| Get toasty with the Friday 5!! |
[Nov. 21st, 2008|10:06 pm] |
clearly, I'm way too ambitious for LiveJournal's primitive HTML capabilities...sorry, but The Friday 5 Multimedia Experience will have to wait until I've ditched this site in the new year...
Pavement - “Stereo” from Brighten The Corners Stephen Malkmus and his band were often too weird for their own good…they hit it big with Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, but made a quick about-face with the wild Wowee Zowee a year later…their fourth album wasn’t so ‘out there,’ but is still a very creative set…over the past few years, Matador Records has been releasing heavily expanded versions of each of Pavement’s albums, with Brighten The Corners: Nicene Creedence Edition arriving soon… DeVotchKa - “Dark Eyes” from SuperMelodrama Recorded long before their smash, How It Ends, this song from the eclectic group’s debut album is far from being new…the Russian folk song was first published in 1843, and has been sung to me by my Ukrainian-born great-grandmother from the day I was born…it’s been covered in all styles, from folk to lounge to gypsy swing, and DeVotchKa’s version is a lovely addition to those ranks…
Okkervil River - “Calling And Not Calling My Ex” from The Stand Ins
Lead singer and songwriter Will Sheff is one creative guy…last year, he took his band, Okkervil River, to the top of many people’s best-of lists with The Stage Names…a continuation of sorts, The Stand Ins brings more folksy, baroque country-pop, with an emphasis on wordy lyrics…Sheff’s rockier side comes out here and there in the music, but the album (like the band’s others) concentrates more on expression than bombast…
Syd Straw - “Heart Of Darkness” from Surprise
You may remember her from ‘The Adventures Of Pete & Pete,’ or from The Golden Palominos or the incredible Stay Awake album…Syd is a very unique voice in the alternative country community, and she’s got some pretty famous friends, too…this, her first album, featured Michael Stipe and Richard Thompson, and she employed The Skeletons to be her band for her second album…she’s also done a lot of backup singing for everyone from Pat Benetar to Leo Kottke…some résumé!… The Sisters Of Mercy - “Marian” from First And Last And Always Sure, Nick Cave is my favorite gothy-type singer, but Andrew Eldritch is a close second…The Sisters Of Mercy only released three albums, but each one is a brooding masterpiece…being the only original member remaining, Eldritch has recently taken The Sisters out on his own, though it’s unclear as to whether this stage of the band will ever record…on top of those three albums, there are a few covers out there, like Nouvelle Vague’s cover of this song on their first album… |
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| Y-Rock On XPN playlist for 11.14.08!! |
[Nov. 18th, 2008|06:16 pm] |
artist - title - album 12 pm: The Nooner! Elvis Costello - Pads, Paws And Claws - Spike Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You - Gorgeous George Iggy Pop - Some Weird Sin - Lust For Life The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray - It's A Shame About Ray The Jam - Strange Town - Setting Sons Hüsker Dü - Celebrated Summer - New Day Rising Massive Attack - Be Thankful For What You Got - Blue Lines The Cure - Pictures Of You - Disintegration The B-52's - Dance This Mess Around - The B-52's Soul Coughing - Soundtrack To Mary - Irresistible Bliss The Velvet Underground - Beginning To See The Light - The Velvet Underground James - She's A Star - Whiplash The Jesus And Mary Chain - Between Planets - Automatic Talking Heads - Slippery People - Speaking In Tongues X - In This House That I Call Home - Wild Gift 1 pm The Pipettes - Your Kisses Are Wasted On Me - We Are The Pipettes Snow Patrol - Take Back The City - A Hundred Million Suns Kaiser Chiefs - Like It Too Much - Off With Their Heads Darker My Love - Two Ways Out - 2 Garbage - #1 Crush - Romeo & Juliet Soundtrack Delta Spirit - People C'mon - Ode To Sunshine The Decemberists - Record Year - Always The Bridesmaid, Vol. III The Specials - Nite Klub - The Specials The Secret Machines - Atomic Heels - Secret Machines Belle & Sebastian - Stay Loose - Dear Catastrophe Waitress The Duke Spirit - Lassoo - Neptune Beck - Timebomb Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why - Fleet Foxes Cold War Kids - I've Seen Enough - Loyalty To Loyalty David Bowie - Boys Keep Swinging - Lodger 2 pm The Killers - Human - Day & Age The Dandy Warhols - Everyday Should Be A Holiday - The Dandy Warhols Come Down Blitzen Trapper - Gold For Bread - Furr MGMT - Electric Feel - Oracular Spectacular Aqualung - Brighter Than Sunshine - Strange & Beautiful I'm From