5 Silver Star for Robot Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:17:00 +0000

GUIDED BY VOICES
English Little League
[GBV Records - 2013]

Has there ever been a more prolific songwriter in the history of popular music than Robert Pollard? Forget about the GBV catalog, the solo output under his name and the numerous collaborations and other projects—if the three full length albums released in 2012 by the recently reunited ‘93-‘96 lineup of GBV are any indication, Uncle Bob ain’t letting moss gather on his badass senior citizen self. (As Matt Wild of the A.V. Club remarked in his review of the album, “Pollard recently installed a recording studio in his house [which would] suggest that it will now be even easier for Uncle Bob to wake up, shuffle out of bed, and record four new albums before lunch.” Ha!)

Nothing wrong with Pollard keeping up his decidedly superhuman pace since much this recent output is pretty cool; nothing stellar but certainly not disappointing. And definitely bearing some outstanding moments.

English Little League is certainly not the exception. Unfortunately, Pollard’s old collaborator Tobin Sprout is back on board and his contributions not only seem out of place but occasionally bring the flow of the album to a halt. For those who may have come late to the GBV party—circa 1997’s Mag Earwhig [Matador]—or simply did not care much for Sprout, it might be jarring to hear him on a new GBV album at his point. Oh, well.

With this newest chapter of the GBV saga we get an album that's a bit too long, with its share of duds, occasional filler and recordings of varying degrees of fidelity sharing space together. But few songwriters in indie rock, past or present, have the for knack for busting out choice tunes like Pollard so effortlessly seems to do time and again. So, it’s business as usual, then. We’ll take it.

Highlights: “Xeno Pariah”, “Trash Can Full of Nails”, “Send to Celeste (and the Cosmic Athletes)”, “Biographer Seahorse”, “Flunky Minnows”.

A Blizzard, A True Fart

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 03:08:00 +0000

TODD RUNDGREN
State
[Esoteric-2013]

The ‘80s teen movie classic Better Off Dead features a scene in which John Cusack’s dad, in an effort to connect with his teenage son, is cluelessly employing severely outdated slang.
After failing miserably Dad only becomes aware of his folly when Cusack throws him a bone towards the end of their awkward conversation.
Listening to Todd Rundgren’s latest album is a close approximation.
Except Rundgren doesn't care. No, he does not.

You see, aside from the misfire of an approach that alternates between seemingly appealing to what Rundgren thinks is the type of pop electronica today’s youth salivates over; revisiting the lesser moments of his otherwise solid Liars album [Sanctuary-2004]; and what can only be described as the remnants of a discarded electronica record circa 1989, it's not that Rundgren has lost the plot. No. It's that he is gleefully digging a deeper hole each time out. (And let's not dwell on the bitter irony of a legendary producer making records that sound like cheesy demos.)

More and more—as the All Music Guide’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine once pointed out—it seem like the Runt has decided to apply the old Bill Cosby joke of “I brought you into this world, I can take you out” to the last couple of decades or so of his recording career. If indeed that is the case he’s sure on track. The rest of us, or whoever else is left paying attention to his new releases, need to get off, tho.

[Album cover art courtesy of All Music Guide.]

Wishful Thinking

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 04:01:00 +0000

Michael Azzerad, best known as author of highly-acclaimed indie rock tome Our Band Could Be Your Life, has started a new website, The Talkhouse, which features essays on artists written by fellow artists, a concept which we could totally get behind since we're suckers for musicians talking about their heroes. Except that upon perusing the site's content we found ourselves uninterested by either the essayist or the object of their affection. And sometimes, neither one. [sigh] Your mileage may vary, of course. Check it out here.

The Tourists - "I Only Want to Be With You"

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:37:00 +0000

The Tourists never made much of an impression here in the US, although shortly after the band's breakup two of their members surely did: Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. But in 1979 before Eurythmics was even a concept, the band had their lone US hit: a cover of an old Dusty Springfield tune which managed to scrape the lower reaches of the Billboard charts. This was a sign of the times, as catchy power pop tunes like "My Sharona" (The Knack), "I Want You to Want Me [live]" (Cheap Trick), and "Let's Go" (The Cars), were capturing the mainstream and The Tourists managed to ride that wave, albeit quite briefly.

The band never really capitalized on their modest success--they actually bore a strong dislike for "I Only Want to Be With You"--and broke up a year later amidst audience indifference, legal mishaps and internal tensions.

