14 Reviews for 2014: #14 -- It's a Roundup!

Surprise!  I haven't done one of these for quite a while... I feel like I am overdue.

I'm also going to introduce new ratings systems where appropriate here.  I hope you will enjoy.  (Editor's note:  he really does not care either way.)

• Boise Cover Band - Unoriginal Artists (recorded in 2003, released in 2007).  Doug Martsch of Built to Spill put this group together.  I liked their cover of The Pretenders "Chain Gang," which is an instrumental.
  Verdict:  Using the "Yes/No" rating system, I'm going to give this one a solid "No."  (If you need further details on the nuances of this ratings system, please feel free to Comment or contact me offline.  Based on your confusion, however, I'm guessing you probably can't figure out how to do either.  But rest assured, that makes you no less valued as a reader.  And yes, I'm looking right at you, Bubba.)

• The Call - Into the Woods (1987).  Thanks to Scott, a band I've always been intrigued by but never investigated makes its way into my collection.  Is this The Call album I've always imagined I'd hear?  Great guitar, and of course, synths, synths, synths.  A very solid rock album with solid bass lines; it's a little 1980s Golden Earring-esque.  (And I MAY like Golden Earring.)  But then -- "Too Many Tears" happens.  It's on the level of "Everywhere I Go," which is high praise when you consider that I still enjoy that song after 25 years.  It's a lost classic:  epic pain, rage, and hope all combined into a strong man's rock package.
  Verdict:  "Yes."  (Not a lot of nuance with this rating system, come to think of it.)

• J Church - The Precession Of Simalacra - The Map Preceeds The Territory (1995).  I love me some J Church.  I caught on to them late, but before Lance Hahn passed away.  This one is indie grunge punk in its best simple brilliance as always.  The hooks may not be complex, but they are always catchy.  As always with J Church, there are hits and misses; here (as usual) the good outweighs the bad.
  Verdict:  Using the "Binary" rating system, I'm going to give this one a solid "110011101."  (Hint:  more 1's means I liked the album, more 0's means I didn't.  Hope you like math!) 

• Land of Talk - Applause Cheer Boo Hiss (2005).  Starting out with a hooky open will always get my attention.  These Saddle Creek Favorites are freaking good.  For some reason, when I first listened my notes read:  "I'm wicked pissed I never listened to these guys and gals earlier.  (I have no idea where this is going.)"  (Editor's note:  using the "Binary" rating system, we're going to give this last sentence a solid "0.")  Harmonies and overdubbing of vocals drive this fun rock/pop jamboree -- it's very reminiscent of Pretty Girls Make Graves.  "Speak to Me Bones" and "Summer Special" are great songs highlighting a tremendous album.  It's great music, but the vocals take this to the next level.  Think Edie Brickell combined with Scheer (gritty with great vocals).  A quintessential college/coming of age album, this (much to Mrs. Snilch Report's dismay) is going to inspire me to pursue their entire catalog.
  Verdict:  1111001111.

• Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (2011).  Southern California's punk icons are back, for the second time without founding member Dennis Danell, who passed away in 2000.  It's taken 15 years to produce two albums since the 1996 offering White Light, White Heat, White Trash, and this album is clearly a departure for them.  With fuller, more traditional arrangements (and, much to Matz's dismay, female backing vocals), this is much more an attempt at blues/rock or rockabilly/soul than at punk.  It's odd from the beginning:  starting the album with an instrumental that stands alone, followed by a cover is really odd, and honestly doesn't work.  "Machine Gun Blues" and "Alone & Forsaken" are highlight songs.  In the end, it's not bad, it's not not good, and it's not particularly memorable.
  Verdict:  110011001111001000111011010011110101010000011010100111010101000011.

• Spiritualized - Sweet Heart Sweet Light (2012).  Thanks to Andrew for this recommendation.  This is sweet (not sure where I got that adjective from) trance-like music that washes over you like a gentle spring rain.  Its lyrics, meanwhile, are actually a bit dark, which (to me at least) makes a great contrast.  I'd describe this as  "oddly laid back cacophony."
  Verdict:  Enough math; let's get more artistic.  And what could be more wicked artistic than colors?  (Editor's note:  "0.")  So I'm going to give this a rating of "yellow-green."