Barcelona - Paper Planes - Who Killed Harry Houdini? Kings Of Leon - Be Somebody - Only By The Night Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug - Siren Vampire Weekend - Ottoman - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist Soundtrack Los Campesinos! - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed - We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed The Aliens - Setting Sun - Astronomy For Dogs The Chemical Brothers - Setting Sun - Dig Your Own Hole M83 - We Own The Sky - Saturdays=Youth Regina Spektor - On The Radio - Begin To Hope 3 pm Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams - Tonight Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - A Children's Crusade on Acid - Not Animal The Sea And Cake - Aerial - Car Alarm The Ting Tings - Shut Up And Let Me Go - We Started Nothing Electric Six - Formula 409 - Flashy New Order - Love Vigilantes - Low-Life Ra Ra Riot - Ghost Under Rocks - The Rhumb Line The Spinto Band - Later On - Moonwink Lykke Li - Breaking It Up - Youth Novels Doves - Black And White Town - Some Cities Wilco - A Shot In The Arm - Summerteeth Okkervil River - Pop Lie - The Stand Ins The Clash - The Magnificent Seven / Armagideon Time - Live At Shea Stadium
Join me again every Friday from 11:00am - 3:00pm, only on Y-Rock On XPN!! |
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| A Friday 5 packed with presents!! |
[Nov. 14th, 2008|10:10 pm] |
from now on, please enjoy the songs that I write about by listening to them right here!
The Sea And Cake - “On A Letter” from Car Alarm
One of the songs that Sam Prekop and company did for their session that I recorded, this track from the indie pop veterans’ new album is mighty fine…they’re often classified as ‘indie jazz’, and that’s not too far off, but a lot of The Sea And Cake’s guitar work is heavily rooted in the double-guitar attack of Television…there might even be some Velvet Underground mixed in there, but just most every indie band cites The Velvets as an influence these days…
Gorillaz - "Clint Eastwood" from Gorillaz It took a while for me to catch on to Damon Albarn’s cartoony hip hop project, but there are some real gems mixed in with all that silliness…from the group’s first album comes this psychedelic dub smash, totally reminiscent of The Specials’ classic, “Ghost Town”…of course, Damon would tackle similar territory with The Good, The Bad & The Queen, one of my favorite albums of last year, and a tour de force of all the parties involved…
The Spinto Band - “Later On” from Moonwink
Though they’re not technically from Philadelphia, Delaware’s The Spinto Band are definitely a Philly Local favorite…their energetic, meticulously arranged pop music will immediately bring a smile to your face…their new album is a likely sleeper hit for this year, as they have been working on it since 2006…it’s also their first for Park The Van records, which means that the boys are officially honorary Philadelphians…
The Damned - “Generals” from Strawberries
As Britain’s punkfathers pressed on, they got weirder…sure, they did the whole gothic thing and would go on to include samples in their music, but they did aggressive rock the best…their lineup always in flux, guitarist Captain Sensible was, at the time, juggling a surprisingly successful solo career…Sensible left after this album, but is back with the band today (as far as I know)…The Damned are coming to Philadelphia in January, and I can hardly wait!…
Feist - “Honey Honey” from The Reminder Mmm, Feist…oh, you want more than that?…well, how about that the occasional Broken Social Scene-ster has become one of the biggest names in pop music, mostly thanks to the iPod commercial with “1 2 3 4” in it…I found out about Miss Feist when Let It Die came out, and she became one of my favorite modern chanteuses this side of Madeleine Peyroux... |
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| Y-Rock On XPN playlist for 11.7.08!! |
[Nov. 12th, 2008|11:19 pm] |
artist - title - album 11 am Oasis - The Shock Of The Lightning - Dig Out Your Soul Delta Spirit - Parade - Ode To Sunshine Kaiser Chiefs - Always Happens Like That - Off With Their Heads New Order - Age Of Consent - Power, Corruption & Lies Franz Ferdinand - The Dark Of The Matinee - Franz Ferdinand Blizten Trapper - Gold For Bread - Furr Mates Of State - Jigsaw - Re-Arrange Us Stereolab - Wow And Flutter - Mars Audiac Quintet Cold War Kids - Something Is Not Right With Me - Loyalty To Loyalty The Little Ones - Morning Tide - Morning Tide The Replacements - Left Of The Dial - Tim Arcade Fire - Wake Up - Funeral Margot & The Nuclear So And So's - A Children's Crusade on Acid - Not Animal The Sea And Cake - Car Alarm - Car