All posts by G. Gordon Gritty

Entertainment, Lists, Music

Why They Are My Favorites

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Why are my favorite bands my favorite bands? I think a fairly big reason is because I like a very large catalog of songs from them AND their songs tend to never get old or boring (on record and live). I’m interested in finally rationally concluding who my favorite bands are based on the logic of how many songs I truly love from each AND their best live performance rating.

The Top Ten
1. Black Lips – 42 + (10) = 52
2. Jay Reatard 35 + (10) = 45
3. Walkmen – 33 + (10) = 43
4. King Khan & BBQ Show – 30 + (10) – 40
5. No Age – 23 + (10) = 33
6. Radiohead – 23 + (9) = 32
7. Arctic Monkeys – 23 + (9) = 32
8. Animal Collective – 22 + (9)  = 31
9. King Khan and the Shrines – 16 + (10) = 26
10. Editors – 17+ (8) = 25

Not Far Behind:
X. Sunset Rubdown – 14 + (9) = 23
X. The Rifles – 13 + (9) = 22
X. Pains of Being Pure at Heart – 10 + (9) = 19
X. Peter Bjorn and John – 18 + (0) = 18
X. The Lovely Feathers – 10 + (8) = 18
X. The Libertines = 17 + (0) = 17

Glen

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

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Band: Franz Ferdinand
Release: 2009
Label: Domino Records

1. “Ulysses” – 9.2
2. “Turn It On” – 9.7
3. “No You Girls” – 9.7
4. “Twilight Omens” – 9.5
5. “Send Him Away” – 9.1
6. “Live Alone” – 8.8
7. “Bite Hard” – 9.4
8. “What She Came For” – 9.1
9. “Can’t Stop Feeling” – 9.3
10. “Lucid Dreams” – 9.6
11. “Dream Again” – 8.8
12. “Katherine Kiss Me” – 9.8

Background: Everyone remembers “Take Me Out.” Unfortunately, I never got the chance to listen to any more of Franz Ferdinand since they released that in 2004. The band stayed on independent label Domino even after that song exploded. Listening to “Take Me Out” for the first time in five years reminded me that this band is like many other video game soundtrack, slightly-below-the-mainstream bands (Hot Hot Heat, Louis XIV, The Bravery) with their fun dance punk.  Case in point for their quick breakthrough: they went from playing the teeny T.T The Bears in 2004 to playing the newly built Agganis Arena in 2006?

What’s On This Album: “Turn It On” is awesome and so is “No You Girls”! Check those out for sure. It’s almost hard not to enjoy listening to Franz! I’d even argue that this is more likable than something slightly similar (and on the same label) like Humbug by Arctic Monkeys, although Tonight has a lot of the same beats/bass lines that make these songs so good, but inevitably individually forgettable. “Can’t Stop Feeling” might be an exception to what I just said. It’s got this really heavy synthesizer and general swagger that isn’t easy to forget. Franz, I conclude, prides itself on anthemic choruses and bridges for survival. They don’t sell themselves out by doing this, but you got to admit that they probably work off a very limited number of song structures to create their musical goodness. They change it up for the last song “Katherine Kiss Me,” which is an acoustic The Veils-esque power ballad. They couldn’t make an album out of songs that sound like this, but this has to be easily one of the best on here.

Grade: 9.3

Entertainment, Lists, Music

6 Nuggets Classics!

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Awesome doo-wop, garage, and psychedelic stuff from way back! Still, I don’t quite get the comparison of the Black Lips, King Khan and BBQ to these bands. I can hear influence, but I would never go as far as to say modern bands are “ripping off” these tunes…except for the Black Lips (in one instance) since they covered “You Must Be A Witch.”

