Listening to Husker Du - Zen Arcade in one sitting is a feat! These 23 songs do not rattle off in 1.5min clips like something off of Guided by Voices - Bee Thousand, these songs take time. I got this CD recently after having not really listened to them in about a decade. A high school friend of mine's dad was really into them and lent me a bunch of their cassette tapes that I listened to over and over again. He used to tell stories about having seen Husker Du and Black Flag in concert back in the early 80s and all the craziness surrounding that time and that music scene. The mark that this band left on rock music is undeniable.
By the second song on the album, 'Broken Home, Broken Heart', you can hear the great classic punk sensibilities in their music and then they shift ever so slightly and totally rock out on 'Chartered Trips'. 'Hare Krsna' sounds like someone breaking glass with sleigh bells while a bunch of methadone addicts have a sing-off, and it's great! More breaking glass makes an appearance at the end of 'Pride'. Seems like someone had a new favorite effect back in 1984.
By the time the album gets to 'Beyond the Threshold', one of my coworkers asks me, "What is this brain stew you have us listening to this morning?" I got a similar response when I tried to play Bad Brains - Banned in DC a couple of months ago. Apparently, these guys do not appreciate hardcore.
When he screams in 'I Will Never Forget You', you have no choice but to believe him. He sounds like he means it. There are a lot of solid track throughout the album. I really like 'Pink Turns to Blue', and the transition from 'Monday Will Never Be The Same' to 'Whatever' is great. There's a great use of antiphony (call & repeat vocals) in 'Turn On The News'. The album ends with 'Reoccurring Dreams', which is 13min and 47sec of blissfully fragmented indie rock and a great ending for this album.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Foo Fighters - Wasting Light (Day 5)
This album starts off with a bang! The guitar part that introduces the album to the world was literally just that since the first 20 seconds of Bridge Burning was released as a teaser a few months before the album's release date. It still melts my face off every time I put the CD on for another listen. But seriously, the song that I can not get enough of is Rope! This song is amazing and has never gotten old or tired despite countless listens. It's classic Foo Fighters.
The album rolls on nicely with Dear Rosemary. Bob Mould assists with some excellent vocal harmonies. In fact, it makes me want to pull out my Husker Du - Zen Arcade album. Maybe at a later date I will get around to listening/reviewing that one as well.
I do love a nice transition from one track to another - and the move from Dear Rosemary to White Limo works great. White Limo is a great hardcore track and when I'm blasting it out at work I can not help but wonder if my coworkers share a similar respect for a song that Motorhead would have been proud to have made. Nevertheless, the rock train rolls on!
The videos for this album are great as well! Rope is awesome in its lo-fi VHS quality and contains the typical Foo quirks I love. It has all the little things, like Pat Smear's moves while playing his guitar, and the flipping of some 'magic rock-out' switch on the amp before things get heavy two-thirds of the way through the song. White Limo is a full-on hardcore rock song and the video is hilarious in its 80's parody, and, of course, there's LEMMY!
Continuing on with the album, Arlandia and These Days are solid tracks, but the one that gets stuck in my head for the next hour after the CD has finished playing is Back and Forth. The album closes with a few more good songs, but none match the infectiousness of the first five. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my love for the sound of Krist Novoselic's bass in I Should Have Known. It's so good and so distinct that it immediately calls to mind Nirvana tracks like Sliver. The album ends with Walk, which kind of seems like an attempt to replicate the effect of having a solid closer as they did on The Color and The Shape's closing track New Way Home. Thinking about it, I need to go back and listen to New Way Home. I'm reminded of seeing the Foo Fighters live in Memphis back in 2000 and yelling for them to play New Way Home only to hear them kick into it a few seconds later - it was an amazing moment for my teenage psyche.
The album rolls on nicely with Dear Rosemary. Bob Mould assists with some excellent vocal harmonies. In fact, it makes me want to pull out my Husker Du - Zen Arcade album. Maybe at a later date I will get around to listening/reviewing that one as well.
I do love a nice transition from one track to another - and the move from Dear Rosemary to White Limo works great. White Limo is a great hardcore track and when I'm blasting it out at work I can not help but wonder if my coworkers share a similar respect for a song that Motorhead would have been proud to have made. Nevertheless, the rock train rolls on!
The videos for this album are great as well! Rope is awesome in its lo-fi VHS quality and contains the typical Foo quirks I love. It has all the little things, like Pat Smear's moves while playing his guitar, and the flipping of some 'magic rock-out' switch on the amp before things get heavy two-thirds of the way through the song. White Limo is a full-on hardcore rock song and the video is hilarious in its 80's parody, and, of course, there's LEMMY!
