Your Moment of Zen

Perfect Pop Song (Part 19)

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 23:38:19 PST

Let's start the new year off right with a little U2. Perhaps not one of their greatest songs, but a sweet ode to love and marriage non the less. I think of my wife every time I hear it;

IMHO: The Top 20 of 2011

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 06:13:07 PST

Here is my opinion of the top 20 records of the past year. For a more detailed breakdown of each song visit my new Tumblr page (www.zenmusings.tumblr.com)

1. Death cab for cutie -- codes and keys
2. M83 -- hurry up, we're dreaming
3. Tv on the radio -- nine kinds of light
4. Radiohead -- the king of limbs
5. Found -- Factorycraft
6. Noah and the whale -- last night on earth
7. The decemberists -- the king is dead
8. rem -- collapse into now
9. Friendly fires -- Pala
10. Noel Gallagher -- Noel gallagher's high flying birds
11. Coldplay -- mylo xyloto
12. Bright eyes -- the peoples key
13. Beirut --the rip tide
14. Wilco -- the whole love
15. Black keys -- el camino
16. Cassettes wont listen -- Evinspacey
17. We were promised jetpacks -- in the pit of the stomach
18. The war on drugs -- slave ambient
19. Mogwai -- hardcore will never die, but you will
20. Release the sunbird --release the sunbird

Noel Gallagher goes it alone

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 06:51:56 PDT

The level of acrimony that exists in the Gallagher household must make Christmas an interesting experience. After the very public break-up of OASIS, both Liam and Noel have now released records with new "bands". Where Liam's BEADY EYE was flat out awful, the expectations for NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS are much higher. Universally considered the real talent of Oasis, Noel steps to the mic full time with the weight of his career squarely on his shoulders for the first time.

Gallagher has always had a gift for melody and he spares no expense to craft a pop record. The opening majesty of "Everybody's on the Run" sets a tone of classic rock to the set of songs. This is followed by a shuffle and stomp number entitled "Dream On" that echoes some of the early releases of his former band and at the same time details his struggles to keep clean in his new adult life. "If I Had A Gun..." marks the introduction of the "Wonderwall" acoustic sound as the song recalls the sense of longing that has been in his writing since the beginning. "The Death of You and Me" is really the first sign of any divergence from the Beatles inspired manual, with a bit of a country twang to the guitar and an old piano tinkling in the background. You have to wonder if this is a song of lost love or lost brotherly connection. "(I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine" is a full on sing along full of epic strings and a soaring vocal performance. It's a highlight of the record for sure. "AKA...What A Life" follows that with a sense of positivity not often found in Noel's lyrical profile. Is his appreciation of life due to the freedom from the Oasis drama? The closing "Stop the Clocks" brings the record to a sweeping conclusion in true Oasis fashion.

It's hard to judge this record without considering Noel's prior band. What if this had been a proper Oasis record? You can imagine what some of these might have sounded like with Liam singing (whose voice has a deeper range to it for sure.) Noel has invested more in this album than the last couple Oasis record for sure. It is certainly a good album but once has to wonder would this have been the next great Oasis record if they could have worked out their family issues?

(mp3) Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds -- (I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine

M83 get amibtious about dreams

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:00:05 PDT

Ambition is a tricky wicket. We want our musicians to extend themselves beyond their boundaries and explore new sounds. But we also want them to replicate the songs that made us first fall in love with them. We want new music from them on a regular basis but not at the expense of the ability to digest it and appreciate it. RYAN ADAMS and PRINCE have often been accused of musical megalomania by release a ton of stuff without any real regard to the overall quality. GUNS N' ROSES effectively ended their career by releasing a double album when one at a time would have sufficed. THE STONE ROSES couldn't seem to get their shit together to release a second record for over a decade, and when they did the wait made it a disappointment. It's a hard thing to time your ambition just right.

