The Rant

Best of '06, Pt. 4

2007-01-10T19:15:00.000-05:00

5. Sean Lennon – Friendly Fire

Living up to his pedigree will probably never happen for Sean Lennon. Nor should it; his father was arguably the most important songwriter of the 20th century. What is so refreshing about Sean is that he moves on as if it doesn’t matter who his parents are – he is his own man (a man who happens to write really good songs and may be one of the best arrangers in pop music). This album is a complete turnaround from the analog synth/bossa nova/fuzz bass of his debut album; instead we get a refined pop album, with strings, acoustic guitars and vocal harmonies at the forefront. In fact, it is almost reminiscent of another 2nd generation singer/songwriter, Rufus Wainwright. Lennon’s nasal voice floats above many of these recordings with a breathiness that adds to the sublimity of the arrangements. And then, all of a sudden, you get some weird stuff thrown in to remind you that his mom is probably the best known avant-garde multimedia artist of all time and that he’s logged time playing with Cibo Matto and John Zorn.

My only gripe about this record is that it took so long to come out – only two albums in eight years. In that way, and in only that way, I wish he were more like his father. Standout track: “On Again Off Again”

4. Frank Black – Fast Man Raider Man

The double album – gluttony or glory? Use Your Illusion or the White Album? London Calling or The Wall? Depending if you are stupid or not, you may not know which 2 of those double albums are glorious. Typically, I am a fan of the double album, because I am not a fan of songs being locked in a vault somewhere – if it is recorded, if the fidelity is good and it doesn’t completely blow, put it out. However, with the advent of the internet, I see the information superhighway as the perfect place for what used to be thought of as filler or leftovers – which means that in the 21st century, the double album might be dead. Frank Black is my favorite living songwriter, and I think probably the only artist who I generally don’t doubt when picking up their new album. However, this double record follows his weakest album of his career, 2005’s Honeycomb. And it featured many of the same players and the same producer who destroyed many a good song last time out. So was I bummed out by the album? Not really.

The first disc of the album was by and large arranged by one of the great unsung musicians of today, Lyle Workman, and featured some great stuff, most especially a relatively uniform sound. Despite tackling an old Scottish standard (“Dirty Old Town”), a hazy drunk dreamscape (“Dog Sleep”), and a ballad about driving across country (“Seven Days”), the disc sounds cohesive. Disc two on the other hand is a hodgepodge of sessions, from different years and different cities that sounds just like that. The most egregious inclusions are the leftovers from Honeycomb, which sound as flat and lifeless as most of that album, mixed in with some new songs that show real spunk. So, disc two is far more of a typical double album ebb and flow feeling.

What does this all mean? It means that the songs are top notch, for the most part, the production/arrangement on disc 1 is pretty stellar, and that disc 2 is hit or miss. But, in the grand scheme of things, the 15 track album I’d have released may have be the best thing released in 2006, but the dead weight weighs it down quite a bit. Standout track: Disc 1: “Dog Sleep,” Disc 2: “It’s Just Not Your Moment”

Best of '06, Pt. 3

2007-01-08T10:47:00.000-05:00

9. Nathan Johnson – Brick: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

This record might be the most guttural purchase of my life. It came from within me and had nothing to do with my brain. As I was sitting in the Arclight Theatre in Los Angeles watching BRICK on the screen, I just needed to have the soundtrack in my hands. As I walked out of the theatre, I stopped at world famous Amoeba Records and bought it on the spot. Many things caused that physical response to the music I was hearing – first and foremost, as a score, it perfectly mirrored the action on the screen. Secondly, the instrumentation was fantastic – the painfully underused clarinet, lots of percussion, all of it sounding like someone had stumbled upon a treasure trove of under appreciated instruments all wanting a home. The music was classical-inspired, but certainly borrowed liberally from the jazz and indie rock traditions. The only real criticism of the record that I can drum up is that it works best with the images – which is exactly what it is supposed to do. It just doesn’t make it the ideal soundtrack to anything other than what it was intended for, so it finds less time in my CD player than inferior music. Standout Track: “Kara’s Theme (The Drama Vamp)”

