I heard that year Indie darling, characterized as dizzy alt-pop. This album is supposed to be a bit more experimental, and a fair bit less poppy. That likely means I am more likely to enjoy it. For all you Napoleon Dynamite fans you might remembe Rogue Wave having "Every Moment" being featured on that soundtrack.

3. Buckethead & Friends - Enter The Chicken

This isn't entirely not my bag. In fact... I actually have interest in hearing it. But that interest is more of a curiousity than it is a want to actually hear good new music. Buckethead IS one of the best guitarists of my generation. He is a complete lunatic, and you can hear both of these things in his music. But here he actually has some notable guests, and the album is produced by Serj Tankian of System Of A Down. I might download this, but if one of you does let me know how it is.

Allister: Before The Blackout (Brandon "The Destroyer")

2005-10-24T21:41:00.000-05:00

Allister - Before The Blackout
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

From what I can tell this is Allister's third CD, which doesn't mean too much to me because I haven't heard anything by them before. Well it's possible that they were on that Vans Warped Tour Compilation but I haven't heard that in forever and thers like 50 bands so after a while it becomes harder to pick them apart. Anyways the point is this is pretty much my first experience with the band Allister. I don't think that I like the name that much, but I'm never that into band names that are based on a real persons name. Let's see, who would I compare them too? A few different bands at least, one would be Millencolin, they do have a similar style to them, but their sound ends up coming off somewhere between Millencolin and Yellowcard. I say this because the lead vocalist reminds me of that Ryan Key from Yellowcard but the music reminds me of a grittier Yellowcard that is more talented and sounds like Millencolin. It's an interesting mix to me, if the vocalist in Allister manages to serparate himself from the whinings of Ryan Key then I can see myself as liking this band more than Yellowcard easily. However for them to top Millencolin would almost be impossible, however I invite them to give it a whirl because I love to have more punk music that is good to listen too. Allister seems like they could be on a verge of a saga, and you would think that would be the case with a band that waited three years between albums before a new release. This album isn't too hardcore but I think that will likely assist me in liking it more since I doubt that the lead singer could take the band into that direction.

The fifth song on the CD just happens to be the one playing right now and it is called "Blackout". This song is one of the darker tracks on the disc, it starts with a heavy build up of guitar and drums with the vocalist working his way into the mix. The song continues in this direction for quite some time, I'll be honest is saying that this isn't necessarily the best song on the CD but it does have a unique structure to the song. They go through periods of building everything up and then they just thrash on the instruments for a while and the lead singers just starts singing passionately over all of this music. There isn't really a chorus, at least not one that I can identify, all in all its one of those punk tracks that you look at and figure that the band got ambitious and this is the result of that attempt. I don't think its horrible but its definitely not really for me, more for someone that is into a little bit of a different punk song. The pacing is moderate, there’s no particular areas where it gets nice and hard or melodic and slow, like I said this song is unique to the album and I just thought that I would mention it since it happens to be the song I'm trying to wrap my head around the most.

One thing that I noticed about this band is that their song names are usually two words or less, there are some exceptions but I just thought it was odd that almost every song title has two or three syllables. The seventh song on this disc is called "2 A.M.", this track is pretty neat its actually one of the more uplift tracks in terms of mood but I can't say the same of the pace. The pace doesn't actually ruin the song, this song reminds me of old Weezer, and when I say old Weezer I mean anything from Pinkerton or before that album. The song is good, it has that "Buddy Holly" feel to it which takes me back to the days of watching Henry Winkler dance like an idiot in that wicked video that they made. The song itself isn't that complicated in sound, it’s just something that sounds nice and is pleasant to listen to, not a typical punk song but it has that fun punk energy and that’s all it really needs.

The first song on the disc I believe is the lead single, its called "Waiting". This song is pretty badass, it starts off with some nice buildup between the guitarist and vocals this is short lived though as they include the rest of the band within twenty seconds. The chorus on the song is really catchy and I think that’s the portion that does it for me, the vocals are also particularly good on this track. Maybe the best that they are over the course of the CD. One thing that I do like is they don't really alter his voice on any of the tracks, which I think is good to show that they lead vocalist actually has some talent rather than rely on the booth production to compensate for the singers downfalls. The good thing about Allister is that they are the kind of punk band that I could see coming to London to play for cheap, so if they ever did come here I would be encouraged to go see them live as long as the price of admission was worth it. This song actually reminds me of My Chemical Romance and the style that they have, so really I'm getting a variety of comparisons with Allister, which if you ask me can't be bad since the comparisons thus far have been to music that I actually enjoy hearing.

The nineth song on the CD, "A Study In Economics" actually reminds me of the Green Day track "Hitchin' A Ride". Well the intro of it does, it has that all to familiar guitar riff that I enjoyed on the Nimrod album. The song isn't a rip off or anything, if you listen to it they beat just has similar sounds to it, but really the riff isn't duplicated. And I'm glad they didn't copy Green Day because the lack of originality would result in a huge point loss for Allister. The song has a ska feel to it, which is good, also showing a lot of range and variety for the band, Allister is a talented band from everything that I can tell, they just have decided to not make a decision about the sound that they would like to stick too. I think that this will end up hurting themselves more as a band because I am of the belief that you need to have an established sound before you go off and get too ambitious about the songs that you guys are going to make. Allister doesn't seem to know what they want to sound like, at least on this album, perhaps with it being their third they kept some of the old and then obviously went in all different directions with a similar core. Since this is the only album I have heard by them I don't have the luxury of comparison, but I don't think that hurts the overall jive that I am getting from this album.

Probably my favourite song on the disc is the twelth one, it is called "The Legend of Pegleg Sullivan". This song has an Aquabats vibe to it, perhaps its the topic matter of the song but the wackiness of Pegleg Sullivan and his adventures that they describe to me is something that echoes Aquabats and their random style. The chorus is all about the feats of Pegleg as he torched a whole city and burnt it to the ground, I mean Pegleg isn't a nice guy but they do tell the tales of his high sea adventures. The supporting music to the vocals is something that obviously completes the package. The guitar is excellent, it has a light feel to it but at the same time it sounds like its punk. I guess with a series of songs that remind of of other bands that I like you can't really go wrong because I'm bound to like some of them if they bare some resemblence to bands that I like. One thing that I think I will do is look at some of the older Allister albums because the truth is that I do find that I might end up liking them more, just I don't know that this is the album of theres that is the best, and without that knowledge I think it will impact their score.

How does Allister stack up next to the other punk that I listen to?
Does this need to focus on one sound rather than several?

Judgment Passed: 7.8 (I do like this album, I may buy it, but one thing is for sure this album has peaked my interest in Allister and I will probably be investigating into some other albums of theres before the weekend is done. On the whole this album seems a little experimental for a punk group, I think with a bit more work at it Allister could become a nice little band.)

Tracks to Steal: "The Legend of Pegleg Sullivan", "A Study In Economics", "2 A.M.", "Waiting" "Blackout"

Track-fu (Terri)

2005-10-23T17:48:00.000-05:00

Track-fu is a bit of a monster this week -- ten songs, including the new Strokes single and a couple of tracks from the Stubs the Zombie videogame soundtrack.

Dan's song is "Elliot Gould is in the California Split" by Head of Femur, Brandon's is "Search and Destroy" by Emanuel, Ronan's is "Push The Button" by Sugarbabes, and Cam's is "Michelle" by Ben Harper.

1. Michelle -- Ben Harper (Cam)

This is a Beatles cover, from the "This Bird Has Flown" compilation. I'm not a huge Ben Harper fan, but I think this is a good cover -- it does something a little different with the song. It's definitely got Harper's musical stamp on it. It's kind of hard to screw up Beatles songs, but Harper, to his credit, doesn't come close.

2. The Raveonettes -- My Boyfriend's Back

A lot of Canadians will probably remember the Solid Gold tapes they gave out at the Petro Can in the 80s. The one with "My Boyfriend's Back" on it was one of my favourites. I've always thought that a lot of those songs from the 50s and 60s would be good choices for covers (has anyone done a decent cover of "Leader of the Pack"?), and I wasn't wrong about this one. Kind of an odd choice for a zombie video game (which is the point, I guess), but I like it.

3. The Ordinary Boys -- Thanks to the Girl

A friend of Dan's is in Bedouin Soundclash, and they're currently opening for the Ordinary Boys in the UK. The music's not the same as Bedouin's -- their influences seem to fall more towards ska than dub -- but I think they have a similar chill vibe. I like this song. It's catchy, and it's probably fun to listen to live.

4. Sugarbabes -- Push The Button (Ronan)

Ronan says this song is popular on his end of the Atlantic right now. I can see why it's popular; it's catchy girl-pop that you can dance to. It probably gets played in clubs. But I think it's just a slightly-better-than-average dance song, with an uninspiring, repetitive beat.

5. The Strokes -- Juicebox

The last Strokes disc got a fair bit of hate, but I liked it. I still grab Is This It more than their second album, but I think it suffered a bit from the backlash (and from Julian Casablanca's promises of an album that would blow our minds).

This is a bit of a departure from earlier Strokes songs -- a bit harder, with a hint of...rockabilly, maybe? I'm honestly not entirely sure what I think of it yet; it's not as immediately catchy as a lot of their other stuff, and it's a bit disjointed. I do like it though, and it's good to see them trying something a bit different musically; it's resulted in a fuller sound, and Casablanca's vocals aren't as muffled as they often are (I hate most for this sin, but I forgive the Strokes).

6. Ben Kweller -- Lollipop

This is the second Track-fu song from the videogame soundtrack. Love songs used to be pretty innocent, huh? Kweller doesn't break new ground on the song with the cover, but his voice works well with it and it might have been smart of him to keep it a little sparse. It's fun to sing along to, for sure.

7. Emanuel -- Search and Destroy (Brandon)

This a cover of the Stooges track, from the new Tony Hawk CD. It's not as good as the original, like most covers, but it also doesn't fuck with it too much. Again, it's hard to screw up good songs, although some people manage. I wouldn't skip this song over if I were listening to the compilation, but it's not musically different enough from the original track to make me listen to this over the Stooges either.

8. Head of Femur -- Elliot Gould is in the California Split (Dan)

This band is opening for Andrew Bird on his upcoming Toronto date. It's a quirky song, but it's appealing pretty quickly. It gets more appealing as the song goes on. I really like this track, actually. You'll probably like it if you like Bird, or maybe the New Pornographers; now I might have to go to this concert, even if it is on a school night.

9. Portatastic -- White Wave

This North Carolina band is the side project of the lead singer of Superchunk, indie gods that they are. I never got into Superchunk, myself -- I was a bit too young for them during their heyday, although I do remember that they got a fair bit of good press in Sassy. The vocals on this song are good, and it's really catchy without sounding like every other good song.