Alarm The White Stripes - It's My Fault For Being Famous - Conquest EP 12 pm: The Nooner! eels - Flyswatter - Daisies Of The Galaxy The Clash - Wrong 'Em Boyo - London Calling Public Image Ltd. - Seattle - Happy? Porno For Pyros - Tahitian Moon - Good God's Urge T. Rex - Jeepster - Electric Warrior Blind Melon - Tones Of Home - Blind Melon Soup Dragons - Divine Thing - Hotwired The Breeders - Divine Hammer - Last Splash Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Beyond Belief - Imperial Bedroom XTC - Wrapped In Grey - Nonsuch The Specials - Stupid Marriage - The Specials The Beta Band - Dry The Rain - The Three E.P.'s Siouxsie & The Banshees - The Killing Jar - Peep-Show David Bowie - Sound And Vision - Low Blur - She's So High - Leisure 1 pm Ben Folds - You Don't Know Me (featuring Regina Spektor) - Way To Normal Amy Winehouse - You Know I'm No Good - Back To Black Snow Patrol - Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands - A Hundred Million Suns Clinic - Corpus Christi - Do It! Cracker - Get Off This - Kerosene Hat The Fratellis - A Heady Tale - Here We Stand The Decemberists - A Cautionary Song - Castaways And Cutouts Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon - Ocean Rain Matthew Sweet - Byrdgirl - Sunshine Lies Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Magick - Cardinology Sonic Youth - Kool Thing - Goo Of Montreal - Id Engager - Skeletal Lamping Dr. Dog - The Rabbit, The Bat, And The Reindeer - Fate Fleet Foxes - He Doesn't Know Why - Fleet Foxes Devo - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! 2 pm The Killers - Human - Day & Age James - Say Something - Laid stellastarr* - My Coco - stellastarr* The Strokes - The Modern Age - Is This It Beck - Orphans - Modern Guilt Amanda Palmer - Runs In The Family - Who Killed Amanda Palmer Operation Ivy - Unity - Operation Ivy The Cure - The Reasons Why - 4:13 Dream David Byrne & Brian Eno - Strange Overtones - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today Hot Chip - Wrestlers - Made In The Dark Pavement - Summer Babe (Winter Version) - Slanted & Enchanted The Shins - Australia - Wincing The Night Away The Last Shadow Puppets - My Mistakes Were Made For You - The Age Of The Understatement Vampire Weekend - The Kids Don't Stand A Chance - Vampire Weekend The Stone Roses - She Bangs The Drums - The Stone Roses
Join me again this Friday from 12:00noon - 4:00pm (eastern), only on Y-Rock On XPN!! |
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| Go to sleep now, little ugly |
[Nov. 10th, 2008|10:17 pm] |
It's funny how, within the alternative/indie music world, there are some bands that are wildly popular when compared to other bands in the very same scene...you would think that, as a band became more and more popular, they would stop being 'alternative' and cross over into more mainstream territory...some might tell you that this is exactly what happened to The Decemberists, and I'm not sure I'd be quick to argue...however, there have been more than just a few cases in history of a band hitting it big and still remaining true to their own creative direction...
The Decemberists released their first album, Castaways And Cutouts, in 2002...in my opinion, this is their best album, as the next two would mostly retread the literate, waltz-time path that their debut blazed...their fourth album, 2006's The Crane Wife, though, was their first for Capitol Records, and it shows...along with a few nautical-folk moments, there are some completely uncharacteristic turns and explorations into genres like funk, big guitar rock, and (gulp) prog...in concert on Friday night, the band played a good amount of material from each of their albums, and focused rather heavily on their new singles series, Always The Bridesmaid...according to leader Colin Meloy, their upcoming album, Hazards Of Love, lacks many of the more jaunty numbers that drove their previous albums; however those missing songs are being released one at a time over a few months (the last of the three singles comes out the first week of December)...Still, the band puts on a really good show, and brings great life and energy into some of the more questionable songs in their catalogue...the show is interactive as well, with Meloy getting everyone in the Electric Factory to sit down during "The Perfect Crime #2", or rousing an Obama-inspired call-and-response during the not-so-subtle "16 Military Wives"...naturally, their devoted (and ever-growing) audience ate it all up...
From where I was standing, I had a tough time getting good pictures, but a few that I did catch were pretty good...
As always, there are a few more pictures from this show (and lots more from other shows) here...
