and i'm feelin' good. well, not great, but better than yesterday. i know you were concerned.
anywho, awake from my sick day and already behind the curve on some interesting tidbits. I have a new jersey shit heap of work to do today so I'm going to try and extol as much efficiency as possible in my ramblings today.
first off, it's blitz has been out a week and i still have not listened to it. I hope everyone who reads this took the opportunity to listen to that b side I linked last week. It's a great song and gives me hope for that album.
dude, i want the lotus plaza album pretty bad. Reviews have been good, but not great, which I feel like is a critic's way of trying not to prop up an album that no one else has the balls to. Like if everyone gives it the same general rating its because they don't want to say the wrong thing. I have this innate feeling that the album is probably really good, or at least I will like it a lot. Much like the parenthetical girls album that I spent at least 8 real hours of life tracking down. To which there was seriously no possible way that album could have been as good as I had built it up in my head.
though the parenthetical girls album Entanglements is pretty dees.
Looks like today is going to be a multi-post day cause i gotta run. But I just saw this and poo'd big time. HOLY F I EFFING LOVE THE EFFING CRYSTAL ANTLERS ...
2009-03-31
2009-03-29
nerdy sunday
getting excited ... always wanted to do this
Everyone forgets that Icarus also flew.
It's the same when love comes to an end,
or the marriage fails and people say
they knew it was a mistake, that everybody
said it would never work. That she was
old enough to know better. But anything
worth doing is worth doing badly.
Like being there by that summer ocean
on the other side of the island while
love was fading out of her, the stars
burning so extravagantly those nights that
anyone could tell you they would never last.
Every morning she was asleep in my bed
like a visitation, the gentleness in her
like antelope standing in the dawn mist.
Each afternoon I watched her coming back
through the hot stony field after swimming,
the sea light behind her and the huge sky
on the other side of that. Listened to her
while we ate lunch. How can they say
the marriage failed? Like the people who
came back from Provence (when it was Provence)
and said it was pretty but the food was greasy.
I believe Icarus was not failing as he fell,
but just coming to the end of his triumph.
2009-03-28
are you sick of me talking about the decemberists yet?
ok, so i'm ready with my final thoughts (in this space at least) regarding the hazards of love.
I love it. I like it more than the Crane Wife, but less than all previous work. BUT I like this album in a much different way. Let me try and explain what i mean.
Particularly the decemberists excel in a number of ways on this album. First off, musically I would say that HOL is a new and great creative step forward by the band. Maybe not in precision or skill, but taking the concept of a rock opera and flawlessly putting out a nearly hour long piece of work that seamlessly fuses together each piece of the story without batting an eye. It's downright excellent. I feel like they were preparing their chops for this grand of an undertaking on crane wife. And here they are allowed to just go all out. As I had clearly stated in the past I was quite hesitant about this. The crane wife just wasn't that great to me. But here with the band being allowed take their idea and stretch it until it becomes a true landscape results in a magnificent piece of work.
The only part of this argument is that because the story is just that and needs to make sense not only lyrically but musically I found that sometimes the music hovered near repetitive. The band's way of reminding the listener of the themes being expressed. Essentially, if you like track 1, you will like the entire album. It feels like HOL is just one track, with the band rising and falling through the different movements of the story. Also I totally hate kids singing. They have kids singing.
Lyrically, I found also because a story is being told that perhaps if you don't like the story all that much, then you won't find much interest in the lyrics otherwise.
The flip side to that is the work put in my the guest female guest vocalists. Particularly Sharon Worden of My Brightest Diamond. She's become officially an indie credible female voice and a force in the genre.
You think the decemberists aren't powerful any more. Listen to HOL4. It's an epic closer and sends those all too familiar decmeberists chills down my spine every time.
I know in another week I'm going to be tired of this album. But for right now I am enjoying the ride.
I love it. I like it more than the Crane Wife, but less than all previous work. BUT I like this album in a much different way. Let me try and explain what i mean.
Particularly the decemberists excel in a number of ways on this album. First off, musically I would say that HOL is a new and great creative step forward by the band. Maybe not in precision or skill, but taking the concept of a rock opera and flawlessly putting out a nearly hour long piece of work that seamlessly fuses together each piece of the story without batting an eye. It's downright excellent. I feel like they were preparing their chops for this grand of an undertaking on crane wife. And here they are allowed to just go all out. As I had clearly stated in the past I was quite hesitant about this. The crane wife just wasn't that great to me. But here with the band being allowed take their idea and stretch it until it becomes a true landscape results in a magnificent piece of work.
The only part of this argument is that because the story is just that and needs to make sense not only lyrically but musically I found that sometimes the music hovered near repetitive. The band's way of reminding the listener of the themes being expressed. Essentially, if you like track 1, you will like the entire album. It feels like HOL is just one track, with the band rising and falling through the different movements of the story. Also I totally hate kids singing. They have kids singing.
