...with love from Ed to me.
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig!!! (2008)
My initial exposure to Nick Cave from Ed was very rough and aggressive, in the forms of "Stagger Lee" and Grinderman's "No Pussy Blues." I was not impressed to say the least. But for seemingly a year now, Ed has been touting "Dig Lazarus Dig!!!" as far more accessible and a recent favorite of his. I figured including it in an album swap was a good way to once and for all determine that it just wasn't meant to be for Mr. Cave and I. But somewhere along the way, this album hooked me.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, I'm not here to tell you this is an instant classic five-star album. It's in reality an album of hits and misses. For every song like the title track "Dig Lazarus Dig!!!," with its swagger and instantly catchy groove, there is also a "Moonland" that never gets off the ground. Back to the title track for a moment, it really is incredibly enjoyable with my favorite part coming in the third verse where it all falls apart for the main character "Larry." Cave's vocals go from swagger to almost sympathetic in an instant, leading to the final fate of the character ("He ended up like so many of them do/back on the streets of New York City/In a soup queue, a dopefiend, a slave, then prison, then the madhouse, then the grave/Ah poor Larry").
Cave's backing band The Bad Seeds prove tight and versatile, bringing a multitude of extra instruments to the studio including, but not limited to a mandolin and an organ. The entire album feels like it has an extra gloss of production to it (in a good way) and gives some otherwise average songs enough of a boost to put them on the good side of the ledger. The only time I felt a song went too far was in "Albert Goes West," a doo-woppy rocker that I didn't really like. "Night Of The Lotus Eaters" makes me feel like I'm driving on the highway in the middle of the night and "We Call Upon The Author" has the album's best lyrics. Lines such as "wrote like papier mache/but went the Hemingway" will hook me every time. But again, lurking around the corner is "Hold On To Yourself" which feels like every bit of its six minutes and proves that Cave should probably stay away from ballady straight up love/breakup songs.
The album closes very nicely with "Lie Down Here (And Be My Girl)" with it's background vocal repetition of the title, "Jesus Of The Moon" which is a loungy ballad that works and "More News From Nowhere," a slow-grooving, imagery-inducing, barely-rocker that ultimately proves to be the best song on the album.
Thankfully, the album's hits hit harder than its misses miss. Further listening should enhance my appreciation and enjoyment of this effort.
Rating = 3.75 out of 5
Download: "More News From Nowhere", "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!", "We Call Upon The Author"
The Specials - The Specials (1979)
Despite not being as influential of a sound as I expected after hearing more modern ska like Reel Big Fish, it's hard not to enjoy The Specials' self-titled debut. "Do The Dog" is ridiculous, fun and I'm pretty sure it's exactly what the Buzzcocks would sound like if they added a horn section.
The problem is that this is supposed to be a sunny album with contrasting lyrics about violence, teen pregnancy and I suppose even racism. The more socially conscious tracks like "Nite Klub" and "Too Much Too Young" are supposed to sting with their lyrics but they're too bouncy to be angry. I have a hard time taking the lyrics seriously when I'm playing air-trumpet.
There's probably a great punk album buried in here but it failed because it's too breezy. "Concrete Jungle" should be a social commentary on violence in inner-cities but I barely noticed amid all the shout-along choruses and bouncy drums. The breaking bottles in the background should signify bloodshed and riots, but I just picture a rowdy drunken party. If you're hoping for something along the lines of The Clash's "Give 'Em Enough Rope" in the social commentary, it's too far buried beneath the elation of the sound to provide the necessary punch.
You're best to pretend the lyrics are meaningless when listening to this album. If you put it on at a party, it's a fantastic choice. I tried listening to it without reading too much into it and that's when I began to enjoy it more. There's catchiness at every turn, from the in-your-head-for-days chorus of "Blank Expression" to the hook of opener "A Message To You Rudy."
I read a few reviews of this album to see if I was just crazy and I guess maybe I am. Allmusic spends their entire review talking about how scathing the lyrics are, using adjectives like "vicious" and "nasty." I did not get that vibe at all from the album. If I was to give it a rating based on it's intention, I'd have to give it a two out of five. But because I was fortunate enough to be able to simply treat it like a sunny day at the beach I'll give it….
Rating = 3.25 out of 5
Download: A Message To You Rudy, Blank Expression, Do The Dog
Iggy Pop - The Idiot (1977)
This Stooge-free and Bowie-ful effort from Iggy Pop begins with funky "Sister Midnight," an already huge departure from the guitar-punk sound I'm accustomed to hearing from Mr. Pop. While "Midnight" is never fully realized as a song, it's also never boring and leads off the album promisingly.
If you're looking for riffs and choruses, you've come to the wrong place. This sound is far more experimental (think Bowie's Berlin period) than what you'd expect from Iggy Pop but that just means it gets more rewarding with each listen. "Nightclubbing" is an alluring piano-stomper that began as my favorite on the album and remains so now. It's got a cabaret feel to it beneath the fuzzy bass and feedback.
"Funtime" soars and has the most rock-inspired sound you'll hear on the album while "Baby" hooks you with the oft-repeated title in the chorus. Next is where you'll find Iggy's take on "China Girl," a bluesy version with grungier vocals than Bowie's take. The crunchy guitar riff makes it a clearly separate experience than Bowie's version and frankly I'm not sure which I prefer. This is also the closest you'll come to something the Stooges could have played on if that's what you came in looking for.
