Warren Zevon's Last Public Appearance

On October 30th 2002, Warren Zevon made his last ever televised appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman. Dave and Warren were old friends, and Warren was the goto replacement as bandleader whenever Paul was pulled away from the show. So as the only guest that episode, he played three songs and talked to Dave about his dirty life and times. Here is the last performance of the night, "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner." It's both powerful and kick ass all at once, from a true genius.

The Good Stuff: "Because of the Times" by Kings of Leon

Here's a new thing I'm going to do. A public service. Give you the choice tracks off of albums so you can cut through the fat that often plagues good records. Sure it's my opinion, but I'm always right, so listen up. My first victim will be the new KOL album, "Because of the Times," which is very good as a whole. It's still definitely the Followills, but its got a more ambient and spacey sound. Great album, but here's the good stuff (I'm working on the name too):

"On Call" - The perfect example of the new KOL sound. It's still them, but they've discovered more reverb and an organ. I think this is the single, which is nice.

"Black Thumbnail" - This track connects them back to their roots. It's a straight up southern rocker with a crazy powerful chorus. Bluesy and ripe, it would fit nicely on a White Stripes album as well.

"Ragoo" - I love the melody on this one. It's got a little RHCP, a little Pearl Jam, almost a little prog-rock in it. Very mature of them.

"Fans" - I want to hear this song in concert badly. It already sounds like a live cut. It's an uptempo rock n' roll thank-you to all the Leon-ites out there, giving a special namecheck to the London fans, where they are platinum sellers. Wake up US!

"Arizona" - Probably the most soothing song I've heard in a long time. Makes you want to drive at sunset or sip a beer in the shade. Another amazing melody by both the vocals and guitar. So simple, yet so good.

VYT Concert Review: Sean Lennon at Irving Plaza 4/13/07

Friday the Thirteenth brought a few strange things this year. First I found out that Irving Plaza is now called the "Fillmore New York At Irving Plaza." Secondly, I didn't eat lunch (which is just fuckin' wrong). And third, I enjoyed the Sean Lennon Concert a whole helluva lot.

His band was tight. He sounded good. The songs were that perfect blend of "what you know and love from the album" and "an energetic live cut." He was funny, if not a bit insane. The beer was cold and not as expensive as I imagined. And my girlfriend abandoned her polo shirt and dressed genuinely rock and roll. I was happy.

He came out during the opener to sing the final song with them. I don't remember their name and I didn't really enjoy them. So when Sean arrived onstage for his own set, I knew what to expect. He is very impish, in full suit and beard, long hair, old lady glasses, and an ever present glass of red wine. His guitar was a dark wood acoustic which he played most of the show. He looked happy up there, and he was engaging and funny. Irving's crowd was perfect size and so close to the stage he seemed to be having conversations with the first few rows.

He won me over when he sheepishly took a swig of his wine and said "side effects may include extreme rock n' roll," and launched into a great version of "Dead Meat."

He switched to a Fender Jazzman-esque electric guitar (which he said was just purchased) about a quarter way through. As it was strapped on, to sound check it, he noodled "Over the Hills and Far Away" by Led Zeppelin, and nailed it. The crowd went pretty crazy (which surprised me, I didn't think Hipsters were allowed to like Zepp) but alas, no covers were to be played. His chops were showcased on "Falling In and Out of Love," which sounded better live.

There was a funny, Nigel Tufnel moment during "Falling" also, when he knelt down to solo. He was squatting down there for a while, and at one point the roadie came out right behind him. I thought he was going to help him up, but he just fixed the amp and ran back off stage. Sean rose to his feet and intentional comedy was averted, but I chuckled nonetheless.

At this point I thought to myself, "thank god I don't date short girls." Why? Well because short girls are high maintenance at concerts. They cant see anything. It sucks for them and for you, as you have to keep moving to clear their line of vision.

One of my disappointments was his lack of guests. I know, sounds very bratty, but I've heard great stories of all of his famous friends joining him at local gigs. And this is as local of a gig as he has on this tour. No Ryan Adams, no Jenny Lewis, no Yoko even! She was backstage and he did name check her, but she never came out. Boo Yoko, Boo!

