NFL 2009 Preview

I know this is like, super last minute, as the first game of the 2009 NFL season just started. Also, because this is rushed, this post is not nearly as colorful as my post last year. Alas, here are my predictions for the upcoming football season. I'm about 98% sure that this picks will be way off. These are my opinions, and they will change with the tide of the season.

AFC East
(1) New England Patriots 13-3
(2) Miami Dolphins 8-8
(3) Buffalo Bills 7-9
(4) New York Jets 3-13

AFC North
(1) Pittsburgh Steelers 13-3
(2) Baltimore Ravens 11-5
(3) Cincinnati Bengals 7-9
(4) Cleveland Browns 3-13

AFC South
(1) Indianapolis Colts 12-4
(2) Tennessee Titans 10-6
(3) Houston Texans 8-8
(4) Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10

AFC West
(1) San Diego Charges 12-4
(2) Kansas City Chiefs 6-10
(3) Oakland Raiders 3-13
(4) Denver Broncos 2-14

NFC East
(1) Philadelphia Eagles 11-5
(2) New York Giants 10-6
(3) Dallas Cowboys 9-7
(4) Washington Redskins 7-9

NFC North
(1) Minnesota Vikings 12-4
(2) Green Bay Packers 11-5
(3) Chicago Bears 10-6
(4) Detroit Lions 2-14

NFC South
(1) Atlanta Falcons 12-4
(2) Carolina Panthers 11-5
(3) New Orleans Saints 9-7
(4) Tampa Bay Buccineers 5-11

NFC West
(1) Arizona Cardinals 10-6
(2) Seattle Seahawks 6-10
(3) San Francisco 49ers 5-11
(4) St. Louis Rams 2-14

AFC Playoff Teams
(1) New England Patriots
(2) Pittsburgh Steelers
(3) San Diego Chargers
(4) Indianapolis Colts
(5) Baltimore Ravens
(6) Tennessee Titans

NFC Playoff Teams
(1) Minnesota Vikings
(2) Atlanta Falcons
(3) Philadelphia Eagles
(4) Arizona Cardinals
(5) Green Bay Packers
(6) Carolina Panthers

Wild Card Round
San Diego def. Tennessee
Indianapolis def. Baltimore
Philadelphia def. Carolina
Green Bay def. Arizona

Divisional Round
Pittsburgh def. San Diego
New England def. Indianapolis
Atlanta def. Philadelphia
Green Bay def. Minnesota

Conference Championships
New England def. Pittsburgh
Atlanta def. Green Bay

Super Bowl
New England def. Atlanta

Twitter Review Session #3

(30) Paranoid Cocoon - Cotton Jones (Suicide Squeeze)
Best thing Michael Nau's done since Hello, Dear Wind. Pretty, reverby, bluesy folk pop that is simply solid. (7/10)

(31) Mythomania - Cryptacize (Asthmatic Kitty)
Nice, quirky indie pop from Nedelle and Chris Cohen (ex-Deerhoof). Some nice tunes, but mostly pretty boring. (6/10)

(32) Tentacles - Crystal Antlers (Touch & Go)
This would be pretty decent if the vocals weren't so goddamned awful and the whole thing wasn't so obnoxious. (5.5/10)

(33) Mama, I'm Swollen - Cursive (Saddle Creek)
With their return to slightly more straightforward, v. dark emo-ish rock, somehow Cursive are still relevant and good. (7/10)

(34) Why There Are Mountains - Cymbals Eat Guitars (self-released)
Solid, intense, dramatic, sorta emo-ish 90s style indie rock with Tim Kinsella-esque vox. Prettay good. (6.5/10)

(35) Dark Night of the Soul - Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse (self-released)
A subtle, theatrical, intense, wonderfully dark, collaborative mega-opus. Chilling and gorgeous. (8/10)

(36) Bromst - Dan Deacon (Carpark)
Not much different from Spiderman of the Rings, but still really neat, bloopy, arty electro pop. Also, beautiful. (8/10)

(37) Spritle 7" - Deastro (Five Three Dial Tone)
The slight additions to "Spritle" are unnecessary, but song still rules. "Treefrog" is standard synth pop fare. (6.5/10)

(38) Moondagger - Deastro (Ghostly International)
Kind of emo-y, New Order-ish synth pop to the max. A lot of it blends together too much, but overall, not too shabs. (6/10)

(39) The Open Door EP - Death Cab for Cutie (Atlantic)
I think I can finally say that I am over this band. "My Mirror Speaks" is a good song, though. (4.5/10)

(40) Split 7" - Child Bite/This Moment in Black History (Forge Again)
I give the Child Bite song an 8/10, but I can't really stand the TMIBH one. (5/10)

(41) The Hazards of Love - The Decemberists (Capitol)
The Crane Wife was the first step in the wrong direction (despite some jams), but this is MUCH WORSE. Ridic. (3/10)

(42) Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP - Deerhunter (Kranky)
This is really good, but doesn't offer much more than the shoegaze/psych pop they've already become known for. (7.5/10)

(43) Hot Green 7" - Algernon Cadwallader (Be Happy)
Dudes are nothing new at all, but they do the Cap'n Jazz/American Football emo stuff REALLY WELL. (7.5/10)

(44) From Way Out to Way Under - Copper Thieves (Jack Holmes)
A solid mix of 90s indie rock and 70s classic rock with some unconventional drumming from these Detroit boys. (6.5/10)

(45) Farm - Dinosaur Jr. (Jagjaguwar)
Another Dino Jr. album that sounds just like any of their other ones, and somehow it is still really good. (8/10)

(46) Bitte Orca - Dirty Projectors (Domino)
Arty, soulful, Zeppelin-y indie rock loaded with R&B vocal acrobatics. UP THERE with AC's MPP, duh. (9/10)

(47) Ducktails - Ducktails (Not Not Fun)
Mostly instrumental, trippy, ambient something. Neat and pretty, but probs need to be high off my ass to get it. (6.5/10)

(48) OK Bear - Jeremy Enigk (Lewis Hollow/Cydonia)
Ex-SDRE frontman creates a gorgeously layered, accessible pop record that is somewhat forgettable but solid. (6.5/10)

(49) Yesterday & Today - The Field (Kompakt/Anti-)
Very pretty and only slightly interesting electronic songs that are way too long. I will slightly smile and yawn. (6/10)

(50) Tonight: Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (Domino)
Former arty, dance-y post punk hype band complete their journey into the realm of irrelevance. This is bad. (3/10)

(51) The Fresh & Onlys - The Fresh & Onlys (Castle Face)
60s lo-fi psychedelic rock, like The Velvet Underground and The Zombies, with a smidgen of post punk. GOOD. (7/10)

(52) Born Radical - Friendly Foes (Gangplank)
90s style punk-infused indie rock a la Superchunk and the like. Nothing groundbreaking, but totes good. (6.5/10)

(53) God Help the Girl - God Help the Girl (Matador)
Stuart Murdoch twee-popera with the rest of B & S and friends. Defs corny in parts, but still wonderful. (7.5/10)

(54) Petits Fours - Grand Duchy (Cooking Vinyl)
Sweet Pixies-ish indie pop from Frank Black and wife. A little synthy, a lot of badass mixed with cute. (7/10)

(55) Veckatimest - Grizzly Bear (Warp)
Over-hyped, is no Yellow House, and missing the eerie vibe, but DAMN, guys. Way to record a helluva record. (8.5/10)