"Dum Dum Boys" is a fun throwback to Iggy's Stooges days set to a dreamy backdrop that is pure Bowie. I'm convinced that the subdued riff could be identified as Bowie's work even if I didn't know he co-wrote and produced the album. "Tiny Girls" opens with a nice sax groove but never really goes any further with its potential and closer "Mass Production" has an anthemic feel that finishes us off nicely, if maybe just a little too slowly.
All in all a very consistent and enjoyable comeback album for Iggy Pop, even if Bowie's influence is a little too strong to make me fully buy into Iggy's genius.
Rating = 3.75 out of 5
Download: Nightclubbing, China Girl, Dum Dum Boys
Another strong batch of albums from Ed. It may have lacked the immediate impact that "LAMF" and "Fun House" provided last time but there are no clear misses here either (I'm looking at you Big Star).
http://www.winnipegsun.com/News/Columnis
Here is my response: (if he responds I'll post that too)
Mr. Brodbeck,
You are lucky for a couple of reasons. Firstly, that you are employed by a newspaper that doesn't even attempt to be anything but pro-Conservative. Secondly, you aren't properly scrutinized for stating your opinion as fact.
You argue unconvincingly that "So desperate are they to be in power that they would put the future of Canada at risk by inviting the Bloc Quebecois to play a role in their proposed coalition government." Obviously this has nothing to do with a desperate attempt to claim power, at least no more than Mr. Harper's desperate attempt to retain it by crippling his opponents with an elimination of the subsidy for vote distribution.
Your entire editorial is dependent on your "fact" that the Bloc intends to sabotage Canada from the inside once it is appointed to cabinet seats. Nowhere has it been reported that the Bloc will receive cabinet seats or that they are even part of the coalition. The coalition is comprised of the Liberals and the New Democrats, with Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc willing to work with them. I suppose you chose to ignore that fact in your editorial because your entire argument would have been lost if you had included it.
Making a point by overdramatizing your words is amateurish. Scare tactics such as "It would be a major victory for Quebec separatists too" and "separatists calling the shots on how our country should be run and ultimately scheming to break it up" don't make your argument any more truthful, it just makes you seem desperate to convince even yourself that you have a valid point.
My opinion (since we are all entitled to it, including you) is that if the Liberals and NDP require the cooperation of the Bloc Quebecois to save Canada from Mr. Harper, then it is worth the risk. Mr. Harper is far more dangerous to the future of this country than Gilles Duceppe ever will be.
I guess with a blog entitled "Raise A Little Hell" it becomes more clear that informed opinions aren't a requirement for your job, just controversial ones.
Chris Rochon
1. Dexter
2. 30 Rock
3. Saturday Night Live
4. Lost
5. The Daily Show
6. The Colbert Report
7. Entourage
8. Flight Of The Conchords
9. Californication
10. The Sarah Silverman Program
11. Dirty Sexy Money
12. The Office
13. Days Of Our Lives (I have no defense for this so please save the criticism)
Other shows I watch that are not on my PVR because they either aren't available in Canada or because I can't wait for a later broadcast and have to download the torrent: The L Word, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Weeds
Wow, I watch a lot of television.
The Hold Steady - Slapped Actress (album: Stay Positive (2008))
Craig Finn was inspired by John Cassavetes' film "Opening Night" on this entire album (see Navy Sheets) but mostly on this closing song. The Hold Steady have been famous (among fans of the band) for closing albums with epic tunes and this one is no different.
The opening verse is pretty straight forward, and also gives a nod to long time fans by name-dropping Ybor City. It doesn't really get into the story, but it's catchy and sets up the rest of the song.
While there is no chorus to speak of, we are introduced to the song's influence after the first verse. Craig claimed he wrote the song after watching "Opening Night" and comparing Gena Rowlands' character to his band. How do you age gracefully? We are a band of mid-to-late 30-somethings relating to a college crowd. Gena's character is reflected in lyrics such as "They queue up for tickets to see the performance—they push to get closer, lookin’ upwards with wonder. We are the actors. The cameras are rollin’. I’ll be Ben Gazzara, you’ll be Gena Rowlands."
The argument is whether the audience has queued up to see Gena Rowlands, or to see Gena Rowlands fall apart. What chorus does exist is "sometimes actresses get slapped" and that is the response to Rowlands' question. Sometimes you are past your prime, even if you feel differently.
Where The Hold Steady fit in is the lyric "Some nights it's just entertainment/and some other nights it's work," where Craig shows appreciation for the living he's made while also admitting that it's no picnic every day of his life. This emotion is also expressed on "Joke About Jamaica"'s lyric "every show can't be a benefit."
In the final verse, the song builds as Craig hammers the point home:
They come in for the beating/to sit in stadium seating/They’re holding their hands out for the body and blood, now/We’re the directors—our hands will hold steady. I’ll be John Cassavettes—let me know when you’re ready/
The point being that demands are high for stardom, but when your time is up, sometimes actresses get slapped.
Rating 4.95/5
Reason why 0.05 is taken off: The fadeout is nauseating. Just try to like it, you can't.
