Synhopkins

Last Tuesday was DYN's first ever 100% attended meeting. Now while the seas didn't part nor did they sky turn mauve it was still a monumentous occasion for the Spigot who saw their beer sales increase 35% over past DYN gatherings. After the required pleasantries we got down to the business at hand and actually it was one of our more tame meetings. Greg took his obligatory ass whipping. D'Arcy trashed all the discs because he didn't provide them. Alan delivered his first 1 rating. Jay somehow liked all the discs except for Greg's which, as before mentioned, he provided one of the 'S's in ass whip. Papas Fritas was the most polarizing review with Mongillo providing (surprise!) a 5 and Greg delivering a little ass slap of a 1. And, the tallies been finalized, I was spot on with all my reviews.

The first ever assessment appeared to be enjoyed by all proving once and for all that we all must do something with our lives because we are living up to what Jay's daughter correctly has assailed us as "music loser friends". The only thing worse would be if we all moved back in with our mothers and stopped showering.

One would think that the highlight of the meeting would be materialization of Monsta Hopkins at the meeting but instead it was the new minty fresh urinal cakes the Spigot unveiled special for the DYN meeting. Kudos Spigot!

Next meeting is October 13th

Host- D'ARcy (Dada's Ghits)
New- Ken - Cocktail Slippers - St. Valentine's Day Massacre
New- Mongillo-
New- Sandi- Black Crowes- Before the Frost…Until the Freeze
Old- Greg- Sugar- Copper Blue
Old- Monsta-

NOTE- Greg was originally an Old for November, I have updated the schedule, but we need a volunteer not on the schedule to provide New #3.

Reviews with a view

September 2009

Music Club

Papas Fritas-Papas Fritas

Catchy, but not overly inspired power pop. The musicians aren’t all that talented but they make do with what they got. The album sounds like they deliberately tried to make it sound low-fi for the cool factor. (2).

Yeah Yeah Yeahs- It’s Blitz

Another critical darling that I’m trying to figure out. 80s Duran Duran like rock with Motels like vocals (I also hear some Chrissy Hynde and Kazu Mikino from Blonde Red Head). Basically post-disco-radio friendly-rock. Songs are well structured with enough drama to keep them interesting. The drumming sticks with me the most and “Dull Life” was my song of the disc. Last word- good but not as edgy as the pundits say. (2.5)

Wilco- Wilco

I’m sure Mr. Hopkins is expecting me to ram this one up the wazoo, but I can’t totally with a clear conscience. I still think Tweedy has gotten too reliant on the studio and has allowed his genius to get in the way of writing good from the gut rock songs, but Wilco, the album, was palatable. A few songs bordered on snore inducing and others mere ditties, the triumvirate that held this disc together were “Bull Black Nova”, “You and I” and “You Never Know” (thank you George Harrison). Wilco continues to sound like an adult contemporary, AM radio band, but at least they show at times they can still put something like a good song together (3)

Richard Thompson- Rumor and Sigh

I’m from the camp that Richard Thompson just can’t put out garbage. Even his purely adequate releases deserve a listen. And that’s where Rumor and Sigh lands- purely adequate. Guitar work is great as usual but there is something missing from many of the songs that render them plainly adequate. “I Feel So Good” on the other hand is pure brilliance and is the Richard Thompson I flip for. It’s still a (3) because it is Richard Thompson even though he is jus adequate here.

Dinosaur Jr-Farm

Being only a peripheral fan I figured I would find a few good cuts and disregard the rest. And that was true except that every song was freakin’ good. Mascis has finally grown from the total whiny vocal to a whiny vocal that frames a melody (listen closely and you can hear a little Eddie Vedder). The guitar sound filled every nook and cranny of every song giving each song girth. Had the chance to see them this summer when I was at the Cape and didn’t force the issue. What a mistake. (4)

Monsta Mash- It's a Smash!