(56) Face Control - Handsome Furs (Sub Pop)
Wolf Parade's D. Boeckner + wife wax electronic on his WP style with decent results. "Legal Tender" rules hard. (6.5/10)

Emotional Listening #3

Neon Golden – The Notwist (Domino, 2002)
My long-time pal Abbott had been pushing The Notwist on me for a while, since my sophomore year in college, I believe. When I moved into a house with him, his wife and some buds after I graduated college, I just couldn’t avoid them anymore. Why I wanted to avoid them in the first place is beyond me. I eventually purchased Neon Golden at Used Kids in Columbus in August 2007, and to be frank, I still haven’t really listened to it all that much. I’m not going to deny that it is gorgeous and completely original. The last several songs are just really really boring (though, am I correct when I say that they are bonus tracks for the U.S. release?). All of this to say that there are some outright jam-diddles within the first nine songs. “One Step Inside Doesn’t Mean You Understand” is so beautiful and its off-kilter rhythms are the album’s top highlight. “Trashing Days” is a badass pop song. Neon Golden is filled to the brim (well, at least the first nine songs are) with subtle, indistinguishable intricacies that combined with the deadpan vocals and sort of ahead of their time laptop-isms make for a pretty, groundbreaking electronic folk record.
Top jams: “One Step Inside Doesn’t Mean You Understand,” “Pick Up the Phone,” “Trashing Days,” “This Room,” “One With the Freaks,” “Off the Rails”


Q & A – Office (self-released, 2005)
Scott Masson, the head honcho behind Office, has gone through a lot of changes over the past couple of years. A while back, the project had inked a deal with James Iha’s record label. That deal has since been destroyed. Also, more recently, Masson has relocated from Chicago to Milford, MI, I do believe (which is an interesting move, if you ask me). What kind of effect has this transition had on his output? If anything, it is a positive one: his latest, Mecca, is chock full of memorable hooks, catchy choruses and topnotch production. But, this is not the focus here. Let me take you back to 2005’s self-released Q & A. I won’t go into it, but let’s just say the album randomly fell into my lap and stayed there for a few months. I took an extended break, and kind of forgot about it until somewhat recently. I can basically describe Q & A exactly as I described Mecca, but they are not the same record. Where Mecca is subtle but loud and totally a grower, Q & A is louder and more instantly accessible (though, not by all that much). There definitely is an Of Montreal feel to the overall sound, but aside from that, it is a really solid pop record that more people should know about.
Top jams: “Wound Up,” “Oh My,” “The Big Bang Jump!,” “If You Don’t Know by Now,” “Q & A”


Synchronicity – The Police (A & M, 1983)
I’ve loved The Police’s singles for many years now, and I’m not sure why I waited until the summer of 2009 to purchase my first proper album of theirs. I feel like I picked the right one to start off with. The mix of obviously 80s style pop with reggae and maybe even a little bit of art punk makes for quite an original album, even if things end on a string of forgettable notes. And, Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland are fantastically tight and talented musicians (in case you didn’t know). “Synchronicity I” and “Miss Gradenko” were pleasant surprises, “Synchronicity II” is badass, duh, and “King of Pain” is by far the band’s best song. A point of interest: I never liked “Every Breath You Take” until now. The song hits its wonderfully high point when the nice backup vocals enter for its outro. A choice move.
Top jams: “Synchronicity I,” “Miss Gradenko,” “Synchronicity II,” “Every Breath You Take,” “King of Pain”

Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park, 7/17/09 - 7/19/09

For the forth time in five years, two weekends ago I took the plunge and attended the 2009 Pitchfork Music Festival. There are two things Pitchfork Media do better than everyone else. I have mentioned the first on here before, and that is making year-end music lists. The second? Putting on festivals. Granted, I have never been to a summer music festival that wasn’t put on by Pitchfork, but I have no desire to go to any other. They have the right idea. Anyway, here is my account of the splendid weekend that actually didn’t turn out to be the best P-Fork fest yet, but was still totally great.

I made the trek out to Chicago beginning early Friday afternoon with my bud Phil Dokas, who allowed me to tag along with him for a very cheap price. We arrived at Union Park just in time for the beginning of Tortoise’s set. As much as I love The Sea and Cake and especially John McEntire’s drumming, I was bored by this band’s experimental, instrumental post rock or whatever (though, I will admit they are better than most of the bands considered to be in the same genre).


Yo La Tengo were atop my list of bands I was stoked to see, in spite of the fact that they played a total snoozer of a set at P-Fork ’06 (when they only played material from I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass, before that record had even been released). The band were way more exciting, energetic and charming this time around, and it really helped that it was a request set. “Let’s Save Tony Orlando’s House,” “Mr. Tough” and “Sugarcube” were the ultimate highlights of the night, and they even treated the crowd to a new song from their upcoming LP, Popular Songs, and it was nice. The only two disappointments were that they played all eleven minutes of “Pass the Hatchet, I Think I’m Goodkind,” (which, yes, I know has an awesome title, but the song is WAY too long), and that they didn’t play “Little Eyes.” I’ll take what I can get!

I had never heard The Jesus Lizard before, so obviously I didn’t care to watch them. This is when I met up with my hosts for the weekend, Alec Jensen and Emily Powers. Then, I eventually made my way over to the Built to Spill set. I only love one of their records, Keep It Like a Secret, but I REALLY LOVE IT. Quite possibly my favorite guitar album of all time. This also being a request set, I expected a lot more, but they played maybe three or four songs from it, tops. Bullshit. There were two major turn offs to the set: (1) no one but Doug Martsch seemed to care that they were there, and (2) TOO MUCH JAMMING. Major letdown.


Saturday was the day of the fest that I was least looking forward to. I mean, of course I was glad to be there, but there was the least amount of bands I cared to see that day. I started things off by checking out Cymbals Eat Guitars, whose 90s emo-ish Pavement record is totally good, and they did not disappoint.


Fucked Up was my #1 of the day, and easily put on the most entertaining set of the fest with Pink Eyes’ variety of stage antics and all the badass stage diving. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and their poppier and less dramatic version of The Smiths was cute and fun, and they were obviously floored by the crowd size for them, which makes me like them even more. The rest of the day was pretty hit-or-miss, and I only caught snippets of Ponytail, Yeasayer, Lindstrom and Matt and Kim.

I worry that The National are becoming a fratty dad kind of indie band. I love Alligator and Boxer, but I will not be surprised if I don’t end up liking the next one. Anyway, they were mostly boring, except for when they played “All the Wine” and “Apartment Story” back-to-back.


Sunday was by far the day I looked forward to most, and though there were a few bummer moments, it was fantastic. I got into Dianogah the summer before I went to college and was glad I got to see a few songs. Blitzen Trapper were perfect for a sunny afternoon at a music festival.


Women completely nailed it and put on my favorite performance all weekend. Their really noisy and messy yet somehow beautiful and catchy songs came across amazingly in a live setting, surprisingly so considering how intimate every performance during the weekend was not. They played most of what I wanted to hear from their 2008 self-titled masterpiece (“Lawncare,” “Black Rice,” “Shaking Hand,” “Upstairs”), plus four new jams, all of which were exactly what I was hoping for. The whole thing was perfect, really.

I didn’t pay as much attention to The Walkmen as I should have, but this was my fourth time seeing them live. They played some favorites from last year’s You & Me, plus some good oldies like “The Rat” and “Louisiana.”


