There’s this band called Deerhunter out there, you probably own all their stuff. I’m still proud to say that I skipped your set at the ’09 Lollapalooza in order to see them. Bradford Cox was hilarious. Between belting out classic fuzz songs in the pop contour, he’d say things in a nasal, andante, emphatic voice, … Read more“Lou,”
I still remember this commercial airing when I was young, where there was this guy from a mutual fund group or something, saying, “It takes a lot to rattle us.” The guy was having something darts thrown right by his head, I think. This thing had an effect on me, and I remember, at my … Read more“Blitzen Trapper: Uh… The New Album is American Goldwing.”
I tried to listen to the Men’s album from 2012 Open Your Heart, but it’s a topheavy, guitar-heavy peal of platitudinous Sonic Youth-siphoning, proving that you can be overly earnest in punk, too. I tried to read cokemachineglow.com’s review of it, but the guy uses profanity in post-semi-colon clauses, and then says, “Let’s back up … Read more“Open Your Heart as Evidence of Music Criticism’s Like Negligence of LP Form”
I used to be one of those pathetic douche bags who just liked to disagree with people, and when this guy at work said he liked Beck overall, his whole catalogue, I said I only liked his old stuff. Something attracted me back to The Information, and I now find it better than Odelay. It’s … Read more“Beck in 2013: Breaking Down the Door of ‘Postmodern Rock’ Didactic, Sifting Through ‘Fans’”
Sometimes what you hear is the curse, When you know that below everything Is a rudiment, Is the way things work, The way things stand, which doesn’t change Through the eons bordering the sun . You might stand up and project this way, But someone else might, too And so you meet eye saws, Fornicating, … Read more“Under Spotlights”
The thing about a greatest hits collection is that it’s structurally similar to a live show. Granted, the Gorillaz one is called a “Singles Collection,” but you might say that with this band we’re not exactly talking about Califone, let alone the Mahavishnu Orchestra or Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Gorillaz’ m.o. is to be … Read more“A Nod for Gorillaz and Greatest Hits Collections”
This was going to be a post about Billie Joe Armstrong, but lo and behold, it’s about {Less Than Jake} lead singer. Contrary to popular belief, this guy exists. That is, according to THE INTERNETS. This is what I had to use to look up his name, since no one ever knows his name, though … Read more“Punk is Expression”
In the early ’90’s, punk was big — Fugazi, Lagwagon, Strung Out. By the early ’00’s, it had become “punk” to put out a song that was actually inspired and substantial. Coldplay had embarked upon this genuine mission with their debut. “Trouble” seemed like the sort of immediate catharsis so intense that it only comes … Read more“Dolby’s Rupees: ‘The Scientist’ by Coldplay”
I’m still waiting on my Stitches CD that I ordered from our own local record store, which is crumbling, decaying and “stitched together,” much like the shining attributes of Califone’s music itself. I believe the track is “Stitches” that you get on the website. Upon hearing it, the first thing I thought was, the guitar … Read more“Bass Drum Dream: First Impressions of the Califone Track (Four Stars out of Five)”
*”I’m mad vexed it’s what the projects made me / Rebel to the grave there’s no way to barricade me.” – Inspectah Deck, Wu-Tang Clan . Yesterday I got through the better part of Beats, Rhymes & Life: What We Love and Hate About Hip-Hop, and found discussion of sampling glaringly missing from the text. … Read more“Sampling: The Redheaded Stepchild of Hip-Hop”