Continuing on with the album, Arlandia and These Days are solid tracks, but the one that gets stuck in my head for the next hour after the CD has finished playing is Back and Forth. The album closes with a few more good songs, but none match the infectiousness of the first five. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my love for the sound of Krist Novoselic's bass in I Should Have Known. It's so good and so distinct that it immediately calls to mind Nirvana tracks like Sliver. The album ends with Walk, which kind of seems like an attempt to replicate the effect of having a solid closer as they did on The Color and The Shape's closing track New Way Home. Thinking about it, I need to go back and listen to New Way Home. I'm reminded of seeing the Foo Fighters live in Memphis back in 2000 and yelling for them to play New Way Home only to hear them kick into it a few seconds later - it was an amazing moment for my teenage psyche.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
AAR debut album & college memories (Day 4)
Nostalgia, especially regarding my time in college, usually gives me a pick-me-up because those were some of the most care-free and enjoyable times of my life.
One album that I can not listen to without thinking back to that time in my life (it is definitely not a timeless album for that very reason - it is forever stuck in the first half of the last decade) is the debut album by All American Rejects.
The album starts off well with My Paper Heart and sets the stage for what the album will be. The second song Your Star has a great chorus that seems to sort of sit back in the beat, while the rest of the song is more straight forward and driving, and I love the falsetto vocals.
Swing, Swing is the obvious standout from this album and still holds up well today. Who would have ever thought I'd love listening to someone sing about all of their issues and problems in dating with a staccato vocal style this much? Regarding heartbreak, Tyson Ritter understands both sides of the relationship and throws in both viewpoints at different points on the album.
On Time Stands Still there's a great Moog synth-type sound and the transition from that song to One More Sad Song is fantastic! I love it and the pop/punk driving eighth note guitar part that is on full display here. All-in-all this is a really solid debut album and the rest of the songs hit on all the same points and fill it out nicely.
I really appreciate the level of orchestration that they incorporate into the song structure for nearly every track on this album. I mean they are throwing in keyboards, strings, chimes - you name it, they will try and use it - and, most impressively, pretty much replicated the sounds from this album live in concert. I saw them perform back on the Warped Tour in 2004 - on the Warped Tour, not at a classy auditorium on Main Street in some major city - and they had a rack of chimes on stage. One of the dudes was up there with a mallet wailing away on those things while they were playing the last song from their debut album 'The Last Song' and that is definitely my enduring memory from that show!
One album that I can not listen to without thinking back to that time in my life (it is definitely not a timeless album for that very reason - it is forever stuck in the first half of the last decade) is the debut album by All American Rejects.
The album starts off well with My Paper Heart and sets the stage for what the album will be. The second song Your Star has a great chorus that seems to sort of sit back in the beat, while the rest of the song is more straight forward and driving, and I love the falsetto vocals.
Swing, Swing is the obvious standout from this album and still holds up well today. Who would have ever thought I'd love listening to someone sing about all of their issues and problems in dating with a staccato vocal style this much? Regarding heartbreak, Tyson Ritter understands both sides of the relationship and throws in both viewpoints at different points on the album.
On Time Stands Still there's a great Moog synth-type sound and the transition from that song to One More Sad Song is fantastic! I love it and the pop/punk driving eighth note guitar part that is on full display here. All-in-all this is a really solid debut album and the rest of the songs hit on all the same points and fill it out nicely.
I really appreciate the level of orchestration that they incorporate into the song structure for nearly every track on this album. I mean they are throwing in keyboards, strings, chimes - you name it, they will try and use it - and, most impressively, pretty much replicated the sounds from this album live in concert. I saw them perform back on the Warped Tour in 2004 - on the Warped Tour, not at a classy auditorium on Main Street in some major city - and they had a rack of chimes on stage. One of the dudes was up there with a mallet wailing away on those things while they were playing the last song from their debut album 'The Last Song' and that is definitely my enduring memory from that show!
Day 4 is the new Day 3 - Afghan Whigs & Yuck
I meant to post my reviews for the CDs I listened to yesterday last night before bed, but after a late night spent watching Jason Segal decide between Kristen Bell and Mila Kunis in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' I likewise decided to join Fantasyland and just go to bed.
I started my workday by listening to Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen. It's undeniable that it was made in the 90s with the tones of the guitars and the distortion. The themes about dating and the dynamics between guys/girls feel relevant, but as the man sings, "this ain't about regret."
The first song starts like something out of The Mummy or Aladdin and is a great lead in to the album! I love transitions like one into the second song 'Gentlemen' with the drum repetition at the end of 'If I Were Going'. The claps in 'Debonair' give the song a pop feel. There are great sound effects on this album, including a sound that I can best describe as buzzing bees. 'When We Two Parted' fades out with a Modest Mouse-like guitar, a chorus of voices, and the ever biting lyrical tone of Greg Dulli (whose spoken word lyrics/tone are classic). The way he sings those lines reminds me of everything I love about Henry Rollins and the song 'Liar'.
