Gogol Bordello

In anticipation of Gogol Bordello's recently announced tour, specifically First Ave on November 1st, I'm posting their last two albums for your listening pleasure, Super Taranta! and Gypsy Punks: Underdog World Strike. Both albums are fantastic but neither really give you the full Gogol Bordello experience. Seeing them live is like running away with the Circus. You will get sweaty, loose your voice, and maybe a bit bruised, it will be one of best live shows you could attend this year. So, download these albums, listen to some Gypsy Punk, and join me at First Ave on November 1st.

Built To Spill - Ancient Melodies of the Future

Built To Spill is one of my favorite new discoveries. I know, I know, they've been around since MTV was playing the first Pearl Jam songs, but I only started listening to them last year. I guess I'm finally catching up on a band that was ahead of it's time.

I'm no music critic, so you wont hear me talking about how their music "blends intensely layered harmonies and pounding rhythms with emotional resonance that isn't unified on the sonic surface, but with enough patience, resonates on a level that connects the band's body of work, while also taking it a step further. "

Whatever.

Here's what do I know; this is their 2001 release Ancient Melodies of the Future, and it's spectacular. It is easy to come back to this album again and again. The songs are varied and intricate, and move from hard rock to soft ballads to twangy old country. Most of you have probably heard these guys before, but if you haven't, it's accessable alternative rock that gets stuck in your head. Most notably, The Weather is an emotional track that really connected with me.

Also, if anyone has their newest album You In Reverse, I wouldn't mind having that.

Easy Tiger - Ryan Adams

*****I had been planning to post this album months ago, but now I am finally getting around too it. *****



Ryan Adams is everything I hate about music today. He is arrogant, mean, tends to do ill advised duets, and takes himself way, way to seriously. Kinda like the Decemberists wrapped into a huge ego. With that being said Ryan Adams has put out some of the best music in the last 10 years. Beginnng with his work with Whiskeytown and moving to his solo work, Ryan music has been phenomenal. To this day Gold and Heartbreaker remain as two of my favorite albums. The later being the greatest Bob Dylan album, Dylan had nothing to do with. The most fun of his early work has been guess the influence. Ryan can go from Dylan, to Paul Westerberg, to the Smiths, to the Dead, to Gram Parsons, to Willie Nelson in the span of an album. The Love is Hell eps being perfect examples of this.

In 2005 was probably Ryan's most creative and turbulent year. Like Jay Bennett he thought it would be a good idea to release 3 albums in one year. The results were Jacksonville City Nights, Cold Roses both with the Cardinals. He capped the year with 29. While the albums are good, they are not a great as they could be. You have a feeling after listening to the albums you wish he would have spent the entire year making one awesome record, rather then the three.

In 2006 Ryan got himself clean, wrote a million songs (which I blogged about here.) And came out with a tight solid effort, Easy Tiger. Easy Tiger, is a great album. It tackles the general Adams' topics such as women screwing him over. But there is a maturity on this album, that was not generally seen in his previous work. Take for example the first single, Two. The song overcomes its unfortunate duet with Sheryl Crow, and tells the story of drug addiction and his eventual recovery. The album's closer, I Taught Myself How to Grow Old, sums up Ryan's past and his eventual future. It his harder to play find the influence on this record, which makes it seem Ryan has become more comfortable in his skin. I would be remised if I did not mention my favorite track on the album, Goodnight Rose. A bombastic, country bar classic. Which I think has one of the greatest guitar licks in recent memories. Also Ryan's vocals are great, I especially like when he has realized he has written too many words to fit in the space of the song so he just says them really fast.

*****This song updated while listening to Nick Drake on random. *****

say watt?

the first "solo" recording that i know of from the former Minutemen and fIREHOSE bassist/vocalist.

seems like he didn't really want to do this one all on his lonesome, and so he invited just about anyone of the alternative scene circa 1995 that showed a pulse or could fog a mirror... Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, Thurston Moore, J Mascis, Frank Black, Evan Dando, Dave Pirner, Henry Rollins, Flea, Lee Ranaldo, Mike D, Pat Smear to name a few.

gotta love the naked greco-roman cover art, i know kevein does as a wrestling fanatic.

has nice little jazz snippets too.

Atmosphere - Sad Clown Bad Summer 9

"Just in time for some Summer fun Slug and Ant drop an Atmosphere appetizer while they put the finishing touches on their 6th studio album, When Life Gives You Lemons... due early next year. Until then enjoy 5 new sun filled summer inspired songs from Atmosphere, so get 'em while it's hot and this gem is still available..."

Number 9 in the Sad Clown Bad Dub series, this is great treat for Atmosphere fans and newcomers alike. Most of the songs feature piano and have a summer groove that is undeniably head noddin'. Put this on in your car and drive around the Lake Calhoun with the windows down, these 5 songs just taste like summer. For those of you that aren't hip-hop fans, give this a try. These songs rely on sweet melodies and the lyrics are easy to swallow. Enjoy with a glass of Tang.

