Category Archives: Music

Bo Burnham, CD Review, Comedy, Entertainment, Music

Comedy CD Review: Words, Words, Words [2010]

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Comedian: Bo Burnham
Release: October 19, 2010
Label: Comedy Central Records

Comments: Bo Burnham was just a suburban kid at one time. He did the average 16 year old thing: starred in school plays, earned high marks, and made YouTube videos. He did the YouTube thing quite well. His videos were (and still are) hilarious, entertaining, and offending. Bo, now a sophomore at New York University, proves that the road from YouTube celebrity to accomplished touring, record-deal holding comedian isn’t one well-traveled. On Words, Words, Words, there’s a fine mix of studio and live material; the latter was recorded during a one night stand at Carolines on Broadway in New York City. Bo starts the record off by mocking modern pop music on the first two tracks. Bo sings on “Words, Words, Words,” “I hate catchy choruses and I’m a hyppocrite” after rapping about Oedipus being the first mother fucker. Touche. “Oh Bo” is full of hooks and modern “pop” structural techniques — autotune, cheesy choruses, break-downs, triumphant bridges, and the like. The breakdown on that tune is particularly effective. Bo mouths, “My success is your success! I know you may be thinking ‘hey if you really believe that, why don’t you use some of your money to help rebuild the neighborhood instead of putting spinning rims on a gold jet ski?'” but before Bo can answer them back, he jumps back into the silly chorus! “What’s Funny” features some of Bo’s best verses. “Fuck my life. I don’t fuck my wife. So fuck my wife and fuck my life…the radical feminists made my wife a man!” He humors himself with word play and advanced connections amongst people, places, and things and this brilliance alone make him one of the best in the game of musical comedy. “Men & Women” has Burnham comparing the two genders and coming up with some of the greatest shit you’ve never come up with! “Women can fake orgasms, but men can fake love!” “Men are like Nazis because they both caused the Holocaust.” “Men and women. It’s black and white with an area of gray for hermaphrodites.” For prime examples of irony, check out the aptly titled “Ironic.” “I got my girlfriend pregnant on my sterile uncle’s pull out couch!” is just one of the many. “Rant” is Bo’s diatribe on the subject matter of the Catholic Church. He runs through a description of the mass from the point of view of somebody listening to their iPod in the back pew before envisioning a church in which ” you can be a benedict if you’ve been a dick under benedict but you can’t have benedicts because there’s only one pope and only one dick.” Like statistics? “Theoretical Dick Jokes” is your track. “The average penis is 5.5 inches. And finally, the average penis length of a man who Googles “average penis length” is 3.5 inches.” Bo weighs in on being an artist on “Art is Dead”: ‘This show has got a budget/And all the poor people way more deserving /Of the money won’t budget. Cause I wanted my name in lights/When I could have fed a family of four/For forty fucking fortnights.” Finally, Bo proves he can do traditional stand-up as well! “What do you call a kid with no arms and an eyepatch? Names.” Everyone has to hear Bo. Look him up on YouTube or go out and buy this CD. The kid’s the man.

Grade: A/A+

Articles, Band Recommendation, CD Review, Music

Album Review: Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs-God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise

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Artist: Ray Lamontagne and the Pariah Dogs

Full Title: God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise

Year: 2010

Label: RCA

 This Mainer just released an album that 1971 would go crazy over. So take a trip up to Bangor, Maine, climb a mountain, light up a doobie, and put those head phones on. “God Willin’” is an unforgettable trip. Ray recorded this album in his farm home-turned studio in just a few weeks with his new band, The Pariah Dogs. Heartache and soul have never sounded so pristine.

The album kicks off with “Repo Man.” You know LaMontagne and the guys are jammin’ today. The track is a classic style blues riff with a modern twist. Phrases like “Didn’t take long fore’ I begin to see, that you got eyes for every man on the street” never sounded better. LaMontagne sure as hell ain’t your repo man! “New York City’s Killing Me” seems to be a personal take on a small country boy hitting the big city. The first single off the album, “Beg Steal or Borrow” sounds like Neil Young on steroids. “Are We Really Through” is undoubtedly the most beautiful ballad Ray has released. The quiet guitar pluckings will easily silence a room. The album ends with an upbeat track you will likely play at your next cookout “Devil’s in the jukebox.”

Though there is not a smash hit like “You Are the Best Thing” or “Hold You in my Arms,” this is still a fantastic album. “God Willin’” is only ten songs. The important thing here is that none of them lag. Each song is fresh, and when all is said and done, you will find Ray held your interest from start to finish. The album doesn’t explore anything new, or try to be bold. That’s perfectly fine! Simplicity works best for Ray and we all know it. Nothing gets in the way of his soothing vocal tones. Kudos to Ray and the boys, they we’re selling more records than over produced artists like Drake and Justin Bieber on the billboard charts. It’s nice to see an artist not using autotune or electronic beats being appreciated. That’s quite the accomplishment for a little ole’ country man. “God Willin’” is great fun, and the ideal soundtrack for your Fall season.