8. Brightblack Morning Light – Brightblack Morning Light

I mentioned earlier how eMusic has greatly influenced my listening habits this year – this record is prime example of that. I read a few positive reviews of BML, and decided to take a chance. What is so great about this album is the fact that it feels like one long exhale – it just flows out of the band naturally. Swampy, drawn out, bluesy grooves with lots of reverb make it the perfect 90 degrees in a sticky t-shirt stuck indoors record, but it is also a bit more than that. It is dance music for those of us who hate to dance – it has a groove, but rarely a strong beat. You can move, but you don’t have to. It is also, according to every review sans this one, a great record to smoke weed to. As I have never gotten high, I wouldn’t know, but hey, if that’s your bag, then you may love this record like you love Fu Manchu and Kyuss. But for me, it is the sound of humidity – but for once, that is a pleasant sensation. Standout Track: “Star Blanket Morning Child”

7. Robert Pollard – From a Compound Eye

One of Bob’s 6 full length records released in 2006 (I shit you not), this features, in his own words, “the 4 P’s – Pop, Punk, Psych and Prog.” A good ol’ double vinyl release, FACE (a happy coincidence I guess, but the record cover is just Bob’s face, so who knows?) feels like Pollard’s manifesto – this is what I am about – lo-fi in parts, catchy as hell, sprawling, in need of an editor, and a lot of fun. Anyone who has ever seen Bob either solo or in his days in Guided By Voices (I’ve had each pleasure) knows that this guy can drink you and most of your town under the table, and I still fathom at the concept that this guy who drinks so much can be so productive – that is, if he drinks as much off stage as on. Regardless, this is an album that speaks volumes about Pollard’s work ethic – and let’s hope that he continues his rigorous release schedule – because there is nothing missing in modern music today more than bands releasing a record or more a year. Few artists can boast even one a year (look later in this list for an example of one), let alone as many as Bob does. Do I buy them all? No,. But like looking in the window of a pizza parlor, there may be 15 delicious pies ready for consumption, but you only need one today; I only have two of Pollard’s 2006 records and for now, I’m full. But someday perhaps I’ll want to sample another pie. PS – “Gold” totally rips off a song my band in college used to play. Standout Track: “Field Jacket Blues”

6. Thom Yorke – The Eraser

Radiohead fans are stupid. There, I’ve said it. Why? Because they shat all over this record for ‘not being Radiohead-y enough.’ Well, perhaps that is why it is a solo album? Thom Yorke didn’t reinvent the wheel with this album, but he simple made a solid album. A glitchy, laptop record. From the intriguing artwork, to the A Scanner Darkly closing music “Black Swan” to songs about the environment, this is a wholly different Yorke than we’ve seen before, but the hints have always been there. This is also a great argument for why Yorke needs Radiohead – a career of this may not be as satisfying, but as a now and then type deal, I’ll take it any day. Standout Track: “Black Swan”

Best of '06, Pt. 2

2007-01-02T14:20:00.000-05:00

12. Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins – Rabbit Fur Coat (Team Love Records)

A perfect ‘cup of coffee in the office’ record, occasional Postal Service vocalist/full-time front woman for Rilo Kiley, Jenny Lewis made an early bid for my favorite album of the year on the sheer beauty of her voice and the instrumentation on this record. In fact, it would be significantly higher up my list if the lyrics weren’t so blah – I just don’t see Lewis as a great lyricist. Case in point: “Its like cleaning the ocean/what are you going to do, drain it?” However, the quartet she leads with M. Ward, Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie/Postal Service) through the Traveling Wilbury’s “Handle With Care” (perhaps my favorite guilty pleasure ever put to wax) is worth a spot on this list alone. The songs and the emotions behind them are strong, even with the lyrics aren't. Standout Track: "Rise Up With Fists"

11. Ray Davies – Other People’s Lives (V2 Records)

Another early-year favorite of mine, Ray Davies delivers exactly what you’d expect from the sexagenarian Kinks leader – sardonic lyrics, strong melodies, and a few surprises. The surprises? A healthy dose of female backing vocals, the lack of age-appropriate mellowing and the realization that he may still be in the top 5 songwriters alive. The downfall of this album is that there isn’t quite enough variety and, as his live show will attest, Davies can still rock, just not on disc apparently. Here’s to hoping his release schedule from now on is swifter than the decade we had to wait for this one. Standout Track: "The Tourist"

10. Bob Dylan – Modern Times (Columbia Records)

Another '60s holdover who made a damn fine album this year is Bob Dylan. A lot has been said about this album already – you all know he name drops Alicia Keys, plays with a pre-rock and roll feel, and produced the album under the pseudonym Jack Frost. What you may not know? “Spirit on the Water” has perhaps Dylan’s best melody ever, the lead guitar on “Beyond the Horizon” sounds drunk, “Ain’t Talkin’” is his darkest in years and the album flies by it is so enjoyable. If you have any doubts about that gravely voice letting you down again, take the leap – it is well worth it. So what if he aped the cover from a Luna record? Standout Track: "Spirit on the Water"

Best of '06, Pt. 1

2006-12-31T13:17:00.000-05:00

...so that Christmas Podcast never happened. Oh well! It would've rocked you too hard anyway. On to the year end albums list!