Mo' Music. Mo' Better.

By the will of His Steveness, we now have a lot more storage available on the iDisk. Apple recently announced a few long overdue upgrades for .Mac subscribers including a bump in iDisk storage from 1 GB to 10 GB. What does that mean for you? Well, we can now host a lot more music without worrying about the iDisk getting too full. I'll still continue to monitor the space and balance it with the rest of my usage. But don't let storage be a reason you don't upload an album. So, let's get this thing rolling.

Nick Drake-Tanworth-in-Arden

Tanworth-in-Arden is a collection of 18 solo acoustic songs recorded by Nick Drake at his home in 1967/68. The songs are traditional acoustic folk with a blues vein. Even though it is a poor recording, sounds like a home-cassette/bootleg it's still interesting to hear a young Nick Drake.

Stereo Total - Paris<>Berlin

Are they from France or Germany? I'm not really sure but they do make infectious pop music that I don't understand. Stereo Total's latest effort, Paris<>Berlin is more of the same sex-infused, euro-pop. Stereo Total will play the 7th Street Entry on September 1 with The Octopus Project. Enjoy.

Two in One Night!

One of the things that's always amused me is the state of Sam Coomes. Dude is a friggin' genius, yet he gets absolutely zero cred. Everyone wants to talk about his (ex) wife, Janet Weiss, cuz she's in Sleater-Kinney. Everyone wants to talk about the fact that he was in Heatmiser with Elliott Smith.

I've always preferred to think that Elliott Smith was in Heatmiser with Sam Coomes. Sam Coomes' drummer is also in another band, some "punk" outfit outta Portland.

I'm not even kidding. This is the guy behind The Donner Party, and the mastermind behind Quasi. Sheer pop genius, and who are the famous ones? The ones who don't deserve it.

Ah, the suffering of the preterite.

Anyway, back to this Quasi matter. If Sam Coomes had done nothing in his life besides record his work with The Donner Party, he'd already be one of my heroes. But then he went and recorded Featuring 'Birds'. Listen to those thunderous drums that open the album (okay, Janet, I guess you do deserve to be famous), listen to Sam pounding on his Rocksichord! Listen to the soaring, sickly sweet pop melodies! Listen to the bitter lyrics!

There's only one bad song on here, and it's the one written by Janet, "Tomorrow You'll Hide" (stick to drumming, girl, cuz you got that going on in spades).

You need the money
So you've got to play it dumb.
But if you play it long enough
It's just what you become.

Justice - †

Look, I'm not going to shit you - France is, by and large, a ghetto for popular music. Sure, you can point to "AIR" and maybe that Robert Miles guy (though I'm pretty sure he's half-Brit - he's got that sort of a thing emanating, bad teeth and his nose isn't big enough to be French), but AIR are basically weenies even though that first album had its moments.

Have you ever heard French hip-hop? Don't seek it out - it's so bad, it's seriously used in the soundtracks for "edgy" porn films that feature a dude with an accent and a mole on his ass.

Really, you gotta go back to the great Serge Gainsbourg before you find truly "great" music from our brothers in liberty. Dude may be off-the-charts homely, but he got all kinds of ass (Brigitte Bardot? Jane Birkin? Hello nurse!) and he laid down some off-the-wall shit. Have you heard the breaks on Histoire de Melody Nelson? Out. Of. Hand.

Anyway, all of this is a round-about way of saying how much I'm loving this new album from, yes, French rockers Justice. † (option "T" for all you Mac-heads) is pretty much a revelation. I don't know if these guys dig on the Jesus, and frankly, I don't care, because this is like Christ coming up from the dirt as some sort of flamethrower-sporting cyborg who happens to party with all the hott ladies. Seriously, I dare you to throw this on the ol' car stereo and not instantly be driving 10mph faster.

As far as highlights, the opener "Genesis" is okay, but it's when "Let there Be Light" takes off and works its magic, subtle as a punch in the face, that you know what you're up against. You know that moment in The Matrix when Keanu Reeves, our generation's most versatile actor, turns his head and says in his most solemn tone "I know kung-fu"? "Waters of Nazareth" is an approximation of what's going through his head at that moment.

This album isn't going to change your life, and it's probably going to be irrelevant in another two months. But right now, it fucking moves. Don't sleep on it.

Cross.zip

the guy that wrote that one song from the VW ads

as requested... mr. drake's three full studio albums.


five leaves left - '69


bryter layter - '70... includes John Cale and a bit of Richard Thompson.


pink moon - '72

The Thrills-Teenager

The Thrills=Irish Beach Boys-Bipolar Disorder

The Thrills are an Irish band that get their primary influence from the Beach Boys. This is not a bad thing. Van Dyke Parks wrote a few songs for them on their excellent last album.