Lyrically, I found also because a story is being told that perhaps if you don't like the story all that much, then you won't find much interest in the lyrics otherwise.
The flip side to that is the work put in my the guest female guest vocalists. Particularly Sharon Worden of My Brightest Diamond. She's become officially an indie credible female voice and a force in the genre.
You think the decemberists aren't powerful any more. Listen to HOL4. It's an epic closer and sends those all too familiar decmeberists chills down my spine every time.
I know in another week I'm going to be tired of this album. But for right now I am enjoying the ride.
2009-03-27
2009-03-26
now is the december of our discontent
suddenly and without warning the decemberists have movved to the forefront of my musical reflection.
in an act of blatant hypocrisy I today chastised the shit out of hazards of love, all the while humming along to the rake's song which has imbued my brain with its dark textures and heavy melodies.
meanwhile an old friend fbook burned colin meloy's work as being elementary, comparing the lyrical style to TMBG. Birdhouse in your Soul is no fucking Red Right Ankle .... SEEEWRREEEEZ ... i mean i sort of respect the guy's opinion, but sometimes he doesn't know what he's talking about. The worst part being that he was using death cab as his shield. This obviously could've led me to some serious contradictory insults in that regard. But I can't do it. I still dream of setting up a stalker station outside of BG's seattle abode.
also, musically the two bands are in two completely different spectrums. Especially the further back you go in each's catalogue.
I'm still feeling pretty heated about the statments: "A Poor Man's DCFC" and "besides the OBVIOUS similiarities to TMBG". Punch-Drink-Cry.
I ended up telling him I'd let it go, and suggesting the mariner's revenge song if he thought that Colin Meloy's lyrics were trite. I feel like this is pointless battle, and his opinion is already set. But I feel so damn strongly about the decemberits work I feel like i have to keep trying. Here are some of the songs I have considred to try and break his predispostions:
Mariner's Revenge
Soldiering Life
Chanty for Areuthesa
Eli the Barrowboy
Legionaire's Lament
Los Angelas, I'm Yours
The Apology Song
On the Bus Mall
Red Right Ankle ... shit all of her majesty
California One, Youth and Beauty Brigade ...
grrr ... and though I couldn't possibly choose between one or the other I can already say that I think Hazards is a much better piece of work than the let down DCFC put out last year ... yeesh.
p.s. Hazards of Love ... The Crane Wife II: now with more Crane
in an act of blatant hypocrisy I today chastised the shit out of hazards of love, all the while humming along to the rake's song which has imbued my brain with its dark textures and heavy melodies.
meanwhile an old friend fbook burned colin meloy's work as being elementary, comparing the lyrical style to TMBG. Birdhouse in your Soul is no fucking Red Right Ankle .... SEEEWRREEEEZ ... i mean i sort of respect the guy's opinion, but sometimes he doesn't know what he's talking about. The worst part being that he was using death cab as his shield. This obviously could've led me to some serious contradictory insults in that regard. But I can't do it. I still dream of setting up a stalker station outside of BG's seattle abode.
also, musically the two bands are in two completely different spectrums. Especially the further back you go in each's catalogue.
I'm still feeling pretty heated about the statments: "A Poor Man's DCFC" and "besides the OBVIOUS similiarities to TMBG". Punch-Drink-Cry.
I ended up telling him I'd let it go, and suggesting the mariner's revenge song if he thought that Colin Meloy's lyrics were trite. I feel like this is pointless battle, and his opinion is already set. But I feel so damn strongly about the decemberits work I feel like i have to keep trying. Here are some of the songs I have considred to try and break his predispostions:
Mariner's Revenge
Soldiering Life
Chanty for Areuthesa
Eli the Barrowboy
Legionaire's Lament
Los Angelas, I'm Yours
The Apology Song
On the Bus Mall
Red Right Ankle ... shit all of her majesty
California One, Youth and Beauty Brigade ...
grrr ... and though I couldn't possibly choose between one or the other I can already say that I think Hazards is a much better piece of work than the let down DCFC put out last year ... yeesh.
p.s. Hazards of Love ... The Crane Wife II: now with more Crane
2009-03-25
important notes
some important information:
i am sick. i have been up since 3:30. tonight i have a beer tasting. today is going to suck.
the bugjar website is working again which means tickets for pains of being pure at heart and marnie stern are now available. yes.
tinymixtapes.com has entered the foray as a legit site for music reviews. my experiement thus far includes the following test case hypotheses:
a. their reviews for albums which earn low marks are witty and sarcastic (can you say wheel house?)