(As a side note, I don't get why people who like catchy music don't listen to bands like Portatastic instead of, say, Smash Mouth. There is such a thing as catchy and good, and a lot of what gets mainstream airplay doesn't fit both criteria, unfortunately -- Smash Mouth don't even come close, yet they have a hit single every time a kids' movie comes out. It confounds me.)

10. Gnarls Barkley -- Crazy

Gnarls Barkley is Cee-Lo Green's new band, and I quite like Mr. Green's previous offerings. This moves away from hip-hop a bit into soul. Either way, this song has me dancing in the chair a bit, just like "I'll Be Around" does. Listen to it and try not to. I love it.

Winner: Dan almost took it away with Head of Femur, but then Cee-Lo made a late rush for the end line. Or something like that. I don't know, he's the one watching football, not me.

Loser: Sugarbabes, mostly because I've already forgotten how it goes, which is a good sign that I didn't like it much.

A David Reilly/God Lives Underwater tribute / review of Life In The So-Called Space Age

2005-10-22T14:54:00.000-05:00

On October 16 David Reilly passed away at the young age of 34 years old. Reilly, is best known as being the frontman of God Lives Underwater. A band that experienced brief fame in the mid 90's, and released a few more albums without getting anymore mainstream exposure. Reilly had a well documented battle with addiction but his eventual killer was a long lasting, undiagnosed stomach infection. I've decided to review their most famous album "Life In The So-Called Space Age" as a tribute to the loss of David Reilly. Originally my gameplan was to review this straight like I would any other current album, and now I have changed my mind. After spending some time reading up on the life of David Reilly, and hearing from the message board posters who have been so profoundly effected by the music. It just doesn't seem the right way to do this. So what we have here instead is a review that is going to expand outside of a typical review. Hopefully, it will flow. We will find out.

From what I have been reading around the web and mostly at this amazing fan site enjoyglu.com, it would appear they had a rather devoted fanbase. Many of which insisted that God Lives Underwater profoundly impacted their lives, and are still just as intense about their love for G.L.U. as they were in the beginning. In reading reviews of the album in question, many reviewers would make the point that G.L.U. was a band ahead of their time. Another point of view is that they were a band that more or less got by ripping off Nine Inch Nails, and/or Depeche Mode. Could it be that both points of view were correct? My first experience with G.L.U. was when my buddy Chris Richard who never buys albums for some reason bought this one. I don't really remember if I liked it at the time, I just enjoyed the ridiculous acronym G.L.U. and the big single "From Your Mouth". The sound produced on this album is a blend of traditional industrial, hard rock, and even at times electronic or techno. It actually was a very ambitious recording, and in the context of the time it was released it isnt' surprising that it had a tough time finding a huge audience.

What I find most impressive whenever I hear this style of music is how complex and technically advanced it sounds. This was a 1998 release and to date I would put money on it being extremely difficult to record something like this even with the advances in the music industry. Furthermore, it also amazes me how this complex sound is usually crafted by one or two very talented musicians for the most part. An album such as this requires a ridiculous amount of production, mixing, and fine tuning. The soundscapes crafted on "Life In The So-Called Space Age" certainly stand the test of time. This isn't really my style of music and still that much is abundantly clear. I wonder how this was replicated live? I always wonder that about this style of music. Perhaps someone with an experience seeing them live could enlighten me. On to the songs.

It wouldn't make sense to begin anywhere else but with "From Your Mouth". Songs like this can be a curse. I tend to refer to it as the "No Rain" syndrome. A single that breaks through rather unexpectedly and causes a band to be thrust into the mainstream for a glimmer in time. Short term, you get a lot of out of this but longterm it fucking sucks. The label gets unrealistic expectations, many of the fans who buy your album are disappointed that your single isn't typical of your sound, and it also results in copious amounts of pressure for whatever you do next.

"From Your Mouth" is a really neat and unusually catchy song. I say unusually because it catches you, but not in the same way most music does. I can't quite say whether it is the big blurting bass part, the unusual use of scratching, the cathartic soft sound effect that almost sounds like pleasant whining, or the vocals. Maybe it is all of it? David Reilly almost makes this into a hip-hop song. I know that seems bizarre to say, but with the mixing and his DJ background, combined with the melodic sing talking going on it is a lot closer to hip-hop than it say is to hard rock or industrial. This is just flat out an excellent song, unfortunately there really isn't another song on the entire album similar to it. Everything else demands more of the listener. "From Your Mouth" welcomes you in, whereas the other songs require a more thorough attentive listen. It is like when you see a trailer to a movie you think is a comedy and you show up and it is an intellectual drama. It isn't always a bad thing, but some people are just turned off right away. Its the music industry, the nature of the beast.

Another stand out track to me is "Rearrange". This song is steeped a lot more in the electronic side of G.L.U. I always had this misconception that this band was a lot more screaming, and angst. Instead it really is more ambient and has a kinda intense chill quality to it that I can't think of many other bands that have the talent to pull off. My favourite part of this song has to be the production. Just before the 3 minute mark especially, when the vocals are gone entirely and the listener just gets to asborb the effects going on. But the vocals aren't bad either, I actually am reminded a bit of Scott Weiland's softer stuff here. And Weiland is one of my all time favourite singers.

Still, neither of those first two songs compare to my personal favourite "Dress Rehearsal For Reproduction". This song takes everything up a notch. It took a handful of listens for it to emerge as my favourite. So if you download just this song, do me a favour and give it a few goes before making your mind up. I would hesitate to guess songs like this are both the reason this band has such a devoted following, and why they never really blew up. I like the rawness, the dirtiness of how the production sounds. I love the recycled guitar riff, and I won't even start to guess what effects were put into the mixing. Instead i'll just say Reilly probably does it stronger here than any other time on the album. That chill intensity is here too. Once you are able to get into the music it has that special innate ability to suck you in entirely. Have you forget everything going on around you and just focus in on a part of it and not have a care in the world what else might happen at that time. With so many bands in 2005 when you hear this happening it isn't even someone in the band who is responsible for it. But not here, as David Reilly and Jeff Turzo were more or less solely responsible for everything you hear. Full marks for that.

But let's transition. God Lives Underwater released what will be their final album "Up Off The Floor" in 2004. Apparently there was a manufaturing flaw which made the album tough to listen too. I don't know myself I am working on hearing this album and judging from what I have read over at enjoyglu.com I am in for a treat when I do. After this last album Reilly gravitated towards a solo career. He released the Inside EP, and was working on an album titled "How Humans RX" that may or may not ever see the light of the day. A helpful fan at enjoyglu.com hooked me up with the link to Reilly's myspace website. Where you can hear a handful of tracks. Right when you login a song called "Here We Go" plays and wow is it awesome.

I don't really know if you can find this in Mp3 format as of yet I have had no success. So hit the above link if you want to hear it. I actually think this song would have potentially had minor breakout potential. Hearing the now clean Reilly singing about surviving, and being ready to take on whatever comes his way has a way of pulling on your heartstrings. He sounds a lot more optimistic here than he did on most of what I heard from G.L.U. It is a bit much though I must admit hearing the lyrics and how shitty it is that this guy never got to do what he had in mind. I mean shit as recent as October 12th, not even two weeks ago the dude was posting his upcoming dates on the site. Just an unneccesary loss that fucking sucks.

See the thing is he died from an undiagnosed stomach infection. And I am not a doctor but it seems safe to say that had Reilly had the health insurance, or the money to pay the ridiculous costs that it would have set him back to get the necessary care that he would have survived this ordeal. Being Canadian I don't have to deal with that type of health care (seriously knocking on wood because I swear it is a matter of time before we change our health care) but that is just a bitter pill to swallow. Seriously, the number one reason I would fear moving to the States is because of their health care. With the history of cancer in my family the idea of being in that situation absolutely terrifies me. Not that our system is great either, I've been sick for 8 months and nobody has been able to figure out why but at least it isn't costing me anything.

I really hope that "How Humans RX" sees the light of day and when/if it does i'll be buying it for sure. I came up with this idea as a casual review of a G.L.U. album, partly out of nostalgia and partly out of curiousity. Yet I close this review coming out the other end as a fan and admirer of David Reilly. The shitty side effect is how much more painful his loss it to me now. Especially considering the circumstances. But just because David Reilly has moved on does not mean his music has too. Hopefully more of you will take this chance to re-investigate into a band you might have very well missed out on when they were around. No doubt this isn't for everybody but what does it hurt to try? It is hard to explain but writing this has somewhat overwhelmed me with sadness. If you don't mind I think i'll give the album another spin before I go to sleep.

R.I.P.
David Reilly

You will be missed.

Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene

2005-10-21T23:26:00.000-05:00

You know when a movie gets pushed back, and re-worked, and then finally gets released months or sometimes years after when it was originally supposed to come out? Whenever that happens, you can bet your life on it that the movie usually sucks. Well... more often than not when an album is pushed back again and again, the result is not a favourable one. It isn't usually a horrible album, but when an album is done and a band flat out refuses to release it you have to wonder what is going on. Of course there are exceptions to this rule, the most notable exception I can think of Brian Wilson's "Smile", but for the most part I think my rule holds true.

Let's get this out of the way, Broken Social Scene's new album is no Ashton Kutcher's "Just Married". It is still very good. However, what it isn't is anywhere near as great as "You Forgot It In The People". This album has been reworked, relayered, and scrutinized so much in production that the finished result is often confusing. Gone is that looseness, that chill casual vibe that came through on You Forgot It In The People, and that is replaced with a somewhat mechanical over-produced sound. And at times it works just as well as anything off of the aforementioned legendary album, and at other times it leaves me scratching my head. Speaking of heads, I find myself wondering if the pressure of following up such a revered album maybe got to Broken Social Scene's head/heads? And that is the best explanation I have for the repeated push backed release dates, and the constant reworking of the sound.

I would bet a significant chunk of change that this album was at one point better than what the finished product ended up being. But, when you have basically been credited for starting an entire genre of new musicians who all look up to you, and you have legions of fans clamouring for your next release it must be hard to just be satisfied and put it out. Again, this isn't a bad album. And the final score is going to be quite good, but regardless I can't say this album isn't a bit disappointing. Far too often Broken Social Scene sound like fellow label mates Most Serene Republic lamely impersonating Broken Social Scene as opposed to the masterful band itself. Enough of this though, let's bite into this thing.