This is album number 3.

Excellent driving, chilling, beach, lounging, party, boating music.

Mum-Go Go Smear The Poison Ivy

Mum=Sigur Ros + Woman Singer.

Enough Said.

Happy Wedding Tretter, this is my gift to you!

Interpol-Our Love To Admire

One of my favorite acts, especially live, do not dissapoint on their new album. This just leaked so I don't fully know the quality, but what I have heard I love.

Check out the first single Heinrich Maneuver.

Volta-Bjork

Why write a review when there are so many out there.

Games for May Tribute Concert

Here is my last Syd Barrett related post until more obscure Syd recordings are unearthed. For the 40th-anniversary of the Games For May at Queen Elizabeth Hall concert hall, Robyn Hitchcock, Graham Coxon, and heavy friends performed a Syd Barrett tribute concert. The set list included songs performed 40 years ago and other Barrett favorites. Robyn Hitchcock does a wonderful job of capturing the spirit of Syd and his music. The files were downloaded from the internet archives.

Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring

http://www.theirheartswerefullofspring.com/index.php

Today I bring to you a band I had never heard of, but quickly fell in love with.

Their Hearts Were Full of Spring hail from London and play, according to their MySpace Page, "Life affirming magical indie pop."

This album, These Are Our Songs, We Wrote Them For You, is a long lost debut album by the band when it was only 3 members. Currently on tour in London and working on a new album, the band now consists of over 6 members.

Their sound is very unique while still holding on to that britpop, indie twee sound that so many of us love.

Highlights: As Long As The Sun Shines, Fall Into These Arms and Stars.

Icky Thump - The White Stripes

Probably the most anticipated album of the early summer, if not the year, Icky Thump is not the return to the garage band roots of their earlier work, as some would hope. It caries some elements of their self titled debut, and De Stijl; but it also throws in the touch of experimentalism that made Get Behind Me Satan such a head scratcher.

The Detroit Duo's 6th studio album is a head scratcher and will divide many a fan. I find the album quite enjoyable. Not as great as Elephant, but really what could be? Jack White really stretches himself in his songwriting on this album. This album seems to be more a collection of small stories then other efforts. From the title track's bombastic recounting of a trip gone wrong south of the border, to Rag and Bone, a tale of gypsy like junk pickers.

Great hi-lites are 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues, and the closer, Cause and Effect. Songs that I do not care for are St. Andrew (This Battle Is in the Air) and Conquest. The later I heard was a cover, but I can find no information beyond that.

I would be remissed if I did not mention Meg White's drumming. I can not say anything better then what was said here.

Well enjoy and let me know what you all think.

***This post updated while listening to the Cubs v. Braves***

PBW in the Hizzee!

Lately I've been on a mixtape craze. Don't know why, I just am. Kyle's mention of a Licensed to Ill cassette made me wax nostalgic for my old collection of cassingles, mixtapes, and assorted commercially released cassettes, long since buried deep in the landfill. Since tape decks are very nearly in the same historical heap as the 8-track player, it's hard to make a true mixtape, and hard to listen to any tape you might stumble across.

Which means we've gone digital. Totally fine with me, because it makes these things easier to copy, record and distribute. There's nothing like the muted distortion on a well-used cassette, and frankly, it's nothing that I truly miss.

With all that said, here's a mix of rare/unusual covers by Peanut Butter Wolf, the head of the nonpareil Stones Throw Records, called "Cover Me Badd". This beast is an appeal to the rare record dork in us all; watch as he throws down all kinds of wack cuts. Who records these? Who releases them? And why on earth does PB Wolf have copies of them?

Beastie Boys - The Mix Up

I'm a huge fan of the Beastie Boys. I have been ever since I ended up with a tape of License to Ill in my car one summer while in high school. I'm not sure where it came from, probably accquired while picking up Mr. Jackson in Baraboo or stolen from Kevin on one of his visits home from Minneapolis. None the less, that tape made many trips from Madison to Mauston and back worth the ride. Like many suburban white kids, it was my introduction to Hip-Hop. The B-Boys showed me that Hip-Hop could be fun and accessable to everyone.

Anyway, like most people, I'm surprised that the Beastie Boys have held on to their career for this long. I was sure that the six-year hiatious between Hello Nasty and To The 5 Boroughs would've killed any chance of another record. To The 5 Boroughs is not their best work, but it's got some good cuts. It cannot be denied that the Boys are old and don't have the spark that they used to. That's exactly why I'm so please that this new album is something completely different. Like the compilation, In Sounds from the Way Out, The Mix Up is an instrumental album. Deep funk grooves and tight drum breaks make this a fantastic album to just put on and drive around town on a hot summer day. If you like the instrumental tracks from Check Your Head and Ill Communication, then you'll like this.

Enjoy.