He closed his set with "Headlights," which on the album is acoustic and choppy. Live, it was very uptempo, bluesy, bouncy and electric, and probably the best song all night. He rocked his Jazzman guitar again, and really let loose on it. There was the inevitable encore, but I don't remember it. I was drunk, and "Headlights" was the highlight. That and the free condoms.

So overall, the show was a...fuck. I'm going to need to come up with some cool/witty rating for concerts and albums for this site. So for now, as a placeholder, this concert was an 7 of 10. Fun, intimate, rocking, cheap, great experience but not life changing. Sean Lennon definitely has a magnetism about him on stage, either because you are looking at the living link to a lost genius, or because he is on his own a great musician. All I know is that I woke up the next morning with his songs in my head and feeling the side effects he warned me of.

RE: Sports Music - The Masters

Lord Newton noted an obvious and unforgivable omission in my post about sports music, and that is about the musical elephant-tranquilizer that is the Masters theme on CBS. However, this piece does not exist in a vacuum; when accompanied by Jim Nantz' hypnotic HAL2000 timbre and the (often pre-recorded and non-indigenous) birdcalls it becomes a viable alternative to surgical anaesthesia.

Glorified Version of a Pelican

Feels so manly, with arms!

How much funnier of a song would "Glorified G" be if Vedder and Co. just admitted that those were the actual words? A shitfuck load. Here's some other misheard lyrics that I think are better than the actual ones:

Kelly Clarkson - "Since U Been Gone"

Real: I'm so moving on (yeah yeah)
Mine: I'm sobering up (yeah yeah)

See? How much better would the song be if it was told in the context of a drunken one-night stand?

Paul McCartney and Wings - "Jet"

Real: Ah mater, want Jet to always love me.
Mine: I made her warm jet to always love me.

Mine sounds like an dirty euphemism. His has nonsense Latin words.

Elton John - "Tiny Dancer"

Real: Hold me closer tiny dancer
Mine: Hold me closer Tony Danza

Okay, I never thought those were the real lyrics, but don't you dare try to tell me that's not the funniest thing when your doing drunk karaoke.

Toto - "Africa"

Real: I bless the rains down in Africa
Mine: Daduhdadadoodah in Africa!

I've never heard this song sober, so it doesn't matter anyways. Reminds me of Mary Anne's though (sniff).

Francis Scott Key - "The Star Spangled Banner"

Real: O' say, can you see...
Mine: Jose can you see...

Every little kid thinks that's how it goes, and dammit, it's better than old FSK's poem. I always worried that Jose was blind, poor guy.

The Music of Sports

One of the hardest things to do is to write a piece of instrumental music about a particular sport that musically approximates its dynamism, competitiveness and specific cultural locus, which is why there are few truly great sports themes. One of the other hardest things to do is write an introductory paragraph to an article about sports theme music, so fuck it.

BASEBALL
ESPN's baseball theme is more or less an extension of their pavlovian Baseball Tonight jingle and benefits greatly from its familiarity, brevity as well as its Close-Encounters-of-the-Third-Kind simplicity. It's only a few notes long but you'll unconsciously wander into a room whenever you hear it if you're hungry for baseball. Fox's baseball theme, however, is a disaster. It may be catchy, but its strangely militant kettledrumming and intimidating horn blasts make for a theme horribly incongruent with the pastoral languor of a midsummer day game. Besides it sounds like the B-side to fox's equally grating minor-key football theme.

OLYMPICS
NBC’s coverage of the Olympics is awful for many reasons, the stifling Americo-centrism, the refusal to spotlight interesting or unusual sports and the melodramatic pre-packaged narrative (this annoying trend reached its apotheosis in Sydney when NBC had a full 24 hours to manipulate its footage). One thing that does not detract from their coverage, however, is the rousing majesty of John Williams’ scores, from the regal fanfare of ""The Call of the Champions"" to his more serene but equally stirring ""Atlanta Theme"" (If you listen close enough, you can almost hear Richard Jewell crying in the background). The songs are almost too grand, impossible for any sporting event to live up to, and especially mismatched when accompanying Bob Costas’ dorky visage. Although its theme may not rapturously herald the Second Coming as John Williams' NBC score seems to do, CBS does a perfectly competent job on the odd year they captain olympic coverage. It's been 13 years since CBS last carried the winter olympics but when I close my eyes and listen to this noble score I can still see Dan Jansen doing his best pinball impression on the speed skating circuit.