1. Repo Man-10

2. New York City’s Killing Me-10

3. God Willin’ and the Creek Don’t Rise- 9

4. Beg Steal or Borrow-9

5. Are We Really Through-10

6. This Love is Over-8

7. Old Before Your Time-10

8.  For the Summer-9

9. Like Rock & Roll Radio-9

10. Devil’s in the Jukebox-10

 Grade: A-

CD Review, Music, Uncategorized

Elvis Perkins-Ash Wednesday-CD Review

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Elvis Perkins

Artist: Elvis Perkins
Year: 2007
Label: XL Records

Track Listing

1.”While You Were Sleeping” 9/10
2.”All The Night Without Love” 8/10
3.”May Day!” 9/10
4.”Moon Woman II” 8/10
5.”It’s Only Me” 9/10
6.”Emile’s Vietnam in the Sky” 9/10
7.”Ash Wednesday” 8/10
8.”The Night & The Liquor” 7/10
9.”It’s a Sad World After All” 9/10
10.”Sleep Sandwich” 8/10
11.”Good Friday” 9/10

Final Grade 95/100

Elvis Perkins father, the great actor Anthony Perkins, died a painful death in 1992 of complications related to AIDS, when Elvis was 26. His Mother, Berry Berenson, died in a plane on the September 11 attacks. While he started work on his first album before his Mother’s death, it is clear that the death of his Father and Mother was very influential in the albums creative process. As Elvis states the very title ‘Ash Wednesday’ “refers to being left on Wednesday with nothing but ash, because [my mother] died on a Tuesday – being left with ash on September 12. That was also the day my father died, September 12 [1992, of Aids]. It first occurred to me on Ash Wednesday itself – my consciousness was largely ruled by having lost my mother six months previously”.

Giving his history a person would expect an album full of death and destruction, an album asking questions that nobody can really answer, but Elvis Perkins is smart enough to go a different route. What he delivered is an album that is honest and based in reality, true it is full of lost and yearning, but it is also full of beautiful imagery, imagery of someone who has truly lived. The album opens with the haunting and beautiful ‘While You Were Sleeping’ (my favorite track on the album) where in his best Rufus Wainwright says “while you were sleeping, the babies grew, the stars shined and the shadows moved, time flew, the phone rang, there was a silence when the kitchen sang, its songs competed like kids for space, we stared for hours in our maker’s face, they gave us picks, said go mine the sun, and gold and come back when you’re done”. Elvis Perkins walks a fine line the entire album between the beautiful images he sees and the hardships he’s experienced. Musically he reminds me of Paul Simon and a dozen other folk singers, but he doesn’t copy a particular one, a rare feat. Overall it was an extremely strong debut and a promising effort from a very talented singer songwriter. If you are looking for good modern folk music, it will be hard to beat this album.

Books, Music

The Spits Read-Along Adventure

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If you like to look at elementary school story books and listen to psychedelic rock in the background (at the same time!), you might just shit your pants because I’ve got the record (actually download…it will be available in major retail outlets in November) for you! It’s called Haunted Fang Castle and it is a free download over at Scion A/V Garage. Is Scion trying to make punx apart of their demographic? It’s up to you to decide. Either way, grab both the .pdf story and the mp3 folder. Set aside about thirty minutes and listen. People who document themselves listening to this and send the movie to klyamemail@gmail.com will receive a free life-time subscription to KLYAM. The choice is yours and yours alone.

Link to Haunted Fang Castle: http://www.scionav.com/music/scionavgarage/index.html#general6,19080323

Music, News, Uncategorized

Punk Pionner Ari Up of the Slits’ Dead at 48

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Slits Ari Up

Ari Up (born  Arianna Forster) has died at 48, John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) has confirmed on his website.  Lydon, who is married to Forster’s mother said she died after a long illness on October 20th.  Up formed the Slits with drummer Palmolive in 1976 at the age 0f 14 and the original all female punk outfit, became well known for their unpredicatble and outragous antics, breaking the all boys club barriers of punk at the same time.  During their formative years they released two very influental albums, 1979’s ‘Cut” which remains famous for having a cover photo of the band topless and covered in mud, and my personal favorite 1981’s ‘Return of the Giant Slits,’ before disbanding.  In 2005 the Slits reuntied and released the under appreciated ‘Trapped Animal.’ in 2009.

In a interveiw with Spinner last year Up described the Slits legacy as being a mythology.  “They’re like Xena the Warrior Princess. She knew what she wanted. The Slits were totally rebellious and crazy. We were the absolute threat to society. We were such a threat. For our people, we changed the world.”