Range Life (Music. The Midwest. More.)

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2009-11-21T19:12:00.001-06:00

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It's Been a While...

2008-08-12T15:33:00.007-05:00

So, it feels a little strange giving my first post in almost a month the same title as a Staind song, but... so it goes. So where have we been, you're probably wondering. Well, like anyone we get caught up in the day-to-day, and though we often talk about resurrecting Range Life, we've been putting it off. (Maybe we've all been doing a little too much of what you see pictured here...)

There's plenty of good music to get caught up on, and recent concerts to ramble on about, and some fabulous pics to share, and so forth. Still, before I do anything I need to rant about some of my most recent obsessions... some new, some old, all awesome.

Cyann & Ben -- Sweet Beliefs (2006)
This one totally fits the bill when it comes to grower albums. I was immediately hooked by "Sunday Morning," so much so that I had difficulty getting into the rest of the album. Now that just sounds like blasphemy. So here's the deal. If you like Blonde Redhead, or Yo La Tengo, or any similar awesomeness, check these guys out. You won't be disappointed.

Apparat -- Walls (2007)
These guys are slick. What else would you expect from a blend of Icelandic pop and electronica? Just give "Arcadia" a listen. Now.

Yo La Tengo -- And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out (2000)
We talk a lot about going through "phases" with bands. Yo La Tengo is a band I've enjoyed for some time now, but I've always preferred their distorted guitars/SY/MBV sound. (Hey, that kinda looks like a personal ad. "Desperately Seeking Kickass Music.") Go to a YLT show, however, and everyone else goes crazy for songs like "Last Days of Disco." (Case in point: my Youtube video for "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House" has 800 more hits than "Blue Line Swinger" and 1700 more hits than "Decora." WTF?) In any event, it's taken me some time to come around to some of these weepier, spoken-word numbers, but you gotta love Ira's candor. And if I start to get too restless, BAM!, out comes "Cherry Chapstick"...

Atlas Sound Vs. Deerhunter (both with 2008 albums)
I've been listening to both of Bradford Cox's new albums like crazy. Now that Deerhunter is starting to sound like Atlas Sound, though, it will be interesting to see if the bands will stay together, or if Bradford will break off and do his own thing, or maybe just form a supergroup? Admittedly I haven't listened to Microcastle as much as Let the Blind Lead... but right now I'd have to say I'm leaning toward the Atlas Sound album as my favorite of the two. (Which surprises and kind of scares me.)

Thanks for dropping by the site. And let us know what you're currently jamming on.

Catching Up: Wakarusa Fest 2008

2008-06-26T13:18:00.007-05:00

So while we haven't been posting much on Range Life, never fear, we're still obsessing over our beloved music (which may be WHY we don't post as much anymore). In any event, I thought I'd drop by and mouth off about some recent happenings.

Wakarusa Fest (June 5-8, 2008)

So this was my first experience with Lawrence's Waka Fest. Let me tell you, it was interesting. Let me also be straight with you. Without drugs, Wakarusa wouldn't be Wakarusa. And after hearing tales of tragedy from two years ago, when the drug dogs busted up the party, I was more than a little scared to see this sign as we approached the fairgrounds: "You Are Nearing a Check Point. Please Have Tickets Ready." Well, that didn't bother me so much as what someone had scrawled underneath: "HIDE DRUGS." And did I ever. (Thank you, Wendy's sack.) My terror only peaked when a hippie type on the side of the road told us not to worry, they were only going to search our trunk (location of Wendy's sack). Nonetheless, we made it into the festival unsearched, unarrested, unscathed. (Besides, I should have remembered that the penalty for MJ possession of in Lawrence has been reduced to a nominal fine.)

Built to Spill sounded amazing even at 4 in the afternoon. Highlights included "Time Trap" (finally! though it sounded a little rough) and "Stab" from There's Nothing Wrong With Love (killer). This set has got me all geared up to see them perform Perfect from Now On in New York this fall. P.S. Check out Doug's crazy hat.

The Flaming Lips were, as always, as high as we were. I take that back, more high than we were. They pulled out the giant ball. They got some crazy girls to dance naked on stage. (Damn you, stupid camera for stealing that golden photo op. And no, I was not one of the crazy girls.) Flaming Lips, if you're out there... Thanks for playing "Vein of Stars." But would it kill you to play something different off Soft Bulletin?

And of course, the reason we got into Waka in the first place... working a beer tent. How fascinating to be on the other side of the impending alcoholism -- to be the pusher, the peddler! What friends I made as I poured them their $5 beers! Then, when the hail came and the festival disbanded, the stragglers ended up huddling under our tent with us, singing "Rock Chalk Jayhawk" and trying to get us to feed them free beers while we all faced certain death. Well, the certain death part might be pushing it a bit, but it makes for a good story.

Finally -- A Tasteful Use of Good Music in Advertising

2008-06-16T12:01:00.002-05:00

See what happens when someone is discerning about when and where to use their songs? Regardless of your feelings about the Grand Theft Auto series, you have to admit this spot was simply tailor-made to showcase this song. Wow.

"Nude" Performed by Technology

2008-06-06T11:00:00.003-05:00

This one's self-explanatory... and awesome. The music starts at 1:10. The full story and a higher quality version of the video can be found here.

Gimme Fiction: Now Not Just the Name of an Incredible Spoon Album

2008-06-02T16:09:00.023-05:00

So a while back I tossed around the idea of putting up another form of music writing on the site. I debated over it, talked it over with Ryan, and ultimately decided, why not? Let's call it an experiment.

Thanks, Josh, for making this graphic it's taken me so long to get around to using.

Enjoy, friends.

....................................................................................................................

Hideaway

By Nicole Pope

They ascended the stairwell he’d only glimpsed through swinging saloon doors all those years. The loft was little larger than his studio apartment. Writing crowded the walls as high as an outstretched arm, or stool, or friendly leg-up could suffice. The multi-apexed ceiling and dim lighting reminded him of the elaborate tents he and his band mates had made as children, just years before they’d started buying this band’s records.

He helped the drunk girl round the corner on her ridiculous wedge heels.

And there they sat like common human beings.

They had spread out the money on ancient twin amps. The expressions on their unshaven faces suggested kidnappers on the wrong side of a foiled ransom collection. In the center of the couch, like the king of thieves, sat their front man. Seeing them he stuffed the crinkled, paperclipped stacks into a bag, knocking half-crushed beer cans in his haste, and smooshed it between the cushions.

His right eye twitched like wings on a preening fly.

“Who are they?”

It made sense he would want to know something about them, as if he already knew this twenty-something in the frayed tweed jacket knew everything about him.

He knew what any real fan would know. The front man was the master-mind of the band: lead singer, guitarist, lyricist. He had a basic American male name nabbed from the Bible or a Beatle. He had been married once in the early ‘90s, which he had spoken about just once in a June ‘92 Spin article, after which he’d stated, “I’ve said what I want to say through my music.” He had never spoken about his bum eye. He had insomnia, which he blamed on constant touring, and when he did sleep he sleepwalked, though he never got far before tripping over a slumbering band mate or bonking his head on the combination microwave/mini stove. He never posed for publicity shots. Promoters were forced to use band photos from fifteen years ago, photos like those squishing in the young man’s pockets as he steadied himself against a pile of dead speakers. It was really him.

“They’re friends,” the drummer lied. He slouched at a lopsided wooden desk posing as their buffet table. “I can make them too, you know.”

His band mates quietly absorbed his petulance, the singer itching at the cap he wore for every show, the one detractors of the band said made him look homeless; his bassist crinkling the mustache he’d worn in the eighties that luckily had become fashionable again. Like aging lions, they were pissy but too tired to attack, tails twitching idly as they eyed their intruders.

Alcohol and a likely sorority background emboldened the drunk girl. She wobbled toward the couch and thrust out a hand marked with a big black X, the flesh still red from all that futile scrubbing. Surely they would remember her from the show even if their drummer hadn’t, the young man thought. The girl whose hairsprayed nest had bobbed wildly as she screamed ironies at her friends like, “Just listen to that subtle guitar work!” The one who’d turned the only song they’d played off their first album into a spoken word piece detailing an inexpensive, low-fat chicken casserole. They would slay her and eviscerate him, the boyfriend who couldn’t keep his dumb drunk girl quiet. Except he wasn’t her boyfriend. He didn’t know her at all.

The band recognized her, all right. To his horror they shook her hand hungrily, like she was the famous one. They thanked her for her energy during the show. Then they invited her to sit. He watched them soak her up: those dull blue eyes, symmetrical face, skin the texture and color of a well-worn drumhead. She was attractive, he supposed, in an obvious way that made her completely unattractive. Still he longed to follow her, delirious for that last spot on the couch, until his fingers became so bathed in sweat he could offer only a feeble wave from across the room. For years he’d dreamt of meeting the band, of telling the singer what their music meant to him, how he’d learned to play guitar because of him and formed a band because of him, and how more than anything he’d made him want to make something beautiful in this ugly world.

“Great show, guys,” was all he could say.

He slumped beside the drummer at the children’s table. His jacket adhered to his chest, suffocating him, like the drunk girl’s coif clinging to his cheek during the show. He could not, would not, remove the jacket and reveal he was wearing the band’s t-shirt. He dug in his pocket for the joint he’d been smoking before the show until that rent-a-cop circled the lot with his accusatory headlights. He knew no better way to relax, or to make friends.

With two fingers he pursed the roach like it was the vermin of the same name and raised it inquiringly. The singer regarded his bassist, his best friend since childhood, identical twin, or lover, depending on which rumor you believed. In the span of that silent second they exchanged two decades’ worth of hard lessons learned.

“Not in here,” the singer said.

“Sorry dude,” his bassist said, as surely as he’d backed him up on stage.

The drunk girl hissed in disapproval.

He couldn’t understand it. He searched the room for confirmation he wasn’t completely out of line. That was when he realized the cans resting in the cooler beside them, lying smashed atop amps, being poured down their throats at that very moment, were non-alcoholic. He returned the dirty, ugly joint to his pocket, being careful not to injure the photos waiting hopefully there, and apologized. It was too late. The singer was glowering at him. The drummer stabbed cheese slices with an intensity that suggested he knew he’d only pretended to own the drunk girl in order to get upstairs. His fear was confirmed when the drummer brought his boot down on his foot like it was one of those old, worn-out drum pedals you really had to punish.

The bassist jolted upright like he was the wounded one.

“Quick snooze,” he said. “Then we gotta ride the dog another fifteen hours.”

They all drooped into their seats like dying party balloons. For a moment they forgot the imposter in exchange for far worse frustrations. There was talk of a haunted light house when they reached the coast, which they wouldn’t have time for, and fresh seafood, which they would make time for. Until then, nothing but cows and windmills and fields.

For some reason he was starting to get defensive.

“Kansas isn’t that bad, is it?” he said. “I mean, we’re not all a bunch of hicks.”

They looked at him with genuine pity.

“Don’t get me started on Western Kansas,” the singer said.

“Hours and hours of nothing but fields,” the bassist said. “No offense.”

The two band members arched their bodies toward one another like mirrored f-holes on a violin, and they were lost to the room.

“Is it corn they have here?”

“Wheat.”

“No, wait. It’s sunflowers.”

“I’m pretty sure sunflowers aren’t…

“Their money crop?”

“Yeah.”

The fluidity of their dialogue, the way they plucked thoughts from each other’s heads, explained how easily they knew which bass line would answer a fledgling melody, which vocals could use the lift of harmony. The display was so impressive he could almost forgive them for using that crucial interplay to trash his home state. The drunk girl was not impressed. Nor was she used to being ignored. She pressed two beer cans to her chest like some sad take on Madonna’s Blonde Ambition tour, as if Madonna weren’t already sad enough.

“Not everything’s flat in Kansas,” she said.

Somehow the singer laughed. So hard he choked on his virgin beer, and his bassist had to whack him on the back. When he recovered he said he was going to start calling her Dorothy. “You can be Toto,” she said. He laughed at that, too, and shook his head like a big dumb dog.

So quickly they clung to clichés. He told the band they needed to visit the local record stores before they left town. And eat at a café on Mass Street. And tour one of the mini art galleries. Lawrence wasn’t like the rest of Kansas, he said. It was a tree city. With culture. A liberal college town.

“Are you a student here?” the singer said.

All eyes targeted him. It was that twitching one he worried about, the one that spasmed a Morse code of displeasure whenever he spoke. The one he could peer into but could never be sure was looking back at him.

“No. I mean, I used to be.”

They did not ask him what he had been doing while he should have been in school. They moved on to the drunk girl, who announced she was majoring in journalism because her teachers had always said she used good adjectives.

“Journ-a-lists,” the singer said.

“May they rotteth in hell,” the bassist said. “No offense.”

They spoke of the last interview they’d given, the last the singer said he would ever give, after which the reporter made it sound like the band blamed its lackluster recent album on their long-time friend and producer. They fell silent then, as if newly stunned by the blasphemy. He watched their expressions sour and decided he couldn’t let the conversation die like that. He had to defend them, even if they wouldn’t do it for themselves.

“I knew you never would have said something like that,” he said.

The singer didn’t want to talk about that anymore. He bashed a crushed can against the table, marking out the staccato clang of his anger, and aimed his fluttering eye like a half-cocked weapon.

“How would you know what I would or would not say?”

No one spoke for a while after that. Soon the silence filled with whispers of the Top 40 filth the venue owner played while he closed up for the night. At last the drummer felt sorry for him and forgave the lie their past hour together had been predicated upon. He offered a swig from the bottle of ’87 bourbon he kept in his bag, and showed him the atlas he used to mark their travels. All their travels since 2001, he explained as the young man already knew, because that was when their old drummer had a baby and a religious experience and quit the band.

“Kansas isn’t so bad,” he said, completing the constellation from Denver to Lawrence with green highlighter. “I lived in Seattle for years. You have to tour constantly to afford to live there. Of course, when you’re touring you never live anywhere.”

He sensed the drummer was trying to explain something to him. He didn’t want to hear it.

Across the room the singer and his bassist questioned the drunk girl about her thoughts on the media bias. She kept saying “cover age” instead of “coverage.” He wasn’t sure the booze was to blame. While she and the drummer babbled on he closed his eyes and breathed in the wooden rafters above. They seemed to hold the smell of the stage below, of cigarettes and sweat and spotlights so hot they sometimes caught fire. He studied the walls and tried to separate the maxims of musicians from the ramblings of wasted groupies. Above the veggie tray a Spoon quote shone through the tangled mess: “How come I feel so washed up at such a tender age?” Beside it, some sort of retort: “Stay off the sausage.”

Within minutes the drunk girl was passed out on the couch. The bassist might have been asleep, too, though it was hard to tell under those big sunglasses. Stealthily the singer swiped the beer at the girl’s feet. He squirreled it away under his unbuttoned shirt sleeve, obscuring its telltale label, while he guzzled with the voracity and endurance of a master. It worked magic on him. He started chattering about other bands that were touring at the time, and how they all plagiarized Sonic Youth and each other, and how one band, he wouldn’t say which, had made a smart comment to him about fan loyalty that turned into a fight. He chanted a tribal dirge completely uncharacteristic of the band’s style and drummed on the side of the broken amp. To conclude his set he tossed the pen serving as his drumstick into the air. He watched it spiral toward the floor before rescuing it at the last moment.

Perhaps tiring of these antics, the bassist who was very much awake rose to leave. He paused at the top of the stairs and pointed a long, bony finger, the one he sometimes used to dedicate an upcoming solo. “You want me to clear them out?” he said. The singer looked at the girl lightly snoring beside him and, across the room, at his drummer, who’d dozed after first returning the bourbon to his tightly zippered bag. His gaze settled on the young man sitting beside his band mate at the buffet table.

“Leave them,” he said.

After he’d gone the singer began clawing at his cap as if plagued by some invisible pest. With a frustrated shriek he flung his cap on the amps amongst the crushed cans. The young man fought the urge to stare. It was not the singer’s motivations for tossing the cap that bewildered him, but what lay exposed after that simple act. Long gone were the locks that had shielded the singer’s face during those first years on stage, during that first time he’d seen them play, when he’d had to peek between the thick strands, like a peeping tom parting the blinds, to see what mysteries lay there. They’d grown up together in the eighteen years the band had toured the world. Now his idol was an old man.

Watching the singer smooth those willowy wisps he wondered why he hadn’t simply done away with it all like Frank Black. Michael Stipe. Billy Corgan. Perhaps foolish optimism had kept him from wielding the razor. Perhaps pride. When the singer seemed satisfied he’d tamed the mad scientist look he leaned forward and said, “So let me guess. You’re in a band.”

He felt out the statement’s jagged edges and kept quiet.

“What’s the line?” the singer said. “The song might be before your time. It goes, ‘What the world needs now is another folk singer like I need a hole in my head.’”

With those words something boiled over within him.

“We’re not a folk band,” he said. “And I hate that song.”

The singer smiled. “Me too.” He consulted an imaginary watch. He nodded to himself and stood abruptly, as if he’d just come to understand something. As if he knew this kid was waiting for him to say something more, something different, and he just wanted to climb in his van to wait out the night alone. The young man sprung from his chair. Despite his every instinct the photos burned in his pockets, urging him. His mouth opened and the words of a self-doubting school boy tumbled out.

“Do you happen to have a writing utensil?”

Shifting like he’d stepped on something sticky, the singer fished in his pocket for the pen they both knew he had. As the young man accepted it, their fingers nearly touching, he imagined the pen being used not only for impromptu drum solos, but to sign meal receipts. To fill out crosswords with confidence. Maybe even to sculpt the lyrics he would someday use to coax a woman into bed. No sooner had he summoned the courage to ask his next question, the real question, when he saw something that dissolved that impossible request on his tongue.

A subtle but unmistakable smirk was crossing the singer’s lips. A smirk that said, I’ve known what you’ve wanted ever since you slunk into our hideaway. You want me to bleed myself for you. And you made me provide my own dagger. All the young man could see was that smirk, and then, backing away, that torturous eye. So close, so far from the allure of the stage, it looked less magical and more what is was, medical oddity.

He mounted the chair beside the sleeping drummer. On tiptoes he reached a spot just big enough for the signature he’d practiced hundreds of times while listening to this band’s records. His own. When he climbed down the singer pointed to the drunk girl. Her teased bangs rose and fell with her breathing. Her unhinged mouth resembled that of a dead fish. She wouldn’t remember anything that happened that night.

“Will you take care of Dorothy for me?” the singer said.

His eyes were old and worried, like a father’s, even though the young man knew he wasn’t one. They left the drummer in the metal folding chair clutching his bag. “Serves him right for not sharing,” the singer said. Together they walked the drunk girl downstairs with her arms looped round their necks. He carried the heels that thumped along the stairwell, the singer his wimpy money bag. That sticky-sweaty hair smothered them both. When they reached his car the singer slipped something into his pocket. He patted it, cold and hard, against his chest. The pen. Then the singer saluted and, straightening his cap, stumbled toward his trailer.

And it was just him and the girl outside in the breezy night smelling of fermented wheat. She was awake and so much different now, but no less drunk. He piled her into his car. She didn’t know where she lived, so he drove in blind loops until she looked like she was about to pass out from all that booze and the joint they were smoking. He drove past the venue to see if her friends had come back for her. But Mass Street was as dark and quiet as its storefronts. So he pulled over so he could have sex with her in the parking lot behind the venue, the lights out, the lot empty with the exception of the sleeping tour bus, everything silent save the sound of his old car panting, gasping for air.

Roadtrippin at the Gates of Gasoline Hell

2008-06-02T14:59:00.002-05:00

So, ACL is releasing its festival schedule tomorrow, and I'm hoping the stars don't align. Why? Well, now that gas is threatening to cross that $4 threshold, can we just imagine what that 700-mile journey would cost (not including hotel and ticket prices)? What used to be a matter of hopping in the car and trekking across the country may now be a virtual impossibility for us music lovin' cool kids.

I know, it's so uncool to complain about gas prices. We're all getting nickled and dimed and dollared to death. I'm just afraid the roadtrippin' pastime might become a passed time, you know?

Really this is the only pump I feel like pulling up to these days.

New Sigur Ros Album Due Out June 24 (Updated at 2 PM by Sonic Ryan)

2008-05-27T11:10:00.011-05:00

...which means it should be available on your favorite bit torrent site any day now! Let's hope the new album is as balls-out (literally) as this album art.

And did I mention there will be one track sung in English? Does anyone else worry it might suck? Or maybe, it just will sound exactly the same? (Maybe the lyrics will be, "I saw you... I saw you... I saw you...")

Now I must return to ransacking my house for the SR tickets I held in my beloved hands for one day before losing them. If any Olathe garbage collectors happen upon them, I will reward you handsomely for their safe return. Perhaps you can be my date?

