Wilco Offers Up Its Big Sonic Shoulder

I know that while Wilco (The Album) has already been reviewed about a gazillion times in the first two weeks it has been out, everyone is waiting for The Room to weigh in. And for good reason. I am not a "true Wilco fan." The evidence:

• I didn't own any Wilco or even really know about the whole Uncle Tupelo/Wilco/Son Volt complex until only about a year ago. We will wait while you take that in (and hope it doesn't mean you will never return).
• I would take Sky Blue Sky or Being There over Yankee Hotel Foxtrot any day, which is to say I like them the best when they aren't in their edgy, experimental mode.
• I also like Son Volt very much which any true Wilco fan would probably consider at least a venial, if not a mortal, sin.

All of which gives me my particular perspective on Wilco. I don't have piles of expectations to heap upon this album (or any of their offerings), which also probably means I am not in a position to be hugely or even mildly disappointed. And that results in this incredibly insightful assessment of their new album.

I like it. Actually quite a bit. And like it more, the more I listen to it.

It is definitely more cool, groove Sky Blue Sky than dissonant Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but still there is something for everyone here I think. Of course, that might also mean that the album is not consistent enough in one direction to please anybody--I note that while those gazillion reviews are generally favorable they are all a bit tepid. Ultimately, though I think the All Music review has it down.

If Wilco (The Album) as a whole is considerably less ambitious than its predecessors, it compensates with its easy confidence and craft: it's the work of a band that knows their strengths and knows what they're all about, and it's ready to settle into an agreeably comfortable groove.

I am going to go out on the self-projection limb here and say that it is possible that this has a bit to do with age as well. Tweedy seems much more interested in relationships, reflection and adjustments than angst and being misunderstood.

But enough meta, let's look at "The Album" a bit shall we and let's start right at the beginning with "Wilco (The Song)" which is simply a fabulous Wilco pop romp to open up with and I can imagine it being a favorite show opener as well. This song got me thinking that someone should write about great first songs (someones, are you listening?) and this would be one of my choices.

For me a great first song immediately makes you know you want to listen to that album, right then--it is the right choice for your mood. It sets the tone and gives you a positive emotional feeling (not necessarily happy, but more at satisfaction). Now this opening song does, in fact, make me happy. After all, who can resist the charming refrain of having Tweedy tell you that "Wilco will love you baby?" And it is as they say a "big sonic shoulder" that you can cry on, but more than that. It is Wilco putting their arm around you and letting you know everything is okay--really, they understand. And somehow, that actually conveys and works with this song.

There are several other very Wilco pop/rock tunes mixing both Beatles sounding harmonies and music with a certain level of dissonance and feedback. "Sonny Feeling" offered up below is a good example. The only real edgy tune musically is "Bull Black Nova" which is the most Yankee sounding tune with guitars vs. techno sounds creating a certain repetitive discord with feedback and high volume lyrics resolving the tune.

Then there are the slower and mid-tempo tunes which form the majority of the album--although scattered so as not to feel like the album is dominated by them. Most have interesting musical identities from the Nick Drake sounding "Solitaire" to the 70's groove thing that is "Country Disappeared" which you can sample below. Then there is the "You and I" duet with Feist which is not quite Neil Diamond and Barbara Streisand, but is, well, as close to that as you want Tweedy to get. Then again, it seems to work as the antithesis to "Bull Black Nova" which it follows.

And so all and all, this might just be a solid, but unremarkable album for Wilco, but I suspect that the more folks listen to it, the more they are going to find themselves wanting to listen to it more. And goodness knows if this were their first album, people would probably be thinking they were geniuses!

So check it out. Here is the opening "shoulder" along with two others to give you a sample.

Wilco (The Album) Buy the Album

Wilco (The Song)

Country Disappeared

Sonny Feeling

Out of Season: Grizzly Bear

Some one who knows me well told me recently that I was "so moody" about music. His comment referred to my seasonal (music) affect disorder which basically means that I randomly think of certain music belonging to certain seasons. This tends to mean that if I get an album at a certain time of year that I might otherwise like, my reaction might be a bit cool if it is "out of season" so to speak.

This was clearly the case with the Fleet Foxes, for example. While everyone was going gaga last year over them, I just couldn't get into the album (but wisely noted that I should put it away for a bit). Sure enough, earlier this year during a few months when the Capital City basically turned into Portland, I returned to the Foxes and fell in love with the album. In that spirit, I am going to start a new category of post for albums that I recognize as having a lot of quality or potential, but that I fear might not be getting my full appreciation for the simple and random reason that it is just not the right season in my brain.