Here are my reviews of Lawrence's albums in our Great '08 Album Swap:
Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
I think I remember first hearing this band at Lawrence's place when there was an argument about whether the lead singer sounded more like Gord Downey or Thom Yorke. After repeated listenings, I think he sounds more like Ron Sexsmith than either one of those. In fact, I'd often forget what I was listening to and think it was Sexsmith.
Although very slightly heavier than Sexsmith's music, Midlake's sound isn't very different. Most songs have sweeping melodies, with the vocals carrying the song. If there is one complaint, it's that there isn't much variety in the sound and the album thus seems to run a little long. The album is consistent and is better listened to from beginning to end and not by selecting tracks.
One more observation is that this is definitely a "Lawrence album," meaning it clearly defines Lawrence's musical tastes to me. Carefully crafted beautiful pop songs, though a little unexciting for my tastes. I'd offer examples of songs I particularly enjoy or perhaps like a little bit less but I truly have no strong feelings, positively or negatively about anything I've listened to by Midlake. I will keep it in my library because I feel like I might want to listen to it given the right mood, and while I won't recommend it, I wouldn't say you're wasting your time either.
Rating = 3.25 out of 5
R.E.M - Murmur
I suppose Lawrence sent me this because he was convinced I would like this album despite my previously telling him that early R.E.M. isn't my cup of tea. There's nothing I dislike about the earlier albums but I just never latched onto what I'd heard. Upon giving this another chance, I can appreciate the quaity of R.E.M's work more yet still not take the full plunge into adoration.
R.E.M's debut kicks off with "Radio Free Europe," a song I'm familiar with and enjoy. It's catchy and has an upbeat rock sound and is followed up nicely by "Pilgrimage" which retains the basic early R.E.M sound but becomes more melodic, not unlike their latter more radio-friendly singles. It's a nice balance and this pairing gets the album off to a promising start.
"Laughing" is a little more subdued and doesn't include the melodies and builds that I need to enjoy an R.E.M song. It's the sort of song I associated with this album before listening. I recognize that this sort of sound is what put R.E.M on the map, but for someone whose first impressions of R.E.M were "Losing My Religion" and "Automatic For The People," this is strange.
"Talk About The Passion" is a nice folkier tune with a good guitar part while "Moral Kiosk" highlights Michael Stipe's vocals though comes off as one of the weaker songs on the album. "Perfect Circle," my favorite track on the album seems like classic R.E.M to me (though I'm hardly the jury on what that defines). Although the lyrics are difficult to even make out, the reflective sound is what I've come to expect from a great R.E.M song.
"Catapult" sounds a lot like "Moral Kiosk" in that while there are enjoyable moments on the track (see: the chorus), it doesn't hold up with the stronger tracks on the album. "Sitting Still" is a straight-ahead rocker that becomes more enjoyable after repeated listens.
I chose to highlight the first half of the album in my review because I enjoyed it far more than the second half. Tracks such as "9-9" and closer "West Of The Fields" didn't make much of an impression on me. While Murmur is a mostly enjoyable album and contains more highlights than I expected it to have, I can't say I'm fully converted on R.E.M's early college-rock era.
Top Tracks: Perfect Circle, Radio Free Europe, Pilgrimage
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Elvis Costello - This Year's Model
I think upon listening to this album over and over, I was able to figure out what I dislike about Elvis Costello. It's his vocal delivery. It might just be me, but I find he's always talking down to the listener or singing too confidently if you will. He's almost announcing "I'm cool and you're going to love my music." The problem is I just don't. It's actually funny that I have this complaint about Costello's delivery since I'm such a huge fan of The Hold Steady's Craig Finn who has made a career using a very similar tactic, the only difference being Finn's far more grating voice. My best examples of the annoying vocal delivery are in "No Action" and "Little Triggers," which is the worst song on the album by far.
There are still highlights on this album, most notably "Pump It Up" and "Radio, Radio," but those are songs I already knew and enjoyed. I also liked "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea" and "This Year's Girl," both were pleasant surprises. The tracks I haven't mentioned fall into the category of regular Elvis Costello songs, which I am already on record as not enjoying. It's really a shame that I can't stand Elvis Costello's overly confident delivery because "The Attractions," the backing band, are enjoyable and create what would otherwise be a fast-paced enjoyable record.
I suppose I can't be too hard on Lawrence for sending me this album since I sent him Everclear's "World Of Noise," which he is sure to strongly dislike. So we'll call it even.
Top Tracks: "Pump It Up," "Radio, Radio," "(I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea"
Rating: 2.25 out of 5 (3.75 if Elvis Costello was removed in favour of a replacement vocalist, giving him a negative VORV (value over replacement vocalist*))
* Joke for Ed and Lawrence's benefit only
In conclusion, I think Lawrence may have dug himself a hole by sending me albums I already had negative-ish impressions of. He had to be considered an underdog to change my mind and that is reflected in the lower ratings his albums received. My impression of R.E.M improved slightly, while Midlake made only a small impression and Elvis Costello's chances are probably buried with me now.
Let's do this again soon boys.
I have no ideas for a blog entry but I feel strangely compelled...
Let's do this randomly:
- I left work at 11:30pm tonight and was supposed to go to a 20-year old female coworker's birthday at "Blush." I saw the line and found the excuse I needed to skip it...
- ...so I came home and then decided to go to the Reagle Beagle for a pint. My affection for this bar is about twenty-fold but I'll keep it short. A) The bartender and I get along great, we basically get together and people-watch while sarcastically commenting on everyone around.