UPDATE:
Head over to Sigur Rós' website to snag a high quality mp3 of the album's first single, "Gobbledigook." While you're there, watch the balls out video for the song, unless you're at work, then you may want to wait until you get home. No, Femme, it doesn't suck, nor does it sound like Sigur Rós as we've come to know and love them. If anything, it sounds like Sigur Rós just picked up a copy of Sung Tongs and decided to have some fun with acoustic guitars. Is this their freak-folk record? Find out on June 24, when the album hits stores in North America. Or, pre-order the album from their website starting on June 2, and get access to an mp3 download a week early. Let's not forget Sigur Rós are playing at the Uptown Theater on June 12. Tickets are still available, and you'd be crazy not to pick one up if you haven't already.

Sonic Youth, What Are You Thinking?

2008-05-26T13:54:00.002-05:00

So I must be living under a rock or something (it's called Olathe, Kansas), but somehow I missed that Starbucks is putting together a SY compilation. Apparently all of the tracks have been chosen from famous SY fans, everyone from actors like Chloe Sevigny and David Cross to fellow music masterminds Radiohead and the Flaming Lips.

OK, sounds cool.

But why oh why does it have to be compiled by Starbucks????

Anyway, the track list for the thing is after the jump. Did anyone else wish Radiohead would have been a little riskier with their choice? I do have to give props to Dave Eggers and Mike Watt, though. And, uh, Flea.

01 Bull in the Heather [selected by Catherine Keener]
02 Sugar Kane [selected by Beck]
03 100% [selected by Mike D]
04 Kool Thing [selected by Radiohead]
05 Disappearer [selected by Portia de Rossi]
06 Stones [selected by Allison Anders]
07 Tuff Gnarl [selected by Dave Eggers and Mike Watt]
08 Teenage Riot [selected Eddie Vedder]
09 Shadow of a Doubt [selected by Michelle Williams]
10 Rain on Tin [selected by Flea]
11 Tom Violence [selected by Gus Van Sant]
12 Mary-Christ [selected by David Cross]
13 World Looks Red [selected by Chloë Sevigny]
14 Expressway to Yr Skull [selected by the Flaming Lips]
15 Slow Revolution [exclusive]

Liars Photos

2008-05-19T10:38:00.006-05:00

I intended to put up a couple Liars photos with my Radiohead post, but I was too busy paying homage to Thom Yorke to remember. Nonetheless, regardless of what your feelings about Liars are, the dudes put on a pretty deadly show. Frontman Angus Andrew is a sight to behold.

So behold.

Radiohead - St. Louis - 5/14/08

2008-05-16T14:22:00.019-05:00

All I Need
Jigsaw Falling Into Place
Airbag
15 Step
Nude
Kid A
Weird Fishes
The Gloaming
You & Whose Army?
Idioteque
Faust Arp
Videotape
Everything in Its Right Place
Reckoner
Optimistic
Bangers & Mash
Bodysnatchers
....................
Exit Music (for a Film)
Myxamatosis
My Iron Lung
There There
Fake Plastic Trees
....................
Pyramid Song
House of Cards
Paranoid Android

Have You Heard? Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours

2008-05-16T13:57:00.006-05:00

Obsessions come and go in the world of Femme Fatale. Currently I'm obsessed with Cut Copy's '80s homage, In Ghost Colours. Think New Wave and Post-Punk. Think Disco and Dance Party. Think The Rapture done up in polka dots. Through all this, there’s even a track that evokes Fleetwood Mac (“Strangers in the Wind”). It might sound like the album would be all over the place, but somehow this Australian trio makes it work.

If you're like me and ready for a new dance album, this is the one.

Dare I say they'll Cut Copy and Paste themselves into your heart? Yes, I so totally said that.

Sleeveface: Kinda Lame, Kinda Lovely

2008-05-12T17:33:00.004-05:00

I've been meaning to do something about this strange trend for some time now. Sure, it's kinda lame, but does anyone else think it's also kinda cool?

Please Read Me.

Harken, Fellow Artists/Musicians/NMH Fans!

2008-05-12T17:11:00.005-05:00

During my tutoring-turned-babysitting session this afternoon, I finally got around to reading the book that's been chilling in my bathroom for a few months now, Kim Cooper's addition to the 33 1/3 Series, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

First off, let me just say this book will make you want to turn off that tv, quit your job, move far far away, and live in someone's walk-in-closet. Oh, and make some badass music.

I'd like to share a quote from bassist/saw player Julian Koster that finishes out Cooper's homage. For some reason it gave me chills... and you'll see what I mean about getting out there and making our own little contributions to the world.

I think what Elephant 6 meant for us is very simple: there's something pure and infinite in you, that wants to come out of you, and can come out of no other person on the planet. That's what you've got to share, and that's as real and important as the fact that you're alive. We [the Elephant 6 members] were able, at a really young age, to somehow protect each other so we could feel that. The world at large, careerism, money, magazines, your parents, the people at the rock club in your town, other kids, nothing is going to give you that message, necessarily. In fact, most things are going to lead you away from it, sadly, because humanity is really confused at the moment. But you wouldn't exist if the universe didn't need you. And any time I encounter something beautiful that came out of a human somewhere, that's them, that's their own soul. That's just pure, whatever its physicality is, if the person can play piano, if they can't play piano, if they're tone deaf, whatever it is, if it's pure, it hits you like a sledgehammer. It fills up your own soul, it makes you want to cry, it makes you glad you're alive, it lets you come out of you. And that's what we need: we desperately need you.

Random Shit

2008-05-08T18:20:00.002-05:00

Do you ever get stuck on a song? Just one song, nothing else. I'm experiencing that right now.

What's really strange about this is I don't really even like Wolf Parade that much, but this song is excellent.

Concert Announcement: My Morning Jacket

2008-05-08T14:51:00.003-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for an evening with My Morning Jacket? (First it was an evening with Sigur Ros, is this a new trend?) Well, ready or not, here they come, on August 18 at The Uptown Theater in Kansas City. I hear these guys pretty good in concert, so maybe you should check it out. As of right now, ticket information is unknown, but so keep your eyes peeled to My Morning Jacket or the ticketbastard web site for any further information.

If you just can't wait to get your live My Morning Jacket fix, you can catch the guys this weekend on Saturday Night Live. They'll probably play something off their upcoming album, Evil Urges, which is out on June 10.

Recent Concerts in Review

2008-05-06T17:01:00.008-05:00

So this time of year always means a plethora of shows. A veritable cornicopia, if you will. Then it's summer, and when we have the most time to go to shows that's when, of course, they die down.

For now while I count down to Radiohead next week, I thought I'd share some thoughts from my recent long week of shows.

Tuesday, 4/29 -- Tim & Eric Awesome Tour -- The Bottleneck: Lawrence, KS
I'd been eagerly awaiting this one for awhile. Apparently so was half of Lawrence, as I had quite the time making my way to the stage. Eventually I nabbed a spot toward the front but on the side, which meant I could watch T&E cavort about in pizza boy uniforms, but I wasn't able to see much of the projection screen behind them -- which, by the way, was previewing much of Season Three. What I could piece together from behind those giant speakers sounded pretty cool, though. And where else can you get beer, pizza, hot dogs, and spit tossed on you mid-concert? OK, at least that sort of thing doesn't really happen at the sort of shows I go to (insert snob voice here). Seeing Uncle Casey perform live was my absolute highlight. Now, where's my chippy...?

Tuesday, 4/30 -- Caribou/Fuck Buttons -- The Record Bar: KC, MO
Ever since Caribou drummed their way into our hearts last October, we've been itching to see them again. Not to mention they were joined by up-and-comers Fuck Buttons, a band with an album that's almost as kickass as their name. I've got to be honest, I was really looking forward to see FB after I got a hold of their album... that morning. (I know, I'm lame. But man it blew me away.) The Record Bar crowd seemed equally eager for some NOISE, as it was one of those times when everyone inches closer and closer toward the stage until someone moves too quickly and then everyone rushes to the front in a frenzy. Seriously, the crowd filled in in record time.

Bandmates Andrew Hung and Benjamin John Power had quite the setup: audio equipment inside a velvet-lined suitcase, tiny keyboards in descending size like those little Russian nesting dolls, a Little Tykes mike and keyboard set. I'll never forget Power screaming into the mike that he clenched with his teeth so his hands were free to (fuck) button mash, or when Hung came into the crowd to dance all tribal-like to their most Animal-Collective fare. At one point the noise nearly killed my already infected middle ear -- you know you're in trouble when the band members suddenly bust out ear plugs -- and I guess you could say they pushed my fuck button. Over and over and over again.

So, while I was in pain for Caribou, I would say they made for a nice follow-up. Dan Snaith and friends brought a decidedly more rockin' sound to match their openers. Oh, how I love me some 60s pop psychedelia! I have to admit, though I have Andorra and Up in Flames, I was still unfamiliar with many of the songs. Oh, they did play "She's the One" though. Gotta love that song.

Tuesday, 5/1 -- Destroyer -- The Record Bar: KC, MO

So, about not knowing all the songs, well make that ditto for the Destroyer show. Thursday night made for Dan #2 of the week. This was my first time seeing my favorite part of the New Pornographers gone solo... and he didn't disappoint. Sure, I would have liked to hear more from Destroyer's Rubies or even the new album, but I have to admire a guy who'll play a set of mostly older tunes. And those encores songs, whatever they were, WOW. If anyone knows what album those are from, you know where to find me. Oh and Dan, keep playing songs with my name in them. Pretty please.

Album Review: Portishead - Third

2008-05-02T12:08:00.003-05:00

Portishead's first album in ten years has been in my possession for some time now, but it was only until recent weeks that I truly began to appreciate it. Who could have guessed the trip-hop trio would turn all ROCK on us?

So I might as well admit I've been cheating. I know what you're thinking. So that's why she doesn't feel like putting out for Range Life anymore. Well, stay tuned. Summer beckons, and with it, much time to wax poetic/nostalgic/nerd-like.

Bop on over here and read my thoughts on Third.

BTW, Buzzine doesn't score their albums, but I would have given it an 84%. Just read the review!

Holy Merciful Happiness: What are you doing June 12?

2008-04-30T16:21:00.002-05:00

You better be going to see Sigur Ros. That's right. According to the band's Myspace, they will be playing KC's Uptown Theatre Thursday, July 12.

And I'm a bucket of gleeful goo...

Thanks for the heads up, Miss Mandy. If I can do anything to brighten your Wednesday in return...

Random Shit

2008-04-29T15:07:00.010-05:00

News flash: The blog has been neglected. Then again, I never pretended to be a good parent. Devotees will probably remember that we went through a lull at this same time last year, and picked up nicely in the summer, and with any luck the same will happen this year. Just bare with us a few more weeks while we finish school, please. Until then, expect the sporadic posts to be light and fluffy, and hopefully wildly entertaining. Unless they're not like today's post, which is very lengthy and boring. Just kidding, or am I?

For today's post, I'm just going to go stream of consciousness on your ass and blog about whatever the fuck sounds good. This blog used to be called Midwest Music and More, after all, so file this under the "More" section if it helps. And yes, I do talk about Dexter.

School sucks. No, not really. There's nothing wrong with getting an education. Well, that's not true either. Okay, third time's a charm. School is time consuming, expensive, and sometimes boring, but on the whole, learning is awesome. I'm especially fond of my Literature of Science Fiction class. Its pretty much what you might expect, we read Science Fiction short stories on our own time and geek out about them in class. I'm really quite fond of the geeking out part, though I should note that we're often not geeking out in the nerdy Sci-Fi way you might expect based on whatever perception you have of a Sci-Fi nerd. (Then again, there are plenty of times where we do geek out just like you might expect too) Example, today we discussed a short story titled "(Learning About) Machine Sex," in which we learn about, you guessed it, machine sex. Sort of. Long story short, this brilliant female computer programmer develops a computer/program for guys to fuck because her own experience in messed up relationships leads her to believe that men aren't looking for love or companionship, just sex, and if they could get it from a computer, they would. Deep down, she hopes she's wrong, because it would validate this incredibly dark, nihilistic view of life that she's developed based on her experiences. As she's developing this technology, she meets a cowboy who tells her that nobody will buy it. He believes in love, something our, uh, protagonist gave up on. He also mentions that this program immoral. This character later reveals that he's gay, which I find to be interesting because the story was published in 1988, and if you thought America was conservative now (its not just a Midwest thing, Kansas isn't the only state to outlaw gay marriage you know), imagine what it was like 20 years ago at the tail end of Reganomics, right before the Bush Sr. took office. I personally think its interesting that in the late 80's the author would make the only redeeming, moral character in the story a gay man. I wish this was something we could have discussed more in detail, but the class is only so long we had to talk about other things, which leads me to...

Sonic Youth is to Science Fiction like bread is to butter. Who knew? I remember reading a couple of years ago that Sister was based on Phillp K. Dick, or his stories, something like that. Apparently the title refers to the fraternal twin sister of Dick's that died shortly after birth and apparently haunted him his entire life. Then, as if on cue, when I saw Sonic Youth a few weeks after learning of this, Thurston Moore spent the first few minutes of their concert in Lawrence talking about films based on Dick novels, and had to remind himself that he was there to play a show, not geek out on Sci-Fi talk.

Well, today we also discussed a short story titled "Burning Chrome" by William Gibson, author of the short story-turned movie "Johnny Mnemonic" and considered by many as the author that shaped the Science Fiction sub-genre called Cyberpunk (think the Matrix, but without a happy ending). Somehow, other classmates, who are basically bona fide Science Fiction scholars, started talking about his other works. Neuromancer obviously came up (I haven't even read the book and I can already tell you its considered a classic), which led to a mention of the Sprawl trilogy. Though my ears perked immediately, I figured it must surely be a coincidence. After all, if Sister truly is all about Phillip K. Dick and/or his writings, why then write yet another song based on a Sci-Fi classic for their next album. Wouldn't they have been bored of songs about Sci-Fi authors by then? I let it go, until a few minutes later when a student brought up his novel Pattern Recognition. You've gotta be fucking kidding me, I thought to myself. After getting home, I hopped on the 'net to check out this Gibson character and see what he's all about. I was unable to find anything to directly link the song "The Sprawl" with Gibson's trilogy, so I checked out Pattern Recognition. As Wikipedia describes it: The novel's central theme involves the examination of the human desire to detect patterns or meaning and the risks of finding patterns in meaningless data. Hmmm, not seeing a connection here. But wait, there's more. Other themes include methods of interpretation of history, cultural familiarity with brand names, and tensions between art and commercialization. Jackpot. Sonic Youth has always expressed interest in the tensions between art and commercialization, not to mention a fascination with pop culture in general. How else do you explain "Expressway to Yr Skull" (which is alternately titled "Madonna, Sean, and Me"), the White(y) Album, and even "Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Handcream" (which comes from the same album as the song "Pattern Recognition," Sonic Nurse)?

But then I remembered how I once stumbled across a book called Dude Ranch Nurse. Either Sonic Youth gets all of their song ideas from books, including cheesy western romances, or I'm reading way too much into this Sonic Youth/Sci-Fi thing.

Moving on to something completely different. My girlfriend, Jenna (you may remember her, she's posted a few times under the clever pseudonym "Girlfriend"), and I recently bought a new high-definition screen. Though we think or ourselves as intelligent, productive people, we long ago came to terms with the fact that we are, sadly, entertained by pretty moving pictures. The addition of this new television (notice how I used the word television...a nod to all my fellow Mr. Show fans), which makes these pretty moving pictures even prettier, has basically turned us into zombies. But because I'm still a snob and refuse to give in completely to the fact that I actually enjoy some of the crap network television has to offer (thank God we don't have cable, otherwise I suspect this would no longer be a music blog), I tend to find myself critically analyzing the shows I find myself inexplicably glued to. Take House for example. Its less of a soap-opera than ER and Grey's Anatomy, but its certainly more predictable. Every single show someone has a mysterious ailment. House makes his staff test for it. While they do this, he bothers people. His underlings think they have an answer, and as they're either telling the patient, or about to, the patient codes. More tests, more ideas as to what the problem is, House acts like a jerk some more, they determine what the problem is, but at the last minute another mysterious symptom to kicks in, ruling out every possibility they've come up with. House continues to act like a jerk, has an epiphany, solves the problem, treats people like crap, and gives the patient a new lease on life. This has been going on for FOUR FUCKING SEASONS (well, only technically, considering the writer's strike and all), yet its still wildly popular, and I can't help but watch it. Its shameful, I know, though not as shameful as watching CSI: Miami (An Irish guy named Horatio??? I want what you're smoking!), though sadly I've been known to do that once or twice too.

I mention all this because I recently found myself falling for this ridiculous show called Dexter. With the writers strike crippling the networks and making viewers impatient, CBS actually did something smart: they brought in a Showtime series, Dexter, to fill in their Sunday evening gap. Though the series debuted a few years ago, thus not making it any newer than anything else they were showing, the fact that it was originally from a premium cable channel meant that it would be new to the average person. Yes, some dialog had to be cleaned up, and probably some other things too (violence, sex?), but its not like there aren't people watching edited versions of The Sopranos or Six Feet Under (Michael C. Hall's previous Showtime gig) on television, so this experiment was a good idea.

At first, I found myself completely turned off by the premise. Before the show had even aired, CBS previews made it look like CSI: Miami for people who love really bad plot twists. (Spoiler Alert) Imagine the following: "Coming to CBS this Spring, a new series about a serial killer chasing cop with a secret: He's also a serial killer. Dexter is just as likely to put these criminals behind bars as he is six feet under, usually in several pieces." Sounds like the worst fucking show ever, doesn't it.

Well, truth be told, its not. Don't get me wrong, its hardly mind blowing, most of the actors are terrible, most of the characters are bad archetypes from other recent crime dramas (CSI, The Shield), and the plot twist's are fairly easy to spot a mile away (Spoiler Alert: I called that whole Ice-Truck killer is Dexter's brother thing, just ask Jenna). But regardless of these flaws the show is certainly more entertaining than you might expect, mainly because you find yourself liking Dexter, the character, though eventually I suspect this leads into liking Dexter, the show. You see, part of the reason is that, as a viewer, you're inside Dexter's head, and privy to all sorts of things that the other supporting characters, including his sister and girlfriend, are not. After a while, you see things his way. You want him to have sex with his girlfriend, but understand why he doesn't. You want him to open up to his sister, but understand why he can't. Most of all, you're rooting for him to kill someone. That sounds sadistic, I know, but he's just taking out the trash, really. Remember, he's a serial killer that kills serial killers, or something like that. Anyhow, the show is so addictive, Jenna and I skipped ahead of the CBS broadcast and watched the rest of the season on our computer (thanks Netflix!). The last episode was worth it. And all that blood looks great in high-def.

If you made it this far, I applaud you. Here's something about music so you don't feel cheated. The new Wolf Parade leaked, but all I want to listen to is the new Stereolab song that Pitchfork premiered. It sounds just like you probably expect, but there's nothing wrong with that. Their new album, Chemical Chords, is out 08/19/08 in the U.S. from Duophonic UHF Disks/4AD. I, for one, cannot wait!

MBV Announces First U.S. Show in 16 Years; I'm Scrounging for $225

2008-04-23T14:55:00.003-05:00

Seriously, just when I was convinced all those MBV reunion stories were mere myth, now the band has announced it will play a boutique festival organized by ATP. I'm all in a tizzy. The NY festival is scheduled for Sept. 19-21. The rest of the lineup (there's more?) features Built to Spill, Low, Tortoise, Mogwai, your mom (just kidding), and many others.

But, did I mention again that it's in New York, and that tickets are $225 PLUS FEES?

Ouch.

A priceless concert just got a whole lot, well, pricier.

What Are You Listening To?

2008-04-16T23:47:00.001-05:00

No, I'm not dead, just buried...in school work! But seriously, I haven't forgotten about you, dear readers, and I haven't stopped listening to music either. Show me yours and I'll show you mine...

Fuck it, I'll show you mine regardless. (Please note that, yet again, Nicole and I had similar ideas for posts, I swear I'm not aping her previous post.)

Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Soul is...Pretty Purdie

Chances are you know a Pretty Purdie song, even if you aren't aware of it. You know that fucking insane drum break in the Beck song "Devil's Haircut?" That's a Pretty Purdie song, titled "Soul Drums." In fact, there are several Pretty Purdie samples throughout Odelay, the Dust Brothers must have been big fans, and for good reason, the man is a fucking beast on the drums. While I've probably been listening to more of Soul Drums, the album, I can't escape this fantastic song from Soul is... called "Song For Aretha" (which was also briefly used in a Beck song, "Hotwax" to be exact). The song builds with Purdie's insane drumming, but just when you think you've reached the climax the fucking string section kicks in. I challenge you to listen to this song and not fall in love. On a side note, I can totally hear some Broken Social Scene in this song. I know its a bit of a stretch, but the way it's constructed, the guitar tone, the epic strings, the emergence of the horns, and the sexy female backup singers. I get it now, Broken Social Scene are what you get when you mix Sonic Youth with soul music. That's something I can dig.

