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Recommended Literature

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I plowed my way through Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History (Andrew Napolitano, 2010) a little while ago and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I was a bit judgmentally skeptical at first considering Napolitano is a Fox News pundit and all, but I’ve honestly never watched him on TV. I read on Wikipedia that he is a pro-life Catholic Constitution junkie kind of like someone I know. Napolitano points out events in American History that exhibit governmental failure. He does a great job of describing why government has innately been an institution that’s been working against the Constitution by being paternalistic, wastefully bureaucratic, and pathologically dishonest with the citizenry.  Napolitano stands up without reservation for civil liberties: the right to free speech, to privacy, to property, and to bear arms. I especially like his little rants against the utterly useless and pathetic War on Drugs. He basically says, “yeah, a lot of Americans are afraid of drug use and don’t want it to be a part of society, but let’s get something clear right now: individuals are solely responsible for whatever kind of drug, food, or drink they want to enter their body. No one else is. THE END.” Once Napolitano starts making proposals to end Social Security, the Federal Reserve, and agencies like the FDA, he might lose some people. He does make some convincing arguments on these matters. I’m a little hesitant to let private business run completely wild, but we have to remember that government usually isn’t much better with its regulatory mechanisms and inefficiency. This isn’t A People’s History, but it sure will initiate some brain activity.

Recommended: Yes.

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Album Review: Night Work

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Album name: Night Work

Band: Scissor Sisters

Label: Polydor

Released: 2010

If the album cover hasn’t given it away, Scissor Sisters are very sexual. On their third outing, American glam dance pop band Scissor Sisters explore the 70s and 80s pre-AIDS gay scene, it’s fun and it’s excesses. I will say this now, if you don’t like house music, dance music or Lady Gaga, you probably won’t like this. For me, this is an indulgence that I take from time to time. I listened to this a few times and I find new subtle nuances in every song. Producer Stuart Price does a great job making this really danceable and yet somehow you can still just sit and listen to it. The songwriting doesn’t really differ in subject matter granted every song is either about sex or partying. However, songwriter Jake Shears writes about sex and partying using endless innuendo to make it “radio friendly” even though Scissor Sisters have gotten little to no radio play in the U.S. A great buy that will give you tons of fun.

P.S. On “Invisible Light,” listen for a Vincent Price-Thriller style rap by Sir Ian McKellen.

Track-by-track:

1. Night Work- A-/B+

2. Whole New Way- B+

3. Fire With Fire- A+

4.  Any Which Way- A

5. Harder You Get- B

6. Running Out- A-

7. Something Like This- B

8. Skin This Cat- B-/C+

9. Skin TIght- B+/A-

10. Sex And Violence- B

11. Nightlife- B+

12. Invisible Light- A

Overall Grade: B+/A-. Fun record, some of the best production I’ve heard in a while.

Downloads: “Whole New Way,” “Fire With Fire,” “Any Which Way,” “Skin Tight,” “Invisible Light”

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CD Review: Electric Toys [2010]

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Band: The Dig
Release: 6/2010
Label: Self-Released

1. “Carry Me Home” – B+
2. “Two Sisters in Love” – B+
3. “You’re Already Gone” – A
4. “She’s Going to Kill That Boy” – A-
5. “Penitentiary” – B+
6. “Sick Sad Morning” – A-
7. “He’s A Woman” – B
8. “Look Inside” – B+
9. “For All Your Sins” – A-
10. “Shadow” – A-
11. “I Just Wanna Talk To You” – B+
12. “Feel Like Somebody Else” – B+

Comments: The Dig is at their best when they’re crafting straight-up rock songs. While the more atmospheric numbers are a nice little change-up once in a while, tracks like “You’re Already Gone” and “Shadow” are more immediately engaging. At any rate, The Dig are way bigger than their unsigned status indicates. This LP isn’t ordinary self-released fare.

Grade: B+ (88)

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Compilation Review: Florida’s Dying Party Platter [2010]

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Bands: Various!
Release: 5/2010
Label: Florida’s Dying

1. “C-H-I-C-A-G-O-I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S-U-S-A” – Johnny & The Limelites – A-
2. “Hocus Pocus” – Nobunny – A
3. “Shim Shang” – The Yolks – A
4. “Hoosier Twist” – Sweet Sixteens – B+
5. “The Hucklebuck” – Sexcapades – A-
6. “Do The Make Up” – Hunx and His Punx – A-
7. “Wiggle It Around” – Brian’s Dirty Business – A
8. “Cuddle Up” – The Rantouls – A-
9. “Toss That Pie” – Personal and the Pizzas – B-
10. “Nice Girls Don’t Explode” – Garbo’s Daughter – A-
11. “Totally!” – Puddin Pops – B+
12. “Come On Do The Dolphin” – Coconut Coolouts” – B
13. “Shake That Bear” – Slippery Slopes – A-

