Category Archives: Music

Black Lips, Music, No Age

KLYAM Shuffle: Glen

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Going along with the trend.

1. “Union Song” – The Nightwatchman – I haven’t listened to this guy in a year, at least. This is a refreshing song, not one of his best, but politically meaningful at least.

2. “Pick Yourself Down” – Gangbang Gordon – (Warning: this is my own song). I wrote this song on a night that I just wanted to write a song. I made a decent chord progression and then just ad-libbed for five minutes. So lyrically it’s a piece of shit…example: “Might as well call your lawyer. Take a seat in the foyer. If you think you’re gonna wait long, better write a fuckin’ song to help you through the times, to help you un-wind, amount of stress you’re in it’s not even worth telling your kin.” Yeah, for real. One more example, if I may: “She doesn’t get English. She was born in Spain. Bilingual education won’t even give her a reign. All she is is hot, I ain’t talkin’ looks. Just look at her face, you will give her a book. She ain’t nothin’ but a reader. She ain’t nothin’ but Aretha. When she stretches her chords.” Okay, I’ll stop. If anyone wants to listen to this song, let me know.

3. “Hippys” – Black Lips – One of their best non-album tunes. I like its southern country punk slime like a Sherman in a Suuuuuueeeeeeeeebaaaaaahhhhhhruuuuuuueee.

4. “Red Red Wine” – UB40 – Also another song that I don’t play too much. It gives me too much ’90s nostalgia. Good and bad. Usually bad things were associated with song like the show COPS. I definitely appreciate it, though.

5. “Hang On, Siobhan” – The Walkmen – A downer of a song. Beautifully written and meaningful. Nice if I want to get all introspective and shit, but I rarely do.

6. “Losing Feeling” – No Age – I bumped this heavy last year around this time, I think. One of the most ambient-yet-catchy No Age songs pre-Everything In Between. The sped up punk towards the end is pure awesomeness.

7. “Imagine Pt. 3” – The Smith Westerns – I added this song on a limb a couple of weeks ago. They are similar to Magic Kids (at least on this song), but more British and Beatles sounding. Also, pretty MGMT like. I do like this. Not so sure their debut album stuck out, but this next one is shaping up to be a little better. We’ll see.

Art, Honorary KLAYMERS, Lists, Music, Random, The Walkmen

KLYAMER Shuffle: Andrew

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Here is what I have playing when I hit shuffle on my ipod

The Futureheads- Struck Dumb (probably one of my favorite bands out of England right now)

Morrissey- Tomorrow (his so-so songs are better then some of the ‘hot’ new artists best work)

The Walkmen- Angela Surf City (defiantly one of the stronger songs on the new album “Lisbon”)

The All-American Rejects- The Wind Blows (bit of a guilty pleasure band)

The National- Lucky You {Daytrotter Session} (an ok song not their best work)

Julian Plenti- No Chance Survival (from Interpol’s lead singer’s solo album, which is actually one of my favorite albums of the last couple of years)

Hot Hot Heat- Good Day to Die (great band but a weak song from probably their worst album)

Gorillaz- Re-Hash (good song from a very original music project)

Tool- Rosetta Stonned (the vocals are amazing on this song)

Arcade Fire- Suburban War (I have really grown to like this song, also Arcade Fire is my pick at the Grammy’s)

EP Review, Music

EP Review: Hot Tropics [2010]

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Band: The Growlers
Release: 10/2010
Label: Everloving

1. “Graveyard’s Full” – A-
2. “Nosebleed Sun” – B
3. “What It Is” – A-
4. “The Moaning Man From Shanty Town” – B
5. “Sea Lions Goth Blues” – A+
6. “Badlands” – B
7. “Let It Be Known” – B
8. “Camino Muerto” – B+
9. “Underneath Our Palms” – A
10. “Hula Hula Hideout” – B

Comments: The Growlers are pretty distinctly So. Cal, which is a pretty daunting statement to make in an age where there is striking diversity among bands from that area. What I meant to say is they aren’t too far away from Mexico and listening to their music confirms this. Opener “Graveyard’s Full” features lead and bass guitar riffs that border on traditional Mexican/Caribbean. Singer Brook Nielson’s vocal style — part raspy/part laid-back eerie — fits genuinely on tunes like this. Short ditties like “Nosebleed Sun” add to the mystique of the band. What the hell are they singing about, anyway? I haven’t been able to discern such, but such does not matter much. Rhyming, for the win. Anyway, “Sea Lion Goth Blues” is this release’s best song and it’s not like its new or anything. Far from it. Other versions of “Sea Lion” have featured a more prominent lead guitar — one of the best of its kind that I’ve heard in the last year or so. The surf notes are compelling. Still, the added echo and reverb on Brooks’ vocals and the respective instruments are refreshing. My second favorite song on here is probably the second-to-last ditty entitled “Underneath Our Palms.” It’s plainly neat.

