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Category Archives: Music
CD Review: Phrazes For The Young
Band: Julian Casablancas (The Strokes)
Label: Rough Trade
Release: November 3, 2009
1. “Out of the Blue” – 9.6
2. “Left & Right In The Dark” – 9.1
3. “11th Dimension” – 9.9
4. “4 Chords of the Apocalypse” – 8.8
5. “Ludlow St.” – 8.9
6. “River of Breaklights” – 9.2
7. “Glass” – 9.3
8. “Tourist” – 9.5
Comments: If I had my ways, I would wish every song on here would be as great as “11th Dimension.” That’s not the case, but what we have here is a very noteworthy effort from Casablancas. He loves his synths and drum beats and he sure loves changing things up from track to track. As for the Strokes comparisons…you’ll (obviously) hear it in his voice, but the instrumentation is very different for the most part. Overall, this should land in top 20 lists for ’09, but I’d be fooled to see it appear as one of the very best.
Grade: 9.3
Veckatimest or Yellow House?
Yellow House for me. By at least a margin of 10 points. I don’t think anything on Veckatimest is as amazing as “Colorado” or “Knife.” What do you think?
Morrissey Collapses @ Gig
BBC News
Former Smiths singer Morrissey has been discharged from a Swindon hospital after collapsing on stage with breathing difficulties.He fell to the floor while performing his former band’s song This Charming Man at Oasis Leisure Centre in Swindon.
A Great Western Hospital spokeswoman said he was kept overnight as a “precautionary measure” but was “much improved” and had been discharged.
The 50-year-old has cancelled several dates this year because of illness.
Well wishes to Moz.
Louis XIV Breaks Up
The band didn’t mean much to me besides “Finding Out True Love Is Blind.” At least I can say I got to hear that song live.
Brian Karscig says this: “Never say never to another LXIV record…just not anytime soon.
Brian Karscig has apparently left the band and started group The Nervous Wreckords after stating, “Louis XIV started to feel more like a business than a camaraderie, and in that, the music started to suffer and started feeling uninspired”
you can check out The Nervous Wreckords and their bio and contributors on: http://www.myspace.com/thenervouswreckords
Jason Hill is also working with other bands in the studio and on solo material as wel
Brian Karscig, “The memories, love and pride i have for LOUIS XIV (Jason, Mark, Jimmy,) are undying…It just felt right to walk away now and to pursue an uninhibited creative outlet, was the right thing for me to do as an artist. Making music should never have to be a forced thing, or a chore…it should bring happiness and a desire to live, and that’s what I’m doing for now.”
CD Review: Raditude [Deluxe Edition]
Band: Weezer
Label: Geffen Records
Release: November 3, 2009
1. “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” – 8.9
2. “I’m Your Daddy” – 8.0
3. “Run Over By A Truck” – 7.8
4. “The Girl Got Hot” – 7.5
5. “The Prettiest Girl In The Whole Wide World” – 7.9
6. “Can’t Stop Partying” – 4.4
7. “The Underdogs” – 5.5
8. “Put Me Back Together” – 6.4
9. “Tripping Down The Freeway” – 7.3
10. “Love Is The Answer” – 7.7
11. “Let It All Hang Out” – 6.5
12. “In The Mall” – 6.1
13. “I Don’t Want To Let You Go” – 5.8
14. “Turn Me Around” – 6.2
Background: Weezah! Okay I’ve spent maybe 30 minutes total in my lifetime listening to these guys. I think”Undone” is pretty sweet as well as “Say It Ain’t So” and maybe their cover of “Velouria” too. I do remember listening to their 2008 release a little bit. Pretty average from what I remember.
The Real Deal: Not going to joke around here, I was hoping this album would be worse than Bonnie “Prince Billy’s Beware. That was effectively the worst album I’ve heard all year. This album starts off pretty great, I’m not going to lie. “I Want You To” is a nice upbeat pop number. But then… “I Can’t Stop Partying” is just dumb. It’s like “I Gotta Feeling” except even more pathetic. Besides maybe three songs maximum (that sound similar to something out of the Louis XIV catalog), I get a sense that Weezer is just dabbling in a plethora of rock genres. It seems like they recorded a bunch of intrinsically different songs and simply slapped them on here. So yeah, this is the worst album that I’ve reviewed all year. Got anything worse?
Final Grade: 6.9
The Best of Me + You
Gotta remind myself that this might be worth the $5:
The Best of Me + You Vol. 1 compiles over 30 exclusive interviews and songs recorded at the Viva Radio’s Brooklyn studios between 2007 and 2009 for the station’s signature original program. Hosted by the inimitable Tedward, Me + You gives listeners an intimate and often whimsical look at artists that both shy from the spotlight and swarm to it like white on rice.
The Best of Me + You features interviews and songs from true-blooded American rock singer & composer Andrew W.K., French electronic minimalist / sex enthusiast Sebastien Tellier, DIG darlings The Dandy Warhols, brother-sister concept artists The Fiery Furnaces, drone and ambient duo Growing, Memphis rock n’ roller Jay Reatard, Columbus Ohio low fi purveyors Times New Viking, legendary punk pioneers The Homosexuals, new school punk torch bearers The Black Lips, Brooklyn frenzied instrumentalists Fiasco, and many many more!
The digital compilation comes with a beautiful 32 page zine documenting the behind-the-scenes hijinx with pictures and insider anecdotes. The compilation is available with purchase of the limited edition Me + You t-shirt or separately for the nice price of $5.00. Pick up your copy today!
Utterly Amazing No Age Footage
Hip Dance Friday
This is a new segment called Hip Dance Friday, where I choose some sweet ass dance song that you won’t find at your average party.
New Order – Blue Monday
CD Review: High Times
Band: Washed Out
Release: 2009
1. “Belong” – 8.6
2. “Good Luck” – 8.8
3. “Phone Call” – 9.1
4. “Olivia” – 8.7
5. “Clap Intro” – 8.0
6. “Luck” – 8.2
7. “It’s Kate’s Birthday” – 7.1
8. “You Will Be Sad” – 7.3
9. “Yeah” – 7.4
Comments: Like the name of the band, this music is “washed out.” A lot of the album is coated in some kind of slick material that sort of drowns all instrumentation…at least to a certain extent. What results is sample heavy synth-pop. On many occasions, I like what I’m hearing. There are some extrema like “Olivia” that is entirely new wave-y, which is okay because it sounds pretty good, but doesn’t have much lasting appeal. If Washed Out expected “It’s Kate’s Birthday” to be a song embraced by girls named Kate near and far, they effectively failed! Your best bet for liking anything this band has done on this album is the first four songs.
Grade: 8.2
Kids Like You & Me (KLYAM) 