1. “WTF?” – D 2. “This Too Shall Pass” – C- 3. “All Is Not Lost” – C- 4. “Needing/Getting” – D+ 5. “Skyscrapers” – C- 6. “White Knuckles” – D 7. “I Want You So Bad” – C- 8. “End Love” – D 9. “Before The Earth Was Round” – F 10. “Last Leaf” – B- 11. “Back From Kathmandu” – C+ 12. “While You Were Asleep” – C 13. “In The Glass” – B–
Comments: I don’t want to be one to hate on this band, a band which has received some degree of mainstream success for their Weezer-like ways. The vibe I get from this album is glossy safety. “This Too Shall Pass” has been done before and turns out to be just as shitty as when Weezer did it. Seriously, though, this is bad and way way too repetitive. Also, I would like to bring up a band that’s much much better at its craft than OK Go. The Lovely Feathers do the glam thing, but their expertise relies on a no-bullshit attitude. If you want a good piece of disaster check out “Before the Earth” which is so ridiculous, it’s already a candidate for worst song of the year. Don’t buy this album unless you want a joke. I guess the only track worth checking out would be album closer.
1. “Breaking Locks” – B 2. “Give Them A Token” – C+ 3. “Buddy Bradley” – C- 4. “Goblin” – B- 5. “Bathing Birds” – B- 6. “What Makes Him Act So Bad” – A 7. “Stadium Soul” – A- 8. “Cigarette Burns Forever” – B+ 9. “Boss Inside” – A- 10. “Castles and Tassels” – A- 11. “Oh Shucks” – B+
12. “Don’t Call Me Uncle” – B+ 13. “Lockout” – B+ 14. “You Blacken My State” – B
Comments: Like his former band, Moldy Peaches, Green is an acquired taste. For me personally, his vocals are elegantly boring. The backing instruments aren’t anything extravagant or worth thinking about. His form of sophisticated outsider music begs for Daniel Johnston comparisons, but unfortunately Green suffers from being less of an overall force (not shockingly) than the granddaddy of obscure folk music. Green shines best when he and his back-up band do their best Lou Reed/Velvet Underground impersonation in “What Makes.” The energy and style of that song carries over to the next and the next. Definitely, I’d listen to a great number of these songs again for Green’s exquisite story-telling, which is an art in itself. In the end, I’m split over whether I’m truly impressed by this album or if it is just another release that has a mix of great, good, and average tunes.
Comments: I turned it up, but I’m not a faggot. This shit is pretty much dance-punk at its finest. Crazy dances that is. Don’t expect to grind or do the cha-cha slide, you gotta friggin’ blast this and just do the craziest shit you can conjure up. Like seriously LCD Soundsystem couldn’t even come up with this type of genius. I’m sort of surprised Bradford hates it, I mean there’s nothing to be ashamed of, except maybe a couple (tops) of tracks. It’s a complete volte-face from all of his other music, but still. Definitely, this is solid material for college radio stations. Yeah, a lot of the songs are based on the same ideas of noise and repetition, but it’s not facetious like Lightning Bolt.
Artist: Ween Title: The Mollusk Label: Elektra Year: 1997 Length: 43 minutes Fun Fact: This LP is often considered the band’s magnum opus and supposedly (wikiquote) Dean Ween himself stated, “I will say that the only record that I ever felt really confident about was The Mollusk. That’s my favorite record we’ve ever done.” I am a huge Ween fan and before hearing this record, Chocolate and Cheese (1994) was my favorite Ween album, but I am now convinced that Dean is indeed correct in his confidence.
1) I’m Dancing In the Show Tonight- 9- A cute, funny, little opener. Funny in the weird Ween way, if you know of Ween’s music, then you know what I’m speaking of. This tune reminds me of little girls dancing with their grandpas at some family function. Don’t know why. It just carries a sort of innocence with it, I suppose.