Additionally, Y-Rock, XPN and NPR Music were broadcasting the show live that night, and now have it archived for your streaming pleasure...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
Strolling under grimey skies
Machines that make you kiss in time
Smoke on your breath, smoke on your breath |
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| The perfect, the perfect, the perfect Friday 5!! |
[Nov. 7th, 2008|02:02 pm] |
Pere Ubu - “Life Stinks” from The Modern Dance It’s a horrible injustice that more indie kids don’t know about one of the coolest American rock bands in history…as far as I know, the Cleveland group are still going on strong, even though guitarist Jim Jones passed away in February…leader David Thomas and his husky wail drive each tune with expressive theatricality…their debut album features some of the punk influences of the contemporary music scene, but Pere Ubu’s music has always been distinctly (and starkly) their own… Kaiser Chiefs - “Half The Truth” from Off With Their Heads On their new album, the Britpop goofballs worked with Mark Ronson to create their most solid record yet…there are fewer misses and way more hooks than there were on their previous two efforts…this standout, with its spy-inflected, minor-key chorus and lyric-packed verses may follow the tried-and-true Kaisers form, but with guests like Lily Allen and the New Young Pony Club appearing here and there, how can you argue?… Iggy Pop - “The Passenger” from Lust For Life Count this in with the list of Best Songs Ever, because this is a true classic…Iggy released his first two albums four years after the last Stooges album, and boy did he make an impact…those two albums were collaborations with David Bowie, who was in his “Berlin Trilogy” period at the time, which explains the Low-esque sound of many early solo Iggy songs…this iconic tune, though, has a more freewheeling, acoustic feel, and the “la-la” chorus makes it a great sing-along for punk campfires… Shivaree - “New Casablanca” from Who’s Got Trouble? If you only know the creepy/eclectic trio for their 1999 single “Goodnight Moon,” there’s lots of eclectic creepiness you’re missing out on…their most recent album of original material begins with this kinda torch, kinda cowboy ballad, showcasing leader Ambrosia Parsley’s quirky vocal style…from a soft coo to a taunting whisper, Parsley has the perfect voice for Shivaree’s music (especially the really cool cover of Eno’s “The Fat Lady Of Limbourg,” also on this album)… Nic Armstrong & The Thieves - “She Changes Like The Weather” from The Greatest White Liar The debut album from the band now known as IV Thieves is one of my favorite albums of the past few years…each tune plays out like a different ‘60s single, this one emulating the psych-folk of Rubber Soul…these kids clearly grew up being very well-acquainted with their Kinks and Yardbirds albums, yet the abundance of original songs on the album show how well Armstrong can convey the same kinds of feelings as those pioneering rockers in a modern but timeless tone… |
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| Take me to the airport, I need to be extremely far away |
[Nov. 3rd, 2008|07:49 pm] |
You can usually learn a lot about a songwriter's personality through their songs...Steve Poltz is a goofy sort of guy, but has a very tender side, and his songs reflect that...Chris Eaton of Rock Plaza Central is a bit of a character, but is a really good storyteller, and his bizarre lyrics adhere to his own fantastical canon...Stephin Merritt is an exception in more ways than one...
Leader of many projects, Merritt is most notably the creative director for The Magnetic Fields...Merritt is the antithesis of the 'rock star' persona, often acting either very quiet or very rude in situations where 'traditional' performers would be animated and outgoing...however, you'd never know any of this by listening to The Magnetic Fields' songs...sure, a lot of their 'love' songs are dark and a little twisted, but even a sourpuss like Merritt has a sense of humor...
Joining Merritt onstage on a rainy night in Philadelphia a few weeks ago was vocalist Shirley Simms, pianist Claudia Gonson, guitarist John Woo and cellist Sam Davol...The Merriam Theater was a fine setting for the band's recital-like stage show, which consisted of light chatter (mostly from the bubbly Gonson) in between a fine selection of songs from Merritt's various projects...most of the two sets were made up of tunes from The Magnetic Fields' new album, Distortion, but unlike the record, the live performances of these songs were not enveloped in sheets of squealing feedback...this might be an act of mercy by the band on the ears of the audience, or at least on the ears of Merritt himself (he suffers from Hyperacusis, in which normal sounds reverberate within the ear until the sound becomes unbearable)...it was interesting to hear "Too Drunk To Dream", "California Girls" and "Three-Way" done totally acoustic, and it almost makes me wish that the re-record the album sans-distortion...I mean, if they can market Verve: Un-Mixed, why not?...