I'll start with the good, after re-reading that intro I think I need to dwell on the positivity for a few. And the album does start off very strong. "Ibi Dreams Of Pavement (A Better Day)" is the first standout track inspite of the overly pretentious song title. I like how this song grabs you right from the beginning, with the huge sound of multiple musicians whaling away on their instrument of choice. It has a kinda Polyphonic Spree on steroids vibe going on here. At times during this album, the collective sound goes a bit over the top. Almost makes it hard to have an intimate attachment to the recording, but not here. Here, it is easy to lose yourself in the drums and then the next time you hear it you'll lose yourself in the vocals, and then again something else. Again later in the song, when the vocals go on hiatus I can't help but bringing back the Polyphonic Spree comparison. And it has less to do with the big group of musicians, and more with the heavenly orchestra sound.

Moving along, "7/4 (Shoreline)" leaked a long, long time ago. I actually think this could have been a solid name for the album. Anyhow, arguably this is the height of achievement on this record for B.S.S. Feist returns to the B.S.S. mix on this track as she often does. If you haven't heard Feist's debut album yet do yourself a favour and hear it. She has a sensational voice, and one of most intriguing vibes I have heard in a long while. It isn't a coincidence that her appearances with Broken Social Scene are almost always standout tracks. What I love about this particular track is that it doesn't feel overworked. It manages to keep loose, and isn't over-produced to take away from the outstanding guitar riffs, and vocal stylings. This is the type of lose yourself in the moment, throw your hands in the air, close your eyes and dance around like a hypnotized zombie song that made Broken Social Scene what they are today. And Feist... what can I say about Feist? Her shouting/singing vocals here aren't matched on the entire album. I am absolutely jacked to hear Feist's new album which I heard isn't far away from being a reality.

But all is not peaches and cream. "Major Label Debut" is the first of a handful of songs that just aren't bringing the A game from Broken Social Scene. Is it too much to ask for every song to be spectacular? It is a good question, and it can definitely be debated. Maybe if the band releases an album this good next time I won't have such high expectations and I won't be bitter. But right now lacadasical songs like have me scratching my head. I can see what they were trying to do, create a really low key, dense, subversively powerful song. But I don't think they pulled it off. Vocally it is just way repetitive, and almost pushing boring. Musically i'm having a tough time finding cohesion. The average music listener might call most B.S.S. noise, and they have a point. That noise however, is always organized noise. Here I can't argue that. To me, this is a bunch of musicians fused together and it is all just a bit more than it had to be.

This teeter-totter just keeps flipping flopping. Because immediately after that "Fire Eye'd Boy" comes on and rivals for the best track of the album title. So what we have here is a harder B.S.S. song. In terms of pure catchiness, I think this has the best chance to be a breakout single if they choose to do so. It is far more accessible than your typical Broken Social Scene song, it has an easy to get into chorus and won't confuse your average listener. It reminds me of "Cause=Time" in that regard. I like "Cause=Time" far better, I just think this song has that same reach out to the average listener quality. The linernotes claim 7 people are playing on this song, but it doesn't feel this way. This is a clean, easy to get into B.S.S. song. This is the marijouna that you want to have before you bite into something like the L.S.D. next track which is...

This album was originally to be called "Windsurfing Nation", which is the track we are about to discuss. This track features guest performance by both Feist, and K-OS. Yes, K-OS. Which adds to my argument about how big B.S.S. has become. File this collaboration under w, t, and f. Like I said, this song is the L.S.D. I wouldn't advice starting with this, but if you want a trip then dial it up. Personally, it took me at least five listens to start to get into it. So much goes on here, you have at times three different layers of vocals, the constant guitar, neverending handclaps, and a variety of other chant like sound effects. Feist shines again, and her voice really comes to the forefront. But this type of song really challenges the listener. It walks that fine line between musical utopia, and music overload. Does it cross it? Depends on the mood when you listen. K-OS seems to be an afterthought here, how were they going to work him in? Well at about 3.5 minutes in he gets to throw down a rap, and I still think it sounds out of place. It woulda took balls but he should have been cut from this album. Just my opinion.

I'm noticing I have a lot to say about this album so this is the last one. "Handjobs For The Holidays" again is a misfire. I admit it I love the title, but the song didn't live up to the title. I shudder to say it but I really feel three or four of the songs on this disc are quasi-filler. You know that old joke about how many people it takes to screw in a light bulb in the politician's office? I think of it when I hear this song, because you have all these musicians and yet the sound is so unimpressive. Parts of it sound like it could be done by two guys, and then the other parts make me have to turn it down a few notches to save my ears. And my other complaint is the songwriting, or lackthereof. I haven't done the math but I say on average this album has 35 percent less vocals. Instead it is filled with noises, and extended instrumental periods. I think this was also a mistake and it is painfully evident on the tracks that stick out as being inferior.

I'm liking the analogies tonight so let's try another. If I am the coach of the Calgary Flames and Jarome Iginla gets 30 goals and 70 total points that year I am going to be pissed off. Now, for most people 70 points is pretty fucking good but for Jarome Iginla you can't accept that because you know he can do so much better. Well, Broken Social Scene just put up a 70 point season. And I'm having a tough time swallowing it.

Songs to download: "Ibi Dreams Of Pavement (a better day), "7/4 (Shoreline), "Fire Eye'd Boy", "Windsurfing Nation", "Swimmers", "Tremola Debut"

SCORE: 8.40 (I warned you early it was goin to score well regardless of the negativity that comes through in the review. That is why you read the review, and don't just read the score.)

Deftones: B-Sides & Rarities (Brandon "The Destroyer")

2005-10-20T19:04:00.000-05:00

Deftones: B-sides & Rarities
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

I've heard what almost amounts to nothing by the Deftones. I'm sure I've heard a track here or there, but I guess I must not have been too interested in what was going on with them years ago. My first impression is that the music sounds like a few bands that I have heard before, Tool, Rage Against the Machine, and to some varying degree Marilyn Manson. The music isn't as hard as any of those bands that I mentioned though, its more of a slow melodic beat that the band strings together while the lead singer does his thing, his singing is almost never his own though. I find that they use a lot of amplifying and treble effects on his voice, it sounds like they did a lot of work in the booth to the voice effects anyways which is something that I frown on. The album on the whole isn't hardcore or metal, but I guess that it would have to sit in those categories as an album. As a B-sides album it also comes with a bonus DVD of their music videos, I assume that these are all previously released videos, but again I can't confirm anything since I am not a Deftones expert. Its hard to explain but I don't hate this music, I just definitely don't love it, its something that sits in no mans land with me, always looking for somewhere to be categorized but me with no place to put it. Albums like this almost piss me off more than ones that I hate because I find it hard to talk about music that I kind of like, if I hate it that’s easy, if I love it no problem, but a mediocre album is something that is the hardest to review.

One thing that I can't complain about on this CD is the guitar, the solos are usually moderate in length, and I haven't found one where I start to laugh because they think this is the eighties. The first song on the CD isn't really that much to talk about, it’s called "Savoury". The way to start a CD is not to bore your listener to death, I don't know why more bands don't kick start a CD and just rock out, for one song. If you did that more often it would make sense, I know its not always the case the first song recorded ends up being the first single, but take the song you like the most, throw the most energy behind it and make it that fucking kick ass rock track on your CD. Anyways all rants aside I'd rather talk about the second song, because other than a good guitar solo near the end there’s not much to talk about in "Savoury". "Wax And Wane" is the second song and it is actually pretty good, the vocals are a bit done up in production, but thats ok because the echo that it adds to the chorus is actually pretty cool. The chrous is the best part and it features a nice amount of the guitar as well as a good segment of drumming. This is one of my favourite songs on the disc, in fact it might just be my favourite, somewhere throughout this review I will come back to that and establish which track I like the most.

The third song is acoustic, its called "Change (In the House of Flies)" so I don't like it by default pretty much, I mean I don't hate acoustic music but I clearly prefer it to be amplified. This song is ok I suppose but there are some parts that I just don't like, I wonder if the original is better? The fifth song on the disc is called "Sinatra", this is the type of Deftones song that you are going to want to listen to extremely loud, because the guitar and bass is so grundgy and crunchy that it has to be at a huge volume to actually appreciate. The vocals are almost untouched in this song, almost, theres a little something there but I can't quite tell what, overall it makes him sound more angry, if thats what they wanted to do then mission accomplished. Near the end the song gets really angry and the lead singer starts to get louder and more upset, so he goes on for about the last minute or so, it builds up slowly until the end when it all caps off with the drummer smashing the cymbal in a rather formulaic fashion. I imagine this song is a tribute to Frank Sinatra somehow, I can't find where because I can't even figure out if they are talking about Sinatra at any point during the actual song.

The sixth song is so shity, "No Ordinary Love" is its name and it reminds me of a Lenny Kravitz song, which you know sucks and was just ripped off some band from the sixties. The song is really sappy and not something that I would recommend anyone actually listen to if they like the Deftones, this song sounds like something straight out of a background of a movie which would play when a couple was heart broken and nobody cared. I don't wanna talk about this song anymore since its something that is quite undesirable by my standards. The seventh song is called "Teenager (Idiot Version)", so I assume this song is on another one of their discs just not this format. This song it totally even worse and more shitty and sappy then the one that I just heard, I think that I am hoping Deftones just stop with all this bulshit, because the last few songs are reasons why I am torn over whether this CD is alright or if it is quite the opposite. The last two songs are pretty bad, but theres still seven more tracks to go and its likely that they could throw together a performance or two that I might actually think is wicked.

This is so fucked up, the Deftones are rappers all of a sudden and dabbling in the realm of hip hop. The nineth song on the CD is called "Black Moon", and it sounds a lot like a hip hop track. If you ask me they don't do that bad of a job, but this CD is turning into one of the craziest B-sides that I have ever seen before. I just never thought that I would see a hip hop style Deftones track, and they don't even have a hip hop guest star that would further necessisitate the use of the style. If you ask me its pretty innovative, and the fact that they don't totally butcher the song is pretty cool too, "Black Moon" is my favourite song on the CD, which is kind of hilarious since it isn't really like any of the other songs that are on the CD at all. The song sounds a lot like a Cypress Hill song, which is why as this CD moves along that you get taken off guard by this song, it starts off slow with a build up, but finally when they kick in with the beats and rhymes the song gets pretty bad ass, which is the biggest reason as to why I think this is a sicke track.

The shortest track on the CD is the eleventh one, it is called "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want". It's not the greatest song and it kinda sounds like the lead singer is depressed as he sings the song which is odd because the music is fairly upbeat as far as this album is concerned. The vocals are fairly messed with which is a reason that I don't pay particular attention to them, but the guitar and drums are something that stand out. The song starts with a low guitar build up and then the lead singer and the rest all kick in at the same time, the guitar through the chorus is fairly standard but on the chorus it mixes it up and has a solo towards the end. The drums are probably the best that they have been on this song then they have on any of the other tracks that are featured on this B-sides and Rarities. This isn't one of the better songs on the CD but it is one that stuck out to be as talented as far as the music is concerned for this band. To tell you the truth there aren't too many songs that are standing out so I'm trying to pick whatever I thikn is worth talking about.

