So, I don't always play fair. Sometimes, I don't give things enough credit. I can think of two that I've done that with in he past year. First- the Riverboat Gamblers- The Wolf You Feed cd released back in may. I still don't think it's outstanding. It's merely catchy and tight garage rock with a punky edge. I think it's telling that Mike Wiebe, the singer, has been putting more into his comedy career as of late. But, as compared to most of the pop punk released, this stuff has much more solid songwriting. Dillinger Four and The Bronx both do it much, much better, but I think the Gamblers at least deserve a mention.
Second, I should have at least talked about Metz. A lot of folks have hyped them, and I've heard them, and, unlike many of their "sloppy noise" band peers, I don't hate them. I mean in contrast- consider Blacklisters. For every decent bar of one of their songs, there's at least another bar that sounds directionless, and basically, a rest for the musicians to figure out what they're doing next. As a listeners, that's really not challenging, nor enjoyable, so overall, I'm not interested. Metz at least retain their focus. So, while I wouldn't put them on a "best" list, exactly- they do have the dubious honour of being the best of a bad lot- the neo- noise rock that appears to be hip, this past year.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Monday, January 21, 2013
Excuses, excuses
Sorry, I was planning to post stuff about the new Joy Formidable and Bad Religion records this weekend, but I got really ill last thursday morning, and had to go in for emergency surgery. I just got home, today, and still feel pretty awful. I will post about them and more in the next few days....
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Short Bits
I've been listening to some shorter things: EPs, 7 inch records, singles and the like. I'm not going to talk about all of them, but there are some stand outs:
Baroness just put out a video for one of the three best songs from their Yellow and Green LP, March to the Sea. It's a melodic thumper about drug addiction ( the trope is addiction as intentional drowning) with some of the sweetest riffing to come out of the whole Southern Sludge thing.
Also, I've been listening to the Aeges 7 inch "Southern Comfort b/w Stars". It's pretty amazing- it features some truly whacked out guitars playing very melodic riffs. Seriously, there's a point during "Southern Comfort" where the guitars are so distorted the notes are merely suggested under the noise. It's like a Pelican track with vocals. The B side "Stars" has lyrics that, at first blush seem like Everclear type homespun homilies, so plainspoken that you might miss the poetry, but there is a twist; "distracting us from this boring life", the end result with the heavy, but pop-structured melodies reminds me of late 1990's great Hum. Then, it breaks up the rhythm in a twist, like a skipping record. Pretty awesome...
We cannot forget Torche with Harmonslaught, a crushing return to the Bomb string ( no that is not a bass, that is a guitar tuned as low as it will go. It sounds like an explosion) in service to a pop-metal-punk grinder that might just be the encore they'll play if you see 'em live. The B side has a funny title "Rock N Roll Mantasy" but this pop metal nugget is no joke. Both songs are classic ( read "first album Torche") and both rock very hard.
Then, Today, I heard the new Coliseum track "Black Magic Punks", and it just rules. It rules so very much that it's worth hearing on Pitchfork's website....
Baroness just put out a video for one of the three best songs from their Yellow and Green LP, March to the Sea. It's a melodic thumper about drug addiction ( the trope is addiction as intentional drowning) with some of the sweetest riffing to come out of the whole Southern Sludge thing.
Also, I've been listening to the Aeges 7 inch "Southern Comfort b/w Stars". It's pretty amazing- it features some truly whacked out guitars playing very melodic riffs. Seriously, there's a point during "Southern Comfort" where the guitars are so distorted the notes are merely suggested under the noise. It's like a Pelican track with vocals. The B side "Stars" has lyrics that, at first blush seem like Everclear type homespun homilies, so plainspoken that you might miss the poetry, but there is a twist; "distracting us from this boring life", the end result with the heavy, but pop-structured melodies reminds me of late 1990's great Hum. Then, it breaks up the rhythm in a twist, like a skipping record. Pretty awesome...
We cannot forget Torche with Harmonslaught, a crushing return to the Bomb string ( no that is not a bass, that is a guitar tuned as low as it will go. It sounds like an explosion) in service to a pop-metal-punk grinder that might just be the encore they'll play if you see 'em live. The B side has a funny title "Rock N Roll Mantasy" but this pop metal nugget is no joke. Both songs are classic ( read "first album Torche") and both rock very hard.
Then, Today, I heard the new Coliseum track "Black Magic Punks", and it just rules. It rules so very much that it's worth hearing on Pitchfork's website....
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sometimes trendy stuff has soul...
I don't care if you hate the Beatles, this should melt your heart. A flash mob does a Beatles song in a Spanish Unemployment office, just to bring some joy. Revolutions are made of this.
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Is Fan still short for Fanatic?