2) The Mollusk- 9- Wonderfully catchy; not catchy in the mindlessly humming to the songs on the radio sense of catchy, but rather creating memorable songs that become etched in your psyche. Lyrically, this song kicks off the album’s theme of ocean like subject matter. I particularly dig the line, “Let’s be forever and forever be free.”
3) Polka Dot Tail- 9/10- Bizarre, trippy images of whales with polka dot tails, shrinking ice creams, and squishing fans in your hand. Yeah, I know crazy, but Ween’s uplifting music satisfies the ears so much that you just take it all in; no questions asked.
4) I’ll Be Your Johnny On the Spot- 8- Unlike, the first three tracks, this number is fast paced and not as humorous.
5) Mutilated Lips- 9- Of course, it’s fucked up, it’s the Ween boys. For a song with such a violent title, this tune is actually quite satisfying to my mutilated ears.
6) The Blarney Stone- 9- Haha, completely hilarious, drunken sing song about fucking some chick! Yeah, not the most savory of songs. This would be apropos in some Irish pub or on a pirate’s ship. Perhaps, the latter, considering the ocean theme.
7) It’s Gonna Be (Alright)- 10- Fantastic pop song! I’ll chop up my limbs to say this is the best tune in the brothers Ween catalog. Sure, lyrically it sounds more like an AM top 20, Madonna love song, “It’s just not our time, but you’ll find a new love and you’ll be fine.” The only flaw here is the brevity: 3:18, which actually isn’t that brief, but still it’s too short, when you have gold on your hands.
8) The Golden Eel- 8- I love how the tempo shifts back and forth from slow to fast and I dig the strange, low vocals. There is some pretty cool jamming going on toward the end. All for this very special eel.
9) Cold Blows the Wind- 8- Back to the more “traditional” vocals. This is a slow number about the powerful desire a man has for a kiss, a kiss of Lilly White lips. Go figure.
10) Pink Eye (On My Leg)- 7- It’s an ok tune, nothing bad, but I don’t have anything special to say about it.
11) Waving My Dick In The Wind- 9- Fast and hilarious. For no apparent reason, the narrator is waving his dick in the wind until he reaches his lover. The old Gee Tar is pretty nasty here. Simple, but nasty.
12) Buckingham Green- 9/10- One of the best tracks on this record. I really dig the sorta low-fi vocals. I don’t honestly know how to describe Ween’s music, which is kind of cool in a way. It’s so spectacular and they switch it up so well, you never know what you’re going to get…. yeah, I just watched Forrest Gump.
13) Ocean Man- 9/10- Good shit! This is perhaps, the album’s most accessible song with it’s danceability, upbeat music/lyrics, and almost Disney/Nickelodeon character like vocals lol.
14) She Wanted To Leave- 9- Solid closer, very passionate lol. If I were “she” I’d feel important. The second half of the song is a subtle reprise of the opener. It’s a perfect way to transition to silence.
Grade/Final Thoughts: A, I highly recommend this crazy, little ditty to anyone that wants to expand their musical horizons and especially to any Ween fans who haven’t heard this.
