Apologies for the blogging hiatus. Life tends to get busy with things like work, bills, playoff baseball, college football and important things like music blogs tend to fall by the wayside faster than school funding in a tough economy. (Wow, went dangerously close to going political there!)
Anyways, let's start off with a story! A number of years ago I had a gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket and was walking through the local record store and not finding anything that interested me. Thus, I started looking at bands I had never heard of and finally decided to buy Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot which I had heard some good things about. It was love at first spin, and now Wilco is one of my all-time favorites. Thus, I decided to periodically invest in new music from artists who I've never heard. You never know who you might discover. It doesn't always work (I gave Yo La Tengo a fighting chance, but it's just not happening for me) but every so often, I find a band like Rogue Wave.
I started with "Asleep at Heaven's Gate", their 2005 album. Interesting side note: in researching the band there is a lot of discourse and argument over what is their best work. itunes loves Asleep at Heaven's Gate and Amazon thinks its their worst record hands down. Paste Magazine hates all their stuff except for the early demos. Spin loves "Descended like Vultures" but hates everything else they've done. And Rolling Stone refuses to acknowledge that the band exists. (Their website is horrible and whoever designed it clearly never wanted anyone who visited it to be able to find anything).
After listening to "Asleep at Heaven's Gate" a few times I started to wonder: "Why don't I own all of their albums?" Rogue Wave is a perfect mix of acoustic based pop-melody and screeching guitars, ambient keyboards and driving beats. They are simultaniously capable of unplugging and playing a simple song like "California" and then turning up the volume and getting a little avant-garde with a song like "Harmonium". I made it about a week and half before I bought "Descended Like Vultures". So far, I'm starting to lean towards "Asleep at Heaven's Gate" being the better of the 2, but that might be just due to familiarity. I guess you could say they fit in the same vein as The Shins and Modest Mouse, only not nearly as weird or depressing.
The one thing that Rogue Wave does best is creating melodies that do not leave your brain. I'm sure my office-mates will tell you that they're sick of listening to me walk around humming the chorus to "Like I Needed" over and over and over again. "Ghost" is probably my favorite song at the moment (and yes the chorus is constantly stuck in my head), although it took me several listens and finally a google search to figure out the lyrics. I could not for the life of me figure out if he was saying "Cause its you I wanted" or "It's here if you want it" it's the former not the latter. Is that the ultimate credit to a song's catch-ability? When you are singing along even though you don't entirely understand what is being said?
I also like Rogue Wave because when you can understand the lyrics, they are mostly incredibly positive and upbeat. My itunes was on random the other day and seemed to be picking up only sad songs, so it's nice to inject a little sunshine into it.
Here are some tracks I think you should check out. C'mon! Try something new:
Ghost
Like I Needed
Salesman at the Day of the Parade (it's a great song with a weird name, I promise)
Harmonium
Chicago x 12
Lake Michigan
California
Bird on a Wire
Monday, October 11, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
MuteMath- Armistice
Armistice: (noun) a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties; truce
See! You learn something reading this after all!!
See! You learn something reading this after all!!
I got MuteMath's first self-titled album about a year or so ago for the simple reason that I couldn't get "Typical" out of my head. The album was a mix bag. There were some really really good songs on there, but almost half of the album was instrumentals, and at times it felt like more of a jam session than actual album. All the music was good, it just kind of felt unfinished. So, when I had an itunes card burning a hole in my pocket the other day, I took a chance on their follow up album "Armistice" figuring it would probably be more of the same: 4 or 5 really good songs and then a lot of spaced out jams.
I was pleasantly surprised.
Armistice is really really good. It's got everything I loved about the first album: big guitar hooks, tons of energy, crazy skittering drum beats that defy logic, weird background sounds and good lyrics. But it's toned down a little, there aren't 9 minute instrumental jams between every song. The songs are more structured and fully realized. It's that great moment when you hear a band taking the next step. Going from a band who occasionally writes good songs, to a band that makes great albums. They manage to maintain their experimental side, but hone it in to songs that hold together. It's the thing most jam bands still don't understand: albums have to be made of songs. That 13 minute noise intro is really cool live, but on an album, it sucks.
Instrumentally, MuteMath still defies categorization. (SAT words galore in that last sentence!) Are they a rock band? A techno band? Or some kind of weird alternative hybrid? I'll go with option 3. Now, I'm not a techno guy. I don't like listening to the same beat played over and over and over again for 17 mind numbing minutes, but MuteMath is not a techno band. But they are a band who uses a lot of techno features (synthesizers, sound effects, lightning fast drum rhythms) to create a sort of rock music. Their way more U2 than Daft Punk, and you know what? that's a good thing! Because everyone loves U2 and only that weird guy on the 3rd floor who hasn't left his apartment in 10 days likes Daft Punk.