Death Knell Dictionary: "Dad Rock"

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:58:00 +0000

Labels can be helpful; they can be informative, clarify things and help save time. But sometimes they’re just plain stupid. Case in point: “dad rock”.

Supposedly, this is meant to be a snarky insult directed towards artists who follow rock tradition in their music. But here’s the thing: unless an artist is doing something incredibly new and original—which is terribly unlikely in the realm of popular music these days—it stands to reason they are operating within previously established guidelines. Therefore, these parameters were likely laid down by a prior generation. Hence, this leaves the “dad rock” designation devoid of substance and reducing it to just another vapid hipster epithet.

So, essentially, this derogatory term stems from the same group of people whose music and wardrobe fall mostly within the category of ‘80s retreads. Isn’t that ironic, Alanis?

Better Late...

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:53:00 +0000

The news of Pearl Jam's debut album Ten [Epic-1991] recently surpassing, appropriately enough, 10 million units sold in the US--which will be awarded Diamond status--via 4,000 copies sold the second week of February, brought about a couple of interesting tidbits. One is the fact that a 22 year old album from the so-called grunge era still sells a brisk amount of copies at this late date and at a time when free, mostly illegal downloads are how a wide swath of folks acquire their music; also, Ten is only one of 4 albums which have "gone Diamond" at this early point of 2013: Hybrid Theory (Linkin Park), Confessions (Usher), and 21 (Adele). Hmm...

20 Years Ago Today: 'Pablo Honey'

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 05:01:00 +0000

RADIOHEAD

Pablo Honey

[Parlophone-1993]

It's not surprising, given what has transpired since it was released on Feb. 22, 1993, that the band's latter day fanbase would shun a debut album which led the object of their undying and unwavering obsession to be nicknamed "the British Nirvana"--the record was produced by the renown "grunge" team of Sean Slade and Paul Q. Kolderie, of Pixies and Hole fame--and was named after a Jerky Boys skit. (Of course this tidbit is somewhat shocking proof that the Oxford quintet once had a sense of humor.)

But rather than a skeleton in their proverbial closet the band's uneven initial long player has its moments, including "You", "Anyone Can Play Guitar", "Ripcord", "I Can't" and--to Thom Yorke's everlasting chagrin, we imagine--their most famous song: the anthem of self loathing known as "Creep".

Although Pablo Honey held the title of Radiohead's weakest album until The King of Limbs showed up and blew it out of the water 2 years ago this week, it's not the filler-laden dud many would lead you to believe. In reality, it's always been a snapshot of a young band with a few decent songs attempting to find its footing. That their songwriting grew in leaps and bounds over the following two albums has sharply overshadowed Pablo Honey's simple charms in the two decades since its release. (Even Jonny Greenwood believes it's been underrated.) If nothing else, it hints at what was to come with The Bends two years later. And that's not a bad place to be, then or now.

Damned If You Do...

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:31:00 +0000

NATALY DAWN
How I Knew Her
[Nonesuch-2013]

Best known as half of YouTube sensation Pomplamoose--along with fellow multi-instrumentalist Jack Conte--Dawn's solo debut is a lush collection of singer/songwriter Americana which has earned mixed reviews and a Spin magazine "Worst New Music" designation despite fitting the profile of the type of album that passes for a critical favorite these days. Of course, critical faves tend to be measured by the music and/or the artist's relationship with a certain degree of authenticity and Dawn's viral past hinders that authenticity in the eyes and ears of quite a few reviewers. The same flip-flopping folks who deem it "rockist" to evaluate popular music artists by this standard, mind you.

Something is fishy here. Why aren't the folks at Spin and other like-minded critics praising her distinct and engaging voice, the well-crafted songs, the wistful Americana? We realized we're not really crazy about the album; a conclusion based on how the songs on How I Knew Her lack the necessary pull to drag themselves up from their frequent preciousness and occasional forced quirkiness, and nothing to do with her internet past. (The title track is stellar, tho.) But something did not add up. Hmm...
It was at this point that we arrived at a 'Eureka!' moment.

It seems as if fellow critics' main beef with Dawn and her album is that instead of following her band's cute Lady GaGa and Beyonce covers and going the Carmin route--gimmicky covers on YouTube leading to a trashy Black Eyed Peas/Top 40-type career--Dawn decided to cash in her viral chips as an earnest singer/songwriter instead of the abominable cheesy musical theatre geek fascinated with lowest common denominator hip hop and auto tuned bullshit that is Carmin. Truth is, if this album had been made by someone plucked out of obscurity and without the stigma of internet inauthenticity, Spin and Pitchfork would be all over it. But they want their viral sensations to stay in their place and continue being their pet monkeys; never attempt to rise above anything Bieber-esque. It's like a perverse variation on the indie rock elitism of not liking an artist as soon as they become popular. Jeez...

