Back when I was a freshman in high school I became exposed to some pretty good music at work. Well, most people my age (then and now) don’t really dig old skool rock and roll and doo-wop, but any way I dug it quite a bit (and still do). Some songs aren’t as awesome as other ones, but whatever. I saw on TV a few times (no pun intended) TimeLife’s Malt Shop Memories and damn I got to say it’s a beautiful thing. The little videos are great…I can’t say I ever bought the $150 ten CD set. If you want to, though, remember you can do it in easy payments!!!
Band: Joanna Newsome Release: 2/2010 Label: Drag City
1. “Easy” – C+ 2. “On A Good Day” – C- 3. “Soft As Chalk” – C 4. “Esme” – B+ 5. “Have One On Me” – C- 6. “You And Me, Bess” – C 7. “81” – B- 8. “Autumn” – C 9. “In California” – C+ 10. “Good Intentions Paving Company” – C+
11. “Jackrabbits” – C 12. “Ribbon Bows” – C+ 13. “Go Long” – B- 14. “Kingfisher” – C- 15. “No Provenance” – C- 16. “Baby Birch” – C 17. “Does Not Suffice” – B- 18. “Occident” – C
Comments: Eh. Joanna Newsome is probably a folk prodigy of some sort, but to me she’s just the female offspring of Devendra Banhart and Regina Spektor. That means that this record is going to Album of the Month in March for WERS. “Freak” folk is pretty damn hit or miss. Sometimes it’s merely the case that the song that sounds the most fucked up is the best. God save the Queen if “freak” folk hits the mainstream. Joanna is too damn gentle. It’s not really even that. It’s just that my musical personality is anti-social when it comes to listening to this music. It’s bearable for a few minutes, but then can just get downright depressing. I don’t see how anyone could stomach something like this continuously. It’s pretty touching, blah, blah, blah, blah, but boring! She morphs into Peter Gabriel on “Good Intentions” and the result is an exotically freaky epic. Also, how do you tell any of these songs apart?
A nice short lived band that was signed to Vice Records. They had the drummer sings thang going on. Also, they were weird in that it was just drummer and bassist in the band.
Band: The Radio Dept. Release: 4/2010 Label: Labrador Records
1. “Domestic Scene” – B+ 2. “Heaven’s On Fire” – B 3. “This Time Around” – B 4. “Never Follow Suit” – B+ 5. “A Token Of Gratitude” – A- 6. “The Video Dept” – A 7. “Memory Loss” – A- 8. “David” – B+ 9. “Four Months In The Shade” – B+ 10. “You Stopped Making Sense” – A-
Comments: European band makes noise pop shoe-gaze music. It’s been done many times over. There’s the average, the good, and the great. I haven’t listened to many a particularly boring band of this style. I do hold bands that try these tricks and gimmicks to higher standards than bands with other sounds. I’ve found myself falling into the typical trap of overrating dreamy songs. Take “Never Follow Suit.” It sounds like a rip-off of Beach House, but with male vocals. I really love Beach House, but Beach House sound-a-likes? I ought to use some caution before dishing out an A. A rated songs should be at least a little memorable. I took a little break from this album and opened up what I thought was Radio Dept, but it was actually the Spaceshits and I thought to myself ‘dayum Radio Dept. really improved.” No, no, I’ll give this album the benefit of the doubt. The quality is shit, but then again that can be explained in two ways: A) this is a low quality two-months-before-official-release-date rip OR B) this is what noise sounds like. I’m going to go with B. At any rate, it’s hard to explicitly hate on this. It’s been done before and doesn’t really fresh. Yet, it’s pretty listenable. By most people’s count, I gave this album an awesome rating. It’s okay.
Ok, so randomly, I’m at the Wakefield Bowladrome and I see some sexy hunny from High School, as she’s placing her bowling shoes on her cute feet. I ask her general questions, like “how’s school going?” and blah blah blah. For some strange reason, I’m not there to bowl, but to attend a concert?! I know wtf?! The arcade, vending machine section was all knocked down and instead there’s just a blank space for bands to play shows. As it turns out, this isn’t just any old concert, but it’s none other than America’s worst nightmare, himself…. G.G. Allin! So, a few friends (I don’t even know who) and I are in the front and the Murder Junkies are all ready to go, minus jeje, and some diehard, frightening fans are surrounding us and are going nuts! The place is packed and the “kill myself for you GG!” creeps are chanting what’s left of their lungs out for their messiah. He arrives and all hell breaks loose. Immediately, he smashes one of his follower’s in the face with the mic, there’s blood gushing everywhere. Moshing like crazy, I’m thrown from one side of the room to the other. My comrades and I are thinking, let’s get the fuck outta here! But, then again we don’t want to look like pussies! Shit. Amidst the mayhem, my lip is busted open, but not too too bad. GG starts getting pissed, for one reason or another and he heaves a bowling ball at the crowd. Fortunately, in his, drunken, sprung out on heroin state, he has awful aim and completely misses anyone. As he is, undressing himself, the Cops show up and arrest him.
That was my dream. We probably wouldn’t survive a real G.G. show haha.
Artist: Spaceshits Full Title: Misbehavin’ Year: 1998 Label: Sympathy For the Record Industry Grade: A/A- Tracks:
1) Can’t Fool With Me– 9
2) We Know Where the Girls Are– 9
3) C’mon Let’s Suicide- 8
4) Won’t Bring You Back- 8
5) I’m In Love– 9
6) Jungle Beauty- 8
7) Turn Off the Radio– 9
8) Piss On Your Grave– 9
9) She’s A Bad Luck Charm- 8
10) 60 Nights Of Boredom- 8
11) Creepy Says- 8
12) Kill Me- 8
13) Tell Me Your Name– 10 Saved the Best for Last!
Comments: Before the Shrines, before the King Khan & BBQ Show, hell before the names King Khan and BBQ meant anything to the music world, there was the notorious Spaceshits! I know some of y’all are familiar with their name because they were “crazy” and constantly blacklisted, which is true, but unlike most performers that rely on childish antics like food fights, the shits had the music to back it up, they had their shit together! Misbehavin’ opens with “Can’t Fool With Me,” a fast, catchy, Rock and Roll number, pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the record. Mark “Creepy” Sultan lol primarily takes care of the vocal duties and he demonstrates some of his best screaming, shouting, and straight up singing on this album. The soulful, delicate, “Into the Snow” like vocals are nowhere to be seen. The fun continues with the second track, “We Know Where the Girls Are,” a tune that must have got the Canadian, garage rock, femme enthusiasts racing to the dancefloor! Most of the songs are about the hunnies and rockin and dancing and what not, you know the good stuff, Chuck Berry style, but ocassionally you witness some fucked up, but hilarious themes relating to death, as seen in “C’mon Let’s Suicide,” “Kill Me,” and “Piss On Your Grave,” which has now become my new favorite insult. The LP closes on it’s highest note with “Tell Me Your Name,” a track not as fast or as loud as the previous rockers, but still heavy and tremendously danceable. All in all, this is one of the best Rock records you can find, it’s everything great Rock and Roll should offer. Essentially, we have sped up versions of 50s-60s Rock and Roll, definitely not the most original artistic expression out there, but certainly the funnest!
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 