The songs 'What Jail Feels Like' and 'My Curse' feel like all the good that Vanessa Carlton and Zooey Deschanel, respectively, tried to do in music, yet done better here. The final song on the album is great and reminds me so much of Traci Bonham. The theatrical sense that all of these songs give you is typified in 'I Keep Coming Back'. You can almost picture a jilted lover sitting on an old creaky porch while crickets chirp in the night air and he laments all the wrongs of his relationship.
Later in the afternoon I listened to Yuck's debut album. Other reviews have labeled this band as a mix of Dinosaur Jr, Pavement, and shoegaze and I get that. The first song 'Get Away' contains a great refrain - "Oh, I can't get away." This CD is everything I love about the 90s culture with all the feedback and lo-fi vocals that anyone could ask for. In fact, SPIN facetiously wrote a story about how this album may be the best album of 1991 since we are all simultaneously feeling nostalgic and hopeful for the future.
The band does not slow the momentum as they transition from 'Get Away' to 'The Wall'. Subtly, the band expresses a sentiment in this song that all of us have felt. 'Shook Down' comes across like a beautiful love song, and starts with a very Smashing Pumpkins-esque sound in verse 1 before shifting in style/tone. I appreciate the jazzy feel that 'Suicide Policeman' has and I love the female vocal harmony on 'Georgia'. There's even a nice slide guitar on 'Suck'. These guys try a lot of tricks, and with repeated listens I find myself appreciating them more.
Song #9, 'Operation', is one of the highlights of the album. There's a great line in 'Sunday' - "I've got a choice now, I've got a voice now" that gets stuck in your head. The lo-fi drone of 'Rubber' acts as a nice closer and its heavy feedback drone is very reminiscent of shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine and bands they obviously had an influence on like Deerhunter/Atlas Sound.
The bonus CD completely picks up where the first CD may slump a little bit. The guitar effect in the first song on the CD is exactly like one that my best friend in high school had on his first effect pedal for his electric guitar! Speaking of which, the lyrics of 'Cousin Corona' were basically my mantra back then. 'Milkshake' is an excellent catchy song and 'Coconut Bible' is the 2nd best song off of both CDs. I can not help but put it on repeat and listen to it like six times in a row. The bonus disc definitely completes the set and is worth your time if you are so inclined.
I started my workday by listening to Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen. It's undeniable that it was made in the 90s with the tones of the guitars and the distortion. The themes about dating and the dynamics between guys/girls feel relevant, but as the man sings, "this ain't about regret."
The first song starts like something out of The Mummy or Aladdin and is a great lead in to the album! I love transitions like one into the second song 'Gentlemen' with the drum repetition at the end of 'If I Were Going'. The claps in 'Debonair' give the song a pop feel. There are great sound effects on this album, including a sound that I can best describe as buzzing bees. 'When We Two Parted' fades out with a Modest Mouse-like guitar, a chorus of voices, and the ever biting lyrical tone of Greg Dulli (whose spoken word lyrics/tone are classic). The way he sings those lines reminds me of everything I love about Henry Rollins and the song 'Liar'.
The songs 'What Jail Feels Like' and 'My Curse' feel like all the good that Vanessa Carlton and Zooey Deschanel, respectively, tried to do in music, yet done better here. The final song on the album is great and reminds me so much of Traci Bonham. The theatrical sense that all of these songs give you is typified in 'I Keep Coming Back'. You can almost picture a jilted lover sitting on an old creaky porch while crickets chirp in the night air and he laments all the wrongs of his relationship.
Later in the afternoon I listened to Yuck's debut album. Other reviews have labeled this band as a mix of Dinosaur Jr, Pavement, and shoegaze and I get that. The first song 'Get Away' contains a great refrain - "Oh, I can't get away." This CD is everything I love about the 90s culture with all the feedback and lo-fi vocals that anyone could ask for. In fact, SPIN facetiously wrote a story about how this album may be the best album of 1991 since we are all simultaneously feeling nostalgic and hopeful for the future.
The band does not slow the momentum as they transition from 'Get Away' to 'The Wall'. Subtly, the band expresses a sentiment in this song that all of us have felt. 'Shook Down' comes across like a beautiful love song, and starts with a very Smashing Pumpkins-esque sound in verse 1 before shifting in style/tone. I appreciate the jazzy feel that 'Suicide Policeman' has and I love the female vocal harmony on 'Georgia'. There's even a nice slide guitar on 'Suck'. These guys try a lot of tricks, and with repeated listens I find myself appreciating them more.