First up in that category is the new album by Grizzly Bear--and you thought this post was about hunting didn't you?! Veckatimest (apparently named after a small Massachusetts island) is getting really consistently solid reviews from all over the place and only a few listens will tell you why. It is both complex and interesting and definitely a unique blend of sounds and styles which is a bit of a challenge to describe. Imagine starting with the Beach Boys of Pet Sounds, throw in some pensive Walkmen guitar work, perhaps a bit of Flaming Lips synth and bass work here and there, a certain 70's vibe, a touch (just a touch) of Gabriel era Genesis, then add some glam-rock like vocals (although I can't real pin down one vocal comparison) and a choir, and maybe, just maybe, you get a sense of it all.

The tunes are mostly mid-tempo with lots of layers of both music and vocals and most with many different mini-movements to them. The front end of the disc is a wonderful set of five tunes that if I had this on vinyl might mean that the flip side might not see the needle very often. The back half have some strong pieces, but Pitchfork nails it in their review of the middle of the album.

Save "Cheerleader" and the lilting "Ready, Able", the stretch between "Fine for Now" and "While You Wait" wanders a bit; certain moments, like Rossen's "swim around like two dories" line and the wispy, wheezing "About Face", hit harder than others. But you'll be looking for a while to find anybody who thinks the center of Veckatimest is as strong as the stuff surrounding it.

That said, this is still obviously going to be one of those albums that a whole lot of folks talk about this year and I suspect at the end of the year when those inevitable lists get made.

So, wait, wasn't this supposed to be about my ambivalence or something? Well, the truth is that as much as I appreciate the album (and as some in my household might point out, I have listened to it "a lot") it is going into the wait for Fall pile because ultimately it makes me think of the kind of album you listened to as a hip new college band. Not a bar band--no, no--but rather one of those albums that is always on at some one's party, in a dorm room or college apartment, cuz, well, it is hip. I don't mean this in a superficial, hipster way--but rather to say that this album is, in fact, very cool--like an autumn weekend afternoon hanging with friends.

For those of you who don't suffer from my version of SMAD and think you might want to pick up some cool, hip Brooklyn-based tunes now, here are some samples which I think cover the range from the poppy beginning to the slower-tempo tunes and on to some more jangly guitar pieces.

Veckatimest (Buy Album)

Two Weeks
Fine for Now
While You Wait for the Others

Update: Had to take the mp3's down as they were getting pulled from Box, so I am trying to avoid my first Google take down since returning. Check out GB music here instead.

Barely Contained Pandemonium: Second Thoughts on The Dodos

After I got done watching the video of “Fools” by the Dodo’s a bazillion times like I was a teenager who just discovered MTV (or whatever the kids watch these days), I actually picked up Visiter and have been exploring it heavily for the last few weeks.

First off it is important to get into your mind that this is basically two guys, Meric Long and Logan Koeber, making a lot of sound that reminds me of XTC. Their tools include one acoustic guitar (although there is electric guitar, particularly feedback, scattered throughout the album) and drums—and I mean drums. There are no cymbals although there is the occasional tambourine or bell thrown in for jangle and a metal sound, but for the most part rims and sticks serve to create the counter-punch to the heavy deep tom-tom sound. Oh and their voices. But basically everything is percussive—even when they are in quiet mode, the drumming and banging is anticipated.

Parts of this disc are simply wonderful—if I compiled a best songs of 2008, “Fools” certainly would have been near the top the list. In fact, the opening four songs which are really just two short acoustic pieces (“Walking” and “Eyelids”) each which set up great drum-driven, fast strumming acoustic pieces (“Red and Purple” and “Fools”). And I think we know how important those opening tracks are to me.

Plenty of folks have made the comparison to Animal Collective. Yes, there is yelling and hooting—one might even suggest barking—and yes, there is plenty of primal drumming and repetitive beats, but the Dodos just aren’t that complicated in the end. Ultimately, they are two young dudes who have a bunch of talent and an interesting idea about song arrangement, but mainly they have tons of energy that they seem to be doing all they can to contain within the structure of these songs. So it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that while the lyrics are fine for the most part, the middle of the album contains a couple really sophomoric songs, which, Crawdaddy precisely assesses as the valley of the album. Similarly, most of the songs have some great build and tension and resolution, but here and there the boys to go on as long as a Genesis keyboard solo. In short, they could have used one more good edit.

Still, this is a romp of an album and a really fresh sound. That said, I can’t help but feel that they are still working it out a bit and finding their stride—as if they are on the verge. We will see. I think they have the potential to put out a really amazing album if they can narrow in on the best parts of their music and lose just a tad of the silliness without losing their edge.