Lyrically, as the title suggests, it's album about conflict, resolution and the lack there of. Songs like "The Nerve", "Clipping" and "Armistice" are about a world where it seems like everyone is at each other's throats. It's about how we put that behind us, or don't. The first step to stopping all of that is an armistice. It's not a solution to all our problems, but it's the first step, a cease fire. (Woah! Got a little deep there! I should probably stick to making fun of techno fans)
My favorite track so far is "Electrify" or at least its the one I can't get out of my head. It's catchy enough to keep you singing along but still features an interesting mix of guitars and synths. "Spotlight" is a close second, with a nice guitar riff and good hook. The band's secret weapon is their drummer. Actually it's not so secret. Most MuteMath songs are based off the drums, it's sort of the defining aspect of their sound. "Goodbye" and "Backfire" are both really good too. Even though there aren't the long extended jams of their previous works, they still mix it up a bit. Notice the middle eastern strings on "Clipping" or the Maroon 5-meets-New-Orleans-jazz horn section on "Armistice". "Lost Year" is a break up piano ballad that, while still a good song, feels incredibly out of place. Overall it's a really solid album and well worth the extra 99 cents on itunes (it's 10.99 instead of the usually 9.99. Why??!!!! It's only 13 songs!).
Enjoy the headache inducing video for "Spotlight" below! More stuff to come, I know I've been slack lately. As always, thanks for reading!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
13.1 Songs for 13.1 Miles
Sorry for the delay, but I was on vacation and then there's this thing called "work" that has been taking up a lot of my time lately. Good stuff is on the way I promise.
You may have detected some mental instability while reading this blog. It's ok, I don't blame you. Especially a couple of weeks ago when my brother-in-law told me he was running a half marathon in October and I agreed to do it with him! (You can read his training blog, it's listed on the blogroll). Now, let's just say that I'm not what you would call an athlete. But I have been making a diligent effort to get into running recently, so it didn't seem that insane at the time. Thanks to my girlfriend's love of biggest loser (which has turned into MY love of the biggest loser), I have been trying to eat healthy as of late, and if Daris can run a full marathon in 4hrs, I can certain run a half marathon. However, as you try to wrap your mind around running 13.1 miles when the longest you've ever run is somewhere around 2... you start to question your own sanity. We're a few weeks in and to finish my 6 mile run today, I needed some help, so I created a playlist to help me through the pain. Thus, I decided to make a 13.1 song list for 13.1 miles.
*Note: This list will include 13 songs and a "cool down song" -the .1 if you will- but in reality, I will probably need over 3 hours of music to get through the race.*
1. The Black Keys- Strange Times: The first mile is all about setting an easy pace and if you follow the drum beat of this song, it will set a nice pace for you. Also, The Black Keys rock and I'm amazed you can make a song this cool with 2 people.
2. Weezer- Getchoo: During my last foray into running (which I think was 2005) I fell in love running to the darkhorse contender for Weezer's best album: Pinkerton. Lots of loud screeching guitars, angsty lyrics, just what you need to really get going. This is a good rocker to keep your pace up.
3. Kanye West- Champion: Hey, you're running half a marathon. You ARE a champion. It's all about confidence and Kanye has enough confidence for you, me and a stadium full of low self-esteem individuals.
4. The Raconteurs- Salute Your Solution: Take your mind off the pain and focus on trying to figure when Jack White is singing and when Brenden Benson takes over lead vocals. Focus, focus...see? Not as tired as you were. Also, Jack White makes the line "I'm like a trashcan, haulin' all the information" seem badass and logical (it doesn't really make sense when you think about it, but it does in the moment).
5. Jimmy Eat World- Big Casino: Most Jimmy Eat World songs are basically motivational speeches. Even their biggest hit "The Middle" was a sort of "come on kid! you can do it!" type song. It's mile 5, it's time to dig deep and believe in yourself. Come on kid! You can do it!
6. Pearl Jam- Life Wasted: Love love love this one! It's total guitar-riff-grunge-ain't-dead-yet glory! Pearl Jam's self titled album (which came out in 2007) is like a renaissance for the band. It's back to basics in the best way possible. Get all the art-house stuff out of here, just crank up the amps and let it loose. Good lyrics too.