BASKETBALL
CBS' NCAA basketball theme, like the Baseball Tonight jingle, actually elicits a warm, almost pheromonal response, at least in me. It evokes a very specific part of the year and announces its arrival with all the lively enthusiasm of Dick Vitale while channeling none of his more unbearable, overwhelming qualities. The only other basketball theme of any consequence is John Tesh's synthesized masterpiece ""Roundball Rock"". In the past 5 years since NBC lost the rights to the NBA, ABC has fumbled through 4 different themes for NBA coverage, all equally unmemorable and uninspired. Why they haven't adopted Tesh's angular and aggressive "Rock", the defacto anthem for the league, is a mystery, and to sentimentalists like myself for whom it wistfully evokes images of Dan Majerle and Cedric Ceballos, a tragedy.

FOOTBALL
NBC's Football Night in America premiered this year with a theme that is pretty much the unremarkable orchestrated blitzkrieg you would expect for a football program with such a stupid and knowingly bombastic name (to say nothing of Pink’s unspeakable intro that precedes it). Football is a violent game and it lends itself to the scary military music that CBS, NBC and ESPN have adopted, and that Fox probably first popularized. However it is interesting to note that this de rigueur Wagner-esque bravado, wasn’t always so in football theme music. One recent example is NBC’s bizarrely plaintive football theme from the early 90s as well as Monday Night Football’s popular and downright ebullient anthem. I’ve never really liked Fox’s football theme although by now it has become almost a cultural meme and I would be disappointed if it were changed if only out of conservative reluctance. Also I’ve never been able to take it seriously because you can easily sing “giddy-up giddy-up giddy-up let’s go” to it, which kinds of takes the sting out of its self-conscious austerity.

Aside: While looking into sports themes perhaps the most unusual discovery was ABC's retired golf theme, which sounds lifted from an obscure Blaxpoitation film. You half expect Barry White to interject some soulful crooning about the shaft length of his driver. Boo-yah.

The Midnight Lumberjack Recommends: Spring Rock

1) Pearl Jam “Love, Reign O’er Me” from the soundtrack to Reign Over Me - Vedder and the boys doing a spot-on cover of the epic 1973 Who song for the new Sandler/Cheadle movie. If anyone has earned their right to cover the loudest band on earth, it is the new pillars of rock and roll. It also deliciously coincides with the proverbial showers this fourth month brings, in its lyrical play on words. Check out the classic Roger Daltrey howl that Eddie attempts, and somehow nails, in the chorus.

2) Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins “Handle with Care” from Rabbit Fur Coat - For those of you who don’t know, Jenny Lewis was the redheaded child actress most well known for her role in The Wizard, the 1989 movie that debuted Super Mario Bros. 3 to the world. She then left acting and formed the very influential indie-rock band Rilo Kiley. Breaking out on her own, she released an alt-country album in 2006 with two twin sisters from LA, and it shook the scene apart. This track is a cover of the 1988 Traveling Wilburys song. Helping Jenny out are three other giants of the neo-indie movement; Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service) covering the Roy Orbison part, Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes) and M. Ward filling in on the Tom Petty/Bob Dylan part. It’s like a scenesters dream that everyone can enjoy!

3) My Morning Jacket “It Makes No Difference” from Endless Highway: The Music of The Band - Arguably the best track on this tribute album, Jim James and company bring big bluesy guitars to a soul-gospel anthem. The Band were always the musician’s favorite; lauded by critics and cited by their peers as influential, but save for one or two singles, they were never one of the big sellers of the 60’s and 70’s. They were probably better known for their Martin Scorsese directed final concert, The Last Waltz, than their work before it. But on this album, modern bands are breathing new life, or at least renewed interest, into their catalog. And as seen here, right now no one is doing southern rock better than MMJ.