The twelveth song is called "Digital Bath" and it is another acoustic version of a song they have performed before that is found on the disc. I don't really like it, this one is worse than the other one by far, so I'm not talking about anymore. "The Chaffeur" is the thirteenth song on the disc and it reminds me of an old school metal song from the eighties, which is ok because I haven't heard really any but this one that I would throw into this category. Its almost like a Pantera song which is kinda trippy but this song is something that makes me smile, I don't think that it is particularly talented or that it would have been easy to replace this song with another but its something that makes me smile nonetheless. Songs from the eighties usually don't sound good if they are involved with the word metal, I mean some of that stuff is good and I will listen to it, but on the whole I find it pretty cheesey and overdone. This song doesn't really overexaggerate in any area except with the vocals and guitar solo, but thats about it. I supose thats a large portion of the song isn't it? Ok so I don't really think this song is that great, but totally worth hearing at least once so that you know what the hell I am talking about.

How did the Deftones "B-sides and Rarities" shape up?
Do you think it would have helped if I had heard other stuff by them?

Judgment Passed: 6.5 (I probably don't appreciate this album that much, but a die hard fan might or someone that likes an album that is ambitious, overall its not really something I like. But I think the main probably could have been that I haven't heard any of their 'regular' stuff so that I could compare it.)

Jason Mraz: Mr. A-Z (Ronan)

2005-10-19T17:37:00.000-05:00

Jason Mraz – Mr. A-Z

See what he did there? That’s actually quite clever. “I’m Mister A to Z / It’s all about the wordplay”. So goes the first single from Mr. A to Z’s second album. Atoz (I’m going to call him ‘Atoz’ for the rest of the review – that’s what you get for being a clever bastard). ‘Wordplay’ is a solid song by the ‘John Mayer it’s cool to like’Ô, or these days is it cooler to like Mayer? Probably it’s uncool to like either. Only people who are out of synch with the music world (read: Ricky Martin) or teenage girls listen to this sort of radio-friendly rock, right? Well, them and me. Yeah, me, the TwoWayMonologues writer who reviews artists you’ve never heard of actually listens to stuff you’ve heard too much of. You see, over here in Ireland we’re not proliferated with the same kind of nonsense you get on American and Canadian radio. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever heard ‘The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)’ once on radio. So maybe I might have a clearer view of things – a more objective look at albums like this one. We’ll see…

On the aforementioned ‘Wordplay’ Atoz sings that “the sophomore slump is an uphill battle.” While the sentence is nonsense (how can a slump be uphill?), you can see what Atoz is trying to say. A lot of artists (read: Damien Rice) have trouble with their second album. You have all your life to work from for your debut, but for your second disc you only have the intervening period with its tales of touring and debauchery. In places Atoz builds on what he started in Waiting For My Rocket To Come. ‘Mr. Curiosity’ is a heartfelt ballad, and one of the strongest tracks on the album. What am I saying? It’s one of only a handful of half-decent tracks. The song is made all the better by the input of a string section. The following song, ‘Clockwatching’ is also a pretty little number – simple but effective. It’s songs like this which made his debut so likeable.

‘Geek In The Pink’ seems like Atoz’s attempt at being a ‘cool nerd’ like John Mayer tried on Room for Squares. This like most of the material on the album is largely disappointing. ‘Bella Luna’ which has a nice sounding names, evoking some sort of Spanishness is a poor pop song which wastes the talents of Raul Midón. Midón’s classical guitar parts get little chance to shine. When they do the track begins to get interesting. Midón is not the only wasted guest. ?uestlove (or Ahmir Thompson as his mother calls him) from The Roots appears on the uninteresting ‘Geek In The Pink’, Dan Wilson co-wrote many of the songs but appears on none, and Rachael Yamagata is criminally underused on ‘Did You Get My Message?’ and ‘Song For A Friend’.

What made ‘The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)’ interesting was Atoz’s speedy sentences. These appear in places on the album, but unfortunately not often enough. ‘Wordplay’ utilises this talent of Atoz well, but he seems to have forgotten about it for the remainder of the album. In fact a lot of the songs could be interchangeable, and leave no lasting image in the memory. ‘…’ and ‘…’ are perfect examples of this. See, the songs are so unmoving, so uninteresting, so bloody boring, that I have already forgotten their names.

Tracks to download: Mr. Curiosity, Wordplay, Life Is Wonderful

Rating: 4.5 – “The Sophomore slump is an uphill battle”, maybe so, but getting back to being good will take a lot of effort after this sub-par performance from pop’s greatest wordsmith.

Tuesday Stroll Part Deux

2005-10-17T17:37:00.000-05:00

Back at it again, taking a gander at what is going to be assaulting our eardrums this week. Obviously not every week is going to have an amazing list of new music coming out. But so far, both weeks have been rather stellah, especially because one of the albums coming out this week is an album that I have been anticipating more than almost any other album to be released this year. On we go.

The Elite Five

1. Animal Collective - Feels

If I had to name one album that isn't in my collection, that I lose the most sleep about it would be Animal Collective's "Sung Tongs". I adore that album, and it easily would have cracked my top five -- and likely my top three -- from 2004. I will not make that mistake with this album; I am buying it tomorrow. Animal Collective might be too weird for the casual listener, but their intoxicating blend of experimental alternative noise-pop is second to none as far as I am concerned. Big anticipation can sometimes lead to a big letdown. I hope this isn't the case.

2. Boards Of Canada - The Campfire Headphase

I didn't know what I had when I downloaded this. What I found was ambient, instrumental, electronic, whatever you want to call it. Usually I don't like those genres that much, but Boards Of Canada is an exception to this rule. You might call this folktronic, and the title of the album might suggest that as well. It is like trippy campfire music. A camping trip on LSD. But it isn't spastic, it is actually rather chill. I think Pitchfork shortchanged this album a bit. In the mood for something challenging, yet soothing? Try this one out.

3. Brian Wilson - What I Really Want For Christmas

I know, I know! Christmas albums, for the most part, are surpremely lame. Brian Wilson is not lame. That is why this makes the list. I can't find these MP3s anywhere, and I'd say it is about 50/50 whether or not it sucks. Then again, if this is inspired and features half the genius that Brian Wilson put into the production of the phenomenal "Smile", then this could be the single greatest Christmas album that ever existed. We'll soon find out.

4. Various Artists - Stubbs The Zombie

Another somewhat shocking choice. This is a videogame soundtrack for a zombie videogame coming out this week. The unique thing about this soundtrack is that the entre thing is from current bands (lots of them very good bands) covering cheesey 50s and 60s perky songs that will play during the game while you are murdering zombies. Kinda like in Faceoff, where everyone is getting killed and the happiest music you've heard is playing while it happens. I might actually buy this, plenty of bands I like did this, including Ben Kweller, Flaming Lips, Cake, The Walkmen, and Rogue Wave, to name a few. Check it out!

5. Controller, Controller - X Amounts

Their EP was hailed as being the next big thing. That quickly fizzled, but they have taken the smart path of following up with an LP before the hype disappeared. This is a Canadian band that specializes in post-punk you can dance too, and is revered for having a dynamic live show. Will it carry over to their first full length? I don't know, I haven't heard this yet. But if you like big bass, songs you can lose yourself dancing too, and retro music then Controller, Controller is better than most of your other options. If you happen to be in Canada an added benefit is that it is supercheap.

Remember Me?

1. Stevie Wonder - A Time 2 Love

It isn't that Stevie Wonder retired, or that fans lost interest. But when you take a decade off from releasing new material it is a big deal when you decide to return. Well...that isn't true. BUT! When you are Stevie Wonder it is a big deal. This hall-of-fame calibre musician swears this is just as vital and just as inspired as his very best material. I have never been huge into Stevie Wonder's stuff, other than "Higher Ground". And Stevie Wonder uses his clout to spruce up the guestlist: Prince, Bonnie Raitt, Doug E Fresh, Paul McCartney and more appear here. Will this comeback be triumphant?

2. Depeche Mode - Playing The Angel

Four years isn't that long to pass to be forgotten, but Depeche Mode's comeback album in 2001 was so forgettable that most people still think they haven't released new material since the early 90s. Well, the boys are troopers and are back to try it again. I just read a review for it giving it 4.5/5 stars. I think that review is full of shit. Depeche Mode wasn't even that good when they were good, so now that other younger, more inspired bands are doing what they did better than they did it I doubt they are ready to takeover the charts. Maybe I'll put a song from this in Track- fu next week so I can find out for myself.

3. M.O.P. - Warriorz

Thanks allmusic.com. That site tells me about shit that comes out that I never would know about otherwise. Last week Warren G, this week M.O.P. It seems that the hip-hop bands that me and my nerdy white friends used to listen to and pretend we were hardcore in high school didn't retire afterall. It's just that nobody cares anymore. M.O.P. were talented, their hardcore beats and highly explicit lyrics were some of the best gangsta rap around. And they never really went mainstream, which is respectable. Then again...I wonder now if they wish they would have. Anyone jonesing for some old school gangsta rap that would make Tupac proud may wanna try to scrounge up a copy of this.

Not My Bag, But Maybe Yours

1. Propagandi - Potemkin City Limits

Much like M.O.P. reminds me of the old days, so does Propagandi. They've been around for a long time, and are one of the most well-known punk bands around. You got your NOFX, your Rancid, Pennywise, Good Riddance, and Propagandi. They are old school punk if you will. I heard this, and for what it is worth I liked it. Brandon will be a much better judge.

2. Melissa Etheridge - Greatest Hits

Hey man, she had cancer and she survived, so I just wanted to mention the album. Always been underrated musically, and when I heard her cover Janis Joplin at an awards show last year it really turned my head. She can fucking wail.

3. Various Artists - Tony Hawk's American Wasteland

A balls-to-the-wall punk comp featuring some of your favourites, if you are a punker. Dropkick Murphies, My Chemical Romance, The Hot Snakes, Fall Out Boy, Rise Against, and I think you get the picture. Two video game soundtracks in one Tuesday stroll. You can rest assured that never happens again.

Back at you next Tuesday.

