September Schwackin'

Against Me – Maybe you were a teenage anarchist, but now you’re just another tiresome, generic band vying for space alongside the Foo Fighters on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart.  Made all the right moves too.  Hire Butch Vig? Check. Drums mixed as high as the vocals? Check.  Big sing-along choruses with lots of “whoa-ohs”? Check.  Enjoy the fruits of your sellout; see ya next summer on the Vans tour.   2 stars

Tame Impala – Always fun to listen to a disc a dozen times and be unable to decide whether I like it.  First track sounds like an outtake from “Magical Mystery Tour”, and the vocals throughout the disc are Lennon-esque  to the point of distraction.  Some of the jams are entrancing, others sound like the self-indulgent Flaming Lips.  Dug the Cream sound on “Bold Arrow of Time”, and wish more it went in that direction.  A challenging and interesting disc.  3 stars 

Peter Wolf – Seems like every year a forgotten old-timer hits one out of the park.  In 2010, its Peter Wolf.  The songs are solid, the players more than competent, and Wolf weaves in and out of several genres seamlessly.  Makes excellent use of his guest stars by showcasing but not relying on them.  A disc that did not make a big first impression on me, but got better with each listen.  4 stars

Concrete Blonde – “Joey” is one of my favorite songs of all time.  Nothing else they’ve done remotely captures that magic, but there are a few other good songs here.  Napolitano’s voice is the best instrument the band has, powerful and haunting.  A couple of the songs are too gothic and the sound is muddy and dated. Overall, the disc doesn’t hold up too badly. 3 stars

Joe Jackson – This and Elvis Costello’s debuts were the highlights of “new wave”, a perfect marriage of pop and punk.  30 years later it still sounds great.  The tunes are focused and appear effortless, riding Graham Maby’s ridiculously catchy bass lines.  His lyrics are spot-on, combining punk snarl with a sarcastic wit. Like Costello, Jackson chased more “serious” pursuits, and like Elvis he went on to make some good records that never captured the energy and excitement of his debut.  4.5 stars

Paul Weller – This is a good overview of his career, but I believe the Jam & Style Council (No “My Ever Changing Moods”?!?!?) deserve their own best-ofs.  That stated, the Jam stuff speaks for itself, and the Style Council were a grossly under appreciated band.  The truly solo stuff was hit and miss.  His jazzier, adult contemporary material just doesn’t do a whole lot for me.  Wish he’d crank it up a little more often

1) 4 main changes through the years:


A) Embracing traditional country music

B) No longer liking loud for loud’s sake

C) Less tolerant of things outside my comfort zone

D) Have to wear earplugs at every concert

2) I can’t remember what the desert island discs I listed years ago are. This indicates that it is a fluctuating list.


3) “London Calling” “Quadrophenia” and “Blood on the Tracks” would be musts.

Far Freaking Out, Man!

9-28-10

Tame Impala- 3.5
Wow man. Very, very cool. This album is far out! The Tame Impala set the scene, man, and it is happening. I really dig what they’re saying here. What a great 60’s vibe, man. Make love, not war. Split wood, not atoms. Can you dig it? Stop being such a drag and get into the Impala scene, man. It’s very groovy. Peace out.

Peter Wolf- 4.5
Boy, do I love this cd!! Peter Wolf is in great voice and he serves up a gem of a record. This is great Rock n Roll with a nod to Alt-country, R&B, and Blues. A stellar backing band, stellar background vocals, and awesome duets combine with solid songwriting and great production here- what’s not to like!! Not a single miss. Outstanding cd.

Against Me!- 3.5
I’m sure Greg will give an extra point for the cover, but what’s inside is pretty good too. Not being familiar with anything they’ve done prior to this- I have no prejudices. The opener reminded me of Jesse Malin and Because Of The Shame fuses Springsteen with Blue October. These are good things- not bad. This is big, radio friendly, mainstream rock album. Again- not a bad thing. A solid record. Not great, but solid. Even the misses are pretty good (Ache With Me).

Concrete Blonde- 4.0
Last month-X. This month Concrete Blonde. Thanks to Joey, CB got their first “billboard” hit, but it’s the other songs on this cd that make it great. Thanks in great part to singer-songwriter Johnette Napolitano’s vocals which are haunting and brooding and edgy and they give the album it’s overall feel. Joey is a good song but my favs are Caroline, Lullabye, and Tomorrow, Wendy- 3 perfect slices of pop-rock heaven. Good stuff!