b. their reviews for albums earning high marks on basically the same as any pfork review (i'm ok with that but a careful comparison should be examined)
c. test case: the next album i am dilligently awaiting the release I have decided to subject myself to ONLY the tmt review for at least a month after release. though, I feel like this might require avoiding pfork altogether in case the album makes the "best new music" spot in which case I would infer that it had received high marks.
does anyone disklike the new black lips album. everyone gave is praise for not following the expected "pop album" route they were heading in with good bad not evil. however, that doesn't mean their pointless meandering, and lack of punk aesthetic should be overlooked. The album bores me. But i said the same thing about In Rainbows ... so i'm going to stick this one out.
i am sick. i have been up since 3:30. tonight i have a beer tasting. today is going to suck.
the bugjar website is working again which means tickets for pains of being pure at heart and marnie stern are now available. yes.
tinymixtapes.com has entered the foray as a legit site for music reviews. my experiement thus far includes the following test case hypotheses:
a. their reviews for albums which earn low marks are witty and sarcastic (can you say wheel house?)
b. their reviews for albums earning high marks on basically the same as any pfork review (i'm ok with that but a careful comparison should be examined)
c. test case: the next album i am dilligently awaiting the release I have decided to subject myself to ONLY the tmt review for at least a month after release. though, I feel like this might require avoiding pfork altogether in case the album makes the "best new music" spot in which case I would infer that it had received high marks.
does anyone disklike the new black lips album. everyone gave is praise for not following the expected "pop album" route they were heading in with good bad not evil. however, that doesn't mean their pointless meandering, and lack of punk aesthetic should be overlooked. The album bores me. But i said the same thing about In Rainbows ... so i'm going to stick this one out.
2009-03-24
I think it's very telling that I'd much rather be updating this silly little blog of mine during the day instead of actually working. Furthermore, even more telling are the lengths I've gone to to actually be able to get to this page.
Man, there is so much I just haven't had time to post here!!! I'm sorry!
But I had to make special considerations because today has special considerations to take into account. You see today was the first time I listened to "the hazards of love" from beginning to end. For the most part I've kept my expectations low. The few songs I heard prior to the release helped to damper those as well. The first time I heard "the rake's song" i near poo'd.
So first impressions. I don't like it nearly as much as I hoped. I had really hoped for the sound to return to the brilliant simplistic beauty that some of their older endeavors had mastered so eloquently. However to paraphrase pfork this is more like "the crane wife 2: even craneier". The one thing I find a little easier to swallow this time around though is the commitment to the concept. Where in the Crane wife I felt like I was intermittently having a great decemberists album interrupted by the Crane Wife concept debacle. Not that the related songs were all that bad. I just felt like the "typical" decemberists tracks were more interesting. Well, except Valencia which I found endearing the first time I heard it, but a little too sickenly sappy every time after that.
But shifting focus to the work at hand. Like I said, I've only been through it once so far. I thought it is probably like a 6 / 10. I immediately was taken to "the wanting comes in waves/repaid" which features My brightest diamond (can't recall her real name at the moment). Also there are a few other tracks that get down with a tight rock-esque guitar riffs. In particular I loved the church organ led, electric guitar fed close on (i believe) HOL3.
So all in all I think the album deserves some further consideration. I'm intrigued to read more about how the SXSW show went (they played the album in its entirety). But I love the decemberists for reasons other than their creative explorations.
Which leads me to my next post...
Man, there is so much I just haven't had time to post here!!! I'm sorry!
But I had to make special considerations because today has special considerations to take into account. You see today was the first time I listened to "the hazards of love" from beginning to end. For the most part I've kept my expectations low. The few songs I heard prior to the release helped to damper those as well. The first time I heard "the rake's song" i near poo'd.
So first impressions. I don't like it nearly as much as I hoped. I had really hoped for the sound to return to the brilliant simplistic beauty that some of their older endeavors had mastered so eloquently. However to paraphrase pfork this is more like "the crane wife 2: even craneier". The one thing I find a little easier to swallow this time around though is the commitment to the concept. Where in the Crane wife I felt like I was intermittently having a great decemberists album interrupted by the Crane Wife concept debacle. Not that the related songs were all that bad. I just felt like the "typical" decemberists tracks were more interesting. Well, except Valencia which I found endearing the first time I heard it, but a little too sickenly sappy every time after that.
But shifting focus to the work at hand. Like I said, I've only been through it once so far. I thought it is probably like a 6 / 10. I immediately was taken to "the wanting comes in waves/repaid" which features My brightest diamond (can't recall her real name at the moment). Also there are a few other tracks that get down with a tight rock-esque guitar riffs. In particular I loved the church organ led, electric guitar fed close on (i believe) HOL3.
