Entertainment, Lists, Music

Glen’s Fave Drummers (2000s)

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1. Dean Allen Spunt – No Age –  Dean makes up for No Age’s lack of a bass player in a tremendous way. He is both a crafty artist and a heavy hitter. He defines some of No Age’s best tunes (Cappo, Every Artist Needs A Tragedy, Here Should Be My Home, etc), not to mention the fact that he sings on every one of them as well.

2. Matt Barrick – The Walkmen – The thing that I really love about Barrick is his pacing and control of tempo. He is just a commander from behind the drum set, whizzing through each song with passion and friendliness. A man of small stature and youthful appearance, Barrick is just as great on fast songs like “The Rat” and “Thinking Of A Dream I Had” (a personal favorite) as he is on a slower one like “Canadian Girl.”

3. Joe Bradley – Black Lips – Joe is simply the man, providing a solid vocal/drum combination for my favorite band. He’s incredibly high energy and intelligent. He doesn’t get the credit he deserves. On record, admittedly I don’t really pay attention to his drumming as much as I do the other instruments; live, it’s a thing of a beauty to watch him play.

Art, CD Review, Lists, Music

Matt’s Top Albums from 2000-09

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These are some of the my favorite and in my opinion some of the best albums of the first decade in the 21st Century.

5. 19-Adele. This was one of my personal favorites from an amazingly talented girl. The album has everything heart felt ballads galore (Daydreamer, Hometown Glory, First Love among others) giant swelling songs (Chasing Pavements, Right As Rain, Tired) and even a dance track (Cold Shoulder). Written about Adele’s experience leaving her home in London and experience with love, 19 proved to be one of my favorite records of the decade.

Pretty, pretty, pretty good.

4. Funeral-Arcade Fire. The debut from one of the leading bands in indie rock. Funeral, which was named after several of the bandmate’ss relatives passed away, like 19 just has it all. It has your soft personal acoustic (Crown Of Love, Neighbor Hood 4 [7 Kettles], In The Backseat) your thunderous rock songs (Wake Up, Rebellion[Lies], Neighborhood #3[Power Out]) and yet again even kind of a dance track (Neighborhood #1 [Tunnels]). I credit this as the only record to ever make me close to really crying my eyes out. Phenomenal record. Should be in everyone’s collection.

3. The White Stripes-Elephant. Wow. All I can say about this record. What really made this stand out to me was its lack of true production. Jack had this recorded all on tapes and he spliced the tapes together. Some of my favorite songs are Seven Nation Army, Ball And Biscuit, There’s No Home For You Here, Little Acorns and You’ve Got Her In Your Pocket. An amazing outing from arguably my favorite band.

2. Radiohead-In Rainbows. What is a top ten list without Radiohead. And this record in particular is the one that really made me take notice of Radiohead. An album that makes an artist wait to put out the next record so the one before won’t overshadow it is something special. With some of the best production, arrangements and lyrics my old ears have ever heard, In Rainbows is a record not to be fucked with.

1. Radiohead-Kid A. I am speechless when it comes to this record. It’s such a… special record. Defining Radiohead’s sound most likely for the next few records and defining us as people, its just scary good. I frown on anyone who thinks they can do better. I don’t want to say anymore because my words can’t praise it enough

.

humor, Random

AT LEAST ONE POST A DAY!

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I will make an effort to make at least one post a day, usually more though. I highly recommend other KIDS to do the same, but I’m not a fan of coercion, so no pressure fellas. Anything and everything is worthy and pictures always help (yeah, I know there’s no pic here!). Of course, the more in depth a post is the better, but it doesn’t have to be Shakespeare lol. Even just posting a picture, video, story, etc. you find funny, ironic, sexually arousing…ok you get my point… will do. Many of my posts are of this very nature. So, if you have anything in mind, by all means, post away. Now, to completely contradict myself, there will probably be days when I don’t make a post, so when that day comes, y’all can call me out. Peace.

Chris

Glen’s Edit: There is now a picture and a guarantee that Chris will not make a post every day. The end.

Entertainment, Lists, Music

KLYAM Boston Venue Guide

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These aren’t known levels or anything; a mix of opinion and fact, if that’s all right with you.