B)The band always exceeds expectations. Today it was a blues band that had "Wicked Game" as its big hit. I should also mention that they played "Play That Funky Music" but medleyed it with "Rapper's Delight." So bad it's good.
- In related news, I can't decide if it's cool to be a regular at a bar. I mean they all know me but that might mean I drink too much.
- After the band played, the bartender let me pick the cable music channel (yes, I have some pull in a bar that has less than 5 people in it) and after picking a random channel the first two songs were (Sloan - Keep On Thinkin' and Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks).
- Anyway, I went for one pint but after chatting with a transplanted Canadian (from North Bay, resides in Florida), we ended up talking politics all night. Normally I dismiss those with differing views from me but this guy knew his shit. He told me as a Canadian he votes Conservative (though he hates Stephen Harper) but as an American he would (but can't) vote Democratic. So we went back and forth, making fun of the Bush family, mutually crushing on the Clintons and Barack and by night's end I had drank 5 pints and only paid for 1.
Quick Top 5: (holy shit I'm baked edition)
Top 5 Chris Murphy Sloan Songs:
1. Coax Me
2. Underwhelmed
3. The Good In Everyone
4. The Other Man
5. Chester The Molester
That's a lot of singles...but the deeper tracks generally belong to Jay and Patrick. I won't even try with Jay because they are all spectacular.
- Work has been surprisingly awesome this week. I worked 7 consecutive days and didn't mind it one bit. Hell, I even went in for all seven. Things around the office are so stupid and chaotic, nobody has any idea what's what. So if you want to take two hours for lunch, who will notice? (i won't name names). I scored a desk against the window and listened to Larry's albums all week. (reviews soon)
New Top 3 (Ed Gohl will review the Hold Steady's catalog if it kills him edition):
Top 3 Hold Steady tracks by album: (chronological order)
1) The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me...(Killer Parties, Positive Jam, The Swish)
2) Seperation Sunday..(How A Resurrection Really Feels, Hornets! Hornets!, Stevie Nix)
3) Boys & Girls In America (Stuck Between Stations, Southtown Girls, Massive Night)
4) Stay Positive (Slapped Actress, Sequestered In Memphis, Constructive Summer)
I should mention I chose the opener and closer of every album. Something THS are famous for, great openers and closers.
Since most of my random thoughts are now being decided by my ITunes shuffle, I'll end this.
Next post is Larry reviews.
I've spent the entire morning crushing coffees at work and reviewing Ed's albums. And Ed thinks he has a sweet gig...
Big Star - #1 Record/Radio City*
* Originally Ed tried to send me two Big Star albums disguised as one album with the justification being "on CD they come as one album." Since we weren't swapping CD's, I was unconcerned with the format's release and chose only to review one album by Big Star. So with that in mind…
Big Star - #1 Record
This album starts out on a high note with the country rocker "Feel" which has a comfortable power pop pace and a little saxophone thrown in to keep things interesting.
The problems begin after that track. The pacing of the album suffers greatly due to poor track sequencing. They stuck all the ballads together (with an album of 80% ballads it's tough not to, I admit) and I feel the album never really gets off the ground because of it. Songs like "The Ballad of El Goodo," "Thirteen" and the closing three tracks all sound generic and disposable. That's not to say they're bad but I can't agree that they're worthy of endorsement. One track that especially stuck out as a groaner was "My Life Is Right," mainly due to the inclusion of the unfortunate lyric "Once I walked a lonely road," a lyrical cliché if ever there were one.
Positives include the album's production which I found to be fantastic, each instrument clearly gets its chance to shine. Also, my favorite track is "Don't Lie To Me" which includes catchy guitar, chant-along lyrics and a pacing rarely found on the rest of the album.
This album is perfectly fine and in an age of shuffle I'm happy to keep it in my library. I probably won't make a point of listening to the album again but there are enough good tracks to make it a decent listen.
Rating = 2.75 out of 5
Top Tracks = Don't Lie To Me, Feel, The India Song
Johnny Thunders and The Heartbreakers - L.A.M.F
Ed sent me this because we have a mutual admiration for late 70's era New York punk. After successfully transforming me into a fan of the New York Dolls, his next quest was to convert me into a fan of an individual member of the band, Mr. Johnny Thunders.
The album gets off to a fantastic start with the punk anthem "Born Too Loose (Born To Lose)" which I will go on record as saying is one of the top 5 catchiest songs I've ever heard. This song stacks up as a punk anthem as much as any other more highly regarded track of its era.
This isn't to say Thunders blew his wad too early with track #1, the album has plenty of muscle to keep you interested. Most tracks follow the effective punk formula of quick and simple chord progression with catchy sing-along choruses. While some non-punk fans may see the next few tracks as filler, I found it easy to love the less-anthemic "Baby Talk," "All By Myself" and "I Wanna Be Loved." To complete the first third of the album, the band reaches with its first ballad, "It's Not Enough"…and hits! The lazy drawl of the vocals transform an otherwise tired ballad into a fun listen.
The next track is "Chinese Rocks" which is a legendary punk song in its own right. The back story of the song is long and complicated, but the short version is that nearly everybody associated with punk rock in the 70's claims to have written it with Thunders getting most of the credit. I can see why everybody wants credit for it, it's brilliant.