So all in all I think the album deserves some further consideration. I'm intrigued to read more about how the SXSW show went (they played the album in its entirety). But I love the decemberists for reasons other than their creative explorations.
Which leads me to my next post...
song of the day
There is so much more to write. And this would be way cooler if I had the time to figure out how to post the song directly to this post. However that is not possible as I wasted all my time figuring out how to convert the song to mp3 so I could bring it with me to work this morning.
But when you get the chance LISTEN TO HYSTERIC AT THIS LINK IN THE IMEEM PLAYER.
Song of the fucking day man. I'm not all that interested in the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album. I specifically became disinterested when I read an article which quoted Dave Sitek as telling Nick Zinner "to put down his guitar" for the album. I like Nick Zinner's guitar. I love Nick Zinner's guitar. I do not want to listen to Nick Zinner's pro tools beat matching. I want to listen to Nick Zinner's guitar.
But this song hit me today. And I hope it hits you too.
But when you get the chance LISTEN TO HYSTERIC AT THIS LINK IN THE IMEEM PLAYER.
Song of the fucking day man. I'm not all that interested in the new Yeah Yeah Yeahs album. I specifically became disinterested when I read an article which quoted Dave Sitek as telling Nick Zinner "to put down his guitar" for the album. I like Nick Zinner's guitar. I love Nick Zinner's guitar. I do not want to listen to Nick Zinner's pro tools beat matching. I want to listen to Nick Zinner's guitar.
But this song hit me today. And I hope it hits you too.
2009-03-16
just can't get it right..
to forewarn the readers: i'm feeling exceptionally introspective this morning be prepared for absurdly vague reflections regarding personal matters and lifestyle choices.
But first there's nothin like a monday morning dead horse beating. Have you listened to Dark Was the Night? Here's some more to enjoy.
So the one thing I think I am finding most interesting about this album so far as that if I listen to it while I'm feeling down I feel even more down. And when I listen to it when I'm up, I feel even more "up". The current problem is that I am enjoying the down it is currently bringing. Though it is unwise to dwell in this state for long.
So new to the challenge turns to the internal debate of finding the most desirable combination of music that can end this emotional valley (think peaks) as well as elicit the comfort found in the music that deepens said gully. My first thought refers to my last similar experience. At that time i actually found it best to avoid music altogether. And it took weeks to gather the emotional fortitude to be able to hear a song that brought back the tough memories, and yet resolved to remember at a distance.
My first attempt today will be to explore more into Sung Tongs. Leaf House has recently become a favorite of mine. Winter's Love and Visiting Friends additional classics. College being a work of true inspiration (kidding). Speaking of the most interesting and influential band I am come across in the past year here is my initial tracklisting for the first ever All Animal Collective playlist, tentatively titled Animal Collection.
Comfy In Natuica
Leaf House
Cucckoo Cuckoo
My girls
Good Girls / Carrots
Daily routine
Did you see the word
Derek
Banshee Beat
Bros
Brothersport
Turn into Something
One thing I am totally digging is the fact that My Girls / Good Girls and Bros / Brothersport tandems. It has a coincidental epicness. Shit I have to get going for now. More later.
But first there's nothin like a monday morning dead horse beating. Have you listened to Dark Was the Night? Here's some more to enjoy.
So the one thing I think I am finding most interesting about this album so far as that if I listen to it while I'm feeling down I feel even more down. And when I listen to it when I'm up, I feel even more "up". The current problem is that I am enjoying the down it is currently bringing. Though it is unwise to dwell in this state for long.
So new to the challenge turns to the internal debate of finding the most desirable combination of music that can end this emotional valley (think peaks) as well as elicit the comfort found in the music that deepens said gully. My first thought refers to my last similar experience. At that time i actually found it best to avoid music altogether. And it took weeks to gather the emotional fortitude to be able to hear a song that brought back the tough memories, and yet resolved to remember at a distance.
My first attempt today will be to explore more into Sung Tongs. Leaf House has recently become a favorite of mine. Winter's Love and Visiting Friends additional classics. College being a work of true inspiration (kidding). Speaking of the most interesting and influential band I am come across in the past year here is my initial tracklisting for the first ever All Animal Collective playlist, tentatively titled Animal Collection.
Comfy In Natuica
Leaf House
Cucckoo Cuckoo
My girls
Good Girls / Carrots
Daily routine
Did you see the word
Derek
Banshee Beat
Bros
Brothersport
Turn into Something
One thing I am totally digging is the fact that My Girls / Good Girls and Bros / Brothersport tandems. It has a coincidental epicness. Shit I have to get going for now. More later.