Joe Jackson- 5
Joe Jackson is a freaking genius. He is a singer-songwriter with a restless musical imagination who cannot be pegged into any genre. It’s all there- Punk, New Wave, Reggae, Power-Pop, Jump, Jazz, Salsa, Classical. The guy’s a genius- I’ll say it again.
Look Sharp is brilliant. What a debut! The energy on this album is amazing. Instantly catchy songs that drive like hell. Some songs are caustic and acerbic, some witty, some playful- but all are great. One of my favorite records of all time.

Paul Weller Ghits
What can I say. I’m a huge fan. Loved The Jam and even followed him through his Motown period with The Style Council- not everyone’s cup of tea for sure. But he didn’t disappoint me and got back to his more bluesy roots during his solo career. His 2010 release, Wake Up The Nation, is one of my fav’s of the year. Hope you enjoyed the mix.

Discussion:
No question my tastes have changed over the years. Some of the music I listen to now, and enjoy, I would never have listened to when I was 18. In fact- I’m sure I considered them disdainful. Show tunes, standards, Jazz, Big Bands. Who would have thought it??

My Desert island definitely changes. Has to. Otherwise I would be forever stuck in the 60’s and 70’s.

Albums that will always be on my desert island list:
Buffalo Springfield- Last Time Around
The Band- Music From Big Pink
Van Morrison- Moondance
Jayhawks- Hollywood Town Hall
Wilco- Summerteeth

Titus was a TV show wasn't it

Mg 8-24-10

Hanson
Hanson has a history of having of a few good songs on each disc and the rest just okay. And yes I have listen to them all. After flirting in the past with power pop when writing with Mathew Sweet they have settled into a piano based sound pop sound. Not Billy Joel more like Something Corperate meets Ben Folds. It seems to work for most of this cd. Taylor has a real good pop voice, but at times the music is just too damn clean. What I wish for this band is if they find a producer that gets them a little dirty. They have a great cd in them. This is getting closer but they are not there yet. 3.0

Titus Andronicus
Epic, grandiose, truly operatic. This punk band seems to be onto something. They have taken their raw approach from their first cd and skipped a few levels. Has a Pogues feel to it in both sound and storytelling, but far more raw and spiteful. Only concern is length. Makes it hard to listen in one sitting. The barrage of sound would do better in slightly smaller doses. A good producer hopefully will harness their great sound but cut down a bit of the fat. Still only a minor concern for one of the best cd’s of the year. 3.5

Mexico
Nice atmospheric cd. Interesting use of sounds to create a good pop cd. Voice sounds a little like Bob Geldof by way of Will Sheff but that seems to work here. Being an ep. Will be looking forward to the whole cd to see how this project grows. 2.5

X
Okay we have had both members solo cd’s and one from the band. I can say that X and its parts have been thoroughly dissected by this group. What I have learned is I like John Doe, do not like Exene, and that applies here. Never a big fan and going back did little to change my mind. Only listened to the first cd because really felt no need for the second. (Although this sneaky way to get two cd’s in must be nipped in the bud). Typical X for me 2.0

Bash And Pop
Given the pedigree of this band you would think that it would be great. Basically a Tommy Stintson solo album, with the heartbreakers and wire train members as back up. Two groups of musicians that have made other artists shine. Instead it falls flat. It might be the fact that Stintson’s voice is too thin to show the weariness and pain that his fellow band mate Westerberg was able to. It might be that his Richards like riffs while impressive seem to fall short in driving the songs forward. It just maybe that the material just doesn’t have the oomph to make it memorable. It’s probably all of these. What you get is Replacements like but that’s just not good enough. 2.0









Blue Oyster Cult
Noticed they were playing the infinity and thought why not a greatest hits. Had forgotten the early stuff as listening lately is basically Reaper, Godzilla, Burn. But they had some truly great songs on their earlier cd’s. Quality lyrics provided by Patti Smith, Sandy Pearlman, and Richard Meltzer, was supported by a very talented band, with a wall of guitars and a vastly underrated drummer Albert Bouchard. Not all was good; standards did slip as they went on. But each cd had a few good songs, thus a greatest hits help those while the earlier cds suffer from having to limit them. Whether teaming up with Ian Hunter or just on their own, the music was deep, thoughtful, layered and just rocked.

I think that there is hope for a truly unformatted radio. Now extreme varieties of all types of music will never make it onto public radio, but each type will have representation within the play list. Currently I know of no such radio station, but the one that come closest is DRC. Yes an oldies station but as 90’s become oldies will they represent the big rap hits from the era. They already do some hard rock and pop R&B. It will be interesting to see how the stations adjust.

I always found myself turning the station under the guise that I know this tune lets see if I can find something better on. This past month I decided to leave the songs on. Hey guess what they are really good songs.

Meaning no, but rock was the only music that was described as sounding dated. With so much selection out there now if you are willing to look for it, sounding dated has become its own little niche. So rock has become more like other types of music and just has a smaller back catalog to work with.