M83 have accomplished such a rare feat. Three years after their last record, the band (essentially one member at this point, Frenchman Anthony Gonzalez), has released a magnum opus entitled "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming". The double record contains 22 songs of sheer brilliance. Culling from the past catalogue of sounds from their early shoegazer material through their most recent forays into 80's synth pop, M83 have recreated and updated their sound at the same time.

Opening with the epic "Intro", it is clear that Gonzalez has opened up the effects panels on his guitar, which frames quest Zola Jesus' vocals nicely. From there the record soars through the anthemic "Midnight City" and "Reunion". "Wait" has a sleep acoustic feel, which is new for M83. "Claudia Lewis" has a retro HOWARD JONES feel to it (don't laugh it's really good). Their are instrumental interludes that serve as resting stops along the journey. Gonzalez has said that the bulk of the record has to do with dreams or a dreaming state. "Soon, My Friend", another acoustic number, is very much a lullaby to a child. M83 have started to fiddle with more straight ahead songs on recent records, but here the size of the record makes that harder to do. There are a lot of short bursts of musical ideas that aren't really fleshed out, and are not meant to be. It's as if you are inside someones dreams as they come and go.

"My Tears Are Becoming A Sea" opens the second disc with a crescendo of drums and strings like your soaring over mountains and out to the ocean. "New Map" roars the record back to life with the more traditional M83 sound. "OK Pal" readdresses the 80's sound of their last record, feeling like something left off a John Hughes soundtrack. "Year One, One UFO" revisits the use of pre-recorded interviews to add to the texture of the song that was so prevalent on the band's early work. By the time you reach the instrumental "Outro", you are ready to wake up, not from exhaustion but from a feeling you have seen all their is and you are ready to tell your friends.

The record could have been trimmed a bit, but I think it would have sacrificed the artist's intent to deliver on his own ambition. I can't imagine where he goes form here, but if his next journey is as good as this one, we are in for a real experience.

(mp3) M83 -- Midnight City

PPP (Part 18)

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:00:01 PDT

I've been reminscing a lot about the music of my youth. Not in a melocholy, crap I'm getting old sort of way. More of a wow, that was seem really good stuff sort of way. Even though I missed the boat on the PSYCHEDELIC FURS the first time around, I still enjoy this song quite a bit;

Wilco's "The Whole Love"

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 06:21:32 PDT

Wilco's journey to one of America's premier rock bands has been an unusual one. Rising from the ashes of the seminal alternative country band UNCLE TUPELO, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy has been on a mission to see just how odd and obscure he could make his country twang sound. The first three Wilco records play like more commercial versions of the Tupelo sound. Then came "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel". With "Hotel" Tweedy and his revolving band of musicians began melding the rock sound with spacier elements to create atmospheric epics that featured odd instrumentation and more obscure wordsmithing. This continued with "A Ghost is Born" before a slight return to earth with their last record "Sky Blue Sky."

Wilco's latest record, "The Whole Love" continues to seek a middle ground between the original work and the more grandiose dreams of the more recent output. Opening with the 7 minute clicky "Art of Almost" the listener prepares themselves for another listening foray into the unknown. But Tweedy offers us a curveball with the fuzzy bass driven "I Might" as the second song. "Might" plays off like a vintage 60's rock song. "Sunloathe" seems like something from the BEACH BOYS collection of oddities with it's piano tinkling and soft vocals. "Dawned on Me" revels in it's feedback before settling into a nice rhythm and has the sound of a radio single from the heyday of AM radio. "Black Moon" has a dark acoustic guitar line to lead us through Tweedy's song of searching for truth. "Born Alone" glides along a rat-a-tat drum beat before the guitar picks up the track for the ride. The title track, "The Whole Love", is sunny number about a man who knows he is hard to get along with. "One Sunday Morning (song for Jane Smiley's Boyfriend)", could easily scare a listener off at over 12 minutes but it is well worth the investment. Tweedy sounds like a little Bob Dylan ish here as the song seems to wander around a acoustic guitar until it settles in. The band forsakes any studio trickery and plays it straight. What comes is a jam feeling as if they recorded it on the porch of some old southern home in the last summer.