To avoid going too long here, I'll just reassure you that the second half of the album is more than up to snuff. It may be slightly weaker than the first hit-heavy half (even with a blisteringly ridiculous version of "Do You Love Me?" to close the album) but the quick pace and cover-to-cover catchiness make the entire album an essential for any fan of the genre…and most non-fans too.
Rating = 4.5 out of 5
Top Tracks = Born To Loose (Born To Lose), Chinese Rocks, It's Not Enough
The Stooges - Fun House*
* Wear headphones while listening
I gave each of these albums somewhere between 3-5 listens. The first listen was always a familiarization, just to get a grasp on the overall feel of the album. I mention this because it was blatantly clear after one listen that this Stooges effort was far more melodic and accessible than "Raw Power."
At a slim six tracks you can ill afford missteps without risking ruining the album as a whole. I've counted and recounted, and I see a total of one unenjoyable track on "Fun House." That would be "Dirt," a slightly long and dull track.
So that's the bad news. The good news is that it does not ruin the album, far from it in fact. Opener "Down On The Street" begins with a stomping drum beat and a trippy trance-like Iggy vocal and lets the backing instrumentation lead the way. "Loose" owes more of a debt to classic rock than the punk sound you'd expect from the Stooges and might fall flat with a less charismatic singer than Iggy Pop. In fact, you could say that about the album as a whole.
"T.V. Eye" begins with a couple of blood-curdling screams and boasts the best drumming on the album. The middle section of the song (you guessed it, more screaming and drumming) is fantastic with the bass anchoring the sound so it doesn't sound too rough.
"1970" is a clusterfuck. I'm not sure what's happening here but it's great. It's always great when the melody of a song completely breaks down and yet the sound manages to hold together. I love the saxophone near the end, which contrasts well with the other sounds and would make this song a candidate for a great live performance.
The title track is a rare 7-minuter that doesn't bore in parts. Keeping the saxophone around to finish the album just gives the band more instruments to experiment with in the last third when it seems like a competition between Iggy's warbling and the pounding drums with the sax providing the backing.
At six tracks, this album only suffers from it's own abruptness. You ever listen to a 19-track, 65 minute album that could stand to lose 5-6 songs and takes forever to end? This album is just like that, except the complete opposite.
Rating = 4 out of 5
Top Tracks = 1970, Down On The Street, Fun House
Coming Soon: Larry picks including Elvis Costello, Midlake and Rapid Eye Movement
I had no idea there were that many applications and that they were all cool. So as I do want an IPhone, I feel that anything less than 50gb is a deal breaker for me. Until I can cram my entire library plus some video in there I'm going to need an Ipod and a phone seperately. Yes, I am a glutton.
I just got an idea for a music post so I'll get to that in a minute. In the meantime, here's my weekend update.
Friday: Ed and I watched the Jays game (covered the run line like any Cito team should) and then I decided to listen to Elton John and blog, which leaves me here.
Saturday: Poker with work acquaintances...and Ed and LC.
Sunday: Ed's coming by for roughly 10 hours of football and 3 hours of free WWE PPV action. Perhaps I can talk Ed into doing the 12 Delirium (9%alc) in 3 hours challenge.
Monday: Dinner with Glen.
So that brings me to my music post. Graham, Lawrence and I were considering attending the upcoming Sloan concert at the Pyramid. As someone who considers himself a massive Sloan fan, I'm going to list the 5 Sloan songs you don't know but should. I'm familiar with all Sloan albums except for Smeared and I hope you'll forgive me for finding that album unlistenable. (except for "Underwhelmed")
Sloan are: Chris Murphy (bass, lead vocals), Patrick Pentland (guitar, vocals), Jay Ferguson (best member), Andrew Scott (Ringo)
5 - A Long Time Coming (Between The Bridges)
Possibly Patrick's best tune. It has the perfect amount of Sloan's self-esteem problem. My personal Sloan appreciation trick is to see which songs are most vulnerable and those are the best. It's a fail safe-evaluation technique.
4 - Someone I Can Be True With (Never Hear The End Of It)
This is from a 30-track album that feels a little restricting. Listening to this album is like checking off a to-do list. You just want it to end. But thankfully there are some punchy/catchy songs hidden beneath the forced 80 minutes. This is one. Chris Murphy longs for someone to "listen to Husker Du with/and not watch the View with/ and watch Gremlins 2 with" all in 90 seconds or less.
3 - The Marquee and The Moon (Between The Bridges)
This album and this Bob Kotyk favorite are both underrated. Another Chris Murphy track that seperates him from Patrick as the chief songwriter in the band. I love the mess of noise above which Murphy and a piano shine. There isn't much of a chorus but mentions of onomatopoeia and "settling the difference between the marquee and the moon" are epic.
2 - I Can Feel It (Twice Removed) (1994)
1994? Wow. anyway...Twice Removed is considered among the best Canadian Albums of all time according to several published lists but that is because of "Coax Me" and "Penpals." This song is better than both. Dreamy and melodic, Patrick teams with Jay to create a perfect blend of patented Sloan vulnerability and melody. I love the cohesiveness until Patrick breaks off with "no strings attached, no copy to match, no drift to catch, no plans to hatch, no itch to scratch, just infatuation."