Eric B And Rakim: Paid In Full (Brandon "The Destroyer")

2005-10-17T17:17:00.000-05:00

Eric B And Rakim: Paid In Full (Remastered Version)
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

I had heard of these guys before but couldn't really remember anything that they did. So when Dan sent them to me claiming they are old school hip hop and its something that I might like then I always think that I could be onto something. After hearing the album I do agree that Rakim has sicke lyrics, everyone on the Internet claims he has the sweetest lyrics, I'm hear to let you know its not just another one of those annoying rumours. The sound quality of this album is probably eons above the original, but that wouldn't change how the album sounded that much would it? I hope not. This album is pretty good, I definitely enjoy it, I mean I do listen to a fair bit of hip hop and as such think that I know good hip hop when I see it these days. Eric B and Rakim are obviously retro for all purposes of a theme, they orginated back in the eighties, I have no idea when. The timeline I've pieced together on the Internet is sketchy, so I'll just say that they have been around for a while, however the album I'm reviewing I'm pretty sure came out in the eighties originally. I suppose it works since its supposed to be their best album from the collection they have put together over the years. I would compare them to guys like LL Cool J or Big Daddy Kane, both have distinctive mic skills that stand apart from their beats, thats kinda how I would categorize Eric B and Rakim.

The first song on this CD is called "I Ain't No Joke". The beat is an old school one for sure, which is a promising start to an album that I would like to sound similar to stuff from the retro hip hop era. Eighties hip hop has a distinct sound and it is something that I like to listen to, I think that the message of eighties hip hop is simple to me, it wasn't really ever about killing people are anything too controversial. In this song Rakim has some sicke rhymes, his lyrics are supposed to be legendary, almost everyone has given him props on his vocals at every site that I visited so this must be a truth. The beat of this song is the part that I like the most, near the end they manufacture some scratches that are pretty hilarious, you always have to appreciate when they throw a bunch of unnecessary scratches into a mix when it is totally uncalled for an has nothing to do with anything. "I Ain't No Joke" is a good way to start off this album for a first time Eric B and Rakim listener, it gives you a good vibe to start off listening to them with.

The second song on the CD is called "Eric B Is On The Cut". This song is unique to me because there is absolutely no singing, hell they didn't even mix or sample in any singing into this track. I think that if you look at the song title you will see why, it would appear as if Eric B is the one that is mixing this particular track. In the song he does add in a fair bit from a drumkit and a scratch here or there. But all in all I think that it isn't that bad of a listen, it runs at about three and a half minutes so if you don't like instrumental tracks or just songs without singing I guess I should referrence this one as since the instruments they use are all a mix that has nothing to do with instrument use. That was a confusing read so hopefully you just know what I am trying to insinuate, I like what Eric B has done with this track, from what I can tell he is the one that does most of the mixing and Rakim is the one that does most of the rapping for the group. I suppose its a fair trade off, each does their part on the rap fronts and the mixing front too, so this is just one song that is pure done by Eric B, it isn't as good as the songs that contain rapping from Rakim and himself but thats because hip hop doesn't really lend itself to instrumental versions of itself as well as songs that contain actual instruments with the ability to show more variety.

The sixth song on the CD is "Paid In Full", so as you can imagine the title track is one that won't disappoint. The beginning of it is a sketch about how they need to organise the song that they are about to sing, that way they can make all of their money (paid in full). The beat is bad ass, it is kind of dark, it reminds me a bit of a beat that you might have heard Tupac mix before his unfortunate demise. This is one of the songs that both Eric B and Rakim are featured on, which is rare because throughout some of the earlier ones it would seem it would be either one or the other that was singing. This song brings the kind of hype that I would get with "Gangstah Party" with Snoop Dogg and Tupac, that song was wicked, this is the type of song that I could develop a similar like of. I like that the beat has a bit of a groove feel to it, it is probably part of what makes it more catchy to me. They throw a solo in for scratches at about the two minute and fifteen second mark, this scratch solo is almost funny to me, but in actual fact is quite good after a few listens. The entirety of the solo goes til the end of the song, so it closes it out, and its neat to see this solo in a hip hop album because its not often that the genre has solos.

One of the remixes that is featured on the album is another take on the song "As The Rhyme Goes On", this remix is the eleventh track. To be honest I've heard both this version and the original which is the seventh song on the disc and I think that I prefer the remix. Its not often that I do prefer the remix over the original but sometimes things that are crazy happen and pigs fly and then all of a sudden I don't like the original as much anymore. The point is that this song is wicked, it isn't my favourite but it was close, I would say that "Paid In Full" is the only song that I like more than this one. The prescence of a drum kit is in the beat a lot more in this song than in the previous ones, so I would say that is mainly due to the remixing of the song by Radio Miami. I used to hear radio edits of songs on Z-Rock when I was younger but I took them for granted because I had no idea what they were at the time, if I was to hear them in the future I would pay close attention to whether I liked it because I would at least know which radio station to try and download the edit from.

The last song that I am going to talk about on this album is "Chinese Arithmetic" which is the eighth song on the disc. This song is unique to the album because it is outfitted with all sorts of samples and sounds that make it sound like it is coming straight out of the Orient. I like the song also because it doesn't have any lyrics in it, so again its a song that is of the hip hop instrumental variety. This song reminds me of The Go! Team, which is weird because they are most certainly not the same sort of music. I for one have enjoyed the hip hop style of Eric B and Rakim, both of them can rap which is good and as a bonus the beats that they have are something that aren't dry and overused by the rest of the world. In any case Rakim has some sweet lyrics and Eric B can make lay a mix or two that is worth hearing. Most people that are into hip hop of any variety will like this CD, but anyone that is really into the old school hip hop will want to run out and buy it.

Do Eric B and Rakim's "Paid In Full" album live up the the hype? I like this album, others I could see as not finding it as fun as myself. I am someone that likes old school hip hop though, the sound that is has and the message it sends is just all the better than the hip hop that I find in this day and age. This is an album that I think I would buy if I happened to find it used and cheap.

How influential is this album? I can see that this kind of album as one that could have helped influence an artist or too, but none come to mind, however I do know that I have seen Eric B and Rakim guesting on tons songs which could only mean that they are invited to be on the song because of their past performances that that artist likes.

Should you buy this album? If you are into old school hip hop of any capacity then this is an album that you will fall in love with, if not for the beats alone then perhaps for the sicke lyrics that you can find on the tracks throughout it.

Track-fu (Terri)

2005-10-16T19:01:00.000-05:00

I finally got to spend a weekend lazing about at home, after spending three of the last four away. So I cooked, went to the market, read cheesy books, and shopped in suburbia -- perfect.

Brandon's picked a song by DangerDoom, Dan's put in The Constantines, and Cam's guest pick is The Real Tuesday Weld.

1. Seu Jorge -- I Was Right

Seu Jorge is the Brazilian singer who covered Bowie tunes for the soundtrack to The Life Aquatic. Those songs are great, and I recommend you download them. I like this song too -- it's got some really good guitar, and Jorge has a lovely voice. It strikes me as a nice summer song -- summer's officially done here, I think, but it's nice to think of it anyway. I don't understand any of it, because it's in Portugese, but I like it anyway.

2. Morningwood -- New York Girls

At the beginning, this song reminds me a little bit of Nada Surf's "Popular" if done by The Strokes. They have a Japanese import, so they must be cool.

This is a pretty good song, but it doesn't grab me like some other stuff in the neo-garage rock ouvre. It's a fun song, but they just come off as a bit too proud of themselves for being hip (and reading the bio on their website doesn't help -- check the rampant name-dropping).

3. Cantankerous -- Flesh Roast

See, I like this song better. It's what I think the song above tries to be -- fun with attitude -- but without the implied snottiness. I like the bratty female vocalist, and the hints of vocals you might not expect to hear in a punk song. There's some unexpected vocals near the end of the song (I'll let you listen and hear exactly what I mean). It'd be fun to sing along to, and the chorus gets catchier every time I hear it.

4. The Real Tuesday Weld -- I Love the Rain (Cam)

The Real Tuesday Weld brings to mind some of the weirder songs by the Eels; I think it might be the way the vocals are mixed. "Ditty" is the best word I can think of for this, but I don't mean that in a dismissive way. It's the kind of song that's probably best listened to just chilling in your room, or maybe when you're driving in your car where you can be surrounded by it.

5. We Are Scientists -- Worth the Wait

This is some fun, catchy alt-rock. It reminds me of a band I can't quite put my finger on, so it's probably a little derivitive, but that's okay. Not everybody is Radiohead.

Anyway, I like the vocals, and the chorus is appealing. Something good to crank up. I could see it playing on Much Music, but it's better than a lot of the crap they're usually playing.

6. The Constatines -- Hotline Operator (Dan)

Dan was talking up the new Constantines album to me the other day; this is the first I've heard of it. This song stays pretty low key, or sounds that way, but I think there's a tension to it. It's more of a slow burn, which makes the spots where the instruments ramp things up or the vocals get more intense even better (and keeps it from being too predictable). But unlike a lot of songs that start that way, it actually does get somewhere, which is satisfying. Will have to check out the rest of the album.

7. DangerDoom feat. Talib Kweli -- Old School (Brandon)

DangerDoom have been getting talked up in this apartment for months; Dan's recent discovery of Aqua Teen Hunger Force has only increased the DangerDoom promotion coming from him. I've always suspected that I am perhaps not cool enough for DangerDoom, that it's the sort of hip-hop that I'll listen to, not getting, wishing I could just throw on some Jay-Z. I love the Hova.

But I do really like this song. Great beat, catchy chorus, but not stupid or sexist (that I can get, anyway...I'll give it a pass if it's going over my head, I guess).

8. Grandaddy -- Florida

I think we've got a Grandaddy CD, but I'm not sure I've ever listened to it (it's hard to keep up with the CD inflow in this place). I think I pictured them as being more country, maybe because of the name. They aren't so much country.

This is a pretty good song, even if I'm not that fond of the screamo inserted in the middle. It's not predictable, anyway.

Winner: I really liked that Constantines song. I'm going to make a point of listening ot hte album this week. DangerDoom fared well too though.

Loser: Morningwood. I don't deal well with the agressively hip.

Jimmy Eat World: Stay On My Side Tonight (EP)

2005-10-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

I think I have gone through my life so far drastically underestimating the power of the E.P. It always seemed like a gross waste of money to buy an album for around 10 dollars that has half the music you would get on an entire album, for 5 dollars more. And maybe for a time that might have been the case. In 2005 things have changed. So many albums run between 30 and 40 minutes now, that the difference between an EP and an album is marginal at best. Add to the scenario the amount of filler on most current albums, something that rarely if ever happens on an EP and you start to build a strong case for the strongpoints of buying EPS.