Sonic Youth - Sister

Moving on from a song about "soul sister number one" to an album titled Sister. You should already know by now that Sonic Youth is about the only band that can rival Radiohead for the coveted title of Ryan's Favorite Band, so it shouldn't surprise you to see this album on here one bit. Why Sister over Daydream Nation or Murray Street? Why not? Or better yet, listen to "Tuff Gnarl" and you tell me.

David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

On a recent road trip to catch my favorite indie chanteuse, I threw in the standard Bowie rock record, Ziggy Stardust. It had bout four years since I last listened to it all the way through, four years too many. I know that had I waited another year I could make a delicious pun about it being five years, but I just couldn't make myself wait any longer. I suppose I could have lied to you and said it was five years. Actually, is it too late? Because I really want to say it had been fiiiiiiiiiiiiive years since I listened to Ziggy Stardust. Fiiiiiive years! Ha, I'm on a roll. I'm also drunk, can you tell?

I know, this is definitely the obvious Bowie choice, but fuck, with an album this good, who cares? Here's a song I almost completely forgot about, I'll never make that mistake again.

Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

I've been saying Spoon is quickly becoming one of my favorite bands since they released Gimme Fiction back in '05, and that was one of their weaker albums. Can you imagine what I'm saying now that they've got the excellent Ga x5 under their belt? You don't have to, I'll just come right out with it: Spoon is one of my favorite bands. Even though I just saw them in concert a few weeks ago, I'm actually looking forward to this Sunday's show even more. How is that possible? They're a great band, that's how.

The Beatles - The Beatles (aka the White Album)

Oh, that's not obvious enough Ryan. But seriously, how about The Fucking Beatles? Are you gonna argue?

Yes, The Beatles influenced everyone, and it keeps going too. Just listen to "Long, Long, Long" and tell me you don't hear Animal Collective or Grizzly Bear, with maybe a little Doug Marsch in the vocals. I dare you.

While you're at it, listen to "Martha My Dear." You'll be humming it for weeks.

While you're here, you may as well watch this funny homage to The Beatles. They really are the best band.

I Am Old Music and You Can Too!*

2008-04-16T16:04:00.009-05:00

*Sorry, Stephen Colbert, for ripping off the oh-so-clever name of your oh-so-clever book.

As someone constantly trying to keep her pulse on the latest and greatest music, I often find myself overwhelmed and, ever increasingly, disappointed by the latest offerings. Sure, you've got Plants and Animals and The Dodos to keep the flora/fauna fresh. Still, lately I've been skipping many of the newer releases in favor of thumbing through rock's back-catalog.

I figured I'd touch on some of my favorite recent discoveries and offer you all a sample. Dig in!

Chronological order seems to make the most sense, right?

Nico - Chelsea Girl (1967)

If you're a fan of Wes Anderson's Royal Tenenbaums, then you're undoubtedly familiar with Nico's take on Jackson Browne's "These Days." According to WikiLegend, Anderson was so taken by the song that he envisioned the scene where Gwyneth Paltrow steps off the train in slow motion before he started writing the screenplay. I was also quite taken by this song, and wasn't disappointed by the album's other lushly produced tracks. While this is definitely more of a "winter album," it's definitely worth a look, particularly if you're a fan of Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left.

David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1971)

Thank you, SonicRyan, for turning me onto this album. We all know the opener "Changes," but don't be fooled into thinking this is the album's greatest offering. Here Bowie pays tribute to everyone from Bob Dylan to Andy Warhol while creating his own masterpiece. "Life on Mars" = priceless. "Queen Bitch" (another track to figure on a Wes Anderson soundtrack) = a joyous rock romp. Listen to "The Bewlay Brothers" and marvel.

Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures (1979)

I remember first falling in love with Interpol and hearing the endless analogies made between Paul Banks' and Ian Curtis' voices. I gave Joy Division a go at the time, thinking anyone who influenced Turn on the Bright Lights had to be worth a listen. Well, as seems to happen far too often to me, I didn't get it on first listen. Now, ever since the junior junk that was Our Love to Admire, I've given Joy Division another go. Let me just say that now I can clearly see Banks didn't just rip off Curtis' vocal stylings, he ripped the very heart out of them.

Check out the cover, the last one hundred transmissions from a dying star. Haunting. Perfect.

Galaxie 500 - On Fire (1989)

After falling for Beach House I kept seeing all of these comparisons to Galaxie 500. Then I read a P4k column dedicated to the band that left me scrambling to hear them, and this exquisite song known as "Snowstorm." Finding this album led me to somewhat of a crisis in the past few months, as I couldn't understand how this album had just been sitting there all along, waiting for me to discover it. I guess Galaxie 500 is to blame for all this back-pedaling, back-cataloging... Just listen to the song. Please.

The last two wouldn't qualify as "old" -- both were released within the past decade -- though they would qualify as albums/bands I missed out on at the time.

Mercury Rev - Deserter's Songs (1999)

Turn on Deserter's Songs, and you'll swear for a moment that you're hearing The Flaming Lips' The Soft Bulletin. Coincidentally -- or perhaps not -- both albums have the same producer and guitarist John Donahue. But if you're a die-hard SB fan like I am, then your stomach just might flip when you discover that Mercury Rev's take on the SB-sound came first. While The Soft Bulletin is undoubtedly the superior achievement, Deserter's Songs is an incredible album in its own right. If you crave even more experimental fare, check out the band's 1993 album Boces. It doesn't even sound like the same band...

Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You (2001)

Recently I was reading a humor article, "How To Tell If You're a Hipster." One of the criteria was if you've ever said Blonde Redhead was "the poor man's Unwound." As a BR fan, my interest was piqued at the thought that anyone -- hipster or not -- would say this. I immediately downloaded this 74-minute, double-disc affair that is apparently considered the band's finest work. (As one fan stated, it killed post-post-punk, "with kindness.") I've been in love ever since.

Well, there you have my latest finds. Perhaps I'll continue this feature as I dredge up more gems. Until next time...

It's April 15...

2008-04-15T10:41:00.002-05:00

Here's hoping you weren't up until the wee hours, like myself, trying to make good with the gov'ment.

Has anyone seen the UK's Black Books? There's a scene where the perpetually drunken/irate Dylan Moran is attempting to do his taxes, and to avoid them he starts matching socks, then later ends up inviting Mormons into his house to discuss religion, the afterlife -- anything but his taxes. Let's just say after the past two days, I can relate.

An ode to the Taxman, may he rotteth in hell.

Beach House/Papercuts Videos

2008-04-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

It's taken me some time to post these. Mainly because despite having Alex Scally's permission to record Beach House's 3/24 show in Omaha (provided I abstained from any "cock shots"), my little Sony camcorder was no match for the band's impressive bass and speaker combo. That said, once you get over the crappy sounding bass, the recordings ain't half bad. (And the Papercuts videos are much less bass-heavy to begin with. Check out the first video, featuring Victoria Legrand's backup vocals, and Alex on organ.)

Unfortunately I didn't get footage of BH performing "Gila," during which problems with the equipment prompted Victoria to replace "Gil-a-a-a-a-a" with "Wh-at the fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck." (Alex said afterwards that unexpected complications like these aren't all bad -- they make certain performances "more unique-r." Oh, how I adore grammar quips.)

After the show I thanked the bands and told them to head over to Lawrence next time. They said they would, so here's hoping that if you missed the chance to see them in Omaha or elsewhere, you can catch them a little closer to home.

In case you were wondering, I'm still absolutely devoted to Devotion.

Papercuts (Featuring BH):

Papercuts:

"Apple Orchard":

"Wedding Bell":

"Holy Dances":

We Are The Champions

2008-04-08T11:40:00.005-05:00

I'm struggling to find a musical connection here, a justification for writing this post. Ryan originally called this blog Midwest Music and More... so I suppose this would fall under the category of More.

In honor of KU's fifth national championship ever -- precisely 20 years after their last -- I thought I'd make a playlist commemorating the occasion. I considered some funny choices, in terms of titles... Atlas Sound's "Scraping Past"... Blonde Redhead's "Top Ranking"... but really this is the perfect song to describe the deathblow that was Mario Chalmers' crucial three-pointer, the intensity I feel inside today -- and the title probably sums up how all those Memphis fans are feeling.

Congratulations, Jayhawks!

Concert Announcement: Spoon (Again!)

2008-04-04T10:14:00.006-05:00

If you were in that impossible line of free passholders wrapped round the side of the Uptown Wednesday night (did they all make it in??), you'll be pleased to know Spoon is returning to the KC/Lawrence area with a 4/20 show at Liberty Hall.

Tickets $22 (when purchased at L.H. window). Show at 7 p.m. And guys, after that show Wednesday night, trust me, you'll want to be there. Who knew "The Ghost of You Lingers" would kick that much ass live?

Plus, it's 4/20... As Mr. Daniel would say, "You got a new bag of pot... that's the way to my heart."

P.S. Check out my oh-so-shitty camera pic from the 4/2 show. Take that, bastard who made me take my camera to the car!

Wayback Whensday: Joy Division's "Ceremony"

2008-04-02T11:02:00.008-05:00

As the final song written and recorded by Joy Division's Ian Curtis, "Ceremony" carries a gloominess and portent that contrasts the song's decidedly upbeat tone (for a JD song, that is). A bit of history for the uninitiated... Two recordings exist of Curtis' swan song. The first is a rehearsal recording and can be found on the Heart and Soul compilation. The second appears on the compilation album Still and was recorded during the band's final concert at Birmingham University -- sixteen days before Curtis' suicide. He was 23.

After Curtis' death, as with so many bands abandoned by a gifted, ill-fated leader, Joy Division pressed on. They renamed themselves as New Order and rerecorded "Ceremony" twice (first with new vocalist Bernard Sumner, and later after guitarist Gillian Gilbert joined the group). As you can tell from Curtis' original recordings (after the jump), the lyrics are nearly inaudible, and Sumner had to put the rehearsal version through a graphic equalizer to determine what they were.

As a tribute to this storied, truly incredible song, I'm posting as many versions as I can get my hands on, including covers by Galaxie 500, Xiu Xiu, and -- awwww -- Radiohead.

Please be patient, as Imeem is sometimes slow loading... The first track is the rehearsal; the second is the live recording (it starts a few seconds into the song, but is the full version.)

Radiohead performing "Ceremony" on their Radiohead TV webcast, Nov. 9, 2007.

Happy Late April Fools...

2008-04-02T09:05:00.000-05:00

I suppose we should have tried to convince you that Neutral Milk Hotel was reforming or something. But I just wasn't up to breaking any hearts.

Besides, didn't P4K already do that?

'Oh, That's Not Obvious Enough, Rob. How About The Beatles?'

2008-03-31T10:59:00.004-05:00

Growing up the world was always trying to tell me how perfect, how revolutionary, how god-like the band was. I couldn't escape the hype, as surely as I couldn't escape their forever-playing pop songs. Yeah, yeah, I thought. I know the Beatles.

Maybe that's why it's taken a good twenty-six years to listen to the band on my own terms.

Last night I was feeling giddy and hopeful after that oh-so-close KU victory over Davidson and decided to play some Revolver. Afterwards, I was still feeling giddy and a little ironic, so I put on Olivia Tremor Control's Dusk at Cubist Castle. My brother sat contemplating for a few solid moments and then said, "Is this still the Beatles?" This was a trick, of course. I wanted to see how effortlessly the two blended together. To see influence and homage at their most striking, side by side.

A few hours later, readying for bed, I saw Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on Larry King Live. Putting aside all that recent Heather Mills nonsense (as McCartney defiantly did), this was the first interview I've seen where I was able to look past all of that extra "stuff" -- John Lennon's legend, the universally despised Yoko Ono, the washed-up Wings -- and focus on the music.

So, fine, world, get off my back. The Beatles. I get it now.

Column: Are Fans Entitled to an Encore?

2008-03-28T11:46:00.005-05:00

By Nicole Pope

At the conclusion of Monday's Beach House show in Omaha, sultry songstress Victoria Legrand told the crowd, "This will be our last song." Yeah yeah, I thought, as I always do. You'll be back.

The band left the stage, and after some feeble clapping from the audience, the lights came on. I wasn't mad -- I mean, she did say it was their last song -- but I couldn't help feeling I might have heard a few more gorgeous gems if our crowd had somehow done something differently.

Such is the natural result of the encore setup. Let's consider what was intended to be the point of an encore. The band plays a riveting show. The crowd is into it. The band is into it. They end their set, go back stage, but then gosh darn it, they just aren't ready to pack up and leave. The crowd wants more, and perhaps more importantly, they want to play more (or at the very least show appreciation for an attentive and energetic crowd).

If you're like me and attend a lot of shows, you know that you can expect to see an encore at 95% of shows. So where does that leave the other five percent who, for whatever reason, decide to forego the farcical "I'm leaving the stage until next time, but not really"?

I admit, there are times I've left a show feeling short-changed. Usually it's because of what seems like a shorter-than-normal set (a feeling that's exacerbated if I've seen the band multiple times). Usually, though, I only feel truly disappointed when a band leaves the stage and the audience starts to clap, the lights stay dimmed, and we're just clapping and clapping for minutes until -- nothing. (An otherwise lovely Joanna Newsom show comes to mind.) Does a band have to play an encore? No. But should they play an encore if they've allowed the audience to partake and partake and partake in their side of the facade, until their palms are sore and their throats hoarse? Yes.

So there should be rules for encores, perhaps. Such as, if a band has no intention of playing an encore, the lights/house music should turn on immediately. (Though how do you account for a band wanting to play an encore, yet receiving little encouragement from a crowd and thus changing their mind -- I've been in those scenarios before, too.) Maybe more bands should only say "This is our last song" when they mean it -- though, again, wouldn't that be taking away the original point of an encore?

Should we just get away with encores all together, and thus all the lukewarm encore performances from bands who feel like they "have to play one"? How can we bring back the excitement of not knowing if you're going to get an encore and then getting one, without the backlash some bands receive from occasionally not playing one?

What do they do backstage for that minute while we stand out there desperately cheering, anyhow?

Interestingly, there is a web site called Second Encore that addresses many of the concerns I've discussed here. This is a site dedicated entirely to "saving the encore." Here is their mission:

"Second Encore is a campaign set-up by a group of friends that love live music and are no longer happy with the single obligatory encore most bands do. We are trying to gain support from like minded fans to show bands that we want more from an encore, not just the always predictable walk off walk back on 2 minutes later routine."

The site then goes on to list ways you can tell if an encore is "a pre-planned mediocre addition to the set," including, "When the band leave their best songs out of the main gig only to play the hits in the encore," or "When you get that feeling if you clap or not they are coming out anyway." Second Encore implores like-minded individuals to join their campaign by banding together and doing things like saving the majority of your applause for the end of the first encore, so that the band will absolutely have to return for another.

Wow. You tell 'em, guys. While I understand the frustration, I can't help but think, you guys are fans, right?

Aren't these feelings of entitlement the precise reason we're in this encore debacle in the first place?

Album Review:Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue

2008-03-26T21:26:00.005-05:00

Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue

(Secret City Records; 2008)

Score: 86.4% [Gold Sounds]

[mp3]"Mercy"
(Also streaming "Faerie Dance" in our player)

Do you ever wonder what's in the drinking water up in Montreal? Lord knows I sure do, because here I am falling for yet another eclectic Indie-rock band from Montreal.

You probably wouldn't know just by looking at the cover, but Plants and Animals consists of only three people: Guitarist-vocalists Warren Spicer and Nic Basque, and drummer-vocalist Matthew Woodley. Yet listening to the album, and judging by the album's cover, you would be forgiven if you assumed this was yet another Canadian super-group, when a more accurate description might be an Elephant Six style collective of musicians. Many of the people hanging out on the album's cover are friends that helped in the making of the record. As a result, Parc Avenue is a warm, densely layered rcord, rich with vocal harmonies, dueling finger-picked guitars, gorgeous strings (with a little help from Arcade Fire/Belle Orchestre's Sarah Newfield), with a friendly, welcoming vibe. Listening to this album, I felt like I was a part of the group, not an outsider looking/listening in.

You would also be forgiven if you automatically assumed, based on their location, that Plants and Animals wrote the same style of epic, grandiose songs that we associate with other Montreal based bands like Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, and Islands. Sure, Plants and Animals do sound like those bands on occasion, but they sound like a lot of bands (more on that in a minute), and when they do recall their Canadian peers its usually in short bursts, very rarely attempting anything bombastic (and sounding more like Annuals than Arcade Fire when they do). The album is a mostly laid back affair, perfect for warm evenings with a few friends, watching the sun set over the lawn, cans of beer in the cooler, beards itching, Frisbees flying, good times.

In fact, you would also be forgiven for attempting to pigeonhole Plants and Animals at all. The list of bands I recall when listening to Parc Avenue's 11 tracks reads like an Indie-rock All-Star game: Neil Young, Built to Spill, Arcade Fire, Wolf Parade, Annuals, Ryan Adams, Akron/Family, Angels of Light, Phish (or some equivalent jam band), Tom Petty, the Pink Floyd that made Atom Heart Mother, Grizzly Bear, Midlake, and then some, sometimes within one song. Its quite brilliant, really. They never quite rip off any particular artist completely or for very long, but every song is achingly familiar in the best possible way.

You might not be forgiven, however, if you let the little gem slip between the cracks. The year is short right now, but Parc Avenue is without question one of the best releases thus far.

Concert Announcement Time!

2008-03-26T16:29:00.003-05:00

Score one for Lawrence, Kansas, about the only city that is still going toe to toe with Omaha these days. M.I.A. is coming to Liberty Hall! Talk about a surprise, I sorta figured that she was a little too big for Lawrence, but its not like Liberty Hall hasn't pulled in some incredibly big names before (Sigur Ros comes to mind). The show takes place May 14...wait, May 14...why does a that date sound familiar. Ah yes, its the same day as Radiohead in St. Louis. Well fuck, I guess I'll be missing out on this one. Someone tell me how it is.

Full tour itinerary after the jump.

4-11 Poughkeepsie, NY - Vassar College
4-12 Providence, RI - Brown University #
4-26 Indio, CA - Coachella
4-28 San Diego, CA - 4th and B *
5-01 Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa *
5-02 Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom *
5-05 Nashville, TN - City Hall *
5-06 Atlanta, GA - The Tabernacle *
5-08 Detroit, MI - Fillmore *
5-09 Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom *
5-12 Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall Ballroom
5-13 Maplewood, MN - Myth
5-14 Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall
5-17 Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
5-18 Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
5-23 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
5-24-26 George, WA - The Gorge (Sasquatch!)
5-27 Edmonton, Alberta - Edmonton Event Centre
5-28 Calgary, Alberta - MacEwan Hall
5-30 Winnipeg, Manitoba - Burton Cummings Theatre
6-02 Toronto, Ontario - Sound Academy *
6-02 Montreal, Quebec - Metropolis *
6-06 Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Park Pool *
6-14 Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo

# with Girl Talk
* with Holy Fuck

Album Review:Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

2008-03-24T20:44:00.004-05:00

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

(Matador; 2008)

Score: 71.2%

[mp3]"Cold Son" (via Matador Records website)

I've been sitting here, writing, deleting, re-writing, editing, deleting, and writing again for what seems like days now. I have to come clean, I have absolutely nothing poignant to say about Stephen Malkmus' latest solo record (and second with the Jicks). One thing I can say with certainty, however, is that if Stephen Malkmus isn't already regarded as indie-rock's reigning guitar God, then he's sure giving Doug Marsch a run for his money.

Real Emotional Trash is in many ways a lot like the first record he made with the Jicks, but with even more guitar solos. This ought to have been good news for fans of Pig Lib's foray into jam-band territory like myself, but unfortunately the addition of even more noodling guitar solos do not equate greatness. By the time you reach "Baltimore," an excellent track to be sure, you start to wonder if the jams are ever going to end. They do, eventually, on the album's final two tracks, but if you made it that far I assume you're a far more patient person than myself or sleeping with someone in the band.

That was harsh, so let me rephrase.

Real Emotional Trash is truly a musical beast, it pummels you with riffs and guitar solos right from the very beginning, and continues to do so through most of the album. Occasionally you get a little keyboard thrown in, which at times makes me think of the Jicks as indie rock's version of The Doors, but overall Trash is Malkmus' playground. And that's cool; Malkmus can certainly handle his own on the axe, and its not like the Jicks are not merely some crack band of studio musicians he just picked up on the side of the road in Oregon (remember, Janet Weiss is their drummer now).