I was pleasantly surprised by how awesome Vivian Girls were. Seeing them helped me to finally get their reverb-y pop punk. What I wasn’t surprised by was how flawless Grizzly Bear was. They might have felt a lot of pressure being the band to lead into The Flaming Lips’ set, but actually, they were even better. Both the Yellow House and Veckatimest songs were incredibly tight and either were exact duplicates of their album versions or had a completely different but awesome feel to them (usually due to Chris Bear’s more ridiculous drumming live).

The Flaming Lips were number two on my list of bands to see before I die, so needless to say, I was incredibly excited to see them. Unfortunately, and maybe because I was really worn out, their set was a major disappointment. They had an hour and twenty minutes and only played I think nine songs. They played boring versions of “Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt. 1” and “Fight Test” that each featured only one instrument, basically. This also was a request set and they made us suffer through two new songs, neither of them being very good at all. Wayne Coyne talked and talked and talked in between each song, wasting a lot of time. They only played “Race for the Prize” from The Soft Bulletin. My major complaints end there. They did play “Bad Days” and “She Don’t Use Jelly,” which pulled them a little out of the shitter.

So yeah, the fest wasn’t perfect or anything, but per usual, it was well worth the money, and I will probably be there again next year.

Twitter Review Session #2

Here is the next batch of ridiculously short reviews I've posted on the Emotional Drumming Twitter page:

(16) Eating Us - Black Moth Super Rainbow (Graveface)
Pretty cool, melodic analog synth-fest. Smooth and 80s influenced, I think. Lots of vocoder. (6.5/10)

(17) Skin of Evil - Blackout Beach (Soft Abuse)
Uncomfortable weirdness from Frog Eyes' Carey Mercer. Difficult, to say the least. Ends on a very pretty note. (3.5/10)

(18) Et Cetera - Blase Splee (self-released)
Detroit pop/rock with some real swagger. There are a few jams, but they are more exciting live. Quite rock 'n roll. (6/10)

(19) Blood Bank EP - Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar)
An EP that is just a continuation of the first album. Pretty, duh, but the last song with its auto-tune is terrible. (5.5/10)

(20) Beware - Bonnie "Prince" Billy (Drag City)
His songs are gorgeous, but I don't really pay attention to lyrics, so I get a little bored with this. (6/10)

(21) The Planets Are Blasted - Boston Spaceships (Guided by Voices)
Seemingly half-assed effort from newer Robert Pollard band. YAWN. (3/10)

(22) The Law of the Playground - The Boy Least Likely To (+1)
Totally childish, cute and fun twee pop that also happens to be quite good. (6.5/10)

(23) Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle - Bill Callahan (Drag City)
Give it up to B.C. for consistantly releasing gorgeous, dark folk records. This might be my favorite of his. (8/10)

(24) My Maudlin Career - Camera Obscura (4AD)
Another pretty Belle & Sebastian-esque pop record from these lasses and lads. "The Sweetest Thing" RULES! (7.5/10)

(25) Middle Cyclone - Neko Case (Anti-)
A wonderful country-infused pop album from the best female voice in rock music today. "This Tornado Loves You" OWNS. (8/10)

(26) City Center - City Center (Type)
Is this legitimately a sweet record or is it Fred Thomas' attempt to cash in on the popularity of Panda Bear? (6.5/10)

(27) Clues - Clues (Constellation)
Ex-members of The Unicorns and Arcade Fire bring an album that sounds more Unicornsy than Islands do. Totally decent. (6.5/10)

(28) Davy - Coconut Records (Young Baby)
Jason Schwartzman obviously loves The Beatles and does a pretty good job emulating them at their poppiest. (6/10)

(29) Fuckbook - Condo Fucks (Matador)
Sloppy, lo-fi pop punk covers from Yo La Tengo under a hilarious moniker. Difficult, but sounds fun. (5.5/10)

Emotional Listening #2

The focus of this Emotional Listening post is mainstream alternative rock from the 1990s. These are records that I obviously knew existed (who didn't?), but either didn't care about then, or just didn't have much experience with. No shame.


Nevermind - Nirvana (Geffen, 1991)
When I was in late elementary school, I considered myself a fan of grunge, namely Stone Temple Pilots and select Smashing Pumpkins (who were only sort of grunge, I guess) and Soundgarden songs. Nirvana was really hit or miss for me. I've always loved "All Apologies" (more within the past two years than ever before), but other than that and one or two others, I couldn't have cared less. I realized exactly how silly this was towards the end of 2007 when I decided to invest some time in In Utero. A year-and-a-half after this initial appreciation, I will be so bold as to claim that their breakout Nevermind is actually a little better. Sure, In Utero is more badass, has less hit singles and was produced by Steve Albini as opposed to Butch Vig. But, I really like the way Nevermind sounds, and the singles are all good, even if I've heard them too many times by this stage in my life. There are actually some song on In Utero that I don't really care for, and I think every song here is at least solid. And, recently "Drain You" has unseated "All Apologies" as my favorite Nirvana song for the time being, thanks to Dave Grohl's perfect drumming and Cobain's sweet sweet melody during the verse, which is one of the greatest of all time.
Top jams: "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "In Bloom," "Breed," "Lithium," "Drain You," "On a Plain"


Tragic Kingdom - No Doubt (Trauma/Interscope, 1995)
Here's an album that's singles reek of nostalgia from sixth and seventh grades. Truth be told, I never actually completely dug this record. "Spiderwebs" and "Sunday Morning" are two of my favorite songs from 1997 MTV and 89X (No Doubt seemed to have promoted the record for FOREVER), but I didn't really get to like anything else from it until now. Now that I'm older and my tastes have matured, I can take Tragic Kingdom for what it is: a power pop album that is sometimes influenced by ska and reggae. It definitely gets obnoxious at points ("Don't Speak" still makes me want to vomit), but it is really fund and surprisingly interesting still.
Top jams: "Spiderwebs," "Excuse Me Mr.," "Just a Girl," "Sixteen," "Sunday Morning," "World Go Round"


The Presidnts of the United States of America - The Presidents of the United States of America (Columbia, 1995)
Here's another record by another band that I never got entirely into. Of course, I loved everything about "Peaches." As for this self-titled debut as a whole, I liked it alright. But, I think I was more into the idea of the band: a fast, poppy three piece rock band with a slight punk edge who played incomplete instruments (specifically two and three string guitars). Fifteen years later, I'm over the novelty and will take these clever, energetic rock songs at face value.
Top jams: "Kitty," "Stranger," "Peaches," "We Are Not Going to Make It," "Naked and Famous"


Pablo Honey - Radiohead (EMI, 1993)
I was introduced to Radiohead in early elementary school thanks to my cousins Tommy and Greg with "Creep" (just like most everyone else). In spite of them being my favorite band of all time, to this day I think it is probably the worst song the band has ever composed. It is bad. I got way into OK Computer basically when it was first released, and several years later decided Pablo Honey was probably worth a listen. For I long time, I felt that I was wrong, that it was a complete waste of time. Now, I feel I was a complete idiot about it the whole time. For me, there is no question that Pablo Honey is still far and away the worst album the band ever relesed. But, you know what? It's actually not half bad. On it, it seems like they're paying homage to their favorite American rock bands, R.E.M. and Pixies. Throw in a little grunge, and really, it's not a bad combination. There are definitely some great guitar rock moments throughout. I won't listen to it as often or with the same reverence as OK Computer or Kid A, or anything else of theirs for that matter, but I have finally found some worth in it, and I smiled. I now appreciate these humble beginnings, and am relieved by how far along they have come since.
Top jams: "How Do You?," "Anyone Can Play Guitar," "Ripcord," "Vegetable," "Prove Yourself," "Blow Out"