Buy Album

Walking
Red and Purple
Jodi

"R" is for Raconteurs

The Raconteurs 2008 release Consolers of the Lonley:

• rocks hard on the the majority of the album including the rouncus opening two tracks;
• reflects (at times) the move from the Motor City to The South;
• has rippin' guitars and Jack White vocals that often sound like rippin' guitars;
• recounts (of course);
• rated a consistent 80/100 over at the Big Board (with some hard and low outliers that dragged their rating down a bit);
• resembles a Who-angst-driven-teenage-rock-opera at moments;
• rollicks;
• rages about middle-aged boredom with work (although this might be over-reading);
• relies heavily on the blues;
• rebels (also, of course);
• is accurately reviewed by Rolling Stone when they note: "Overall, Consolers feels less like a project and more like a jam session. But it's fun to watch White make things up as he goes along"; and,
• presents a real challenge in terms of which songs to share.

Here R three that hopefully reflect the overall rockin affair. Bottom line is that you must be ready for some heavy blues rock, with some wonderful accousitic intervals and even an ocassional bit of horn playing.

(Buy Album)

Old Enough
Hold Up
Carolina Drama

Cardinology: In Which My Grading Philosophy Enters the Room

Note: so this is a post that I put up several days ago and it was summarily swept off this here blog which you can read about below. As I note, I am not re-posting because I think this is such a great post, but rather because it was something I put an effort into and I think this album is worth discussing (which is the reason for the post in the first place). So here we have it again without the music files.

________________________________________________

I am not a music critic. In fact, one might suggest that I am a bit too positively uncritical. Fair enough, but this leaves me in a bit of a pickle when I want to write about music that I find interesting, perhaps worth a listen, but not amazing. I want to be positive, but, at the same time, I want to provide some sense of my ambivalence or even dislikes--all of which makes me think back on grading college papers in my previous life as a faculty member.

See, writing comments on a student paper and giving a grade are two very different activities. Comments (hopefully) are formative and encouraging; whereas grades are summative and judgmental (I know it isn't that clean all you teachers out there). I will never forget how hard it was to give my first grades on a round of papers--I was so unsure about them. I knew what I wanted to say to each student regarding their paper, but judging them in that finalistic way (particularly when so many seemed like grades I wouldn't want to receive) was much harder. But ultimately, the grade became helpful.

It helped to know that the students were going (as I would have) straight to the grade and then (if they didn't agree) to the comments for justification (and if they did) for more pleasantries about how fine they were as writers. And so my comments were often oriented that way. Hey, wondering why you got a B? Here you go. But ultimately, I always tended to try to shape the comments as positive as possible.

Why oh why am I subjecting you to this recounting of my grading philosophy?! Well, here is the thing, I have been thinking that there might be some advantage to quantifying my reactions to music here in the TR with some sort of grade or score so you, dear reader, would know that while I liked two different albums, I liked one much more than another. And the new album from Ryan Adams and the Cardinals makes me think that this is definitely a good idea. Why?

Well, you see there has been so much hype and talk about Cardinology and then it was released and so many folks were disappointed (including our favorite Ryan Adams scholars) which resulted in others getting all defensive, so it seemed that it might be helpful to be as clear as possible when weighing in here.

And this (to take another digression) is why I really do love the Metacritic which aggregates and "quantifies" reviews on a standard scale (oh, the false security of numbers). The results for Cardinology thus far are a solid B- (80/100)--oops, a C+ (78/100) as there are new reviews in. It works (in this case) to eliminate overly cranky Pitchfork reviews and overly fawning Entertainment Weekly reviews and gives you a decent mean and median of the reviews that I generally find pretty accurate (including this album although I am going to come out slightly higher with my grade).

Are you still with me? Thanks (we will actually start talking about the album now).

So, if I were to grade the new effort, I am pretty sure I would come down somewhere around a low B--perhaps an 83 just to let Ryan know he just barely scrambled into the B (not B-) tier--I am sure he will care. So why a B?

First, I agree with many of the critiques that this album is not on par with other efforts from Adams and in particular you miss the country influence a bit on this album. Second, there is a bit too much middle-tempo music and lastly and most importantly the lyrics are lacking, even sophomoric at times. That said, I also don’t think this is just a "C" (average) album either. Here is the deal.

My first listen to this album confirmed every disappointment that has been written about Cardinology, but I listened more and then I found myself choosing to listen again and again. Hop in the car with a host of discs to choose from--in it goes. Riding the Metro or sitting in the airport, what's on the iPod, Cardinology. And what I have decided is that, well, I really like it as an album.

