What the Funk!

The Mong Music Group Commentary February 2009

Jamey Johnson – “That Lonesome Song” = 1 STAR
Country schmaltz with some passable lyrics that, unfortunately, do little to help elevate it above similar radio-friendly trash.

The Killers – “Day & Age” = 2 STARS
I liked this stuff the first time I heard it: when it was the Cure…New Order…take your pick. And look, I often have no problem with wholly derivative bands (Wolfmother, etc.) and as far as “re-imagining” 80s rock goes this isn’t that bad, it’s just nothing special, much like everything else the Killers have recorded and so I guess I probably wouldn’t care if they all just died.

Buddy Miles – “The Changes” = 3.5 STARS
To quote allusic, definitely a ‘great lost treasure’ of soul and funk. Hey, Mofro, this is the real stuff!

Mofro – “Blackwater” = 2 STARS
Funky, soulful, essentially agreeable yet utterly forgettable background music.

G’HITS – Shellac
I picked it so guess what I think.

TOPIC
1. What were the first three albums you replaced with CDs when the format changed?

- Rush – “Moving Pictures”
- Genesis – “Abacab”
- Police – “Zenyatta Mondatta”
(Hey, it was 1985ish.)

2. What were the first three releases (if any*) you decided to buy only as a digital downloads?

- Nada Surf – “Live In Brussels”
- Nada Surf – “KEXP Acoustic Session - Live At the Triple Door”
(Both CDs were and remain hard to find and when you can find them they’re expensive, hence...)
- Dabrye – “Two / Three”
(A potential soundtrack artist that I had to make a decision on that day, hence…)

Although my three initial digital purchases were made due to immediate need and as an alternative to buying rare, expensive CDs, I now buy digital music with almost the same frequency that I buy music on CD (probably 60/40 leaning towards CDs).