• Guns N' Roses - Live Era '87-'93 (1999).  One of the big points that Slash made in his autobiography is how important and treasured live albums were to him.  Thus, he said, Live Era '87-'93 was an album he really treasured putting out.  I'm not sure why.  The pretentious "Recorded Across the Universe Between 1987 and 1993" should have been a warning shot across the bow.  But, much like the idiot in the horror movie who insists on investigating that noise rather than call the authorities, I decided to move forward. The versions do not feel inspired or have that extra punch of live energy you'd expect.  "Nightrain" is bad, but the version of "Mr. Brownstone" so eviscerates the original that somewhere Jimbo is gasping for air like his twin just lost his kidney.  "It's So Easy"?  Awful.  "Welcome to the Jungle?"  Awful.  The low-tempo version of "You're Crazy?"  Awful.  Amy's favorite, "Rocket Queen?"  Awful.  "Knockin' on Heaven's Door?"  "Patience?"  The 12:30 version of "November Rain?"  Awful, awful, awful.  For God's sake... my favorite, "Sweet Child O' Mine?"  Nope, awful.  One last chance... the closer, "Paradise City."  Awful.  Awful, awful, awful, awful, awful. awful, awful.  The one word I'd use to describe this album is (of course) "terrible."
  Verdict:  I'll give this a solid "red" (as in "avoid" or as in "I am still seeing").

• Sun Dial - Reflector (1992).  Sun Dial is an interesting project, with albums often widely varying in approach (Andrew and Mark will remember "Believe in the Spaceman" from a few years ago).  The title track "Reflector" leads off -- and it's an epic rawk track.  This may be their second best album (next to 1990's Other Way Out, which Mojo went as far to call "The greatest unheard psychedelic album ever"), which is high praise.  This is a heavy album without being too heavy, and epic while remaining grounded.  There's a great base of sound here, combined with great hooks and great harmonies.  It's a very persistent album.
  Verdict:  I'll give this a "brilliant yellow" (like the sun - get it?).

• Weezer - Raditude (2009).  As The Red Album was Weezer's best since Pinkerton, it's time to take them off the "avoid" list and see if this was a one-off brilliance or a turning point.  Sure, "I'm Your Daddy" is paint by numbers classic Weezer, but if you make a great chicken fried steak, you should serve chicken fried steak.  In this case, I am happy to eat the same thing all the time.  "Put Me Back Together" may have a little Kill Hannah in it, but I like that band too.
  Verdict:  I'll give this a "blue-green" (like their album cover colors).  (Editor's note:  yes, we realize the "Color" rating started out based on a traffic-light type of system, then somehow became the sun, and now means basically nothing.  So Spiritualized and Weezer are Portable CD Case, Guns N' Roses is Pile of Death, and Sun Dial is Car CD Changer.  And for those who are too lazy to (i.e., can't) add, that number for Social D came out to "1," which means it is a CD Rack album.  We'll be back to our regularly scheduled program next time.)

- Snilch

Songs to get you through Winter Storm Nemo

Today we'll be counting down the Top 10 "Snow/Winter Weather Storm Songs" in honor of Winter Storm Nemo. These are winter songs, so tropical/rain songs ("Rock You Like a Hurricane," "Rain," etc.) are not under consideration.

I'm giving bonus points for songs that are actually ABOUT weather. (On Twitter, I also timed this so the songs could be listened to between tweets.)

So let's get started.

10: "It's a Cold Night for Alligators" by Roky Erickson and the Aliens. (And indeed it is).

9. "Cold as Ice" by Foreigner.  (You can opt out of the ad.)  Not necessarily about weather, so classic song drops a bit.

8. "The Weather" by Built to Spill. Great song; we're now moving into ones that are actually more weather-related.  (This is actually from the album Ancient Melodies of the Future, which means our YouTube uploader was very, very lazy.)

7. "Ice Cold Ice" by Hüsker Dü.  It's kind of about the weather, right?  Right?  (You had to know Bob Mould was getting in here somewhere.)

6. "Snow Day" by Fossil. This is so obscure that there's no uploadable content for it. It's all about the joys of a snow day.  Rest assured, it's a great song.  Rest assured.  

5. "Blizzard of 77" by Nada Surf.  A favorite of Scott's, which is good enough for me. We are now fully ensconced in actual weather songs.

4. "Hazy Shade" of Winter by The Bangles.  Sadly, I did not know this was a cover until just now.  Don't look at me like that.  (FWIW, the YouTube clip sounds like it was recorded off a warped vinyl copy.)

3. "Like the Weather" by 10,000 Maniacs.  Ruined  Immortalized forever by my freshman roommate Sean's drunken warbling Bahstahn rendition. It went something like this: "Shiver in me bones just tinking... about the weathaaaah." (And yes, "tinking" is spelled correctly.)

2. "The Sound of Winter" by Bush.  A great song by a band who finally figured it all out 15 years later.

And at #1... drum roll please....

1. "Snow" by jj72.  It's just awesome. Such angst and confusion, it's really quite brilliant.  A long-forgotten Scottish Irish band.