I've also stumbled upon another interesting tidbit of information in regards to EPs. When a band like Jimmy Eat World releases an EP rather closely after their previous not-so-hot selling album it usually is a veiled sign that they are apologizing to the fans. A kinda.... we realize we fucked up, but don't write us off quite yet we still make good music I promise! I suspected this might be the case with Jimmy Eat World, and so I downloaded the album. Well.. also because they cover a Heatmiser (Elliott Smith's former band) song on it. I figured after all the harsh things I had to say about the prior album I owed it to them to at least give it a fair chance. "Stay On My Side Tonight" features 5 songs. 4 of which have never been released, and one remix of "Drugs Or Me" which I didn't care for at all off of "Futures" but is greatly improved in this format. A little research on the J.E.W. (Jimmy.Eat.World) site tells me that these songs were recorded for the "Futures" album, but didn't seem to fit and thus were in limbo. Why these were left off I'm not quite sure because that album was a disappointment. But, i've already spoke about that album. This is about the E.P so moving on.

"Disintegration" opens the EP, and this is nearly 8 minutes of some of (if not the) best material I have ever heard from J.E.W. Seriously... I think this song single-handedly reignited my interest in a band that I had been moving away from after "Futures". The song has a lot of build up, starting with some really slow spaced out pounding drums, and just a sprinkle of guitars against Jim Adkins voice. This isn't an anthem, this isn't made for MTV. This is music, for music fans and I haven't heard something like this in a long, long time from this band. For a band that is normally pigeon-holded as emo, I have a tough time classifying this as emo. In that it is much more brooding, and chill. No screaming, no whining like you would expect. The song gains momentum as it goes, and the drums become much more powerful, and it all builds up to these dynamic cruscendo that hits around the 5 minute mark. It consists of basically a chant, with the album title being chanted again and again, getting louder and louder which continues for the rest of the album and is layered against the vocals, and the different shit going on instrumentally. Just a dynamic song that absolutely destroys any song off the last album, and maybe any of their albums.

It would be too much of me to ask for this EP to succeed at the level of "Disintegration" for the entire 5 songs, so I expected a drop off. "Over" is more like what you would expect from Jimmy Eat World, but still toned down and not nearly as blatantly catchy which I am loving. The main issue holding this back from being a dynamic track, is musically it just seems boring. I like when Jimmy Eat World creates an atmosphere with their music. They usually do this by layering different instruments, and adding different sound effects you wouldn't expect to find and then using that to set the mood for Jim Adkins vocals. But this just sounds like an attempt at single gone awry. It isn't brutal, but it is easily the weakest of the 5 offerings on this EP.

"Closer" gets a lot closer to what I am looking for. I wish they would write songs a bit less about relationships. You might argue that not everyone song is directly about a relationship, but at the end of the day every J.E.W. song is about relationships. You might have to peel it back a bit to find the connection but the connection is always there. But! What I do like about this song, is they create a pimpin' ambient atompshere and that subtle change makes the song so much better than the last one. Jim Adkins has a great voice, and this band other than songwriting has oodles of talent. Sometimes they just forget to use it. If you are a longtime Jimmy Eat World fan this is reminiscient of "Clarity" which I would argue is the best album they have hands down. Before they sold their souls to the devil to climb the top 40.

Finally, the Heatmiser cover. The main reason I investigated into this EP. Elliott Smith, likely surpasses Shannon Hoon as the most notable musician that has passed away in terms of how much I adore them. So any connection to his music, no matter how loose is going to hook me. "Half Right" if nothing else, shows me that Jimmy Eat World as a band has better musical taste than I mighta thought they did. Let me tell you, Jimmy Eat World and Elliott Smith are so different that it really was a cool choice for a cover. And they don't fuck it up. The lyrics of this song are so excellent to begin with that by not trying anything too ambitious they pulled it off. It has a emo meets classical, meets folk vibe going on here that is their interpretation of the song. If you are going to hear it, be sure to check the original as well.

So the remix of "Drugs Or Me" which is titled the Styrofam remix. I totally ripped on this song in my "Futures" review. Mostly because it was benevolent bullshit, and I was so disappointed in the album that I couldn't stand hearing Adkins pouting about the internal debate his girl had to hve in deciding whether to like him or the drugs. Especially considering all the other songs talked about how much Jim Adkins himself likes the drugs. But this remix shows the song in a brand new light. You hardly notice the lyrics with all the splicing, and sunshine sound effects worked into the song. Hell, you can hardly hear anything with all the abrupt starts, and mad layering going on here. It almost sounds like Jimmy Eat World being done by Fourtet. And I love Fourtet more than any other electronic artist I have ever heard. Whoever this Styrofoam dude is he/she has serious remixing skills. Transforming this song I pretty much hated, into something I can hear 3 times in an hour is impressive.

"Stay On My Side Tonight" runs for approximately 27 minutes. Not a bad value considering it will set you back less than 10 bucks. And four out of five, otherwise known as 80 percent of the songs are very good. But the reason you would buy this is "Disintegration". Any Jimmy Eat World fan needs this song in their collection. Only the hardcore buy EPs it has been that way for years. I'm not sure it will ever change, but if you are the EP buying type this one comes recommended from me.

SCORE: 8.15 (I love being taken by surprise. Jimmy Eat World is like that girlfriend you had in highschool that you hated one minute, and then you loved a few minutes later. It is a roller-coaster. But this is a high point.)

Strangely's Bazaar 7 (Ronan)

2005-10-15T15:07:00.000-05:00

Strangely’s Bazaar 7: Help! A Day In The Life

We’re not ones to skirt the issues here at TwoWayMonologues, so if a good cause combines with good music, we’re going to cover it. Throughout the world, children are being involved in revolts, rioting, fighting, wars, and other conflicts each and every day. These children are caught in conflict just because they’re stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time. And if something isn’t done to help these children, that wrong time will be all the time. But luckily 2005 is the year of charity concerts and albums. And this newest one is definitely one of the most interesting compilations since Now That’s What I Call Music 18.

Ten years ago the compilation album Help! was released in aid of the children of Yugoslavia. It featured some of Britain’s finest artists and the Boo Radleys. One of the standout tracks on the original Help! was ‘Come Together’ performed by Paul McCartney, Paul Weller, and Noel Gallagher. This time around, on Help! A Day In The Life (which doesn’t include a cover of that Beatles track) there’s quite a diverse range of mostly-British artists. There are two collaborations on the record – Keane and Faultline team up on Elton John’s ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’, and Boy George and Antony Hegarty (from Antony and the Johnsons) join forces on Lennon’s seminal ‘Happy Xmas (War Is Over)’. The most exciting thing about the album is that it includes new material from Radiohead, and the King of Inactivity, the man who has lived off one album longer than Maroon 5, Mr. Damien Rice!

Most of the album was recorded in one day (8 September for all you trivia nuts out there), and the album was released to the internet the following day, just three hours after the last song was finished. But the most important thing is, not that this album contains great songs, or was the quickest album ever made or what-not, but that the proceeds are going to help children in Afghanistan, DR Congo, Iraq and the Balkan States. The album costs £9.99 Sterling (individual tracks are 99p each) and is available on http://www.warchildmusic.com Go on, buy it!

Tracklist:
1. How You See The World - Coldplay
2. Kirby’s House - Razorlight
3. I Want None Of This - Radiohead
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Keane & Faultline
5. Gua - Emmanuel Jal
6. Hong Kong - Gorillaz
7. Leviathan - The Manic Street Preachers
8. I Heard It Through The Grapvine - The Kaiser Chiefs
9. Cross-eyed Bear - Damien Rice
10. Gone Are The Days - The Magic Numbers
11. Cler Achel - Tinariwen
12. It Was Nothing - The Coral
13. Mars Needs Women - Mylo
14. Wasteland - Maximo Park
15. Snowball - Elbow
16. The Present - Bloc Party
17. Help Me Please - Hard-Fi
18. Phantom Broadcast - The Go! Team
19. From Bollywood to Battersea - Babyshambles
20. Happy Christmas, War Is Over - George and Antony

Sabotage to Dan from Brandon: Ricky Martin - Life

2005-10-14T16:01:00.000-05:00

It seemed to me like Ricky Martin was doing everyone a favour and just going away. His first album was a big hit, and his songs polluted the telvision, and radio waves for a long time thereafter. However, after that album nobody in North America seemed to care. Then, there was the big scandal over whether Ricky Martin was gay, which he himself seemed to admit only to immediately take back. And that seemed to be the final straw, finally icing Ricky Martin's career once and for all. The world was a better place. Baby jesus, stopped crying. And it was so.

5 years passed. New annoying musicians came into the world, many almost as annoying as Ricky Martin. Occasionally Ricky Martin popped up at benefits, rumours of a new album would circulate. But nobody seemed to care, and so it seemed a safe bet that he would stay in hibernation. Enjoying the money he had, and making the occassional guest spot on television shows. Afterall he was still big in other places. Just not here, or America. Overtime, with more and more has been artists experiencing success with comebacks. The groundwork had started to be laid out. Ricky Martin, clearly not content with being a one album wonder decided to comeback. Thus, "Life" was born. Baby jesus, begun to cry. And it was so.

Still, in spite of Ricky Martin's hope for a career resurgence, his album release was met with mild anticipation. It slipped by without me even knowing it existed. That was until Terri emailed me to let me know she had just seen his video on Muchmoremusic (i know, how old are we?). A few days earlier I had sent Brandon the new Nickelback album as my choice for this edition of sabotage. I knew then, that ruthless mother fucker would hit me with Ricky Martin. Yet, I hoped against hope that maybe, just maybe he would miss it. And I could send it to him for the following round. He didn't, and it was so.

So here I sit. Preparing to hit play on what is bound to be a hellacious experience. Ricky Martin is back, and I am being forced to hear it. Let it begin. The first song is called "Till I Get To You", but Ricky you have already got to me. You got to me at hello. This song almost sounds like Ricky Martin taking a go at Bowie a little bit. Seriously... I mean it is only part of what I am hearing, but the fact I am hearing it is a sign that it stinks. Also, I can't help but laugh at the fact Ricky is singing these songs with these intense hardcore romantic lyrics. Which are designed at seducing the women, into loving him and wanting him like they did before. But alas, he might not even want the women at all. Anyhow this song is a combination of synth heavy 80's crap, and a Marc Anthony song. It is awful, but actually could be worse.

The lead single is called "I Don't Care" and features Fat Joe. How in the fuck did Fat Joe get talked into this? Seriously.... unless perhaps Fat Joe and Ricky Martin have a thing going on. New rumour! Alright, this song has a hip-hop beat with some Egyptian style sound effects worked into it too. I guess it is supposed to be a meeting of the minds and styles of Fat Joe and Ricky Martin. But, I don't think anyone ever heard Ricky Martin and thought man this would sound wicked over some hip-hop beats. And that is because it doesn't, not even a little bit. Here is the thing, if this was a Fat Joe song and Ricky Martin was completely eliminated from it. It might not be half bad, but this is a Ricky Martin song. And it absolutely reaks of a label trying to repackage Ricky Martin be moving the focus off of him as much as possible. I wasn't born yesterday, hopefully the public wasn't either.