The problem is in the album's variety, or should I say its lack thereof. As I alluded to above, Pig Lib had its share of guitar solos and jam-outs for sure, but it also had goofy songs about an "escort" from Queens that attracted the attention of former Senator Bob Packwood, a awkward love square (as opposed to a triangle) in which poor William wanted Leroy (but Leroy was straight), not to mention songs about Oysters, a rock 'n roll man from Netherlands who rocked a bit like a Zephyr (and a bit like the Jicks), and buried in the middle of it all is one of Malkmus' best songs, solo or otherwise, in "Animal Midnight," which, on the surface, sounds like a break-up song (and a damn good one at that). Lyrics aside, it also deftly switched from Wilco-esque studio masterpieces, sunburned 70's AM radio rock/pop, and, yes, lengthy jams that just begged to be heard while stoned. With less variety, Trash gets a little bogged down by its own indulgence, and ultimately suffers a little bit as a result. The album's still good, and just about any song will do in a pinch, but as a whole the album its not the potentially Best Album of 2008 like I had hoped when "Baltimore" first hit the net several months back. No worries though, Malkmus has worse albums in his solo catalog (the debut album comes to mind) and he's bounced back before, so here's hoping he'll get the shredding out of his system in time for album number five.

Omaha's Slowdown Gets Accolades / All the Kickass Shows

2008-03-24T09:30:00.008-05:00

Ever since Esquire named Slowdown the No. 1 club in the country a few weeks ago, it seems the swank venue has become somewhat of a powerhouse amongst Midwestern venues. As Slowdown notes on its blog, "Thanks to Esquire...even though we haven't been open for a year."

Just oogle these upcoming shows:

3/24 - Beach House/Papercuts
3/28 - Jens Lekman
4/10 - The Black Keys
4/19 - Man Man/Yeasayer

And so forth. Did I mention they also have Wii Bowling nights?

Slowdown can hold up to 500 drunken concert goers, and features a pretty kickass bar and overall design scheme. (Think the raw industrial look of a Chipotle restaurant dressed up for a night out. Ooooh, Chipotle.) The venue is also the new home of Saddle Creek records (named for the early SC band Slowdown Virginia).

So congrats, Slowdown, for making the Midwest that much cooler. Even if it is your fault I have to drive three hours to see Beach House tonight.

First Listen Friday: M83, The Honeydrips

2008-03-21T11:02:00.006-05:00

It's the last Friday of Spring Break. I'm at home. The NCAA tournament is in full swing. There's a case of Miller Lite in the fridge.

And I'm feeling a little dancey.

M83 - "Graveyard Girl" and Couleurs"

Anthony Gonzalez talks on his Myspace about wanting to record an album that reflected growing up in the 80s, hanging with friends, experimenting with drugs, and listening to Cocteau Twins.

"Graveyard Girl" is the first single from the 4/15 release Saturdays=Youth (Don't you just love that title?).

The lyrics speak of a young girl, you guessed it, roaming a cemetery at night and wanting to "be a part of it." The spoken word segment midway through the song sums up its themes: "I'm fifteen years old and I feel like it's too late to live. Don't you?" The transition leading into the eight-minute "Couleurs" is flawless. And while the latter track takes the album into much more ambient territory, it's a welcome change for this listener, whose favorite M83 album is still Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts.

The Honeydrips - "Trying Something New" and "Fall From a Height"

I'd been hearing about The Honeydrips ever since their Jan. 10 release -- particularly on P4K, which gave Here Comes the Future a respectable 8.4. (I found the following comment in Marc Hogan's review somewhat of a challenge: "As with the Field Mice, the Honeydrips will be anathema to some, especially those who conflate bravery with balls, the avant-garde with equipment-measuring, or sex with conquest.")

Well, dear reader, do you equate bravery with balls? Do you?

Album Review:Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams

2008-03-20T07:53:00.007-05:00

Destroyer - Trouble in Dreams

(Merge, 2008)

76%

"Shooting Rockets" [mp3]

Listening to the latest from Destroyer (aka Dan Bejar), I've come to confirm and/or realize a few things about the man.

1. He is a lyrical madman genius.

2. He just might be the lifeblood of the New Pornographers.

3. The man's a risk taker, and yet, amazingly consistent.

In fact, though Trouble in Dreams may not stake out new territory after 2006's phenomenal Destroyer's Rubies, I cannot fault the man for what is essentially a good follow-up. This may sound like an insult, but TID is also my latest contender for 2008's "Best Track from a Mediocre Album" contest.

Let's take a look at the album's arc. TID opens with the day-dreamy "Blue Flower/Blue Flame." Longtime Destroyer fans will note how decidedly pleasant this song and its successors can be on the ears. The most rabid fans may even use the term boring. I'd land somewhere in between the two: certainly "Blue Flame" is positively slayed by Rubies' dynamic nine-minute opener, though I would not call these opening tracks bad. "Foam Hands," the album's first single, is perhaps the strongest example of a track straddling this divide. Once more, we have a song that is gorgeously crafted, melodic, and disappointingly predictable.

The two-track centerpiece that follows should silence -- or at least distract -- the album's biggest critics. "My Favorite Year" reads like a postcard to a former self, a diary entry in one's own unrecognizable handwriting. There's the little freak-out in the middle of the song, punctuated by my favorite line (come on, chicks are suckers for hearing their names in songs):

"Nicole - she, blasted on ecstasy / in some East Pendar hovel circa 1993. / It was a good year, it was a very good year. / And now it's gone, / they're saying the whole point of everything's the 'moving on.' / Well, I can't help but feel somewhat opposed to this."

Beautiful. The follow-up, "Shooting Rockets," is a re-envisioned version of the Swan Lake track (the band of which Bejar comprises 1/3). This version's much cleaner both vocally and musically, as well as a full minute longer, leaving the track with a renewed sense of drama. Lest I forget the lovely line, "A chorus is a thing that bears repeating."

The remainder of the album treads back into the pleasant tenor of its first half, with far spottier results. "Introducing Angels" is one of the weakest Destroyer songs I've heard. "Plaza Trinidad" is a dizzying trifle, though it's nice to see Bejar regain some spark at this point in the album. Thankfully TID rebounds with its closer, "Libby's First Sunrise." While also falling into the hazy/listless category, its swirling guitars reminiscent of "My Favorite Year" do much to leave the listener recalling the album's strengths.

Interestingly, I imagine TID will be a big hit amongst those who've had an interest in Bejar's music but may have seen him as too quirky, too spastic, too much. Here's hoping he doesn't forget about the rest of us.

Random Thoughts from a Drunken Built to Spill Fan on St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-19T14:02:00.010-05:00

Dammit, tickets are $20. The door guy says this is their third or fourth song. But I could also see it being their first, knowing BTS songs. Maybe this guy is an idiot.

[Pays $20.]

Shit, there are a lot of people here. I can't see anything. I am going to try to weasel my way up the side. Wait, I don't know this song. This is a good time to attend to matters.

[Runs to bathroom. Thinks about peeing during that '03 East Troy show, while Thom Yorke croons, "Rain down, come on rain down, on me" in the background. Thinks, this is why you don't drink before shows.]

[Tries to weasel way up front.]

Dammit, these people aren't letting me weasel. I can't see. Maybe these tech guys will let me sit on these giant speaker-type things? [Has husband lift her up.] Wow, this view is awesome. No one has said anything yet. Play it cool.

Yay, "Liar" is one of my favorites off You in Reverse.

I hope their new album is better.

I don't know this song. Doug says it's a cover. It rocks.

I don't know this song.

Shit, I'm never going to remember this setlist.

[Asks tech guy if it's OK I'm sitting up here. He says yes.]

Good, since I've already been sitting up here for twenty minutes already. If I take a few pictures, will that be taking it too far?

[Takes a few pictures.]

Dammit, these pictures suck.

Dammit, they're playing "Fly Around My Pretty Little Miss." Which means we won't hear "The Weather."

I think the tech guy is getting in trouble for letting me sit up here.

[Offers apologetic smile. Climbs down.]

Man, I hope when I am a middle-aged bald person I will be this cool.

"Carry the Zero." Never a disappointment.

Doug is a god.

They are saying "Thank you, Kansas City," which means the show is fake-over already. Why haven't they played anything from Perfect from Now On? Dammit, they probably opened with it. "Randy Described Eternity... I Could Harm a Fly... Kicked It In the Sun..." Dammit dammit dammit, Nicole.

Yay, they didn't make me clap too long!

Yay, they are playing "Velvet Waltz." That's the one that says, "left it in the sun," not to be confused with "Kicked it in the Sun." They're screwing with us drunks and our ability to remember setlists.

Wow, they are dragging this one out. The old people are leaving. They can't handle twenty-minute renditions of kick-ass songs. They need to get home to their wives and nursery-rhyme-ready kids and the cold side of the bed.

I'm going to steal their spot.

Tokyo Police Club Cancelled

2008-03-18T16:30:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow night's Tokyo Police Club show in Lawrence has been canceled because of a death in the family. Those in desperate need of some rockin' can still catch Black Mountain tomorrow at the Record Bar in Kansas City. Tokyo Police Club will return to the Midwest on May 23 when they hit Omaha, NE. In related news, the concert calendar has been updated once again. It ain't pretty, but its there.

Top Five Tuesday: Epic Songs

2008-03-18T11:58:00.008-05:00

When Built to Spill closed last night's KC show with a 20ish-minute rendition of "Velvet Waltz," I started thinking about epic songs. While usually I wouldn't consider this one an epic (as kickass as it is), there's another BTS number that sneaks onto the list.

So what did I use as my criteria? I can't say exactly. Just that the songs were expansive, musically/lyrically significant, or seemed somehow, you know, vital.

I couldn't cut it down to just five, so forgive me for what is essentially a Top Eight List.

Drumroll please...

5. The Flaming Lips - "A Machine in India" (10:24)
Only Wayne can get away with heralding "all the bleedin' vaginas." Somewhere around that seven-minute mark the song builds toward its climax and I start feeling myself disintegrate. Let me just say, anyone who thinks Zaireeka deserves a 0.0 rating should give this song a good long listen and rethink the matter. If that doesn't work, take some drugs.

Sigur Rós - "Viõrar Vel Til Loftárasa" (10:18)
I remember when I first heard about this band, everyone was in a tizzy over "Olsen Olsen." Don't get me wrong; that song is great (even if it does conjur images of those little Full House brats). " Viõrar" was the first Sigur Rós song that seduced me. It's easy to see why. Take the build-up in those opening minutes. Jonsi's vocals don't appear until the 4:51 mark, allowing the listener to become fully enveloped in the melody before -- wham! -- those crystalline pipes take hold. Yes, it's that good. And that dizzying crescendo at the end of the track... talk about ending a song.

Built to Spill - "Broken Chairs" (8:40)
Oh, how long I waited to hear this song live. Though I didn't hear the song last night, BTS closed both its 2007 Lawrence shows with this song. And what a closer it is. For one, there's something so deliciously dark about it. Also, it kicks ass. In some ways "Broken Chairs" could be considered an anomaly in the band's catalog, but in the very best way possible.

4. Grandaddy - "He's Simple. He's Dumb. He's the Pilot." (8:53)
Lately I've been rambling about how some albums seem better than the band. In this case, this song just might be better than the band. The Sophtware Slump is a fine album, to be sure, it's just this song seems to tower over its fellow tracks. And putting it as the first song on the album? Ballsy.

3. Joanna Newsom - "Emily" (12:09)
You had to know something from Ys would make it on here. The entire album reeks of "epic" (epic-ness?). Pair gorgeous instrumentation with some of the most mind-blowing lyrics you'll ever hear, and you've got a masterpiece on your hands. Another ballsy opening track, and my favorite on an altogether ballsy album.

2. Modest Mouse - "The Stars are Projectors" (8:47)
Talk about your anomaly in a band's catalog. Where in the F did this song come from? I'm convinced that it's doing about 3/4 the work of making this one of the best Modest Mouse albums. Somewhere around that six-minute mark the flurry of strings begins. They don't stop until the song explodes, like a star going nova.

And the number one epic song is....

Wilco - "Kid Smoke"

Just kidding!

1. Pink Floyd - "Echoes" (23:27)
Now, I'm no Floyd maniac or anything, but there's no denying the absolute awesomeness of this track. The circularity of the melody/vocals, the stellar guitar solos, those creepy birds toward the end... This song is about as epic as you can get, clocking in at over twenty minutes. And what a phenomenal twenty minutes those are. You'll feel as if you've floated into another universe, until that melody returns, pulling you back down to Earth.

"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" deserves a nod as well, but she's no match for "Echoes."

Featured Concert: Built to Spill

2008-03-17T09:49:00.004-05:00

It may be Monday, but it's St. Patty's Day, so let that weekend bender endure! If you need another excuse to play chicken with alcoholism, seasoned rockers Built to Spill are coming to KC's Madrid Theatre tonight. Everyone, let's get built to spill some green beer on ourselves.

On a side note, perhaps we shouldn't get TOO crazy. Remember what happened the last time BTS played the Madrid in '06? Doug personally kicked out a drunken buffoon for, you know, being a drunken buffoon. Here's hoping the band won't mind a little rowdier crowd tonight -- and maybe we can expect a rowdy set to go along with it.

If you ain't into the guitar god thang, you can also check out the legendary Slits at Lawrence's Replay Lounge, or Man Man at the Jackpot (or even better, Islands/Man Man tomorrow night in Columbia).

Column: Pondering the Album

2008-03-14T10:46:00.001-05:00

By Nicole Pope

Each week I ask myself several music-related questions. Some become seeds for a column; others hibernate until my next round table discussion with fellow music nerds. Lately I've been pondering THE ALBUM. Rather than choose just one, I thought I'd bring you a medley of musings.

Yes, I just said medley of musings.

Why don't fans identify themselves with ALBUMS rather than BANDS?

This one's been bugging me for a while. You see, I have very few favorite bands. As in, there aren't many bands I would feel comfortable identifying myself with. Prime examples: Wilco. Interpol. I adore Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Turn on the Bright Lights, but not so much the later schlep. So will you ever hear me say Wilco or Interpol are my favorite bands? Hell, no. But Yankee and TOTBL are two of my favorite albums. Therein lies the rub.

Is it just that bands are more convenient touchstones? Like, "I dig The Arcade Fire." Or, "I heart The Shins." When what you really mean is, "I love the shit out of Oh, Inverted World. And Funeral is just tops"?

A related question: Do latter, lesser albums devalue their excellent predecessors?

Does Yankee Hotel Foxtrot lose its importance because it may be a fluke? As a fan it's hard for me to listen to an album like this without feeling bittersweet. Certainly I still appreciate the album, but I can't help thinking it's been prostituted by several subsequent albums rehashing the same sound, themes, etc.

Take The Flaming Lips' "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion," from their most recent album At War with the Mystics.

"They tell us "Autumn's a comin' and soon everything around us will die... They only see the obvious. They see the sun go down, but they don't see it rise."

Hello! Does anyone else see the obvious ripification of "Do You Realize?"? Yeah, yeah, the sun isn't really setting. It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning round... People don't really die... I got it, guys. While I hate "My Cosmic Autumn Rebellion" for being so unoriginal, I also feel like it somehow lessens the impact of the original song.

Is it just that an artist has said what they wanted to say, and now they're just splashing around in the puddles?

Or is the exact opposite of my initial point true: that because a band never achieves that same level, it makes the album that much more significant?

And some age-old questions: Will THE ALBUM format die as bands begin focusing on songs rather than cohesive albums? Will the album ever be an exclusively online creation? Will record labels die in the wake?

Before Hail to the Thief was released in '03, I read a Filter interview with Thom Yorke about his desire to abandon the album format in favor of EPs. As Radiohead is known for its concept albums (Kid A being perhaps the most impressive), this news saddened me considerably. Thankfully, the band has put out not only one but two more albums since this declaration. Still, the unconventional In Rainbows release has me considering this question once more. Could bands do away with record labels all together, and release all of their material online? And if this happens, will they begin peddling their music to ITunes and its focus on the single download -- which might lead artists to focus on individual songs rather than entire albums?

Once more I think of someone I know who downloaded "My Body is a Cage," his only exposure to Neon Bible. Or "Suffer for Fashion," his only track from Hissing Fauna. Ironically, he now goes around calling himself an Of Montreal or Arcade Fire fan, which circles back to my earlier question in an intriguing way. Could music fans start identifying themselves not with albums, but with individual songs?

What ripples will this have in the music industry? Will there come a day when we lose the concept album, or will the bands' love of music and creativity halt this process?

Scores & Highlights: January 2008

2008-03-14T10:13:00.002-05:00

Welcome to our first installment of Scores & Highlights. The title is pretty self-explanatory; each month or so we'll hand out grades and, in some cases, mp3's of albums we never got around to reviewing. For this segment, we're going to focus on albums released in January, and hopefully have a February post coming soon.

Black Mountain - In the Future
(Jagjaguwar; 2008)
Grade: 81.0%
[mp3]"Tyrants"
Sounds like: A wonderful hybrid of Sabbath and Neil Young. Should have been recommended back in January.

Blood on the Wall - Liferz
(Social Registry; 2008)
Grade: 75.0%
[mp3]"Hibernation"
Sounds like: Every great alternative/grunge band from the late 80's/early 90's rolled into one.

Chris Walla - Field Manual
(Barsuk; 2008)
Grade: 52.6%
Stream various tracks at MySpace
Sounds like: Gee, I dunno, Death Cab for Cutie.

Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
(New West; 2008)
Grade: 68.0%
Stream various tracks at MySpace
Sounds like: Ambitious Southern Rock Opera; or, what I imagine Kevin Drew has in mind every time he writes a song with a little twang.

The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
(Sub Pop; 2008)
Grade: 60.3%
[mp3]"Keep Your Eyes Ahead"
Sounds like: A band equally obsessed with Modest Mouse and 80's pop. Still, it could be worse.

Hello Blue Roses - The Portrait is Finished & I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty
(Locust; 2008)
Grade: 30.0%
[mp3]"Shadow Falls"
Sounds like: The portrait wasn't the only thing that failed to capture any beauty, though its a nice reminder as to how good Destroyer albums are.

Human Bell - Human Bell
(Thrill Jockey; 2008)
Grade: 58.4%
Stream various tracks at MySpace
Sounds like: Instrumental post-rock influenced by folk and blues. Depending on your perspective, its either as good or as boring as it sounds. I'm going with the latter.

Jeffrey Lewis - 12 Crass Songs
(Rough Trade; 2007/8)
Grade: 50.0%
Stream various tracks at MySpace
Sounds like: Folkie/troubadour musician covering punk rock. Not bad, but wears thin after a while. 6 Crass Songs might have been a better route.

The Mars Volta - Bedlam in Goliath
(Universal; 2008)
Grade: 62.1%
Stream various tracks at MySpace
Sounds like: Their most accessible album since their first, but still a little too over-the-top at times. The best songs re-affirm why you should never count them out.

Radar Bros. - Auditorium
(Merge; 2008)
Grade: 60.3%
Stream the first four tracks at Radar Bros. website
Sounds like: Grandaddy never broke up, they just ditched the electronics and made a vaguely alt/country-ish record.

Sons & Daughters - This Gift
(Domino; 2008)
Grade: 42.2%
Stream various tracks at MySpace
Sounds like: An inconsistent and overproduced mess. Some songs remind me of X, so I guess it can't be all bad.

Thao - We Brave Bee Stings and All
(Kill Rock Stars; 2008)
Grade: 77.7%
[mp3]"Bag of Hammers"
Sounds like: Exuberant pop/rock songstress that's just one commercial away from being 2008's big thing.

Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers
(Kill Rock Stars; 2008)
Grade: 67.3%
[mp3]"F.T.W."
Sounds like: Xiu Xiu with a full band. Like other Xiu Xiu albums, there are standout tracks, but it's mostly obnoxious. Stay especially far away from their cover of "Under Pressure"

What's With... All These Actresses Making Albums?

2008-03-13T15:57:00.005-05:00

First Natalie Portman made that mixtape. Then Scarlett Johansson lent her smoky vocals to that Tom Waits cover album, due out May 20 (featuring David Fucking Bowie!). Now, just this week, Zooey Deschanel has released an album as half of She & Him, the "Him" being indie folkster M. Ward.

Unless you're a somewhat avid film fan, you might not be familiar with Zooey. She's starred as the older sister in Almost Famous, a young woman discovering her sexuality in All the Real Girls (a remarkable film), and the love interest in, sigh, Elf. (The latter showcases her singing talent in a duet with Will Farrell.) Interestingly, Zooey wants to maintain the relative anonymity she has within Hollywood. The She & Him Myspace has this to offer in the way of a biography:

"California based Deschanel spent much of her early life singing in choirs, which is probably why she likes harmonies so much. She also enjoys reading, dancing and playing the piano. She & Him have performed together on occasion over the last year and enjoyed it very much."

So while I want to scoff at yet another actress-turned singer (f-ing J. Lo), I have to admire Zooey's humility. And, as it turns out, I'm digging the song "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?". Pitchfork, which gave the album a 7.4, says the tracks have an a.m. radio quality. I concur. It's like listening to the oldies, but you know, being hip.