I like the transitions--one song ends and the next begins and you feel like one song follows another quite naturally. I admit that by the time we are near the end I am longing for the earlier part of the album, but that is a minor criticism. I like the trying on of the different musical influences going on here--whether it is the R&B feel of "Fix It" or the gospel sound of "Let Us Down Easy." I even dig the somewhat silly lyrics and early Tom Petty rockin' sound of "Magic" which I would listen to just to hear Ryan's spittin P's and B's.

There is simply no argument about the musicianship here--even those who are disappointed with the album appreciate the musical performance of the Cardinals, the singing of Adams and the production of the album. And despite the less-than-perfect lyrics, often the well-produced mix of lyrics and music overcome that fault.

And lastly, I think I am into this album because at this point in my life I appreciate the "maturing" narrative and the fact that Adams is trying to deal with managing change and growing up. I find myself patient with the effort and the subject and am willing to see the value in what is being dealt with here. I feel tremendous calm and hope in listening to the final track "Stop" as Ryan clearly articulates recovery efforts (not to mention I love how that tune transitions back to the opening "Born Into A Light" for those listening on CD with repeat on).

So objectively, I am going to stick with the low B grade, but I also have to say that it is a B effort I have enjoyed while recognizing its place in the overall Adams' catalog. I still encourage folks to take a listen and see what you think as I am not convinced this album should be kicked to the curb just because it isn't the best thing that Ryan and the Cards have produced. As UNCUT puts it so well in its review:

Ultimately, “Cardinology” serves as another minor indictment of Adams’ famously lackadaisical internal editor. Nevertheless, it is still, almost infuriatingly, a stretch better than most people at their best. And, it being a Ryan Adams album, its misfires and drop-shorts matter less than they otherwise might. He clearly can’t help himself. There’ll be another one along presently.

Hard to decide what to put forward for samples given that I would like to share the first several tracks to give those who haven't heard the album a sense of the track progression, but here are three that I think represent the album pretty well.

Check out the official Cardinology site, where you can jump to their MySpace page to hear tunes and also buy the album.

This Interruption in Our Regular Programming brought you by AC/DC

I am far behind in writing about discs I am listening to and tonight I had every intention of writing about a new viola d'amore-oriented-disc (I am such a tease!).  However, I got distracted by Alllison Stewart's Washington Post review of the new AC/DC album Black Ice. That is right AC/DC has a  new album out!

This is not a promotion for the new effort--I haven't heard a single track--and in some ways I am a little hesitant to talk about any album that is only being sold at "Wal-we will close a store before we give employees any voice by allowing a union here-Mart."  Still, this review just cracked me up and made me want to share.  

For those who can't be bothered with hopping over to the WaPo site to read the whole review, here are some highlights (which like the previews to a bad movie are really all you need to see), but I really should start by pointing out that Stewart assesses this album as the "best record the band has made in decades, and not only because all the other ones were pretty terrible."

Frontman Brian Johnson and guitarist Angus Young carry "Black Ice" on their backs: Johnson, now 61 (!), sings more and hollers less; Young, who seems more engaged than usual throughout, occasionally plays slide guitar. These might not seem like noteworthy developments, but for a band as resistant to innovation as this one, baby steps matter. [snip]

Its lyrics aren't worth mentioning, except to note that there are some, and they're the usual mix of cheerful incomprehensibility and innuendo-laden buffoonery. [snip]But mostly, "Black Ice" contains songs about rocking. Specifically, about how much AC/DC rocks, how much it's rocked in the past and how, if given the opportunity, it plans to rock some more in the future. Even the song about a wartime something or other ("War Machine") seems to be about a really rocking war machine. [snip]

The band's now de rigueur sex songs (forget "You Shook Me All Night Long"; AC/DC long ago stopped writing about women unless it had to) sound increasingly like Mad Libs: haphazard assemblages of a noun, a verb, the word "she" and a euphemism for "penis." [snip]

These, um, love songs are increasingly self-parodic, detailing amorous encounters so improbably hazardous ("She wanna shake you/No way to save you/She's got me shot/I'm fallin' ") you'll be tempted to wonder if anyone in the band has actually ever met a woman. They contribute to the dragginess of the disc's last half, as does "Decibel," the most generic AC/DC song of all time. "Black Ice" has 15 songs, which is about five too many: After its pulverizingly pleasurable first half, it's all filler and very little killer.

Someday I hope to write this entertaining of a piece about an album.