Wilco's latest doesn't have the ambition of "Hotel" or "Ghost" and in many ways is a nod to their past as Uncle Tupelo. Those hoping for the sonic soundscapes of those records will be a bit disappointed. But those of us who take our music with a sense of authenticity will find the record gaining in stature with every listen.

(mp3) Wilco -- I Might

Warpaint: Making Chicks Rock!!

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 06:53:07 PDT

I have been accused by The Wife of only liking music made by men. She thinks that I have some sort of pre-disposition to tuning out music made by women. I argue that the primary reason I tend to gravitate to the male-centric music is mostly because I can't sing that high in the car driving to and from work. But that doesn't mean when a good record by a female fronted band comes along I ignore it.

Such is the case with WARPAINT. This all girl collective make grandiose, somewhat maudlin art rock that would appeal to those who long for the day of SIOUXSIE AND THE BASNHEES. The debut album, "The Fool", would not be out of place if it had been released at the height of the goth movement. "Set Your Arms Down" glides along a shimmery guitar line that sounds as if it was left over from LUSH. The record explodes with the single "Warpaint", which comes off like a refugee from vintage 4AD records. "Undertow" benefits from the meshed dual female vocal approach to give the song a swimming feel to it. "Bees" takes advantage of a manufactured drum beat and a big fat bass line to offset vocalist Emily Kokal's ethereal vocals. The record slows down in the second half and adopts a more medieval chamber music sound which, in my opinion, is not as captivating as the first part. But it is still full of interesting musical ideas.

Somewhere my inner CURE fan is rejoicing that I took some time with this record. It is in no way a summer record, but something tells me come winter I will be driving down the freeway trying to mimic these vocals. It just won't sound as good as what these girls can do.

(mp3) Warpaint -- Warpaint

Remembering Good Will Hunting

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 09:04:30 PDT

Sometimes late at night, after everyone has gone to bed, I get a chance to sit and watch TV. Usually this takes the form of a baseball or basketball game (or highlights of the night's sports action). Every once in awhile I will flip to a film I have seen a hundred times before (The "Shawshank Redemption" or "Ocean's Eleven" are popular ones on TV right now). Tonight, it was "Good Will Hunting". I hadn't seen it in it's entirety in a long time but I was captivated once more.

For those who may have forgotten, the film centers around the troubled Will Hunting, a genius struggling with various psychological issues. The central character, after getting into trouble with the law, is mandated into counseling where he meets Sean Maguire, a somewhat troubled in his own right psychology professor. Together they strive to get Will moving ahead with his life and attempt to reach his seemingly limitless potential.

Two things struck me about watching the film again. First, the acting is tremendous. It's hard to remember that when the film was made in 1997 both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were relative unknowns. A lot was made of the fact that they wrote the script (which won an Oscar), but their acting in the film was as genuine and authentic as I can recall. These were characters that they knew so well, that it stopped being acting and became living as these people. Robin Williams, who also won an Oscar as Maguire, was a revelation in subtlety as a grieving man who sees a bit of himself in Will. The relationship between the two is so rich and detailed, it was clear the actors enjoyed working together even through the darkest of dialogue patches.

The other aspect that hit me was how perfect ELLIOT SMITH's music was a running soundtrack for the film. Smith, himself a troubled young man who suffered from depression and died at age 34 of apparent suicide, uses his hushed vocals and acoustic guitar as a means of giving the film emotional depth. "Angeles" and "Between The Bars" and "Say Yes" float into the film to give us a connection to Will as he tries to relate to people in new and sometimes painful ways. By the end of the film, as Will leaves Boston to chase down the girl he has fallen for over the course of the movie, Smith delivers his tour-de-force gem "Miss Misery". In a way the song exemplifies the character and the film itself. It's a song of both hope and despair as the singer details how he's trying to just make it through the day.