The Rant Presents: The Top 14 Albums of 2006

This gets harder and harder each year. Not because there is less good music coming out every year (there isn’t), nor was there a spike in good music this year (there wasn’t) – I simply am becoming less interested in buying exclusively new records. And that has nothing to do with the records themselves – my tastes are just bursting at the seems, and while new music is still my passion, I find myself going backwards as much as I go forward, which never used to be the case. It sort of freaks me out that in one year I could have bought a “obscure [jazz] classic” in the words of the Bad Plus’s Ethan Iverson, a collection of soul/funk from Belize, a reunion record of a late 70s punk trio, a 3-disc retrospective of an obscure British prog label, a compilation of disco-type stuff featuring the cello as the main instrument, the entire Jawbox catalogue, at least 6 Christmas albums and Gnarls Barkley's St. Elswhere. And only three of them came out this year (and none made my Top 14).

Most of my new music this year, however, has come courtesy of emusic.com. This is not a shameless plug; this is a great site. I pay $20 a month and (since I am grandfathered into a now-obsolete plan) get 90 song downloads – usually around 7 full-length albums a month. This makes it much cheaper to enjoy so much new music – and would explain why (by my most recent and hopefully accurate count), I have in my collection, both electronic and physical, 56 albums released this year consisting of all new material – that means no compilations (save one, I’ll explain later), no live records (ditto last retracrtion), no box sets, etc. The unfortunate side effect of this is that through emusic I get so many songs that certain albums I have in my possession I have not heard yet (8 of the 56 have not received enough listening time [or in some cases, any at all] to be considered for review).

So by doing a “Top 14” of the year, I’m roughly deciding which quarter of the albums I bought and have absorbed this year are worthy of praise (which is a bit unfair, since I think all of them deserve at least something positive said about them – I wouldn’t have bought them if I didn’t think they were worth my time). Why 14? Of my list, 14 immediately stood out as my favorites – so I’m not going to cough up 6 more or cut 4 to make the list tidy. It is my list, and I’ll do as I please. And of course, there are loads of albums that were released in 2006 that I have not heard, or even heard about, that I will someday own and love, as well as albums that I currently own that will one day surpass my Top 14 as my favorites from this year. In other words, this list is pretty much a crock. But a crock I hope you enjoy.

-B

14. Bob Rice – Nowhere Else To Go (Monster Ants Records)

Bob Rice is a songwriter of the highest caliber. Yet, because of people’s lack of open-mindedness he will never be as revered as any of the other musicians on this list. Why? Because he sings exclusively Christian music, and people associate Christian music with lameness. And granted, there are plenty of lame Christian artists, but there are also plenty of lame secular artists. However, Bob falls in neither camp. His songs are melodic, dense and rewarding, and this album – a sort of genre exercise to include a ‘bluegrass’ feel to his songs – is no exception. Maybe I just have a strong familiarity with the sound Bob is going for, but this sounds a lot like his other stuff to me, which is more than ok. Stand-out track: “In the Land of My Exile”

13. Beach House – Beach House (Carpark Records)

Many albums give you a cornucopia or sounds and colors; Beach House doesn’t. It gives a pretty consistent listening experience throughout its nine tracks. Saturated with fuzz and reverb, this beautiful album takes you to a place not unlike Mazzy Star did ten years ago. Similarities may exists between Mazzy and Beach House, but BH has a sound all its own – a bit noisier and more dirge-like at times than Mazzy Star ever were. Stand-out track: “Apple Orchard.”