4) Warren Zevon “Genius” from My Ride’s Here - Much like The Band, Zevon was a musician’s musician. Bob Dylan, Jackson Browne, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen and many others all count him as both a friend and influence. He tragically died in 2003 from inoperable lung cancer, and ironically, his offbeat sense of humor yet macabre outlook on life led him to give a few of his 15 albums some eerily prophetic names, like Life’ll Kill Ya, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, and My Ride’s Here. The latter held this gem of a song, which showcased not only his witty lyricism and pop-perfect melodies, but also his years of training under Igor Stravinsky, the master Russian composer of the 20th century. With the string arrangement and his unassuming vocals, lines like “Albert Einstein was a ladies man/While he was working on his universal plan/He was making out like Charlie Sheen/He was a genius” instantly pop out and make you grin in the way he always intended you to. Some artists break down the walls between themselves and the audience with raw emotion, some with volume, some with their good looks, some with catchy harmonies, and some with their sheer musicianship. Warren Zevon always did it with a clever smirk and a quick wit.

Those poor bastards

Human beings are nostalgic assholes. We look to venerate those we consider glorious, hurling accolades upon them in every artistic medium. Is anyone else sick of it? I thought it was time to take a look at those artists who had the sack to get in someone's face and tell them how badly they suck. (Note: These songs were selected from the music held within my Musitron 5000 mp3 player)


5. 1812 Overture - Tchaikovsky

Why placed here?

It would have been higher except it's somewhat in contrast with what I have set out to do here. Some may celebrate it as a commemoration of Russian courage and diligence against an invading Napoleon. I however, knowing that Russians are mindless red fools, love to believe that Tchaikovsky was really sticking it to that miniature francophile bastard. The introduction of Le Marseillaise (the French national anthem) seems innocent enough until it is pummeled into inaudibility by God Save the Tsar (the Russian anthem.)

Would have been higher if...

It didn't involve dirty ruskies.

4. You're So Vain - Carly Simon

Why placed here?

As the precursor to Alanis Morisette's "You Oughta Know," this song set the stage for women everywhere to lash out at men who don't love them the way that they need to be loved and see them for what they really are: shrieking sirens with VD. In any event, this song is particularly scathing and reminds me to steer clear of brunettes with attitude.

Would have been higher if...

It didn't rely so much on mystery and reputation. Just tell us who the fucking song is about.

3. Congratulations - Weezer


Why placed here?

Does Weezer suck? I'm not really sure. At the time that this lambasting b-side was written, it would have been blasphemous to suggest such a thing in most circles. The song is perfect in its attempts to put some poor bastard(s) down. "How does it feel to have control of everything that’s meaningless? I can’t believe you’re satisfied with your lame achievement!" What a nice slap in the face to every phony fuckface on the planet.

Would have been higher if...

I didn't think that old Rivers hopped in a time machine and saw new Rivers and decided to write this song.

2. Positively 4th Street - Bob Dylan

Why placed here?

This song would make me cry if it was about me. It makes me uncomfortable when I listen to it. It's so dangerous because it sounds so sincere. Bob's not being petty. He's not striking back at someone to try and save face. He's telling it like it is. "Yes, I wish that for just one time you could stand inside my shoes. You'd know what a drag it is to see you." I think I'm gonna throw up.

Would have been higher if...

Dylan had more aliases which brings us to...

1. I Don't Believe You - Kool Keith a.k.a. Dr. Octagon a.k.a. Black Elvis a.k.a. Dr. Dooom a.k.a. Rico from Puerto Rico a.k.a. MC Baldylocks a.k.a. Funk Igniter Plus a.k.a. EXOTRON GEIGER COUNTER ONE PLUS MEGOTRON a.k.a. Mr. Nogtaco

Why placed here?

It's infantile to the n-th degree. Throughout the song, Keith repeatedly refuses to believe any and all things about the subject's life, down to the most insignificant details. He follows a set form of asking a rhetorical question and responding "I DON'T BELIVE YOU" e.g. "You say Zach's your cousin? I DON'T BELIEVE YOU." Keith employs a brilliant cadence to end the song. "You work at 7-11." No refutation; Keith believes this.

Scattered Thoughts

I've been using Pandora lately. For those who don't know about it, the Music Genome Project runs this website, which allows users to enter a song or an artist they like, then it plays a song from that artist. Similar artists' songs follow, based on some crazy unexplainable attributes attributed to the songs in the database itself. I don't know how it works but at times it works wonders. Then at times, like last week I wonder why I waste my time (I had to listen to Smash Mouth, and I had to because I had used all my skip overs for the hour).