It's not often that a film ages well. Actors get older and we remember them for newer roles. Damon and Affleck have both gone on to bigger fame (both in and out of acting). Williams will always be a comedian at heart. Minnie Driver, who plays Will's girlfriend, has graduated to adult roles that have robbed her of her charm. But for one night, I was re-introduced to the world of Good Will Hunting. I can't think of a better reason to stay up late.

(mp3) Elliot Smith -- Miss Misery

Boy and Bear or sometimes you can tell by an album cover

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 12:45:57 PDT

There are those times when you look at an album cover or a band name and you just get a feeling. When I glanced at the debut full length by Australian band BOY AND BEAR I knew I would like it. After a morning of digesting their album I think I am in serious love with it. Sometimes you can just tell.

The record opens with the solemn "Lordy May" which marches like a funeral dirge that opens into a celebration of life. The stomping bass line of "Feeding Line" marks the real sound of the band as lead singer Dave Hosking's earthy vocals plead to become someone else. "Milk and Sticks" adds a hammond organ to the sound to great effect (and we all know I'm a sucker for a good organ). "Part Time Believer' whistles a quasi-happy tune that echoes the 70's revival that is currently afoot (i.e. FLEET FOXES, BON IVER). The album slows down with the plaintive "My Only One" before the country romp "Golden Jabilee". The closing duo of Dylan inspired tunes "Beach" and "Big Man" which has a distinct MUMFORD AND SONS tinge to it, wrap up the set in fine form.

Given the success of Mumford there is no reason to think this album shouldn't find some commercial success. Hopefully, people find it as enjoyable as I have each time I run through it's inspired collection of songs.

(mp3) Boy and Bear -- Feeding Line

John Craig & The Weekend...conceptually

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 17:16:05 PDT

Concept records are tricky business. If the story is too obtuse or hard to follow the listener won't stick around for the whole thing to unfold. If the songs lack a pop hook to them, it makes them hard to digest. However, if the story is interesting and the band uses the music to help propel the idea, then they can be quite entertaining. While not a true concept record (at least that's what I got from the record promoters liner notes), their does appear to be a song cycle embedded in the debut record by JOHN CRAIG and THE WEEKEND.

Craig has a falsetto voice that is not unlike Geddy Lee of RUSH. But musically, the band takes on a chameleon approach to each song. The opening pop salvo "Newstories" is rooted in a slight Prog rock vibe. "We Are Whatever" hangs its hat on a big fat bass line like some jazz club bar brawl. "Don't Think Make Mistakes Part One and Two" are the centerpiece of the record with part one relying a tinkling piano and Craig morphing into an 80's pop crooner. "Part Two" dips it's toes into electro-clash drumbeats to match the intensity of the darkening mood of the record. Later in the record Craig duets with Nicole Berke on the beautiful "Sink or Swim". "Numbers", the title track, has a DAVID BOWIE like spacey feel to it and closes the set with a swirl of keyboards and soulful "oohing" and "aahing".

I can't really say if there is a lyrical thread to the entire record, but the journey through various styles and song structures in conceptually very interesting. Surely a record that I will listen to further.

(mp3) John Craig and the Weekend -- Don't Think Make Mistakes Part Two

PPP (Part 17)

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 06:43:49 PDT

When talking about the band GARBAGE you have to start with Shirley Manson. It's rare to find a combination of beauty and talent like hers. I met her prior to her days in Garbage when she fronted the band ANGELFISH and she was very nice at the time. Then I heard "Vow", the lead single from Garbage and I was hooked. I know they were popular in the 90's and sold a ton of records but I still feel that they were undersold a bit. Here is a live performance of their first single (since Interscope sucks and doesn't let their videos be embedded);

Missing The 80's? Try The War On Drugs

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:46:35 PDT

THE WAR ON DRUGS want to turn back the clock and make believe that all music ended in about 1985. Drawing on touchstones such a vintage BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, TOM PETTY and later day BOB DYLAN, the War on Drugs craft an ode to Reagan era pop music that ends up sounding a lot like the most recent ARCADE FIRE album.