1. The Choir – “It’s Cold Outside” – Sundazed Records
2. The Rare Breed – “Beg, Borrow, and Steal” – ????
3. Sir Douglas Quintet – “She’s About a Mover” – Smash Records
4. The Music Explosion – “Little Bit O’ Soul” – Sundazed Records
5. The Gestures – “Run Run Run” – ????
6. The Lollipop Shoppe – “You Must Be A Witch” – Music Maniac

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Embryonic

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Band: The Flaming Lips
Label: Warner Brothers
Release: October 13, 2009

1. “Convinced of the Hex” – 8.8
2. “The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine” – 8.4
3. “Evil” – 8.5
4. “Aquarius Sabotage” – 7.7
5. “See The Leaves” – 8.0
6. “If” – 8.5
7. “Gemini Syringes” –  7.3
8. “Your Bats” – 7.5
9. “Powerless” – 7.5
10. “The Ego’s Last Stand” – 7.2
11. “I Can Be A Frog” – 7.4
12. “Sagittarius Silver Announcement” – 8.3
13. “Worm Mountain” – 8.6
14. “Scorpio Sword” – 7.4
15. “The Impulse” – 7.9
16. “Silver Trembling Hands” – 8.4
17. “Virgo Self-Esteem Broadcast” – 6.3
18. “Watching The Planets” – 8.8

Comments: I can reason why this album is getting great reviews. The Flaming Lips have been around since 1983. They’ve been making pretty good music over the years. Initially it sounds sort of boring…at least in contrast to what it’s hyped up to be. Yay, space rock. It’s not exactly a surprise to me that Flaming Lips are covering Dark Side of the Moon. “Evil” sounds like a leftover track from that classic. I don’t know maybe this album is too far out for me, but I don’t see a lot of replay-ability in any of these songs. Somebody answer me this: is there anything on here as awesome as “The W.A.N.D” or “Do You Realize?” Please inform me if there is because I might have missed something.

Grade: 7.9

==Track listing==
<!– THESE TIMINGS ARE BASED UPON THE ORIGINAL VINYL RELEASE – DO NOT CHANGE OR YOUR EDITS WILL BE REVERTED –>
{{tracklist
| headline        = Side one
| all_lyrics      = Roger Waters
| music_credits   = yes
| extra_column    = Lead vocals
| title1          = [[Speak to Me]]
| music1          = Mason
| extra1          = [[Instrumental]]
| length1         = 1:30
| title2          = [[Breathe (Pink Floyd song)|Breathe]]
| music2          = Waters, Gilmour, Wright
| extra2          = Gilmour
| length2         = 2:43
| title3          = [[On the Run (Pink Floyd song)|On the Run]]
| music3          = Gilmour, Waters
| extra3          = Instrumental
| length3         = 3:30
| title4          = [[Time (Pink Floyd song)|Time]]
| note4           = containing “[[Breathe (Reprise)]]”
| music4          = Mason, Waters, Wright, Gilmour
| extra4          = Gilmour and Wright
| length4         = 6:53
| title5          = [[The Great Gig in the Sky]]
| music5          = Wright, Clare Torry{{#tag:ref|All post-2005 pressings including “The Great Gig in the Sky” credit both Wright and Torry for the song, as per her successful court challenge.<ref>{{Harvnb|Povey|2007|p=161.}}</ref>|group=”nb”}}
| extra5          = Clare Torry
| length5         = 4:15
}}
<!– THESE TIMINGS ARE BASED UPON THE ORIGINAL VINYL RELEASE – DO NOT CHANGE OR YOUR EDITS WILL BE REVERTED –>
{{tracklist
| headline        = Side two
| music_credits   = yes
| extra_column    = Lead vocals
| title1          = [[Money (Pink Floyd song)|Money]]
| music1          = Waters
| extra1          = Gilmour
| length1         = 6:30
| title2          = [[Us and Them (song)|Us and Them]]
| music2          = Waters, Wright
| extra2          = Gilmour and Wright
| length2         = 7:34
| title3          = [[Any Colour You Like]]
| music3          = Gilmour, Mason, Wright
| extra3          = Instrumental
| length3         = 3:24
| title4          = [[Brain Damage (song)|Brain Damage]]
| music4          = Waters
| extra4          = Waters
| length4         = 3:50
| title5          = [[Eclipse (song)|Eclipse]]
| music5          = Waters
| extra5          = Waters
| length5         = 1:45
}}