Grade: B+ (88)

Almighty Defenders, Art, Bill Hicks, Black Lips, Cole Alexander, Honorary KLAYMERS, King Khan, Mark Sultan, Music, Nobunny, pictures, Punk

KLYAMER Shuffle: Chris

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I put my ipod on shuffle and here’s what exploded on the screen:

The Replacements- Can’t Hardly Wait

Nobunny- It’s True

The Almighty Defenders- Death Cult Soup N’ Salad

Bill Hicks- My Parents

Incubus- New Skin

Bloodshot Bill- Ring the Bell

Tool- Forty Six & Two

Frank Zappa- Muffin Man

The Doors- Alabama Song

Black Lips- Let It Grow

Black Lips Juvenile! (studio version)

Beatles, Music, music video, Video, Who Did It Better?

Who Did it Better? ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’

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9 years after the death of the forgotten genius of the Beatles, George Harrison, I figured for the next edition of “Who Did it Better?” we would look at, in my view, Harrison’s greatest single musical contribution to the Beatles, the song ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ (this is up for debate I know but just go with the premise on this one). This time we have the original and two covers done, by arguably two men who rank in the top ten guitarist category of all times.

First up, the original:

Next up, we got Carlos Santana featuring Indie.Arie & Yo-Yo Ma

Lastly Eric Clapton & Paul McCartney

I am going with the original, but I gotta say Clapton is feeling it during his performance.

Music, music video, Video

Peter Hook Presents ‘Unkown Pleasures’ H & E

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So on December 4th I am going to see Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order bassist) perform Joy Division’s debut album ‘Unknown Pleasures’ from beginning to end, and I have nothing but the highest expectations. For those that haven’t heard it ‘Unknown Pleasures’ is universally considered a classic album (and in my top ten), and is one of the most important albums of the 70’s (yes I said it and I will stand by it). Good news is set list wise, I know what I am getting, the album cover to cover with maybe some stuff from the second album ‘Closer’ thrown in as an encore (sadly lead singer of Joy Division Ian Curtis committed suicide after two albums). Bad news is performance wise I don’t know what to expect, for those who have heard Joy Division know that as strong as the music was Ian’s vocal’s is what really made the album special, so I don’t know who Peter found for vocal’s. Also will the experience be a pure rendition of ‘Unknown Pleasures’ or will it be a bassist focused version. Personally I would also love to hear stories about the old days too, but who knows if I will get that. In any case I know Ian is dead, the living members hate each other with a passion, so this is as close as I will ever get to seeing Joy Division live, so for one night I am looking forward to closing my eyes and pretend that it’s 1979.

Band Recommendation, Music

Band Recommendation: The Onions

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The Onions are a product of The Last Daughters of Compton, a band that was featured over 9,000 years ago on the cover of Minimum Rock and Troll.

They are fronted by disgruntled Wisconsin master baiter, online radio superstar, organic farmer, lead guitarist and vocalist Brad X. Brad X looks something like this:

Brad X posts on the Terminal Boredom forums, a gathering place for ass-worshipers, A.D.D record collectors, and most of all punk purists who scoff at the notion that the Black Lips are still a great band. Jared Swilley, Black Lips bassist, was known for logging in TermBo late-night and freaking out on the haters. His most epic diss was: “I have an extremely powerful attorney. i do whatever i want. i travel the world. i get laid by chicks hotter than you douches can dream of (im in her room). and i get paid like a motherfucker. fuck you. your lives suck. i am so fucking happy right now.” The late great Jay Reatard spent a fair amount of time on the forum as well. Nobunny remains the best boarder in the game.

At any rate, behind the internet shit-talking and what have you, lies a fairly accomplished musician who knows the art of the catchy punk song.

Take a look at The Onions MySpace, listen to this reel-to-reel, or go to Texas in March to watch them play at SXSW.