This is not meant as a slam on the bands most recent work, "Slave Ambient". In fact I quite like the record and have a deeper appreciation for it each time I dive into it. But it's hard to get passed the comparisons. Lead singer Adam Granducial morphs his voice to imitate Petty in one song, then Bruce, then Dylan. One the opening track, the medium paced "Best Night" he takes Petty's southern twang out for a spin. "Brothers" actually sounds like a BRUCE HORNSBY song minus the piano (which is saying something since that was his signature instrument.) "Your Love is Calling My Name" and "Baby Missiles" are where the Arcade Fire comps come in. The mix of keyboards, driving drums and Granducial's yelping vocals would have been very much at home on "The Suburbs". "Come to the City" has a touch of 80's era U2 with the chorus like remnant of "With or Without You".

The joy of listening to this record is not in a sense of originality but in how the band takes such care to honor their musical heroes without totally falling into outright karaoke. It's a high wire act for sure, but one that they pull off with admirable ability.

(mp3) The War on Drugs -- Baby Missiles

Full Length Release The Sunbird

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:51:34 PDT

A couple of months ago I previewed the lead single from Zach Rogue of ROGUE WAVE's solo record under the moniker of RELEASE THE SUNBIRD. Now the full length record is out and it is magnificent. Rogue has said the record was a chance to make a vocal heavy record that was softer in tone and subject matter than the usual Rogue Wave records and he has succeeded.

The opening acoustic strums of "It's All Around You" led to a drum beat and guitar line that is reminiscent of his day job but with a nice hammond organ addition. From there the record charts it's own course. The title track, "Come Back To Us", drifts on a acoustic strum and a shared vocal with singer Kate Long. The dual vocals highlight Rogue's own sensitive hushed vocal style to great effect. "No Light" has a nice shuffle to it driven by a bass line that slithers around the lyrics. "Best Thing For Me" is full of "oohs and aahs" as he does his best JACK JOHNSON impression. "Back Strikes Back" is a bluesy verse accompanied by a sunny chorus for an oddly captivating dissonance in song structure. "Running Away From Me" dips it's toes in a country twang that would not be lost on RYAN ADAMS. The closing number, "Outlook's Anonymous", borrows from THE BEATLES playbook to a nice coda to the work. The songs slow build never really materializes to anything epic but gives the listener a sense of finishing to an immaculate collection of song craft.

Rogue has said that this record does not signal the end of Rogue Wave but merely a chance to stretch out his vocal talents. I hope that some of his experiments here find their way into the cannon of Rogue Wave musical skills. It would make them that much better of a band, and that is saying something.

(mp3) Release The Sunbird -- Come Back To Us (link removed by request)

PPP (Part 16)

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:00:04 PDT

I often think CATHERINE WHEEL gets overlooked as one of the best bands of the shoegazer movement. Sure, subsequent albums were more rock oriented, but their debut is still a full on force of nature. "Black Metallic" is, for me at least, one of the greatest songs ever.

The World Weary Sound of Beirut

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 13:20:08 PDT

BEIRUT have risen to a blog level of fame due to the infusion of Middle Eastern instrumentation into a folk pop sound led by Zach Condon and his musings on life, love and politics. Now on their third record, "The Rip Tide", Beirut seeks to move into the mainstream by honing their sound and smoothing out the edges.

From the opening horns of "A Candle's Fire" it is obvious that Condon has a pop sensibility to his work. "Santa Fe" is a straight up pop song about moving on and away from the comforts of home. The piano line drives the song like a car on a dusty road. 'East Harlem", the records first single, sounds more like a traditional Beirut song with flourishes of old style piano and horns dripping off the song as it rambles around Condon's vocals. "Goshen" shows off the band's epic sensibilities as the slow ballad gives way to a sweeping collage of sounds and Condon's soaring falsetto. The second half of the record does get a bit repetitive as the songs sort of blend together. Things come to a nice close with the acoustic "Port of Call" that echoes the themes of moving away from the things one loves. You can almost see Condon playing this one in Union Station waiting for change from people passing by.