Now We're Cookin' / Michael Franti and Spearhead

On my iPod there is a very important playlist called "Now We're Cookin'" which is a list of toe-tappin, feel-good (okay, my favorite) tunes to have playing in the kitchen while the weekend dinner prep is on. And can I say that this playlist just got a whole lot more fun for having picked up the latest Michael Franti and Spearhead disc All Rebel Rockers.

Sure this album isn't one that is going to be so critically acclaimed that I will be hearing my grandchildren play it and wondering where music went wrong, but dang, it is a bunch of fun. It has so much going on it is hard to know where to start. It opens with a slow-burning reggae tune but then jumps into a whole variety of funkilicious, rappy, skaful and soulful pop dance music that it is hard to resist. Even when the lyrics are a bit simple and corny (really, who say's frickin' on a rock album), it is impossible to resist the beat of these tunes.

As PopMatters notes, some of what you have here is just a bit too preachy, but mostly it just really makes you feel like music is a positive force in the world even when it is critical. And you feel like the celebration that is this music might just have the power to make people think differently about the world we face--probably not, but then I listen to "Hey World" and I think, well, maybe! In fact, the first time I heard that cut--I thought now there is a good theme song Obama (except for the whole angry black man thing).

Here is that opening slow burner, followed by my proposed BHO theme tune and finally the most delightful dance tune on the disc. So get ready to boogie and stir the stew with Spearhead.

Rude Boys Back In Town
Hey World (Remote Control Version)
Say Hey (I Love You)

Rilo Kiley: Indie (to) Pop?

So I am the kind of guy (I think the guy part might be important here) who likes to delude himself into believing that he can understand things better by going back to their origins and then following their neat, linear and chronological path forward to their current state. So when David over at IndieMuse recently posted on Pierre de Reeder's new solo effort, I immediately needed to go back to the discography of de Reeder's home band, Rilo Kiley.

The two albums in question here are their 2001 effort, Take Offs and Landings, and their 2007 effort, Under the Blacklight, and I want to set my comments in the context of UNCUT's review of the more recent album.

UNCUT starts their totally favorable review with a tortured narrative about Neil Young to finally arrive at the point that a popular album shouldn't necessarily be equated with a sell-out, by noting that "Under The Blacklight is by far and away the most accessible album that Rilo Kiley have ever made. But, d'you know what? This is a GOOD THING!"

Why? Well, apparently RK had previously been "slightly irritating" with "an affected kookiness to Jenny Lewis' vocals" and thank goodness they like the Eagles "stopped listening to their coked-up peers on the LA scene, cut loose of their fears and started listening to the radio."

So here is the thing. I totally agree with the assertions that pop doesn't equal sell-out, but I just don't quite agree with the revelation and transformation narrative here. Mainly because while I do enjoy Under the Blacklight and I get the whole "dark lyrics hiding amongst the pop trees" here, if I were to recommend an RK disc, it would be the earlier Take Offs and Landings by a mile. I don't find Lewis' vocals to be either irritating or affected, but rather personal, contemplative and funny. I like the rockier and more basic R&B feel of the earlier disc as opposed to what feels like a bit too produced throw-back disco of the latter. And while the music on Take Off's has a bit of an indie feel to it, it is certainly not all that far from pop, if at all.

As Lewis notes in her interview with UNCUT when asked about the pop nature of Under the Blacklight:

I've always been a fan of pop music and if you listen to our earlier recordings and our early demos, we started out as a pop band and sort of moved away from that a little bit. I don't think we've ever really been an indie band, it's just that we've made records that were released on independent labels and we kind of worked with what we had at our disposal.

I confess, I don't know the middle albums in RK's discography (there are two other albums between these two releases), but I would suggest that you have two pop albums here, one on an Indie label, Barsuk, and the other on a major label, Warner. Whether that and/or the band's development are the driving factors in any of the differences here, I am going to stick with recommending the earlier album.

But hey--just one guy's opinon. Here are a couple cool tracks from each album to give you a taste. The first two from Take Offs and Landings and the second two from Under the Blacklight. They might not sound all that different put together here, but I think you will agree the albums do if you listen to them side-by-side. And no matter how you slice it, Rilo Kiley is definitely worth a peek.

Science vs. Romance
Pictures of Success
Close Call
Give A Little Love

Off to The Great Gig in the Sky

Ever imagine making your own set of music to be played at your funeral, or perhaps more appropriately your wake? Oh c'mon, I know there are some of you out there with just the right mix of love for music and obsessive compulsive traits to have thought about this. And, now that we have gotten over that hump, might we also admit that we all had "Great Gig in the Sky" by Pink Floyd in that imaginary set? It is perfect, isn't it?