Comments: We have, for starters, a catchy old timers number. Let me explain to you my favorite part. It’s when they say OOOOOOOOOOOOOO and SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS and AAAAAAAAAAAA. After that it’s a rock and roll freak out…how all rock and roll freak outs should be, specifically. Also, at the (sort of) end when the dude says “down on the floor. How low can you go? Yeah. Shhh. That’s right. Shhh.” That’s great family fun. Everyone’s favorite riff ripper, Nobunny, insists on you doing the “Hocus Pocus” abracadabra, which may or may not involve you getting low. You better be down for anything. Make sure your mask’s on. “Shim Shang” with me…right now! This dance is more of a slow dance, although it is flexible as fuck. Prerequisite: you have to be smooth. This isn’t the shim sham. Don’t be confused! You will fail. If you are a punk from the Caribbean, then please proceed with the Hoosier Twist. It’s not hard. “The Hucklebuck” is hot shit. It’s both a sex position and a groove. Does anything get better? “Turn off the lights and do the make up!” As you might imagine, Hunx wants to get right to the bottom of it. Haha! That was too easy…but so isn’t the make up! The description in “Wiggle It Around” is telling: “Put your right foot back, your left foot back. Come on little girl and shake it just like that. You put your right hand up, your left hand down. Come on little girl you could wiggle it around.” Sort of like the The Rantouls explain, there is no music necessary to do the Cuddle Up. AKA you are free to do that shit anywhere. P.S. do I hear auto-tune? “Toss That Pie” just keep tossing. Just don’t toss the salad. Yet. “Nice Girls” is, as someone commented, “poptastic.” Pop listeners of today would be like WTF YO? but if we go back a half century or so then this fits right in with that description. With a howl like Nobunny, I thought PP was Nobunny. Gee whiz. There’s horns and shit on “Totally!” Totally acceptable. “The Dolphin” ain’t my thing. It just ain’t. I mean, I might still come over and do it just because, but yeah that’s about all. Maybe I don’t feel confident enough in my dancing ability to venture into that territory. It’s risque. This is probably my longest review and I should probably stop now. The bottom line is that I like it. I do. It didn’t increase my serotonin levels or get me all fuzzy inside, but I did leave with a feeling of happiness. You know?

Grade: B+ (89)

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7″ Review: Tiny Sioux

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Band: Box Elders
Release: 4/2010
Label: HoZac Records

1. “Tiny Sioux” – A+
2. “Plenty of Room at the Bottom” – A+

Comments: Box Elders strike again! The amazing pop trio from Omaha continue their spree of hits on this 7″ !!! This release has a more innocent feel than Alice & Friends, making it perfect ably suitable for both children and adults. The somber “Tiny Sioux” moves at the kind of pace you’d expect it to and includes a pseudo-Native American call that literally fits right in with the narrative. “Plenty of Room at the Bottom” is fascinating. I’m going to compare it to the work of Adam Green and Calvin Johnson. It’s got that coy outsider thing going on.

Grade: A+ (97)

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CD Review: Avi Buffalo [2010]

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Band: Avi Buffalo
Release: 4/2010
Label: Sub Pop

1. “Truth Sets In” – A-
2. “What’s In It For” – A-
3. “Coaxed” – B+
4. “Five Little Sluts” – B+
5. “Jessica” – A-
6. “Summer Cum” – A-
7. “One Last” – B+
8. “Can’t I Know? – B
9. “Remember Last Time” – B+
10. “Where’s Your Dirty Mind” – A

Comments: Avi Buffalo the successor of the late Page France? That’s my initial impression. Catchy folk influenced pop binds this record together. Much has been written about the whipper-snappers who came up with this fun record. I won’t get into that. All I’ll say is that it’s really freaking impressive! “What’s In It For” has a particularly memorable ending…recalling a young (more epic) Built to Spill if you will. The heartfelt “Jessica” strangely gave me Weird Al vibes. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s strange. I like it. “I’ve got lost in your summer cum” sings young Avigdor on the fittingly titled “Summer Cum.” Haha! Laugh, damnit! It’s a funny song title and you know it. The song’s particularly more freaky than anything that came before it (no pun intended). Not to be real negative, but this record sort of loses its charm during the second half.

Grade: B+ (89)