This article on a band or other musical ensemble is a stub.

2008-03-13T12:40:00.000-05:00

Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip is a new London group with their first album coming out this May. They've apparently created something of a stir with our foreign fellows. There's no singing, so those uninterested in the spoken word style need venture no further.

I've mentioned before that I am a lyric addict, and these guys... are funny, not to mention occasionally brilliant. I can live with them calling Radiohead "just a band," since they've gone ahead and stolen... err, I mean sampled, Planet Telex. They're obvious fans, and that sooths the discomfort I might have felt.

Great beard!

And the Planet Telex Rip-Off (tm)

And miscellaneous live stuff, should you desire it.

I look forward to checking out the album when it lea... err, releases.

Pitchfork Fest Tics Go On Sale; I'm Waitin' for a Superman

2008-03-12T09:32:00.006-05:00

Yes, tickets went on sale today for the 2008 Pitchfork Music Festival July 18-20. I'm nonplussed. Not so much because ticket prices have risen $15 -- this was to be expected, and honestly I hope it means that city block they call concert grounds will be less, for lack of a better term, infested. At this point the initial line-up is a bit of a snooze.

Sure, you've got Animal Collective, Atlas Sound, !!!, M. Ward, Spiritualized, Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, Boris, and a handful of others. Not too shabby, I admit, and I have faith the Sat. and Sun. lineups will fatten up for the harvest.

I'm most worried about Friday's Don't Look Back performances. How can P4K top Sonic Youth performing Daydream Nation?

Don't let my title fool you; I'm not expecting to see The Flaming Lips perform The Soft Bulletin or anything (but dear GOD I'd believe in you again if they did). Right now Public Enemy is scheduled to perform It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (BAH), which means we can expect two more acts Friday night if the festival follows last year's blueprint.

So, who will it be? This will likely determine whether this music fan makes the summer trip to Chicago, after all. Recently Ryan did a post about who he'd ideally pick for a Don't Look Back performance. But who's most likely to have the honors?

The top contenders would be artists already performing Don't Look Back shows. This includes, yes, Public Enemy (Flavor Flav!), Raekwon/Ghostface Killah, and Mudhoney (though I only see them as playing one show back in Sept.)

So, without a superman waiting in the wings here, who will ATP/P4k pull out of their bag of tricks?

Top Five Tuesday: Rating: WTF???

2008-03-11T17:04:00.002-05:00

Pitchfork Media is a great resource for album reviews. Usually. Granted, not everyone is going to agree with every review they publish, good and bad, but there are some albums more than others that have struck a negative chord with a seemingly large populous of Pitchfork readers for (or the more vocal ones at the very least), many of which I happen to agree with. For this Top 5, here are the most WTF? inducing low scores. Perhaps I'll save the most WTF inducing high scores for a later date.

5). Wilco - A Ghost is Born (6.6)
Definitely not the masterpiece that was Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I'll be the first to admit or agree to this point, but is it really that much worse than Summerteeth, which the 'Fork scored a 9.4? In my personal opinion, the answer is a resounding no. I know there are plenty of you that will disagree with me, Pitchfork obviously has, but those of you that do are probably fans of the more alt/countryish tracks, the ones that I find to beless-than-stellar and stick out like a sore thumbs amongst the gorgeous, lush pop/rock gems. That, or you've forgiven Tweedy & co. for knowing that you got a fair exchange of said gorgeous, lush pop/rock gems. I would definitely consider myself among the latter, in fact. It's also the same excuse I use for A Ghost is Born, as I've forgiven them for the tippy-toe movements into generic AOR because there's a fair amount of excellent gorgeous, lush pop/rock gems on this album too. I guess what I'm trying to say is either both albums are really, really good, or neither of them are.

4). Belle & Sebastian - The Boy With the Arab Strap (0.8)
It must be a disappointing follow-up thing. As with Wilco's Ghost, Arab Strap is not in the same league as it's predecessor, but seriously, this album deserved at least a one! Jason Josephes opened his brief "review" by stating, "Mediocrity is not a punishable crime, but if it was, Belle & Sebastian would be enjoying their last meal right about now." As if scoring Arab Strap this low wasn't puzzling enough, their next album, Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant - an album even Belle & Sebastian fans have trouble defending - received a 6.7.

3). Beck - Sea Change (6.9)
This one isn't as surprising as some others I've come across, the album received its share of mixed reviews following its release, mostly because reviewers were split as to whether or not they felt Beck's singing voice could carry an entire album, a fair criticism considering most Beck fans were unaccustomed to it. I think the most WTF inducing factor is that it made the year-end list despite its low score. I can't think of another album that scored below a 7 to make a Pitchfork best-of list, can you? Anyway, its also WTF inducing because I happen to love the shit out of this record, but that could just be me.

2). Beach Boys - Pet Sounds [Remastered] (7.5)
While most bands would probably be satisfied with a 7.5 rating, the Beach Boys aren't most bands. This is fucking Pet Sounds we're talking about, and you would have thought that Pitchfork head-honcho Ryan Schreiber would know better. Now, granted, personal taste is personal taste, and I commend him for sticking to his guns and being honest about the fact that he isn't fanatical over it, but to write that, "If this were not the Beach Boys, but some indie pop outfit on Parasol Records, it might make a few critics' Top 10 lists, if it didn't just vanish into obscurity," is just absurd. Ryan obviously wasn't taking into account the fact that Pet Sounds probably influenced every artist on Parasol Records, not to mention three plus decades worth (at the time of his review) of other pop bands. Thankfully, someone else at Pitchfork, Dominque Leone to be exact, gave the album (the 40th anniversary edition, to be exact) a higher score and a much better review in 2006.

1). The Flaming Lips - Zaireeka (0.0)
Oh great, here's Jason Josephes being a douchebag once again. Zaireeka got the infamous double goose-egg score because he didn't have enough CD players to play the album properly, and instead of getting together with friends or Ryan Schreiber for a Zaireeka listening party (like your esteemed Range Life staff does on at least a quarterly basis...no, I'm totally serious), he tried listening to each disc singularly. No shit it didn't sound great, Jason. Geez man, that's like saying the Soft Bulletin sounded a bit off because you left a speaker unplugged.

Got any favorite WTF inducing reviews, Pitchfork or otherwise? We'd love to hear about them.

Mixtape Monday: Songs Marching Two by Two

2008-03-10T13:49:00.006-05:00

I spend a lot of time thinking about the meaning behind song titles. Sometimes they don't seem to mean anything, or at least not anything I can discern. Of course, other times a song title can cue us into the song's major topic, or if we're lucky, themes. Knowing this, I thought it would be interesting to look at songs that have the same titles. Would their content or themes coincide? I found some surprising results. Even more surprising: out of all these songs, there's not a stinker among the bunch.

Hell, I thought about putting "Rain King" by Sonic Youth and Counting Crows on here, or "Creep" by Radiohead and Stone Temple Pilots and TLC, but that would just be cruel.

So here are songs marching two by two... toward greatness.

“All I Need”
Air – Moon Safari (1998)
Radiohead – In Rainbows (2007)

I love this pairing, both musically and thematically. What do they need, after all? Thom says he’s “a moth who just wants to share your light.” Meanwhile, Air’s guest singer Beth Hirsch says all she needs is “to get behind the sun and cast my weight.”

“Strange”
Galaxie 500 – On Fire (1989)
Built to Spill – Ancient Melodies of the Future (2001)

BTS' Doug Martsch sings, “This strange plan is random at best.” By the end of the song he admits, “It’s strange but not all that strange.” In an alternative universe more than a decade ago Galaxie 500’s Dean Wareham wails, “Why’s everybody actin’ funny? Why’s everybody look so strange?” What’s a fellow to do? He stood in line, and ate his Twinkie.

“She’s the One”
Caribou – Andorra (2007)
The Beta Band – The Three E.P.s (1997)

I like this pairing quite a bit. The Caribou track is one of my favorites off this album. As for The Beta Band, The Three E.P.s is every bit as good as John Cusack would have you believe.

“Paper Tiger”
Spoon – Kill the Moonlight (2002)
Beck – Sea Change (2002)

2002 was a fantastic year for music, and for tracks named “Paper Tiger.” For anyone who doesn’t know, a paper tiger is “a person, group, nation, or thing that has the appearance of strength or power but is actually weak or ineffectual.” Thankfully neither of these songs are weak or ineffectual. The Beck song in particular has always blown me away.

“Words”
Cyann & Ben – Sweet Beliefs (2006)
Doves – The Last Broadcast (2002)

This is perhaps the most homogenous pairing here, and so far, the most rockin’. We’ve got your shoegazers right here, folks.

“Heaven”
The Rapture – Echoes (2003)
Talking Heads – Fear of Music (1979)

These two songs couldn’t be more different. But for some reason, I rather like them together. The Rapture tells us, “If you focus very hard, the train will come for you at last,” while a countdown leads us to seven, God’s “number.” But maybe we shouldn’t worry about getting to heaven at all, David Byrne suggests. He puts it best when he says, “Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.”

The Weekend in Music: Lost in Translation, Galaxie 500, Portishead

2008-03-10T09:33:00.002-05:00

I haven't done one of these posts in a while. As much as I love doing them, they remind me of this awful morning show on MSNBC called "Morning Joe" where all of the anchors come out at the end and discuss what they learned that day. On that note...

Lost in Translation Soundtrack
Regardless of your feelings for this film, one cannot deny the strength of its soundtrack. If I'm ever in Japan, I hope my escapades are set to My Bloody Valentine's "Sometimes" (This ranks as one of my favorite movie music moments, a Top Five I will get around to doing someday.) If you've seen the film you probably also know it closes with Jesus and Mary Chain's "Just Like Honey" (damn you, TBS, for cutting it off so you could play your stupid promos). What I didn't realize was that Air makes its second appearance on a Sofia Coppolla soundtrack here, after their phenomenal work on The Virgin Suicides. Even more interestingly, Kevin Shields of MBV fame lends not only what is arguably his best song, but four other tracks written for the film. Unfortunately, Peaches' "Fuck the Pain Away" was unduly excluded from the official soundtrack.

On a side note, I'd like to say that while I have seen LIT twice before, this was my first viewing that really left an impression. And I only saw the final half! And with commercial interruptions! I even started to tear up at the end when Bill Murray whispers those unintelligible last words. Could it be that the film has finally hit a chord with me? Or is it just that I was so overcome by something of this caliber being shown on national television? You be the judge.

Galaxie 500
If you've spent time around me recently, you know I'm absolutely foaming at the mouth over this band -- and in particular its 1989 album On Fire. The band's final album This Is Our Music (1990) is accomplished in its own right, with far more polished production that nevertheless maintains the band's charm. And after just one listen to Today, the band's debut, I'm elated. How incredible is it to discover a band you love that's been there all along, just waiting for you to find them?

If anyone is interested, I came across this column about a month ago. After reading I immediately had to get this album. It's remarkable when someone's passion intoxicates you.

If you'd like to hear a taste of the Galaxie 500 experience, I'm posting one of their songs on my mixtape later this afternoon. Stay tuned.

Portishead's Third
After all that whining I finally got my grubby hands on Portishead's return to the music world. After two cursory listens, I have to say this wasn't what I expected. While ITunes categorizes the album as "Trip-Hop," it's decidedly not. Sure, you'll hear your effects here and there, but this a (relatively) stripped down Portishead with a far more organic rock sound. (Are those real drums?)

I'm not blown away at this point, though there's a lot to take in here (and a lot of expectations to answer to). I will say the second track "Hunter" is incredible. And that guitar in "We Carry On" pretty much kicks ass.

Then you have odd-men-out like "Deep Water" and WTF-inducing "Machine Gun" that complicate matters.

I'm going to need more time to simmer with this one.

Column: What Does Your ITunes Play Count Say About You As a Person?

2008-03-07T11:28:00.006-06:00

By Nicole Pope

Ordinarily in this column I try to answer a big question I've pondered recently. Today I awoke to yet another suffocating blanket of snow. Just like that, my energy was zapped.

So I decided to do something fun like checking my ITunes Play Count (You know, sorting your music using the "Play Count" tab - after "Rating" - or simply viewing your "Top 25 Most Played" playlist.) Incidentally, ITunes collects this data in order to make Smart Playlists. If any of you have ever tried allowing ITunes to make, say, a party playlist for you, you know it's not the smartest AI around. Something cool and party-friendly will come on, like "The W.A.N.D.," and then ITunes will blow it by playing "Tears Are In Your Eyes" (sorry, YLT).

Lately I've thought it might be funny to write one of those lame quizzes and ask, "What Sub-Genre of Indie Rock Are You?" I thought I knew what my answer would be, until I started reading way too much into my play counts.

Do you ever wonder how other people truly see you? Well, check your ITunes play count and you might catch a glimpse of the undeniable truth of your soul. It's like ITunes is whispering in that trademark Nico hush, "I'll be your mirror." (A song that currently has a Play Count of 13.) And I was just trying to write a mindless column today.

Well, Yeah, You Got Me.
My No. 6 most listened to song is The National's "Green Gloves" (36 listens), while "Guest Room" is gaining at No. 14 (33 listens).

Panda Bear's "Take Pills" comes in at No. 11 (34 listens). (WTF? This isn't even close to my favorite on the album???)

Deerhunter's "Cryptograms" takes the No. 20 spot (31 listens), with "Hazel St." closing in at No. 26 (29 listens).

And despite having only been in my possession for two months, pretty much all of Beach House's Devotion, as expected, is moving toward a top spot with the majority of its tracks at 22 listens, and "You Came to Me" with 27.

Other top contenders: Iron & Wine's "Evening on the Ground" (31), Feist's "The Water" (31), The Field's "A Paw In My Face" (29), Of Montreal's "Gronlandic Edit" (28), Badly Drawn Boy's "Everybody Stalking" (28), Yo La Tengo's "Flying Lessons (Hot Chicken #1)" (28).

Really? Are You Making This Up?
Here's where the mirror comes in, and I was quite surprised by what I saw.

Overwhelmingly, my No. 1 song was "The Well and the Lighthouse" by The Arcade Fire (40 listens). This means that either my husband or I secretly love Neon Bible more than we've let on. Or that "The Well and the Lighthouse" is a fucking great song. Which it is.

Interestingly, Hot Chip's The Warning made two appearances in my Top Ten, including "Just Like We (Breakdown)" at No. 4 (37) and "Look After Me" at No. 7 (36). This isn't too much of a shocker because, while certainly not one of the best albums ever, The Warning suits so many moods. (Just look at the range represented by those two tracks.)

The biggest surprise for me was seeing songs from Blonde Redhead's 23 at the top of the list. "Publisher" nabbed the No. 2 spot with 38 listens (I'm looking at you, Backdrifter), while "Spring and By Summer Fall" came in at No. 8 with 35 (that one's my doing.)

Mitigating factors: I've had ITunes for about a year and a half, which might account for the prevalence of some of the albums coming out around that time (23 and Neon Bible). These figures don't account for what I listen to in my car, which is a considerable amount of the time I spend listening to music. It also doesn't account for whole albums, only songs, which I assume would give an entirely different result altogether.

So what did all of this tell me? Well, I was surprised to see that I'm not as much of a sad-bastard music lover as I thought. It also shows me that some of the albums/bands I've been criticizing lately have at one time been a predominant presence in my music collection. Because of this it also shows the fleeting nature of taste and, really, obsession.

So everyone, when you get a chance, take a peek at your ITunes Play Count. You might be surprised by what you see.

My Waxing Philosophical, Your Waning Interest

2008-03-06T16:04:00.000-06:00

I’m going to jump through some existential hoops here. Feel free to join me in my mental masturbation. I want to talk about the difference between fact and opinion in reference to music. Nicole has touched on this in her always-wonderful series, “The Unappreciated Scholar,” particularly in the January 11th edition. She’s addressed some ideas of value and belief that I think about more often than any normal person probably should.

First, let’s establish what an opinion is not. A scientific theory is a type of belief with universally useful and predictive applications. The theory of gravity is a belief that is equally useful for any person to hold. It makes predictions about how objects in the material world will act. Apples fall, moons orbit, and I break my ass on the pavement after ice storms.

A scientific theory is reached through the scientific method. A hypothesis is proposed, experiments are devised, and results are collected as evidence for or against the hypothesis. Other scientists in other labs perform similar experiments, and once sufficient evidence mounts, the hypothesis graduates to a theory. This theory represents a modicum of how things probably are.

We can only use past evidence to project a probability of future states. There’s always the possibility that gravity will suddenly stop working normally tomorrow, and we’ll all be hurled into space. Scientists fuck up, just like the rest of us, but with enough collaboration (and competition), mistakes will hopefully be caught. So far, the scientific method has worked out pretty well for us.

There are a number of aspects of human existence that simply are not commented on by the scientific process. Most systems of morality arise from nonscientific assumptions. (“Unscientific” has taken on a bad connotation lately, so I’ll continue to use “nonscientific”.) That’s a topic for another discussion, though. Let’s get to music.

Art exists in a realm of thought entirely different from Science, though the two do like to flirt. You can do experiments to test the acoustic/musical properties of songs. You will collect data, but you won’t know anything more about how that music will make you (or anyone else) feel. There are trends of relationship, to be sure, but musical taste is unaccountable to musical theory.

Exactly repeating an experiment results in more evidence. Exactly repeating a work of art results only in a copy. The belief that gravity will work tomorrow is fundamentally different from the belief that Radiohead is the greatest band of all time. Why do some opinions feel like undeniable truth? Is there any harm in feeling that way?

Nonscientific belief can be used as a personal tool. A belief that leads to no negative consequences of action or behavior and which is not opposed by material evidence is a personal matter. If that belief yields positive actions or behaviors, it can be logically argued that the belief should be maintained, regardless of its lack of scientific grounding.

If you accept the above as true, then the only real gauge for the personal value of an opinion is its effect on the person with the opinion. Furthermore, that valuation is only true for the opinion holder. This may seem like a long way to go to point out the obvious… our opinions aren’t facts, and we form them as we like. Maybe it is, but I think doing the exercise makes it clearer that both fact and opinion are infinitely if not universally valuable.

Possessing a belief in gravity says very little about a person. It greatly affects behavior, but it does so in a nearly identical way for each person. You try to avoid falling or causing things to fall… usually. Possessing a belief in Radiohead’s superiority says a great deal more about a person, because it’s not a materially required belief. Not everyone holds it, and those that do are affected by it differently.

Opinions are valuable, but how can you tell if a cherished belief is personally helpful or harmful? The answer is simple, but the implementation is not. Observe yourself. People have a notoriously large blind spot when it comes to objective introspection. We’re all spectacularly good at self-deception and cognitive dissonance.

Does hating 311 make me treat a 311 fan poorly, even when there’s no other reason to do so? (It does.) Does that amount to musical bigotry? (I don’t know… I really hate 311.) What benefits does cultivating this hatred of 311 bestow on me? It keeps me from listening to their music, but that could be handled by a simple dislike rather than active spite. How do I weed out this unnecessary vitriol?

One good way to get perspective on our opinions is to keep a regular diary (or blog). In fact, keeping a daily diary of events, dreams, thoughts, and feelings is generally recommended for everyone. You can then go back and read previous entries looking for patterns of behavior or thought that you’d like to cultivate or weed out. I wish I could say I did it, but I’m too lazy to keep that daily habit going. Maybe you have more perseverance!

I didn’t mean for this to turn into a treatise for the virtues of the blogosphere (Gah, I hate that word), but I suppose it’s as good a conclusion to reach as any. If you followed me this far without dozing off, you deserve a better reward than that. Maybe John Popper’s realization of the great farce? I like it, but that's just my opinion.

Wayback Whensday: The Velvet Underground - Live

2008-03-05T10:03:00.007-06:00

The first time I heard The Velvet Underground I thought they sounded so cliché. At the time I didn't understand that they weren't the ripoff artists, but rather the countless bands that followed hoping to capture their distinctive sound.

Lately I've been on an old music kick, so forgive me. Here are some of my favorite songs from The Velvet Underground and Nico, performed live.

The video of "Venus in Furs" is only 1:17, but is still pretty damned cool.

Why doesn't anything today feel this important?

"Heroin"

"Femme Fatale"

"Venus in Furs"

Top Five Tuesday: Where Do We Go From Here?

2008-03-04T10:52:00.009-06:00

Lately I've been rambling about the legions of album releases due in the coming months. I've heard a few tracks that scare me. Thankfully there have also been many that have piqued my curiosity.

I thought I'd compile some artists with upcoming 2008 releases that, for one reason or another, I'm regarding with special interest. A few of these bands have nowhere to go but up. Others...worry me a bit.

5. Wolf Parade – Ah, Wolf Parade. Recently I was listening to KEXP’s Cheryl Waters, a DJ with impeccable taste, and she mentioned that Wolf Parade was one of her favorite artists of all time. Really? How can you know that after just one album? Certainly Spencer Krug is a talented musician, spearheading WP and Sunset Rubdown as well as working on projects with Swan Lakes, Frog Eyes, and so on.