7. Mute Math- Typical: Love running to this one. It's inspiring, the guitar riff is awesome and the pace it sets isn't too fast. There's nothing typical about running 13.1 miles, so it's time to crank that!
8. Jay-Z/Linkin Park- Jigga What/Faint: The best thing Linkin Park has ever done/will ever do is the mash-up album they did with Jay-Z. They mix and match their songs with some of Jay-Z's hits and somehow manage to elevate their music without watering down Jay-Z's (which is quite an achievement). This song mixes hip-hop confidence (essential for mile 8) and heavy metal anger (essential for getting through the pain).
9. Incubus- Light Grenades: Can you run as fast this riff? If so, you were probably born in Kenya. You gotta love running to any song with the line: "Wipe off your face, you've come this far, come on, remember who you are!" Especially at the end when Brandon Boyd screams it. Listen to the song and you'll know what part I'm talking about, it's tough to miss.
10. Old 97's- Time Bomb: If you can't enjoy this song, then your enjoyer is broken. I'm a big fan of how the Old 97's mix country and punk rock. It's a good fast song to help you pick up the pace. It's also the ultimate "This girl is driving me crazy song".
11. Jay-Z and Drake- Off That: I'm a big fan of the Blueprint 3 (more on that later) and I'm a big fan of any song that tells off Rush Limbaugh.
12. Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American: This song is really angry about...something. I don't really understand it. But the chorus "Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt" is appropriate. I don't know about sugar, but there's a ton of my salt and sweat on the asphalt... It's mile freaking 12!!! Time to dig deep!!!!
13. Rage Against the Machine- Sleep Now in the Fire: My legs will be on fire at this point, and I will be having fantasies of sleep. So, it's a fitting end. This is another good running song: good pace, loud, really gets the blood pumping. Al...most...there...
The point 1. "The Theme from Chariots of Fire" It's a classic! Cool down, vomit, drink some water, vomit some more, feel dizzy, call a medic, get hooked up to an IV and know that you have accomplished something great!
Ok, back to training. Next Saturday is 7 miles, so if you see a guy out running, who is sweating like a madman, and who's face is an unhealthy shade of red, just know I've got my headphones in and can't hear you honking at me.
You may have detected some mental instability while reading this blog. It's ok, I don't blame you. Especially a couple of weeks ago when my brother-in-law told me he was running a half marathon in October and I agreed to do it with him! (You can read his training blog, it's listed on the blogroll). Now, let's just say that I'm not what you would call an athlete. But I have been making a diligent effort to get into running recently, so it didn't seem that insane at the time. Thanks to my girlfriend's love of biggest loser (which has turned into MY love of the biggest loser), I have been trying to eat healthy as of late, and if Daris can run a full marathon in 4hrs, I can certain run a half marathon. However, as you try to wrap your mind around running 13.1 miles when the longest you've ever run is somewhere around 2... you start to question your own sanity. We're a few weeks in and to finish my 6 mile run today, I needed some help, so I created a playlist to help me through the pain. Thus, I decided to make a 13.1 song list for 13.1 miles.
*Note: This list will include 13 songs and a "cool down song" -the .1 if you will- but in reality, I will probably need over 3 hours of music to get through the race.*
1. The Black Keys- Strange Times: The first mile is all about setting an easy pace and if you follow the drum beat of this song, it will set a nice pace for you. Also, The Black Keys rock and I'm amazed you can make a song this cool with 2 people.
2. Weezer- Getchoo: During my last foray into running (which I think was 2005) I fell in love running to the darkhorse contender for Weezer's best album: Pinkerton. Lots of loud screeching guitars, angsty lyrics, just what you need to really get going. This is a good rocker to keep your pace up.
3. Kanye West- Champion: Hey, you're running half a marathon. You ARE a champion. It's all about confidence and Kanye has enough confidence for you, me and a stadium full of low self-esteem individuals.
4. The Raconteurs- Salute Your Solution: Take your mind off the pain and focus on trying to figure when Jack White is singing and when Brenden Benson takes over lead vocals. Focus, focus...see? Not as tired as you were. Also, Jack White makes the line "I'm like a trashcan, haulin' all the information" seem badass and logical (it doesn't really make sense when you think about it, but it does in the moment).
5. Jimmy Eat World- Big Casino: Most Jimmy Eat World songs are basically motivational speeches. Even their biggest hit "The Middle" was a sort of "come on kid! you can do it!" type song. It's mile 5, it's time to dig deep and believe in yourself. Come on kid! You can do it!