The Bad Plus DO THE MATH Questionnaire

2006-12-18T09:50:00.000-05:00

GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OR TWO OF AN ESPECIALLY GOOD OR INTERESTING:

1. Movie score. "Brick" by Nathan Johnson (plus a great modern day noir-ish piece - highly recommended [both the score and the film])
2. TV theme. "Quantum Leap" by the ubiquitous Mike Post (gets stuck in your head for years), "Six Feet Under" by Thomas Newman
3. Melody. Seasonal answer: "Christmastime is Here" - Vince Guraldi/Lee Mendelson
4. Harmonic language. Frank Zappa - "Peaches En Regalia," The Band - "The Weight"
5. Rhythmic feel. Tom Waits - "16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought-Six," Minutemen - "Swing to the Right"
6. Hip-hop track. "What's Up Fatlip?" by Fatlip
7. Classical piece. Shostakovich String Quartet #4
8. Smash hit. "Take on Me" - A-Ha, "In Dreams" - Roy Orbison, "Kiss" - Prince
9. Jazz album. "Mingus Ah Um" - Mingus, "Turning Point" - Bley/Gilmore/Motian/Peacock, "A Love Supreme" - Coltrane, "Believe" - Scott Amendola Band
10. Non-American folkloric group. Bembeya Jazz National (Guinea), Mamadou Diabate (Mali)
11. Book on music. "Our Band Can Be Your Life" - Michael Azzerad, "Chronicles, Vol. 1" - Bob Dylan, "The Beatles Complete Recording Sessions"

BONUS QUESTIONS:

A) Name an surprising album (or albums) you loved when you were developing as a musician: something that really informs your sound but that we would never guess in a million years: "Rocks" by Aerosmith

B) Name a practitioner (or a few) who play your instrument that you think is underrated: Nate Mendel/Sunny Day Real Estate

C) Name a rock or pop album that you wish had been a smash commercial hit (but wasn’t, not really): Mike Watt's "Ballhog or Tugboat?"

D) Name a favorite drummer, and an album to hear why you love that drummer: Tim "Herb" Alexander, "Frizzle Fry" by Primus

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Back later this week with my "Brian's Guide to Christmas" Podcast...

Discollective/Mog

2006-11-28T21:37:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone,

Despite not really blogging here much, i'm still writing. Currently, my review of Paul McCartney's McCartney is the featured review on Discollective, but in case you see this in few days, the permalink is here.

Also, earlier this month i started a Mog here, and although this too has been neglected recently, i will be doing all my year-end music stuff on both Mog and here, eventually moving stuff over there, as the interface is far superior to blogger.

-Brian

New Bluets Post/Metsies

2006-09-20T16:38:00.000-04:00

The first in my three-part series about 'road' songs called Blacktop is up over at Bluets. This first part is "Midwestern Highways." And, as always, check out all the other writers' work as well.

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Congratulations to the New York Mets, the 2006 National League East Champions! Let's get to the Series now, boys.

Small Talk

2006-09-13T10:45:00.000-04:00

I'm kicking myself for not including Smokey Robinson's "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" in my Top 20 of the 60s...

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Popmatters, yet again, has made my day. This article on a variation of the slow dance made me laugh out loud and cringe at the same time. Pure, undeniable, genius. Bravo

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I'm going to see The Bad Plus on Thursday, and am quite excited. I had totally forgotten about the show and then today realized it was tomorrow and sort of freaked out.

I am also excited about the Glen Kotche/Nels Cline show on Monday. Between those and the excellent Miles Davis live album my dad gave me (Black Beauty: Miles Davis At Fillmore West), this is one of the jazzier weeks in recent memory.

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Oh, and i'm going to Game 1 of the NLDS! Let's go Mets!

All Hail to the Nerd

2006-09-12T13:07:00.000-04:00

http://www.popmatters.com/columns/wagner/060912.shtml

Top 10 of the 1960s

2006-09-12T10:06:00.000-04:00

I want everyone to make their lists: what are the top 10 songs of the 1960s?

Inspired by Pitchfork.

My top 20 (i get 20, its my blog dammit), which will chang momentarily i'm sure:

1) "God Only Knows" - the Beach Boys
2) "Blackbird" - the Beatles
3) "A Love Supreme" - John Coltrane*
4) "Victoria" - the Kinks
5) "In My Life" - the Beatles
6) "A Minha Menina" - Os Mutantes
7) "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - the Beatles
8) "Money Jungle" - Duke Ellington with Charles Mingus and Max Roach
9) "Happy Together" - the Turtles
10) "I Shall Be Released" - Bob Dylan
11) "Waterloo Sunset" - the Kinks
12) "The Weight" - the Band
13) "These Days" - Nico
14) "Subterranian Homesick Blues" - Bob Dylan
15) "Willie the Pimp" - Frank Zappa featuring Captain Beefheart
16) "19th Nervous Breakdown" - the Rolling Stones
17) "In My Room" - the Beach Boys
18) "Then He Kissed Me" - the Crystals
19) "I Want to Take You Higher" - Sly and the Family Stone
20) "You Never Give Me Your Money" - the Beatles