Song #9, 'Operation', is one of the highlights of the album. There's a great line in 'Sunday' - "I've got a choice now, I've got a voice now" that gets stuck in your head. The lo-fi drone of 'Rubber' acts as a nice closer and its heavy feedback drone is very reminiscent of shoegaze bands like My Bloody Valentine and bands they obviously had an influence on like Deerhunter/Atlas Sound.
The bonus CD completely picks up where the first CD may slump a little bit. The guitar effect in the first song on the CD is exactly like one that my best friend in high school had on his first effect pedal for his electric guitar! Speaking of which, the lyrics of 'Cousin Corona' were basically my mantra back then. 'Milkshake' is an excellent catchy song and 'Coconut Bible' is the 2nd best song off of both CDs. I can not help but put it on repeat and listen to it like six times in a row. The bonus disc definitely completes the set and is worth your time if you are so inclined.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
The Death of the CD
In response to the recent report about the death of CDs (see below for a rebuttal article published this past week), I decided that I was going to dedicate 2012 to listening to every CD I own over the course of the year!
Reports Of The Death Of The CD Are Greatly Exaggerated
I have over 450 proper store-released albums on CD, and somewhere around 200 more albums that I burned during a 2-3 year period in my late teens/early twenties. So without getting into the countless other albums that I own either on cassette, vinyl, or in MP3 format, I will need to listen to just under 2 CDs a day in order to meet my goal. Also, I'm going to try and listen to all of these out loud, instead of always putting on headphones, because I think there really is something to the idea of a shared musical experience, still being engaged with the world (instead of isolated with a set of headphones), and even hearing people's takes on what's playing - even if they hate it!
The larger point surrounding all the talk about the death of the CD is that we live in the MP3 era, in which whole albums have little to no relevance to most consumers. In my opinion, there is nothing better than an album that hits and flows from beginning to end.
I hope to entertain any who stumble across this series, and hopefully garner some respect for the idea of a proper album in this day and age of one-off singles released as MP3s.
Reports Of The Death Of The CD Are Greatly Exaggerated
I have over 450 proper store-released albums on CD, and somewhere around 200 more albums that I burned during a 2-3 year period in my late teens/early twenties. So without getting into the countless other albums that I own either on cassette, vinyl, or in MP3 format, I will need to listen to just under 2 CDs a day in order to meet my goal. Also, I'm going to try and listen to all of these out loud, instead of always putting on headphones, because I think there really is something to the idea of a shared musical experience, still being engaged with the world (instead of isolated with a set of headphones), and even hearing people's takes on what's playing - even if they hate it!
The larger point surrounding all the talk about the death of the CD is that we live in the MP3 era, in which whole albums have little to no relevance to most consumers. In my opinion, there is nothing better than an album that hits and flows from beginning to end.
I hope to entertain any who stumble across this series, and hopefully garner some respect for the idea of a proper album in this day and age of one-off singles released as MP3s.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Lil Wayne loves the number 8
The big news today is that Lil Wayne Goes to Prison! I've been seeing a connection for weeks now, so let me just lay out my case about the conspiracy of 8's throughout Lil Wayne's life.
This is crazy! Prepare for your brain to ooze out of your ear.
1) He was sentenced to prison on March 8th.
2) He likely will only serve 8 months.
3) Delayed sentencing by getting 8 root canals.
4) The oral surgery took 8 hours.
5) Sentencing was also delayed b/c of a fire in the courthouse, that injured 8 people.
6) Had 8 Grammy nominations in 2008.
7) There are 8 letters in Lil Wayne.
8) He joined Twitter 8 days before being sentenced. (http://twitter.com/liltunechi)
My mind is blown.
J.T. Ess
Monday, February 15, 2010
Blender "Isolate" - Meshing all that you loved from the mid 90s with all that you've forgotten you loved from the late 90s
Isolate by Blender is the perfect mix of mid 90s alternative rock and late 90s crunch. Going back and listening to this song never grates on my nerves like others do. Others tried and never quite so perfectly incorporated both worlds into one song (i.e. Finger Eleven, Oleander, etc).
The vocals in Isolate are right on the money - just enough strain to satisfy... without any annoyance. The guitars & drums contain just enough head-banging grooves to make you think for a second that maybe you should pull all of those old late 90s rock CDs back out for another listen (hint: don't do it). I love the guitar in the beginning, and I don't know if I am just allowing my mind to go wander b/c of this video.. but that beginning always sets up a mood/story that has a certain insistency to it.
Seriously, check out Blender "Isolate"...
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