6. Pearl Jam- Life Wasted: Love love love this one! It's total guitar-riff-grunge-ain't-dead-yet glory! Pearl Jam's self titled album (which came out in 2007) is like a renaissance for the band. It's back to basics in the best way possible. Get all the art-house stuff out of here, just crank up the amps and let it loose. Good lyrics too.
7. Mute Math- Typical: Love running to this one. It's inspiring, the guitar riff is awesome and the pace it sets isn't too fast. There's nothing typical about running 13.1 miles, so it's time to crank that!
8. Jay-Z/Linkin Park- Jigga What/Faint: The best thing Linkin Park has ever done/will ever do is the mash-up album they did with Jay-Z. They mix and match their songs with some of Jay-Z's hits and somehow manage to elevate their music without watering down Jay-Z's (which is quite an achievement). This song mixes hip-hop confidence (essential for mile 8) and heavy metal anger (essential for getting through the pain).
9. Incubus- Light Grenades: Can you run as fast this riff? If so, you were probably born in Kenya. You gotta love running to any song with the line: "Wipe off your face, you've come this far, come on, remember who you are!" Especially at the end when Brandon Boyd screams it. Listen to the song and you'll know what part I'm talking about, it's tough to miss.
10. Old 97's- Time Bomb: If you can't enjoy this song, then your enjoyer is broken. I'm a big fan of how the Old 97's mix country and punk rock. It's a good fast song to help you pick up the pace. It's also the ultimate "This girl is driving me crazy song".
11. Jay-Z and Drake- Off That: I'm a big fan of the Blueprint 3 (more on that later) and I'm a big fan of any song that tells off Rush Limbaugh.
12. Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American: This song is really angry about...something. I don't really understand it. But the chorus "Salt, sweat, sugar on the asphalt" is appropriate. I don't know about sugar, but there's a ton of my salt and sweat on the asphalt... It's mile freaking 12!!! Time to dig deep!!!!
13. Rage Against the Machine- Sleep Now in the Fire: My legs will be on fire at this point, and I will be having fantasies of sleep. So, it's a fitting end. This is another good running song: good pace, loud, really gets the blood pumping. Al...most...there...
The point 1. "The Theme from Chariots of Fire" It's a classic! Cool down, vomit, drink some water, vomit some more, feel dizzy, call a medic, get hooked up to an IV and know that you have accomplished something great!
Ok, back to training. Next Saturday is 7 miles, so if you see a guy out running, who is sweating like a madman, and who's face is an unhealthy shade of red, just know I've got my headphones in and can't hear you honking at me.
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Black Keys- Brothers
It was love at first guitar riff when I listened to "Attack and Release" the last Black Keys album. Dan Auerbach's guitar is dirty-retro-blues-rock at it's best. He's all about big hollow body guitars and overdriven tube amps, it was great stuff. Patrick Carney is also a fantastic drummer. His beats are more difficult than they originally appear and he plays with a lot of power (all the best drummers do) without being show-y. "Attack and Release" is a great album and probably the band's best, so I was pumped when I got their newest album "Brothers".
*Side note- Is there a better name for an album by a 2-man band than "Brothers"? It tells you everything you need to know about these guys. This is just 2 best friends making music*
I was a little disappointed initially with "Brothers". Where were all the rockers? Where were those big guitar riffs? There wasn't a song as strong as "I Got Mine" (just a full on blast of guitar and drums; they do more with 2 instruments than most band's do with 5) and most of the songs were more R&B than Rock n Roll. I wasn't very happy, especially since I thought the Keys were on the verge of becoming a new favorite of mine.
But, I thought, give it another spin, hang in there with it. I think a lot of the time, when an album is so different from what you were expecting, you need to listen to it a few times. Stop expecting it to be something it isn't and listen to it for what it is. So I did that, and there are some really good songs on here. Arguably the two strongest songs both feature Dan Auerbach doing some falsetto singing (which is an odd thing for a guy who sounds like Kermit the frog doing BB King) "Everlasting Light" and "The Only One" are both as good as anything The Keys have done.
While nothing rocks as hard as "Attack and Release" "Next Girl" and "Tighten Up" are both standouts as well. Both are becoming favorites of mine. "Next Girl" has this weird fuzzy guitar sound that's really cool and "Tighten Up" is suprisingly catchy. Plus, I'm a big fan of any song that opens with whistling. "She's Long Gone" is probably the album's biggest rocker and another really good song.
I'm still not a big fan "Howlin' for You" and "10 Cent Pistol" is a little too dark for me. But still, there's some really good stuff here. It's not as solid over all as "Attack and Release" but still has good songs. Carney's drums really steal the show on most of the album.