*i know its a whole album, but it is four parts of the same song

Bluets

2006-08-23T11:26:00.000-04:00

I am now officially part of Bluets, a music blog that each month will feature a series of articles on a certain topic. August is music in movies. I'll be posting my first piece either today or tomorrow. My three co-conributors are Steve and Tre from the UK and Kathrynn from Oregon. Two girls, two guys, two Brits, two Americans and a blog. Hopefully you'll enjoy our writing.

Awesome way to start my work day

2006-08-23T09:21:00.000-04:00

So i walk into my office this morning, and flip on the lights - except the lights aren't working. Literally, the first thought as i enter the office today was "Am i having a lucid dream?"

14 Year Old Brian is Freaking the Fuck Out

2006-08-22T12:53:00.000-04:00

Back from Hiatus

2006-08-21T10:31:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody, i'm back and ready to go after my nearly 2 week layoff. It's been a busy two weeks, but a lot of fun. This week shall too be busy (Mets game, 3 Frank Black shows {last one tonight}, Joanna Newsom/Neko Case show), but i'm going to hopefully have a bit more time to post. So, here we go:

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Yet another plug for Tim Young's Contrast Podcast. I'm on the current one (This One Goes Out To...) and will be on the subsequent two as well. If you haven't subscribed yet, you're high. It's amazing - the contributors are all great and the mix of music is unprecedented.

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Later this week, i will be posting my second Rantcast. It's a little later than i wanted it, but oh well. I'm going to do two a month, and i wanted to do it on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month, but that isn't going to happen this month. Also, i'll re-post the first one in a lower bitrate when i post the new one. Basically, between my blog, my Rantcast, my inclusion on the Contrast Podcast and my work over at Frank Black Dot Net (and their podcast), i'm the new king of all media. Eat shit, Stern.

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This week i have become painfully aware of how i am not a solo-acoustic type performer by taking in a trio of solo acoustic performances in Brooklyn. First, i saw my good friend Dan D'Ippolito perform as Attention Driver at Galapagos Art Space. Dan is very graceful on stage and manages to make his intricate playing looking nearly effortless. And even though he says he doesn't like it, he appears to the naked eye to be very comfortable on stage.

Then, on Saturday night i saw back to back acoustic sets by Frank Black, my favorite living songwriter, at Southpaw. FB doesn't have the guitar skills of Mr. D'Ippolito, but his raw style when taken in with his incredible vocal range and unique songs make for a stunning, attention grabbing set. 20+ songs, ranging from old Pixies barnburners to meditations on divorce and even a song about the Three Stooges - these shows showed me that i simply can't do that. I like to perform, but i don't think i'm cut out for the singer/songwriter acoustic milieu. At least not right now.

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I'm starting to get excited about a few new records coming out in the next few months. While the major labels are hoping that OutKast, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera can save this shit year, i am looking forward to a different trio of records (although i would like to hear the first two records i mentioned). I'm looking forward to:

Mosquitos III - the third album from NYC by way of Brazil and Jersey City trio Mosquitos. Lead singer Juju is in my top 5 dream women list (somewhere between Lea Thompson in her Enchantment Under the Sea Dance dress from Back to the Future and the girl from PCU i re-fell in love with yesterday). Think “The Girl from Impanea” meets Calexico having an affair with Cake. Drops in early September (record release party Sept. 6 at Joe’s Pub).

Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards – A new, three-disc (!) set from Tom Waits, rounding up some old tunes and 30+ new ones. One disc (Brawlers) is blues-based, one disc (Bawlers) is full of ballads, waltzes and Celctic tunes, and the last disc (Bastards) is full-on experimentation. Very, very excited for this. It will be released Nov. 21.

Friendly Fire – I am a very big admirer of Into the Sun, the first album by Sean Lennon, and am looking very much forward to his new one, coming out September 26. It would be very easy to dismiss Lennon simply on his dad’s legacy (John Lennon, ex-Beatle, for the bizarrely ignorant), but his first album included bits of jazz, bossa nova and electronic music. He has also played with people like Cibo Matto, Brian Bell (from Weezer) and Ben Kweller. The album also features a disc of short films that correlate to the tracks. Should be interesting to say the least…

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With Pedro on the DL and now Glavine having arm issues, the top three of the Mets rotation looks like this: Trachsel, El Duque, John Maine. Although I have varied amounts of faith in those three, I am hoping that Pedro (at least) is back from the post-season, and my prayers are with Tommy G, as he is probably the most consistent of the Mets’ staff this year.