Level One
– Lizard Lounge (Local bands; usually unsigned; capacity 80)
– O’Brien’s Pub (Local bands; usually unsigned; capacity 70)
– Several other small venues without any prerequisite venues.

Level Two
– P.A’s Lounge (Typically signed w/ a good size following; capacity 150; example: Jens Lekman)
– Club Passim (Mid-size acts of the folk persuasion w/ good size following; capacity 125)

Level Three
– Middle East Upstairs (Prerequisite of Level One/Two shows; mid-size bands typically signed; capacity 194; example: Rural Alberta Advantage)
– T.T the Bear’s (Prerequisite of at least 3 Level One/Two shows; mid-size bands typically signed; capacity 300; example: Sam Roberts)
– Great Scott (Headlines fairly popular signed local/national/international bands, often from Northern Europe; capacity 240; example: Handsome Furs)

Level Four
– Harper’s Ferry (Headlines low-demand mainstream/high-demand independent bands; capacity 400; examples: Wale, Flobots, Jay Reatard)
– Middle East Downstairs (Headlines highly visible independent/slightly mainstream bands with strong followings; capacity 575; examples: Black Lips, Walkmen, Dinosaur Jr.)

Level Five
– Paradise Rock Club (Headlines established/new national touring acts  that easily sell out Level Four venues; capacity 728; examples: King Khan & the Shrines, Anti-Flag)
– Wilbur Theatre (Headlines national touring acts that have established quite an audience; capacity 1223; example: Sonic Youth)
– House of Blues (Headlines national touring acts, which may or may not be considerably mainstream, that have established quite an audience; capacity 2425; examples: New Kids on the Block, Animal Collective)
– Orpheum Theatre (Headlines national touring acts, which may or may not be considerably mainstream, that have established quite an audience; capacity 2763; examples: Regina Spektor, Yeah Yeah Yeahs)

Level Six
– Wang Theatre (Headlines highly visible bands and artists who have, usually over a number of years, developed a vast following; capacity 3700; examples: Pixies, Lady Gaga)
– Bank of America Pavilion (Headlines highly visible bands and artists who have developed a vast following; capacity 5000; examples: Flaming Lips, Elvis Costello)
– Agganis Arena (Headlines very big names in rock and pop; capacity 7200; examples: Weezer, Kings of Leon)

Level Seven
– Comcast Center (Headlines the biggest names in rock and pop; capacity 19900; examples: Radiohead, Nickelback)
– TD Garden (Headlines the biggest names in rock and pop; capacity 19580; examples: U2, Bruce Springsteen)
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Some bands, undeniably, have a greater potential to rise to the top than others. For instance, Kings of Leon have worked their way up rather significantly in the past few years. Just two years ago they played the Paradise. This past April, they played the 10X larger Agganis Arena. Take Radiohead. They played the ‘Dise back in 1995 and just a few years later performed at the 20,000+ Suffolk Downs race track. Even King Khan & BBQ Show have been an upwardly mobile success story. They went from TT The Bears in 2005 to Great Scott in 2007 to the Paradise in 2008. For other bands like Black Lips, it’s been a somewhat slower ride. A touring band since 2000, they hit up TT’s in 2007 before selling out Middle East Downstairs the past two years, thanks in some part to critically acclaimed album releases Good Bad Not Evil and 200 Million Thousand. I’m not going to put money on it, but I wouldn’t be totally surprised if they move up the ladder to the Paradise (provided dates are available) for their next U.S tour.

Entertainment, Lists, Music

Glen’s Top Albums (2000s)

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These albums really got me going at one time or another. After #1, the order doesn’t really matter. They’ve all been just about equally inspirational AND they are all pretty damn different.

