As I've said recently, I'm gradually coming to grips with my birth decade- the 80s. Today I was listening to some more music from the 80s- Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth and a bunch of songs by New Order.
I didn't listen to all of Daydream Nation yet, but I liked what I heard. An acclaimed Sonic Youth release from 1988, it is a great example of the tense balance that band achieves between noise and melody. The first track, Teen Age Riot, begins with a lengthy and noisy atmospheric intro (a feature not too uncommon for Sonic Youth), but then moves into a relatively tightly written, hook-filled rock song, which seemed to me to be a precursor to the kind of sound portrayed nearly 20 years later on their recent album Rather Ripped, with its fabulous song Incinerate.
As for New Order, I enjoyed what I heard, especially some of their more guitar-driven work and particularly their second album "Power, Corruption, & Lies." A lot of their music is almost quintessential 80s synth-pop, which I'm still coming to grips with but am beginning to appreciate. I guess New Order is a good place to start since they apparently really helped shape the synth-pop sound of the 80s, yet they supposedly kept their post-punk and underground roots (they formed out of the post-punk band Joy Division) throughout their career (they became quite popular and mainstream in a way).
So yeah, that's what I was listening to today...
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The Postal Service
When I first heard the Postal Service, I thought it was Death Cab for Cutie. And for good reason- the Postal Service is a collaboration between Jimmy Tambarello of a band called Dntel, and Ben Gibbard, lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie. And the real point is, it's good stuff! The music is generally in the camp of electronica/synth pop/etc. So catchy electronic music plus a great singer=good music. "Such Great Heights" is a pretty popular song, but the rest of the tracks are good as well.
An interesting thing I read is that they had a bit of an issue with their name due to the US Postal Service, but they resolved it by agreeing to help promote the USPS. So I thought that was funny, and it proves that trademark conflicts can be resolved without a lawsuit... Also on their name, it apparently comes from the fact that Gibbard and Tambarello collaborated largely by sending cdr's through the mail... So I thought that was cool.
Check out this music video:
An interesting thing I read is that they had a bit of an issue with their name due to the US Postal Service, but they resolved it by agreeing to help promote the USPS. So I thought that was funny, and it proves that trademark conflicts can be resolved without a lawsuit... Also on their name, it apparently comes from the fact that Gibbard and Tambarello collaborated largely by sending cdr's through the mail... So I thought that was cool.
Check out this music video:
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Tortoise' "A Lazarus Taxon"
"Lazarus Taxon is the paleontological term for a species that disappears, then reappears in the fossil record."
That is an applicable term for this collection of rare, out-of-print, b-side, foreign, and unreleased tracks from the band that I consider the apotheosis of post-rock.
It's the ultimate rarity collection for the ultimate Tortoise fan, but it's also just a good selection of songs, though mostly from the earlier era of Tortoise recording history (thus the title of the album).
And the great thing is that like all Thrill Jockey (that is the record label) albums, you can listen to the whole thing on their website.
Check out tracks like the legendary Gamera (1st one; this was a bonus track on some releases of their excellent "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" from 1996; I had a recording of this from some random Tortoise B-sides from Kenny Jensen), and Didjeridoo (which happens to be an Australian aboriginal instrument used on the track), which is just a cool track.
Things to keep in mind if you listen to Gamera (and really, you should- this whole blog wouldn't exist without music like this): this is a quintessential Tortoise track- long, sprawling, and evolving. The tempo changes radically midway through, so if you happen to get bored with the beautifully intertwining guitar section that forms the beginning, keep listening... you can hear it growing as it builds layer upon layer... and that at the end it begins to tear apart the layers, and finally diminish, like the white dwarf star that lingers on after a supernova (in some situations... I'm sure my many stellar astronomer friends will be quick to correct me...) .
This the kind of song for which a line from Garden State is applicable: "You have to listen to this song. It will change your life." (Sam says that, or something like it when she first meets the intriguing protagonist in the neurologist's office. In that context it is in reference to a superb Shins song; by the way, the Shins are good- quality baroque-pop; check them out!)
Fear not- more mini-reviews are on the way!
Now that I'm going back and adding videos to give you a taste of some of the music, here's a fairly abstract video to a fabulous track from "Standards"- Seneca. Be patient with the raucous intro- it really develops quite well ;)
That is an applicable term for this collection of rare, out-of-print, b-side, foreign, and unreleased tracks from the band that I consider the apotheosis of post-rock.