We don't care for Dawn's musical politics (her defense of Amanda Palmer's free musicians scam was deplorable) and Conte comes across in interviews like a soulless douchebag better suited for writing beer jingles, but this album should be judged on its own merits and not based on some bullshit 21st century bias engaged in by those who have the least amount of cred in the world of music criticism. You are the ones Frank Zappa was referring to, kids, when he famously said "Most rock journalism is people who can't write, interviewing people who can't talk, for people who can't read." Try to do better, will you? You too, Nataly.

20 Years Later: 'Houdini'

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:46:00 +0000

MELVINS

Houdini

[Atlantic-1993]

Although the major labels were as clueless as to what "the kids" wanted in the early '90s as they'd been in the mid '6os and, accordingly, opened their checkbooks to anything that even remotely resembled the new status quo, it's safe to say the Melvins may not have been signed by Atlantic to a three album deal were it not for their close ties to a certain former roadie of theirs by the name of Kurt Cobain.

The Nirvana frontman partially produced and played on Houdini, the first and arguably the best of the Melvins' major label trifecta. (The other two, Stoner Witch [1994] and Stag [1996], are both quite worthy additions to the Melvins catalog.) Depending on your point of view, Houdini may or may not be the band's greatest moment, but it is their best known and best selling album to date; a record as powerful in 1993 as it is in 2013. If we're not mistaken the word for that is "timeless".

Highlights: "Hooch", "Night Goat", "Honey Bucket", "Copache".

Might As Well Jump

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Under the headline "David Lee Roth Wants Michael Anthony Back in Van Halen" in Ultimate Classic Rock's news section, the music website gave a misinforming, sensationalistic recap of a recent interview the Van Halen frontman gave Rolling Stone magazine.

Upon inspection of the RS interview itself even the most disconnected reader could easily deduce UCR exaggerated the whole Michael Anthony angle just for the sake of page views/hits. Diamond Dave does regret that a full-on reunion of the original VH lineup hasn't happened but this was a passing comment in 'it would be nice for the fans' mode within the context of an interview whose bulk is devoted to discussing his other musical endeavors--dance music; working with Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 on an autobiographical musical--as well as his daily conversations with Alex Van Halen, his desire to see VH play the likes of Bonnaroo and Coachella; and what's it's like living in Japan, where he's resided since May of last year.

Bottom line: the Michael Anthony thing was a blip and and nothing more. Certainly not the Earth-shattering revelation it was made out to be by the online music magazine. Lame, UCR. Very, lame.

It Was 35 Years Ago Today: 'Van Halen'

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 20:12:00 +0000

VAN HALEN
self-titled
[Warner Bros-1978]

Like Are You Experienced? a decade prior, Van Halen’s self-titled debut ushered in a world-class, and ultimately, hugely influential electric guitarist that changed the rock and roll landscape irrevocably. But it’s just more than Eddie VH’s jaw-dropping chops that made this album a hard rock classic and one of the greatest debuts of all time. It’s also the larger-than-life David Lee Roth persona; the locked-in rhythm section of Alex Van Halen and Michael Anthony, including the latter's contribution to the criminally overlooked vocal harmonies; and--most importantly--tunes, tunes, tunes. Among them, such classic rock radio staples as “Running With The Devil”, “Ain’t Talking ‘Bout Love”, “Little Dreamer” and the incendiary covers of “Ice Cream Man” and The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me”. Still the shit 35 years later.

A Classic Revisited: 'El Mayimbe'

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:47:00 +0000

FERNANDITO VILLALONA
El Mayimbe
[Kubaney-1983]

The Dominican Republic's best known export may be the numerous baseball players it has sent to the majors, some of whom are among the biggest names in the game. There's also designer Oscar de la Renta (betcha didn't know that one, huh?) and actress Zoë Saldaña. But up until recently, its major musical export was merengue and Juan Luis Guerra its biggest star, both home and abroad.

However, the 21st century has not been kind to merengue and its purveyors; overtaken in popularity by bachata--which JLG hepled popularize on a wider scale--as well as reggaeton and other urban musical manifestations, we're now a a few decades removed from the genre's classic era, which was arguably the '80s. And no one was bigger in that timeframe than Fernando Villalona.