Along with a few tunes from Merritt's "bubblegum-goth" project The Gothic Archies, the band performed a good number of the 69 Love Songs, and a few other earlier tunes...all of this (except for the encore) was done with a few surrogate instruments taking the place of those the band had been separated from in transit...despite a few monitor-related technical difficulties (and a trigger-happy sound guy who cranked up "Rock'n Me" just as the last note of the first set was played), the show was an elegant affair, and I await the band's return...
Unfortunately, the Merriam has a very strict 'No Photography' policy, so the only picture I could get was the Distortion cover-emulating poster that was in a lightbox outside...
Though there aren't any more pictures of The Magnetic Fields, you can check out pictures from plenty of other great concerts (like Nick Cave, Los Straitjackets and Sonic Youth) here...
Coming soon, The Decemberists @ Electric Factory and Sondre Lerche @ World Cafe Live...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
You could blame it on the music
But it wouldn't be right
Cause I've gotten lucky to some pretty bad tunes
Must be the Moon |
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| Y-Rock On XPN Hallowe'en playlist 2008!! |
[Nov. 3rd, 2008|07:37 pm] |
Due to the hellish transportation tie-up resulting from the Phillies' World Series celebration parade on Friday, I had to miss the first few hours of my show, but got to the station just in time for an all-Hallowe'en Nooner...
12 pm: The Hallowe’en Nooner! Southern Culture On The Skids - Zombified - Zombified The Cranberries - Zombie - No Need To Argue The Sisters Of Mercy - This Corrosion - Floodland The Specials - Ghost Town - The Singles Collection Nine Inch Nails - Dead Souls - The Crow Soundtrack Bush Tetras - Things That Go Boom In The Night - Boom In The Night Man Or Astro-Man? - Mystery Science Theater 3000 Love Theme - Live Transmissions From Uranus Iggy Pop - Candy - Brick By Brick eels - My Beloved Monster - Beautiful Freak David Bowie - Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) - Scary Monsters They Might Be Giants - Turn Around - Apollo 18 Marcy Playground - Sex And Candy - Marcy Playground Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Up Jumped The Devil - Tender Prey Oingo Boingo - No One Lives Forever - Dead Man's Party 1 pm MGMT - Kids - Oracular Spectacular Ladytron - Ghosts - Velocifero Friendly Fires - Jump In The Pool - Friendly Fires Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - Science Fiction Double Feature - Are A Drag The Jesus And Mary Chain - Sometimes Always - Stoned & Dethroned Glasvegas - Geraldine - Glasvegas Matthew Sweet - I've Been Waiting - Girlfriend Ministry - (Everyday Is) Halloween - All Day Snow Patrol - Engines - A Hundred Million Suns Matt And Kim - Daylight - Grand Tegan And Sara - Walking With A Ghost - So Jealous The Brighton Port Authority - Toe Jam (featuring David Byrne & Dizzee Rascal) - We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat The Magnetic Fields - Zombie Boy - Distortion Clinic - The Witch (Made To Measure) - Do It! Ramones - Pet Sematary - Brain Drain 2 pm Cold War Kids - Something Is Not Right With Me - Loyalty To Loyalty Spoon - The Ghost Of You Lingers - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga DeVotchKa - Overture - Nightmare Revisited The Raconteurs - Store Bought Bones - Broken Boy Soldiers The Cramps - Goo Goo Muck - Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The `80s Underg Ra Ra Riot - Ghost Under Rocks - The Rhumb Line The Cure - The Hungry Ghost - 4:13 Dream M83 - Graveyard Girl - Saturdays=Youth The Decemberists - Valerie Plame - Always The Bridesmaid Vol. 1 Sparks - Eaten By The Monster Of Love - Angst In My Pants The Ting Tings - Fruit Machine - We Started Nothing Crash Test Dummies - The Ghosts That Haunt Me - The Ghosts That Haunt Me The Sea And Cake - Car Alarm - Car Alarm The North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative - Do They Know It's Hallowe'en? - Do They Know It's Hallowe'en? The Automatic - Monster - Not Accepted Anywhere
Join me again every Friday from 11:00am - 3:00pm (eastern), only on Y-Rock On XPN!! |
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| Playing with the Queen of Hearts |
[Nov. 3rd, 2008|07:28 pm] |
Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads (Universal/B-Unique)
