Category Archives: Music

CD Review, Music

CD Review: Pigeons [2010]

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Band: Here We Go Magic
Release: 6/2010
Label: Secretly Canadian

1. “Hibernation” – B
2. “Collector” – A-
3. “Casual” – B-
4. “Surprise” – A-
5. “Bottom Feeder” – B+
6. “Moon” – C+
7. “Old World United” – B+
8. “F.F.A.P”- C+
9. “Land of Feeling” – B+
10. “Vegetable Or Native” – B-
11. “Herbie I Love You, Now I Know” – C-

Comments: This is one of those mistakes where some intern at Secretly Canadian got a hold of this LP three months before its official release and decided that it was somehow in his best interest to upload online. The thing about my dad, Luke Temple, is that he knows deeply what he wants to accomplish, but his music is too much for the average miscreant to understand. Well, pops got himself a band this time around and a few overt pop hooks. Been to a Here We Go Magic show sometime in the past eight months? You definitely heard “Collector.”  By the by, the band went down hill the second they dismissed Greg as the drummer. Yes, he only played one gig with them in Boston, but still you can’t do that. Dad didn’t hear the end of that one. You might ask well “why aren’t you giving your father high marks on every song?” Because that’d be bullshit and plus he left me for New York City. This LP is less weird than when pa did hard drugs. Think of the self-titled as a heroin trip and this as your average acid trip.  At any rate, I bet you’ll find yourself liking some songs on here at least. It can get kind of freaky at times like in “Moon,” but that’s expected with a hermetical title like that. I’d say in general the band is like a messed up Grizzly Bear. “Vegetable Or Native” is my principal reference. It’s just one of those songs that you never thought adults could come up with.

Grade: B- (83)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Hippies [2010]

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Band: Harlem
Release: 4/2010
Label: Matador

1. “Someday Soon” – A+
2. “Friendly Ghost” – A+
3. “Spray Paint” – A
4. “Number One” – A+
5. “Be Your Baby” – A
6. “Gay Human Bones” – A+
7. “Torture Me” – A
8. “Cloud Pleaser” – A
9. “Faces” – A
10. “Tila And I” – A
11. “Three Legged Dog” – A-
12. “Prairie My Heart” – A-
13. “Scare You” – A
14. “Stripper Sunset” – A-
15. “Pissed” – A-
16. “Poolside” – A

Grade: I don’t know if I’m in an extra special good mood because of the fine weather I see from staring out the window or what. This record is really really awesome. Like “Friendly Ghost” is one of those great garage tracks that gets you happy as fuck. Then you got stuff like “Be Your Baby” which is the surf-punk answer to the classic 1960s track “Be My Baby” by The Ronnettes. This is definitely one of the top-bottom best crafted albums I’ve heard not only in 2010 so far, but this decade. The flow is freaking incredible until “Prairie My Heart.” Comparisons you ask? Nobunny covered in (King Khan and) BBQ sauce somewhere in Texas. If Chris DeC looking for an early favorite recording of 2010 this will be it. I know the kid. He got all warm and fuzzy with Album and this is a similar trick pony (same record label and all) except much better! You’d think these guys have been cranking LPs for years.

Grade: A (94)

Art, Music, News

Bid 4 Good

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Feel extra special that the money you bid will be going to support Haiti and not some scammy profiteer in Pittsburgh.

Bid on a variety of items (t-shirts, a guitar, a wallet, etc) from independent and non-independent musicians:

Bidding For Good has you covered.

Here: http://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/AuctionHome.action?auctionId=104647581

I’m sure this shirt will be won at a price tag of over $100! It’s not like I don’t want to help Haiti, because I really do. I might do a last minute bid if circumstances allow it.

Entertainment, humor, Lists, Music

Analysis of “MIA” Vid

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I love concert-goer descriptions. It’s just a fun topic. Pretty much everyone reacts differently to live music.

Instructions:
1. Watch this video of Black Lips “MIA” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-_kNZOjMto

Observe:
A. Bradford Cox – White Sweatshirt W/ Hood – Cox is all head…no pun intended. He has his arms folded and seems a bit chilly. But vigorous head motions? That’s what he does..