What does it mean to be a "fan"? I'm not certain but I'm certain that is has changed. I see and hear people saying things like they're a "fan" of sunlight or peanut butter, and at the same time, I would have said that you're a fan of a band if they owned everything that they put out, but with Amazon, and Ebay and Itunes, that's hardly the commitment it once was. So, is being a fan simply a matter of a passing fancy, or having surplus cash? Is it more involved than that, or should it be? Have you seen the episode of Portlandia where Carrie and Fred hire Aimee Mann as their maid? Some interesting questions there about what it means to be a fan- is it a demand made upon the artist? Is it some kind of obsessional fantasy projection? What does a Fan owe the subject of their Fandom? What do those subjects owe their fans?
I believe the answers to those questions have changed, and I don't think that's either bad or good. It's just different. I might be stuck in an outmoded viewpoint, but I think that while no one owes anyone in a "fan" type of relationship, there is a certain amount of devotion necessary to call someone a "Fan"- the only real question is in which way it is appropriate to express that devotion.
I believe the answers to those questions have changed, and I don't think that's either bad or good. It's just different. I might be stuck in an outmoded viewpoint, but I think that while no one owes anyone in a "fan" type of relationship, there is a certain amount of devotion necessary to call someone a "Fan"- the only real question is in which way it is appropriate to express that devotion.
Assuaging My Guilt
Ok, so I spent some money today. More than I usually do. I'm a bit, errr, umm,errr "practical" on my budgets. Truthfully, I know that I'm middle class for an American, which makes me wealthy for many other parts of the world. However, it's all about perspective and context. My family is, by and large, European, from an austere background, but well-educated and currently enjoying the high standard of living afforded Finns, and Netherlanders, and Swedes and certain Ukrainians enjoy, so I always feel a bit behind. As you might suspect, I'm self-aware enough to know that my viewpoint is skewed, but not enough to convince limbic system....
So, I've got strangely arbitrary "rules" about what to spend on which items. It seems practical to me, but I know that it's a bit, ahem, idiosyncratic.So, partially, I don't talk about fashion on this blog too often because I'm hardly budgeting for trends.
Still, serendipity happens, and today, I happened to chance across a Neiman Marcus Last Call . Thinking it was above my budget, I went in, just to please my wife. Now, I still spent more than my budget usually allows, but I was surprised, pleasantly. For men's fashion, there are few things I think are better than my "Trinity"- Ben Sherman,Original Penguin, and Fred Perry. They had all three. However, I usually do not allow myself such things. $200.00 US for a casual jacket simply isn't allowed in my world. But, I purchased 4 Polo shirts, for under $100.00 US- 2 Original Penguins, and 2 Fred Perry shirts. The Original Penguin shirts were in "The Earl" style, which I think is a pure classic that only some UFC-worshipping meathead would pass by, while the Fred Perry shirts were the original "Twin Tipped" style, which are a clue as to where my sense of style originates. Yes, I usually have rather short hair. No, I'm not one of "them". Yes, I do have an extensive collection of Dr Martens boots and shoes. No, I don't own anything by Skrewdriver.
So, while I feel guilty for spending so much on such frivolous things, I assuage my guilt by writing about it, because these things, this fashion helps to denote who I am, culturally. Yes, I think that plays into what I like in music, and what kind of movie will excite me, and so on. I don't expect to be held to some kind of tribal norm, however. I draw from where that style originates, but I'm not limited by it. Just like, if you came from Grunge, I would expect some flannel in your shirt pile, and some fuzztone on your stereo, but I wouldn't expect you to have stopped purchasing music as of 1997, and zero khaki trousers in your hamper. I also was more Anarchy than Fascism, and, as always, would be an uncomfortable fit into any one category, just like you. Still, I come from a Skin/Mod type of sensibility, and I think it's useful to note that. While I enjoyed some Oi!, I was more drawn to Ska, Northern Soul, Mod and Reggae than to simplified punk rock. Mostly, though, I liked American Hardcore, so my take on Skinhead was much more filtered. I came to Skin by way of Youth Brigade more than by Blitz, and more Henry Rollins than Malcolm Owen. I still was aware of it all, so yes, Fred Perry over Hanes Beefy T, any day. However, I still don't like Sta Prest....
So, I've got strangely arbitrary "rules" about what to spend on which items. It seems practical to me, but I know that it's a bit, ahem, idiosyncratic.So, partially, I don't talk about fashion on this blog too often because I'm hardly budgeting for trends.