That's my list... so what did I forget?

-Snilch

What I Got Out of Record Store Day 2010

Record Store Day, conceived in 2007 by a Bull Moose music employee in Maine, started as a full-fledged idea in 2008.  What started as an attempt to throw a life preserver to independent record stores has become an international event the third Saturday of every April.  Bands create releases exclusively for Record Store Day, primarily vinyl, both as giveaways and for sale.

I've been to the last two; after going in 2009 and getting shut out on some things, in 2010 I decided to get to the Newbury Comics in Norwood about a half an hour before the store opened.

I figured I'd be plenty early -- and I was wrong.  I was about 30th in line.  Yup, 28 guys and one woman ahead of me.  And by the time the doors opened, the line had doubled.


It got ugly quickly.  I grabbed the last Weezer freebie 7" just as an alpha nerd reached for it as well.  Said alpha nerd already had one in hand, but he STILL gave me the "Fireball +20 damage" look.  The geek tension was palpable.


Fortunately, no more shows of dorky one-upmanship occurred.  In the end, I got a lot of music between the freebies, samplers, and limited edition items.  (Confession:  I did have to hit the Needham store on the way home to pick up some items that were already gone in Norwood.  I have a problem.)


So how did it work out in the end?  Pretty well.  I've boiled down just the free compilation/sampler discs to 3 1/2 hours; I used two 7 hour flights to pare down the list to that point.  Not bad for zero dollars.


As for the rest, all are singles on vinyl from 2010 unless otherwise noted:

• Against Me! - "I Was a Teenage Anarchist."  I've waxed eloquently (and at some length) about Against Me!, and I'd quote myself and link to said reviews if I weren't feeling quite so lazy at the moment.  This is a great pop punk single.  It's not like I wouldn't have bought the album without hearing the single, but it's great to hear on vinyl.  And the "acoustic version" b-side is actually a re-recording, not just stripping out the bass, drums, and electric guitars.  Good stuff.
  
  
• Built to Spill  - "Water Sleepers."  This is actually worth the price of admission for the b-side, "Linus and Lucy (Live)," which is a cover of the "Peanuts" Schroeder song.  But the a-side is no slouch either -- sounds like it's a throwback to the Keep It Like a Secret or Perfect from Now On era.  Very spacey and slow, but in the classic BTS way.  A really cool little single.
  
  
• The Clash - At Shea Stadium.  I am about to commit many acts of heresy, so please prepare yourself accordingly.  1) I don't like The Clash.  2) I don't like the legendary album London Calling.  So why on earth would I pick up a vinyl single promoting a live album?  Simply, because it was the most visually arresting item there.  It's a picture disc and just looks damn cool.  Now some more heresy.  3) I think this version of "London Calling" is better than the one on London Calling.  And thus 4) At Shea Stadium is going to be a better album than London Calling.  I thank you in advance for your hate mail and comments.
  
  
• The Constellations - "Setback."  Scott and I listened to this at 45 rpm (it is a single, after all), and found it to be quite interesting, although the woman's voice was way out there.  At 33 rpm (correct speed), that dude and his lame sound really did nothing for me.  Adding Cee-Lo to side 2 wasn't enough of a life-saver. Speed it up, kids.
  
  
• Roky Erickson with Okkervil River - True Love Cast Out All Evil.  I was truly shocked to see this in the store.  Since seeing Roky Erickson's comeback in 2005 at Austin City Limits, I've picked up his compilation, but I did not know he was making new music.  This is a combination of home recordings from over the years and new Roky performances, is all over the place and wacky, and is absolutely terrific.  Car CD Changer material.
   
• Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard - One Fast Move or I'm Gone (Music from Kerouac's Big Sur) (single).  Jay Farrar (Wilco, Son Volt, Gob Iron) writes the music with Jack Kerouac's words, and trades vocals with Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, Postal Service).  It's really great sounding:  not surprising, it's alt country.  The two songs here definitely make me want to hear the whole album -- it's an ambitious project for sure, but they do a nice job paying it off.
  
  
• Fly Leaf - "Chasm"/Paper Tongues - "Trinity."  Fly Leaf's lead singer is a powerhouse.  This song is right in the way that most of today's music is wrong:  the vocal presentation is forceful, the lyrics are interesting, and the music has both power and tension.  Paper Tongues, on the other half of the split single, show what's wrong with most of today's new music:  the vocal presentation is soft, the lyrics are cliché, and the music is formulaic and generic; not bad, but not good either.
  