Farm- Dinosaur Jr. 3.5
Upon first listen I said yep- fuzzy production; mumbled lyrics; lots of guitar noise; it’s Dinosaur Jr alright. And it really didn’t grab me the way Beyond did--- on 1st listen that is. However, on subsequent playing (oh, it stayed in the player for days and days) Masics’ bluesy guitar leads, the good vibes, the energy, and the infectious enthusiasm these guys have for their music comes shinning through. Farm doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel but with catchy hooks, lots of fuzz, and solid song writing it is a fun listen.

Wilco- Wilco (The Album) 4.0
What was that question about defending your music gods even if the blasphemer is right? What can I say. I am a huge Wilco fan. While the blasphemers say BORING; lacks innovation; they’ve stopped pushing themselves. We the believers know better- the band has by no means stagnated. While this album may lack some of the ground breaking experimentation of A Ghost Is Born, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, or Summerteeth, it is not a failure. Not by any means. This lineup has been together now for almost 6 years and they are a band at the top of their form. This record has it all. Solid musicianship. Solid songwriting. Rock-solid production. So…. what’s not to like??

It’s Blitz- Yeah Yeah Yeahs 3.5
The cd cover is very cool- it’s a little out there but I like it. I’m not familiar with the YYY’s or any of their previous releases, but this is a really good cd and I’ll definitely check out some of their earlier stuff.. Karen O has a great voice and I think she actually carries some of the lesser songs here. The cd is sexy, brash, and pretty cool.

Richard Thompson- Rumor and Sigh 4.0
A great songwriter, a great guitarist, a great vocalist. And, Rumor And Sigh is not as dark as some (most) of his other stuff. The first 3 songs are stellar and then there’s 1952 Vincent Black Lightning! One of my favorite cd’s.

Papas Fritas- 2.0
I can’t figure these guys out. There are 2 great pop songs on this cd and then there’s the rest. Most of these songs are trite and almost insulting. Maybe they should have marketed this as a kids cd. I give it a 2.0 for the 2 good songs.

Terry Kath
I knew there was a reason I liked C.T.A./Chicago in the 70’s. Thanks for a great compilation!

Pooping Mini-Tweedys? You Betcha!!

Wilco – A synthesis of their previously superb work. The laid-back groove of “A.M.” is present on “You Never Know” and the title track. The sonic freak-outs of “A Ghost is Born” show up in “Bull Black Nova”. Bright power-pop of “Sunny Feeling” hearkens back to “Summerteeth”. “One Wing” and “You and I” are right in step with the simplicity of “Sky Blue Sky”. No ground breaking here, just an aural holding pattern of more great songs. Nels Cline officially enters the realm of Guitar great, note the shredding on “One Wing” and “Bull Black Nova”. In the discussion for best disc of 2009. 4.5 stars


Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Astonishing in its blandness, particularly compared to “Fever to Tell”. If there’s more here than Missing Persons meets the Pet Shop Boys, it escapes me. Only “Dull Life” and “Shame and Fortune” rise above the mediocrity. Not so coincidentally, those tracks have audible guitar and real drums. Lyrically vapid, overly synthesized and mostly void of any soul. 2 stars

Dinosaur Jr. – I love the guitar work on this record, and the best parts of it remind me of Neil and Crazy Horse. It stretches out just a little too long, and it works better in a mix, but this one was a pleasant surprise. Low-fi grunge is a cool genre. 3.5 stars

Papas Fritas - The band seems to really want to show how quirky they are. However, there’s a major difference making a concerted effort to be quirky and actual quirkiness. It’s akin to the difference between being cool and trying to be cool. One comes naturally as a result of who you are, while the other is kind of pathetic and irritating. Guess which one this falls into. The result sounds like what Darla and Alfalfa would have done if they had a computer and Pro Tools when they decided to put on a show for the other kids. 1.5 stars

Richard Thompson – Don’t know why I missed the boat on RT. Everything I’ve heard from him I’ve enjoyed, and this is no exception. Lyrically, by turns he is whimsical, satirical and astute, sometimes within the same song. “Read About Love” is a perfect example of this. His guitar work is impeccable; he somehow manages the trick of being a subtle virtuoso. The strength of the songs and his playing overcomes the brutal production job that sounds totally dated. I would love to hear these songs without the incessant synth-string wash and electro-drum sound. 4 stars

Terry Kath – I’m confused. Am I reviewing the guitar work independent of the music of Chicago, or am I supposed to be taking the music as a whole? If it’s the latter, I just can’t get worked up about this disc one way or the other. The free-jazz rock sounds woefully stale and is innocuous at best. If it’s the former, Kath was an excellent guitarist who performed admirably within the context of the rather dull songs he had to work with. If I really want long jammy songs with great guitar work, I’ll cue up the Allman Brothers.