It's the ultimate rarity collection for the ultimate Tortoise fan, but it's also just a good selection of songs, though mostly from the earlier era of Tortoise recording history (thus the title of the album).
And the great thing is that like all Thrill Jockey (that is the record label) albums, you can listen to the whole thing on their website.
Check out tracks like the legendary Gamera (1st one; this was a bonus track on some releases of their excellent "Millions Now Living Will Never Die" from 1996; I had a recording of this from some random Tortoise B-sides from Kenny Jensen), and Didjeridoo (which happens to be an Australian aboriginal instrument used on the track), which is just a cool track.
Things to keep in mind if you listen to Gamera (and really, you should- this whole blog wouldn't exist without music like this): this is a quintessential Tortoise track- long, sprawling, and evolving. The tempo changes radically midway through, so if you happen to get bored with the beautifully intertwining guitar section that forms the beginning, keep listening... you can hear it growing as it builds layer upon layer... and that at the end it begins to tear apart the layers, and finally diminish, like the white dwarf star that lingers on after a supernova (in some situations... I'm sure my many stellar astronomer friends will be quick to correct me...) .
This the kind of song for which a line from Garden State is applicable: "You have to listen to this song. It will change your life." (Sam says that, or something like it when she first meets the intriguing protagonist in the neurologist's office. In that context it is in reference to a superb Shins song; by the way, the Shins are good- quality baroque-pop; check them out!)
Fear not- more mini-reviews are on the way!
Now that I'm going back and adding videos to give you a taste of some of the music, here's a fairly abstract video to a fabulous track from "Standards"- Seneca. Be patient with the raucous intro- it really develops quite well ;)
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
A Myriad of Mini-Reviews
So, it's time to catch up on music reviews. And I have a lot to review. So digging back into library receipts from last year, I'm going to dish out a feast of reviews, tapas style.
I'll begin by looking down from my chair the small pile of cd's (in cases of course) that have accumulated around my desk (my room is pretty messy right now...).
Album/Artist (year): Comments
Reconstruction of the Fables/R.E.M (1985): This is a solid early REM album. It doesn't have any of the super familiar radio tracks, but it's an enjoyable listen. I've really come to appreciate REM as one of the really important bands of the 80s that influenced the music I like today. Of course they lasted beyond the 80s too, but it is during that era that there music stands out as something especially unique and creative.
Pressure Chief/Cake (2004): Another catchy release from Cake. This one doesn't have the odd menagerie feel of Fashion Nugget (with its bizarre covers and subjects), nor does it quite reach the geek-rock heights of that album, but many of the songs here are right on par. I really liked track 3.
Lost in Space/Aimee Mann (2002): Not just an album with great cover art (the booklet is setup like a cartoon), this was a good album of solid (rather than pretty) female vocal driven well-crafted rock/pop. Aimee Mann writes perfect songs for movies and tv as well- songs from this album, and others show up all over the place. I heard about her first from her cover of the Beatles' "Two of Us" on the excellent I Am Sam soundtrack.
The Best of 1980-1980/U2: U2 is another reason that I've changed my mind about the 80s. I really enjoyed this album because while it contained some of U2s 80s standards (like In the Name of Love, Sunday Bloody Sunday, etc), it also had some songs I hadn't heard before (I haven't listened through the U2 catalog yet). Without U2 from this era, there would never, ever be X&Y. Of course who can blame Coldplay for building on its Brit-rock foundation (they seem to have gone from emulating Radiohead on their early stuff to more recently going through a U2 phase... plus Chris Martin's social activism really reminds one quite a lot of Bono). And speaking of UK bands that have influenced Coldplay...
The Man Who/Travis (1997 I think): When I heard this album, I suddenly understood the Coldplay-Radiohead connection even more. I would suggest that Coldplay was influenced indirectly by Radiohead through Travis. For it was Travis, from my listening and reading, that took that certain "Brit Rock" sound common to all these bands, including Radiohead and mellowed it down and built up that melodic quality that is really strong in Coldplay (and all of its followers) nowadays (and which was only ever slight in Radiohead, even in the early days). For current fans of Coldplay, you'll probably like this album quite a lot. But be sure to give it the respect it deserves, since it really predates Coldplay by a few years, and if Coldplay "Coldplayed" anyone (as Kenny would say), I think it was actually Travis. A brit-rock gem.
