See, I was ready! Sorry I had to miss the meeting.

The Mong
Music Group Commentary
August 2010

Bash & Pop – FRIDAY NIGHT IS KILLING ME – 2 Stars
This one’s an odd compare/contrast to Titus Andronicus. Two Replacements-esque groups (this one for obvious reasons) but as where Titus sounds inspired, Tommy Stinson’s project feels more than a bit disingenuous. It’s competent songwriting and production yet it smacks of going through the motions, which, true or not, results in tracks and a sum total that is largely forgettable.

Hanson – SHOUT IT OUT – 2.5 Stars
As far as pure commercial Pop albums, what’s not to like. It’s not my thing but it’s got the hooks, the production is top-notch, and it does exactly what it sets out to do.

Icarus Himself – MEXICO – 4 Stars
Yes, there’s only five tracks on this (apparently) narrative EP, but what a great collection of songs: spooky and expansive while avoiding self-indulgence and with all the right peaks and valleys, like any good story should. Even though I have yet to piece together the full story, like a good book or movie, sometimes it doesn’t really need to make sense to work. If this band can pull off a full album of this stuff, my five stars await.

Titus Andronicus – THE MONITOR – 3 Stars
So, when did the Replacements get back together? You say this isn’t the Replacements ... It’s some new band?! Well, that’s okay because it’s some good-listening Post-Punk-Power-Pop. Nice stuff except for the fourteen-minute plus closer (that was so, “Man, we’re so great, we’re going to write an inane, three-chord Epic and you ARE going to sooooo love it,” that it caused the subtraction of one-half a star).

X – LOS ANGELES (& WILD GIFT) – 2.5 Stars
Yes, this is a “must hear” for any initiate to the period’s LA Punk-slash-Hardcore-slash-New Wave scene; so it’s more than just a little bit sad that X’s “Los Angeles” (and “Wild Gift”) just doesn’t hold up. Tinny, vocal-heavy production of two not-so-great singers essentially crushes what should be (and by all rights likely is) the blistering musical accompaniment. Not having heard this stuff since the late-’80s (when I was first exposed to X), I’m now wondering: Did these studio albums ever come close to imparting what books and movies tell me was a phenomenal live band from a singularly wild scene? If you know elder-punks, please tell me.

G’Hits - Blue Öyster Cult
God bless D’Arcey’s adolescent obsession with hard-driving guitar rock. All the favorites are here and a lot I’ve never heard, too. And I am now better for having heard them. One of the best G’Hits since Thin Lizzy!

TOPIC QUESTIONS

In this age of specialization can a public radio station survive without any true format?
As long as there’re hippies, which apparently will be forever, public radio/NPR will survive. Them longhairs sure talk about it enough.

Just play whatever songs whenever they want. Does a station like this exist?
Other than college radio, I don’t know of a broadcast station like this that exists. Not anymore.

When driving in the car while listening to the radio (if you still do) when a "classic song" comes on do you listen to it or switch the station to something else? Why?
If I am listening to the radio, I will usually listen to a classic song when it comes on because, usually, I’m listening to the radio to hear familiar songs.

With satelite radio and the internet has the classification of oldies or sounding dated seem to have lost its meaning?
No, it hasn’t lost its meaning. Just like, “Alternative”: it’s simply become a brand.

What is the greatest 70's one hit wonder song ever recorded?
Probably Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle (With You)”.