I guess the moral here is not to jump to conclusions. A band can surprise you, and just because an album is softer than you had originally hoped for, you should still stick with it and give it a fair chance.
Hey look! I learned how to put in a video! Wow I hope I did this right.
*Side note- Is there a better name for an album by a 2-man band than "Brothers"? It tells you everything you need to know about these guys. This is just 2 best friends making music*
I was a little disappointed initially with "Brothers". Where were all the rockers? Where were those big guitar riffs? There wasn't a song as strong as "I Got Mine" (just a full on blast of guitar and drums; they do more with 2 instruments than most band's do with 5) and most of the songs were more R&B than Rock n Roll. I wasn't very happy, especially since I thought the Keys were on the verge of becoming a new favorite of mine.
But, I thought, give it another spin, hang in there with it. I think a lot of the time, when an album is so different from what you were expecting, you need to listen to it a few times. Stop expecting it to be something it isn't and listen to it for what it is. So I did that, and there are some really good songs on here. Arguably the two strongest songs both feature Dan Auerbach doing some falsetto singing (which is an odd thing for a guy who sounds like Kermit the frog doing BB King) "Everlasting Light" and "The Only One" are both as good as anything The Keys have done.
While nothing rocks as hard as "Attack and Release" "Next Girl" and "Tighten Up" are both standouts as well. Both are becoming favorites of mine. "Next Girl" has this weird fuzzy guitar sound that's really cool and "Tighten Up" is suprisingly catchy. Plus, I'm a big fan of any song that opens with whistling. "She's Long Gone" is probably the album's biggest rocker and another really good song.
I'm still not a big fan "Howlin' for You" and "10 Cent Pistol" is a little too dark for me. But still, there's some really good stuff here. It's not as solid over all as "Attack and Release" but still has good songs. Carney's drums really steal the show on most of the album.
I guess the moral here is not to jump to conclusions. A band can surprise you, and just because an album is softer than you had originally hoped for, you should still stick with it and give it a fair chance.
Hey look! I learned how to put in a video! Wow I hope I did this right.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Ryan Adams : Ron Artest
In the wake of the NBA draft, and the Hawks doing all they can to destroy the franchise, let's compare and contrast the NBA's bad boy with one of my favorite musicians.
Way back in I don't remember, Ryan Adams was doing an unplugged concert in a small club. There was a drunk guy in the audience who kept screaming for him to play "Summer of 69". He thought this was funny because it's a Brian Adams song, and Brian sounds a lot like Ryan. Ryan got so mad that he eventually kicked the guy in the head and jumped off the stage and attacked him. A few years later, Ron Artest got into a fight during an NBA game, and when a drunk fan dumped a drink on him, Artest went into the stands and attacked the guy creating a media firestorm.
There is essentially only one real unbreakable rule for any musician/actor/athlete/performer: Don't attack the audience. Ever. Sounds easy right? These are the people who pay to see you perform, it's essentially career suicide to attack one of them. Yet both of these guys did the same thing, and really if you look into their respective industries, they were probably the guys most likely to commit such crimes.
Ryan Adams is the Ron Artest of singer-songwriters. They are both incredibly talented and incredibly infuriating individuals. Ryan Adams at times, seems bound and determined to wreck his career. After assaulting a concert-goer, Adams told a magazine the inspiration behind his album "Rock N Roll" was "I wanted to get drunk and stoned and play guitar with my band". In an interview with ESPN just last year, Ron Artest admitted that he used to drink Gin before NBA games, and even at halftime. Adams has a history of drug and alcohol abuse (the guy was in a band called Whiskeytown for God's sake!). He told Rolling Stone all about his love of speed balls, booze, cocaine and heroin, then got on his website and said that he was misrepresented and only did speedballs "a few times". (Hate to say it Ryan, but that still counts)
After "Rock N Roll" Adams began working on his follow up "Love is Hell", the label hated it. So Adams' left the label, formed his own, and released the record first as 2 EPs, then as 1 entire album (completely screwing over the people who paid for 2 seprate EPs). In 2005, he released 3 albums in 1 year.
Finally, he seemed to settle down some when he formed his backing band The Cardinals. He told AOL music that he no longer wanted to be "Ryan Adams and The Cardinals" he just wanted to be "The Cardinals". The band helped Ryan put out 4 really strong albums. (If you haven't noticed by now, Ryan could probably put out a new album every week). Between that and his marriage to Mandy Moore (one of the all-time weird marriages) it appeared as though he had settled down. Ryan Adams had found his Lakers, a team willing to put up with his antics and bring out the best in him. Less than a year after the AOL interview, Adams left the band and just finished heavy metal sci-fi concept record that he is only releasing through his website on vinyl. (No, I did not make that up.) These are the highlights of the career of a madman.