Beirut have all the potential to challenge bands like ARCADE FIRE as the new generation of important bands. This move to a more mainstream sound is the first step.

(mp3) Beirut -- Santa Fe

Introducing...The Atolls

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 18:30:30 PDT

THE ATOLLS are a two piece outfit from Glendora, CA. Being that this is practically across the street from where I live I feel compelled to give them some love. That and they are pretty damn good as well.

Most two piece rock outfits have some toehold in old school blues or noise rock. That makes the BLACK KEYS and WHITE STRIPES the comparison point for other duos. The Atolls eschew these styles for a more lo-fi SEBADOH approach to music. Their self titled debut ep has a little something for everyone into indie rock.

"Older Nazi Boyfriends" does have a bit of bluesy rip to it with vocals that are very punk rock in their tones (little David Byrne in the verses). "Low Tide" is a softer, darker ballad that drifts over a JOY DIVISION style dirge. "Tangles" is probably my favorite as it finds the band mining a simple guitar line to a nice crescendo. "Something I'm Not Supposed To Do" has the makings of an epic as it starts out slowly then builds into a fuzzy collapse onto itself.

You can get the digital download for free here. Enjoy!!

Work Drugs want you on the beach

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:40:01 PDT

WORK DRUGS are a Philadelphia duo that make electronic music for beach reading. This is not a bad thing. There latest ep, "Tropic of Capricorn", should be required listening for lounging around the pool or by the shore. The songs seemed to be coated in lazy rays of sunshine and a little bit of tequila to make them smoother.

"Curious Serge' opens the set with soft synth line and simple drum beat. Vocalist Thomas Crystal never his voice above a hushed tone interrupt the groove being mined. "Rad Racer" is a little faster paced and has a killer hook for a chorus. "Golden Sombrero" is a retro 80's inspired keyboard vamp that could have passed for vintage OMD. The elegiac "Sunset Junction" swims lazily along a soft guitar line and shared male/female vocals. "Third Wave" returns to the earlier beat pattern and resets the mood of the ep as an after hours bar somewhere in the Caribbean. After the slow comedown of "Dog Daze" comes the acoustic take of "Rad Racer" Here the song is re imagined as a simple troubadour playing some tiki bar sound stage.

Work Drugs should just move to Tahiti and mine the summer circuit to notoriety. Their music was made for summer days and nights.

(mp3) Work Drugs -- Rad Racer

PPP (Part 15)

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:00:09 PDT

The return of the Perfect Pop Song Video series leads us to the first thing I ever heard from SUEDE. These lads were supposed to be the next incarnation of THE SMITHS and while they never attained that height here in the US, the did make a few interesting records (which are being re-released with bonus stuff). Here is "Animal Nitrate" off their debut record;

Introducing...Shoot The Image

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 21:49:35 PDT

Toronto, Canada's SHOOT THE IMAGE have released their debut album "Cranes in The City", a collection of songs that mines vintage Brit Pop sounds for the new millennium. There isn't much background information on the members of the band other than they appear to have a male and a female singer. The songs are a sleek combination of guitar and synthesizers and a female. male vocal tandem.

The opener of the album, "Fortified", has a faint touch of vintage ECHOBELLY in it with swirling guitar lines and driving drum beat. "Loveless" continues the upbeat music as the female voice carries the chorus as a chant. "Crane" is a softer synth driven number that sounds like an outtake from a SLEEPER record. "Vagabond" has the kind of bluesy start and stop guitar work made famous by the record producer. Morrissey's primary guitarist Boz Boorer. You can almost see this track being on one of Moz's early solo albums. The lead single, "Lithograph" is a retro 80's number that seems to wander around the groove like a late night taxi cab ride with the vocals like a distant relative of NANCY SINATRA. The record does drag a bit at the end before settling into the nice coda of a closer in "Sightlines".