Sometime in the future, there will probably be a compilation disc of the Kaiser Chiefs' singles. On their first two albums, it was clear that their creative pendulum swings hard; songs were either fist-pumping, beer-swilling battle cries or groan-inducing, pun-laden clunkers. Their best tunes tend to be a balancing act between the two, and their new album, Off With Their Heads, is easily their most cohesive set to date. Possibly driven to stricter quality control by co-producer Mark Ronson, the Kaisers bring their best material to their shortest album so far. Ronson's fingerprints aren't as overt as you might expect (see: Danger Mouse all over the most recent Black Keys album), as string and horn flourishes pepper only a few songs on the disc. The majority of the songs are based in the classic Kaiser Chiefs trick of packing verses with indiscernible lyrics before launching into a minor-key, sing-along chorus (“Half The Truth” and “Can't Say What I Mean”). Joining lead singer/occasional BBC presenter Ricky Wilson at the mic are Lily Allen (“Always Happens Like That”) and the New Young Pony Club (“You Want History”), though the guests seem rather buried in the mix on the call-and-response “Never Miss A Beat.” The one thing that ties each of the three Kaiser Chiefs albums together is the band’s sense of humor. On Employment, they countered The Beach Boys with a song titled “Caroline, Yes.” With Yours Truly, Angry Mob, it was the Buzzcocks that were lampooned with “Everything Is Average Nowadays.” For the new album, the joke goes beyond the song's title with the Robert Palmer-referencing “Addicted To Drugs,” whose refrain is as silly as it is catchy. At this rate, maybe the Kaiser Chiefs truly are destined to be more than whatever people say they are.
Review by Eric Schuman 
Click Here To Buy from Amazon.com and help support Y-Rock On XPN. |
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| Science Fiction Double Feature |
[Nov. 3rd, 2008|07:24 pm] |
Snow Patrol - A Hundred Million Suns (Polydor/A&M)
It's funny that I'm reviewing the new disc from Snow Patrol so close to Halloween, because my connection to the band is decidedly spooky. At one of the semi-annual “monster shows” in south Jersey, I met Patricia Quinn, who played Magenta in The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I mentioned that I worked at a radio station (she may have asked about a Y-Rock button I was wearing), and she wanted to know if we played her nephew's band. As it turns out, Patricia is the aunt of Johnny Quinn, Snow Patrol's drummer. At the time, the Scottish quintet were still riding high from 2006's Eyes Open and its massive single, “Chasing Cars.” For A Hundred Million Suns, Gary Lightbody and company maintain their energy and bombast, but in a much more contemplative and focused manner. As the album's title suggests, many of the songs conjure images of outer space, like “The Planets Bend Between Us” and “Engines.” Musically, the album recalls the mellow glitch of The Shins' most recent album; though the upbeat moments in songs like “Take Back The City” and “Disaster Button” keep the cosmic balance in order. The last third of the album's 58 minutes is made up of “The Lightning Strike,” a three-part oeuvre that is, in itself, a miniature version of the whole record. A Hundred Million Suns might be the portrait of a band taking a daydream break from their usual epic nature, but even a modest Snow Patrol is still Snow Patrol, and that's how the message ran.
Review by Eric Schuman 
Click Here To Buy from Amazon.com and help support Y-Rock On XPN. |
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| A Sooper Spooky Friday 5!! |
[Oct. 31st, 2008|09:32 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | friday 5, music | ] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Den (Schumanland) | ] |
| [ | I'm Hooked On A Feeling |
| |  cheerful | ] |
| [ | On The Radio |
| | The Ghastly Ones - (Everybody's Doin') The Ghastly Stomp | ] |
The Chameleons - “Swamp Thing” from Strange Times One of the lesser-known bands that contributed to the oft-copied ‘post punk’ genre, The Chameleons (with a UK here in the States) blended the dreaminess of mid-‘80s 4AD pop with the guitar focus of Television…as spooky as the title suggests, this song goes great along with the more overplayed Hallowe’en tunes that show up on your holiday mixes year after year… The Charlatans - “City Of The Dead” from Simpatico Another band that had ‘UK’ tacked onto their name for American distribution, this more recent cut from the Madchester honeys is one of their best forays into a genre that isn’t their own…in this case, it’s the eerie reggae of “Ghost Town”-era Specials…while it would be great to hear Tim Burgess and company making Brit-reggae more often, what makes this a standout is how much it, well, stands out… Bauhaus - “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” from In The Flat Field If you were to pick any song to embody Hallowe’en (that isn’t by Oingo Boingo, of course), this would be it without a doubt…nearly 10 minutes of brooding music, brooding silence and a brooding Peter Murphy is enough to scare the heebie-jeebies out of just about anyone…while it wasn’t originally on their debut album, the song was added to most later issues of the disc…could you imagine that this was their debut single?