Rantcast Info/Harp/More

2006-08-08T13:22:00.000-04:00

So, Brian, why is your podcast file so huge? Simple, really...

I didn't want to sacrifice sound quality for time. 99% of people i know (cough cough Erin cough cough) have high speed internet, so take the extra time and have it sound good. That being said, next time i'll try it at a lower bitrate and we'll see.

So here is the tracklisting (minus the Tortoise songs - i forget which i put where...)

Spike Jones – When Yuba Plays the Rumba on the Tuba (theme song for each 'cast, not Chicago-related)
Wilco – Heavy Metal Drummer
Muddy Waters – Mannish Boy (Hard Again version)
Joanna Newsom – The Book of Right On
The Sea and Cake – Jacking the Ball
Man or Astro-Man? - Spectrograph Reading Of The Varying Phantom Frequencies of Chronic, Incurable Tinnitus
Benny Goodman – Avalon
Harry Carry - Take Me Out To The Ballgame
The Mountain Goats – Cubs in Five
George Wendt and Mindy Bell – Airline Check-In
Smashing Pumpkins – Set the Ray to Jerry
America’s #1 Sweetheart – Knuckles Forward
Make Believe – Temping As A Shaman
Dr. Robert Bellamy Interview
Chicago Bears - Superbowl Shuffle
Pixies – Born in Chicago (Paul Butterfield Blues Band Cover) Produced by Steve Albini (not at Electrical Audio)
Sufjan Stevens – Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder Versions)
Carl Sandburg – Cool Tombs
Eddie Harris – Chicago Serenade

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Here is a fantastic article on the quasi-hypocracy of Neil Young. Excellent read.

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Sorry for the lack of updates, I'm taking a mini-break. Mini-break will end Monday. Expect manic posting thereafter.

Enjoy the weather!

Rantcast #1

2006-08-03T18:00:00.000-04:00

Get it here.

After a few days, i'll post the tracklisting, but i would like people to approach the 'cast without biases.

Enjoy!

Crooner Voice

2006-08-02T10:10:00.000-04:00

You can hear me totally embarrass myself over at Tim Young's Contrast Podcast. Episode 18 has all contributors picking instrumental songs, but singing the intros. I didn't have time to put together a little song with instruments, so i a capella'd a terrible crooner-ish intro to my choice, "World Friction" by Essential Logic.

Big time happy post coming tomorrow, so check in for that...

PopMatters, Yet Again

2006-07-26T10:59:00.000-04:00

Defacing Wikipedia

All I Need to Know About Live Music I Learned from Dead Prez and Jo Dee Messina

How great is a website that provides two link worthy articles a day?

The Eraser Review

2006-07-24T14:16:00.000-04:00

Thom Yorke - The Eraser

As a listener, I have always been extraordinarily interested in solo albums and side projects. To me, they show more of what an artist is really about than their regular band. For instance, how many people work day jobs they hate, and would never classify themselves as “a bank teller?” To me, these alternate paths reveal where someone’s heart really is, music wise.

So, for Thom Yorke, he would be just as happy with a laptop, a midi-trigger and an electric guitar than with a band. This may not be the case (hell, who wouldn’t love to be in Radiohead?), but his first solo record sure makes a case for him being just as adept at this game than the world-changing music that he makes with the ‘head.

The reason this album speaks to me so much is that it brings a god back into the realm of mortals. Much like when Paul McCartney eschewed Abbey Road for the self-recorded and lo-fidelity McCartney record, Yorke brings us into his home and shows us what he does in his spare time. I’ve used a drum machine before (poorly) and messed around with samples, so this record sounds like something that, sonically (not creatively), I could probably do. Since The Bends, I have never felt that way about Radiohead. There are no virtuoso moments, no insane time changes, or bizarre instrumentation – this sounds like it could have been created in the back of a tour bus with a minimal assortment of resources.