2009-03-13
a bump on the head...
so for tonight's edition i am starting off with the following: i have much to say, but i'm not feeling the words coming into my head. so please excuse if the drivel drivels.
a word on radiohead. i believe in radiohead. but i believe at the same time i'm blinded from reality. i need outside perspective. and yet the people i trust most would only share the same opinion, and the others would claim to know nothing. i just really think radiohead is superb. also, i believe a reasonable debate could be held regarding a challenge of merits between the Beatles and radiohead. I believe the obvious winner would be the beatles in basically any type of comparator excercise. However, i think to debate the merits could be interesting. I think that says quite a bit about my opinion of radiohead.
Sadly today a weird piece of my childhood was destroyed. I say weird because the circumstances were weird, it was actually a quite normal type of thing to happen to a young gentleman. So Trent Reznor called out Chris Cornell? A) How are these two still relevant? B)Trent, buddy, the sheer volume of shit you've released could probably fill at least one of those arenas your music doesn't any more ... fuck ... my most epic burn ever. C)That burn came out of nowhere ... actually Trent is probably right. I listened to about 15 seconds of CC's first single and began to feel like i was being tortured. It was fucking.awful. D)Its just sad that it had to come to a insult via ... twitter. maybe i should get twitter now that I AM THE INSULT MASTER BUUURRRRNNNN...
so when I was recently posed with the question: favorite album of all time ... i was stumped. I simply could not answer that. To save the suspense I still cannot (without any hesitation) answer that. However, I am intrigued by my choices for assemblage of the vinyl collection. And I reflected on my first three full priced purchases. So far the order is Kid A, Person Pitch, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea ... Certainties of the collection include Strawberry Jam, Feels, Sung Tongs, Every R-head album .... ever pressed .... to vinyl. Leviathan (though fearful this would explode my record player). Old Money. Umm ... well right now all i can think of is how awesome animal collective and radiohead sound on vinyl ... its amazing.
Less Oppressing Matters:
Dude, did you see this video? I'm ok with Deerhunter going mainstream. At least bro still has Atlas Sound to go fucko with. Pfork sucks because they simply could not believe that radiohead responded with a childish quote about the whole miley cyrus newberfiasco so they hounded their camp until they blamed it on their publicist. Lamezies all around guys.
the best song on Dark Was the Night is Yeasayer's Tightrope. At the moment. There is so much to dig into with that album. I mean at some point i'm going to have to pay attention to the 8 or 9 minute long decemberists jam, i'm actually kind of scared about how good that song might be.
Also... Bill ... because at the moment you're the only person who reads these words you're going to hear this in a weird 3rd person kind of way. But that's ok. I just want to say this.... So today I got totally amazed at how Bill always seems to be 5 minutes behind, but also 2 minutes ahead at all times. I mean, specifically music tastes. But perhaps someone who knows him better would be able to comment additionally in a different context. I don't know. All I know is 5 minutes behind but 2 minutes ahead. He was all over Leaf House today ... I was so proud and so jealous all at the same time! <--- that's seriously a weird sentence. Dude, remember that one interview where Noah Lennox was like "i'd be a janitor, that job seems easy, i could probably do that". Their fucking legend grows every god damn day .... i literally believe those guys are on drugs all the time. Yeah ... so this was fun.
a word on radiohead. i believe in radiohead. but i believe at the same time i'm blinded from reality. i need outside perspective. and yet the people i trust most would only share the same opinion, and the others would claim to know nothing. i just really think radiohead is superb. also, i believe a reasonable debate could be held regarding a challenge of merits between the Beatles and radiohead. I believe the obvious winner would be the beatles in basically any type of comparator excercise. However, i think to debate the merits could be interesting. I think that says quite a bit about my opinion of radiohead.
Sadly today a weird piece of my childhood was destroyed. I say weird because the circumstances were weird, it was actually a quite normal type of thing to happen to a young gentleman. So Trent Reznor called out Chris Cornell? A) How are these two still relevant? B)Trent, buddy, the sheer volume of shit you've released could probably fill at least one of those arenas your music doesn't any more ... fuck ... my most epic burn ever. C)That burn came out of nowhere ... actually Trent is probably right. I listened to about 15 seconds of CC's first single and began to feel like i was being tortured. It was fucking.awful. D)Its just sad that it had to come to a insult via ... twitter. maybe i should get twitter now that I AM THE INSULT MASTER BUUURRRRNNNN...
so when I was recently posed with the question: favorite album of all time ... i was stumped. I simply could not answer that. To save the suspense I still cannot (without any hesitation) answer that. However, I am intrigued by my choices for assemblage of the vinyl collection. And I reflected on my first three full priced purchases. So far the order is Kid A, Person Pitch, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea ... Certainties of the collection include Strawberry Jam, Feels, Sung Tongs, Every R-head album .... ever pressed .... to vinyl. Leviathan (though fearful this would explode my record player). Old Money. Umm ... well right now all i can think of is how awesome animal collective and radiohead sound on vinyl ... its amazing.