1 - Dreaming Of You (Pretty Together)
Forget your preconceived notions of Sloan's more current work. If you like either Sloan or Jay Ferguson you will love this song. Think "The Lines You Amend" but better. It's almost a loud-quiet-loud song but with Jay's engaging melodies. Jay melts your heart in the verses and sings barely above the wall of sound in the chorus (and the last payoff verse) but an aggressive dual guitar below Jay's soothing is perfect. I love the second verse where you expect the driving guitar to pull back for the vocals but it actually turns it up a notch and forces Jay to talk you into the lyrics...and he does.
In my basket:
1- Bartlett pear
4 - Apples (2 Grannys, 1 Mac, 1 other weird one that I'm afraid to consume)
2 - Oranges (Rhymes with "we're cutting your job")
1 - Grapefruit (I plan to drain this into gin in the morning)
1 - New Zealand Fruit (Kiwi)
3 - Bananas
12 - Ed ate (total may be exaggerated)
1 - Box of crackers
8 - Wedges of cheese ( I just consumed all 8, don't judge me but they were fucking delicious)
1 - Box of Safeway cookies (Ed = All, me = 0)
1 - Bag of digestive cookies
1 - Bag of caramel filled chocolates
1 - Jar of Boisenberry jam (best item in the basket)
So if you ever have a family member pass away, CP hopes you like Boisenberries.
After leaving the German pavilion, we capped our night at the Albert. As a couple of dive bar fans, we rolled in expecting to find our new local hangout. What we found was exactly that. We ordered a couple of pints and listened to a touring Calgarian band (on a Monday). They played a collection of originals and a Neil cover (something from Decade) and a Dylan cover (neither of us caught it). Anyway, after they finished we pwned the jukebox. Let me tell you, the jukebox at the Albert gets 8 stars on a 5 star scale. Here is a sample of choices: X Ray Spex, The Clash (2 disc greatest hits), Buzzcocks, Velvet Underground, The Damned, Patsy Cline, Bruce, The Who, The Stones, Ed (more?)
So we gutted it through the first band, and they were pretty good. Very hippie and sometimes proggy, then we apparently promised the follow up musician that we'd stick around and see him play. The nicest thing we could say about him is that he probably loves his family. His show was a drag but we clapped and pretended to like it. After, he appreciated our presence because we were 66.6666% of the audience and forgot that we were watching the Olympics instead of watching him play.
So some Canadian named Wilkinson won a silver and our applause was mistaken for appreciation of his emo-ish acoustic awfulness. After he finished up, we re-plugged the jukebox and listened to more Clash, Thorogood, Pulbic Enemy (pardon the pun) and others.
Denoument: Ed and I have found our new local dive bar. When you think about the Albert, you should think about me and the Forbulator. We will find some common afternoons and rip that jukebox like we own the place.
Also: Ed asked me to name my most underrated Beatles and Stones songs so I will do so now. Gotta think about it...but here they are...
Beatles: "No Reply". I thought about this long and hard and I can't get past a lyric I love. Here it is, and bear in mind that John sings in the first person but refers to the second person as well. "If I were you, I'd realize that I love you more than any other guy." Too many subjects, but John says if John was (subject) John would realize that John loves (subject) more than any other guy. Sounds difficult, but I love how complicated and (I think purposefully) he sings about himself and the object of his affection. Anyway, also a great song at face value.
Stones: Ed brought up "Beast Of Burden" because it's taken for granted, and I agree. It's a standout song disguised as a random hit. The guitar is amazing and it's a phenomenal blues song. My pick is "Let It Bleed" Any big Stones fan loves this song (Ed has it top 3) but your average classic rock fan doesn't know this song and is losing out. It's better than most songs 92 CITI FM will play and my as man Howard Mandshein would say it's "gorgeous...gorgeous, and on the other side of...........these!"
Since I not only used to like to post in pairs but also 50% about the Twins, those of you who don't care about the Twins are in for huge disappointment.
I'm watching the Twins at Mariners contest in beautiful high definition right now and Nick Punto just hit a homerun. You know that's when things are going well but instead of marveling about Justin (the pride of New Westminster, BC) Morneau or Chairman Mau I'm going to take inventory on this season position by position. So unless your name is Ryan Bousquet (2 mentions in 2 posts), please hit the "next and cooler friend" button.
Catcher - Joe Mauer/Mike Redmond. I've had the pleasure of living through this tandem for 3-4 years now and I'm not tired of it. Imagine having the best catcher in baseball (both defensively and offensively) and the best possible backup compliment...don't mess with that. Thank you Terry Ryan.
First Base - Justin Morneau, numero Chirty Tree. Still underrated. He has a legitimate shot at his 2nd MVP title this year. Even trying to be unbiased I can't see who beats him. Carlos Quentin if the Bitch Sox win the division or maybe A-Rod? Pass, I'll take Dr. Morneau.
2nd Base - Alexi Casilla/Nick Punto - I don't fully buy Casilla as the future in the Twins infield (either at 2b or SS) but he's been better than any in-house options. He appears patient and I'm more than willing to see this experiment out. While injured, Alexi gives way to Little Nicky Punto who is making believers even among the most fickle of Twins fans. His current hitting line of 284/333/405 is light years better than last year and even a dropoff from those numbers is acceptable to me.
Short Lamar Stop - (The worst players on the team) - I won't go into detail here but the names sound something like Brendan Harris and Adam Everett. I have nothing nice to say so I won't say anything at all. That's what my Mom always said.