Ride Captain Ride, Blues Image

Enjoying The Cheese

Titus Andronicus- 4.5
I would love to know how these guys came up with the concept for this album. I love Celtic music. I love The Pogues. I love The Replacements. I love Connor Oberst. I love The Hold Steady. I love this album. But, not at first listen- it took a few. But, like The National’s High Violet, I had a hard time taking this cd out of the player. As soon as it finished, I wanted to hear it again. There’s a lot of music here- not to mention great, great lyrics.… “is there a girl at this college who hasn’t been raped, is there a boy in this town that’s not exploding with hate” and “but I wasn’t born to die like a dog, I was born to die just like a man”. Lots of emotion here. And its obvious the band is so into it. Best album of the year so far. Hands down.

Hanson- 2.5
The Hanson’s get a 2.5 because the first 3 songs are at least listenable and the overall musicianship on this cd is good. My impression of the record is that the Hanson’s are trying way too hard here. Way too over produced. Could not care if I listened to it ever again.

Icarus Himself- 3.5
Digging Holes—great song to kick off a great EP. I liked it right away. But then I love that alt/indie minimalist songwriting style especially when it’s combined with catchy, albeit quirky, vocals and a homemade (yeah, I taped it myself in the basement) feel. I mean, it doesn’t get quirkier than Cadaver Love Song. Seen It Coming(Mexico) starts out slow but ends up destroying everything in its path. This is a very creative guy who crams a lot into 5 songs.

X- 4.0
A twofer. Two great albums on one cd- love it. The first 2 releases by X have stood the test of time- a mark of great music. I think this happens when you get artists that are passionate about the music they’re making. Great energy, great intertwining harmonies and great musicianship- what’s not to like. X has been pegged as the quintessential L.A. punk band of the 70’s and 80’s, but there’s more to there guys than that. Yes, you get that frenetic punk energy but you also get ballads, rockabilly, rock and roll, and even a little country in the mix. Good stuff.

Bash and Pop- 3.0
Shame on me. And I call myself a Replacements fan. Totally missed this one. OK- so Tommy Stinson is no Paul Westerberg, but there’s enough good stuff here to keep any fan of The Replacements happy. A few misses but a lot of hits.

BOC Ghits
I guess I never gave BOC much of a chance- never being a big fan of what I heard on the radio (ad nauseum). But, D’Arcy- I have to admit this is a nice mix and I have a new found respect for the band. Thank you.

Discussion:
In this age of specialization can a public radio station survive without any
true format? Just play what ever songs whenever they want. Does a station
like this exist?
- Sure it can survive- and does. WWUH WHUS WPKN WRTC and I’m sure many others. Even on the internet- check out Radio Paradise.

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?
-Since I don’t listen to commercial radio- all due respect to Alan and Jay- I’m taking an N/A to this question.

With satelite radio and the internet has the classification of oldies or
sounding dated seem to have lost its meaning?
- No. Oldies are oldies.

What is the greatest 70's one hit wonder song ever recorded?
-Dancing In The Moonlight- King Harvest

Post before playing soccer in Earl

August 2010
Music Club

Bash and Pop- Friday Night is Killing Me
Not being a big Replacements fan - though I respect their output- I dismissed Stinson's band release when it came out. I'm kicking myself now. B&P has all the good attributes of a Replacements disc; the energy and raw pop. It also sounds eerily close to Keith fronted Stones. FNIKM stumbles a bit on the ballads ("Nothing", "First Steps") but that's what fast forward is for. Otherwise a big shame on me for dissing this when it was released (3.5)

Icarus Himself- Mexico
Stripped down, reverb heavy, brooding self inflections with many audio highs and lows. Quirky instrument combos ranging from cheesy organ to punchy Spanish horns to horror movie synths. Somehow much of it works. What doesn't work for me are the electronic drum loops. The faux beats sound thin could have been heavier to help drive the songs. (3.0)

Titus Andronicus- The Monitor
Titus Hails from Jersey but sounds nothing like Jersey. The Monitor is either an important disc, or it is an important disc to Titus. There is obviously deep meaning in each song but to pinpoint it is not easy. Do they hate? Are they pessimistic? Or, do they just think the state of everything sucks? The music has an Irish punk theme interspersed with belly up to the bar chants. The lyrics are intriguing BUT only after you look them up since the one drawback to The Monitor is that often you can't tell what the hell he is saying. The energy is great, but if there is indeed a deep message it is lost since we can't understand you. Annunciate please and scrap the Civil War like snippets and this is a close 5. As is a (4.0)