Adams carries that same cavalier attitude that Ron Artest brings to the hardwood. He has an air of "I don't care what you think about me" mixed with an attitude of "I don't care what happens to me". He's as likely to be arrested for a DUI as he is to win a grammy (or an NBA title). By the way, the guy writing this, owns 5 Ryan Adams albums. He's as good a songwritter as there is. The music is as undeniably good as Artest's defense on the court. They are so unpredictable, they've entered that weird realm where nothing seems impossible. Admit it, if Ron Artest became the leader of cult and Ryan Adams became an arsonist, you wouldn't really be that shocked. They both have their faults in their prospective areas of expertise: Ryan Adams can write a clunker of a song like no other, and Ron Artest can't shoot a 3 to save his life. But as crazy and infuriating as these two can be, their both really good at what they do, but wildly unpredictable and possibly self destructive. That's not always the best combination, but it sure makes for an interesting story.
Way back in I don't remember, Ryan Adams was doing an unplugged concert in a small club. There was a drunk guy in the audience who kept screaming for him to play "Summer of 69". He thought this was funny because it's a Brian Adams song, and Brian sounds a lot like Ryan. Ryan got so mad that he eventually kicked the guy in the head and jumped off the stage and attacked him. A few years later, Ron Artest got into a fight during an NBA game, and when a drunk fan dumped a drink on him, Artest went into the stands and attacked the guy creating a media firestorm.
There is essentially only one real unbreakable rule for any musician/actor/athlete/performer: Don't attack the audience. Ever. Sounds easy right? These are the people who pay to see you perform, it's essentially career suicide to attack one of them. Yet both of these guys did the same thing, and really if you look into their respective industries, they were probably the guys most likely to commit such crimes.
Ryan Adams is the Ron Artest of singer-songwriters. They are both incredibly talented and incredibly infuriating individuals. Ryan Adams at times, seems bound and determined to wreck his career. After assaulting a concert-goer, Adams told a magazine the inspiration behind his album "Rock N Roll" was "I wanted to get drunk and stoned and play guitar with my band". In an interview with ESPN just last year, Ron Artest admitted that he used to drink Gin before NBA games, and even at halftime. Adams has a history of drug and alcohol abuse (the guy was in a band called Whiskeytown for God's sake!). He told Rolling Stone all about his love of speed balls, booze, cocaine and heroin, then got on his website and said that he was misrepresented and only did speedballs "a few times". (Hate to say it Ryan, but that still counts)
After "Rock N Roll" Adams began working on his follow up "Love is Hell", the label hated it. So Adams' left the label, formed his own, and released the record first as 2 EPs, then as 1 entire album (completely screwing over the people who paid for 2 seprate EPs). In 2005, he released 3 albums in 1 year.
Finally, he seemed to settle down some when he formed his backing band The Cardinals. He told AOL music that he no longer wanted to be "Ryan Adams and The Cardinals" he just wanted to be "The Cardinals". The band helped Ryan put out 4 really strong albums. (If you haven't noticed by now, Ryan could probably put out a new album every week). Between that and his marriage to Mandy Moore (one of the all-time weird marriages) it appeared as though he had settled down. Ryan Adams had found his Lakers, a team willing to put up with his antics and bring out the best in him. Less than a year after the AOL interview, Adams left the band and just finished heavy metal sci-fi concept record that he is only releasing through his website on vinyl. (No, I did not make that up.) These are the highlights of the career of a madman.
Adams carries that same cavalier attitude that Ron Artest brings to the hardwood. He has an air of "I don't care what you think about me" mixed with an attitude of "I don't care what happens to me". He's as likely to be arrested for a DUI as he is to win a grammy (or an NBA title). By the way, the guy writing this, owns 5 Ryan Adams albums. He's as good a songwritter as there is. The music is as undeniably good as Artest's defense on the court. They are so unpredictable, they've entered that weird realm where nothing seems impossible. Admit it, if Ron Artest became the leader of cult and Ryan Adams became an arsonist, you wouldn't really be that shocked. They both have their faults in their prospective areas of expertise: Ryan Adams can write a clunker of a song like no other, and Ron Artest can't shoot a 3 to save his life. But as crazy and infuriating as these two can be, their both really good at what they do, but wildly unpredictable and possibly self destructive. That's not always the best combination, but it sure makes for an interesting story.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Random Thoughts
As you can probably tell, I'm a guy with a lot of opinions and thoughts. Some of those opinions and thoughts are long and detailed and require lots of fleshing out in long and rambling blogs. Some are passing observations that are barely long enough to be considered a text message. As such, I have decided to occassionally throw in a Random Thoughts blog, wherein I will string together lots of little thoughts and save myself from having to sit down and really think about things. It's like a twitter page for a guy who's scared to death of twitter. So, without further ado, here we go:
That's all for now. Thanks for reading!