Band: The Walkmen Label: Record Collection Release: 2004
1. “What’s In It For Me?” – A+ 2. “The Rat” – A++
3. “No Christmas While I’m Talking” – A-
4. “Little House of Savages” – A+
5. “My Old Man” – A 6. “138th Street” – A+ 7. “The North Pole” – A 8. “Hang on, Siobhan” – A+
9. “New Year’s Eve” – A+ 10. “Thinking of a Dream I Had” – A++
11. “Bows + Arrows” – A++
Comments: This is a seminal album for the Walkmen. Highly regarded as their best offering of the triple ’00s (perhaps a false statment, I really really dug 2008’s You and Me), it’s got a delicate mix of fast post-punk ditties (Rat, House of Savages, Thinking of a Dream) that come off as inspirational (perhaps to a band like Editors) and all the slow and sweet ones (which you know, damnit; I don’t need to list them). The first time I listened to portions of this record was a few years back. I thought it sounded incredibly antique, yet pretty easily accessible. It might just be Ham’s singing, coupled with Paul’s classy guitar play. This classy guitar play is exemplified on “138th Street,” which is about such a serious matter as a man starting anew from what seems to have been a troubled past. In general, this isn’t really light-hearted, but you can’t really expect that from this band. Their concert attire is typically business casual to formal…that tells you something about these gents. Perhaps my favorite of the low brow tunes is “Hang On, Siobhan,” presumably about a girl who wants more and more of the songwriter, but he’s a bit sick of her routine and wants her to slow things down. “New Years Eve” — I’m sure a lot of people can relate to this quick ditty, seeing as it’s over pretty damn fast…like a 12/31 one night stand. “Thinking of a Dream I Had” is just a too good to pass up track. It’s infectious and puts me in high spirits. I listened to it constantly in the winter of 2007/2008 while doing homework at 5:00 AM. Homework at that time is depressing, but this was an aural escape. The organ parts are just out of this world, dude. “Bows + Arrows” is an amazing closer. Ham really belts this out perfectly and is so convincing.
1. “Horchata” – B+ 2. “White Sky” – A- 3. “Holiday” – B
4. “California English” – B 5. “Taxi Cab” – A- 6. “Run” – B+ 7. “Cousins” – B+
8. “Giving Up The Gun” – B+ 9. “Diplomat’s Son” – A+
10. “I Think Ur A Contra” – B
Comments: Love it or hate it, Vampire Weekend is what Vampire Weekend is. “Horchata” is kind of annoying at first, but it sort of loses that disparaging label quickly and becomes standard VW. “White Sky” is an upper-echelon tune, embodying the best of what their self-titled offered. Not necessarily a song of the year by any stretch, it’s definitely awesome. “Holiday” sort of fails to deliver. “California English” means Ezra singing in a really fast, internationally welcoming (read, Afro-pop) style and tone. I was listening to “Taxi Cab” and I forgot what I was listening to. It’s a really chill song with a pretty kick-ass beat and flow. Okay, also, just a quick note: slow down a bit Vampire Weekend! Sometimes when parts get really awesome there is a crazy transition to something less intense or too intense. Ah! Whatever! “Cousins” is love-hate. It’s something I would love to hate, but at the end of the day it’s just your average above average VW offering. Big fan of “Diplomat’s Son” right here. It reminds me of a certain song on VW. Bottom line: is this better than album #1? No, not really. Sorry. It’s definitely very notable, but it just doesn’t possess top to bottom greatness. 2010 will have to be a really rough year if this is going to land on my annual top 10 LPs list.
1. “Too Late” – A- 2. “Glitter & Gold” – A- 3. “Zig-Zag” – A 4. “People Talk” – A
5. “Push Your Luck” – B+ 6. “Living in the Past” – B+
7. “Tight Fit” – A 8. “Permanent Damage” – A- 9. “The Ballad of Max Frost” – B- 10. “Falling Down” – B+ 11. “Over Again” – B 12. “Ginger Snap” – B 13. “Back To School” – B+ 14. “Trip to the Zoo” – A
Comments: Cheap Time supported everyone’s best friend, Jay Reatard, on a 2008 tour to promote this fine album. Now, at a few gigs I’ve noticed opening bands not really sounding at all like the main act. In the case of Cheap Time, they happen to sound quite similar to Jay. With all songs except for one under three minutes, CT gets the job done quickly and relatively complex-free. These songs are kind of hard to at first judge and say “yeah, I like this” or “nah, this sucks.” “Tight Fit” might be the band’s best attempt at shoot-em up punk and, in my very humble opinion, one of the best on here. Overall, this isn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but for 2008, it was definitely one of my big listens. It’s got its moments.