Title track and album opener “The Eraser” works on every level. It draws you in and gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect from here on out. The stuttering piano sample (couresy of fellow Radioheader Jonny Greenwood) and glitchy beat act as a perfect support for Yorke’s floating vocals. Each track on the album manages to have an individual aesthetic (like the claustrophobic and haunting “And It Rained All Night”) while still being a clear piece of the album’s puzzle. The fact that it only contains nine tracks furthers my opinion that this was not some grand orchestrated work – Yorke had nine songs he didn’t see Radiohead utilizing, recorded them, and released them relatively quickly. In fact, the album was one of the quickest in recent memory in terms of hype – it was announced it May, leaked a bit later, and released in July.

Despite the relatively ordinary sounds on the record, The Eraser has a vibe that is far more personal than anything Radiohead has ever done. Yorke’s vocals are up front and clear as a bell – in “Black Swan” it sounds as if he leans over, puts his mouth by your ear and quietly sings “This is fucked up…fucked up.” Never before has Yorke’s voice been so confident sounding and on display.

Similarly straightforward are the song structures. No surprises (ba doom ching!) like “Paranoid Android” or “Sit Down. Stand Up.” What you initially hear is pretty close to what you get - electronic drum beats, synths, a few samples and scattered guitar work; pretty clear verses and choruses, too. However, there are moments of beauty and surprise still hidden within. The vocal melody on the chorus for “Atoms for Peace,” for instance, jolts you with a beautiful, cascading melody that climbs to a falsetto over a bed of static-y drums and warm, bell-like tones, before a droning figure comes and goes, while the same drums and keys bring the song to it’s conclusion.

“Harrowdown Hill” is an elegy of sorts for David Kelly, a member of the UK Ministry of Defense who died mysteriously a few days after appearing before the Foreign Affairs Select Committee. It is also a sad commentary on the state of activism in the world – “we think the same things at the same time, we just can’t do anything about it.” This may be the catchiest song on the record, which coupled with its lyrics, make for a morbid yet unforgettable song.

The final piece of the album was a mystery to those who downloaded the leaked album and did not purchase it. The artwork, cut from linoleum by Stanley Donwood, shows a man holding off a tidal-wave of water and the floating remnants therein. This is a perfect metaphor for this album – Yorke is standing up, holding off all the anticipation and expectations for a new Radiohead album, and while damming the momentum, slips us this humble and simple album that exceeds all expectations.

Manic Monday

2006-07-24T11:19:00.000-04:00

Work is slow, so here's some stuff to keep you occupied if you, too, are bored:

Queer, Isn't It?

Yet another fantastic PopMatters article dealing with homosexuality in pop culture. A fantastic read.

Plus, who thought Rob Thomas might be gay? His songs are so macho!

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Anyone have any suggestions of good places to eat in Chicago?

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I'm going to start posting music reviews pretty frequently, and i'd love to get suggestions of things to review - all genres are open to me, and i'll be as fair as i can be, so send me some suggestions!

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Oh, and coming to a computer/iPod near you on August 3rd...

The first of a series of RANTCASTS (ie. a podcast done by Brian). It will feature music, opinions and an interview with someone you've never heard of. It should be fun.

The Best Tribute Albums #2

2006-07-20T16:29:00.000-04:00

Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits

Tracklisting:

1. The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) - Liz Phair With Material Issue
2. Go Speed Racer Go - Sponge
3. Sugar Sugar - Mary Lou Lord With Semisonic
4. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? - Matthew Sweet
5. Josie And The Pussycats - Juliana Hatfield And Tanya Donelly
6. The Bugaloos - Collective Soul
7. Underdog - Butthole Surfers
8. Gigantor - Helmet
9. Spider-Man - Ramones
10. Johnny Quest/Stop That Pigeon - The Reverend Horton Heat
11. Open Up Your Heart And Let The Sun Shine In - Frente!
12. Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah (Means I Love You) - Violent Femmes
13. Fat Albert Theme - Dig
14. I'm Popeye The Sailor Man - Face To Face
15. Friends/Sigmund And The Seamonsters - Tripping Daisy
16. Goolie Get-Together - Toadies
17. Hong Kong Phooey - Sublime
18. H.R. Pufnstuf - The Murmurs
19. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy - Wax

This is a record that i got and loved in jr. high school, and i continue to enjoy to this very day. The concept is great - pair up artists with cartoons that evoke the same sort of feeling that their music does, and sit back and watch what happens. Some of the pairings are just plain genius - who else could handle a song about a giant robot like the heavy as shit Helmet? Who could be as psychedlic as a Sid and Marty Croft creation as Tripping Daisy? And who could be as flacid Collective Soul, covering the theme to "The Buggaloos"?

