RIP MCA

Coldplay generally sucks, but their tribute to MCA is sweet.  Impressive.  Thanks to Eric Lax for this one.


MCA - RIP.

The One I Wrote on Painkillers and Really Didn't Proofread

My buddy Jamie is letting me go through his CD collection -- it's quite large; he may have more CD's than I do.  Post 1 was about The Dead Milkmen; I've condensed the rest into one additional handy dandy post, mainly because I could not bring myself to write three and I was feeling somewhat lazy.  Also, as the title indicates, I am on painkillers at the moment as I'm laid up.


And just because they're old... well, they're new to me.  So leave me alone.  You too, collapsing walls and increasing paranoia.


Disclaimer:  I really didn't edit this one much, so there are some dumb moments and some clever ones.  I think they're mainly dumb, but honestly have no idea.  And I left some things in that I never would, although I did do a spell check.  I wrote A LOT.  Good luck.

In alphabetical order:

• Big Country - Steeltown (1984).  IMHO, the Scottish band Big Country had two great albums:  1986's The Seer (their third album) and 1999's Driving to Damascus (their last before lead singer Stuart Adamson's suicide in 2001).  Steeltown was the followup to their debut The Crossing (which featured the timeless classic "In a Big Country").  Steeltown in the US was a colossal failure, and an the end of Big Country as a viable commercial entity.  In the UK, it spawned three top 40 hits.  So who was right?  In the case, the UK.  This band was so underrated, as was drummer Mark Brzezicki, who I first saw on my freshman roommate Sean's Beta (!) recording of him as a teenager playing for Pete Townsend.  I have not had much human contact today. Verdict:  Portable CD Case.
• The Call - sorry, this album was from Scott.  Wrong post.
• The Cure - Disintegration (1989).  I would never normally admit this, but seriously the only reason I have any interest in this is that in the South Park "Mega Streisand" episode where Stan (or Kyle) calls this the best album ever.  This is where I find my music:  from throwaway cartoon endorsements.  This album makes me sad.  But it is really good.  (Now that's insight!)  I always liked "Fascination Street" and "Lullaby."  The album is surprisingly thoughtful and delicate.  Surprising to me, anyways.  Okay, now I'm babbling.  Verdict:  Portable CD Case.
• Devo - Smooth Noodle Maps (1990).  Random question that just occurred to me:  What are toast points?  Aren't they just toast?  (I am in a weird spot at the moment.)  Anyways, Devo's eighth album in a thirteen year period, his was the last album in Devo's long run of commercial output (before reuniting to create 2010's Something for Everybody).  Any Devo fans who didn't already hate me (and I know some that do) will undoubtedly feel that way before this review is complete.  This sounds like "Weird Al" Yankovic got together with Depeche Mode and tried to make a serious but ironic album.  This is where it turns ugly for Devo fans:  I think it works.  (I'm guessing they view this album like the part of the family tree where Cousin Molly married Uncle Ron.)  Yes, I like it and I don't care.  I am not trying to be clever, but I can't help it:  I am really craving a grilled cheese right now and wondering if it can be made with toast points. (Moment of lucidity:  Aren't you glad I left all these gems in?) Verdict:  Portable CD Case.
• Devo - Now It Can Be Told:  DEVO at the Palace 12/9/88 (1989).  One of those great albums that captures a moment in time, with a band hitting on all cylinders.  Simply put:  a great live album.  I may be turning into a Devo fan.  Verdict:  Portable CD Case.
• Gem - Hexed (1995).  Guided by Voices guitarist Doug Gillard formed this band in 1995, prior to joining GBV.  Okay, so the lyrics are a bit repetitive.  But the music -- particularly the guitar playing -- is fantastic.  Which is fortunate on standouts like "Only a Loan" and "I Hate It," with doctorate-level guitar work and grade-school dropout level lyrics.  But it rawks, dude.  Totally.  Verdict:  Portable CD Case.