1. “Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors” – A++ 2. “An End Has A Start” – A+ 3. “The Weight Of The World” – A+ 4. “Bones” – A+
5. “When Anger Shows” – A+ 6. “The Racing Rats” – A++
7. “Put Your Head Towards The Air” – A++
8. “Escape The Nest” – A++ 9. “Spiders” – A+ 10. “Well Worn Hand” – A
Comments: I don’t get how a song like “Smokers” could be criticized to any degree. It’s a complete song, replete with harmonies, prolonged guitar solos, and pounding drums. In fact, it’s one of my favorites of all time. Editors, you know, don’t conceal their roots too well. Comparisons to post-punk fathers as well as revivalists are abound in various critical works. Big chunks of Editors’ sound = reverberated heavy high notes. If you are not fond of these repetitive ditties, you might be easily irritated by this album. Also, Tom’s deep voice is not kind to everyone’s ear. Ian Curtis or Paul Banks or whatever other comparisons exist are essentially void because all these vocalists are their own animal. Also, I think Editors have “moments” in their music, especially present in this album, that are absolutely clutch and experience-changing. These “moments” turn good songs into great ones and great ones into classics. While the band hasn’t exploded in such a manner as the Killers did (pop songwriting can only get you so far in today’s environment), I’m sure the band’s general following has both seen periods of increase and decrease (with the latter potentially due to the band’s latest effort In This Light and On This Evening, which is heavily darker and more electro based). Chris might have been riding the coattails of a spectacular January 2008 concert (Orpheum Theatre) when he commented “there’s no doubt in my mind that this band will be huge within the next few years.” Taking a 180 degree turn sound-wise is something that simply may not make that possible, but the freedom to change and improve is, itself, a testament to what Chris said next, “They are a great example of how a band can achieve such tremendous success, yet still be attached to independent label and not have to sacrifice their integrity.” Getting back to the album itself…”The Racing Rats” is an awesome song for all the hunnies to dance to despite its depressing lyrics. Let me not forget to mention that in some instances like in “Put” there is a wildly atmospheric element existing above what we know as pop. Okay so the last song is cheesy and could sound okay in Aladdin or some shit: “I don’t want to go out alone anymore.” But it’s Tom’s baritone that makes it somewhat interesting and surprisingly guilty-pleasure esque. It ends basically prematurely, making me wonder when the eff the build-up is going to happen?! It never happens, which is sad, but I’ll deal. Whatever though, this LP is one of my favorites of all time.
Looks eerily similar to a scene in one "Bad Kids" music vid!
Band: Libertines Label: Rough Trade Release: 2002
1. “Vertigo” – A- 2. “Death on the Stairs” – A 3. “Horrorshow” – A- 4. “Time For Heroes” – A+ 5. “Boys in the Band” – A+
6. “Radio America” – A- 7. “Up the Bracket” – A+ 8. “Tell the King” – A+ 9. “The Boy Looked At Johnny” – A+ 10. “Begging” – A- 11. “The Good Old Days” – A+ 12. “I Get Along” – A+
Comments: A much more polished album than The Libertines, this is , too, a more straight forward, cut-the-shit kind of release. Like the harmonies in “Boys in the Band” are priceless (unless you actually bought this album). I enjoy the bloody humor in a song like “The Boy,” you know what I mean? By the way, “The Good Old Days” is slowing developing into one of my favorite Libertines tunes.
Comments: Are you an aficionado for twenty minute songs? Krug keeps this banger interesting on several different fronts. At its core, this is an elongated, minimalist Sunset Rubdown epic. Terse epics (under ten minutes, please) are much appreciated, but this thing (47 MB) is far from that. Unlike, say, a Flashy Python doozy, this isn’t broken down into parts; there’s a constant marimba rhythmic sequence that sets the tone and is pretty darn scary. Quite fitting for an EP that’s based on Spencer’s dreams. Overall, I really dig it, but it’s just too bad it’s not broken up.
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 