I wish we knew more about the band, who appear to be a bit shy in most of their interviews. But on the strength of this record, they are certainly worth keeping an eye on if you have a nostalgic ear for the Britpop heyday.

(mp3) Shoot The Image -- Lithograph

The Leftist Rants of the One and Only Jello Biafra

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 08:00:08 PDT

For most people my age punk rock represents the rebellious nature of youth. Before the marketing machine got a hold of it, Punk was the purest form of expression you could get in music. Bands like BLACK FLAG, X and THE DEAD KENNEDYS came at life from the viewpoint of the disenfranchised and disassociated in a way that most teens could relate to. Even if you were like me and grew up in a stable, middle class environment, there was still an appeal to the anarchistic cry of the punk movement. Where NY punk was more artistic in form, the west coast scenes reveled in the sheer energy of the moment and had a more direct political bent. Leading that charge was JELLO BIAFRA.

Biafra was the manic ranting front man of the Dead Kennedys up until their dissolution over money (insert your own ironic joke here). Biafra has since formed a new collective, JELLO BIAFRA AND THE GUANTANAMO SCHOOL OF MEDICINE. Their latest ep is a 6 song collection called "Enhanced Methods of Questioning." Clearly time has not calmed Biafra down as the songs rip with the intensity and spark of the Kennedys. The music is a collection of punk shredding mixed with some blues and rockabilly not unlike THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT. on the 18 minute epic "Metamorphosis Exploration On Deviation Street Jam" the backing band noodles about like a house band for a spaghetti western as Biafra stretches out some his spoken word chops. Biafra still attacks the sacred cows of the day; corrupt politicians, mass consumerism in society, and the ever growing presence of technology in our lives. The highlight for me was the more straight ahead "Victory Stinks" which sounds like something GREEN DAY would record if they were allowed to be more adventurous.

Biafra has always been something of a Punk Rock benchmark for front men. His lyrical style is akin to a sledgehammer and he leaves nothing to chance. You will get his message through his sheer will or you just aren't paying attention. Either way, he will continue to push the envelope.

(mp3) Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine -- Victory Stinks

New Bjork!!

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:00:02 PDT

I have always had a soft spot for BJORK and her avant garde pop sensibilities. From her work with THE SUGARCUBES on through to her outstanding early solo work, Bjork has set the bar for the melding of electronic and pop. I have often thought that Madonna's later work was her trying to cop Bjork's sound for the mainstream. Here is the first new track from "Biophilia" due out later this year. It encompasses all wide range of genres as it starts with a tinkling piano before exploding into a full on Drum and Bass cacophony at the end. I have high hopes for the entire album.

Björk - Crystalline (Full New 2011) by El Ciervo Vulnerado

Cassettes Won't Listen and the indietronic movement

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 21:04:42 PDT

Indietronic is a new term I have come across recently. When describing a band or musician that makes music that is a bit retro 80's mixed with a dash of electronic noodling and a pinch of home producing magic, you get this new sound. Most people cite THE POSTAL SERVICE as the genesis of the genre and OWL CITY as the most commercially successful. From a creative standpoint, nobody beats CASSETTES WON'T LISTEN in my book.

Opening with the instrumental club number "Friendly Float", the record finds it's groove with the two singles "Perfect Day" and "The Echoes" which askew to the formula set forth by one of my all time favorite songs "Freeze and Explode". Jason Drake, the man behind the moniker, has a thin voice but he makes the most of it and doesn't try to make his lyrics the center stage. "The Night Shines" has a very DEPECHE MODE feel to it. The instrumental numbers come off a more assured than the vocal ones with standouts such as the trip hop flavored "Harp Darkness" and the blink and you'll miss it hip-hop of "Kingdom".