…and they only got creepier from there… Moxy Früvous - “Splatter Splatter” from Thornhill Towards the end of their career (though I still have my fingers crossed that their hiatus really is just that), the Canadian quartet released this tribute to their beloved horror films…come to think of it, the song structure closely resembles an earlier song of theirs that’s also about movies, “Video Bargainville”…not only was it one of their last great tunes, “Splatter Splatter” also has one of the greatest lines: “He’s got a present for her from her daddy’s shack”…oof… Siouxsie & The Banshees - “Cities In Dust” from Tinderbox The leading lady of dark new wave has something in common with The Jam in that many of her best-known and best-loved songs weren’t on any of her proper albums…at least, not at first…good thing this tune made it onto an album, but getting a Banshees education from the Once/Twice Upon A Time singles collections isn’t such a bad idea, either…Siouxsie is also a great person to dress up as, and I’m sure that many Goth girls dress up like her without even realizing it…kids these days!… |
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| ¡Muchisimas gracias, damas y caballeros! |
[Oct. 28th, 2008|10:58 pm] |
A question that most everyone answers at least once in their life goes like this: "What would your theme music be that would play everytime you walk into a room, walk down the street, etc."...for some, it might be the theme from 'Shaft,' for some it might even be the theme from 'The Greatest American Hero,' but who am I to judge?...for me, I'm not sure if I could pick a particular song, but I know for sure that my theme music would be a reverb-drenched surf instrumental...
I've seen many surf bands over the years, from the legendary (Dick Dale) to the local (the inexplicable surf band from Bucks County that opened for Dick Dale)...this past Wednesday, I witnessed a surf spectacular with two of the bands that do it best in the surf world today...the show was a double bill with Los Straitjackets and Laika & The Cosmonauts...while I've seen Los Straitjackets a few times before (and will likely see them again), this was my first and last time seeing Laika & The Cosmonauts...that's not because I didn't enjoy them, it's because this is the Finnish surf combo's farewell tour...the group has been made up of the same four guys since its inception 20 years ago...at the end of this tour, they're amicably calling it quits, and have even released a retrospective, Cosmopolis, to commemorate their long career...
Laika's set was very impressive...they are all extremely talented musicians, and, because they don't speak very much English, they kept the chatter between songs to a minimum...I have a few of their albums, but only recognized a handful of songs they performed...the good thing about surf music is that it's not always about whether you know the song or not (because, I'll admit it, a lot of it sounds the same), it's about the song's mood and energy...Laika & The Cosmonauts are also experts at making both the classic, rave-up surf and the more spooky, film music-inspired surf...it was a great show, though it's a shame that, after this tour is over, such great talent will likely be channeled into making cell phones...they are Finnish, after all...
As it was a double bill, I was excited once Laika were done, because there was still a whole set from the masked men of surf to come...next to The Ghastly Ones (who I'll see one of these days), Los Straitjackets are, without a doubt my favorite surf band...amidst a lot of the same-sounding surf that's out there, the distinct tone and style of Eddie Angel's guitar tears through each song in a manner that would make the late Link Wray proud...Los Straitjackets are very high on the 'schtick' factor, and it never gets old...this was my third time seeing them, and their silly 'choreography' during certain songs still makes me smile...
Along with favorites "Itchy Chicken," "Kawanga!" and "Tailspin," the guys did a few new songs, like "Fortune Cookie" and "Challenger," which are probably going to be on a new album...they also did their wild version of "Sing Sing Sing," with new(ish) drummer Jason "Teen Beat" Smay doing some incredible drum fills...Dad commented that it's amazing that his arms didn't fall off by the end of the night...after the show, I got a Mexican import live album, which has versions of a lot of songs that aren't on their previous live record...I'm anxious to hear a new album of theirs that is primarily surf; the forays into twist music with Kaiser George and 'rock en español' with Big Sandy were entertaining, but really gimmicky, even for them... I'll save the write-up of The Magnetic Fields for a different post, which should be along shortly, but first a few things:
As always, more pictures of Laika & The Cosmonauts and Los Straitjackets can be found here...
For a change, here's a post about me on a different blog...
E.