Still, the band that snagged a coveted 9.0 Pitchfork rating now faces the dreaded second album, a daunting obstacle for any band -- even more so with a band looking to match the success of their debut. (Clap Your Hands, anyone?) Will WP continue down a similar path? Or perhaps take a cue from Sunset Rubdown and focus on slower tracks like "Modern World"? Will they rock? Overproduce the shit out of it? Here’s hoping it’s not the latter.

4. Deerhunter – The machine Bradford Cox is scheduled to release another album this fall – Microcastle – due out on Halloween, according to Exclaim. This is one of the few on the list that I am confident will be good, I take it back incredible, though I’m most curious about how the album will sound.

In that interview with Exclaim, Bradford said the following:

“I don’t really like using effects that much. I like them only because sometimes you need them to get a certain desired feeling or sound, but I don’t like for a song to depend on a metal box working and having fresh batteries in it. I guess I just get tired of depending on technology. The root of the song should be there already and I think you should be able to play these songs whether you have these things or not."

So does that mean the band is moving more toward territory staked by the Fluorescent Grey EP? I’m getting tingly all over thinking about it. And Let the Blind Lead… hasn’t even been out for a month.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am officially in love with Bradford Cox.

3. Built to Spill – With a band as consistent as BTS, it’s unfortunate that their 2006 reunion album You in Reverse failed to recapture the band’s brilliance. On their upcoming album, this listener would love to see them combine the less polished approach to YIR with the more complex melodies demonstrated on Perfect from Now On.

If nothing else, YIR showed the band isn't unafraid of trying new things, and that is why I’m confident the band will return with a triumphant follow-up album.

2. of Montreal – Early 2007 saw the release of the phenomenal Hissing Fauna, and with it, a new of Montreal was born. K Barnes and company simultaneously released their most depressing, most melodic, and most danceable work to date. So now that you’ve purged your soul of all that, what’s next?

I'm intrigued not only by what Skeletal Lamping has in store for us, but also by its relatively quick release. Might it be the Amnesiac to Hissing Fauna's Kid A?

1. Portishead – Seriously, this album is due out in April and aside from the cover art I don’t know a damned thing about it. Does anyone?

It’s been eleven years since the release of the self-titled Portishead album (ten since Roseland NYC Live), and all we’ve heard since is Beth Gibbons' side project with Rustin' Man (yawn) and a few under-nourished instrumental tracks on the band’s Myspace. I’m not sure what to expect here. And to be honest, I'm a little afraid.

If the album artwork is any indication, are we to gather that Portishead's Third will sound exactly like the band's two previous efforts? Perhaps the more important question is, will that be enough?

Other artists to watch in 2008: Junior Boys, Menomena, My Morning Jacket, and apparently, Gang of Four.

Also, when is that freakin' MBV album I've heard so much about coming out?

Mixtape Monday: Better Late Than Never

2008-03-03T21:53:00.001-06:00

I had my iPod on random again the other day, and out of nowhere it started playing a bunch of 2007 songs I had completely forgot about. So many, in fact, that it inspired me to make this mix. In a year that gave birth to a plethora of great albums, other artists were bound to be overlooked. So, here's a mix of 2007 artists that probably deserved some blog love, hence the title. Oh, yeah, and its Tuesday, not Monday, so there's that too...

Interview: The Lonely H

2008-03-03T16:00:00.000-06:00

I’m talking to Mark Fredson, lead vocalist of Seattle-area rockers The Lonely H. He’s in a van with his band members trying to navigate out of the parking lot at the Newark airport. This week he was just about the coldest he’s ever been, he says. Four or five degrees. Snow. Next week they’re heading down to Florida.

“Then we’ll let the sun hit our pale, pale bodies,” he says.

I tell him it’s fifty here in the good ole Midwest, which hopefully means it will be warm when they pass through on their way to South by Southwest next week.

He says yeah, whenever he thinks of Kansas he imagines it as dry and hot. Then they came through for a show last month. He took a nap outside of their van and it was, well, cold.

“You took a nap outside of your van?”

“Yeah. That was the worst pre-show ever. Sometimes you just have to get over your sickness and just rock.”

I ask Mark what he and the guys thought of Lawrence. I tell him how whenever I talk to bands they always seem surprised all of Kansas isn’t lame.

“Yeah, when we were driving through Western Kansas we were like, this is going to suck. But it totally exceeded our expectations. Whenever someone asks us one of our favorite places to play, we always say Lawrence.”

(Incidentally, he’s telling the truth. I read an interview where he gave this very response. Way to go, Lawrence!)

The band’s second album Hair is set for release July 24. I ask Mark about the titular track. Specifically the fabulous line, “You like your hair short / And I like my hair long / And I don’t see the problem / What’s so wrong?”

I say, “That reminds me of my father-in-law still trying to get his 26-year-old son to cut his hair.”

“It’s as simple as that,” he says. “Some people just want you to be like them. Because they’re scared of freedom and revolution.”

There’s a bit of playfulness in his last words there. We both chuckle. Joking aside, I say this must be an important concept for the band, since they’ve named the album after the song “Hair.”

“It’s a word that goes along with rock,” he says. “All of our heroes and role models had lion’s manes.”

When he says this I can’t help but ask: when he says hair and rock are inseparable, he’s not referring to the hair bands of the eighties, is he?

“Oh, no. I pretty much discount that decade.”

I can’t help remembering the band members grew up during this decade. When the band released its debut album Kick Upstairs, critics, interviewers and bloggers fixated on the band member’s youth. At the time, Mark was just fourteen.

I ask if some of that buzz has died down, and if he feels like critics or fans see them any differently now – not that they’re exactly long in the tooth at this point. After all, their official site has this to say at the bottom of the band’s biography: “See you this year...without a signed permission slip.”

“It gets people talking,” Mark says. “I’d like to think we’re past the point where age matters. We just want to be seen as a solid rock band.”

I tell him that I teach English, and in class we spend a lot of time analyzing titles and trying to determine a writer’s intent and themes and probably getting it all wrong. That said, I wanted to know where the band name The Lonely H originated.

Mark says, “I think as an English teacher you might appreciate this. Everybody knows the 5 W’s. Who? What? Why? When? Where? Then you got H. Without How, people wouldn’t be able to learn from each other. We’re just trying to stand up for the Lonely H.”

I say my next question might irritate him. Does anyone ever confuse them with Local H, that ‘90s alternative band?

“We get that a lot. People started calling us that on accident. I’m like, you really think we’re the Local H? That guy’s like forty and he’s from Chicago.”

It could be worse, I say. And they do have that one pretty bitchin’ song “High Fivin’ Mothafucka.”

“Yeah, as song names go, that’s pretty good.”

I ask him about South by Southwest coming up next week. Do they approach a festival show any differently in terms of preparations or setlists or strange superstitions or anything like that?

“Not really. We’re going down there to get our names known. Turn it up to eleven.”

“Is that a Spinal Tap reference?” I say. “Nice.”

Mark says they plan on checking out Iggy Pop and Dr. Dogg while they’re down in Austin. After that, with so much good music to choose from, they’ll just “see where the night takes [them].”

I ask if he can get us in.

“Well, we got to choose between passes and money,” he says. “We took the money.”

Live Review: Clutch at the Beaumont

2008-03-03T15:09:00.000-06:00

Clutch is often cited as one of the hardest working bands around. With a rumored touring schedule of between 100 and 200 shows a year (yikes!) and new LP releases every couple of years, it's amazing they've been able to keep momentum for nearly two decades.

Thursday night, patrons of the Beaumont in KC were treated to a small taste of a band that has some of the most devoted followers since the Dead Heads. A sea of Clutch shirts, almost no two alike, undulated in the smoky venue. So how was the show?

I'm not a member of the Clutch Cult. I don't own any of their albums, and I've never really listened to them much. If I don't know the words to the songs, it's usually much harder for me to get into a performance. Singing along is a big deal for me, so seeing bands I'm not already into live is a whole different experience. It's a more passive than interactive event.

The only other time I've seen Clutch was when they came to the Granada about a year ago. I know some big fans, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Their vocalist, Neil Fallon... is amazing. The sheer amount of energy he is able to project throughout a two hour show is incredible. It's difficult to describe how intricately expressive the man is. It's fun just to watch his facial expressions.

As with the lyrics, the whole performance is very tongue in cheek. The fact that they don't take themselves too seriously makes them infinitely more enjoyable. Neil is truly a rock preacher from the Discordian temple. At least... he usually is.

If Clutch's performance at the Granada was a 9, their Beaumont gig was a 6. It was still enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but Neil just wasn't into it. I guess that's to be expected with a tour schedule as busy as theirs, but I can't help but feel a little disappointed. A friend and uber Clutch fan tells me that's typical. They're more lively when touring for a newly released album than when they're working on a new LP.

For a band that has been thrown into genres like "Stoner Rock" and "Funk Metal," Clutch has a style all their own. To keep such a rabidly loyal falling since their first EP's release in '91 (named Pitchfork, interestingly enough) is an impressive feat. So this one show has by no means soured me on them. I'll definitely be giving Clutch another go.

Column: The Fallacy of Pretty, Pretty Production

2008-02-29T11:26:00.006-06:00

By Nicole Pope

After hearing new singles from Islands and Tapes N Tapes, I’m apprehensive. Already I fear they’ll be added to the heap of bands that had their eye on the prize and left with honorable mention. Why? Both songs left me feeling like I ate too much bread before my meal: all yummy filler, yet surprisingly little substance.

I’m talking about production here.

The Shins. Modest Mouse. Blonde Redhead. Interpol. Sigur Ros. One could even make a case for The Arcade Fire.

All have embraced a markedly prettier production on their recent albums, yet have made one of their weakest (or in many cases, hands-down weakest) albums yet.

What’s going on here?

Is it simply that as bands increase in popularity they get more money, and so like all those anemic Hollywood blockbusters, pile that dough into aesthetics?

Or that obsessing over the production leads artists to overlook the essentials of the craft?

Or that the overproduction is an attempt to bolster skeletal song writing?

Is it misguided or misguiding producers?

Attempts to please a newly demanding record label?

Attempts at grandeur that fall flat?

Or is it just that the quality of the band’s current output doesn’t justify all the histrionics?

Make no mistake, a better sounding song does not necessarily a weak song make. Look at The Flaming Lips’ The Soft Bulletin, maybe the most produced album ever. Or on a lesser scale, an album like Blonde Redhead’s Misery is a Butterfly. Here the band moved toward a glossier sound, though the production complemented its meandering sparseness (I’ve heard listening to the album compared to watching a French film.) Another more recent example: Iron & Wine’s The Shepherd’s Dog. This is perhaps the most extreme sonic shift, as we go from crackling tracks like “The Sea and the Rhythm” to the multi-layered, reverb-heavy “Carousel.” And yet, the album is a resounding success.

Is this simply the case of “I fell in love with The Shins because of two-minute tracks like ‘Girl Inform Me,’ and now they’re peddling Zunes with their oversexed, overblown new singles”? (I’m unfairly knifing “Sleeping Lessons” here, which is admittedly the best song on the album. But maybe that only proves my point.)

Is it just that some bands are better at making the transition from lo-fi to pretty, pretty production?

Maybe I’m being petulant here, but why do they have to make the transition?

First Listen Friday: The Boy Least Likely To, Peter Morén, El Perro Del Mar

2008-02-29T09:23:00.008-06:00

It's Friday, which means I'm going to pull myself out from under this slew of '90s albums I've been discovering lately and bring you something new.

This week's list reeks of Femme Fatale favorites.

Enjoy.

(Note: Because all of these songs are so new, I'm only able to stream one of them for you here. For the others I've provided MySpace links, which shouldn't give you any trouble.)

El Perro del Mar - "Glory to the World"
El Perro del Mar's eponymous debut LP was a delightful little exercise in self-loathing. Its charm came from its glumness, peppered by phrases like "This loneliness ain't pretty no more," or "All the feelings you got from me is like for a dog," or the hauntingly simple "I don't understand pppeeeoopppllleee."

Which is why I was so surprised when I heard this song from EPDM's upcoming release, From the Valley to the Stars. Sarah's not exactly bouncing off the walls in this one, but it feels like it.

The Boy Least Likely To - "TBLLT is a Machine"
Still not happy enough for you? Check out this track from the upcoming Boy Least Likely To album (slated for sometime this summer).

Remember those adorable animals from their debut album cover? On this song they've dropped the twee-as-fuck act to try out for the Animal Collective. That's taking it a little far, but if this song is a sign of things to come from the band, sign me up.

Hear it Here.

Peter Morén - "El Petit Coeur" and "I Don't Gaze at the Sky"
Ever wonder what might happen if you split up Peter Bjorn and John (other than getting Peter, Bjorn, and John)? Well wonder no more. One-third of the Swedish pop duo will release his first solo album The Last Tycoon April 8.

I adore the PB&J poppiness and hate to see it go. Still, it's intriguing to consider the new direction Peter is exploring on what appears to be largely a folk album.

Hear it Here.

That's all for this week. Enjoy your weekend, everyone. Now I gotta get back to this Mercury Rev.

Check This Shit Out! Loafin' Around.. And Baby Birds Don't Eat Meat

2008-02-28T16:03:00.009-06:00

Just when you thought you'd seen enough beef on the site this week, along comes the Lawrence Loaf Off. This may not be music-related. But it's local. And it's weird.

Unless Lawrence.com is yanking my meat thermometer prematurely, this Sunday marks the first ever Lawrence, Kansas, meatloaf cookoff. Perhaps this is the fair city's answer to KC's annual American Royal Barbeque competition. Perhaps those dern hippies have lost their minds (and veggie diets).

So you want to see if your meat is up to snuff? Bring it on by the 4-1-1 Studio, 411 E. Ninth, Sunday from 1-4 p.m. Categories include “Best In Show,” “Best Secret Ingredient,” and “Most Loaf Like.”

Then head a block over to the Eighth Street Taproom to see Baby Birds Don't Drink Milk and The ACB's. Now that's a Sunday schedule that could get me out of my pjs and chokin down some beef.

The Cult of Personality

2008-02-28T07:40:00.001-06:00

There’s a common tendency to personify inanimate objects. Assigning feelings, intentions, and attitudes to a computer, car, or the weather (if only metaphorically) allows us easier interaction with those things. That’s just how we’re programmed. According to evolutionary psychologists, our genes grow far more brain modules for dealing with people and animals than abstract forms.

By automatically assigning personalities to albums, we make them more accessible to instinctual understanding, without limiting our ability to logically understand them. It’s not even necessary to know much about the band or singer. We subconsciously create a persona for the album itself (separate from the creators) as we listen.

With that in mind, what albums have personalities similar to those of real-life people or animals? What would your favorite albums look like if they were made human? How would they act?

Wayback Whensday: Don't Tell Anyone You Don't Own...

2008-02-27T17:16:00.005-06:00

It's May of 1994. Kurt Cobian was only a month deceased. I'm in the Microfisch lab of my Junior High School library (1) researching for the year's final history paper, which, knowing me, was probably due the next day. My topic was the history of Rock & Roll, yet all I could bother to research was Kurt Cobain. You'll have to forgive me, after all, the man had only recently died, and Nirvana was one of my favorite bands at the time. As I was researching, I came across a magazine article - from what magazine I cannot remember anymore - that more or less named Beck as the Grunge poster boy now that Kurt had passed, pointing out how his hit song "Loser" had become an anthem for the slackers that worshiped Nirvana. I rolled my eyes. Loser is right, I thought, that no-talent ass-clown couldn't write a good song if his life depended on it. (2) What did I know? I was young and extremely naive. Besides, I was going off "Loser," and only "Loser." A few months later I stayed up late watching MTV and caught the video for "Pay No Mind" on 120 Minutes. I liked that song much more, and began to ease off my ire for Beck's music.

Needless to say, my expectations were not very high when I first saw the video for "Where It's At," Odelay's first single, on MTV in 1996. (3) While the song didn't do much for me at the time, a strange thought popped into my head, and I distinctly remember thinking to myself, I'll probably end up loving that song in a few weeks. How I could tell the song would eventually grow on me, I do not know. Perhaps it is because that was the age where, more than ever before, I was constantly opening my mind to new music. It was only a few weeks later that I first borrowed Daydream Nation from a friend, a moment that changed my life forever. Whatever the reason, I knew I would eventually wind up a fan of "Where It's At," and I was right. Two weeks of heavy MTV and Alternative Radio rotation later, I made my usual weekend trip to Best Buy (there were no real Ma and Pa record stores in the 'burbs) and bought Odelay.

At the time I could care less about sampling, genre crossing, Beck's hokey cowpoke attire, or the supposed importance of Odelay that established rock critics were already pelting the album with. I just knew I liked it, a lot. Now that I'm older, I can definitely see the Dust Brother's fingerprints all over this record. I notice the meticulous samples and scratches, the dusty, familiar popping from an old record, funk horns and percussion out the wazzoo. Secretly, I believe that without them, the Dust Brothers and their samples, Beck's follow up to Mellow Gold probably sounds exactly like Mellow Gold. So let's give Beck, or whoever was responsible, some credit for pairing them up. The Dust Brother's anything goes sampling strategy meshed perfectly with Beck's anything goes songwriting approach. Thus, Odelay was a child born of their love for all things rock, roll, funk, soul, country, folk, samples, loops, serious philosophical statements, jokes, samples, samples, samples, more samples, and that fucked-up dreadlocked dog on the album's cover.

Now almost 12 years old, Odelay still holds up rather well. The proof exists in 2004's disappointing Guero, which was also produced by the Dust Brothers. The Dust Brothers, thanks to broader and stricter copyright laws (4), are really just a shadow of their former selves, focusing on beats and slick production instead of fretting over which sample would fit perfectly at any particular moment. Not that it probably would have mattered, Beck too had changed. For once, it seemed like Beck had run out of ideas, so he ripped himself off, mostly looking back to Odelay in the process. (5) Lightning does not strike twice, they say, and Beck wound up looking like the older guy at the college party.

Honestly, who cares. Of course its a bummer that Beck albums don't hit my sweet spot like they used to, but the man certainly had a good run. I'll admit that the jury's still out on whether or not Odelay is even Beck's best album - that's like comparing apples to oranges to pears to, well, you get the idea - but here I am anyway declaring that if you don't own this album yet, you probably shouldn't go around telling anybody. Rather, you should do what I did so many years ago. Take your allowance to the record store (or Best Buy, or wherever you prefer to buy your music) this weekend and make Odelay your own.

(1) Remember, this is Kansas in 1994, we maybe had 3 computers in the whole school with internet capabilities. Maybe. And the Microfisch machines outnumbered them five to one.
(2) Office Space was still several years away, so I highly doubt I actually thought of the phrase "no-talent ass-clown," which is too bad, 'cause that would have been hilarious.
(3) Yep, I'm old enough to remember when MTV was actually one of the places where you would first hear a new song.
(4) Are the Rolling Stones to blame? Someone should ask Richard Ashcroft.
(5) Kudos to him for taking so long to get to that point though. Spoon's a great band and all, but they've basically made the same album how many times now?

Top Five Tuesday: Covers

2008-02-26T16:57:00.005-06:00

No, not album covers, Nicole did that last week, and I'm not that desperate for ideas, I'm talking about cover songs. Like you, I could deal without the myriad of awful attempts at other people's songs, but every so often I hear a cover that's just brilliant. Here are five that I particularly enjoy.

5). Talking Heads - "Take Me to the River"
This song, originally recorded by Al Green, probably did a better job of showing off Talking Head's range than they ever could have imagined. I mean, its one thing to be labeled as a art-punk band with a funky side, its another thing entirely to cover a legend and pull it off.

4). The Pixies - "Head On"
This cover is pretty straightforward, but the Pixies one-up Jesus and Mary Chain by turning up the volume and intensity. Thankfully Frank Black drops the faux, Billy Idol-esque vocal styling too.

3). TV on the Radio - "Mr. Grieves"
Speaking of the Pixies, here's TV on the Radio doing an a cappella version of "Mr. Grieves." Taken from the Young Liars EP, TV on the Radio wasted absolutely no time in showing the world exactly what they were capable of doing.

2). David Bowie - "Wild Is the Wind"
Originally written by Dimitri Tiompkin and Ned Washington and performed by Johnny Mathis for the 1957 film of the same name. It was later covered by Nina Simone, and then David Bowie, who was inspired to record this song after meeting her. One of Bowie's most passionate and sensual performances.

1). Smashing Pumpkins - "Landslide"
I'm not sure we can have a discussion about covers without mentioning this song. Stevie Nicks may have performed the original, but after hearing Billy Corgan put his heart and soul into this song - something even Stevie Nicks couldn't be bothered with - I've decided the song may as well be his.