Evil Empire - Rage Against the Machine (Epic, 1996)
I never got even moderately into rap or hip-hop and probably never will, and there was only about a second where I liked the merging of those genres with rock 'n roll and hardcore. But I did have room in my heart for some mid and late 90s Rage Against the Machine jams (especially that "No Shelter" track from the Godzilla soundtrack). I need melody in my music intake, and there is absolutely none her. But what Evil Empire has in spades is an immaculate groove. When bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk are locked in, nothing can stop them. And Wilk is tight as hell and sure knows how to hit his drums right. He's like a funk or hip-hop version of John Bonham. Sure, Tom Morello's other-worldy guitar sounds are impressive (what he does on "Year of Tha Boomerang" is completely insane), but it's the groove that I love the most. I'm not even going to talk about Zack de la Rocha, so, whatever.
Top jams: "People of the Sun," "Bulls on Parade," "Vietnow," "Roll Right," "Year of Tha Boomerang"

Twitter Review Session #1

For those of you not in the know: I started an Emotional Drumming Twitter account, and have been posting reviews of 2009 records that are under 140 characters long. Ridiculous, right? I love Twitter, I will be the first to tell you that.

Anyway, here is a collection of the first fifteen that I've tweeted:

(1) Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free - Akron/Family (Dead Oceans)
Solid effort. Like the psychadelic stuff more than the folk. "River" is one of best songs of '09. (7/10)

(2) Faces Change - Alexander the Great (Crossroads of America)
Pretty good dynamic, poppy emo-ish stuff with passionate vocals, albeit a little too much so. (6.5/10)

(3) It's Not Me, It's You - Lily Allen (Capitol)
Overall better than Alright, Still, but where are the "LDN" and "Smile" caliber jams? NOWHERE. Mediocre at best. (5/10)

(4) Merriweather Post Pavillion - Animal Collective (Domino)
Best album of 2009 thus far. Still up for debate if it's AC's best, but easily their must accessible. (9/10)

(5) Hospice - The Antlers (Frenchkiss)
Dark, somewhat spacey, melodramatic indie rock. Boring in parts and a little too long, but very pretty. (6.5/10)

(6) The Crying Light - Antony and the Johnsons (Secretly Canadian)
Way over my head. Pretty, but much too slow, boring, sappy and dramatic. Stick with Hercules, Antony! (4/10)

(7) Sagarmatha - The Appleseed Cast (The Militia Group/Vagrant)
The least inspiring, most underwhelming, boring post-rock album from a band I LOVED in the early 2000s. (5/10)

(8) Hush - Asobi Seksu (Polyvinyl)
Ultra poppy shoegaze. There are nice parts, and "Glacial" is an awesome song, but otherwuse, nothing special at all. (6/10)

(9) Two Suns - Bat for Lashes (Astralwerks/Parlophone)
Very dark, slightly Bjork-esque pop. Slept on it at first, but I think I get it now. Eerie and gorgeous. (7/10)

(10) March of the Zapotec EP/Holland EP - Beirut/Realpeople (Pompeii)
As great as Condon's voice is, I dig his electro-pop better than the cultural baroque pop. Still a snoozer. (5.5/10)

(11) As Seen Through Windows - Bell Orchestre (Arts & Crafts)
There are some interesting sections on a few tracks, otherwise just your run-of-the-mill instrumental post-rock. (5/10)

(12) Noble Beast - Andrew Bird (Fat Possum)
Nowhere near as good as "Armchair Apocrypha," but it is another Andrew Bird album, and as you'd expect, quite nice. (7/10)

(13) Rayguns Are Not Just the Future - The Bird and the Bee (Blue Note)
Top-40 style pop music done the way it should be: fun, catchy AND interesting. (7/10)

(14) Grrr... - Bishop Allen (Dead Oceans)
Cutesy indie pop with solid production, two sweet songs and not much else. (6/10)

(15) 200 Million Thousand - Black Lips (Vice)
Sort of experimental, messy, lo-fi garage punk. The Clash-esque "Drugs" is great, but overall, I don't get it. (4/10)

New Favorite Song #2: Wake Up

After reading Pitchfork's obsessively flattering review and 9.7 rating of Arcade Fire's DEBUT full length, and then observing the aftermath, that was when I realized the grip that website has on the independent music scene. Sure, they had been responsible for dramatically inflating bands' popularity and critical acclaim before this (Broken Social Scene, probably Deerhoof, to name a few), but the hype for Funeral was taken to a whole new level.

I'm not going to argue with them about how amazing and important the album is. Obviously, it is quite an accomplishment. And I believe, critically, in the grand scheme of things (rock music-related, at least), Funeral is considered to be incredibly important amongst not only critics, but a nation-wide scene. What else is there that rivals the importance of Arcade Fire's DEBUT (emphasis on this because that is part of the reason why it's such a big deal) in this particular decade? And of course, I'm talking about the legitimacy of the music, not record sales and whatnot.

Here's a list of ten ten records (aside from Funeral) that a large population of critics might include in their decade-end best of lists that I thought of off the top of my head, listed chronologically by year:

- Radiohead's Kid A (2000)
- Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
- The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
- Interpol's Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
- Broken Social Scene's You Forgot it in People (2002)
- The Shins' Chutes Too Narrow (2003)
- Brian Wilson's Smile (2004)
- Sufjan Stevens' Come On Feel the Illinoise! (2005)
- Radiohead's In Rainbows (2007)
- Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavillion (2009)

I know I'm probably missing a ton. Some comments: In my eyes, Kid A is the only album here that is obviously, without question, more important than Funeral. You know, the whole idea about them being this already huge and established band with an already respectable and important sound, completely doing a 540, and still being just as crucial if not even more so, and even ending up with a #1 hit record to boot. As for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and In Rainbows, that they are not only incredible records but all the music businessy details that surrounding their releases are what launch them up there in importance. Yoshimi, Turn on the Bright Lights, You Forgot it in People, Chutes Too Narrow and Illinoise are all arguably just as good albums, but don't quite reach the level of importance as the others. Also, we'll have to wait five years to truly be able to assess Merriweather Post Pavillion against all these others, I think. And lastly, now that I think of it, Smile might be above Funeral here as well, thanks to the fact that it was supposed to be released in the late 60s, never happened (in spite of how badly fans of Brian Wilson wanted it), and then was completely rerecorded and released in 2004, and STILL sounded amazing.

ANYWAY, it is apparent to me that Funeral is seen in this higher pantheon of records of this decade, and it deserves it.

So, why do I rant and rave so much about all of this now? Because there was a span of two years where I thought Arcade Fire's sophomore album, Neon Bible, was better. When I initially compiled my top 20 albums of 2004 list, Funeral was ranked fourth. Now, I'd probably put it at #2 or #3. I believe I ranked Neon Bible eighth on my 2007 list, granted I think that year was a better one for music. And, these are FAVORITE records we're talking about here, not BEST. There is a difference (though let's face it, it is impossible to be objective, no matter how hard you try). To summarize my most recent thoughts on both records as simply as possible, they both sound incredible, have an equal amount of songs that I love and perfectly, but Funeral has the more affecting mood and feel to it, and that is what it comes down to, for me at least.