Lyric of the Time:
So be kind to your mother
Though she may seem an awful bother
And the next time she tries to feed you collard greens
Remember what she does when you're asleep |
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| The time has come for Friday 5! |
[Oct. 24th, 2008|07:22 pm] |
| [ | Tags | | | friday 5, music | ] |
| [ | Current Location |
| | Beauty Shop Cafe | ] |
| [ | I'm Hooked On A Feeling |
| |  nostalgic | ] |
| [ | On The Radio |
| | Bodies Of Water - Darling, Be Here | ] |
of Montreal - “Gallery Piece” from Skeletal Lamping
As one of countless songs on his new album (many of the 15 songs are made up of jagged fragments), “Gallery Piece” is a classic Kevin Barnes pop gem…with lyrics ranging from “I want to show you off” to “I want to kiss your friends,” it’s clear that Barnes’ alter-ego, “Georgie Fruit,” has a lot on his mind…you can check out Skeletal Lamping in many forms, including CD, vinyl, t-shirt and probably a built-it-yourself bookshelf… Calexico - “Two Silver Trees” from Carried To Dust The psychedelic country stylists are back with another album packed with moody tunes recalling the American southwest…the album reunites Calexico with frequent collaborator Sam Beam (a.k.a. Iron & Wine), who worked with the band on their 2005 EP In The Reins, and on Dylan’s “Dark Eyes” for the I’m Not There soundtrack…the music is totally in line with Beam’s ethereal voice, as well as Calexico leader Joey Burns’, of course… Concrete Blonde - “Still In Hollywood” from Concrete Blonde 1986 saw the debut record from the Los Angeles punk group, and frontwoman/bassist Johnette Napolitano gave the music a proto-riot grrrl edge…Napolitano was also the touring lead singer for The Heads, a group made up of the members of Talking Heads, sans David Byrne…Concrete Blonde scored some hits with a few of their lighter tracks, but this song is one of the more aggressive (and enjoyable) in their catalogue… Southern Culture On The Skids - “Nitty Gritty” from Dirt Track Date Speaking of female bass players, Mary Huff takes the lead on this song from the southern swamp-surfers’ best-known disc…along with their mix of surf and garage were some radio-ready (if not unconventional) pop songs…I mean, what station wouldn’t want to play a song about an 8-piece box?…Southern Culture have been on tour for a while supporting their covers album, Countrypolitan Favorites, and might have something new on the way soon… Belle & Sebastian - “Stay Loose” from Dear Catastrophe Waitress Until I heard the non-album single “Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie,” this was my favorite Belle & Sebastian song…it’s certainly deserving of that honor, as the rather long tune incorporates just about everything I love about the Scottish popsters…a bouncy farfisa, a retro vibe, and a rather simple chord progression, it’s sweet without being tooth-rotting…I was sad to find out that Belle & Sebastian are currently on a temporary hiatus, but they are releasing a two-disc collection of BBC sessions and other rarities, so all is not lost…let’s just hope that this hiatus doesn’t go the way of Moxy Früvous’ ill-fated hiatus… |
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| Press your space face close to mine, love |
[Oct. 22nd, 2008|12:41 pm] |
of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping (Polyvinyl)
of Montreal's main man Kevin Barnes is a good man, and thorough. If there is room in one of his songs for a reference to fornication, he won't let that void go unfilled. In fact, his new album Skeletal Lamping is so heavy with sexual imagery that I'm pretty sure the physical disc will only appear under ultraviolet light. The 15 track song cycle revolves around Barnes' trans-transgender alter-ego, "Georgie Fruit," who first appeared in a few of the songs on last year's Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?. While the whole multiple personalities thing is intriguing enough, try making heads or tails of the titles of the songs. As usual, none of them are overtly related to the tunes they represent. Names aside, the songs alternate between funky disco ("Gallery Piece" and "Beware Our Nubile Miscreants"), smooth R & B ("St. Exquisite's Confessions"), and classic of Montreal electropop. Originally, Barnes intended to release the album as a hundred or so minute-long tracks, and though that may have been abandoned, there are a few multi-part suites made up of fragments of songs (opener "Nonpareil Of Favor" and the epic "Plastis Wafer"). Like most every other Skeletal Lamping reviewer, I'll point out how Barnes' evolving music and image are very similar to another musical chameleon. He might not be purposefully trying to emulate David Bowie, but Barnes brings wonderful theatricality to indie rock, as seen in of Montreal's videos and outlandish stage shows. Skeletal Lamping, with its relentless pop hooks and dancefloor-ready beats, is sure to get you to boogie (and might just land you a new relationship). Try your luck at both of those when of Montreal come to the Electric Factory on Halloween.
Review by Eric Schuman
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