X
Sorry. Don't get it. Never listened to much X but read a lot about their importance in the alt LA punk scene. Problem is that, to me, it sounds like bad B-52s trying to do punk. The music isn't that good, songs not that intriguing and Exene is a close second to Linda McCartney as worst female vocalist. Give me John Doe's solo work any day. (1.0)

Hanson- Shout it Out!
Of course just the idea of having to listen to a Hanson disc elicits thought of total gayness. I figured I'd test our sensibilities, plus there wasn't a hell of a lot else out there. Personally, Hanson aren't total shlubs. Taylor has good pipes and Zach can play the guitar. They have moments of white man funk that are pretty catchy ("Thinkin' 'bout Somethin'", "Give a Little"). They also have their very radio friendly, formulaic pop ("Carry You There", "Make it Out Alive"), which actually doesn't get played on the radio- but is better than most that is. Oh yeah, a couple cuts just plain suck ("Musical Ride", "Voice in the Chorus"). Cutting edge, hardly. Well produced, written and performed songs- I think sure. (3.0)

Blue Oyster Cult Ghits
When D'Arcy handed this out, in my mind I said "Bleech" and threw up a little in my mouth. But let me say, 90% of this rocked. Take away the songs about their drug use where they tried to be introspective and thought inductive and this is a great mix.

Topic
In this age of specialization can a public radio station survive without any true format? Just play what ever songs whenever they want. I think it could because I believe there is a market for it. It's not a big market but there are a lot a folks not happy with the options provided and would welcome something fresh and unexpected.

Does a station like this exist? College radio

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? Depends on mood and of course the song. If it's a song I love, I keep it otherwise I'm scanning. But, even with songs I love, if it happens to be the only song that is ever played by a certain band on every station, I'm probably scanning.

Greg's World

Hanson- Shout it Out! 3
Okay, I guess that I misjudged Ken and I am guilty of pre-judging Hanson. I guess that I owe Justin Beiber a shot now too. I didn’t know their old stuff, but I would have confused them with Train if I didn’t know who they were. I’ve heard a lot worse. I can’t seem to get the fact that this is Hanson out of my mind. It’s like buying a Hyundai Genesis, no matter how they package it or how great it looks, it’s still a Hyundai. It they slapped a Mercedes star on the front I’d buy it and be happy, but because it has the Hyundai thing, it just doesn’t feel right.

Titus Andronicus- The Monitor - 3
I knew that I liked this band from the first listen and that is rare. Usually I hate it on the first listen and then it grows on me. I’m glad that this one is on the list. The Battle of Hampton Roads is one kick ass song. There is a Conor Oberst on crack thing going on too. There was a point after listening to four or five songs that I had had enough, but one song at a time and these guys are a blast. Alcohol not required but it certainly helps.

X - Los Angeles/Wild Gift – 3.5
These guys are wicked cool. Who else can sing every song monotone in the same note and just change the lyrics (I think they changed the lyrics) and change up the music and have a bunch of uplifting fun songs? Seriously? It takes a special type of person to appreciate X, so I guess I’m pretty special. I remember thinking back in the 80’s that Excene was pretty cute in an 80’s weirdo kind of way.

Mexico - Icarus Himself - 3
Cool

Bash and Pop - Friday Night is Killing Me – 2.5
Bashing won’t be a problem for me here. If they want to sound like Keith Richards sing with the Stones, then they did a pretty good job, the problem for me is that I never thought that (as cool as he is) Keith Richard has a particularly good voice and I’m not a huge Stone’s fan. I’d be willing to bet that everyone else in the group is giving this between a 4 and a 5, so I’m sorry to be the one to bring the party down.

Ghits – Blue Oyster Cult
I honestly didn’t know that I liked Blue Oyster Cult. I always thought that they were good, but so many of these songs could have been hits. Did someone at the record company hate them? Granted, some of the songs were a little more poppy than others. Going through the motions could have been on the Grease soundtrack. As a rule, you can’t sing about reapers and have cool eerie paintings on your album covers and then sing about foo foo stuff, but they make it work.
In this age of specialization can a public radio station survive without any
true format? Just play whatever songs whenever they want. Does a station
like this exist? I don’t feel that a radio station will be able to survive without an Internet presence.

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? It depends on the song, often hearing a song will send me right to my iPod for the rest of that band’s catalog.

With satellite radio and the internet has the classification of oldies or
sounding dated seem to have lost its meaning? Half of the “classics” are sampled in new songs and the kids think they are new, ex. Kid Rock Sweet Home Alabama. They are even turned on to classics through the new bands.


What is the greatest 70's one hit wonder song ever recorded?
Paradise by the Dashboard Lights?

Sad Eyes by Robert John.