Less Oppressing Matters:
Dude, did you see this video? I'm ok with Deerhunter going mainstream. At least bro still has Atlas Sound to go fucko with. Pfork sucks because they simply could not believe that radiohead responded with a childish quote about the whole miley cyrus newberfiasco so they hounded their camp until they blamed it on their publicist. Lamezies all around guys.
the best song on Dark Was the Night is Yeasayer's Tightrope. At the moment. There is so much to dig into with that album. I mean at some point i'm going to have to pay attention to the 8 or 9 minute long decemberists jam, i'm actually kind of scared about how good that song might be.
Also... Bill ... because at the moment you're the only person who reads these words you're going to hear this in a weird 3rd person kind of way. But that's ok. I just want to say this.... So today I got totally amazed at how Bill always seems to be 5 minutes behind, but also 2 minutes ahead at all times. I mean, specifically music tastes. But perhaps someone who knows him better would be able to comment additionally in a different context. I don't know. All I know is 5 minutes behind but 2 minutes ahead. He was all over Leaf House today ... I was so proud and so jealous all at the same time! <--- that's seriously a weird sentence. Dude, remember that one interview where Noah Lennox was like "i'd be a janitor, that job seems easy, i could probably do that". Their fucking legend grows every god damn day .... i literally believe those guys are on drugs all the time. Yeah ... so this was fun.
2009-03-11
specifically regarding shitdisco
so on the advice of a friend (yeah, it was you, but i have to pretend like someone else might read this) i downloaded an album by the band shitdisco.
as per yoosh I checked pfork's musings on the album. typically I take the pompous nature of the pitchfork reviews with a grain of salt because i feel that:
a. i am going to get a full review and NOT some shitty blurb by some company douche who read the press release notice and came up with 4 or 5 unoriginal adjectives to describe the album and/or the same thing everyone else is saying
b. at least an honest opinion, whether good or bad.
c. something written above a 5th grade reading level, to which at many times the level at which the words are chosen I am forced to dictionary.com / wikipedia certain aspects. I certainly wouldn't claim to be able to read in any of their review without at least sometimes having feeling a bit disoriented by the landscape of descriptions that are typically employed in a pfork review. That challenge is half the fun.
However the shitdisco review must've been written by some pompous hipster jackass in what was likely someone's earliest attempts at getting their work published on that site. The thing that singularly infuriated me was the opening paragraph's pseudo-moral rant regarding the band's choice of a name. Accusing them of setting themselves up for failure. It fucking burns my scrot that (and although all people are free to their own opinions) that these sentiments were condoned on the same site that in the recent past has if not enhanced, at least applauded the work done by bands such as: Holy Fuck, Fucked Up, and The Fuck Buttons.
The obvious contradiction aside, its also annoying to see the opinion that the band choice of a name would factor into their desire to make it to "radio airplay". The type of message sent here kind of contradicts the integrity that I had associated with pfork. And now I'm disappointed.
Aside from all that the shitdisco album is aight. Its totally a half lamey cross between foals and the rapture. Not as dark and oppressive as the foals and not as punk as the rapture album echoes (the one that makes me lose my shit every time). But they're trying. I feel like the whole point to punk is to not try that hard though. Worry more about the energy you're putting into it, and less about the sound that is coming out. Or at least try to get that ideal to transcend into your ears.
as per yoosh I checked pfork's musings on the album. typically I take the pompous nature of the pitchfork reviews with a grain of salt because i feel that:
a. i am going to get a full review and NOT some shitty blurb by some company douche who read the press release notice and came up with 4 or 5 unoriginal adjectives to describe the album and/or the same thing everyone else is saying
b. at least an honest opinion, whether good or bad.
c. something written above a 5th grade reading level, to which at many times the level at which the words are chosen I am forced to dictionary.com / wikipedia certain aspects. I certainly wouldn't claim to be able to read in any of their review without at least sometimes having feeling a bit disoriented by the landscape of descriptions that are typically employed in a pfork review. That challenge is half the fun.
However the shitdisco review must've been written by some pompous hipster jackass in what was likely someone's earliest attempts at getting their work published on that site. The thing that singularly infuriated me was the opening paragraph's pseudo-moral rant regarding the band's choice of a name. Accusing them of setting themselves up for failure. It fucking burns my scrot that (and although all people are free to their own opinions) that these sentiments were condoned on the same site that in the recent past has if not enhanced, at least applauded the work done by bands such as: Holy Fuck, Fucked Up, and The Fuck Buttons.
The obvious contradiction aside, its also annoying to see the opinion that the band choice of a name would factor into their desire to make it to "radio airplay". The type of message sent here kind of contradicts the integrity that I had associated with pfork. And now I'm disappointed.