Happy Together: The Very Best Of/The Turtles (60s and 70s original releases): This is a collection of songs from the band most known (and only known to most people) for the song "Happy Together." I really enjoyed this though. Rather than being just another 60s pop band writing Beatlesesque songs, the Turtles have a distinct sound of their own. I really like the lead singers voice. Of course some songs are somewhat average 60s fare, but they have a particular polished and mellow sound. And of course Happy Together is just a classic. I recently heard an album with a song that echoed this classic track....
Rockin' the Suburbs/Ben Folds (2001): Ironic, witty piano-rock at its best. One song in particular has melody which echoes that of Happy Together by the Turtles. This is just fun to listen to.
Ok, more to come...
I'll begin by looking down from my chair the small pile of cd's (in cases of course) that have accumulated around my desk (my room is pretty messy right now...).
Album/Artist (year): Comments
Reconstruction of the Fables/R.E.M (1985): This is a solid early REM album. It doesn't have any of the super familiar radio tracks, but it's an enjoyable listen. I've really come to appreciate REM as one of the really important bands of the 80s that influenced the music I like today. Of course they lasted beyond the 80s too, but it is during that era that there music stands out as something especially unique and creative.
Pressure Chief/Cake (2004): Another catchy release from Cake. This one doesn't have the odd menagerie feel of Fashion Nugget (with its bizarre covers and subjects), nor does it quite reach the geek-rock heights of that album, but many of the songs here are right on par. I really liked track 3.
Lost in Space/Aimee Mann (2002): Not just an album with great cover art (the booklet is setup like a cartoon), this was a good album of solid (rather than pretty) female vocal driven well-crafted rock/pop. Aimee Mann writes perfect songs for movies and tv as well- songs from this album, and others show up all over the place. I heard about her first from her cover of the Beatles' "Two of Us" on the excellent I Am Sam soundtrack.
The Best of 1980-1980/U2: U2 is another reason that I've changed my mind about the 80s. I really enjoyed this album because while it contained some of U2s 80s standards (like In the Name of Love, Sunday Bloody Sunday, etc), it also had some songs I hadn't heard before (I haven't listened through the U2 catalog yet). Without U2 from this era, there would never, ever be X&Y. Of course who can blame Coldplay for building on its Brit-rock foundation (they seem to have gone from emulating Radiohead on their early stuff to more recently going through a U2 phase... plus Chris Martin's social activism really reminds one quite a lot of Bono). And speaking of UK bands that have influenced Coldplay...
The Man Who/Travis (1997 I think): When I heard this album, I suddenly understood the Coldplay-Radiohead connection even more. I would suggest that Coldplay was influenced indirectly by Radiohead through Travis. For it was Travis, from my listening and reading, that took that certain "Brit Rock" sound common to all these bands, including Radiohead and mellowed it down and built up that melodic quality that is really strong in Coldplay (and all of its followers) nowadays (and which was only ever slight in Radiohead, even in the early days). For current fans of Coldplay, you'll probably like this album quite a lot. But be sure to give it the respect it deserves, since it really predates Coldplay by a few years, and if Coldplay "Coldplayed" anyone (as Kenny would say), I think it was actually Travis. A brit-rock gem.
Happy Together: The Very Best Of/The Turtles (60s and 70s original releases): This is a collection of songs from the band most known (and only known to most people) for the song "Happy Together." I really enjoyed this though. Rather than being just another 60s pop band writing Beatlesesque songs, the Turtles have a distinct sound of their own. I really like the lead singers voice. Of course some songs are somewhat average 60s fare, but they have a particular polished and mellow sound. And of course Happy Together is just a classic. I recently heard an album with a song that echoed this classic track....
Rockin' the Suburbs/Ben Folds (2001): Ironic, witty piano-rock at its best. One song in particular has melody which echoes that of Happy Together by the Turtles. This is just fun to listen to.
Ok, more to come...
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Now Chris Jones Will Be Happy
That is, Chris Jones will be happy that I'm posting on my blog, since he has a link to mine on his and it bothers him that he is linking to an inactive blog. So there. Of course the real significance here is the new look to my blog- I decided to get with the program and "upgrade." I do like the changes so far, especially how your blog is connected to the rest of your google services- that makes login simpler (which was always annoying in blogger).
And of course there is the new layout (which Chris Jones should like as well, I think, at least somewhat, especially the brown tiled background).
So I'm going to try and start posting more frequently again.
