December Report Early and Crisp, like Monsta's undies

Music Club
December 2006

Beck - Information
Beck has been here before. It was a CD called Odelay. While some of the songs are pasted together well with (“Cell Phone’s Dead”) others sound like recycled snippets (“Elevator Music”). When he gets poppy with more structured lyrics (“Think I’m Love”, “Strange Apparition”, “Nausea”) he sounds fresh because he has done the cryptic thing a bit too much. I tend to lose interest after “Nausea” with a couple of exceptions in “No Complaints” and “The Information”. Too many arbitrary noises and a lack of catchiness and the last cut is totally unnecessary. Let’s go back to Guerro and press do-over. (2.0)

Fear- The Record
Don’t know if this is hardcore. Some is comical (Beef Bologna”), some offensive (“Fresh Flesh”, “We Destroy the Family”) and there is a little punk attitude (“I Don’t Car About You”). “New York’s Alright if You Like Saxophones” and “Foreign Policy” show a little thought. Their Animals cover is completely distinguishable from the original (which is ok since I can’t stand the song anyway). The Record’s overall attitude seems contrived and not authentic but it was nice that they kept their songs to roughly 2 minutes long. I didn’t totally hate it but won’t be on a desert island pick anytime soon. (2.0)

Jason and the Scorchers- Lot and Found
They seem to have come along a little too early. If they could have waited until the mid-90’s I think they would have found more success with the alt-country onset. It would have also given them a chance to find a better drummer, at least one who could play real drums. Lost and Found has good ol’ twang rock songs and a good version of Hank’s “Lost Highway”. I would call them a country Social Distortion and not at all D’Arciesque. (3)

Decemberists- The Crane Wife
The Decemberists sound like an English literary novel, but they get away with it without sounding like they are trying too hard. I almost feel smarter listening to it- almost that is. The Crane Wife is a disc you have to listen from beginning to end. Skipping around takes away from beauty and flow of the album. The landscapes and descriptions painted are stunning and they’re surrounded by a virtually perfect soundtrack. It’s a Broadway musical. I already had the requisite listens to this disc prior to Jen selecting it and I was happy to learn I would be forced to listen to it more. (4 and leaning higher)

Superdrag Ghits
I was psyched to have this be our greatest hits as I have no Superdrag in my collection and have heard numerous positives about them. Unfortunately I found the band to be a super drag. I found nothing new or interesting in the music- he says as he sadly places the disc in a bin with The Posies and Gin Blossoms.

If I Were a Rich…. guitarist
Yes I will be cliché. I do play guitar but lets face it doesn’t everyone? Whether real or air? I would lean towards being a rhythm guitarist (Pete Townsend, Edge) because I believe a good rhythm section carries a song. This includes being the riff master. I could be happy banging our the lines to “How Many More Times” and allow Jimmy Page go to town or crunching a Billy Duffy riff to let him rip it up. I would like to reserve the right to be allowed to go off on song or two occasionally like Neil and Terry Kath did. But let me bang out power chords, do the wall of sound, windmill, pick out groupies for later and I’d be a happy man.