A charismatic and engaging vocalist who initially rose to prominence in the early '70s at the ripe old age of 16, Villalona later joined the seminal Hijos del Rey, but left shortly thereafter when his popularity began eclipsing that of the group. He subsequently embarked on a solo career which yielded a string of enduring hits and in El Mayimbe--which features future star Alex Bueno on background vocals and über arranger Andres de Jesus on alto sax--released one of the greatest albums in merengue history. It's not hyperbole to state few albums represent merengue at its modern day apex as well as El Mayimbe does.

The living, breathing embodiment of a rock star, Villalona's meteoric rise and immense popularity was often overshadowed by a seemingly unrelentless drug addiction that threatened to derail his career and may have achieved that effect to a certain extent. But this 1983 classic is a reminder of not only his boundless talent and influence on a generation of merengueros, but is also a snapshot of an era in which modern merengue reached its greatest creative and popular heights.

Highlights: "Tabaco y Ron", "Los Saxofones", "Dejame Volver", "Mi Pueblo", "El Gusto".

White Flag

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 18:51:00 +0000

So, Greg Ginn is not only reforming one of 2 versions of Black Flag hitting the road in 2013--neither one includes Henry Rollins tho Ginn's lineup is actually releasing an album (?!)--but has started a new band called Good For You. Judging by their first single, one has to wonder who this mediocre Black Flag ripoff is good for.

Good For You's debut album, Life is Too Short Not to Hold a Grudge (SST), will be released Feb. 26th.

The Waiting is the Easiest Part

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 06:20:00 +0000

MY BLOODY VALENTINE
MBV
[self-released 2013]

Here's something not uttered since 1991: My Bloody Valentine have a new album out.

The first release by the shoegazer legends in 22 years does not introduce itself with the bang that led off the classic Loveless all those years ago but with the delightful narcotic haze of "She Found Now" with MBV mastermind Kevin Shields on lead vocals. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, particularly the first half, which underutilizes drummer Colm Ó Cíosóig, whose steady grooves are sorely missed.

Inevitable comparisons between Loveless and MBV are sure to come in the following days and weeks. (The one rather embarrassing similitude which will surely rarely, if ever, surface is how this album took longer than Chinese Democracy to see the light of day.)
But it's rather pointless to size up a a two-decades-later followup against a landmark record, particularly when the former does not reveal itself to be of similar stature. Of course, the question remains: Was it worth the wait? That answer depends on your particular devotion to My Bloody Valentine. And judging by initial fan reaction--including a 3-hour crash of the band's website--it seems as if just being able to enjoy a new album by these guys is nothing short of a state of bliss. All others tread cautiously.

Alive and Well

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 04:47:00 +0000

DEAD YOUNG FRIENDS
The Legion
Brooklyn, NY
2/2/13

Playing the backroom of this popular Williamsburg spot on a snowy and rather chilly Brooklyn night, vocalist/guitarist Jorge Strofer debuted the new lineup of his Dead Young Friends as a trio for the band's first ever gig in its new hometown. Despite a slight bout of jitters, the band acquitted themselves quite admirably during a strong 40 minute set of Cure/Church-influenced pop tunes which included selections from their debut album Lizards--"We Are Alike" and "Forza" were particular highlights--and both tracks from their new single "Going Away From Me" b/w "Weak".

With a new album coming soon and a string of upcoming local dates already lined up, DYF are on their way to having their presence keenly felt very soon, in hipsterland and beyond.

Pride and Joy: SRV's Debut 30 Years Later

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 18:29:00 +0000

Accepting an invitation for some free studio time from Jackson Browne, the unsigned Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble (Chris Layton, drums; Tommy Shannon, drums) drove out to California in the fall of '82 to lay down their magic on tape for the first time ever. And while it was to become an important moment in rock history it surely didn't feel that way to the band at the time.

“We didn’t go out there to make a record. We just played our songs three times through, live. To us, we were just making some tapes because a cool guy said he’d give us his studio. We didn’t even bring tape. We recorded over used tape. There are old Jackson Browne songs under Texas Flood”, Layton recently told the New York Times, while reminiscing on the three decades passed since the album's debut.