Alright, I'll get to the whole point of this post now, seeing as it is supposed to be about a single song. At the end of March or maybe very beginning of April, I viewed the trailer for the upcoming film version of Where the Wild Things Are. One of Funeral's most epic and sweeping tracks, "Wake Up", is featured as the soundtrack to said trailer. It is appriopriate, chilling and basically wonderful in every way. That following weekend, I decided to spend some time with the album on the way up to the Traverse City area with my parents. I hadn't listened to it in a really long time, I'm not sure exactly how long. But it blew me away. Again.

While I was listening, we were pretty close to our destination (an immediate family gathering at some cabins in the general viscinity), it was the beginning of April, and there was a supprising amount of snow everywhere. It was beautiful, and the album fit this mood perfectly. From what I know of the band's experience around this album, a few of their family members had died during this time, and virtually, that is what it is about, I think? Something like that. Anyway, here I was, with my family, about to spend an entire weekend with them in beautiful northern Michigan, and it just tugged at my heartstrings. Since graduating college almost three years ago, I have come to appreciate my family so much more, and have grown closer to them (well, there's one exception that is too personal to get into), and it is a wonderful feeling. Funeral and especially "Wake Up" will now be associated with the memory of one of the most enjoyable experiences I've ever had with my family probably for a very long time. So, there is my emotional attachment to it.

Musically, the song is simply badass. The dirty, distorted guitar opens things up, and then when all the other instruments and vocals leap in and open things up, it is unexpected and overwhelming in the best way. The verse melody is simple, but seems like it should be inspiring, and the entire first section of the song (which is most of it) is very anthemic. Then, things sound like they're coming to a close, and just when you're ready to cut ties with the song, this beautiful, poppy piano and glockenspeil-led tag at the end brings things home, and it is PERFECT.

Honestly, "Wake Up" is nowhere near my favorite song by Arcade Fire, but since April, it has been blowing my mind more than any tune I currently have access to. Enjoy.

Wake Up - The Arcade Fire

Animal Collective/Grouper @ The Royal Oak Music Theatre 5/18/09

Almost two weeks ago I had the honor of seeing the great Animal Collective perform for the second time in less than a year. The show was at the Royal Oak Music Theatre in, you guessed it, Royal Oak, which isn't an ideal venue (too big and fancy), but is definitely appropriate for a band of AC's level of popularity. What was interesting to me is that, I had completely forgotten that I had purchased a $20 ticket until the day before. Having seen the band at the Pitchfork Music Festival the previous July, I knew what I was getting into (watching three weird dudes push buttons and bob heads to some sort of trippy light show), and apparently I wasn't all that excited.

First off, I'd like to direct you to the Detroit music blog Deep Cutz for this fascinating critique on the performance as well as the overall atmosphere of the show (at least from Jeff Milo's perspective). Personally, I didn't notice this vibe of fake, snobby neo-hipsters, but after a conversation I had a week-and-a-half later with my best bud Travis, I continued to digest Jeff's blog post. What I got from my dialogue with Trav is this: does the music of larger indie bands like Animal Collective (The Shins were also mentioned) unintentionally become insincere and does it deflate in value and relevance when people who just a year or two ago were listening to mall-emo or the other shit that's on 89X start becoming fans? We debated this for a bit, and I understand Travis' point (considering how seriously he takes his music and how much more there is to our discussions regarding it: not only the technical elements of songs, but artist image, popularity, relevence, personal experiences and revelations, etc.); it totally makes sense coming from him.

Now, here is where I realize why I didn't notice this apparently overwhelming sense of bullshit, pretentious hipsterdom. It's because I don't care who likes what, or how they arrived at it. If Bobby Humphrey or Jimmy Huston (by far the two biggest douchebags I knew of in college) all of a sudden were inspired to get into interesting, worthwhile music (instead of Linkin Park, which, if I remember correctly, was Bobbo's favorite band), yeah, it kind of sucks, and initially I'd want to abandon any band they love. But, more power to 'em, ya know? Stop listening to shit.

ANYWAY... I'll step off my pedestal now. While I love discussing and debating technical aspects and relevance of music, I think I have a fairly pure, maybe even naive outlook on the personal effects of it. This made my experience at the Animal Collective concert (and most other shows I have attended) more enjoyable.

But first, let's rap about the opening act, Grouper. There on this enormous stage to a sold out crowd sat a girl doing God knows what, and I think singing. From the speakers came gorgeous drones, at least for the first few songs. It was boring, and got old fast. This was the time to catch up with friends.

Now, why in the hell is an act like this performing live? Especially opening for such a huge and arguably crucial band like AC? WHAT'S THE POINT? I will admit, however, I'm interested in checking out the most recent record, Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill. It seems like Grouper might be good, or interesting at least, headphone music. Or creepy nap music.

Next, after making us wait an additional hour post-Grouper, three completely normal looking dudes, Avey Tare, Panda Bear and Geologist took to the stage. And what did they do the entire time (with the exception of Strawberry Jam's "Fireworks," from what I recall)? That's right: pushed buttons and bobbed their heads. At Pitchfork, they had an enormous, elaborate, seizure-inducing light show. This one was not so, though I still found myself in a trance from time to time. It saddens me that I never got to see them when they toured for Sung Tongs and Feels; when they actually played instruments on stage. I like to assume that the reason for the button pushing instead of instrument playing is due to the absence of that asshole Deakin. There is obviously too much going on in their songs for three people to be able to pull it off with guitars, keyboards and drums. And, just as obvious: Merriweather Post Pavillion barely features any live drums, let alone guitar.

One of my favorite things to occur in a live setting is when a band throws a curve ball right from the start, opening with something completely not obvious. My most memorable experience with this was my third time seeing Death Cab for Cutie (yeah, I know) back in the fall of 2004, when I thought they would be crazy not to open with "The New Year" to that young crowd, but instead, shockingly started things off with We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes' meandering "The Employment Pages." Animal Collective's decision to begin with the poppy slow burn of Merriweather's "Also Frightened" was not so dramatic, but I still smiled and nodded my head in agreeance.

From there on, the show got even better. The setlist was fantastic, though I was disappointed by two things (more on that later). "Summertime Clothes," "Daily Routine," and the extended and messed-with version of "Fireworks" (when Panda Bear actually played drums to amazing effect) were all obvious highlights. "My Girls" and "Brother Sport" were even much more so, when a portion of the crowd was actually dancing and singing along (also, those are two of my favorite songs of the year so far). They even played two or three new jams (I expected more, since that's what they usually do), and of course they were great, though I don't remember much about them. The best move AC made, though, was including completely revamped versions of more than likely the two best songs from Sung Tongs, "Leaf House" and "Who Could Win a Rabbit?," dissecting and reassembling them through the lens of Merriweather. These instances were where I was most ready to trade in the acoustic guitars for those sequencers and synthesizers.

My two complaints: (1) I had read that they had been playing Feels' "Banshee Beat," probably my favorite AC song ever, on this tour. Where was it on May 18th, guys? And, (2) I was not expecting them to play it live, but was hoping for some "Taste." By far the most criminally underrated song from Merriweather. It's gorgeous, catchy as hell and totally bumpin'. They should incorporate it into their set, and more people should love it as much as I do (it's my second favorite song on the album, and maybe even of 2009).

Okay, so this wasn't the best show I've ever seen in my life, and I guess I have my complaints. But, still, I'm glad this band exists. I have been eating the hype since '05, and I believe they are just as important as Pitchfork says they are.