Aside from all that the shitdisco album is aight. Its totally a half lamey cross between foals and the rapture. Not as dark and oppressive as the foals and not as punk as the rapture album echoes (the one that makes me lose my shit every time). But they're trying. I feel like the whole point to punk is to not try that hard though. Worry more about the energy you're putting into it, and less about the sound that is coming out. Or at least try to get that ideal to transcend into your ears.
2009-03-10
sincerely yous
So yes its been a while but what can i say i'm kind of an important guy ...
First I want to publicly state that one of my goals in the near future is to proper upgrade the design of this page. It just hasn't been at the top of my priority list but I feel the reason why more people don't bother (including myself) is that the blog is not laid out well. The text spacing needs improvement. Some simple design upgrades can take care of that. Also I got lazy and started basically just reposting links from the sites I read which is kind of pointless. Links and videos should be used to supplement content not act as the content itself.
Notice the lack of timeline outside of the vague reference to "near future" so yeah, not that anyone reads this (besides B.C. 101) to hold me accountable. But that is kind of the reason for the need in the first place.
Now to more pertinent infomartion.
Is it just me or do you feel left out of the whole music industry interwebs diss factory or what?! The Cure dissed Radiohead. Miley Cyrus dissed radiohead. Wayne Coyne dissed arcade fire. And i'm sure Kanye twissed someone. Twissed = a new phrase i just made up which is cross between Twitter and Diss. Or maybe Twinsult, no?
NIN and Janes Addiction are coming to Darien Lake but I'm already seeing NIN at bonna, but I feel like that show would be pretty awesome. Or i wonder if Janes Addiction is going to be all old and not rock any more... doubtful.
I got notice of $60 dollar ticks for Lolla mailing list people. I might buy them and try to sell them at like a small discount online. Considering last year's tickets were like 200 I can probably come close to recovering my bonna ticket cost if I buy 2 or 3. Or maybe even pay for a trip to chicago in July.
The dark was the night show at Radio City Music hall is going to be amazing. I wonder who else will sign on. I would want to hear Beirut, Antony, Conner Oberst, Grizzly Bear all perform their songs, along with the ones that were already named. That Bon Iver / National track is pretty much epic. That album has given me a ton of respect for the guys in the National that put that comp together. Not only were they able to string together an amazing collection of msucians, but their own works on the album stands among the highlights.
At leaset we know A Bird can't perform at that show ... cause i'll be seeing him in Toronto instead that night. Take that Dressner!!! Ok, sweet I got my interweb diss in before this post was over. I feel like i belong now.
I like the Abe Vigoda album Skeleton, but I feel like now isn't the right time for me with that one.
The new handsome furs album is much heavier electronic based and pretty damn cool to listen to so far. Kind of less gradiose than Mt. Zoomer / Plague Park and more almost poppy sounding if you can call that weird Canadio Indie Arcade Fire-ish screech singing style poppy. I suppose i can. Further more, why does everyone from Montreal sing the same way? And further furthermore, since the dude from Arcade Fire is technically from Houston and he sings that way does that mean if I move to montreal that I am allowed to start an indie rock band and sing that way and claim to be down with the people?
shit ... i just wasted an hour at work. I could actually go on. I guess i have more to say than i thought. Well maybe I'll have time for another post soon ...
Today's decisions are tomorrow's destiny
What is forgiveness? Its just a dream. What is forgiveness? Its everything.
First I want to publicly state that one of my goals in the near future is to proper upgrade the design of this page. It just hasn't been at the top of my priority list but I feel the reason why more people don't bother (including myself) is that the blog is not laid out well. The text spacing needs improvement. Some simple design upgrades can take care of that. Also I got lazy and started basically just reposting links from the sites I read which is kind of pointless. Links and videos should be used to supplement content not act as the content itself.
Notice the lack of timeline outside of the vague reference to "near future" so yeah, not that anyone reads this (besides B.C. 101) to hold me accountable. But that is kind of the reason for the need in the first place.
Now to more pertinent infomartion.
Is it just me or do you feel left out of the whole music industry interwebs diss factory or what?! The Cure dissed Radiohead. Miley Cyrus dissed radiohead. Wayne Coyne dissed arcade fire. And i'm sure Kanye twissed someone. Twissed = a new phrase i just made up which is cross between Twitter and Diss. Or maybe Twinsult, no?
NIN and Janes Addiction are coming to Darien Lake but I'm already seeing NIN at bonna, but I feel like that show would be pretty awesome. Or i wonder if Janes Addiction is going to be all old and not rock any more... doubtful.
I got notice of $60 dollar ticks for Lolla mailing list people. I might buy them and try to sell them at like a small discount online. Considering last year's tickets were like 200 I can probably come close to recovering my bonna ticket cost if I buy 2 or 3. Or maybe even pay for a trip to chicago in July.
