Tuesday Tunes ???

[MasterCylinder]

Priority number one:
Troy's "ATOM"........this is a tune that I will take to a REAL STUDIO Thursday night and lay down some REAL DRUM TRACKS.......not trying to be critical but, I am interested to see how this marriage of software-created band and vintage Ludwigs will play out.
(Post the bass line and send me a link).

The rest of the story:
6DOIT -- DREAM THEATER
DEADWING -- PORKY TREE
WARAZAWA -- PORKY TREE
ROMANTIC WARRIOR -- RETURN TO FOREVER
ALIVE IN SEATTLE -- HEART
LIVE -- RETURN TO FOREVER
7TH HOUSE -- IQ

[DarrenH]

Frameshift - An Absence Of Empathy. I don't like this as much as the first Frameshift project and quite frankly, I like Sebastian Bach better when he was with Skid Row. Too much damn screaming. He's trying to damn hard to be James LaBrie or something. I can't place it but I'm just not thrilled about this at all. I'll give it a few more listens to see if anything changes but if not, this puppy (not quite a dog yet) is going back to the store.

Henning Pauly - 13 Days. Solo project that was laid down in 13 days, hence the title.

Chain - .exe. The first is better but this is no slouch. I grew to like this one.

Beck - Guero. I had to hear for myself what all the hoopla was about. It's been many years since I heard Odelay, something I loathed when it first came out in '96, but reading so many good things about Guero piqued my interest so off to the store I went. Barns and Stables lets you pre-listen to some, but not all, cd's and I'll be damned if Guero wasn't one of them. So I tried Odelay and it worked and you know what......not a bad listen. Damn good in fact. So I put it down and bought Guero since everybody's saying it sounds a lot like Odelay and you know what.... I liked it too. Not every track but it's still pretty good. Gonna go get Odelay later on this week I think. Isn't it funny how tastes change?

Richard and Linda Thompson - Shoot Out The Lights. I've been wanting this album for quite some time now. I have Richard and Linda's Best of the Island Years but it stops short of this record. I also have RT's best of the Capitol years but it picks up after this record. Anyway, glad I found it and I think it's really good.

Therion - Lemuria/Sirrius B. Over the top symphonic metal with orchestra and operatic voices and ripping guitars with occasional death growls thrown in for good measure. Good stuff for when I'm in the right mood.

Metallica - Load. Since I was giving it away as a freebie I thought I should play it to make sure it worked. It did. Been at least 2 years since I heard this. It's certainly better than that dreadful St. Anger horror show but I'll take the old Metallica over this anyday.

Bob Marley and the Wailers - Catch A Fire. Now that the weather is warming up nicely a little bit of reggae never hurt anyone. I still like Exodus the best though.

The Quintet - Jazz At Massey Hall. Diz, 'Bird, Bud Powell, Mingus, Max Roach. A true classic. This is the Debut K2 Remaster in which Mingus used the tapes on to which he added bass in ensemble passages and some solo exchanges. I prefer this over the original Debut/OJC recording. Ymmv.

Dave Brubeck Quartet - Stockholm '04 A soundboard recoding of his complete concert performed on 8/16/04. Very nice!

[Troy]

MC- bear with me on the bassline only version. My e-mail and websites are currently . . . in flux. And BOY, am I pissed about it! I'm hoping to have it resolved at some point today.

Yeah, having real drums replacing those loops on that track is gonna be the goooood. Based on the combining of real guitar I've done on other tracks, it should be smooooth.

stuff played:
The Fixx- Shuttered Room
10cc- s/t
Happy the Man- The Muse Awakens
Yes- Close to the Edge
Porcupine Tree- Sky Moves Sideways

[Stone]

Bjork - Medulla
I really like this a lot. Not my favorite of hers, but it's really good. Plus I think it just hit the spot on my plane ride home on Friday night.

Stone Roses - s/t

Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
My favorite of the year so far (but I don't have a ton of 2005 releases).

C.O.C. - Six Songs With Mike Singing EP
Our old buddy Rob (a/k/a Rae) was in Grand Rapids on Sunday, so I spent a few hours with him. He had this, along with a few other hardcore classics, on one CD-R he had with him, so I cranked it up.

Beck - Guero (deluxe edition)
I haven't spent enough time with this to know how much I like it.

The Stooges - s/t

[newtrix1]

Mudhoney - Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, Piece of Cake
Built to Spill - Ancient Melodies
The Cure - Galore

in the car:
Neil Young - Decade
'Croozin Toonz' (a casseette comp I made eons ago that I revived based on Swish's post)


comps:
Jar: Sh!t Fire Apple Butter, Metaphysical Linguini
Finch: EMI Sampler (haven't had a chance to spin the others yet, but they're up next. Thanks!)

[nobody]

I've probably already mentionewd everything on here before, but still, here's just a list of some stuff I played this week...

<b>OutKast: ATLiens</b>
Great laid back hip hop. The first record these guys put out that really signaled something special. This one and Aquemini are my favorites of theirs.

<b>Keith Hudson: Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood</b>
One of those records that no one heard when it came out, but that grew by word-of-mouth over time. You can get reissues of it pretty easily now, and its well worth it. Great bass driven roots, haunting and minimal.

<b>Chris D and the Divine Horsemen: Time Stands Still</b>
All star group of LA roots/punk folks. Don't know if this ever made it to CD or not, If not, it should have. Features Chris D of the Flesheaters, the Alvin brothers from the Blastes, Billy, John, and Exzene from X, Texacula Jones, and others. Quirky country with Chris D's bizarre vocals.

<b>Beck: Guerro</b>
I'm digging it. It works like a little retrospective of all the styles he's tried on previously rolled up into one big sound. The expanded edition is worth it for the remixes if not the DVD.