But don't take my word for anything, listen for yourself.

How do these stack up? Were you expecting Feist, Yo La Tengo, or the Beatles? Elliot Smith covering the Beatles? I'm curious, what's your top 5 covers?

Concert Announcement: The Slits

2008-02-26T14:35:00.005-06:00

According to the Replay Lounge website, Legendary punk/dub innovators The Slits are coming to Lawrence on St. Patrick's Day, further complicating matters on a day where there are already too many shows to choose from. This should be a gnarly good time, and possibly a once in a lifetime chance to see them play, period, let alone at such a small venue.

Album Review: Beach House - Devotion

2008-02-26T12:26:00.008-06:00

Beach House - Devotion

(Carpark, 2008)

86.5%

"Holy Dances"(mp3)

"I haven’t been able to get you off my mind for months now. You might be this year’s Boxer. Maybe not the #1 album of the year, but #1 in my heart.”

“Really? You mean that?”

“That’s why I don’t think I should be the one to review you.”

“What? Why?”

“It’s just I’ve seen you naked too many times. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still gorgeous. A knockout, really. It’s just I’d pegged you for an 8.9 or 9.0. And you’re just – not. I mean I didn’t know what to think when I found out that bracelet wasn’t even yours. It’s not like it was my favorite thing about you. Maybe I just needed an excuse.”

“You don’t like Daniel Johnston?”

“No, I mean if he’s good enough for Jeff Mangum, he’s good enough for me. And you wear it so well.”

“Better than him?”

“Don’t push it. Though I will say you’re way better than that slut Mazzy Star.”

“Really? You think so?”

“Yes.”

“What about Galaxie 500?”

“Look, I can’t even say I really understand that comparison. So I’m not going to answer that question.”

“A few weeks ago you said I was the first album to make you feel this way in a long time. That you already knew in January I was going to be one of your favorites of the year.”

“I know I said that. It’s just you never change. I mean even from your last album. And on this one, it’s like you’re in this trance the whole time. This crazy lovesick trance. And I just can’t be around you all the time when you’re like that.”

“I thought that’s what you loved about me.”

“It is. It’s what I love and hate about you. I hate how you make me feel about myself. Which isn’t really your fault. There’s just this moment when I see this other side of you, when you get all Animal Collective on me and the song just rolls around on the floor in this fit of glee. I want more of that.”

“It’s just this mood I’m in. You should relate. You’re the one who still listens to “Guest Room” over and over again feeling sorry for yourself. I guess ‘Some Things [Do] Last a Long Time.’”

“We’ve been over this. That isn’t even your song. Look, I think it might be time for me to see other albums. 2008 is looking like it’s going to be a great year for me. And you’re fantastic, really you are. It’s just I’m too close to you right now. Let’s give it a few months. If we both still feel the same way, I’ll put you in my top ten.”

“What about top five?”

“Don’t push it.”

Julie Christie, The Rumors Are True...

2008-02-26T10:51:00.004-06:00

You didn't win that Best Actress Oscar Sunday night. Seriously, though. Maybe I'm admitting my lack of culture here, but I'd never heard of the '60s screen star until the unforgettable opening line of Yo La Tengo's "Tom Courtenay."

Hey, if Ms. Christie can be the object of Ira's desire, then she's good enough for me, too. (And she did win that Best Actress Oscar back in '65, so apparently besides being a sex kitten she's a pretty talented actress, too.)

Now maybe Yo La Tengo can write a song about the actress who did nab the coveted award, Marion Cotillard, and then I'll have heard of her, too. Ouch.

Album Review: Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree

2008-02-26T10:45:00.003-06:00

Goldfrapp - Seventh Tree

(Mute Records, 2008)

Grade: 73%

Seventh Tree is a beef Twinkie... but I'll come back to that.

Goldfrapp's newest album (out Today) is lyrically average, which I can't honestly fault it for. Like the majority of songwriters, Alison is singularly concerned with the capitalized varieties of Love, Sex, Sexy Love, and Lovely Sex. Fortunately, she has a voice that is sufficiently beautiful to distract the linguistically anal (no pun or hepatitis intended).

Alison's aural partner in profit, Will Gregory, left behind most of the dance club feel in favor of what I can only describe as retro-techno-folk-ambient. Rechno Folbient? In some songs, it's a praiseworthy success! In others, not so much... but it's worth pointing out one little tidbit. Will Gregory has two first names, and I don't approve of that sort of thing.

"Clowns" reminds me of "Strong Enough" by Sheryl Crow, except infinitely easier to listen to repeatedly. This and the last song may be my favorites from the album. "Little Bird" starts as a lullaby with some refreshingly primal imagery, including crows with mouths for eyes, then ends sounding loosely like an energetic "Meeting in the Aisles"... but with strings.

The chorus of "Happiness" sounds much like a mellower version of the end (near 2:55) of "Selling Jesus" by Skunk Anasie. That song is on the Strange Days soundtrack, along with "Overcome" by Tricky. "Overcome" is originally from the album Maxinquaye, the tour for which was Alison Goldfrapp's first big opening gig. Conspiracy theorists beware.

I've been hard on them, but the first three tracks of Seventh Tree are phenomenally uplifting. They manage to convey that brand of dance music happiness without sounding at all like dance music. Enjoy the feeling, because when Alison's trailing, "Love, real love..." closes "Happiness," you've reached the beef.

Don't get me wrong, beef is good for you. But do you really want beef in your Twinkie? Don't answer that.

I just can't get into the salty center of Seventh Tree. "Road to Somewhere," "Eat Yourself," and "Some People" all feel like slow-dance songs from prom. They get a resounding "meh" from these lips. Let's get to the other side of that flaky yellow snack cake!

"A&E" is a fitting transition layer, and an interesting music video, as long as you don't have a phobia of anthropomorphized plant life. There's a theme in Goldfrapp's music videos. Alison is usually the center of attention, surrounded by dehumanized man-things. Strange.

The strings in "Cologne Cerrone Houdini" are what set it apart, but they seem forced. None-the-less, a good string section serves to embolden the heart and engorge the member. Or maybe I just like orchestral soundtracks a bit too much.

"Caravan Girl" is good, clean gypsy girl-power fun.

It's a close contest between "Clowns" and "Monster Love" for best song of this album. I refuse to decide a winner, but if you pit Seventh Tree's songs against each other in a cock fight, "Monster Love" would still be clucking (if only for that phat techno bass cue). Where the middle songs failed, "Monster Love" succeeds.

But don't do the slow fade out... that's lame.

Album Reviews: Los Campesinos!, Monade

2008-02-25T15:26:00.002-06:00

On the surface, Los Campesinos! and Monade have little, if anything, in common, but both bands have recently released albums that I'm torn between liking and loving. Maybe listening to the album one more time while writing a quick review will settle things.

Los Campesinos! - Hold On Now, Youngster...

(Arts & Crafts, 2008)

Initial Grade: 83.2%

[mp3]"Don't Tell Me to Do the Math(s)"

Why I'm Torn
About a week ago, I was at work and browsing through my iPod for something upbeat to listen to so that I might be entertained while I performed the repetitive task of slicing meats over and over (and over and over...). It was then that I came across Hold On Now, Youngster..., and it hit me that I had completely forgot all about this album's impending release. Knowing that it might be a good idea to check it out for the sake of the blog, not to mention that last year's Sticking Fingers Into Sockets EP was an enjoyable, upbeat listen, I gave it a spin. The above score reflects my first impression, as not only did I find the songs enjoyable, but really took notice of the production. It felt like I was listening to a collaboration between The Anniversary and Broken Social Scene (Dave Newfeld handled the production duties, which should explain that.), and most of all, it succeeded in keeping me interested at work.

However, subsequent listens leads me to believe that Youngster... might never again ascend higher than "good" status, which I think can be directly linked to the songs all sounding very much alike. Even during my initial listen I could tell that there was little variation on the record, but at the time it did not bother me. Well, that was then, I suppose. Don't get me wrong, the songs are all good, some are great, but its hard to stay focused and keep my attention when each song sounds so much alike.

Final Verdict: 74.4%
Hold On Now, Youngster... is far from a bad record, and there are a few songs, specifically "My Year In Lists" and "Sweet Dreams, Sweet Cheeks," that keep calling me back, begging me to reconsider, but I can't fool myself into thinking Youngster... is an (almost) great album any longer either. Thought the music is upbeat, its at times a bit boring due to the same-samey nature of the songs. However, in the right situations - at a party, at work - this album could very well prove more useful and enjoyable.

2008-02-25T14:48:00.002-06:00

Monade - Monstre Cosmic

(Too Pure; 2008)

Initial Grade: 81.8%

[mp3]"Regarde"

Why I'm Torn
I like to fancy myself as a big Stereolab fan. I'm far from a crazed, obsessed fanatic, but I own most of their albums, have my favorites, and listen to those particular albums frequently. So it was with great anticipation when the folks at Too Pure were kind enough to send me Monade's latest album, Cosmic Monstre. You see, Monade is Lætitia Sadier's (of Stereolab, uh, fame?) other project. What started in 2003 as a way to release her bedroom recordings has grown into a full band, one that is now three albums into their career. I put the album on my iTunes and listened to it immediately. My initial impression about two minutes into the album was, this sounds just like Stereolab. Then I got high.

Instantly, it was like a portal opened in my brain, and rather than listening to the songs on my computer, it was like the songs were downloaded into my head, playing through hidden speakers that lie somewhere inside my brain. Over the course of the next 50 minutes I let Monade take me on a cosmic journey, and listened as they played some of the most space-age sounding lounge/jazz music I've ever heard. It was pretty awesome, to say the least.

So why am I torn? Well, I'm not really torn about how I feel about it; I love it. What I was unsure of was whether or not this album was really that good, or was I just so overjoyed to hear something as close to a great Stereolab album as this that I became a little overzealous? In an early draft of this review I even went as far as to state something to the effect of, "Monstre Cosmic is probably the closest we'll ever come to hearing a classic Stereolab album," and in some aspects I still feel this is true. I mean, who knows what Stereolab's up to these days, and even if they did release a new record, which Stereolab would show up? The one that made classic records like Emperor Tomato Ketchup and Dots and Loops, or the one that's responsible for releasing their most recent albums, some of the most hit-and-miss works in the Stereolab canon. Because I wanted this review to be fair and balanced, I put off writing it for several weeks so I could let it sink in, and form a natural, unbiased opinion. I'm glad I did.

Repeated listens have revealed subtle differences - a richer guitar tone, extremely audible bass, a consistent flow throughout the album, and a tendency to push each song's boundaries, to name a few - that reveal more of a separation between Monade and Stereolab than I once thought. Sure, the genes are similar, but identical twins they are not. As a result, I no longer feel like I'm listening to the great Stereolab album that never was, I feel like I'm in love Monade's third album. I also feel like I can safely say, without any hint of overzealousness, that Monstre Cosmic is the first great record I've heard this year (or second, I fancy that new Beach House album quite a bit too, but you'll have a chance to read more about that soon enough).

Final Verdict: 87.4%
Obviously, I'm no longer torn. My early draft, now revised, would read, "Monstre Cosmic is not the closest we'll ever come to hearing a classic Stereolab album, rather it is Monade's first big step in writing their own entry into rock's history books." [Gold Sounds]

Mixtape Monday: File Under Drunken Mixtape by Backdrifter

2008-02-25T00:00:00.005-06:00

Mixtape: Science - Songs about ... Science

Remember to take caution with radioactive and biohazardous materials. Here is a little mix that I've been meaning to do for awhile. It has all of my old friends on it, because I'm an unoriginal drunk bastard. Don your labcoats and strap on some latex gloves... songs dealing with chemicals, physics, astronomy, microbiology, even robots for fuck's sake! Excitement - I know I can feel it.

SonicRyan - had I any idea what "Hexenzsene" was, it would have made a fine addition I'm sure.

That's some organic chemistry for yo bitches! Wait for it. Wait for it.

Column: Is It Fair to Judge People Based on Their Music Taste?

2008-02-22T13:28:00.009-06:00

By Nicole Pope

Once a semester I assign my students an analysis paper. Theoretically I could make them analyze anything: literature, abstract art, U.S. foreign policy, that year’s KU basketball team. Since it doesn’t matter what they are analyzing so much as how they are analyzing it, I ask them to write about something they are passionate about: their favorite music.

This assignment reveals far more about my students than, say, essays about the environment or smoking bans or the death of a grandparent. Suddenly I see them through a new lens: the quiet girl always hiding her Sudoku under her desk who loves Rilo Kiley, the hard-working Daddy’s girl who still listens to Daddy’s music (Lionel Ritchie), the kid in the back wearing a “Nausea” hat that isn’t really a commentary on his feelings about this class or life, but rather an advertisement for his favorite band.

It’s also the assignment with the potential to bring me closest to my students. I’ll never forget the girl who wrote an analysis of Animal Collective’s “Grass,” or the one who came to my office for help comparing Interpol’s “The Specialist” to Badly Drawn Boy’s “Everybody’s Stalkin,” or the student who compared descriptions of God in Sufjan Stevens’ “Casimir Pulaski Day” to those in Modest Mouse’s “Bukowski.” For perhaps the first time in the semester, these students and I were speaking the same language.

I’ve wondered about this connection, and whether it’s fair to bond with some people and not others based simply on music taste. Certainly others forge similarly shallow camaraderie based on films, art, politics, religion, television shows, and so on. Is it so wrong that for me at least, music is the number one barometer?

At times I feel like the characters from Wonder Boys, who scrutinize passersby and imagine their life stories: “He’s a groomer named Claudelle.” “He lives with his mother.” “He blames himself for his brother’s death.” Except I’m looking at people and guessing their music taste, like “I bet she adores Joni Mitchell,” or “He’s totally in a Slipknot tribute band,” or, “That hipster wannabe is a total Deathcab fan.”

Maybe there’s nothing wrong with this game in and of itself. But is it fair to then make assumptions about that person? I’d like to say no. That would be too superficial. That would be stereotyping. But to an extent I think it is possible, if not fair. If you believe like I do that music is an expression of one’s views on a lot of things – life, love, religion, politics, the pursuit of happiness, the status quo – then you better believe I’ll see a world’s difference between a super-Evanescence fan and a super-Animal Collective fan. (This is an extreme example, but you get the idea.)

To be fair, sometimes I am dead wrong about someone. Like the kid who I pegged as a SY/MBV fan, until he handed in his paper over chamber music. (No, not chamber pop, chamber music. Like Gregorian chants. Still, it could have been far worse.) Or the kid with the D+ average who adored Sufjan Stevens and Iron & Wine. He might not have been able to articulate why he adored them, but should that be a requirement for liking something? This time I can resoundingly say no.

My pretentious theory gets even more messed up when I think of my mother. I don’t want to just write her off, you know, even though not too long ago she did make me endure a diatribe about how Christina Aguilera was sooo much more talented than Britney Spears. Sometimes I make her mixes with safe bands I know she’ll like: Spoon, The Decemberists, Cat Power. Then she’ll call and say, “I finally listened to that CD you made me. That one kind of country-ish song has the f-word in it, but I still really liked it.” (“A History of Lovers” by Iron & Wine.) I’ll never forget the time she called me on her birthday after a couple glasses of wine and said, “I just wanted you to know. Arcade Fire. I get it now.”

So on subsequent mixes I get a little braver. And a little braver. Once I made her a mix with Sigur Ros and Sleater Kinney on it. I never did hear her thoughts on that one, though sometimes I imagine her sitting in her car listening to it. Trying to figure it out. More than likely, she’s trying to figure me out.

(Note: As much as I wish the nifty snobby graphic above were my creation, it's not. I took it from here, where incidentally you can also buy the T-shirt.)

First Listen Friday: Panther, Hills Like White Elephants

2008-02-22T00:52:00.004-06:00

I don't know about you, but I'm really enjoying our First Listen Friday feature. I think its fun to see what the staff is listening to each week, hopefully you do too. After the jump, listen to some new-ish music from Panther, which Jenna selected, and Hills Like White Elephants, which I'm currently adoring.

Panther - "These Two Trees," "Take Yr Cane"
The last time I wrote about Panther I called them my, "guilty pleasure." I've decided to upgrade...now they are simply my pleasure. I never truly felt guilty for listening to them. In fact, I felt as if I might have been given a glimpse into the future of something grand. With their February 19th release of 14 Kt God and the upcoming assortment of tour dates they are likely to grab a few nods from today's most respected critics (i.e. the RangeLife staff). Tour dates include but are not limited to Oklahoma City (3/11/) and Minneapolis (3/28). -JAMM

Hills Like White Elephants - "Heart Like an Airport" [mp3]
I was perusing the internets for some 2008 albums that I may have missed and somehow stumbled upon Hills Like White Elephants. Certainly my attention was initially caught by the bands name - I'm a fan of Hemingway like most burgeoning alcoholics - even more striking, immediately even, was the band's music, which is a healthy mix of Broken Social Scene, Deerhunter, Yo La Tengo, and maybe even some Sonic Youth, early Blonde Redhead, well, you get the idea. A beautifully noisy guitar based band, but one that often fleshes their sound out with lush strings (hence the BSS comparison). Original, no. Worth a listen, yes! Especially when you consider that you can download the album on a donation basis, like In Rainbows (and like In Rainbows, I'm pretty sure free is also an option), from the band's label. But hey, if free isn't convincing enough to give 'er a shot, check out "Heart Like an Airport," I think you'll dig it.

Spoon Makes Good On Promise

2008-02-21T11:12:00.006-06:00

So we were a little peeved with Brit and company for bailing on their 10/3 Lawrence show (that's a Tuesday) to play Saturday Night Live. Besides, we all know it's best to see a band when you're "in the glow" with their newest album, right?

Well, as promised, Spoon has made amends by making KC their first stop on their spring tour with The Walkmen and White Rabbits (4/2 at the Uptown). And even though Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga isn't exactly dewy behind the ears anymore, I'm still eager to see the guys rock one of their finest albums to date (lest ye forget it was our sixth favorite album of 2007).

Thanks, Backdrifter, for the good news!

File Under: Nostalgic Music Video

2008-02-20T15:21:00.003-06:00

"Melons." Many things come to mind when that delightful word is spoken. Breasts and cantaloupe are obvious connections but what about blind? Not many people would put the two words together but a bunch of pot smokin', psychedelic drug takin' ruffians thought it had a nice ring to it.

For your listening and viewing pleasure I present to you:
Blind Melon - No Rain

Wayback Whensday: Return of the 90s Alt-Rock Stars

2008-02-20T12:32:00.007-06:00

Sifting through the Spring 2008 album release schedule, I noticed something peculiar: an inordinate number of "old" bands have albums ready to unleash on the world. Of course I expect a certain amount of these career resuscitation attempts. There just seems to be a rash of them lately. Blind Melon? Presidents of the United States? Sister Hazel? Do we really need to traverse those paths again?

Perhaps even more distresssing is the fact that all those alt-rockers I obsessed over in my teens seemed to have congregated as if to say, remember us? Why don't you listen to us anymore? I read an intriguing column recently about cleaning out your Mp3 collection and starting anew, like a rebirth of the musical soul. In the spirit of this column, I figured I'd set aside my pretensions for a minute and check out some of these new releases from old bands.

For some reason, this feels like more of a confession than anything.

R.E.M. - Accelerate (4/1)
Any time my friends and I get into the old "Is it better to burn out or to fade away?" discussion, I think of R.E.M. By the Reveal era I was pretty bored with the band (which is, incidentally, the one and only tour on which I saw them live). My decision to "give up" on the band was only furthered by snippets here and there of lackluster singles. I adore the band's early catalog, which only makes the newer tripe that much harder to stomach.

After hearing first single "Supernatural Superserious," I doubt I'll be clamoring to hear the rest of the album, though I'm happy to report the band has remembered they can rock.

Maybe Modest Mouse and The National concur, which is why they plan to open for R.E.M.'s spring tour? (Note: Aside from a 6/6 Chicago date, we Midwesterners are out of luck.)

Seven Mary Three - Day&NightDriving (2/5)
Remember these guys? There was a time I obsessed over their 1997 release Rock Crown. I still think about the closing track "Oven" sometimes: "This Kansas wheat won't break me / And another drink won't take me."

Of all the tracks I listened to on this little sojourn today, I'd say "Hammer & A Stone" has impressed me the most. Ultimately I'd say the band seems to be doing what they used to very, very, well here. If only that were enough for me.

Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid (3/17)
This technically isn't a 90s band, but they might as well be. I first heard Elbow in '02 when they opened for Pete Yorn, which is perhaps another conversation/confession altogether. I enjoyed Asleep in the Back quite a bit at the time, Cast of Thousands wasn't awful, and Backdrifter's reported that a couple tracks off Leaders of the Free World weren't too shabby. It's just with so much new music to collect and digest, why would I want to listen to something that I can at best call "not awful"?

