Category Archives: Music
Classic CD Review: In Utero
Band: Nirvana
Release: 1993
Label: DGC
1. “Serve the Servants” – A–
2. “Scentless Apprentice” – C+
3. “Heart Shaped Box” – B
4. “Rape Me” – B+
5. “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle” – B+
6. “Dumb” – B
7. “Very Ape” – B
8. “Milk It” – C+
9. “Pennyroyal Tea” – B-
10. “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter” – B-
11. “Tourette’s” – B
12. “All Apologies” – B
Comments: Not exactly the biggest fan of Kurt Cobain’s singing voice or what is grunge music, I was unsure what to expect from this critically hailed record. “Serve the Servants” is the perfect speed/heaviness that I’m personally looking for. The screaming on “Scentless” bugs me much. I dig the chorus on “Heart Shaped Box,” but other than that it’s just all right. “Rape me/Rape me my friend” is fun. It’s not something I’ll constantly listen to, but it’s fun. Jay’s cover of “Frances” is better. I don’t care. I’m not going to say the second half of this is bad, but it’s far away from pop. Big ups to “Tourette’s” for being a decent punk tune. It’s so bad it’s good.
Grade: B- (83)
Happy Mother’s Day!
Here’s one of Bradford’s greatest creations for all the Moms out there. Have a Happy Holiday!
Chris
CD Review: Rush to Relax [2010]
Band: Eddy Currant Suppression Ring
Release: 3/2010
Label: Goner Records
1. “Anxiety” – A-
2. “I Got a Feeling” – A-
3. “Tuning Out” – B
4. “Gentlemen” – B+
5. “Walked Into A Corner” – B+
6. “Second Guessing” – B
7. “I Can Be a Jerk” – B+
8. “Burn” – A-
9. “Isn’t It Nice” – A
10. “Rush to Relax” – B+
Comments: Goner Records, like In The Red Records, is given a preferential option, so to speak, in terms of record reviews like this one. Why? The reason is because Goner has a history of putting out excellent discs. About a month ago I discovered this band after hearing the song “I Got a Feeling” played on WMBR. It stuck out enough for me to quickly jot it down. It’s a very good song that didn’t immediately win me over, but after a few more listens I’ve liked it more and more. $30,000 richer after winning the Australian Music Prize for 2008 LP Primary Colours, the band, I’m sure, tried their best to get out an equally awesome product. While I’ve never listened to Primary Colours, I must say this record sort of gets lost in garage rock obscurity. “Tuning Out” is cool until the boring two minute instrumental jam session kicks in. “Walked Into a Corner” is the perfect short-story of social shyness: “I was feeling anti-social/I didn’t feel like talking/I walked into a pah-tee/A pah-tee full of people.” This is one of the better 59 second songs I’ve heard. Nice Australian accents, by the way. They are very intense. Don’t touch me here. The short track “Isn’t It Nice” is my favorite on here. Check it out. Don’t be deceived by the 24 minute title track. Gentle ocean waves make up a good 75% of the track.
Grade: B+ (88)
Black Lips To Play On Cruises
Black Lips are playing Rock On! Concert Cruises this summer in Boston and New York.
The Boston boat, which departs from Rowes Wharf on Thursday July 29, is 21+!
The New York boat will leave from World Yacht Marina on Monday August 2, but is just 18+!
Uninhabitable Mansions H & E
Hopes: They play “Speed Is Deceiving,” as that it is the only tune I know by them lol. I hope it is a terrific show.
Expectations: It’s a good show, they play that song and I enjoy myself, but it’s not one of the best I’ve seen.
Chris
“We Already Know”
Uninhabitable Mansions!
I’m very excited for this show. Along with UM, there is Ketman, an extremely catchy rock band from Boston, who have drew comparisons to Shellac and Mission of Burma, Thalia Zedek, a band from Allston that’s hard to describe, but is both on the noisy and soft side, and finally The Big Big Bucks, a powerpop/punk group from Allston as well.
Cool Pic of the Day
Yeahhhhhhhhh Rock and Roll All Nite and Party Every Day!
Chris
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Hahahahahhahah. You tell em’ Jello!
Chris
CD Review: Nothing Hurts [2010]
Band: Male Bonding
Release: 5/2010
Label: Sub Pop
1. “Year’s Not Long” – A-
2. “All Things This Way” – B+
3. “Your Contact” – A-
4. “Weird Feelings” – A-
5. “Franklin” – B+
6. “Crooked Scene” – A
7. “T.U.F.F” – B+
8. “Nothing Remains” – A-
9. “Nothing Use To Hurt” – B+
10. “Pirate Key” – B
11. “Paradise Vendors” – A-
12. “Pumpkin” – A-
13. “Worst to Come” – A-
Comments: A band that did not excite me at all live, Male Bonding was actually a “band that I wanted to like.” Could the record make up for their lackluster performance? The answer is “yes!” I’m sort of glad this record isn’t of a terribly low fidelity. Thank you… Sub Pop? Anyway, there are really fun spots in a bunch of these songs. For example, the hook in “Your Contact” is welcoming and the high string notes in “Weird Feelings” save the song from drum-centricness. For some kind of modern reference point, I’d have to point in the direction of Abe Vigoda. Male Bonding is from Dalston, England, which would seem to be like the California of that country, but it really isn’t that at all. I’m getting tropical vibes on “Crooked Scene,” although it may just be the structure of that song that conjures Abe. A casual or first time listener might have alarms going off in their head along the lines of: song A sounds like song B sounds like C. That kind of sucks as it’s hard to make distinctions between tracks, especially at the early stages of familiarity. At other times, the group sounds like Wavves. Bottom line: is this good? Yes. Is it great? Sometimes. There’s even Vivian Girls’ Cassie Ramone singing on the last track.
Grade: B+ (89)
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 