I like to think I have good music tastes and exploring new music is an important part of expanding my somewhat limited library. But I don't think I've ever actually heard a song I really like, that I would invest time in trying to get to know that musician or musical group. I mean sure, like I said earlier it works wonders because it finds music that sounds close. But when I want to listen to MY Morning Jacket, I listen to them because of Jim James, and nobody else sounds like that, so when I enter My Morning Jacket and play that station, I don't want to hear freaking Smash Mouth from their killer album "Astro Lounge".

This of course leads me into my next point. I am embarking on a new idea, this may be a total flop, but I'm going for it. Diving head first into Tom Waits. I've wanted to listen to his music for awhile, but I've been a wuss and said that buying music was too expensive, but no more damn it. I'm going to start at the beginning, when he was a pure folk singer, then go through what I have slightly sniffed the musical odyssey of his career.

Finally, Prince was damn good on Super Bowl Sunday, despite what the out of touch Lumberjack. I would have preferred he play his own songs a bit more, and news that he needs a hip replacement dampened his ability to dance up a storm, but I enjoyed it. In his time, Prince was a funk genius, pushing the envelope.
If you're looking for an interesting song try, "P(ussy) Control" on The Gold Experience. Its not what you think it is. I mean isn't this what this blog is all about, recommending music we like. I'm a huge fan of his early funk like "I Wanna Be Your Lover" and "I Feel For You" as well as his more progressive "I Would Die 4 U" from Purple Rain. Enjoy this stuff. He is a true original. Kudos to the NFL for finally giving him the Big Stage. I was sick of all these Brits, I feel you Bedwetter.

Also, was Billy Joel's voice going through some synthesizer or something? Was that just me? He sounded like a member of Zapp.

Prince of What?

After watching (and hating) the Superbowl XLI Halftime Show, I asked myself why Prince is so beloved? I don't get it. I know that "Purple Rain" was the 1980's prom song du jour, but why does that make him relevant today? If no one from any other generation has any affinity for him or his music, can he really be considered one of the greats? Does a real musician really come out to "We Will Rock You" and cover the Foo's "The Best of Me"? Why didn't he just throw in J.Cougar's "This is Our Country" while he was at it?

The Midnight Lumberjack Recommends: City Rock

1) Albert Hammond Jr. “Hard to Live (In The City)” from Yours to Keep - Catchy hipster pop from the Strokes’ guitarist; and I am man enough to admit that I love it. The whole album is worth picking up, but this track is my favorite. Starting off slow and ambient, like a Hot Fuss era Killers song, it then builds with a steady drumbeat and driving bass. Both lyrically and musically I think it can connect with those of you out there who may be feeling a little overwhelmed by the Big Apple. Added bonus: the horn outro is bright and optimistic so you don’t get too down on yourselves.

2) Beck “Strange Apparition” from The Information - With that classic jingle-piano and midtempo feel that harkens back to the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Mainstreet, and some introspective lyrics that remain firmly Beck-ish throughout, he’s got himself a hit here. It may seem like a departure from his idiosyncratic indie roots, but it is in reality a perfect compromise between the edgy sounds he created on Odelay and the emotions he channeled on Sea Change. It’s a great morning/mid-afternoon streetwalking song.

3) Rod Stewart “Italian Girls” from Never a Dull Moment - The first iTunes Store recommendation I have really enjoyed. You get classic sounding Rod with busy guitars and his four-scotches-deep vocal growl in full force. It’s fast, fun, sloppy, loose, and manages to capture the feel of a loud pub when everyone is enjoying a few pints after work. It’s funny to think that the guy who fathers children with supermodels in his 60’s and sings “American standards” written for Sinatra was once the court jester of rock and roll with a cigarette and half empty glass in his grips at all times. If you like this, come find me, I’ve got some Faces and Humble Pie albums you’ll die for. Molto Bene.

4) Jet “Jane Jones” from Shine On (Single) - Another Exile on Mainstreet-esque B-side from my favorite pet band. I don’t care what any of you say; they rock AND roll. It’s mellow and easy-going, soft on the ears, and perfect for a crushing Sunday afternoon hangover.