A stark contrast to the mainstream pop music riding the charts and the airwaves at the time, Texas Flood, the trio's debut, was a critically-acclaimed, Gold-selling, Top 40 album that announced the arrival of a new major talent, a blazing bluesman whose love of both Hendrix and Howlin' Wolf was readily apparent. This week Epic Records will release a 30th anniversary edition, which includes a never before released October '83 King Biscuit Flower Hour concert recorded in Philly. (A vinyl box set with all 4 of the band's albums will be released later this year.)

As for the minimal amount of posthumous releases for an artist of SRV's stature, Layton is more than happy with the approach.

“I meet young kids all the time who say, ‘My dad just turned me on to your records six months ago’. Part of me thinks it’s the same old thing, a record we made 30 years ago. But I want a new generation to hear it. To me, it’s not an effort to sell the same record to someone who’s bought it three times before. I want to sell it to the kid that’s never heard us.”

Marketing Over Music. Again.

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 10:36:00 +0000

Recently the folks at HypeBot published a "lightly edited and condensed transcript" of what we feel is a quite hyperbolic and misleading interview they conducted with Jack Conte, one half of You Tube sensations Pomplamoose, in which Conte explains the band's success in terms more useful to folks interested in designing apps, selling soap or the distribution of some random assembly line product. Music? Hmm...probably not.

Then again, if you feel comfortable adopting one of their key mantras, which is that you should be "trying a million things until something works", more commonly and vulgarly known as 'throw shit on the wall until it sticks', then your ideas about creativity might actually align with theirs, particularly, "if it's not a hit, switch".

So, the folksinger thing not panning out? Try metal. Or give electronica a whirl. How 'bout jazz? Dancefloor diva, perhaps? Ugh. By the way, speaking of the triumph of style over substance...

To put it mildly, Lady GaGa has never been a saint of our devotion 'round these parts. But we probably won't be knocking her anymore. After all, we live in a world in which a talented, piano-playing, singer/songwriter has to wear a meat dress and play the 'shock value' card to get both the industry and the masses to notice her, so who's fault is that?

5 Essential XTC Albums

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 22:29:00 +0000

A short while ago, the folks at esteemed British music mag Mojo picked XTC as the focus of their monthly "How to Buy..." feature, in which they list 10 of an artist's albums in order of desirability and recommend which of the aforementioned artist's records to avoid. Always on point with their opinions and suggestions, on this occasion they scored a rare miss. This is what it should've looked like had they chosen 5 albums, of course. XTC For Dummies? A quick fix? Essentials, regardless.

5. Live at the BBC 1 [Windsong-1992]
Because XTC were only a touring act for a quarter of their 20+ years as a band and their live shows were so highly regarded, the hard-to-find 1980 Live at the BBC 1 concert is an important, worthwhile addition to any XTC collection. Which is why this rare document of the band’s mesmerizing live show is listed here in lieu of a worthy studio album like, say, Apple Venus Vol.1 [Cooking Vinyl-1999].

4. Drums and Wires [Virgin-1979]
With über talented new guitarist/keyboardist Dave Gregory replacing the departed Barry Andrews, and Ultravox/Siouxie and the Banshees producer Steve Lillywhite ringleading the sessions, XTC blended the best aspects of their first two albums—namely the art-y new wave and pop sensibilities—on Drums and Wires, an impressive leap forward littered with great songs ("Helicopter", "When You're Near Me I Have Difficulty", "Ten Feet Tall", the often-covered "Scissor Man") and anchored by two stellar Colin Moulding compositions: “Life Begins at the Hop” and their first bonafide hit, “Making Plans for Nigel”.

3. Black Sea [Virgin-1980]
The ‘80s would bring 3 classic albums from XTC and so they started off the new decade in full swing and not wasting any time. Lillywhite returned to produce an album which is not only a timeless collection of songs but is considered by many to be the band’s best. Although Black Sea was not that dissimilar from their previous release, it packed more of a sonic wallop—much props to drummer Terry Chambers for his always inventive but rockin’ playing—and coincided with Partridge and Moulding being on a songwriting roll. Not a bad tune in the bunch on a record that includes the singles “Respectable Street”, “Generals and Majors”, “Towers of London” and “Sgt. Rock (Is Going to Help Me)”. If you are unfamiliar with XTC this is undoubtedly where you should start.