Emotional Listening #1

Okay, a couple things. It has been forever since I've posted a Weekly Listening Update blog. This whole "actually being busy at work" and "job searching" thing is really cutting into my blog time, unfortunately. So, I am editing the title to this segment as simply, "Emotional Listening," and am starting the count all over. Same premise though: going through newly (or semi-newly) aquired or barely listened to CDs and blogging about a batch of them at the time. How frequent or infrequent will this be? I'm not sure. Also, this one is like from a month-and-a-half ago.


Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant - Belle & Sebastian (Matador, 2000)
I've debated with my dear friend Matt about which era of Belle & Sebastian is better: the softer, twee, more somber sounding version, or the more straight-forward (not in a bad way) pop/rock direction they've taken since 2003's Dear Catastrophe Waitress. I prefer the older sound, though that's probably only because of their 1996 masterpiece, If You're Feeling Sinister. The Boy With the Arab Strap (1998) and Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant are fine and all, but they are very second-half heavy; the first halves of each record are a little too sleepy. And, that's not to say that DCW and 2006's The Life Pursuit aren't good, because they totally are. Anyway, I picked up Fold Your Hands Child... maybe a month ago at Encore and was pleasantly surprised. It is sleepy and sad, but their are a few beautiful If You're Feeling Sinister-esque moments. It's way more consistant than The Boy With the Arab Strap, and just all around a better album.
Top jams: "The Model," "Nice Day for a Sulk," "Women's Realm," "Family Tree"


Milk Man - Deerhoof (Kill Rock Stars/5RC, 2004)
I was rooting for 2004's Milk Man to end up as my favorite Deerhoof record. Why, I'm not really sure. When I heard the title track probably over a year ago, it gave me tremendous hope for the entire album (the song had been the best thing I had heard from the band at that point). Unfortunately, this may even be my least favorite of theirs. It is obvioiusly a Deerhoof record (weird, jagged rhythms, insane drumming, classic rock guitars, obnoxiously cute vocals), but it is nowhere near as consistent as The Runners Four (2005) or my favorite, 2008's Offend Maggie. I even like Friend Opportunity (2007) better, which has an even more distracting flow, and of the Deerhoof that I am familiar with, is the most bizarre and least accessible album (even if the first 90% of it could loosely be considered pop music). But, don't get me wrong. Milk Man is still really cool. The title track might be the be all/end all Deerhoof jam, and there are several other greats. I guess my issue is just that there are more throw-away tracks than I've come to expect from this, one of the great modern indie rock bands.
Top jams: "Milk Man," "Desaparecere," "C," "Dream Wanderer's Tune," "That Big Orange Sun Run Over Speed Light"


Transmissions From the Satellite Heart - The Flaming Lips (Warner Bros., 1993)
This, the album that launched The Flaming Lips into the indie rock (and mainstream, for a second) spotlight, happens to be my least favorite of theirs (as seems to be the trend of this blog entry so far). Yes, I even like it less than 2006's dreamy and severely underrated At War With the Mystics. Still, this leap from The Who-inspired experimental punk to drugged out psychadelic pop rock is a great one. Here is an educational, entertaining and satisfactory peek at what exactly the Lips would amount to, and I think that's exactly why I don't have more appreciation for it. I already knew that Clouds Taste Metallic is totally badass, that Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots is simply brilliant, and that The Soft Bulletin is one of the greatest albums of 1990s (if not of all time). But, I'll take Transmissions... for what it is: a solid, experimental 90s alternative rock record. And, I can't argue that "She Don't Use Jelly" is one of the best songs from that decade.
Top jams: "Pilot Can at the Queer of God," "She Don't Use Jelly," "When Yer Twenty Two," "Slow Nerve Action"


So This is Goodbye - Junior Boys (Domino, 2006)
After spending a little more time with this 2006 synth pop opus and the recently released Begone Dull Care, Junior Boys have become one of my favorite electronic acts (probably following only Daft Punk). While I appreciate Begone Dull Care more as an album, some of the songs from So This is Goodbye are untouchable, namely "In the Morning" and "FM." This record is smooth, sexy, and actually, really pretty. Bonus that there are some smart and sublte beats (and blips, bleeps and bloops) that are hard not to bounce to.
Top jams: "The Equalizer," "In the Morning," "So This is Goodbye," "Like a Child," "FM"


Electric Version - The New Pornographers (Matador, 2003)
Ah yes, The New Pornographers. What an album, by what a band, right? From what I know, New Pornos can't do wrong (I haven't listened to Mass Romantic, though). This, their sophomore effort, is a DOOZEY. Leaps and bounds better than 2007's more boring but still somehow satisfactory Challengers, but not even close to 2005's slam dunk, Twin Cinema. The all-star band flourishes here with their characteristic upbeat, sweet and sugary, catchy and tight as all hell power pop. The melodies, oh, THE MELODIES. A.C. Newman is a MASTER of them. They are easily the best part about Electric Version, but there is plenty more to love, like Neko Case's background vox, the album's pacing, and that tight and awesome drumming. Like your typical New Pornos album, Destroyer's Dan Bejar penned three tracks. But, unlike the next two records, his are not my favorites here (though, he completely owned Twin Cinema with "Jackie Dressed in Cobras"). Newman, you take the cake. Now, just go back to recording albums more like this, okay?
Top jams: "The Electric Version," "The Laws Have Changed," "The End of Medicine," "Loose Translation," "Chump Change," "July Jones"

Know Your Onion #15

Sorry, but the blog is pretty much on hiatus for now. I'm losing my job at the end of June, and we've already started cleaning out the office and whatnot, so I don't really have the time to emote on here nowadays. I'm also trying to spend as much time computer time (which is not much right now) as possible working on the job hunt and fixing up my resume. I will post when I can, but it will be pretty scarce for a while, I'll bet.

Enough of this riff-raff. I did feel the desire to share this Onion article I read today, one of my favorites in quite some time.

Manny Ramirez: 'Am I In Trouble?'

Junior Boys/Max Tundra @ The Pike Room, 4/1/09

April Fools Day 2009 was kind of special. My friend Travis and I had decided to attend the Junior Boys/Max Tundra show at the Pike Room a while back. The day of, our friend Dan decided to join us, plus I won two free tickets from Eat This City (that blog I have a very love/hate relationship with. Perhaps Jay was trying to make up for the debacle he pulled with me back in December?

Anyway, after some Golden Wall Chinese food in Ypsi, we made the trek out to Pontiac and arrived not long after doors had opened. The venue was pretty empty and thankfully continued to fill up and was fairly packed by the time Junior Boys went on.

But, first was the wonderful enigma, Max Tundra. I had watched his A>D>D segment on Pitchfork TV, and though his drumming was less than desirable, I could tell he is obviously talented in all other facets of his music. Thankfully, he didn't have a drum kit in tow and focused on his synthesizers, vocals and dancing. His dancing, by the way, was absolutely hysterical. When he wasn't playing synth or singing, he was performing these intense, staggering and jittery moves that I couldn't help but crack up at. It was truly a sight to see.

That Tundra's songs were really good was an added bonus. Dan appropriately described them as playful. This guy did not seem to take himself seriously whatsoever and that works really well for his songs, which are complex, funky pop songs that require a short attention span. One of my favorite things in the world is having no expectations for a live performance I'm about to see and then being completely blown away by it. This most definitely occured here.