Right now I'm listening to an album I just acquired on eMusic- "If You're Feeling Sinister" by Belle & Sebastian. It is good of course. This is one of their more legendary (in a very limited sense ;) early albums, and I figured it was essential for my collection. I've heard it before. What can I say? I love indie pop. This was the album that brought them recognition in the US (they are a Scottish band), after which point their very limited release album (Tigermilk) became quite popular and very rare. I think I've said it before, but one reason I like Belle & Sebastian is the 60s pop influences. Though even then, the cause and effect is difficult to discern- which did I like first? The 60's or B&S? I remember the first time I heard "She's Not There," by the Zombies (from the mid-60's), I thought it was Belle & Sebastian. And the real point was that I liked it.
Here's what else I downloaded today at eMusic:
Doolittle, by the Pixies (1989). This is one of the essentials of an era/genre of music I've only just been getting into in the past several months- the early "indie" of the late 80s and early 90s. Naturally, it is pretty raucous and noisy (though the tempos are actually quite "poppy"), and like everything the Pixies did, just rather strange! The singer, Black Francis, has this really interesting Spanish accent. But all of those random facts aside, I like the music. This album, like many others of its time just has this infectious energy and raw creativity.
A Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out, by Yo La Tengo (2000). I love Yo La Tengo and this is supposed to be one of their best albums- I still haven't even had a chance to fully listen to it yet (these downloads are FRESH, people!). Generally speaking, it is low-fi indie rock/pop. (as I continue to listen to this, I definitely like it- it's pretty mellow and atmospheric actually. A lot of great hushed songs.)
And finally, I also downloaded a rather interesting rendition of a Steve Reich composition ("Pendulum Music") done by Sonic Youth. You have to be in an "avante-garde" mood to listen to it though- I haven't heard the original to be able to compare. As you would expect, it's minimalistc music that gradually changes over time. In theory I like it, though I wasn't a big fan of this track- it was a bit too noisy and high pitched. But I give plenty of "cachet" (I'm going to start using that word extensively in this blog, just because I like it so much) to Sonic Youth just for trying something like this. This track comes from their album "Goodbye 20th Century", which is an album of covers of various post-modern and avant-garde compositions (just as "Six" by John Cage).
Well there you have it, I've finally updated...
And of course there is the new layout (which Chris Jones should like as well, I think, at least somewhat, especially the brown tiled background).
So I'm going to try and start posting more frequently again.
Right now I'm listening to an album I just acquired on eMusic- "If You're Feeling Sinister" by Belle & Sebastian. It is good of course. This is one of their more legendary (in a very limited sense ;) early albums, and I figured it was essential for my collection. I've heard it before. What can I say? I love indie pop. This was the album that brought them recognition in the US (they are a Scottish band), after which point their very limited release album (Tigermilk) became quite popular and very rare. I think I've said it before, but one reason I like Belle & Sebastian is the 60s pop influences. Though even then, the cause and effect is difficult to discern- which did I like first? The 60's or B&S? I remember the first time I heard "She's Not There," by the Zombies (from the mid-60's), I thought it was Belle & Sebastian. And the real point was that I liked it.
Here's what else I downloaded today at eMusic:
Doolittle, by the Pixies (1989). This is one of the essentials of an era/genre of music I've only just been getting into in the past several months- the early "indie" of the late 80s and early 90s. Naturally, it is pretty raucous and noisy (though the tempos are actually quite "poppy"), and like everything the Pixies did, just rather strange! The singer, Black Francis, has this really interesting Spanish accent. But all of those random facts aside, I like the music. This album, like many others of its time just has this infectious energy and raw creativity.
A Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out, by Yo La Tengo (2000). I love Yo La Tengo and this is supposed to be one of their best albums- I still haven't even had a chance to fully listen to it yet (these downloads are FRESH, people!). Generally speaking, it is low-fi indie rock/pop. (as I continue to listen to this, I definitely like it- it's pretty mellow and atmospheric actually. A lot of great hushed songs.)
And finally, I also downloaded a rather interesting rendition of a Steve Reich composition ("Pendulum Music") done by Sonic Youth. You have to be in an "avante-garde" mood to listen to it though- I haven't heard the original to be able to compare. As you would expect, it's minimalistc music that gradually changes over time. In theory I like it, though I wasn't a big fan of this track- it was a bit too noisy and high pitched. But I give plenty of "cachet" (I'm going to start using that word extensively in this blog, just because I like it so much) to Sonic Youth just for trying something like this. This track comes from their album "Goodbye 20th Century", which is an album of covers of various post-modern and avant-garde compositions (just as "Six" by John Cage).
Well there you have it, I've finally updated...
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