  
• Gogol Bordello - "We Comin' Rougher (Immigranada)."  A bit smoother than what I've previously heard from these guys (probably because it was produced by Rick Rubin), but with the same raw energy and wackiness you'd expect from gypsy punks.  Very impressive.  I will be checking out the full album (Trans-Continental Hustle) for sure.
  
  
• Kasabian - "Fire."  I was on the fence on this one (a bit dance-y for me), but it has a great riff and they really have something nice going on here.
  
  
• John Lennon - Singles Bag.  I picked this up as an afterthought, but the recaps of the event say this was the rarest piece out there.  The three A-sides (despite what Ken might tell you) are classic:  "Mother," "Imagine," and "Watching the Wheels."  The three B-sides are terrible.  I'm not that interested in the poster, the postcards, and custom adaptor hub, but collectors probably are.
  
  
• Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica (2000, re-released in 2010).  One of my favorite albums, finally available on vinyl.  And it sounds great.  One of the best takeaways of the day.
  
  
• Nada Surf - If I Had a Hi-Fi (CD).  The primary reasons I made the second stop in Needham was for the Modest Mouse vinyl and for this CD.  It's a covers album (and I love covers) by Nada Surf (and I love Nada Surf).  Unfortunately, the covers are mostly of songs I'm not familiar with; the best covers are Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence" (which was one of the ones I did know), Arthur Russell's "Janine," and Kate Bush's "Love and Anger."  I guess I don't like the same groups these guys do; if I did I might like the album.  But it's all about me, and thus became Sell-back Pile 1 material. The packaging is very nice, though.   
  
  
• Rogue Wave - "Lake Michigan."    Of everything I got on Record Store Day, this was the best surprise.  Think of Sunny Day Real Estate crossed with Glen Echo.  Really excellent stuff.  Not the most revolutionary, but there is something really nice about the sound of these guys.  A check of this album is in order. 
  
  
• Weezer - "(If You're Wondering if I Want You to) I Want You to."  After wrestling Golem for this puppy (see above), I felt like my expectations were not met with this one right off the bat.  Besides an annoyingly long title for the A-side, I really did not like the song, which tends to be an issue.  However, it has grown on me, and thus the yellow vinyl stays. 

- Snilch

New Music Roundup, Part 2

"This first line is either going to say 'I hate LeBron' or 'I love LeBron'" is what I put in as a placeholder before last Thursday.  (Context:  I am a Cleveland native and lifelong Cavs fan.)

Then the one-hour special was announced, and I changed it to:  "This first line is either going to say 'I hate LeBron' or 'What an ass.  But at least LeBron made the right move.'"

As the reality of the farce approaches (I am writing this at 3PM on Thursday; I will not change it regardless of his decision tonight), I am struck by one thought:  I really don't care anymore.  This whole thing is an ego-massaging exercise by someone who has been coddled all his life.  If he signs with the Cavs, he saves some face, but he has irrevocably changed the perception of him as a human being and an athlete.  Does he not understand what a "team" is?  This is as self-centered and vacuous as it gets.

It's 3:20 and I have music to listen to.  As you read this, the moment has undoubtedly passed.  I hope I had the intestinal fortitude to not watch it play out.  But I will not re-write this either way.


On to the music:

• American Music Club - The Golden Age (2008).  I've heard only great things about Mark Eitzel and American Music Club; 1991's Everclear (featuring the epic "Rise") did nothing to dispel this notion.  Their ninth full-length album (and second since reuniting in 2004) features original members Eitzel and guitarist Vudi plus a brand new rhythm section.  The music is sparse; think a stripped-down Hybrasil.  But it's really good low- to mid-tempo pop, well executed, intelligent, and earnest.
  CD Placement rating:  Portable CD Case.
  
  
• Built to Spill - There is No Enemy (2009).  Based on this and 2006's You in Reverse, BTS has settled into a comfortable groove of sonically heavier, solidly built albums.  They're sludgy and dirgey, but worth wading through.  However, would I go back to these two albums or something like Ancient Melodies of the Future, which had three great songs and seven fair to good ones?  I'm really not sure.  The fact that I can't recall the last two albums until I play them is probably not good either.  My guess is the next album will be bought based on a good review.
  CD Placement rating:  This is a tough one.  CD Rack album gets into the Portable CD Case so I can make a better determination of where it fits into the cosmos.
  
  
• Doves - Kingdom of Rust (2009).  This sounds a lot like 2002's The Last Broadcast.  Don't get me wrong; I like that album.  I don't need two of the same, however.
  CD Placement rating:  Sell-back Pile 1.  Hopefully Andrew and Eric Lax will speak to me after this.
  