Junior Boys had a tough act to follow, and though they weren't quite the level of performers that Max Tundra was, they mostly succeeded. I am a newer fan of theirs and it was nice to see them pull there smooth and sexy electronic pop off live, especially with a drummer on stage with them which added a whole new dimension. The bookends of there set were, without question, THE highlights, opening with "Hazel" (my favorite track from the just released Begone Dull Care) and closing with what I think is the best Junior Boys song, "In the Morning" from 2006's So This is Goodbye. Aside from "The Equalizer," which is a GREAT song title, FYI, it was hard for me to differentiate between what songs were on which album, thanks to my new fandom. They were right on, though. Jeremy Greenspan's vocals were perfect (and he looked like a dad who had just woken up and thrown on the first clothes he found, which was hilarious and ironic to me), the sound was really good and the drummer was tight and creative. Also, a good portion of the crowd were dancing their asses off (Travis was worried of getting blasted by a certain emotional dancer in front of him), which though I didn't really participate, was nice to see since that never happens in Detroit.

I figured this would be a good show and I was not wrong. It was worth the trip (and would have been worth the $14 ticket) to see two really great electronic pop acts from outside of the US.

Know Your Onion #14

Bill Bellamy Elected To Rock 'N' Jock Basketball Hall Of Fame

Weekly Listening Roundup #9

Prime Candidate for Burnout - Blenderhead (Tooth & Nail, 1994)
Blenderhead were one of the first truly underground Christian bands I ever got into, and what a statement their debut full length, Prime Candidate for Burnout, seemed to be. I remember how controversial the CD booklet seemed to me (this was back in 1997, before my 13th birthday, mind you). The cover featured a cartoon dude who looked to be in serious pain wearing a blender on his head. Inside, there was a photo of drummer Matt Johnson smoking a cigar, and later a picture of one of the band members pointing to another who's buttcrack was sticking out of his pants (though it was censored). Obviously, this is all laughable now, but Blenderhead's brand of messy, technical punk rock stilll seems pretty edgy for a Tooth & Nail release in 1994. The guitars are loud, screeching and dirty as shit, the drums are played with a tightness and skill level that is still impressive to this day and jeez, all that yelling! It's fun that I can still listen to it while appreciating it for all the same reasons I did before.
Top jams: "Escape Reason," "Cesspool," "Power Trip," "Purgatory," "Spare Change"


Muchacho Vivo - Blenderhead (Tooth & Nail, 1995)
Muchacho Vivo is Blenderhead's second album and features the same screeching guitars, technical drumming and intense vocals. It is all just recorded better and the tempos are a little slower. There are moments that are more dischordant and even difficult than Prime Candidate..., but the songs that are great are by far the band's best. While still being pretty punk rock, overall the record seems to lean to a little more of a post-hardcore or dare I say emo sound comparible to Jawbox a little, maybe?
Top jams: "Haven," "Tow Truck," "Vacancy," "Chicane Cardigan Smile," "Queen of the Day," "Breaking Skin"


Rock Action - Mogwai (Matador, 2001)
Post rock is so incredibly boring to me, but, somehow Mogwai completely nail it on Rock Action. It definitely helps that the album only has eight songs and clocks in at under 40 minutes. Also, there are vocals here and there, which doesn't hurt either. The band really doesn't do one thing wrong here, balancing between subtle electronic experimentation, mellow acoustic jam sessions and slow building epics. There is enough variation that keeps things interesting the whole time, and the album ends at the perfect time.
Top jams: "Sine Wave," "Take Me Somewhere Nice," "2 Rights Make 1 Wrong," "Secret Pint"


Loveless - My Bloody Valentine (Sire, 1991)
I bought Loveless from my friend Joel after I think he purchased it on vinyl back in early 2005. I felt it necessary that I own it if I consider myself a fan of underground music. I can count on one hand how many times I had listened listened to it in its entirety until now. Sure, there were always a select few jams that I really enjoyed, but the whole thing didn't hit me until the past few weeks. This album is a big, beautiful mess that is difficult to decipher what exactly is going on, but that's the point. I feel like every time I will ever listen to it, I will catch things I never have before (even though there aren't as many layers of guitars as people think, according to Mike McGonigal's 33 1/3 book about it). I still have a beef with how utterly boring the sampled drum beats are, but even I can look pass that when your guitars sound so frickin' awesome. Plus, I finally came around ot the fact that "Soon" is an incredible song.
Top jams: "Only Shallow," "To Here Knows When," "When You Sleep," "Blown a Wish," "What You Want," "Soon"


The Open Heart - New Grenada (Plumline, 2002)
The first time I had ever heard Detroit's New Grenada was back in March of 2004, when I saw them open for The Walkmen and French Kicks at the Magic Stick. At that point in my life, I guess I wasn't ready for kinda cute, messy indie pop of their kind. I was silly then, and maybe still am. I have only seen them live once since then (and I think it was just over a year ago), and though I wasn't really into the Model Citizen EP that they were releasing at said show, I wonder if there is potential for me to be a fan. Well, anyway, I'm glad I started with 2002's The Open Heart, because it is good. Sure, they do the 90s indie rock thing pretty well ala Pavement, a poppier Dinosaur Jr., etc. What really does it for me though is that a good portion of the songs bring to mind The Promise Ring, especially Nothing Feels Good-era. These songs are what totally make this record.
Top jams: "Fashion Disaster," "Steady Diet of Slayer," "Decoder," "Fuckfriends," "Zaxxon," "Commando," "Jenutley"

New Favorite Song #1: 1901

So, I've decided to start another blog series. It shall be titled "New Favorite Song." Whenever I come across a song that I fall absolutely in love with (old or new), I will post about it and include streaming media (most often if not every single time from iMeem).

The inaugural jam I felt called to rave about is the first song released from Phoenix's upcoming album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, titled "1901." Let me tell you, it is FANTASTIC. It is everything I hoped for when I read that they were coming out with a new record. Based off my knowledge of the band, I see them as pretty hit or miss. But, when they are on, THEY ARE ON. Take "Consolation Prizes" from 2006's It's Never Been Like That, or even further back to "Too Young" and "If I Ever Feel Better" from 2000's United, for example.

It seemed like Phoenix were fooling around with a mix of funk, soul, radio pop and rock on their first few releases until they settled on a really crisp pop/rock sound on It's Never Been Like That. I remember thinking that record seemed pretty bland for the most part (with the exception of a few standout tracks), though I haven't listened to it in a while and plan on going back it.

"1901," which I believe to be the first single from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, is the band at their best. Featuring clean yet crashing guitars, driving synth bass, Thomas Mars' smooth sing-a-long melodies, and some of the most pristine sounding drums around, it is ready for alternative and maybe even pop radio popularity. In spite of how well they had pulled off a funkier sound earlier in their career, I think they've found their niche in alternative pop music. I don't know what it is that sets them apart to my ears, because this is as clean and simple as it gets. The stars have aligned just right for Phoenix to record perhaps the best song of their career.

P.D.A.D. #2: Keith Moon

Late last week I snuck myself a little listen to The Who's Who's Next. It had been a while since I had graced my ears with Keith Moon's spastic, mega-jungle drumming. When I'm not thinking about Moon, I often times don't consider him my favorite drummer ever (most recently that title has gone to The Dismemberment Plan's Joe Easley). But, when I'm listening to or watching him play, I can't help but think that he is. At least, I think he is the greatest rock drummer in history. Yeah, I'll go there.