First there is the opening voice over of reassurance:

And I am not frightened of dying. Any time will do; I don't mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There's no reason for it—you've gotta go sometime.

And then of course comes by Clare Torry's amazing performance which one imagines as a sort of vocal catharsis in response to loss. Just listening to the song and thinking of someone you lost even a long time ago can really bring back serious emotions--both sadness and beauty.

Well, one person who might well have imagined that song playing as people said their final farewells to him, Richard Wright, keyboardist for Pink Floyd and the dude who crafted that amazing song, has left us.

I am pretty sure that anyone who stops by this space is old enough to have a Pink Floyd memory. I am going out on a limb that many of them might sound a bit something like this. My close friends and housemates when first at college laying in the middle of our living room on the floor in an altered state having just . . .well do I really need to say what we were doing . . . with all four speakers on, listening to Atom Heart Mother or Dark Side or pick your Floyd album and feeling like these guys were so damn smart and cool and insightful and . . . well, I am guessing you know what I mean.

I don't necessarily play the Floyd a lot these days, but I did give my boys a side of Dark Side tonight, ending with "Great Gig." And since all of my Floyd is on vinyl, we will turn to the Tube for a fine rendition and wish Mr. Wright Godspeed and offer our best thoughts to his friends family.

Any Given Thursday: First Impressions

So today after dropping of Neats & Boys at the airport so they could get a head start on vacation (much lamenting about to occur over at my other place*), I consoled myself predictably at the music store. I found much of what I was looking for with the exception of Jayhawks--at least those recommended by you dear readers; however, the music that has been giving the Thiels a workout today has been something I wasn't planning on picking up: John Mayer's 2003 live album, Any Given Thursday.

Now I know you all are going to get tired of hearing me mention that I am catching up on much music (why the hell did he think he could start a music blog anyway?), but Mayer is another artist who I have been meaning to explore, but haven't. So this is my first. Why this one? Not sure--it seemed to pick me more than I picked it--great title, liked the idea of hearing how he performed and just total randomness.

First impression: this is going to get a lot of listen to, particularly since I am going to be in a car a lot soon, driving long distances and this just says great road album to me--not to mention The Engineer is always down with some guitar tunes as he chills out in the back of the van while The Artist and The Boss yap it up mid-van.

I, of course, immediately went and checked out what others had to say and read about mixed reviews as critics seemed caught between Mayer's rising pop star image and his clearly growing guitar prowess. Whatever. The music and performance are both solid and fun--both/and rather than either/or. This is a live album that makes you wish you were there even with the screaming adoration.

But I am new here and know you won't steer me wrong. So let's hear what you all think. Thoughts on this disc vs. other offerings, other discs to pursue, or am I just too easily entertained and uncritical?

*The other place is invite only, so friends and family who want to keep up with the Brothers K just need to let me know.

Growing Up with Joe and John: Part II

So as I pointed out in Part I, I grew up (for part of my life) with Joe Jackson--that is, I bought album after album as they came out at different moments in my high school and college years (they went on for a while), but now I seem to have lost a bit of my enthusiasm for JJ. It is as if my attachment to his music seems to have been completely bound by the time that I was experiencing and loving his music. And I wonder about whether or not that has to do with the fact that while his music has shifted some over time, it has always been a kind of art school, cultural criticism of a sort rather than developing with him/me through time.

This question really came to me, not just because of JJ's new release, but because I got it at the same time as I got John Mellencamp's new disc: Life, Death, Love and Freedom. Here is the deal. Unlike JJ, I have not owned many Mellencamp albums, but the ones I do own seem to match my attitude and place in life. Let's look at my bookend albums as examples.

The first album I owned, was the silly-covered 1983 release Uh-Huh which, of course, included the smash hit, "Pink Houses" as well as "The Authority Song." But it was "Play Guitar" on the B-side that I was attracted to as a just graduated from high-school, guitar-playing wanna be singer-songwriter (I also loved how it followed "Jackie-O"). What 18-year old (insecure skinny white guy) wouldn't be attracted to lyrics like these (with some rockin' guitar of course)?