• The Golden Palominos - This Is How It Feels (1993), Pure (1994).  Most famous for their guest-star laden albums (e.g., Michael Stipe, John Lydon, Richard Thompson, Mick Taylor, and Bob Mould, to name a few), this band is the brainchild of ex-Feelies and Bob Mould band drummer Anton Fier.  These two albums  are their best, IMHO; they sound the most like a band, lightly touching on pop, soft indie rock, dance, and even a bit of ambient.  Ironically, these are the two least star-studded albums of the catalog; only Bootsy Collins is along for this one.  This Is How It Feels teeters on the brink of being trite inanity throughout, but stays on the right side of edginess throughout.  If I didn't know better, I might identify the band as Texas.  Pure is more of the same and perhaps even better.  I could listen to both of these all day when in that ambient/trippy/poppy mood.  Of course, the next album was a different lineup altogether and the end of the Palominos.  Maybe they should have gone for album #3 with this group.  Nice decision, assholes.  Verdict:  TIHIF - Portable CD Case; Pure - Car CD Changer.
• Ladytron - Light and Magic (2002).  This electronic quartet's 2nd album (they just released their sixth in 2011) is marked by an edge and groove that a lot of electronica lacks, IMHO, as well as a lower bpmVerdict:  Portable CD Case.
• The Primitives - Pure (1989).  If you have a female lead singer, name your album Pure.  (If you don't know what I'm talking about, you've been caught skimming this post.)  Some good songs here, but I'm really not sure what I was thinking when I put it into the pile for this list.  Verdict:  Sell-back Pile 1.
• The Psychedlic Furs - World Outside (1991).  I really want to like The Psychedelic Furs.  I really do.  But everything I've ever heard has been hit or miss.  Once again, my guess is true fans of this band will find this a piss-poor offering in their catalog.  It's whiny, nasally, and tuneful in just the appropriate doses.  I wish I had heard it years ago.  Verdict:  Portable CD Case. 
• Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger (1991).  I won't apologize for taking this long to give Soundgarden a real chance; I wasn't ready to listen to them until now.  It's essentially a merciless grunge dirge.  Me likee.  Verdict:  Car CD Changer.
• Stars of Track and Field - Centuries Before Love and War (2006).  These guys were on my radar based on their 2009 track "Racing Lights."  I wish I could describe this album, but I'm seriously loopy at the moment.  I did give a bunch of songs 4 stars, and I have the general impression I enjoyed the album.  So I like it... right?  Verdict:  Who knows?  Definitely worth listening to at the beginning of the pain med cycle, clearly.
• Ultravox - The Collection (1985).  It's an interesting idea to call this album The Collection, considering it completely ignores the band's first three albums, their live album, and their last two releases.  It's a good summary of their four middle albums, and highlights some great pop synth and guitar tracks.  A classic 80's sound for the first half; a little more of other albums would have helped.  Verdict:  CD Rack.
• Suzanne Vega - 99.9 F° (1992).  Why is there no "Insert Symbol" in this blog compose interface?  Would it really be that difficult?  I loved "Luka" (which I'm shocked to realize was released in 1987... I was sure more like 1980 or 1982) and she has a great voice, but I was not a big fan of anything else she did (including Tom's Diner").  "Blood Makes Noise" is simply a phenomenal song, and I'm ready to listen to this now in all the ways I wasn't in 1992.  She really is great at mixing things up musically throughout, and I'm liking this album.  Uneven (e.g., "Fat Man and the Dancing Girl") but good.  Verdict:  Portable CD Case.
• XTC - Oranges and Lemons (1989).  I've taken my sweet damn time getting into XTC but I'm hooked.  I'm not sure why some bands take years and others take minutes to get.  These guys are good, although I'd put a few albums ahead of this one from their catalog; the second half seemed to fall off the cliff (although perhaps that was the momentary lack of pain meds listening).  Thanks to Scott and Barry for encouraging me to get into these guys.  Verdict:  CD Rack.

I'm not sure whether this post shows I'm affected by painkillers or not.  It's probably bad either way.


- Snilch

What Time Is the Super Bowl?