B. Man With Hat – He’s sort of bobbing up and down, but he’s too worried about spilling his beer. He’s loving life.

C. Black Shirt, White Tie – Looks like he just got out of a tough meeting with a client. Interesting attire for a punk gig. He’s awfully afraid of getting hit by a firecracker. He progressively has more fun. At first he’s just kind of there but then he really starts getting into it…until the firecrackers.

D. Coffee Lady – She clearly stumbled upon the show after getting her mochafuckachino from Starbucks. Like the Man With Hat, she doesn’t want to spill that $3.00 concoction. God forbid.

E. Grey Long Sleeve Druggie – This guy takes the cake for being a pretty die-hard fan, but it’s all about the weed for this guy. Take a hit, dance around. Take a hit, dance around. He knows his routine. Stomp it out. Pull out expensive digital camera from pocket? What the fuck! Where’d that come from? Gets really fucking scared when the firecrackers set in. He curls up behind Black Shirt.

F. Frat Boy W/ Scarf – This guy is only shown for like 10 seconds total, but he’s worth nothing. He has on a pink scarf and is drinking from a solo cup. Frat party sucked so he took a road soader. He was also a late arrival.

CD Review, Entertainment, Femmes, Music

CD Review: I Will Be [2010]

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Band: Dum Dum Girls
Release: 3/2010
Label: Sub Pop

1. “It Only Takes One Night” – A+
2. “Bhang, Bhang, I’m A Burnout” – A
3. “Oh Mein Me” – A-
4. “Jail La La” – A
5. “Rest Of Our Lives” – A+
6. “Yours Alone” – A-
7. “Blank Girl” – A-
8. “I Will Be” – B+
9. “Lines Her Eyes” – A-
10. “Everybody’s Out” – A
11. “Baby Don’t Go” – B+

Comments: Dum Dum Girls! Yes! I like how last.fm puts it: “neither lo-fi nor too polished.” If you are looking for a quick hit, something to immediately latch you onto the group, I’d recommend “Jail La La,” the first single to go with this record. I’m already getting candidate for song of the year vibes. County jail sucks. “Someone tell my baby/Or else he won’t go out and save me” sings Dee Dee on the chorus. Literally, a great pop song that won’t get amazing treatment because it’s a bit lo-fi. Dum Dum Girls have been labeled a “buzz band” and I guess after opening for King Khan and BBQ Show and (soon to be) Girls, that’s kind of reasonable. For me, I knew the group had talent a long time ago; all of these songs solidify that. Definitely, definitely, definitely, DON’T just listen to this one and say to yourself this is pretty good and then never listen to it again. I usually do that with some decent records, but please something for me and get through this multiple times. The drums alone should have you hooked if nothing else.

Grade: A- (92)

CD Review, Entertainment, Music

CD Review: Head First [2010]

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Band: Goldfrapp
Release: 3/2010
Label: Mute

1. “Rocket” – B-
2. “Believer” – C-
3. “Alive” – B-
4. “Dreaming” – C
5. “Head First” – C-
6. “Hunt” – D+
7. “Shiny and Warm” – B-
8. “I Wanna Life” – C+
9. “Voicething” – D

Comments: The synthesizer is a funny little instrument. It seems like it’s an easy way to make anything sound listenable. It’s funny to see how much “synthpop” is different, yet sort of similar to synthpunk . I guess the difference is that a majority of the songs from this band seem like creative variations of other songs. There are only so many progressions and approaches that a band can make in songs like these. That kind of bugs me, listening to this record as a whole. I guess if you like repetition and electronica, you’ll like this.

Grade: C (74)

EP Review, Music

EP Review: August in My Mind [2010]

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Band: The Fresh & Onlys
Label: Captured Tracks
Release: 3/2010

1. “Diamond in the Dark” – B
2. “Dreaming is Easy” – B+
3. “You’re Known To Wander” – A-
4. “August in My Mind” – A
5. “Garbage Collector” – B+
6. “Save Your Soul” – B+

Comments: Girls. Girls. A little Vivian, a little Dum, and a little plain old Girls. I like the psychedelic/surf sound of The Fresh & Onlys. Credit to them for staying fresh in a climate where music just ain’t as fresh as it used to be. They are too chill to be considered straight up garage or punk or what have you, but they draw from the lighter aspects of those genres. It’s cool.

Grade: B+ (88)