Interesting that I included Deerhoof's Greg Saunier in the first installment of Public Display of Affectionate Drumming, as his and Moon's styles are very similar (I would put money down that Saunier considers Moon an important influence). Moon just used a lot more unneccessary equipment (as you can tell from the photograph above), and also he was ahead of his time.

As far as Moon's drumming being affectionate or emotional, I think it's obvious. If I had to come up with a metaphor for his playing off the top of my head, it would be this: his drumming is comparable to the excitement of a young puppy. Moon's drumkit is to him as a puppy's owner just arriving home from a long day of work is to the puppy. When he sits down and eyes that drumkit, he gets so excited that he can't help it or restrain himself, he must lash out in overwhelming joy and anger and cry and piss all over the place. Does that make sense, or am I just being ridiculous?

Anyway, this performance of "A Quick One While He's Away" is taken from The Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus event back in December of 1968. Based on my limited knowledge of rock and roll performances, I'd wager that this has got to be one of the greatest.

On second thought, maybe this is more of an instance of P.D.C.O.D.D.: Public Display of Completely Obliterated by Drugs Drumming. Either way, Moon still rules.

Weekly Listening Roundup #8

This post has been a long time coming. I have been distracted and neglectful of this blog, especially the Weekly Listening Roundup segments, and for no good reason. Maybe it's because of the vast options the internet offers me, or maybe it's because I am nervous to take the blog to such a dark place.

Anyway, this roundup really covers about the last three weeks. I was on a guilty pleasure kick, and it's amazing how it worked out. I have a lot of guilty pleasure records by bands whose name begins with the letter M (not including Blink-182, for obvious reasons).

So, here are the guilty pleasure albums I have been appreciating lately. Don't judge me.

Enema of the State - Blink-182 (MCA, 1999)
I may be challenged on this claim, but truthfully, I do not consider myself a fan of Blink-182. Have you listened to their catalog? A lot of my friends say that 1997's Dude Ranch is THE ONE, but I actually hate it. It sounds like crap and the drumming is uninspired. Enema of the State is my jam; the only decent Blink-182 record, in my opinion. I don't like that I like it, mostly because these guys just seem like real douchebags. But I can't help it. The songs are catchy, energetic and it brings me back to early high school. Also, I am still impressed by Travis Barker's drumming. Not only is he good and really tight, but he is creative with it and shows off with some nice intricacies that I would never expect to hear on a pop punk record. I could do without the splash cymbol, though.
Top jams: "Dumpweed," "Aliens Exist," "Going Away to College," "Dysentery Gary," "Mutt"

De-Loused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta (Universal, 2003)
For a short time in my life, back in late 2003 and early 2004, I was way into this record. It combined a lot of what I loved about At the Drive-In's Relationship of Command with interesting hints of Latin music and Yes-ish song structures (I also was obsessed with The Yes Album at the time). More recently I came to the conclusion that it is a pretentious wankfest. I still have a soft spot for some of the more tolerable jams. The one-two punch of "Son et Lumiere" and "Inertiatic ESP" is a great opening to the record and "Take the Veil Cerpin Text" sounds like a lost and fattened up Relationship... track.
Top jams: "Inertiatic ESP," "Eriatarka," "Take the Veil Cerpin Text"


Let's Face It - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (Mercury, 1997)Ska played a crucial role in my life in junior high and early high school. Sometime in 2000 is when this silly passion fizzled out. I am done with it, but once every great while I like to treat myself to revisiting some of those ska records that I loved. I hadn't listened to Let's Face It since the spring of 1997 and remembered very little of it. I was shocked to discover that, for the most part, it is a solid record. One of those third wave ska records with slightly more punk distortion than reggae upbeats. It's not perfect, obviously. For one, it's a ska record. It is definitely corny in places, and Dicky Barrett's shouty vocals are irritating (though there surprisingly are quite a few nice melodies throughout the album). But, it is a fun record without a bad song. In fact, there are several tracks I would consider awesome, "The Rascal King" being the best, without question.
Top jams: "Noise Brigade," "The Rascal King," "Royal Oil," "Let's Face It," "That Bug Bit Me"


Commit This to Memory - Motion City Soundtrack (Epitaph, 2005)
Motion City Soundtrack have become totally corny and cliche, but there was a short time in my life when I LOVED them. To this day, their debut, I Am the Movie, is great front to back. It's got that Something to Write Home About kind of sound, with impressive melodies and legitimately clever and funny albeit juvenile lyrics. The band nailed it though. Commit This to Memory is much of the same, but not even close to as good, and is a bit cheesier. Thankfully, the awesome melodies are still present, and there are some standout JAMS.
Top jams: "Everything is Alright," "Make Out Kids," "Time Turned Fragile," "Better Open the Door"


Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo - MxPx (A&M/Tooth & Nail, 1998)
MxPx was the first pop punk band I had ever gotten into, and though this isn't my favorite record of theirs, it might be their best. It didn't have the insane tempos, time shifts and stops-and-starts of Life in General, but I would consider it a more mature album. It is produced better, the song structures are more pop-oriented and they are catchier (there are some terrific melodies here). All things that would rub a punk purist the wrong way. But MxPx weren't trying to be pure punk, and in my eyes were very successful at writing punk-infused pop songs.
Top jams: "Under Lock and Key," "Tomorrow's Another Day," "Party, My House, Be There," "For Always," "Set the Record Straight," "Inches From Life"


New Found Glory - New Found Glory (MCA/Drive-Thru, 2000)
Is this the album I should be most ashamed of coming back to? Whatever. New Found Glory's self-titled major label debut is a really good whiny pop punk record. I will admit, it has not aged gracefully. The vocals are hard to swallow, and the lyrics are even worse. But, it is really fun, and again, very very catchy. I always liked the band's two guitar attack, and they are at their best on "Better Off Dead" and "Second to Last." Those two tracks along with "Sincerely Me," "Vegas," and "All About Her" still make this a worthwhile album in my collection.
Top jams: "Better Off Dead," "Sincerely Me," "Second to Last," "Eyesore," "Vegas," "All About Her"

Saturday Morning Watchmen

Today is opening day for what I believe will be the greatest comic book film of all time, Watchmen. Yes, yes, The Dark Knight was great, but it was far from perfect. Very flawed in fact (not that I know much about film, honestly).

Watchmen the book is not only amazing for a graphic novel, but it seems like it being one of the greatest pieces of modern literature in history is a common opinion. I read it last spring, and even though I know I need to read it at least one more time to understand all of its intricacies, it was still incredible. The fact that it is so complex is one of the many things that make it so good.

If you've seen the trailors, which I'm sure you have, you know it looks visually stimulating, to say the least. In fact, everything looks perfect; right on with the book.

Having read it before seeing it, I know I'm going to have my complaints, sure. But, I predict it will be leaps and bounds better than The Dark Knight, if only because of the story. There isn't any stand-out character to the degree of Heath Ledger's Joker. The closest thing would probably be seemingly ultimate creep Jackie Earle Haley as ultimate controversial bad ass Rorschach. All of this to say, it looks phenominal, and I am STOKED.

Now, the real point of this post is to share the video below. I got the link from Buzzgrinder who got it from You Ain't No Picasso who got it from /Film. It is the opening theme of an early 90s Saturday morning cartoon version of the book. It is a parody. It is absolutely hilarious. I LOVE THIS.

Please watch. Hopefully it doesn't give too much away.