"What Time Is the Super Bowl?" you ask?

http://deadspin.com/5881720/what-time-does-the-super-bowl-start-he-wrote-as-a-headline-to-game-the-google-results

Love of Diagrams - Nowhere Forever (2009)

It's been two years since Love of Diagrams released their follow-up to 2007's Mosaic, which I loved.  Why, then you ask, did I wait until this month to listen to it?


Well, the band is from Australia, so the CD was available only as an import.


"In that case," you say, being a reasonably logical person of sound mind and body, "why not just download it from iTunes or Amazon?  No shipping, no import -- right?"


Answer:  because the digital files were available only as "imports" as well.


Yes, these are electronic files.  Yes, there is no "transportation" of these files or physical reason why these cannot be transmitted.  Yes, this is incredibly dumb.


In  any case, I'm happy to have had the chance to finally get a listen. Nowhere Forever is a sea change in sound; at first I heard a lot of similarities to Sugar's Copper Blue (and tonally that is the most direct comparison for the first half of the album), but the more I listen to it, the more it sounds like The Lilys' In the Presence of Nothing.  


I feel like I'm listening to the next piece in a student's portfolio:  they're now less about juxtaposing angular guitars against the vocals, and more about making a statement with a driving tone, then slightly tweaking it to make their final point.


"Lookout" and "Mountain" exemplify this perfectly:  it's a wall of 1994 grunge, spat at in the final third by a lilting guitar riff that's simple but very powerful.  You get pulled in by the undertow; it's a war of attrition you'll eventually succumb to.  This shows in the song lengths: 3 of Mosaic's 13 songs were longer than 3:45; only 1 of Nowhere Forever's 11 songs is shorter than 3:45. 


Despite the huge tonal shift in the music and song length, it still works.  It lacks the highs and lows of Mosaic but is consistently strong for the first seven songs before petering out on the last four.  


But I'm still not sure on this one.  I wrote 90% of this review two weeks ago, but have been vacillating on whether this is great or merely good.  I'll say this:  the first 3/4 make a really nice rock album.  The dropoff at the end knocks it down a peg.


CD Placement Rating:  Portable CD Case.


- Snilch

The Dead Milkmen: A Half-Assed Retrospective

As you make your returns of your gifts this holiday season, I'm sure there's one question on your mind:  "What Dead Milkmen album should I exchange this [insert crappy gift name] for?"


This, of course, pre-supposes that you still purchase CDs, or that you've actually given a passing thought to The Dead Milkmen since "Punk Rock Girl" or "Bitchin' Camaro."  Or that you'd want to delve into an actual album rather than a greatest hits.  Or, finally, that you'd want to take advice from someone who's not really a true fan of the band.


If the above is the case... well, then you've come to the right place!


Thanks to chance to go through a friend's riehle really cool music collection before he sells it all, I listened to the entire Dead Milkmen catalog.  They're one of those bands that I've always wanted to explore further, but felt like I'd be dropping myself into a King Missile-like hole.


Overall, I was surprised at just how good these guys play.  As musicians, they rock-solid good -- no joke there.  Their vocal talent is what fans consider "a great contrast to their music," and enemies consider "awful."  But all in all, they are a band first, and goofy lyricists second.  If you like their humor, there is nothing not to like about these guys.  If you don't, it won't work.


Not included in this review:  their 2011 reunion album, The King in Yellow, their first in 16 years.


Without further ado....


Highly Recommended

• Bucky Fellini (1987)
• Stoney's Extra Stout (1995)

I picked two albums that did not include either of their hits, which is odd.  Bucky Fellini is critically considered one of their three best albums; Stoney's Extra Stout was not only their last album, but considered by many to be a statement of how far the band had fallen.  I disagree, as I think it's excellent. 

Recommended

• Big Lizard in My Backyard (1985)

This was close, but ultimately for me this was a mishmash of songs I loved (about a third) and others I hated (the rest).  Their debut album does feature "Bitchin' Camaro" and "Takin' Retards to the Zoo," but ultimately it fell short for me as a whole.