1. Los Valienteles Del Mundo Nuevo (Black Lips/2007/Punk)
2. Nouns (No Age/2008/Experimental Noise Pop)
3. You and Me (Walkmen/2008/Post-Punk)
4. The King Khan & BBQ Show LP (The King Khan & BBQ Show/2004/Doo-Wop)
5. In Rainbows (Radiohead/2007/Art Rock)

Art, Entertainment, Lists, Music, pictures, rant

My Top Albums of the Decade

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Just flipping through the latest issue of Rolling Stone (I rarely read the mag) and taking a gander at their bests of the decade lists, I can’t get over the massive discrepancies in our’s and their’s. RS overwhelmingly favors mostly mainstream/major label acts and a few independent acts with some degree of commercials success. So of course, our homeboys (Black Lips, Jay, King Khan, No Age, etc.) are virtually nonexistent because they’re not big enough! Wow, what a terrifically horrendous way to evaluate music… Anyway, case in point, their top 50 albums of the decade barely included 1/5 of independent music, whereas our lists are the complete opposite. Anyway, here’s their list: http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/31248017/100_best_albums_of_the_decade/44 and here’s mine, the better one :)

1) Black Lips- Los Valientes Del Mundo Nuevo (2007, Vice)

2) Jay Reatard- Matador Singles ’08 (2008, Matador)

3) The King Khan & BBQ Show- What’s For Dinner? (2006, In the Red)

4) Jay Reatard- Blood Visions (2006, In The Red)

5) Jay Reatard- Singles ’06-’07 (2008, In the Red)

6) Bright Eyes- I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning (2005, Saddle Creek)

7) The King Khan & BBQ Show- The King Khan & BBQ Show (2004, Goner)

8) Animal Collective- Strawberry Jam (2007, Domino)

9) No Age- Nouns (2008, Sub Pop)

10) King Khan & The Shrines- The Supreme Genius of King Khan & The Shrines (2008, Vice)

11) Arcade Fire- Neon Bible (2007, Merge)

12) Black Lips- 200 Million Thousand (2009, Vice)

13) Page France- Hello, Dear Wind (2005, Suicide Squeeze)

14) Box Elders- Alice and Friends (2009, Goner)

15) The Pains of Being Pure At Heart- The Pains of Being Pure At Heart (Slumberland Records, 2009)

16) Against Me!- Reinventing Axl Rose (2002, No Idea)

17) Girls- Album (2009, True Panther Sounds)

18) The Nightwatchman- One Man Revolution (2007, Epic)

19) Glassjaw- Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence (Roadrunner, 2000)

20) Mark Sultan- The Sultanic Verses (2007, In the Red)

21) Arctic Monkeys- Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not (2006, Domino)

22) Kimya Dawson- Remember That I love You (2006, K)

23) Black Lips- Good, Bad, Not Evil (2007, Vice)

24) The Almighty Defenders- The Almighty Defenders (2009, Vice)

25) The King Khan & BBQ Show- Invisible Girl (2009, In the Red)

26) System of A Down- Mesmerize/ Hypnotize ( 2005, American)

27) Deerhunter- Rainwater Cassette Exchange EP (2009, Kranky)

28) Head Automatica- Decadence (2004, Warner Brothers)

29) Deftones- White Pony (2000, Maverick)

30) System of A Down- Toxicity (2001, American)

31) Mabuses- Mabused (2007, Magpie)

32) Glassjaw- Worship and Tribute (2002, Warner Brothers)

33) Against Me!- As the Eternal Cowboy (2003, Fat Wreck Cords)

34) Black Lips- Black Lips (2003, Bomp!)

35) Black Lips- We Did Not Know the Spirit Made the Flowers Grow (2004, Bomp!)

36) Animal Collective- Feels (2005, Fat Cat)

37) Sonic Youth- The Eternal (2009, Matador)

38) Animal Collective- Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009, Domino)

39) Fugazi- The Argument (2001, Dischord)

40) Those Darlins- Those Darlins (2009, Oh Wow Dang)

41) The Strange Boys and Girls Club (2009, In the Red)

42) The Used- The Used (2001, Reprise)

43) Arctic Monkeys- Humbug (2009, Domino, Warner Brothers, EMI)

44) Editors- The Back Room (2005, Kitchenware, Fader)

45) Shellac- 1000 Hurts (2000, Touch And Go)

I’m leaving 5 slots open for possible last minute acceptances.

Chris

Boston based shows/fests – DIY, punk, noise