5) The Strokes & Friends “Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)” from You Only Live Once (Single) - What friends these guys have. Eddie Vedder rolls in with lead vocals, and Josh Homme pulls a Grateful Dead and sits in as a second drummer. It's an offbeat tribute to Mr. Gaye and an ironic protest song from a band nobody thought had a social or political opinion. A great song to listen to while thinking of all this weird weather we’ve been having, or while going out in your skinny jeans and Chucks to be as hip as possible.

Bonus) Cake “War Pigs” from Rarities - A mailing-list exclusive that is slated to appear on the upcoming album of live cuts and B-sides, this retooling of the eternal Black Sabbath classic is surprisingly as pertinent now as it was in the 70’s. There is no need to swap anything out to change it from a Vietnam to Iraq song, and so the masters of unusual covers have another hit (if it ever gets radio exposure, which it wont). The sirens and horns really add a lawless feel to echo the situation abroad. Or at least that’s what you would say after you read their world-weary blog at www.cakemusic.com. Oh lord yeah!

Auditions this Friday

First I want I highly talented jew harpist/theremin player, preferably able to perform on both simultaneously. I also am looking for someone who can play modal soft-jazz on an electric sitar and would be willing to sing baritone, Mazurka-inspired, folk songs through a vocoder at 7/13ths time. I'm in need of a highly talented gong player who understands the subtleties of the music of the Maori and is not afraid of being electrocuted occasionally. Second, for some of our Everly Brothers covers I will need a castrati whom is capable of maintaining a piercing F sharp for over 45 minutes using circular breathing and amphetamines. Must be comfortable with long, breakneck improvisations on early Dru Hill songs and experience with Microsoft Excel is a plus.

Reasons no one should take anything I say seriously

I thoroughly enjoy:
The Donnas
Rooney
Loggins & Messina

What Fucking Ian?

On a most wintry night in Toronto, Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant was asked what he thought of his opening act that evening, Jethro Tull. "If all this snow was cocaine, Jethro DULL could do a winter season." he replied.


Jethro Dull? Who the fuck do you think you are Plant? Nice fucking hair douchebag.

Nice line really, but comedy isn't your thing...it's Jethro Tull's thing, sort of. The classic "Locotmotive Breath" became the unintentional vehicle for one of recorded music most hilarious instances. If you're not familiar with the band you're a fucking screwhead, but no matter. You don't need to know much about them, just that the frontman, Ian Anderson, played lead flute for the band.


About 3 minutes and 2 seconds into the song (at least thats what my iTunes is showing,)



in the middle of a most impressive flute solo, Ian cracks. I don't want to ruin it for those of you who haven't heard it. Seriously, go check it out. Listen to the solo and just think of what this man's face must have looked like right before that glorious noise.

My faves

In my first post I listed several highly unpalatable songs in order to establish some musical cachet. With my reputation now solidly asserted I can now freely talk about songs that I actually like . . . like:

"Give it to you" by Jordan Knight

If you don't like this piece of bubblegum pop from former New Kid on the Block you're probably gay

"Silly Love Songs" by Paul McCartney

You think this song is for silly little bitches? Suck my dick bitch.

"Water Runs Dry" by Boyz II Men

Fuck you.

Five biggest and gayest...

I'm far too lazy to craft a legit answer to my own question, or at least one that could possibly answer brannen's contribution to the Great Conversation (this is a reference not to the Western tradition, but to the increasing importance and obvious intellectual heft of this here Victorious Triads Blog). That being said
1. Red, poor form with the send-up to Sean Lennon. He's not even the best hack musician to come from the Liverpoolian blood lines.
2. Red, excellent form with the banana phone reference
3. From now on I'll post correspondence with specific bloggers in the comment section, where they belong.

A. Anywhere I Lay My Head, Tom Waits; this one's for bloggers with an innate knack for keeping time and particularly pedagogal backing bands. It's a gem of the Waits cataloge, in which he adds half a pound of gravel and at least six shots of grain alcohol to his already haggard vocal chords, then tries to scream as loud as possible into a tin-can microphone backed by some off key horns. Half-baked and half-assed genius, pure and simple.

B. Our Faces Split the Coast in Half - Broken Social Scene; Stain turned me on to this stuff. Great shit, and I like that the band is essentially a bazillion-tet, including frequent appearances by female yodeler Feist, which leads me to my next entry...