- It's taken awhile but I really like that Broken Bells song "The High Road". It's a cool combination of techno style mash-up melody and folk song. Kind of makes me want to check out more of their stuff.
- Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend" is just a great song. It's ridiculously catchy and endlessly enjoyable.
- Even though it drives me nuts to hear their songs played over and over and over again until I hear them in my dreams; the Black Eyed Peas are probably the most popular hit-making group of the last 5-10 years. Ever since "Let's Get it Started" they really haven't missed. That's an impressive feat when you consider that pop music has become more and more dependent on one hit wonders.
- Snow Patrol is a band that has gotten progressively worse with every single they release. "Final Straw" was a really good album and "Hands Open" was pretty good but not as good. Ever since then they have gone down hill rapidly. "Just say yes" represents a new low.
- I had a moment in the car the other day when there were only 2 songs on the radio and I had to choose between Taylor Swift and Nine Inch Nails. I chose Taylor Swift (and yes, I know I just announced that to the entire internet). I'm perfectly willing to give up a man card for that. It's a good thing 15 year old me didn't live to see this day.
- Maybe it's just me, but the new U2 album seems to be imitating Coldplay's Viva la Vida. If so, then this may be the first ever case of the old band imitating the new band who got famous from imitating the old band.
- I know as an indie rock fan, I'm supposed to love Jack White's new band The Dead Weather. But I'm just not into it. I get the whole dark-eerie-blues-rock thing, their songs just don't seem that good.
- Only The Avett Brothers could write a song called "Die die die" that you wouldn't mind if your children were listening to.
- If I was in a 1940s blues bar in the Mississippi delta and the Black Keys were playing. The only thing that would seem out of place is that the band is made up of 2 white dude from Ohio. Their music is perfect for that specific setting
That's all for now. Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Why I Hate KISS and You Should Too!
As KISS prepared to release their live album "Alive", they noticed something troubling: they didn't sound very good live, in fact, they were pretty bad. On the album, you couldn't see their out of this world show, you could only hear the music, and the music wasn't very good. It was really just a poor performance. So much so that the band went into the studio and re-recorded parts of the album. No other band in history has ever doctored a live record (or at least admitted to it). A live show is the truest representation of a band's skill. It's the litmus test, and KISS did not pass it. And that, in a nutshell is my problem with KISS.
Strip away the pomp and circumstance, the facepaint and the fireworks and there's nothing really there. They are the perfect example of style over substance. That "substance" is the music, the thing that's supposed to be the most important aspect of a band. Even their biggest hit "Rock N' Roll All Night", is just what it says, a bland song about wanting to Rock N Roll all night, and party every day. It doesn't get any deeper than party songs with KISS, and their party songs aren't that good. There's no monster guitar riff, no big solo, nothing musically interesting. Just bland music about partying and how cool it is. (By the way, if you can name another KISS song, I'll be impressed. They are really just a 1 hit wonder. Oh, and if you try to say "Dr. Love" you have to be able to prove to me that you knew that song before the Dr. Pepper commercial)
Now, there's nothing wrong with party music. Jazz, is mostly party music, but jazz is interesting. It takes talent to play jazz, a lot of talent actually. But when you listen to KISS, there's nothing interesting or different about the music. It's really bland rock music. It doesn't stand out in any way. The guitar work is average, the hooks are decent at best, and there's nothing innovative or interesting about it. Sure they look weird, and a lot of stuff blows up when they're on stage, and their light shows are the stuff of legends, but there's nothing to the music. The music HAS to be the most important part of any great band. There's nothing wrong with style, style is good, Van Halen has style for days, but they have the music to back it up. Showmanship and being able to own a stage are great qualities, but they don't make a band. The music does.