Perfect Attendance…Perfect Meeting

Richard Thompson – Rumor and Sigh
Back in the 80’s, a friend of mine that I used to play in a band with, turned me on to Richard Thompson. I dismissed him as another folk singer since I was a Beatles, Stones, Kinks, Who devotee at the time, and my “new music” curiosity was late 70’s punk and power pop driven. About 10 years later, I decided to give him another listen. This was the album I started with. The voice is an acquired taste, the music is well produced and he is a great guitarist. What sets him apart for me are the songs. Like Dylan, and Randy Newman, RT ranks right up there as a songwriter. “Why must I plead”, “1932 Vincent Black Lightening” and “God Loves a Drunk” stand out on this album. 4 stars.

Dinosaur Jr. – Farm (REVISED UP)
I love “noise pop”, and I liked this CD, but I also am a fan of dynamics in music and this sounded like one long song from beginning to end. I’m sure when I carve it up and the songs come up “in shuffle” in my i-Pod, I’ll like them more than I do now. OK…more listening makes me like this more despite its lack of dynamics. 3 stars.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz
Yeah Yeah Yeahs…NO. NO. NO. No songs I wanted to hear twice, no music or lyrics that struck me emotionally, and no desire to do anything with this CD other than to pass it along to my 18 year old daughter who will dance around to it. 1 ½ stars.

Wilco (The Album)
Well, it’s taken about 15 years, but all vestiges of Uncle Tupelo are gone from the Wilco sound. And while I love alt country, that’s not a bad thing. This is a well crafted alt/pop CD with a bunch of good songs and bits and pieces tributes to The Kinks (Wilco, the Song), Steely Dan (the lead guitar in Bull Black Nova) and Jeff Lynne & George Harrison (You Never Know). I must really like Jeff Tweedy, because even “You and I” isn’t too gay for me. I put this into my Sunday AM i-Tunes folder…3 ½ stars.

Papas Fritas- (Self titled)
I missed these guys in the mid ’90’s…this was pretty cool…it’s like what Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers would have sounded like if he had a girlfriend that was part of the band. I enjoyed the songs, the minimalist production and both male and female vocals. There are all kinds of musical influences running through this, mostly from bands that I like to listen to repeatedly. It’s also good to hear artists that take mundane topics and experiences and make interesting sounding songs of them. 3 stars.

Terry Kath – The single most underappreciated guitarist in rock history. This is a great compilation that the bears this out. He was, along with great horn arrangements, the only reason I liked the Chicago Transit Authority. Thanks for this, as I have none of it digital, it’s all on album or tape. This saves me a couple of hours of transferring, for sure.

One side note...it is a tribute to your company that I can sit in a bar for 5 hours, not drink a single beer and still want to hang around for the conversation. It was great to meet Monsta, and if we are serious about a SXSW road trip in March, 2010, I'll pull together some specifics for the next time we meet.

Many Thanks

Will post my reviews Monday. Just wanted to express my gratitude for the hospitality ya'll extended Wednesday night. It was a real treat to meet everyone in person. I will say that we must have gotten bad burgers at dinner because I had a headache and felt like someone beat the crap out of me all day Thursday. Dont know what else it could have been.

My May 2010 meeting is in Boston. Plan accordingly....

Mike

"Cognitive Dissonance" My Aching Ass

The Mong
Music Group Commentary
Sept. 2009

Dinosaur Jr. – Farm – 4 Stars
I know for sure that my musical taste is not stuck in my favorite time-period but I will concede that I’m inclined to favor music from ‘the years that punk broke’ and new music from all my beloved '90s-bands. That probably being obvious enough without my admission, I state it here because although that love is true, I am, if anything, a very demanding fanboy. And boy oh boy, Dinosaur Jr. has delivered another great, guitar-dense original lineup revival here. 2007’s resurrection, “Beyond,” is thee great, 5-star album the original lineup never recorded and “Farm” is another almost-as-amazing 90’s-sounding relic. I guess if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it...after you break it once, that is.