C. Mushaboom - Feist, Postal Service Remix; I'm a pussy and have been listening to a lot of stuff by chick singers lately. Also because I am a pussy, I really... really like the Postal Service. Hence, this electronic re-hashing of a simple, eccentric pop song is right up my alley, or birth canal, as it were.

D. The Funeral - Band of Horses; This band is a poor man's My Morning Jacket, who are a poor man's continuation of the Country Rock that saw its best days at the close of the 21st century. Never the less, it's a welcome addition to a genre for which I have a particulary affinity.

E. Back in the Day - Erykah Badu; Someone I've been meaning to start listening to for a long time. Finally took myself up on my own offer about three months ago. I like her voice a lot, and her band can lay down a pretty solid groove.

Stain, I'm excited to see your list. Newtonian, I don't care about yours.

iPod Update

Songs recently discovered on my iPod thanks to Shuffle (shame on shuffle for not cluing me in earlier):

1. Steely Dan: Time out of Mind (rocking, probably cause you were out chasing the dragon again)
2. The Beta Band: She's the One (so incessant you'll certainly be bouncing along, and it absolutely breaks you down at the end, well worth every minute)
3. Elvis Costello: Watching the Detectives (Bouncy reggae stuff, the Brits love that)
4. Gomez: Silence (formulaic rock song with some sweet electronic undertones)
5. J.J. Cale: The Problem (nice bluesy rock, with Cale's understated vocals carrying you along)

Now I bet you want me to talk about these 5 songs in more depth, but hey I'm no Proust scholar.

Disclaimer: Don't take my word for it (Thanks for all the recommendations LeVar). Go out there and listen.

Beck's Latest

Ok, I'll admit, I freaking love Beck, but his last effort while at first wildly entertaining has left me wanting more. I wonder why I liked it so much in the first place. It has all that I want in a Beck album; driving grooves, funky electronic distractions, inappropriately catchy lyrics (the kind you wonder why sing out loud), and enough diverse genres to make your head spin.

Don't get me wrong, I'll listen to this album as long as I live (much like Odelay from beginning to end). The songs I like don't sink deep enough into my oft compromised memory banks to warrant their place there. The self-titled track, "The Information", might be the best this album has to offer, but it doesn't stack up to my other favorites from every other album (excluding sea Change, because I think we all agree we don't know how that happened).

Listening to music is an inexact science, but I think this album lacks the punch of previous efforts. Of course you can throw this review out the window if you like the bootleg videos.

A couple of instrumental songs you probably won't like

I hate music blogs, but not as much as I hate self-important playlists on music blogs so here we go:

"Wave" by Antonio Carlos Jobim

The song and album that launched bossa nova in 1967 sounds like a glass of wine colored by a Brazilian summer-breeze. When I bought the album the (surprisingly knowledgeable) cashier remarked, "Wow good choice, this album sounds like what the cover looks like [pictured above]." He was right. Play this song if you are ever trying to fuck French supermodels in the 60's.


"Three Places in New England: III from 'The Housatonic at Stockbridge'" By Charles Ives, performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra

This dreadfully sad classical piece has no place on anyone's playlist but oh well. Inspired by an unremarkable river in western Massachusetts, I imagine this aching song would more appropriately narrate a more cataclysmic natural phenomenon like the eventual heat death of the universe. At times anarchic and elegiac the piece swoons with decaying nobility before eventually succumbing absolutely into typical Ives-ian atonal chaos, at which point it's not really listen-to-able, like most experimental turn-of-the-century classical music.


"Since You Were Gone" by Chromeo

Here's a song you actually will like. It's a distillation of the current ironic fascination with the 80s and accomplishes as much to hilarious effect. As a badass synthesizer double-billing, listen to the track "The Game Begins" from the soundtrack to the movie Wargames starring the eternally boyish Matthew Broderick.

"Love is Love" by the Blackbyrds

This is the dumbest, tackiest song I've ever heard. Skip it.

Baby Shins in the deep blue sea.

I'm not impressed, but people fucking love them. I think it's the "Garden State" thing, which is a whole other post. All I want to point out is the resemblance between the lead singer and Raffi.