Still, serendipity happens, and today, I happened to chance across a Neiman Marcus Last Call . Thinking it was above my budget, I went in, just to please my wife. Now, I still spent more than my budget usually allows, but I was surprised, pleasantly. For men's fashion, there are few things I think are better than my "Trinity"- Ben Sherman,Original Penguin, and Fred Perry. They had all three. However, I usually do not allow myself such things. $200.00 US for a casual jacket simply isn't allowed in my world. But, I purchased 4 Polo shirts, for under $100.00 US- 2 Original Penguins, and 2 Fred Perry shirts. The Original Penguin shirts were in "The Earl" style, which I think is a pure classic that only some UFC-worshipping meathead would pass by, while the Fred Perry shirts were the original "Twin Tipped" style, which are a clue as to where my sense of style originates. Yes, I usually have rather short hair. No, I'm not one of "them". Yes, I do have an extensive collection of Dr Martens boots and shoes. No, I don't own anything by Skrewdriver.
So, while I feel guilty for spending so much on such frivolous things, I assuage my guilt by writing about it, because these things, this fashion helps to denote who I am, culturally. Yes, I think that plays into what I like in music, and what kind of movie will excite me, and so on. I don't expect to be held to some kind of tribal norm, however. I draw from where that style originates, but I'm not limited by it. Just like, if you came from Grunge, I would expect some flannel in your shirt pile, and some fuzztone on your stereo, but I wouldn't expect you to have stopped purchasing music as of 1997, and zero khaki trousers in your hamper. I also was more Anarchy than Fascism, and, as always, would be an uncomfortable fit into any one category, just like you. Still, I come from a Skin/Mod type of sensibility, and I think it's useful to note that. While I enjoyed some Oi!, I was more drawn to Ska, Northern Soul, Mod and Reggae than to simplified punk rock. Mostly, though, I liked American Hardcore, so my take on Skinhead was much more filtered. I came to Skin by way of Youth Brigade more than by Blitz, and more Henry Rollins than Malcolm Owen. I still was aware of it all, so yes, Fred Perry over Hanes Beefy T, any day. However, I still don't like Sta Prest....
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
New Music from Left Field
I was telling a friend that more than the stuff I know is coming out, I get excited by stuff that surprises me. So, today was good for that. Go here to hear the new Clutch song "Earth Rocker". Then, go here to see the new video from David Bowie "Where are we now?" Both are good tracks, and I wasn't expecting either one, exactly....
Monday, January 7, 2013
The Bronx are back in Town
So, ahem, a little birdie told me that there might be a way to hear the new Bronx cd ( IV) , so that's what I've been doing.
The last CD (III) was more a foray into standard Hard Rock, albeit heavily influenced by the Hardcore that is deep in the Bronx's soul. This is more Alt-Rock influenced. Lots of Rocket From the Crypt, as per usual, but tracks like "Along for the Ride" and "Style over Everything" could fit on a Foo Fighters record, if Dave was in the mood to rock much more hard than he ever has in the Foos. There's a slight Thin Lizzy reference in the title. That's on purpose. If you're as old as me, you might remember "Thunder and Lightening" era Thin Lizzy? You might remember Rose Tattoo's "Assault and Battery" LP? Yeah, well, I can promise you that the Bronx remember it well. Still, there's something chasing Matt. I don't know if his last name is a stage name, but it fits him: Caught, Ran. Listen to "Too many Devils" and tell me he's not a haunted man- still running from something that caught him once.But, something new is here- harmony vocals, and even a little anthemic crooning from track to track.
Also as per usual, they leaven the outright blistering rockers with a ballad or two. "Torches" fills that role here and it's like the Replacements trying to do a Flogging Molly styled anthem."Life Less Ordinary " is more their typical blues number, and still hits hard, even without drums...
"Ribcage", however is a better song than The Riverboat Gamblers ( who I like, don't get me wrong) have done in years.
Let's hope that Last Revelation isn't. While I don't think we're ever going to get back first album Bronx, they still bring the Rock in a way all too few do...
The last CD (III) was more a foray into standard Hard Rock, albeit heavily influenced by the Hardcore that is deep in the Bronx's soul. This is more Alt-Rock influenced. Lots of Rocket From the Crypt, as per usual, but tracks like "Along for the Ride" and "Style over Everything" could fit on a Foo Fighters record, if Dave was in the mood to rock much more hard than he ever has in the Foos. There's a slight Thin Lizzy reference in the title. That's on purpose. If you're as old as me, you might remember "Thunder and Lightening" era Thin Lizzy? You might remember Rose Tattoo's "Assault and Battery" LP? Yeah, well, I can promise you that the Bronx remember it well. Still, there's something chasing Matt. I don't know if his last name is a stage name, but it fits him: Caught, Ran. Listen to "Too many Devils" and tell me he's not a haunted man- still running from something that caught him once.But, something new is here- harmony vocals, and even a little anthemic crooning from track to track.
Also as per usual, they leaven the outright blistering rockers with a ballad or two. "Torches" fills that role here and it's like the Replacements trying to do a Flogging Molly styled anthem."Life Less Ordinary " is more their typical blues number, and still hits hard, even without drums...
