Monthly Archives: November 2010

7" Review, Music, Wolf Parade

7″ Review: Semi-Precious Stone [2010]

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Band: Wolf Parade
Release: 11/2010
Label: Sub Pop

1. “Semi-Precious Stone” – B+
2. “Agents of Love” – A-

Comments: This 7″ of leftover material from the Expo 86 sessions fits snug with what Expo gave to us. “Semi-Precious Stone” has the electronic elements — synthesizer, keyboard, distorted guitar — that we’ve gotten a taste of. It’s a larger than life, mythical tune sung by Spencer Krug. His vocal delivery is especially Sunset Rubdown-esque (in contrast to, say, his vocal delivery on “Cloud Shadow”).  I’d say “Agents of Love” is one of the more passionate rockers I’ve heard from the group since maybe the Apologies days. It’s not especially heavy or anything like that, but all the instruments are very compact, for lack of a better word.

Grade: B+ (89)

CD Review, Music

CD Review: The Lady Killer [2010]

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Artist: Cee-Lo Green
Release: 11/2010
Label: Elektra

1. “Lady Killer Theme (Intro)” – N/A
2. “Bright Lights Bigger City” – C
3. “Fuck You” – B+
4. “Wildflower” – B-
5. “Bodies” – C+
6. “Please” – C+
7. “Satisfied” – C+
8. “I Want You” – C
9. “Cry Baby” – B-
10. “Fool For You” – C+
11. “It’s OK” – B-
12. “Old Fashioned” – C
13. “No One’s Gonna Love You” – C
14. “Lady Killer Theme (Outro)” – N/A

Comments: Let’s get it straight. “Fuck You” blew up on the Internet. Everyone was sending it to everybody and their grandmother and the rest was history. Of course, the clean version has substituted the rated PG “Fuck You” for the G “Forget You,” which is a million times worse than even “F U” because of the mere amount of syllables involved in saying that. The song itself is not special special. I’ve heard many special special songs in my life…and in the past two months. “Fuck You” comes nowhere near any of those. The rest of the material on here is sort of showtunesy soul and/or slow jamz. “Please” is of the showtunes variety, which reminds me of something culled directly from an action packed cruise musical. Same with “I Want You”. As a musical disciple of the psychedelic soul of Arish King Khan, I can’t say that Cee-Lo’s neo-soul does much for me. Cee-Lo’s tunes are sugary, for certain, but lack any real hooks. I mean, there are sucker hooks — hooks that’ll make the average pop fan smile — but as far as anything substantial…nah, not really. Sorry, Cee-Lo, bro, you are a one-hit wonder in 2010.

Grade: C+ (78)

Culture Jamming, Entertainment, Music, Quotes

Quotes of the Day

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Black Lips during a 2009 concert in France:

Cole: If you were the teacher, what would you grade us tonight?
Joe: A+, we know it all the way.
Cole: You would put us in special needs classes. If you were our teacher, you would put us in classes for retarded children.
Wasted Jared Swilley: This is why we are where we are right now. Because our whole life we were normal childrens in the retardeds classes. This is why we act the way do right now because no one understands us.
Cole: You put me with retarded children. I’m not retarded.
Jared: You can’t blame us for acting like retards when your whole world put us as retards. We are a product of this world that is run by white people.
Cole: It is a reflection of your whole generation. It’s just looking in the mirror.
Joe: I bet you wish you were retarded just like us!
Cole: Look in the mirror!
Jared: Your generation called us faggots, you called us white boys, you called us retards, queers, homos. We’re sick of that shit so this is the product of what we became because of you.
Ian: You were probably that kid, too. Stuck in the side room, didn’t have no friends.