Now, there are tons of marginally talented bands out there, so how has KISS managed to elevate themselves to the status of "Rock Gods"? Because they have marketed themselves that way. They act the part: they drive big cars, live the lifestyle and put on the biggest concert show you've ever seen, all in an attempt to hide the fact that they just aren't that good. If I were to ask you what is the one thing that KISS does as well or better than any other band, if you really thought about it you would answer: marketing. Seriously?? This is a rock band, and the thing that sets them apart from everyone else is marketing?! But you have to give them credit, their name, face and likeness is on more crap than any other band in history. They've made movies, cartoons, lunch boxes, action figures and just about everything else under the sun. Everything they do, from the facepaint to Gene Simmons' tongue is done so that you will remember them. And again, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but when there's no music to back it up, now you've got a problem. Heck, their most "artistic" achievement is making a music video without the facepaint! That's it.
And it's because they're so memorable, because they put on such a show, that KISS has earned most of their notoriety. Watch or read any list of 100 greatest and KISS will without a doubt have snuck their way onto the list. It's egregious! It's like putting Dontrel Willis on a list of the greatest pitchers of all time because he has that super high leg kick. Or choosing Pepsi ahead of Coke because the label is cooler. At the end of the day, its what's inside that matters, and with KISS, there's nothing inside.
That's thing I can't stand about this band: style trumps talent. Its the thought that if there are enough bright lights and explosions, I'll forget that the music sucks. It's why I change the station every time their song comes on, why I almost throw things at the TV when VH1 puts them in a 100 Greatest category. There is no substance, no talent, no originality or skill, just a couple of hacks in Halloween makeup who missed their calling to become marketing majors. Or, more simply, they are everything that Rock and Roll SHOULDN'T be.
Strip away the pomp and circumstance, the facepaint and the fireworks and there's nothing really there. They are the perfect example of style over substance. That "substance" is the music, the thing that's supposed to be the most important aspect of a band. Even their biggest hit "Rock N' Roll All Night", is just what it says, a bland song about wanting to Rock N Roll all night, and party every day. It doesn't get any deeper than party songs with KISS, and their party songs aren't that good. There's no monster guitar riff, no big solo, nothing musically interesting. Just bland music about partying and how cool it is. (By the way, if you can name another KISS song, I'll be impressed. They are really just a 1 hit wonder. Oh, and if you try to say "Dr. Love" you have to be able to prove to me that you knew that song before the Dr. Pepper commercial)
Now, there's nothing wrong with party music. Jazz, is mostly party music, but jazz is interesting. It takes talent to play jazz, a lot of talent actually. But when you listen to KISS, there's nothing interesting or different about the music. It's really bland rock music. It doesn't stand out in any way. The guitar work is average, the hooks are decent at best, and there's nothing innovative or interesting about it. Sure they look weird, and a lot of stuff blows up when they're on stage, and their light shows are the stuff of legends, but there's nothing to the music. The music HAS to be the most important part of any great band. There's nothing wrong with style, style is good, Van Halen has style for days, but they have the music to back it up. Showmanship and being able to own a stage are great qualities, but they don't make a band. The music does.
Now, there are tons of marginally talented bands out there, so how has KISS managed to elevate themselves to the status of "Rock Gods"? Because they have marketed themselves that way. They act the part: they drive big cars, live the lifestyle and put on the biggest concert show you've ever seen, all in an attempt to hide the fact that they just aren't that good. If I were to ask you what is the one thing that KISS does as well or better than any other band, if you really thought about it you would answer: marketing. Seriously?? This is a rock band, and the thing that sets them apart from everyone else is marketing?! But you have to give them credit, their name, face and likeness is on more crap than any other band in history. They've made movies, cartoons, lunch boxes, action figures and just about everything else under the sun. Everything they do, from the facepaint to Gene Simmons' tongue is done so that you will remember them. And again, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but when there's no music to back it up, now you've got a problem. Heck, their most "artistic" achievement is making a music video without the facepaint! That's it.
And it's because they're so memorable, because they put on such a show, that KISS has earned most of their notoriety. Watch or read any list of 100 greatest and KISS will without a doubt have snuck their way onto the list. It's egregious! It's like putting Dontrel Willis on a list of the greatest pitchers of all time because he has that super high leg kick. Or choosing Pepsi ahead of Coke because the label is cooler. At the end of the day, its what's inside that matters, and with KISS, there's nothing inside.
That's thing I can't stand about this band: style trumps talent. Its the thought that if there are enough bright lights and explosions, I'll forget that the music sucks. It's why I change the station every time their song comes on, why I almost throw things at the TV when VH1 puts them in a 100 Greatest category. There is no substance, no talent, no originality or skill, just a couple of hacks in Halloween makeup who missed their calling to become marketing majors. Or, more simply, they are everything that Rock and Roll SHOULDN'T be.
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