Cassettes Won't Listen will probably never make the pop charts. Drake seems to interested in sonic architecture to really ever dive into a true pop record. But his work should show up here and there enough to make him a voice to be heard from a long time.

(mp3) Cassettes Won't Listen -- Perfect Day

The Smooth Summer Sounds of Vetiver

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:44:42 PDT

VETIVER is the brainchild of Andy Cabic. Cabic and his revolving group of musicians have recently released their fifth album entitled "The Errant Charm' as the perfect sound for warm summer nights. Vetiver specialize is a slowed down, folky kind of the indie rock that would appeal to fans of ELLIOT SMITH and FLEET FOXES. I can just imagine turning the record on while sitting on the porch watching the sprinklers dust the lawn at dusk.

The opening strums of "It's Beyond Me" echo an acoustic take on "Love Will Tear Us Apart' until Cabic comes in with his hushed vocals. From there the vibes of THE BETA BAND take over to find a nice little groove. "Worse for Wear" continues the acoustic strum joined by a kick drum and a synth line that washes over the whole proceeding. "Can't You Tell" almost seems to stroll along to a skippy beat as Cabic evokes BECK at his folksy best. "Hard To Break" has a BYRDS feel to it as the acoustic guitar is ditched in favor a picked electric line. "Wonder Why" is a pure pop gem that will be a summer staple for the next three months. The record quiets down with the ending instrumental, "Soft Glass", that seems to signal the coming fall after month of warm shimmery light.

Vetiver are the kind of band that you might forget about until a song of theirs comes on, but when it does, for those few minutes, everything seems a little brighter.

(mp3) Vetiver -- Wonder Why

Digitalism Loves You Dude

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 22:59:58 PDT

German dance duo DIGITALISM have made a name for themselves remixing other people's work on top of having some success on their own merit. With DAFT PUNK abdicating the techno thrown in favor of collaborations with rappers and soundtrack landscaping, Digitalism is poised to ascend to the top of the dance music mountain with their second release "I Love You, Dude"

This record has everything a dance music aficionado could hope for. The opening track is a thumping repetition of a rhythm entitled "Stratosphere" which bleeds into the poppier "2 Hearts" which is akin to DELPHIC or a more sanitized FRIENDLY FIRES. "Forest Gump" featuring Julian Cassablancas from The Strokes is the second official single and sounds as if lifted from the chase seen of a Bourne Film if it was recorded by Gary Numan. "Reeperbahn" takes the CHEMICAL BROTHERS beat patterns and vocal sampling in a very industrial direction. The highlight of the record is the club thumping "Miami Showdown" which recalls the best of THE CRYSTAL METHOD.

Clearly these boys have been studying the dance heavyweights playbook and what the record lacks in originality it more than makes up for in ridiculously catchy dance grooves. I'm sure we will be hearing more of this record is summer movie trailers to come.

(mp3) Digitalism -- Miami Showdown

Zach Rogue Releases the Sunbird

jonlyons@earthlink.net — Tue, 31 May 2011 22:29:07 PDT

Zach Rogue has made his name as the frontman for ROGUE WAVE, which has been off and on, one of my favorite bands from the past 10 years or so. Rogue has decided to go solo under the new name of RELEASE THE SUNBIRD and the first song from his first solo record, coming out on July 26th.

The song, entitled "Always Like The Sun", is a soft piano and acoustic song that highlights Rogue's gentle vocals. A departure from Rogue Wave's more eclectic indie rock approach which usually features a lot of hiccups and syncopated drum beats. This song seems to indicate a simplified approach that allows Rogue's vocals and lyrics to be more discernible. Based on what I have read the approach for the record was more organic and the recording sessions designed to explore the unfinished songs rather than tinker with fully realized demos. Hopefully, the rest of the record has this same natural, easy going approach.

visit his website here to get the song for free.