 

I Found at Least One Song

• Eat Your Paisley (1986)
• Beelzebubba (1988)
• Metaphysical Graffiti (1990)
• Chaos Rules:  Live at the Trocodero (1994)
• Now We are 20 (2003)

Dead Milkmen fans are flinging feces at me for dropping the acclaimed Beelzebubba this far, but I really found only one song besides "Punk Rock Girl" I liked.  Metaphysical Graffiti and Now We are 20 both had multiple songs I liked; the other two had literally one song each.

I Did Not Find at Least One Song

• Soul Rotation (1992)
• Not Richard But Dick (1993)

The critics and I are on the same page here.  When these guys missed, they really missed.  Their two Hollywood label records are pretty terrible.

- Snilch

Ten Songs I'm Constantly Listening to These Days

In alphabetical order:

1. Scott Bishop - "The Deep End"
2. Bush - "Afterlife"
3. The Duke Spirit - "The Step and the Walk"
4. Ladyfinger (ne) - "Little Things"
5. Ride - "Like a Daydream"
6. Roky Erickson and The Aliens - "Bloody Hammer"
7. Sabatta - "Raw"
8. Switchblade Seranades - "On Parole"
9. The T4 Project - "15 Minutes"
10. Them Crooked Vultures - "Mind Eraser, No Chaser"

- Snilch

The Weisstronauts - Nineteen Something Nine (2011), In Memphis 2 (2011)

Most of you know how difficult it is to get me to review anything these days.  So when I got two CD's from The Weisstronauts, that increased my expected review period from three months to six.  

After an appropriate period of grousing, I gave both Nineteen Something Nine and the EP In Memphis 2 a whirl.  (And all in one week!)  

Now for the confession part of the story:  I have seen this band play a few times and have been somewhat underwhelmed.  Or maybe it was that their tastes and mine didn't coincide.  I could still see the latter after listening to Nineteen Something Nine; the former definitely not.  

The band in a nutshell:  three guitars, bass, drum, a little piano, a tiny bit of vocal; it's pretty much all instrumental.  It's like a ramped up folk band that happens to jam and play a lot of electric guitar.  Sometimes it feels like they're a riffing scat band, other times a very musically literate lounge band, and sometimes a jazz band hiding behind guitars.  On "Sunburn" they even sound like The Alan Parsons Project.


This variety surprised me.  In my previous experience with the band, I recall a Weisstronaut "sound" in the first, second, third, eighth song, etc., I heard.  And for me, that's where I tuned out.


In this group of songs, they still retain that common musical thread, but have overcome the  repetitiveness.  And much to my surprise... I just kept playing it over and over and over again.  In a word:  it's great.  (Okay, two words.)


The guitar sounds and production on this album are just fantastic.  "Sunburn" in particular was amazing blasting through the big speakers.  Don't bother listening online; I dismissed "Pete's Straw Hat" out of hand even in mp3 format, but love the fully mixed version when I listened to the CD.


I love the little nods to musical heritage throughout the album.  For example, there's one to the Rolling Stones' "Gimmie Shelter" in "Timmy the Smelter" and one to "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" in "A Dandy's Moth Collection."  (And perhaps the bass line from the Charlie Brown theme in the latter as well.  But I'm not completely sure on that.)


"Hoopin'," "Timmy the Smelter," and "Sunburn" are worth the price of admission alone, but really the whole album is just fantastic.  It's excellent players, all finding their space within songs without being sparce, creating a great sound that's both interesting and expertly mastered.  This was a pleasant surprise of well-crafted, well-produced guitar folk rock.


In Memphis 2 is part of a series of 4-song EP's (I'm guessing) recorded when the band had a chance to record in some Memphis studios.  Once again, it's great stuff, particularly the standout "Tabasco Fiasco."


And you can get both albums for $15.  Not bad.  You will not be disappointed.


CD Placement Rating:  Car CD Changer.  Yes, they're that good.


Merch rating:  I would make sure I bought at least two drinks during their set (e\which is what clubs care about).  And I'll definitely be on board for their next album, as well as In Memphis 1.


- Snilch