2. Oranges & Lemons [Virgin-1989]
This double album—possibly named after a line in Skylarking’s “Ballet for a Rainy Day”—is also the band’s most varied effort: stadium rock (“The Loving”), power pop (“The Mayor of Simpleton”), orchestrated ballads (“Chalkhills and Children”), touches of African highlife and other influences (“Merely a Man”, “Poor Skeleton Steps Out”, “Across this Antheap”) all inhabit Oranges & Lemons, alongside XTC’s classic songwriting (“King for a Day”, “Cynical Days”, “Pink Thing”).
Far-reaching but mostly on-point, Oranges & Lemons—along with Black Sea, and Skylarking—is one of XTC’s crowning achievements.

1. Skylarking [Virgin-1986]

Mostly recorded at his Woodstock, NY facilities and sequenced and arranged as a song cycle by the great Todd Rundgren, Skylarking is arguably XTC’s finest moment. Lush sounding and chock full of wonderful tunes ("Summer's Cauldron", lead single "Grass", "That's Really Super, Supergirl", "Ballet for a Rainy Day", "1000 Umbrellas", "Earn Enough for Us", "The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul", "Dying", "Sacrificial Bonfire"), Skylarking is widely regarded as one of the top albums of the 1980s and for damn good reason. By the way, b-side “Dear God” was added to the album when it became an unexpected college radio hit in the US, also reaching no. 15 on the Billboard Rock Album Tracks chart. “Mermaid Smiled” was later jettisoned from subsequent pressings of the album to make room for XTC’s newest US hit. (Both are included on the 2001 remaster.)

Neil Young's Lost Gem

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:27:00 +0000

While preparing and researching for a commissioned piece on Neil Young's 45th anniversary as a solo artist, we came across 1973's Time Fades Away [Reprise] which, thanks to the prompt and able assistance of "5" contributor Greg Caz, we were able to review for the aforementioned piece.

A live album recorded, with one exception, between February and April of 1973, consisting of brand new material enthusiastically received by those present--a development one is unable to discern from Joe Jackson's Big World [A&M-1986], another live album of new material which purposely eschewed crowd noise/reaction--Time Fades Away is quite the rarity: a critically well-received, Top 25 album that sold more than 2 million copies, and features 2 superstars (David Crosby and Graham Nash), yet remains unreleased on CD despite no legal obstacles to impede it. (No songs from the album appear on Young's triple album retrospective Decade [Reprise-1977] either.)

But this being Neil Young you know something screwy is going on: Time Fades Away has gone unreleased in any digital format allegedly due to Young's bad memories of the tour on which the album's songs were performed. Yup, that's it. No biggie, tho, since this album has been amply bootlegged over the years, so it's not like Young's hardcore fans have been missing out, although they have been urging Young to officially release it. (It's actually quite good.)

Maybe there's a 30th anniversary version in the works. Yeah, ole Shakey is gonna re-release an album he hates and which, due to the way it was recorded, has to be mixed all over again before it can be properly remastered. Yeah. Wait--was that a pig gliding alongside the side of that skyscraper?

Coming Attractions

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 09:49:00 +0000

For the most part we don't have much beef with sequels and remakes but when it gets to the point that you have to question whether anything original AND worthwhile is being pitched, let alone approved in Hollywood...

Coming soon to a theatre near you:

The Fast and the Furious 6, Grown Ups 2, and The Hangover 3. But it's not all pointless, unnecessary sequels. Oh, no: Jurassic Park, The Little Mermaid, and the Star Wars flicks Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith will be released in 3D. Enjoy!

2012: The Year in Review (sort of)

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 05:01:00 +0000

As has been the case over the last few years, we've been quite underwhelmed by the world of pop culture in general, so once again this wrap up is an abridged and personalized version of what we would normally put together at this point of the year. Basically, just a bunch of faves from the past 12 months. So, with that in mind, dig in and enjoy!

FAVORITE ALBUM
Van Halen A Different Kind of Truth [Interscope]

"[It] might not be an all-time Van Halen album...[b]ut after so many years of fumbling dysfunction that reduced the once-proud Van Halen name to a laughingstock, [this album] matters because it’s a reminder of why this band mattered...For whatever reason, when Roth is in the band, Eddie Van Halen plays guitar like the world wants him to play guitar....Together, Eddie and Diamond Dave have achieved a simple yet hard-to-pull-off goal with 'A Different Kind Of Truth': Sounding like the Van Halen we (want to) remember."

- Steven Hyden, The AV Club.