Poor Ricky, he is trying to do everything in his power or he is caving into the demands of satan who would be the only person who I could think of that would give this idiot a record deal. On "It's Alright" he is more or less rapping. As close as Ricky Martin can get to rapping, it sounds like when Justin Timberlake does his quasi-white boy rapping, except three million times worse. Like this song completely abandons the little bit of roots that he usually has in his music. Usually he leans on his Spanish roots, and eventhough I never liked a single song I can at least support someone for staying true to that. Now, he completely abandons it and makes a god awful pop song that is almost unlistenable. Maybe he didn't save his money afterall.

What is saving this album from drifting into the territory of the worst sabotages I have ever received are the hip-hop songs, that basically have Ricky Martin on the chorus and otherwise hide his lack of talent with guest stars, and big beats. I am not saying they are good, but I am saying the ballads like "Save The Last Dance" are infinitely worse. If the album consisted of all songs like this I might hunt Ricky Martin down and finish him myself. The background is a combination of a lame orchestra, against big bass and Ricky's crooning lyrics about how he can't go on living with this "girl". Note the quotation marks, they are very important. If Ricky Martin is in fact gay (and he probably is), then this album could be considered the biggest sell out in the history of music. When you think about it.

I don't have much faith in the world when it comes to rejecting brutal music. It seems if an artist goes away for long enough that they can come back and all is forgotten. In Ricky's case he hopes that the scandal about him being gay (which isnt' really a big deal, but if you heard him deny it you would assume it was), and the fact that he just doesn't have any talent are forgotten. So far, i'd tend to argue that they aren't. Just like they didn't forget when Mase, or the Backstreet Boys made a comeback. Usually your past history is enough to get you one decent single, and a few months of talk shows, and award ceremonies. But after that, if your material doesn't deliver then you are back from whence you came. If Ricky Martin really wants to salvage his career what he should do is come out of the closet, embrace the fact that he is extremely homosexual and become the male equivalent to Cher. But, nobody tell him that. Or else baby jesus would be crying for an entirely different reason.

Sabotage Success: 8.3 (It might not read like it was really bad, because I decided to go at it in a different perspective. A more light, comical way. But it was bad, it just wasn't as bad as say the Pussycat Dolls were last time.)

Sabotage to Brandon from Dan: Nickelback - All The Right Reasons

2005-10-14T15:59:00.000-05:00

Nickelback - All The Right Reasons
Brought to you by: Brandon "the Destroyer"

Whats your favourite Nickelback song? I think mine would have to be "Too Bad" from the first disc of theirs titled "Silver Side Up". If you own this CD congratu-fucking-lations you probably own one of the worst CD's that has ever been created. I was going to do this Sabotage in a super fan way, where I would love Nickelback and everything that they have to create and call music. However after much thought there was no way that I could keep that farce up too long without losing my mind, so instead of going about it the hard way I decided to do it the more accurate way and sling as much as I can at these dirty fucks. I can't believe Chad Krueger has to exist, I mean theres plenty of people on the planet that I would prefer to listen to rather than this blonde rock and roll Jesus. Krueger is pretty full of himself and pretty full of shit when it comes to rock and roll, there is nothing that I hate more than this type of person let alone this type of artist. The band is laughable most of the time, I especially love the segments where they think they are a talented hardrock band and then jam for like a good minute, thats great news for anyone who hates their sense of hearing, after a few applications of this CD and you'll blow your brains out. Oh I suppose this will help with those people who are just about at the end of their rope but not quite there and need that extra nudge to kick that bucket out from underneath you. Nickelback is a piece of orangtang shit, I want to stab Dan, the only thing preventing this homicide is the fact I get to send an album
back in Sabotage, thank God I found that Ricky Martin album.

The second song on the CD has me losing it, its called "Fight For All The Right Reasons". I hope that they released this as the single because it would work great for an over dramatic music video where Chad is looking all innocent and the girl he's bitching about looks like a total ho that breaks his heart. Now we all know that Chad is the problem in any relationship, mostly because he is a crazy asshole who thinks he is talented. If you dated Chad Krueger would you tell him that you liked his music? I don't think that I could pull that off, theres some limits to lies in order to get to the deep pockets of celebrities, thats the kind of lie that would weigh heavy since the entire world would know you were lying about the talent level of your "boyfriend" Chad. Ok thats weird. Anyways at about the two minute mark on this hilarious song they have this huge jam session with a really gritty guitar and its hilarious because they have Chad's vocals changed in the booth somehow making it sound like a screeching or a banshee. The screeching is a mild improvement to the slack jawed, bleach blonde idiot that usually yammers on about how he wears his heart on his sleeve. Nickelback can't possibly enjoy his company, I mean from what I can tell he is the band, but that doesn't mean that they don't go home and swallow a few rufees each day in an effort to forget about everything.

Most Nickelback videos that I think of in my head have the band playing in front of some cheesey backdrop and Chad standing with one foot up on a rock or somethign while the fan's blow his shirt and wavey blonde hair in the "wind". If I was going to pick a song on this CD to feature that lameness the most I would choose the third song "Photograph". Oh man do I hate this shit song, it reminds me of an STD cocktail that has Climitia, AIDs and Syphillis in it. So as you can imagine this is one of those particularly preaching Nickelback songs that is really slow and devoted to nothing other than some random and worthless moment in Chad Krueger's life. The one thing I don't get is how can you go from this song that I might compare to the "Hero" song that was on the first Spider-man movie soundtrack, to another that might be more compared to that pretend hard rocker image they lend to WWE pay per views. I don't really know why Nickelback has fooled so many people into loving them, and Canadians are loving them too which is the worst part, I mean I could rest easy if it was the other parts of the world but no, I know that Canada is contributing a fair bit to our Nickelback problem. Basically people we all need to come to an agreement that Nickelback is a garbage spewing child molester and then we can stop enjoying his music, fair enough?

The fifth song is called "Savin' Me". As you can imagine by the title Chad is singing us a song about how he has been saved by some prominent life event. Its hard to tell because he is such a huge idiot if he is talking about a person saving him or if it is just some general thing that he discovered but one thing is for sure it is lame as shit. Nickelback has nothing to offer me when they slow this shit down and let Chad Krueger croon over the music that sounds like it should be lending itself to choir practice. The whole band annoys me, I mean they had the opportunity to get out of this band at any point, but for some reason they have stuck through everything, I guess they really wanted to win that Juno. Seriously though theres no way that they get along with Chad, he's got to be the biggest moron that I've heard sing before. His lyrics are just so annoying, another song that is in the same vein as this one is the sixth one, its called "Far Away". This song is totally cheesey, the chorus is about the worst in the world as they add in a fading away effect on the portions of the chorus where Chad has to sing far away. I can't believe this is a song, hell I can't believe this is a band, but at least I'm laughing and not running for the knife.

With a name like "Side Of A Bullet" the eighth song has to be badass right? Well points for effort Nickelback, but I see through your terrible guitar that is being thrown eratically around in the background as to not notice how horrible it truly is. The guitar is the funniest part, you would think you might hear this is some heavy metal bands song, but Chad has the balls to take this band to levels that are outside the box as you know. If you ever want a good laugh just go to Amazon.com, search for Nickelback and then click on whatever CD you want, preferrably the new one so the customers have something to talk about in their reviews. Anyways the funny part is reading those customer reviews that are left by the die hard fans, because you know that they are serious. Now I know most human beings don't like Nickelback, but this isn't the case for everyone, so if you find someone suffering from Nickelbackitis then report them to your nearest health council for quarantine. We'll make sure that love for Nickelback disappears one way or the other, whether its by pure distaste for the balls filled shit coming from Chad Kruegers mouth or whether a secret non-government organization threatening your life.

Ok obviously I'm just fucking around and no one will actually hunt you down if you like Chad Krueger and Nickelback. But in all seriousness if you like Nickelback, why is that the case? I don't see where the talent is, the guitar is always too much for me to handle, I laugh until I cry. Chad's vocals are pretty disgusting, he is tone deaf and its all too preachy at times. Other than that the rest of the band is just filler and dresses itself usually to the tone of hard rock which is extremely bad. If you can tolerate all that and the thousands of miscues that they make throughout this disaster they call an album then I suppose I should really be commending you for your high pain tolerance.

Sabotage Success: 9.4 (What total bullshit, I mean I definitely hated Bjork more, but this is a big pile of shit that I had not really anticipated on having to review at any point. To be honest I forgot they had a new album coming out, if I had remembered then Dan might have been on the receiving end of this fist to the asshole)

American Analog Set; Set Free

2005-10-14T00:08:00.000-05:00

A certain amount of pressure and expectations come along with being the first non Canadian band to be signed to Arts & Crafts. What American Analog Set has going for them is that they aren't a new, massively hyped band that was "discovered" by Broken Social Scene. Instead, they have been around since 1995, and already developed a solid and loyal fanbase. Certainly, being on Arts & Crafts really is a boost to anyone's career due to the hype and ridiculous credibility that label gets (see Most Serene Republic) who got much hype inspite of rather poor material. Here is an example of how being signed to Arts & Crafts works for American Analog Set. I saw this band live around 2000, and liked what I heard. However, they seldom crossed my mind over the last nearly six years. That is, until they sign to Arts & Crafts and are heralded as being the first non Canadian band on said label. All of a sudden my interest is perked, and I make an effort to hear the album. I'm sure that I am not alone in doing this.

So I am somewhat guilty of doing a bit of the Pied Piper syndrome. I don't care, this album is really damn good. Most of the reviews I have read agree, and not many people would argue with the assertion that the album is their best to date. But in hearing this, it also inspired me to download a lot of their older stuff. And guess what? That is also very good. And though I was rather hammered, I recall the concert being excellent as well. You didn't just think Arts & Crafts was going to dive into America by signing just any band did you? I guess this was somewhat predictable.

"Set Free" is a tight collection of 12 songs, that sound like a band who is extremely focussed, and a band that has matured over the years. The album is low key, heavy on the distortion, and the melodies are catchy but not in a jumping out at you kinda way. It is all more of a slowburn. You hear the album, and then a few hours later you realize that every song is caught in your head and then it dawns on you how good it is. There is a certain ambience to the style of their music, or maybe it would be better to call it atmosphere. I remember it being very chill live, but it is even more obvious on the new disc. But.. this is an album. Nothing jumps out as an obvious single, and not really one sing screams out as being the dominant track. I say that because if you are the type who doesn't give albums a chance to sink in, then you might dismiss this on one listen. That my friends, would be a mistake. Moving on.