  
• King's X - XV (2008).  As the title suggests, this is their 15th album, which seems insane; I don't own anything past 1991 from them.  Having seen them live with Scott and Dale, I was open to giving these guys a shot; reviews were good, so I did.  XV:  it's heavy, it's consistent, and it's good.  No real surprises here, but no duds either.  Great album by a very underrated band.
  CD Placement rating:  Portable CD Case.
  
  
• Scanners - Submarine (2010).  It's taken this band four years, but they've finally come up with a follow-up to 2006's promising debut Violence is Golden.  This is surprisingly much more restrained than their debut, sounding much more like a mix of Silversun Pickups, Love of Diagrams, and Architecture in Helsinki.  And at times, even a little ABBA.  Don't get excited, as this album does not quite measure up to any of those references.  I'd like to see them go for it a bit more; honestly, it's a bit more boring than I had expected.  It's still very decent alternative pop and very listenable. 
  CD Placement rating:  CD Rack. 

 - Snilch

Three Nights, Three Shows

I used to get out and watch many more shows than I do now; age, responsibility, and the economy have curtailed that in the past few years.

Inevitably, every band I want to see comes to town in the same two week span. For example, this week I had to pass on Jay Reatard, The Beatings, and Grizzly Bear because of show conflicts, and work is probably going to rule out jumping down to New York to see The Black Watch in two weeks at CMJ (I am still holding out hope, though!).

The shows I did go to see were "must-see" shows. Lots of compatriots over the three days, although Scott was the only one brave enough to hit the trifecta with me (and he threw in a fourth show Thursday -- show-off). Let's start with Wednesday.

Bob Mould, The Paradise - Wednesday, October 7
I've seen Bob ten or fifteen times since 1995; this show was the noisiest of the bunch, and that's saying something. I've complained that Bob doesn't vary his setlist enough; he responded with a show that included six songs (by my count) he hasn't performed with a band in fifteen to twenty-five years. I counted only three missteps the whole night -- one new song and both songs of the encore -- but otherwise A to A+ stuff. Overall, this was more a noise and effort tour de force than a musical one, but in the best possible way. Bob was in a great mood, gave lots of energy to the crowd, and played his butt off. Hearing "Something I Learned Today," "In a Free Land," and "Poison Years" with this band was epic. Jon Wurster of Superchunk on drums: phenomenal technically and smiling the whole set. His positive energy was palpable, much like watching Matt and Kim. Jason Narducy of Verbow on bass, backup vocals, and the e-bow for "Sinners and Their Repentances": a pro all the way, a great compliment to Bob's vocals, and a luxury to have someone of that talent in this band. The (typically lethargic) Boston crowd: as enthused as I've ever seen at one of his shows; Bob really should have come out for a second encore, the crowd was really ready to stay all night. Lots of great energy being passed back and forth. I left with my ears ringing (despite wearing plugs) and I couldn't care less.
Merch rating: I bought a CD on the way out, and would have bought more if I didn't everything already. He's still the best.

The Manic Street Preachers, The Paradise - Thursday, October 8
The Manics' first show in Boston since 1992 (they didn't make it this way in 1995, canceled last minute in 1999, and haven't come to the U.S. since) also did not disappoint. Despite James Dean Bradfield complaining of a cold and this being the last night of the tour (which, for any band, is typically a toss-up between total brilliance and utter disaster), the Manics started strong and stayed strong. I was surprised how few songs I knew; the new songs sounded great. They started with "Motorcycle Emptiness," which seemed to go on for ten minutes; they could have continued for another thirty. They were ferocious, they gave everything they had, and the crowd responded in kind. A great show.
Merch rating: The merch table was pretty empty, as these are the final pickings of the tour, but I would have bought a t-shirt or album if one had been there. I will definitely be picking up the new album and reviewing it.

Built to Spill, Middle East Downstairs - Friday, October 9
This was the first of three shows in Boston, supporting their new album (which I've seen very favorably reviewed but have not picked up yet). BTS has the potential for all-time great shows (I've seen them put on a few) and for pretty average shows (I've seen them put on a few), as well as anywhere in between; but I've never seen them put on a bad show. Until last night, that is. We actually walked out 2/3 of the way through their set, and we weren't the only ones. Something was wrong with Doug Martsch's voice -- he was slurring his words and had some weird head motions throughout the show. I was happy to see him play some more of the leads (as he should) as opposed to old shows; he was giving it his all, but the rest of the band was very flat. When Scott and I agreed we'd prefer sleep to watching any more, that was it for us.
Merch rating: Technically, the merch rating for this show should be that "I'll turn my back on them," but I've got too much of a history with this band to not give them a second chance. I will pick up the new album, but not because of this odd mis-step by a great band.

- Snilch