3rd Base - Brian Buscher/Mike Lamb - I don't know if it's because Madonna just came on my ITunes or because I'm giddy about the current 1st place standing but I don't hate this duo. Buscher seems capable of carrying the bulk of the duties and Lamb has been capable recently. I don't believe the DFA hype on Lamb. Yes, he admittedly hates baseball more than JP thinks Adam Dunn does but he's also the kind of veteran who won't sulk about a bench job and has been good enough lately to make Twins forgive him for April-July.
Outfield - Carlos Go-Go/Delmon Young-but not that young/Denard "Flash In The" Span/DJ Cuddles - I swear my Span nickname is an original and I'm beaming about how great it is. Anyway, Twins fans and myself see four starting quality outfielders. Question for Ryan assuming he comes back...which three would you start when they're all healthy? I like Denard starting everyday in center and leading off. I like Cuddy in right 4 times a week and Delmon in left 4 times a week. You can get Go-Go his starts spelling the non-Span guys. There's something to be said about the great AB's Span is getting in the leadoff spot right now. He's oddly the rock in the lineup right now, especially when Gardy gives Mauer a day off.
Bench - Randy Ruiz - He's 30 and fat. He also has a career OPS of over .900 in the minors. He also has two drug suspensions in 2005. Glad he's the 25th guy.
Game update - Still watching Twins/Mariners and Carlos Gomez just took a walk. Maybe his first as a pro. Twins 6, Mariners Love.
Rotation - Baker/Slowey/Franchise/Blackburn/Perkins - I just commented to Ed that I've never been happier as a Twins fan because of this rotation. Baker has proven to be a true ace. Slowey worries me the most. You can tell within 2 innings if he's Cy Young or Livan Hernandez. The reward of the former is amazing (see his blanking of the Bitch Sox last week) but the disappointment of the latter is Livan-esque (see July). Liriano remains a wild card, even after 6 shutout innings against the Cleveland Aboriginals yesterday. His control was suspect but his pitches had the same sick movement from 2006 that was missing in April. I've never been more intrigued by a Twins starter. Blackburn remains my favorite underdog. His starts are appointment viewing for me, that sinker is a pleasure to watch. In a non-Longoria year, he's my ROY pick. Perkins is an enigma. Why isn't he awful? He has no stuff at all but carries an ERA around 3.70. I'd trade him now if I was Bill Smith.
Bullpen - Brian Bass/Hugo "Hurley" Reyes/Booooooof/Craig Breslow/Jesse Crain/Matty - This lineup of men looked better a few years ago. Think a good Rincon/Hawkins/Eddie or even a good Rincon/Crain//Sideshow Pat/Nathan. Yikes, but now we have to make do. I don't hate this lineup after admitting I was spoiled in the past. Boooooof appears to need a change of scenery after underperforming recently. I have no doubt he's a quality Major League arm but he's also the last guy we want to depend on in a pennant race. Breslow has proven to be a quality bullpen option recently and I support an increase in his use. Bass needs to go, or at least be used in less high-leverage opportunities. Hurley needs to go back to the island, with or without John Locke's corpse. Perhaps he can be used in a lefty/lefty matchup with Ben Linus. Crain remains on a tight-rope between dependable and cringe-worthy. He has a great arm but struggles to get outs at the worst of times. Matt Guerrier is the best we have in Sideshow Pat's absense. He's great but not great, I mean that. He's my favorite option but I'd love some Neshek right about now.
Closer - Joe
Not much to be said here. He's the best in baseball without any doubt and when he enters a game I pop the cristal.
Manager - Gardy
No thanks.
Prediction - AL Central Title, win in the DS against the BoSox (3-1) and an ALCS loss against the Angels (4-2)
2009 - World Series
So, as you know Howard Mandshein and I are back, hopefully. Perhaps it's Ed's return to Winnipeg that's re-energized my desire to blog.
Items today include (not in chronological order):
- This past Saturday Ed and I hung out and watched baseball games. We got to my place around 3pm after having lunch with Lawrence at Carlos and Murphy's. Why do we continue to go there, despite it being far below average? Upon arrival at my place, Ed and I compared OOTP teams (don't ask) and had some Dos Equis and Sapporo. At the risk of making this a 2005 Ryan Bousquet post all about drinking, I'll continue on with this. We went to the LC and bought 5 pairs of imported beer, sampling each together and commencing Folklorama at home. That was our Saturday.
- Friday it seems all my friends were either out of town (Bousquets, et al) or going to Batman (LC, Ed, et al) so I spent the night watching the Bomber game. Bored with that early, I figured I'd go see the Perpetrators, assuming I'd be able to convince someone to join me. I messaged (text or Facebook) anybody who might be interested and headed town to Times Change(d). It turned out everyone had something better to do so I saw the show on my own. It was a fantastic show anyway, the band has the chops to be great. The guitarist is amazing, they'd just gotten back from a European tour and had the local crowd in a fenzy.
- On a more somber note, my Nana passed away (Glen's mom) suddenly and I've been grieving while making sure to be supportive of those closer to her. I'm worried for my Grandpa who is chronically ill himself and was obviously closest to her. I'm also feeling grief for Echo who is in Australia and can't be here for the funeral, she must feel so alone. Finally, I'm grieving for Jeffrey who was so close to Nana. They were truly best friends and I can't imagine the pain he's experiencing. The silver lining is the closeness you feel with family members at a time like this.