All women around the world want a phony rock star
Who plays guitar
You can pump your iron and shine your shoes
And wear your hair just right
You go down out on cruisin' street
'Cause you want to score tonight
Ra da ra da ra da
And you really want to show your scars
Forget all about that macho shit
And learn how to play guitar

Fast forward 25 years (yes, people, 25 years!) and we find Mellencamp releasing this T-Bone Burnett produced reflection on life that sounds more like John Prine than Johnny Cougar. The album opens with this uplifting verse:

It seems like once upon a time ago
I was where I was supposed to be
My vision was true and my heart was too
There was no end to what I could dream
I walked like a hero into the setting sun
Everyone called out my name
Death to me was just a mystery
I was too busy raisin up Cain

Now I am not saying that I am currently obsessing about death or having some mid-life angst (been there done that), but Cougar's reflection on life on this album does speak to me--in ways I suspect it would not have so many years ago--but in that same way that Uh-huh did when I was 18. It makes me want to go back and buy random Mellencamp albums and see if they reflect my attitudes at those times, but I doubt that would work. Still, it is interesting to me that Mellencamp's music has developed pretty much over the time that I was a serious music-listener. There aren't many artists that hang on that long in any relevant way and fit so neatly into this period of my life. So I am pretty sure I will be revisiting and exploring a few more of his offerings that I don't have--and recommendations are welcome.

As for the most recent album, if you have got the implication in this post, it gets a hardy thumbs-up from me, but you need to be in a mood to listen. It is dark (I think Rolling Stone referred to it as "American Gothic"). Mellencamp considers death from many an angle, laments the lack of freedom in this country as much as celebrates it, and, as usual, paints important landscapes of his America. I think there is always a temptation to think of Mellencamp's songs as simplistic (made for Republican presidential campaigns and Chevy commercials), but I am going to bet that many will go down as important reflections on our culture and country. And finally, while I am starting to wonder if T Bone Burnett is working to get his picture in the dictionary next to the word "ubiquitous," the music and production on this album are wonderful and set a perfect context for the lyrics.

Here is a slightly more upbeat live version of "If I Die Sudden."

Stop Your Sobbing

The Pretenders.
First album in six years.
Free track a week until the album release on their website.
What are you waiting for?
GO!





Oh and feel free to share your thoughts on the band while you are here as I happen to love them! In fact, just because you have been so good lately, I give you this.

Son Volt: First Impressions

Well here I am again playing catch up and approaching a band with a pretty long history through their most recent album--in this case Son Volt's The Search--but so goes it.

I have always been a bit mystified by the term alt-country (as apparently many are), so I guess I can't really weigh in on where this fits within the genre. Had I never heard that term I would have simply thought of this as a solid acoustic rock album and if I had to compare it to another artist, I think that comparison would be to Bruce Cockburn. Jay Farrar's voice and the guitar work, particularly on the more rockin and political pieces really remind me of Cockburn--although I take it that tracks like "The Picture" are a bit of new terrain for Farrar musically.

At other moments, comparisons to REM seem apt, particularly the middle parts of the disc on tracks like "Satellite" (does everyone have a song with that title?) and "Automatic Society." And then there really are what feel much more like straight up acoustic country tunes. All of which is to say that it is a really nice mix and sequencing of music. I should also mention that while used sparingly, the organ work adds a nice tone on a few of the tracks.

Now that said, the general mood and lyrics of the album are definitely not what you would call upbeat. The one-line opening track "Slow Hearse" sets the mood. I know that a number of critics reviewed the disc as Farrar "searching" (get it) for hope among despair, but I think the best description I read was "bittersweet." You hear lyrics like those on "Adrenaline and Heresy" and the lines about leaving a lover and entering the "absence pit" and I never quite buy that the slightly upbeat ending is anywhere as sincere as the struggle with separation that dominates the song. Same on "Methamphetamine" where Farrar hopes for better, earlier days, but ultimately you are left feeling the weight of a life ruined by addiction.

Ultimately the mix of music and the searching lyrics (sorry) come together to make a really solid album. And while Farrar ends the album trying to convince us that "it can only get better from here" because as he sings earlier, he "can't stand any more indecision"--indecision, the muddle of life, and the "daily drag" ultimately seem like the only thing of which he is sure. That actually makes for a better album I think.

If you are as behind as me, you can sample some here.

So that is my first impressions of Son Volt--will be curious to find out how this album stands up against earlier stuff.

Open Thread: REM

What say you?

1. Acquire?
2. At least borrow it?
3. Not the worth the time?

(and I guess I should admit this one is a "1" in my book)

The Tangled Tweedy Web

Okay, so I have a few artists/bands I have been listening to lately that most of you have probably been listening to for five or ten years and I am just catching up. Just bear with me and remember that this means that when you weigh in you get to be the smart ones! And, for those more behind than me, don’t worry, I will still provide context and links so you can check out all these good tunes as well!