Papas Fritas – self-titled – 5 Stars
A perfect indie pop masterpiece. Period.

Richard Thompson – “Rumor & Sigh” – 2 Stars
Richard Thompson, according to that zany Inter-web, is an obscure yet celebrated singer/songwriter/guitarist. Keyword being, “obscure,” which is likely what he’ll remain because, despite strong lyrics and damn fine guitar work, these just aren’t very good songs.

Wilco – [The Album] – 4 Stars
OK, so my last-few-years infatuation with Wilco compelled me to listen to this album about nine more times than I would have if it weren’t Wilco. Around the tenth listen I was hooked. I’ll maintain that my infatuation did not blind me (or make me deaf): it just took me awhile to get this album. And even though this is no “A Ghost is Born” or “Sky Blue Sky” (both solid 5s in my book), it’s still way better than just about anything else I’ve heard this year.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “It’s Blitz” – 2 Stars
Almost no band could have lived up to the hype preceding Yeah Yeah Yeahs first big release but even if expectations weren’t high “Fever to Tell” still would have been merely mediocre. I can’t say much more for “It’s Blitz.”

G’Hits
Terry Kath - The Required Listening (a.k.a. early-Chicago)
Now I understand, Ken. Agreed, Kath rocks the gee-tar. Guitar God! Awesome stuff. Coincidentally, I guess Chicago doesn’t suck quite as much as I once thought.

Ken’s TOPIC Questionnaire:
Best “topic” ever!

And Monsta in person with all in attendance...maybe the best meeting ever. Thanks, guys. But curse dem three dollar pints! Nahhh...I just can't stay mad at beer. Mmmmmmm. Beer.

Oh Karen O

Papas Fritas – Papas Fritas - 1
Mildly annoying with a touch of this is just ok. When I started to think that there might be some hope, they have songs like “Lame to be” Pretty much sums up the entire album for me. I’ve really tried to live by Mike’s creed not to be critical, but I couldn’t even do that this time. I’m going to hell.
Terry Kath – Terry Kath
I always knew who Terry Kath was, but I don’t know why I always thought that his voice was Robert Lamb’s. I guess they do sound alike. I have a whole new appreciation for Chicago. Chicago is still one of the top five best concerts I have ever seen. It was P.T. though. I wish that Chicago had kept some of the soulfulness that TK added to the band. I like even the later Chicago, but I’m not sure that TK would have liked it as much.
Wilco – Wilco (The Album) 3.5
The modern day Beatles that doesn’t appeal to the masses. I like it! I know it’s a stretch, but believe it or not I had actually never heard Wilco before. A little Robert Fripp Influence?
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz 4
Now this isn’t the reason that I like the YYY’s but I actually think that Karen O is pretty hot. It’s her voice more that her looks. Something tells me she might have issues, but different issues than Amy Winehouse. I chose this album because of the originality of the band and the talent of its three members. I also liked that they incorporated some orchestration into some of the songs. This cd isn’t as raw as their older stuff. It’s not better, it’s different. I don’t see them having the commercial success that I thought they would after Maps, but apparently a lot of these bands aren’t looking for that. It’s nice to see musician playing music for themselves as opposed to everyone else.
Dinosaur JR – Farm - 4
I only received the disk Tuesday so it was a quick listen to another band I had never heard. At first listen I thought it was my selected band for October Sugar (Husker Du). I think that the only complaint I have about this band is the same one I have with Bob Moulds bands, the vocals are drowned out by the guitar. I’d like the vocals to be kicked up one decibel. Otherwise I liked this band a lot. When I run out of Sugar disks to listen to I’ll throw on some Dinosaur JR. Now, please don’t make me feel stupid and tell me that this IS a Bob Mould side project.
Richard Thompson - ?
I’m sure it would have been great if I had received it.