Runner up:
Nada Surf The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy [Barsuk]

It’s quite something to see a band rise from the ashes of a doomed career and re-establish themselves as one of the main purveyors of their style of music. Many had left these guys for dead after “Popular” had supposedly condemned them to ‘90s one-hit-wonder status, but they bounced back and released one of the best records of the past decade, 2003’s Let it Go. And on their most recent one the Brooklyn-based trio did not disappoint. Ridiculously early in the year we had a feeling it would be our fave album of the year. If we could only predict lottery numbers in the same way...

David Myrh Soundshine [LoJinx]

Myrh was half of Swedish power poppers The Merrymakers, so it's not a stretch to assume that his solo debut would be a strong collection of '60s-influenced power pop not unlike his former band's. Unsurprisingly, The Merrymakers were also Jellyfish acolytes--that band's Andy Sturmer produced their Bubblegun album--which would explain why this platter recalls the late lamented San Francisco quartet and at times could pass for their long lost third album. (Hell, even the cover art is reminiscent of Bellybutton, Jellyfish's debut album.) Regardless, it's pretty solid and one of the best records of its kind in a long while.

Bob Mould Silver Age [Merge]

So, what's in store for aging indie/underground/alt-rock heroes? Uncle Bob decided to face the other side of 50 by putting out his most vital sounding rock record since Copper Blue, that's what.

Honorable Mention:
Lee Ranaldo Between the Times and the Tides [Matador]

The man behind a handful of Sonic Youth fan favorites has never been the go-to guy on any of their albums. So, would his first ever singer/songwriter album be a bunch of filler? Actually, it's quite good. And Ranaldo's lead vocals--normally a minor distraction, at best--are in surprisingly solid form here; slightly reminiscent of Michael Stipe, in fact. (Oh, and the album's not folky, but an accurate representation of its basic description: a member of Sonic Youth making a singer/songwriter record.) It took SY's future to become a question mark for this non-expected career reinvention to take place but it's a welcome development, nonetheless.

FAVORITE SINGLE
Stew and the Negro Problem / "Curse", from the album Making It [Tight Natural]

Released in advance of their first album after the Passing Strange adventure, Stew and musical partner Heidi Rodewold summarize the dissolution of their romance in a sad, brilliantly executed, four minute pop song. Excellent.

FAVORITE REISSUE
Sugar Copper Blue [Merge]

Merge released remastered and expanded versions (2 CD+2 DVD) of the 2 albums and Beaster EP Sugar released on Rykodisc but, on its 20th anniversary, no less, we want to single out the classic debut album; an indie rock classic and the commercial and musical highlight of Bob Mould's post Hüsker Dü career.

FAVORITE MOVIE
None.

We saw a couple of decent flicks (Argo, Flight, The Amazing Spiderman, Two Days in New York) but nothing rocked our world.

FAVORITE MOVIE RELATED MOMENT
The massive flop of the Adam Sandler/Andy Samberg vehicle That's My Boy. Unlike the movie, THAT was funny.

FAVORITE TV SHOW
Veep [HBO]

When it comes to TV shows, our heart belongs to cable. And Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the insecure, conniving, and sometimes clueless Vice-President of the United States, is our respective sweetheart this year. Yes, Veep is cringe comedy a la The Office or Curb Your Enthusiasm, but when the writing is tight--which is often--it can give those shows a run for its money.

Runner up:
House of Lies [Showtime]
The Newsroom [HBO]

The always watchable Don Cheadle leads a team of cutthroat business consultants in the highly stylized dramedy House of Lies, while the great Aaron Sorkin returns to TV with another big-time drama. And if the former is practically flawless in all departments, the latter can hold its own, even if it tends to occasionally slip in a manner routinely decried by Sorkin's many detractors. Yeah, it gets heavy, but it's Sorkin, so...

FAVORITE SONG FROM A TV SHOW
"No One Will Ever Love You"

Performed by Connie Britton and Charles Esten from the cast of ABC's Nashville, if this heartfelt ballad with more hooks than a bait shop is where country music is headed, we want in.

GOODBYE
NRBQ drummer Tom Ardolino; Soul Train honcho Don Cornelius; funkmeister Jimmy Castor; Mothers of Invention vocalist Ray Collins, legendary bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn; Bee Gee Robin Gibb; Men at Work's Greg Ham; vocalist/drummer Levon Helm; the inimitable Whitney Houston; the one and only Etta James; The Monkees' Davy Jones; jazz drummer Pete La Roca (Art Farmer, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Jackie McLean); Jim Marshall, creator of the iconic amps that bear his name; jazz pianist, composer, and arranger Mike Melvoin, father of Wendy (Prince, Wendy and Lisa, Girl Bros.) and Jonathan Melvoin (The Dickies, Smashing Pumpkins); hard rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose; Argentine rock icon, singer/songwriter/guitarist Luis Alberto Spinetta; the legendary Ravi Shankar; Donna Summer; Rich Teeter, drummer for The Dictators; "King of the cuatro", the great Yomo Toro; former Fleetwood Mac vocalist/guitarists Bob Welch and Bob Weston; Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch.