Anyway, I just heard "Grounds for Divorce" on the band's Myspace. (Hey, isn't that a Wolf Parade song? I wonder what they're up to these days?) The track has an intriguing stomp-and-chant structure leading up to your classic Elbow croon-and-swoon moment. And repeat. And rock. And repeat. If it sounds like I'm not keeping an open mind here, I'm sorry. I just don't want to listen to this anymore.

Counting Crows - Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (3/25)
This one should be good. Maybe this is just self-masochism, but here I am, about to discuss the Counting Crows on my beloved indie rock blog. You see there was a time when I had nearly a thousand CC tracks on my computer, including rarities and B-sides and countless live sessions. I can distinctly recall a boyfriend at the time snidely saying, "You know, there's more to music that the Counting Crows." Well, yeah. But I was a woman --or perhaps child -- obsessed.

I must say there was a spark when I first heard August and Everything After. Maybe Mr. Duritz tapped into my future love for folk, I don't know. I can't explain it away, other than the CC were undeniably a stepping stone in the evolution of my music taste -- along with Dave Matthews Band, Better Than Ezra, and a host of other 90s rockers. Believe it or not, at the time I thought the music I listened to was kind of "underground."

So here we are fifteen years after the release of August, and the Crows have a new album due out next month. The band has quite a few tracks up on its Myspace, which incidentally has had an incredible 7.7 million listens (looks like I'm not the only one guilty of a CC fetish). "You Can't Count On Me" and "1492" seemed to be trying way too hard and failed to stir much within me, though "Dreaming of Michelangelo" reminded me a bit of what I once loved about the band: intimate lyrics, stripped down acoustics. Again, this isn't what I would call mind blowing, but I could listen to the whole song, you know, without completely hating myself.

Nothing I heard today shattered my world as I know it, though I kinda feel like Rob from High Fidelity when he revisits all his old girlfriends. I had a chance to sort things out with some of my old favorite bands, to make sure there weren't any hard feelings, and perhaps more than anything, to say goodbye.

Album Review: Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel

2008-02-19T10:41:00.011-06:00

Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead...

(Kranky; 2008)

82% [GOLD SOUNDS]

"Scraping Past" [mp3]

Bradford Cox has done it again.

Last month I raved about discovering Fluorescent Grey, the 2007 EP that in many ways picks up where Cryptograms left off. You could say much the same about Cox's first full-length under the Atlas Sound banner. Let the Blind Lead is springtime Deerhunter, Cryptograms worn inside out -- airy ambience with the occasional dark streak.

Go ahead and skip the first track, “A Ghost Story.” In short, it’s a misguided opener featuring a young child’s oh-so-precocious attempt at telling, that’s right, a ghost story. Spoken word is one thing, but this is so much worse, and honestly was enough to knock down the album's score a few good points. Beyond this misfire, however, this collection of atmospheric pop songs rarely stumbles. I’ll admit a few intense listens were required to unearth the album’s intricacies – not unlike my initial experience with Cryptograms – but once more the dense soundplay has begun to give up its secrets.

Atlas Sound does a remarkable job of melding familiar sounds, both from Cox's reportoire as well as the best of his contemporaries'. "Quarantined" would fit snugly amongst Fluorescent Grey's four tracks, whereas "Winter Vacation" and "Small Horror" evince classic Deerhunter. "Cold As Ice" forges Deerhunter with self-titled-era Broken Social Scene. "Bite Marks" and other tracks could be sampling new Field for all I know, whereas the darkest track, "Scraping Past," features impressive bass evoking prime Johnny Greenwood.

Bottom line: if you like Deerhunter, you'll love Atlas Sound. Yet even if Deerhunter hasn't won you over with its brooding hallucinogenics, Atlas Sound's lighter take just might.

Top Five Tuesday: "What Were They Thinking?" Album Covers

2008-02-19T09:49:00.018-06:00

A few months ago SonicRyan showed me how to copy and paste album covers into my ITunes, if you know, I cared about that sort of thing. I didn't so much then, but ever since I've learned this little trick I've been copying and pasting like a mad woman. Sure, nothing beats holding the real jewel case/record in your hands, but I'll settle for a digitized album art experience.

As we all know, the best cover art complements the feel of the album. As I sifted through my newly acquired album covers, I was astonished by how amazing so many of them truly were. For instance, "So THAT's what the covers of my 500 Stereolab albums look like," I thought. And all those right angles and squiggles and primary colors somehow made sense. Far too often, however, I came across cover art that left me scratching my head and saying, "Huh?" Today I am dedicating this Top Five list to these inexorably strange covers. Can somebody please tell me what these bands and their art designers were trying to say?

Runner-Up: Cat Power - The Greatest (2006)
I avoided this album for nearly two years because 1.) I initially thought it was a greatest hits album, and 2.) I hate hate hated the cover. This makes me think of junior high BFF heart necklaces, of lockets stuffed with pictures of ex-boyfriends, and a whole bunch of other garbage. Come on, Chan, next time just slap a picture of your big ole beautiful fake mole on the cover. Wait...

5. Spoon - Gimme Fiction (2005)
When I think of Gimme Fiction, I think of the perfect spring album for driving around with your windows down, of simplistic yet rewarding rock songs with melodies that stick in your head for days. I do not think of Middle Eastern women hiding their faces from view. Seriously, WTF?

4. Wilco - A Ghost Is Born (2004)
A ghost is born, huh? OK, I'll buy that. What about a cherry ghost? OK, I can buy that, too. But are you trying to tell me that when this cherry ghost is born, it arrives via EGG?

3. The New Pornographers - Challengers (2007)
Seriously, for an album that showed us the most mature New Pornos to date, this mustachioed gentleman sure takes us straight into raunchy territory. In every way imaginable, this cover is just wrong.

2. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jams (2007)
When P4K posted its "20 Worst Album Covers of 2007" feature last year, I was stunned to discover this gelatinous mess wasn't listed among the ranks of the most rank. Might the P4K staff have been so blinded by the awesomeness of their sixth best album of the year (our second best) and Noah Lennox's "single-ser ving friend" explanation for the album title/art that they overlooked the true horror of this album cover? Especially considering the beauty of so many of the band's previous covers? Here's one you might not have seen, from 2005's Prospect Hummer EP (on the right).

Hands down, my award for Worst/Most Bizarre Album Cover goes to:

1. Deerhoof - Milk Man (2004)

Ryan's been threatening to dress up as the milk jug from the Blur video for years now. Well, I might just one-up him with a "Milk Man" costume. Can't you just see it now? A strawberry jammed (ha) in my skull, check. Bananas lodged in my armpit and ass, check. Blood spurts, check. Camel toe, double check.

Apparently this fruity freak has attained near-cult status amongst the band and its followers, as pictures from recent Deerhoof shows reveal (from P4K).

Still, can I just say I don't get it?

Well there you have this week's Top Five list. In the future I'd like to do more about album art, maybe even a Top Five Best Album Covers?

If album art interests you, too, you should check out Sleevage.com, a pretty cool blog exclusively dedicated to the art of the album cover.

Until next time...

Album Review: Headlights - Some Racing Some Stopping

2008-02-18T20:52:00.006-06:00

Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping

(Polyvinyl; 2008)

Grade: 79% [GOLD SOUNDS]

[mp3]"Cherry Tulips"

Just when I think I'm tired of the whole Indie Rock scene, tired of all the bullshit posturing and posing, the hype, the hyperbole, the hit and miss albums that just won't go away, epic songs, the word "epic" describing nearly every song that's over 6 minutes, and overwrought album reviews that have more semi-colons than references to the actual music, an album like Some Racing, Some Stopping comes along and reminds me of the simple pleasures that only a good pop song can offer.

When you get right down to it, Some Racing is bound to be overlooked and underrated. It's not as if it jumps up and down, screaming "Ooh, ooh, over here! Listen to me!" Yet, the unassuming nature of this album is part of the charm, because it will positively suck you in without you even knowing. Songs that might initially evoke Belle & Sebastian or Camera Obscura take subtle shifts and make all the right moves, often building into blissful bedroom rock for bleeding hearts. Even better is the pairing of the titular track and "So Much For the Afternoon." These two tracks see the band flexing their creative muscle, proving once and for all that they have more to offer than just energetic indie pop. "Afternoon" is especially stunning, as it manages to evoke both Radiohead's excellent, slow burning, infidelity laden "House of Cards," and Broken Social Scene's swirling "Shampoo Suicide," yet Headlights make it sound uniquely their own.

Some Racing, Some Stopping may not be a revelation, but like Tapes 'N Tapes' debut or, yes, Camera Obscura's most recent release, it is unpretentious, refreshing, and enjoyable. Given the chance, this album it should keep you humming for weeks.

Mixtape Monday: Dirty Bars and the Occasional All Ages Show

2008-02-18T00:24:00.005-06:00

The other day I had the 'ol iTunes on random, and out of nowhere came an Unwound song that I hadn't heard in ages, so long in fact that I did not recognize the song one bit. But the song ("Hexenzsene" from New Plastic Ideas in case you're wondering) rocked my ass in a way that my ass hadn't been rocked in quite some time, and it felt good. The distortion and dissonance hit the spot, and suddenly, as is usually the case when I hear a song for the first time in years, memories started flooding back. First came recollections of listening to Repetition in the car, which moved on to memories of road trips to see ...Trail of Dead in St. Louis, finishing my Algebra homework while listening to Hum through my headphones, drinking mochas as the coffee shop blared Sunny Day Real Estate, and so on. These bands formed a skeletal version of the mixtape you're (hopefully) about to listen to, the others came through after a series of mental connections. Some editing to the mix was done to keep it concise and to help it flow (sorry Polvo, Pavement), but overall it's every bit what I imagined: loud and abrasive, but not completely lacking in melody. Enjoy.

Who's Excited For Some New Tapes 'n Tapes?

2008-02-15T21:11:00.003-06:00

Me, that's who! The first available track from their sophomore album Walk it Off is called Hang Them All, and its pretty good. I know I only said pretty good, but I mean that with a lot of enthusiasm, I swear. Okay, I'll admit, the ending isn't what I hoped, but it was quite a thrill getting there. Listen, and you'll see what I mean.

Tapes 'n Tapes - "Hang Them All" [mp3]

or, if you're a real audiophile, you can get it in FLAC!

Walk it Off is available 4/8 from via XL.

Column: Are Solo Albums Good or Bad for the Band?

2008-02-15T12:47:00.014-06:00

By Nicole Pope

Last year seemed to bring an exorbitant number of solo releases, from lovers Feist and Kevin Drew to Thurston Moore to Panda Bear. Ordinarily the very idea of a solo album leaves me lukewarm, yet 2007 proved if not incredible on all accounts, at least intriguing.

Why do artists record solo albums, I've wondered, and are they a sign of a healthy collaboration with a band's fellow members, or the heralding of the end?

Perhaps it's crucial to draw a distinction between solo albums that allow a musician to grow on his or her own terms, and those that seem to be merely a rehashing or watered-down version of the music performed by the full band.

I can't say enough about Panda Bear's sophomore triumph Person Pitch. Here, in my mind, is an example of an album that is so distinctly PB, it simply could not have been an Animal Collective release. Noah Lennox said, hey, I have something to say outside the scope of the band, and he made that happen. Then AC reconvened and recorded Strawberry Jams, an album that further showcases the talent Panda Bear exhibits on PP, without damaging the band's cohesiveness. A strong solo release, in Animal Collective's case, made for a stronger band.

Most solo albums, on the other hand, fail to push an artist's sound beyond that of their full-time band. Thurston Moore's Trees Outside the Academy contains a handful of impressive tracks, including the incredible "Silver Chair," yet ultimately disappoints. Why? Because as one of the major players in Sonic Youth, arguably one of the best rock bands EVER, I think we all expected so much more. The same could be said about Thom Yorke's The Eraser. This is an enjoyable record, no doubt, but was anyone else disappointed that -- both lyrically and musically -- Thom could be so normal? And don't even get me started on Stephen Malkmus.

So maybe all this proves is that the push and pull of multiple band members is critical. (Any Verve fan who's tried to listen to Richard Ashcroft's solo material can speak to this point.) Beyond simply being lackluster, though, some solo albums seem to signal trouble amongst the ranks. I've already expressed my fears about The New Pornographers, whose multi-talented members as of late seem to be pouring their best material into their individual careers. I have similar fears following the success of Feist's The Reminder. Will Broken Social Scene soon have to subsist without the talented songstress, leaving us with merely Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew? (Shudders.)

Lastly, with some solo artists I wonder, why bother? This April Colin Meloy will release a solo album. Beings that Meloy is the heart and soul of The Decemberists (penning both the music and lyrics), I'm not sure what the point of a solo album would be. If you ask me, this makes about as much sense as a Kevin Barnes or Sam Beam solo album. Am I missing something here?

First Listen Friday: DeVotchKa, Of Montreal, and The Helio Sequence

2008-02-15T00:00:00.009-06:00

Friday blah blah Songs blah blah Turn it up blah blah.

My enthusiasm is there, trust me...just not my ability to find clever and thoughtful words. Just listen!

DeVotchKa - "Transliterator"

Off their upcoming album A Mad and Faithful Telling. These guys made waves after being on the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack. I'm looking forward to this release.

Of Montreal - "Jimmy"

Thanks to Femme Fatale for showing me this one. A M.I.A. cover from her latest Kala. This one is actually an old recycled song as PF explains. Groovin.

The Helio Sequence - "Can't Say No"

These guys are labelmates with Band of Horses and the vocals are telling. Recently released Keep Your Eyes Ahead has gotten a lot of attention on KEXP, the Seattle radio station that I'm completely obsessed with. Hit their live in-studio archives - you won't be disappointed.

V Day for the One You Loathe

2008-02-14T16:05:00.010-06:00

Seriously, if I see one more jewelry commercial advertising those "Journey of Love" necklaces set to a Vanessa Carlton soundtrack, I am gonna hurl. So Valentine's Day means little to me these days. Does that mean I'm less romantic, or more realistic? All I can think about is one of the first lines in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: "Valentine's Day. A holiday invented by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap."

Speaking of realistic, here's a nice little gift for those of you who can't find that perfect message in the greeting card aisle. It's a plush doggie with a heart-shaped hole in its chest: a Heartless Bitch. Ha! You can buy one here. Of course, you could just keep the $7.95 and drown your angst with some cheap wine. Or, as I plan on doing tonight, with a Chipotle burrito. Now THAT'S romance.

In honor of this manufactured holiday, I thought I'd assemble an appropriately insensate soundtrack. My playlist might not leave you as soulless as that Vanessa Carlton song, but it might come close.

I didn't put it on here, but Radiohead's "All I Need" would make a beautiful addition to this list. "I'm an animal trapped in your hot car": tell me that isn't the sweetest line you've ever heard.

Catching Up

2008-02-14T13:47:00.005-06:00

Because we're all busy at Range Life, with school, work, or in some cases, both, we're just not able to cover every little thing we want to cover. I honestly don't know how other blogs do it. However, we're just as obsessed with music as we've ever been, so here's a post catching you up on shows and songs we haven't covered yet. (A post briefing you on albums we missed is in the works) I hope you've got a few minutes, 'cause this might take a while.

Shows:
There have been plenty of additions to the concert calendar to make a note of. Feist has scheduled a show in St. Louis, Man Man and Yeasayer are tag-teaming Omaha, and the Mission Creek Festival in Iowa City (yes, Iowa City) is shaping up to be a good looking, affordable music festival with Dan Deacon, Cursive, Range Life favorites Evangelicals, and Headlights. Colin Meloy is playing a solo gig in a few Midwest cities (including dear Lawrence at the gorgeous Liberty Hall), Radiohead tickets go on sale Saturday (in case you forgot), and last but certainly not least, the Breeders (you know, Kim Deal's other band) are hitting up the Bottleneck! The concert calendar is updated and ready for your browsing.

Songs (mp3's):
Ruby Suns - "Tane Mahuta"
Unlike Vampire Weekend, "Tane Mahuta," as well as all most of the Ruby Suns upcoming album Sea Lion, manages to balance pop music with African rhythms and NOT sound incredibly boring. Of course, that's just my opinion. Regardless of your stance on Vampire Weekend, this track is worth a listen. And just so you know, "Tane Mahuta" is not even one of my favorites on the album, its just the one Sub Pop wants available for free. My hands are tied, but trust me, this album (out March 4) is delicious, especially if you're a fan of Animal Collective.

Grand Archives - "Torn Blue Foam Couch"
Listen to the first two seconds, and what do you hear? Its the beginning of "Suffer for Fashion," isn't it? I swear, every time I hear the beginning of this song, I'm waiting for that fucking baby to go "la la la," and some really good glam rock. Moving on, this is the first single from the first album by Grand Archives. A lot of attention is heading the band's way mostly because this is singer/guitarist Mat Brooke's first post-Band of Horses release, but what's more important are the songs. Like the Ruby Suns, this particular track isn't my favorite off the album, but again this is Sub Pop (I'm convinced they do that on purpose) and my hands are tied. However, fans of Iron & Wine and, yes, Band of Horses, should keep an eye out for the self titled debut, which is out this coming Tuesday.

Bon Iver - "Skinny Love"
Technically, this song is far from new, as Bon Iver's debut, For Emma, Forever Ago, was self-released last fall. Since then, Bon Iver has been signed to Jagjaguwar, and this coming Tuesday the album gets a proper release. The song "Skinny Love" sounds to me like Tunde Adubimpe of TV on the Radio started a solo freak-folk project. Its damn fucking awesome, that's for sure.

Songs (stream):
Here's a smattering of 2008 songs that I'm currently digging.

Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now, Youngster is available 2/19 via Phantom Sound & Vision.
Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge is available now via Domino.
Beck - Odelay [Deluxe Edition] is available now via Geffen.
Born Ruffians - Red Yellow & Blue is available 3/4 via Warp.
Evangelista - Hello Voyager is available 3/11 via Constellation.
American Music Club - The Golden Age is available 2/19 via Merge.
Hello, Blue Roses - The Portrait is Finished &I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty is available now via Locust.
Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel is available 2/19 via Kranky.
The Whitsundays - The Whitsundays is available now via Friendly Fire.
Thao (ed: not Than) - We Brave Bee Stings and All is available now via Kill Rock Stars.
Get Well Soon - Rest Your Weary Head You Will Get Well Soon is available now as an import via City Slang.
Lykke Li - I'm Good I'm Gone is available now as an import via...you know, I'm not sure, but you can order it from Amazon for only $9.99.

Is That a Nipple? Fashion Break with M.I.A., SY, and More

2008-02-14T11:18:00.005-06:00

Who showed up at the Marc Jacobs After Party... besides Lil' Kim?

M.I.A. on the turntables being gorgeous as usual.

My favorite couple, Thurston Moore & Kim Gordon.

Jack White's model wife, Karen Elson, on the right.

And Debbie Harry wearing a spacesuit? And carrying a bag that I need.

And also...have you seen M.I.A.'s new ads for Marc Jacobs? Fierce!

All pictures from Style.com. Enjoy!

Have You Heard? Islands - Arm's Way

2008-02-13T12:20:00.003-06:00

"Islands are forever," Nick Diamond said when the second of the three original Unicorns members left the Islands in '06. The statement is also the name of the band's web site, and appears as their Myspace headline.

It's clear, as the backbone of the band, "Diamond is forever" (just in time for Valentine's Day, too!). Islands, on the other hand, I began to wonder about.

Apparently I was wrong about these guys. Plans are on track for the band to release its second LP May 20, titled Arm's Way, which is apparently a play on the phrase "Harm's Way." (Don't we just love these guys and their puns? My favorite is still "Where's There's a Will There's a Whalebone." No word yet on whether the new album will include a song called, "Where There's a Will There's an Arm's Way." Ahem.)

As we speak the band has new track "The Arm" on its MySpace, a song that seems to further the distance between the rough and ready rock of the Unicorns and the lush production of Return to the Sea. All of the Islands' tropes can be found here: Diamond's staple croon, jubilant piano, a dash of the old west guitar a la "Volcanoes."

I'd like to offer a few quotes that summarize my feelings about this new track:

From Pitchfork - "On the first few listens, the thin melody doesn't seem quite up to the Technicolor production, but the sonic ambition is promising."

From a reader comment on Stereogum - "This is a pretty good song, the overall sound of it is a pretty cool new direction, but Nicky D needs to stick to writing the awesome melodies I've come to love him for...

This is what happened to the Shins. Wincing the night away was a beautifully textured sonic dreamscape... at the expense of Mercer's ridiculously good melodies (on most songs).

Do these artists think that this is the sound of maturation? Better sounding song =/= better song."

Well put, random reader. I'll let you guys check out the song and decide for yourselves. On the upside, here's a preview of "Abominable Snow," a song the band played live back in their Unicorns' days - so, you know, it's probably gonna be the best track on the new album.