- On a more positive note, I've got a lust for blogging so hopefully this becomes more regular. Rest assured, I'll be recruiting others to come back and rejoin the great blogging world.
Chris
Here are Ed's 5 songs I'm reviewing. His can be found at http://more-onions.livejournal.com
1. Cream - Deserted Cities Of The Heart
I went on a Clapton kick a few months ago and even spent $140 on a concert ticket. The concert was great but it started a downward spiral in my appreciation of Clapton. I now find him nearly unlistenable and boring, save for a few hits that I still like. This song does nothing to change that. It sounds too much like a generic classic rock song. Nothing offensively bad, just boring and forgettable.
Grade: 2/5
2. The Faces - Had Me A Real Good Time
I have a soft spot for Rod Stewart, even during his 80's and 90's soft rock/easy listening period. But here he is at his best. The Faces are definitely a band you want to listen to after copious amounts of cheap draft. But as I write this in a sober state, I can still imagine seeing the band play a dive like the Pandora and blowing the doors off the place. Rod's voice is raw and fits well with the shredding guitars.
Grade: 3.5/5 with a ceiling of 4.5
3. The Kinks - Mindless Child Of Motherhood
I feel like I've heard this song a few times before, but I'm not sure where. It's quite familiar and quite catchy. It lacks a little something to push it over the ege to something I really like though. If you're a fan of the Kinks, then you'll definitely like this song. I'll keep it in ITunes but it won't get the "My Top Rated" seal of approval.
Grade: 3/5
4. Grinderman - No Pussy Blues
I'm sure Ed sent me this one because it's raw and loud and he knows I'm in that phase right now. That being said, I just don't see what's here to like. It seems forced and maybe a little too in your face. The loud feedback in the middle and again towards the end are just plain distracting. This song gives me the "shitty music blues."
Grade: 1.5/5
5. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Snakedriver
I won't leave you on a bad note so I'll finish off with the song that has the most upside of the bunch. Lately I find "Psychocandy" to be a great album to listen to after a bowl or two. I think "Snakedriver" may continue the trend nicely. The bass sticks out of the background and buries the catchy guitar but I mean that as a compliment. It's really just a catchy 3-minute guitar and bass song but it continues to make the band on the upswing in my book.
Grade: 4/5, no ceiling.
Recommend: #2 and #5.
For Fans: #3
Avoid: #1 and #4.
Good afternoon Everclear fans,
I am offering to host a pre-Everclear concert bash at my apartment on Wednesday May 2. All ticket holders are welcome to attend the event, start time for the event is whenever I wake up that day. We can figure out a way down to the venue from my place once we've had our fill of awesomeness and beer. I'm now rambling because I have nothing to add. See you then!
Your handsomest friend,
Christopher
of the Mariners, I looked at the American League standings to see...
| Minnesota | 10 | 5 | .667 | -- | 6-4 | 4-1 | 6-4 | 1-1 | 3-0 | Won 3 | 6-4 |
Which means our beloved Twins have the best record in the AL...and the Royals this weekend.
Here is an updated guest list for tomorrow's festivities
Chris
Keith
Steffens
Ryan
Mickaela
Ian
Erin
Sam
Lola
Ashley
Matt
Thom
Kyle and Margaux are maybes. As is Valene
Please add your name in the comments if I can expect to see you.
I wish I could have been at the home opener last night. Twins win 7-4 and also...
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1556150/2
Twin sexiness was plentiful on the Metrodome Field Turf tonight. The sexiness of Eric Bedard's hanging curveball, the sexiness of Torii "Contract Year" Hunter parking it in right field. The obvious game-saving sexiness of Rondell White's sick glove that looks like it's been around since his rookie year. The anti-sexiness of the umpires forgetting that an Oriole must tag a Twin before his hand touches a base to record an out. The underrated sexiness of the Twins bullpen (Reyes, Crain, Rincon, Nathan) with their 0 ER and the sexiness of being undefeated for one more day.
Tomorrow we give the ball to Boof. I won't be painting my chest tomorrow, but figuratively my paint never washed off last year. With the three-headed Silva, Ponson, Ortiz monster awaiting us, Boof suddenly becomes more than just a name that sounds like Ryan vomiting in the bed we shared in Minneapolis' ghetto. It sounds like the hope we Twins fans carry through the season. Here's to 2-0.
Memorable sequels: Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Bat Out Of Hell 2, Santa Clause 2, Songs From An American Movie Volume 2. Chris' Housewarming 2.
Yes, it's a blockbuster any way you look at it. That is why this Good Friday (purchase your booze, champagne glasses and your motherfuckin' condoms in advance) is the biggest sequel of them all. Alright, to be honest my boy Keith Timothy Bousquet and myself were kicking around the idea of a Friday party at my place. After this epic deal was consummated, we each agreed to tell our loved ones and that leads me to this invitation.
Remember the invitation rules to the first party? If you read this or know someone who did, then you're in. New rule: Don't bring your beers downstairs for smoke breaks, Marcel doesn't like that.
Also, since the rules are the same as last time, there will be a cocaine buffet provided ala The Last Waltz, so bring your battered nostrils.
See you Good Friday.
RSVP in the comments, I need to preorder the cocaine.
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