Goodbye, Cruel World

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:51:00 +0000

Need a playlist to get you in that end of the world kinda mood? Here's ten tunes to get you started (in alphabetical order by artist):

1. AC/DC "Highway to Hell" from the album Highway to Hell [Atlantic-1979]
2. Black Sabbath "Electric Funeral" from the album Paranoid [Warner Bros-1970]
3. Blue Oyster Cult "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" from the album Agents of Fortune [Columbia-1976]
4. Jeff Buckley "The Sky is a Landfill" from the album Sketches from 'My Sweetheart the Drunk' [Epic-1998]
5. Chris Cornell "Preaching the End of The World" from the album Euphoria Morning [A&M-1999]
6. The Doors "When the Music's Over" from the album Strange Days [Elektra-1967]
7. The Police "When the World is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around" from the album Zenyatta Mondatta [A&M-1980]
8. R.E.M. "It's the End of the World as We Know it (And I Feel Fine)" from the album Document [I.R.S.-1987]
9. Smashing Pumpkins "Doomsday Clock" from the album Zeitgeist [Reprise-2007]
10. U2 "Until the End of the World" from the album Achtung Baby [Island-1990]

Yes - "Astral Traveller" (1970)

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Before it got bloated and full of itself--right around the time the punks showed up, more or less--prog was an innovative and often transcendent expression of rock's polar opposites: accessible and inviting melodies coupled with an impressionistic reliance on instrumental virtuosity. But when it worked, as it often did in its '70s heyday...oh!
"Astral Traveller" is from Yes' sophomore album Time and a Word [Atlantic].

1978-1982: The Lost Half Decade

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:01:00 +0000

As the bland part of the '70s was coming to a end--most of the big names of the decade were on a crappy record making binge (the Stones' Some Girls being one exception); and despite the mighty Ramones' ground-breaking albums, punk was a fringe, underground thing here in the colonies--there was a window before mass consumption-intended "new wave" and "hair" metal took over, one in which some really cool rock and roll managed to sneak in. Actually, some of it has become down right legendary. Those records have always gotten their deserved accolades but it seems like the particular time period in which they were released does not. Perhaps this is due to overlap between decades. Regardless, we think recognition is long overdue.

A baker's dozen of notable releases from the era:

AC/DC Back in Black [Atlantic-1980], The Cars (self-titled debut) [Elektra-1978], Cheap Trick At Budokan [Epic-1979], The Clash London Calling [Epic-1980], Elvis Costello This Year's Model [Columbia-1978], Iron Maiden Number of the Beast [Capitol-1982], Joe Jackson Look Sharp! [A&M-1979], Ozzy Osbourne Blizzard of Ozz [Jet-1980], Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Damn the Torpedoes! [Backstreet-1978], The Pretenders (self-titled debut) [Sire-1980], The Police Regatta de Blanc [A&M-1978], Van Halen (self-titled debut) [Warner Bros-1978], XTC Drums and Wires [Geffen-1979].

Digital Band

noreply@blogger.com (Kiko Jones) — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 03:09:00 +0000

It's widely accepted that MTV by virtue of the video clip becoming a very powerful promotional tool, rendered obsolete "faceless" artists and those who the camera was not fond of, so to speak. Yet, by late 1982 this venerable trio of non-matinee idols managed to reach Billboard's Top 10 and sell a million copies of Signals [Mercury-1982], their most recent album. More importantly, it's one of those rare examples of an artist modernizing their sound--the influence of another trio with a singing bassist was keenly felt: the middle section in "Digital Man" is reminiscent of "Walking on the Moon"; and there are some other "new wave" flourishes throughout the album--without becoming dated and stale over the years.

Unfortunately, this was unacceptable for the band's long-time producer Terry Brown who resisted the band's departure from the more prog-rock inclined material of the band's past, a move championed in particular by vocalist/bassist Geddy Lee. The shift in direction paid off both artistically and commercially and paved the way for Rush enjoying a successful run on both fronts that stretched thru the first half of the '80s.