The dark was the night show at Radio City Music hall is going to be amazing. I wonder who else will sign on. I would want to hear Beirut, Antony, Conner Oberst, Grizzly Bear all perform their songs, along with the ones that were already named. That Bon Iver / National track is pretty much epic. That album has given me a ton of respect for the guys in the National that put that comp together. Not only were they able to string together an amazing collection of msucians, but their own works on the album stands among the highlights.
At leaset we know A Bird can't perform at that show ... cause i'll be seeing him in Toronto instead that night. Take that Dressner!!! Ok, sweet I got my interweb diss in before this post was over. I feel like i belong now.
I like the Abe Vigoda album Skeleton, but I feel like now isn't the right time for me with that one.
The new handsome furs album is much heavier electronic based and pretty damn cool to listen to so far. Kind of less gradiose than Mt. Zoomer / Plague Park and more almost poppy sounding if you can call that weird Canadio Indie Arcade Fire-ish screech singing style poppy. I suppose i can. Further more, why does everyone from Montreal sing the same way? And further furthermore, since the dude from Arcade Fire is technically from Houston and he sings that way does that mean if I move to montreal that I am allowed to start an indie rock band and sing that way and claim to be down with the people?
shit ... i just wasted an hour at work. I could actually go on. I guess i have more to say than i thought. Well maybe I'll have time for another post soon ...
Today's decisions are tomorrow's destiny
What is forgiveness? Its just a dream. What is forgiveness? Its everything.
2009-03-09
2009-03-01
finally a few seconds
so lately things have been pretty much utter chaos in the land of tonewad ... lets see what things first come to mind when I think of what might seem interesting to outside viewers hmmmm....
well first and foremost the dates for pfork were finalized on friday ... July 17 - 19 .... happy birthfuckingday to me. Also rt tix from buf to ord are currently at 98 fucking dollars. prelimiary goals for the weekend: stay at the downtown hostel, go to the underground after hours bar, and get a bring back a souveir.
second ... get the "Dark was the Night" album. Its pretty fucking sick. I am completely enamored with the Sharon Jones and Dap Kings song ... Sufjan on a hip hop track, this is probably my favorite new album of the year thus far.
with that last thought still in mind the disappointment continues in '09. 200 million thousand is a let down. The coconut records album is not nearly as catchy as the first one. Until I got dark was the night, i was not really into anything.
my record player is amazing. i haven't named her yet. oh, its definitely a her. she is beautiful, smart, multi talented, forgiving, and has the most beautiful voice i have ever heard. she is perfect.
if anyone knows about any cool record stores in roc let me know about them. and or lets go together!!
i would agree with the assessment that hte dark was the night comp is statement about the current state of indie music as it seems there is a similar vibe going on through the entirey of the album. and i can see where that can be a shortcoming of the album, and kind of pigeon hole's the genre. however, my argument is the sounds on the album are exploratory and full and multi layers exsquisite assemblages by some of the best artists around (and maybe that could even be better put "by a lot of the best artists around"). It is a fucking amazing comp and one that guarantees that if you like any of the bands on the album you will enjoy the entire album for certain.
thats all i can do for now, duties call.
well first and foremost the dates for pfork were finalized on friday ... July 17 - 19 .... happy birthfuckingday to me. Also rt tix from buf to ord are currently at 98 fucking dollars. prelimiary goals for the weekend: stay at the downtown hostel, go to the underground after hours bar, and get a bring back a souveir.
second ... get the "Dark was the Night" album. Its pretty fucking sick. I am completely enamored with the Sharon Jones and Dap Kings song ... Sufjan on a hip hop track, this is probably my favorite new album of the year thus far.
with that last thought still in mind the disappointment continues in '09. 200 million thousand is a let down. The coconut records album is not nearly as catchy as the first one. Until I got dark was the night, i was not really into anything.
my record player is amazing. i haven't named her yet. oh, its definitely a her. she is beautiful, smart, multi talented, forgiving, and has the most beautiful voice i have ever heard. she is perfect.
if anyone knows about any cool record stores in roc let me know about them. and or lets go together!!
i would agree with the assessment that hte dark was the night comp is statement about the current state of indie music as it seems there is a similar vibe going on through the entirey of the album. and i can see where that can be a shortcoming of the album, and kind of pigeon hole's the genre. however, my argument is the sounds on the album are exploratory and full and multi layers exsquisite assemblages by some of the best artists around (and maybe that could even be better put "by a lot of the best artists around"). It is a fucking amazing comp and one that guarantees that if you like any of the bands on the album you will enjoy the entire album for certain.
thats all i can do for now, duties call.
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