Plus, the producers of the album didn't go as traditional as you may expect - instead of the Jetsons/Flintstones theme songs, we get songs that were featured in specific episodes. For instance, we get the 'hit song' that Pebbles and Bam Bam (not Debbie's dogs, the characters...) had in the Flintstones, "Let The Sun Shine In," done by Frente! (perhaps best remembered for their cover of "Bizarre Love Triangle") and the song that Judy Jetson's celebrity crush Jet Screamer sang called "Eep Op Ork Ah-Ah" by the Violent Femmes.

A few of these tunes still pop up on mix CDs i make for people, such as Matthew Sweet's "Scooby Doo, Where Are You? (peep the excellently noisy outro)" and the Toadies (RIP) terrific take on the "Ghoulie's Get Together" from "The Groovie Ghoulies." Other highlights include Sublime's "Hong Kong Phooey," Wax's "Happy Happy Joy Joy (almost as great as the Spike Jonze directed video for "California")," and the Reverend Horton Heat's "Johnny Quest."

But the real highlight is the last great song done by the first great punk band, the Ramones, the theme to the 1970s "Spiderman" cartoon. Perfect for a band that was almost cartoonish themselves - this is fast, hard and fun. A fantastic tribute to a time when people didn't think i was bizarre for having boxes of Frankenberry in my house.

From the Bad Plus

2006-07-20T14:42:00.000-04:00

From the weblog of jazz band, The Bad Plus:

Bob Seger, "Like a Rock"

If you have watched television in America in the last fifteen years, you have probably seen a truck commercial for Chevy featuring “Like A Rock.” Here’s two of the lyrics Dave King has a problem with:

Like a rock, charging from the gate.

This is absurd.

Like a rock, standing arrow-straight.

This is horrifying.

My favorite parts are the "Yellow Submarine" and "Thriller"

2006-07-19T09:16:00.000-04:00

It's Like Booking George Michael at an Absitence Rally

2006-07-15T14:42:00.000-04:00

Beenie Man Booked for LIFEbeat event

The Best Tribute Albums #1

2006-07-14T14:12:00.000-04:00

My thrashing of the TMBG tribute got me thinking if there are any tribute albums i actually like. There are a couple, and i'll br profiling them over the next week or so. Here is the first one...

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Wig in a Box - Songs from and Inspired by Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Tracklisting:

1. The Origin Of Love - Rufus Wainwright
2. Angry Inch - Fred Schneider and Sleater-Kinney
3. The Long Grift - They Might Be Giants
4. Sugar Daddy - Frank Black
5. City Of Women - Robyn Hitchcock
6. Freaks - Imperial Teen
7. Wicked Little Town (Hedwig Version) - The Breeders
8. Nailed - Bob Mould
9. Wig In A Box - The Polyphonic Spree
10. Milford Lake - John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask
11. Ladies & Gentlemen - Stephen Colbert
12. Tear Me Down - Spoon
13. Hedwig's Lament/Exquisite Corpse - Yoko Ono and Yo La Tengo
14. Wicked Little Town (Tommy Gnosis Version) - Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, Ben Lee
15. Midnight Radio - Cyndi Lauper and the Minus Five
16. The Origin Of Love - Jonathan Richman

First off, let me say that i am a huge fan of the film (and i presume the play, although i've never seen it) version of Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It has great music, it is hillarious, and has very touching moments. So when i heard that there was going to be a tribute album, i was a bit skeptical but excited when i learned that Frank Black, the Breeders, Jonathan Richman, Spoon, Yo La Tengo, Sleater-Kinney, They Might Be Giants, etc. were going to be involved. It is, in my opinion, probably the best tribute album ever.

Why? Well, two reasons. First of all, like all good tribute albums, the source material is very strong. And secondly, none of the bands sound the same. Each artist really takes the track and makes it their own. So, as to be expected, Rufus Wainwright divas up "The Origin of Love," Frank Black raws up "Sugar Daddy," Spoon makes "Tear Me Down" into a song barely removed from Kill The Moonlight and Jonathan Richman takes a total 180 from Wainwright and tackles the reprise of "The Origin of Love" in a spare Spanish guitar, vocals and drums fashion.

But the highlight of the disc comes from 20-someodd member band The Polyphonic Spree tackling "Wig in a Box." It is such an overblow, dramatic version of the track, that you can't help but think somewhere in the time space contiuum, Hedwig his/herself is smiling and putting something new on her head.