"Ribcage", however is a better song than The Riverboat Gamblers ( who I like, don't get me wrong) have done in years.
Let's hope that Last Revelation isn't. While I don't think we're ever going to get back first album Bronx, they still bring the Rock in a way all too few do...
Monday, December 31, 2012
Couple more things
Where I'm at, it's not yet 2013, so just to close out a few things-
I bought two more DVD's using a gift card so, we'll call them Christmas presents, as well. I got Portlandia's Season Two. The show is great, the bonus features are nice, the packaging is well, ecologically friendly.
I also got Dead Man, the Jim Jarmusch film starring Johnny Depp. If you haven't seen it, it's a great film, up there with The Proposition and High Plains Drifter.
Also, while I'm looking forward to a few things, I'm not expecting 2013 to contain as many goodies as 2012, so I might change the blog again in the coming months. I'm not certain about that. However, media is changing, and so am I. We'll see.
What will not change, is that I still want to see a shift in Culture, away from Mass, and into Individual, and Folk, and Subcultural.
Finally, if 2012 sucked for you, I'm sorry the Mayan Apocalypse didn't pan out. If it didn't suck that badly, then I still hope that we can make our not-post-apocalyptic lives worth that would-be glorious end. (I mean, we've all got to die- but if you have to die, wouldn't it be more glorious to go out in an Apocalypse? So, if we've been denied that, then, let's hope our lives are even more glorious than dying in the end of all things.)
I bought two more DVD's using a gift card so, we'll call them Christmas presents, as well. I got Portlandia's Season Two. The show is great, the bonus features are nice, the packaging is well, ecologically friendly.
I also got Dead Man, the Jim Jarmusch film starring Johnny Depp. If you haven't seen it, it's a great film, up there with The Proposition and High Plains Drifter.
Also, while I'm looking forward to a few things, I'm not expecting 2013 to contain as many goodies as 2012, so I might change the blog again in the coming months. I'm not certain about that. However, media is changing, and so am I. We'll see.
What will not change, is that I still want to see a shift in Culture, away from Mass, and into Individual, and Folk, and Subcultural.
Finally, if 2012 sucked for you, I'm sorry the Mayan Apocalypse didn't pan out. If it didn't suck that badly, then I still hope that we can make our not-post-apocalyptic lives worth that would-be glorious end. (I mean, we've all got to die- but if you have to die, wouldn't it be more glorious to go out in an Apocalypse? So, if we've been denied that, then, let's hope our lives are even more glorious than dying in the end of all things.)
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Merry Xmas to me.
Sometimes, you have to know your limits. I really wish I was much more cool, hip and stylish than I am. I'd like to be Michael Caine in 1968, Sean Connery in 1963, Steve Mcqueen in 1973, Robert Redford, virtually any time, Brad Pitt any time after 1996, and so on. Hell, there's some I cannot even dream of being- I'll never be Sam Jackson, Lou Reed, or Johnny Lydon. So, I knew getting a pair of super cool aviator shades was beyond me. I wanted Bradley Cooper in the Hangover or Jeffrey Donovan in Burn Notice but, unfortunately the best I could get was Anthony Edwards in Top Gun .
So, after polling the women in my life, who always have a better idea of what's my best look, I went with Tim Roth in Reservoir Dogs and went with Lookmatic's take on the Ray Ban Clubmaster, The Austin.
Of course, I also got stuff that others bought for me. Book-wise, it was a catch up- I got the Portable Henry Rollins, and The Portlandia guide to Portland . Both are topics that you probably are done and over with, so I won't bore you, even if they don't bore me.
DVD's? I got two TV series. I got Boardwalk Empire's first season, as well as The Walking Dead's first season.If you're not already watching both, you probably don't want a TV, so again, nothing much to say.
I didn't get any music- I think everyone knows I'm pretty set for that...
Finally, I did get a video game- Metro 2033 I haven't played it yet, so no review- but I'm into post apocalyptic shooting video games so I bet I like it. I'll let you know.
So, after polling the women in my life, who always have a better idea of what's my best look, I went with Tim Roth in Reservoir Dogs and went with Lookmatic's take on the Ray Ban Clubmaster, The Austin.
Of course, I also got stuff that others bought for me. Book-wise, it was a catch up- I got the Portable Henry Rollins, and The Portlandia guide to Portland . Both are topics that you probably are done and over with, so I won't bore you, even if they don't bore me.
DVD's? I got two TV series. I got Boardwalk Empire's first season, as well as The Walking Dead's first season.If you're not already watching both, you probably don't want a TV, so again, nothing much to say.
I didn't get any music- I think everyone knows I'm pretty set for that...
Finally, I did get a video game- Metro 2033 I haven't played it yet, so no review- but I'm into post apocalyptic shooting video games so I bet I like it. I'll let you know.
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