The album opens with one of the more optimistic sounding songs, on an otherwise somewhat morose album. "Born On The Cusp", lyrically certainly isn't full of cheer and really none of these songs are. But the way the guitar, and the drums rythmically jump against the quiet vocals create just enough to start you grooving. I am pretty sure they use a xylophone, or a similar sound effect throughout as well which is a nifty touch. The song is about always being on the cusp, and doing things that probably arent necessarily the smartest decision but just going straight ahead and not looking back anyways. Let's just say, I know where they are coming from. And it is always catching up to you.

Here we are again, with another track fu LOSER. Not just a song that didn't win, but actually the song that lost out the epic one hour shaq-sized track fu from two weeks ago. Meaning Terri judged it to be the worst song out of like 16 songs. "Cool Kids Keep", which I am about to say is close to the best song on the album. Differing tastes obviously, just rather amusing. I put this in track fu because it isn't as down trodden as the other tracks. It has a snazzy distorted bassline, and I find the vocals to really work well for singing along with. The topic matter is a dark look at the life of the cool kids, and how they tend to group themselves together. You know, safety in numbers. Judging by the bitterness of the lyrics, American Analog Set didn't consider themselves to be the cool kids. Terri's beef was with the heavy distortion on the vocals, which I would highlight as something I like about the song. You say potato I say patoto... know what I'm saying? Definitely worthy of another look.

"Sharp Briar" is the type of music you would find me listening to after just getting some shitty news, or when I was in deep contemplation. It isn't jarring at all, and the mood of the music is soothing. I find that listening to American Analog Set in general causes me to get lost deep in thought. It rarely makes me feel happy. That might turn a lot of you off, but I have always been a sucker for music like this. I think Iron & Wine, or the aforementioned by Ronan Death Cab For Cutie is a good comparison for this sound. It actually reminds me quite a bit of lullabyes... except nowhere near as optimistic as lullabyes tend to be. I also can't help but mention Elliott Smith because I think vocally at times I can hear a comparison. But, his vocals were always more raw and clean. These are heavily produced.

Alright "Fuck this... I'm Leaving", no just kidding. That is just the song name, but it made for a good cheesey opening line. All of the aforementioned songs have something about them that balances out the sadness that is evident in the songs. This one, does not. It still incorporates a nice ambient sound into the backdrop, but there is no cathartic catchy chorus, or jumpy bassline. This is really music for the sad motherfuckers of the world. Luckily, I have a membership card. Lyrically this might be the strongest song. The chorus says, "Do what your dad, don't say should. Do what good girls, don't do good", just an awesome lyric and in the context of the song it is even better. I don't know why I like music like this, I just do.

I'm intrigued to see how Arts & Crafts American invasion goes from here. If this album doesn't sell well, will it scare them off? I hope not, because I would love to see what other bands would be signed. "Set Free" isn't going to be an album that everyone can sink their teeth into. The target market for a band like this is very isolated. However, like it always is with small target markets. If you can hit them where it counts, they'll love you forever. In other words, if you have a membership card to the sadmotherfuckers of the world then this is the next installment.

SCORE: 8.4 (Suffers a bit from a lack of variation, and a couple tracks are missing a certain something that is hard to put my finger on. Not a bad song in the twelve though, and the replay value is outstanding.)

Tracks to download: "Born On The Cusp", "Immaculate Hear 1 & 2", "Cool Kids Keep", "Sharp Briar", "Fuck This... I'm Leaving."

Death Cab For Cutie: Plans (Ronan)

2005-10-13T13:51:00.000-05:00

Death Cab For Cutie – Plans

Did you ever hear the one about the band who were launched by a TV show? Yeah, hilarious isn’t it? Many artists have gained exposure through TV shows and TV commercials. Some are success stories, most are not. For every Dido there’s The Rembrandts (Roswell and Friends, in case you didn’t get the references). Then there are those artists who are better than that song used on the TV show – Gavin De Graw (One Tree Hill) and Remy Zero (Smallville) for example. And there’s that crowd from The OC – Phantom Planet and their one hit ‘California’ – a band that didn’t deserve even that much success. But The OC does have one success story, and they are called Death Cab For Cutie.

Like Seth, I’m a big DCFC fan, and like him I was partial to them before most people knew either of us existed. The thing about public exposure is that it means more people will go back and buy the older albums – and with a back-catalogue as strong as Death Cab’s that’s always a good thing. It also meant that they got a major record label deal. Their harder to find releases are now much easier to find too. But what about their new material? Their first step into the world of producing music for the masses. Read on…

Now that they’re on a major label, they have to make music that has a wider appeal, while not losing the qualities that made them appealing in the first place. Fortunately, they seem to have done that, well, sort of. Album opener ‘Marching Bands of Manhattan’ is a good indication of what the album is going to be like – more polished, more Gibbard and less Walla (Ben Gibbard being the vocal power, and Chris Walla being the creative, eccentric one). That said there are elements of the old Death Cab For Cutie here, all is not lost. The pounding piano is especially nice on this track. The second song, ‘Soul Meets Body’ sounds more like the Death Cab we all know and love, and could easily fit into any of their SubPop releases.

‘Summer Skin’ starts off like a piano-led ballad, but that description is soon lost (probably about twenty seconds into the song), when the Walla-isms are introduced. ‘Different Names For The Same Thing’ is one of the worst songs Gibbard has ever put his voice to, and sounds like overwrought sentimentality. The following song, ‘I Will Follow You Into The Dark’ on the other hand is one of the band’s best, and a definite album highlight. The more mainstream songs (to appeal to those record label bosses at Atlantic), ‘Your Heart Is An Empty Room’ and ‘Crooked Teeth’ have mixed results. The former proves successful, the latter falters when even the lyrics don’t stand up under scrutiny: “You can’t find nothing at all / If there was nothing all along”. Quoi? Heck, in places it even sounds like a Weezer rip-off, and that’s not a path you want to go down judging by this years dreadful Make Believe album. ‘Brothers on a Hotel Bed’ is classic DCFC, as is ‘Stable Song’ and ‘What Sarah Said’. ‘What Sarah Said’ especially so, with its droning melody and morbid lyrics it hits all the right notes. “Love is watching someone die”

Tracks to download: I Will Follow You Into The Dark, What Sarah Said, Your Heart Is An Empty Room

7.5 - So did you hear that joke about the band that made it from a TV show? It wasn’t so bad after all. It just wasn’t as good as The Photo Album, Transatlanticism, or You Can Play These Songs With Chords. But it’s definitely not too mainstream to deter hardcore fans.

The Tuesday Stroll Through The New Releases

2005-10-12T00:56:00.000-05:00

Just a new idea I had for the blog. A quick weekly update and a look into the notable releases of that week. And by notable I mean notable to someone who would visit this blog. So for example, Ricky Martin had a new album come out today but I do not give a flying fuck about that. However, I do care about Dangerdoom releasing their album today. Ya with me?

On we go, i'll break it into sections.

The Elite Five

1. Dangerdoom - The Mouse And The Mask: The review can be found here. DJ Dangermouse of recent Gorillaz fame teams up with the unstoppable MF Doom to create one of the finest hip-hop albums of the year centred around the late night swim adult cartoons. A little bit fuckered, so buyers beware.

2. Gang Of Four - Return Of The Gift: Franz Ferdinand never exists without Gang Of Four, same goes for the Futureheads and many other of the curent in bands. This album has two releases, one carrying an extra disc with some wicked bands remixing G.O.F. originals. Good luck finding it though, I have had no success. If anyone can find Hot Hot Heat's "Damaged Goods" hook me up.

3. Constantines - Tournament Of Hearts: Just downloaded this today. A Canadian band, that actually used to have a big following in my old stomping grounds of London. They are making it, hell they even got reviewed on Pitchfork today. A softer, more gentle sound. Should be enjoyable for the indie-pop crowd.

4. Explosions In The Sky: How Strange, Innocence: Also found this today. An instrumental guitar driven album. Only seven songs, but that is deceiving due to the length. Very ambitious, and unique. Reminds me of a John Frusciante instrumental album which is a big compliment from me. If you like that kinda thing, worth your trouble.

5. Castanets - First Lights Freeze: Amazon describes it as "A dark, mutant-country sound infused with strands of free-jazz and a late-70's Nashville big-radio strut hijacked by post-punk unravelers." I am intrigued. Having a tough time finding anything to sample myself, but the reviews I have read are very positive. The two songs I found are enough to make me more determined than ever to find this album. "A Song Is Not The Song Of The World" is one of the songs I found, and definitely worth a download.

Remember Me?

1. Warren G - In The Mid-Nite Hour: Man Warren G used to be on top of the rap game. Now he is just an also-ran who sometimes pops up in Snoop Dogg videos which reminds you of "Regulate". He doesn't even have a mainstream deal anymore, this is actually an independant release. That might actually mean it is good, but will anyone bother to find out?

2. Hanson - The Best Of Hanson Live and Ecletic: These little buggers are still around. And yeah i've heard many times how they are actually quite talented... I still recall them singing about all their pain and strife before they had pubic hair. Still, kinda amusing that enough people still enjoy this band that they can warrant releasing a live album.

3. Apache Indian - Time For A Change: Hilariously, guys like this are given a chance to release new music. I remember hearing the cassette of Apache Indian at my neighbour's when I was around 13. In retrospect this was totally offensive, with songs like "Here Comes The Indian", and album names like "No Reservation". Well, somehow he managed to release a greatest hits a few weeks ago and now has a new album out. Nobody is going to buy it, and therefore I won't be able to find it. Too bad, because it would be a hilarious sabotage. Remember "Boomshakalak"? That was him.

Not my bag, but maybe yours.

1. Deerhoof - The Runners Four: It has been unanimously decided our blog doesn't like Deerhoof. I've made a few attempts to appreciate it, and other than a song or two it just doesn't happen. They do, however, have a strong and loyal following. That enjoy the playful, childish innocence of the band. Proof and point? Pitchfork gave it a 9... i'd likely fail it. Everyone should hear a few Deerhoof songs because it is something you'll never forget.

2. Allister - Before The Blockout: Look for this to be reviewed in the coming weeks by Brandon. Allister is a punk band, that I heard some of today and I think they might have some moderate success with this album. Reminds me a bit of Yellowcard, but less poppy and obviously no violins. Not hardcore punk, but not pop-punk either. Something tells me this won't be the last you hear of Allister.

3. Kate Rusby - The Girl Who Couldn't Fly: UK Folk sensation, getting a North American release. Compared to Aimee Mann, Martha Wainwright to name a couple. I read a gushing review for this the other day on allmusic, and somewhere else along my travels as well. I'm sure my girlfriend, and those who share taste with her will enjoy this. Here's a quote about her new album, "Like June Tabor and Gillian Welch, she's got one hand on the pulse of history and the other on a heart that contains a very old soul. Here's to hoping that those hands continue to pen such lovely tales."