For starters, I had every intention of writing about Ryan Adams and Whiskeytown who I have been listening to pretty heavily lately, but in that wonderful way that the web works, I started looking for others who were writing on Adams to see what they had to say and found this blog. On one hand, Payton has more reviews and information about Ryan Adams here than you can shake a stick at making one wonder if another post on Ryan Adams is going to be necessary, evah, but the real problem is that I got to reading this post on Jeff Tweedy, front man for Wilco—another band I am catching up with.

This post made me realize that there are these earlier Wilco related bands that I have no knowledge of but all sound interesting. Most notably the key here is Uncle Tupelo featuring Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar (although there is an earlier history to the whole story) who then decided they couldn’t stand each other and Farrar forms Son Volt while Tweedy and company become Wilco. Interesting.

So, over to the Pandora I go--where you all surely know that you load in artists or songs and the wonderful Pandora opens up its boxes and creates a radio station of sorts playing music that has similar qualities to those you chose—and throw in the Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt to one of my stations and happily go back to writing and tuning.

I hear a song that I don’t recognize, which is not an uncommon occurrence with Pandora, but this sounds like a really cool Wilco track so I look at who it is and lo and behold, it is . . . . Golden Smog! Good grief, who is Golden Smog? Turns out that this is yet another iteration of folks playing together occasionally that includes a few notable people that includes Tweedy up front part of the time.

So dear readers, where is a guy to start? Which iteration? Which discs? This includes Wilco. Wobs has been good enough to share Being There, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, and Sky Blue Sky which are all quite fine and worthy of your time, although I am particularly fond of Sky Blue Sky with its cool 70’s vibe. In fact, as a bonus I am going to through in this performance of one of my favs on the album which is particularly pertinent since Neats (the wife for those who don’t know us) and the Boys are off at the grandparents.

Now I am not some “obsessive I have to have everything by an artist kind of a guy”—okay I was until I understood that bands make albums of different quality and my obsession was forcing me to by baaaaad albums. But surely someone will tell me where to start untangling the Tweedy web and what I should listen to . . .

I’m listening.

For Every Season

I realize I have yet to write much about what I think of a particular disc—hmmm, could it be that I am a bit nervous about not being cutting edge enough for this crowd? Well yeah, but here it goes anyway (kinda).

I didn’t actually ever have any Old 97’s in the collection until I picked up their recent effort Blame It On Gravity—although I had different cuts from my days of getting CMJ every month (CMJ, where I just learned that Boy George has been denied a visa for his US tour because he allegedly "chained up" some Norwegian dude who came to his place for a “photo shoot.” But I so digress.)

I don’t know why I never did more than dip my toe in with the 97's, because this disc is just a bunch of fun—which means I am looking for suggestions of where to go in their discography next. The music is definitely has great rock beats with that country twang hanging around and plenty of tracks have their own particular sound--cha-cha, tango, swing, etc.

The lyrics are, on one hand, light-hearted with nice hooks, but on the other hand they aren’t superficial. The Rolling Stone review captures this mix of upbeat songs with serious/dark lyrics best with this from lead singer Rhett Miller:

"Strum it on a Telecaster/Sing it like a train-disaster song," sings Miller. It's a perfect mission statement from four Texans raised on the Beatles and Johnny Cash in equal measures, whose shiny melodies, and fatalistic character studies, do their forefathers proud.

Favorite first lyrics are from track two “Dance With Me”

He takes your hand, tenderly
He whispers sweet surrender
Nothing is how he feels
About girls like you with your flip-flop smiles and
Your big blue eyes on vacation

Dance with me into the ocean
Roll with me into the sea
Don’t tell me the world is in trouble
Do you want to dance with me?

This tune exemplifies to me why the album is a great pick up for the summer—a sort of escapism that acknowledges larger issues out there, but let’s ignore it all for a while and get lost in this music—yeah, I get that the song isn’t quite about that, but I am talking about the experience of listening to this disc (or at least mine).

This brings up another issue for me which is the idea of music being seasonal. I am wondering if others think about music that way. I definitely listen to certain music at different times of the year. I think this album resonates more with me for having picked it up as summer started. Not really sure I can articulate why that is, but I know it is true.

I tend to listen to more rowdy stuff in Spring and Summer and tend to be more jazz and classical oriented as we move through Fall and into the Winter. I suspect for me it has to do with my strong orientation to the academic calendar, but even that doesn’t hold perfectly. Of course, there are exceptions to that (and obviously mood has a lot to do with that), but it is a phenomenon I am acutely aware of in my listening habits and I am curious if any others have a pattern of music listening that you see as tied to time of year, weather, etc.?