<b>Jimmy Cliff: Struggling Man</b>
Follow-up to the Harder They Come soundtrack that retains much of the sound on many songs, while stretching into more rock oriented production on others. I've always kinds wondered why this one never got as big. It's just as good for the most part and seems to be more accessible to an audience outside Jamaica.

<b>X: Unclogged</b>
After listening to the Chris D, this one popped into my head. It's an unplugged version of X. It's great to hear these songs in a different context and some of them really shine. See How We Are in particular seems to come alive in this format.

<b>Motorhead: No Remorse</b>
Bunch of tunes from everyone's favorite hard rock heroes. You can almost hear Lemmy's moles when you crank this baby up.

<b>Muggs: Dust</b>
I've seen this one get rave reviews and I've seen it absolutely trashed. Personally, I'm a fan. Muggs is the Cypress Hill Dj that worked with Tricky and seems to have enjoyed that project as he released this downtempo disc a couple years back. It features guest vocalists like Everlast and Greg Duli among some less well-known singers and ranges from laid back rock tracks to a couple of mellow hip hop inspired tracks to electronic meandering. Great variety of music that somehow comes together to create something cohesive.


OK...that's enough for now...

[Jim Clark]

If The National's Alligator isn't the best of the year, then there's a real treat waiting down the road. As Dave pointed out last week the writer at Popmatters spews all over it but I think the guy is insane. I mean if he doesn't like the lyrics, that's fine but it's not like they're extremely cryptic. What they are is dark and twisted and just laying there for you to hear. What the listener does with them is up to the individual. I just register them as the actions of the twisted pervs walking around who we all think are "normal" and yet have this side that's hidden behind closed doors. I've never bought into the "intelligent lyrics" catch phrase that seems prevalent among some writers. By and large I think when that phrase is used I think it means that nobody has any idea what they mean but surely it's really deep given how mysterious they are. Blah! This is to me a darn fine album.

Also played VNV Nation's Matter And Form quite a bit. Outstanding bit of electro pop. A little more varied than previous albums and that is where it weakens a bit for me. Why try to do a rave up techno number when it's something that a million other electro bands do too? If you're gonna do something different - do something different. Good toons regardless.

Architecture In Helsinki's second album, although I don't recall ever hearing the first. I guess you could call it artistic and original but in these days of Scissor Sisters, Dresden Dolls, Polyphonic Spree, and Fiery Furnaces I'm not sure it's going to be viewed as all that original. Very campy. Campy to the point where you think to yourself, "this could be right at home on the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack". Some tracks are definetely more accessible than others, I tend to prefer those. Kudos for trying to do something outside the box.

and a ton of boots-interpol, Echo and the Bunnymen, Blondie, Talking Heads, Les Savy Fav, Ramones, Peter Gabriel...

jc

[tentoze]

A lot of listening, but new-to-me and notable:

-Slaid Cleaves, Wishbones- in that fine Texas singer/songwriter tradition
-Eliza Gilkyson, Land of Milk and Honey- lovely voice that belies the fierce political lyrics
-David Olney, Migration- my man rediscovered his snarl in the latest release from last year
-Damon & Naomi, The Earth Is Blue- stunning new one here, boys and girls

[Snowbunny]

Gotta be Mercury Rev - Vermillion

Vermillion

An unseen force behind the turning leaves,
Drives them all vermillion and green,
You never gave up on me somehow,
I don't know why I haven't turned by now

Ooh I know love sounds impossible,
Some words are just so hard to say,
And there's times you feel unlockable,
An' all you ever want,
Is someone to try...to open up...and find a way in

Don't ever say you were wrong for me,
For you were always strong enough for three,
I never let you in my world somehow,
I'm asking you to please, allow me now

Ooh I know love sounds impossible,
Some words are just so hard to say,
And there's times you feel unlockable,
An' all you ever want,
Is someone to try...to open up...and find a way in

Truer skies beyond the swirling clouds,
The other birds are off and flying south,
We'll have to make our own way there somehow,
An' I'm asking you to please trust me now

Ooh I know love sounds impossible,
Some words just take so long to say,
And there's times you feel unlockable,
An' all you ever want,
Is someone to try...to open up...and find a way in

Someone to try...want someone to try, want someone to try, want someone to try...

Can anyone comment on the new album yet? I like the way this song sounds unmistakably Mercury Revish, but has an upbeat sound to it.

[Dusty Chalk]

Still stuck on Rachel's -- Davey, I can see why you mentioned them after you heard that In The Nursery album I love so much, Hindle Wakes.

The last Matt Elliott and Third Eye Foundation albums have been receiving mucho rotation from me as well. That Matt Elliott just gets better and better with each listen.

Have not picked up the new Mercury Rev, yet -- I don't think it's come out domestically for us.

[KEXPMF]

Beck - Guero. I had to hear for myself what all the hoopla was about. It's been many years since I heard Odelay, something I loathed when it first came out in '96, but reading so many good things about Guero piqued my interest so off to the store I went. Barns and Stables lets you pre-listen to some, but not all, cd's and I'll be damned if Guero wasn't one of them. So I tried Odelay and it worked and you know what......not a bad listen. Damn good in fact. So I put it down and bought Guero since everybody's saying it sounds a lot like Odelay and you know what.... I liked it too. Not every track but it's still pretty good. Gonna go get Odelay later on this week I think. Isn't it funny how tastes change?

One thing, for me, about both of these Beck albums.... I loved them from first listen and they grew on me even more.
I remember back to the days living in L.A. when people said Beck was a one-hit-wonder after Loser. He went back to playing small clubs, like the Aligator in West LA. But it didn't stay that way. I've always been annoyed at music biz people who hear something and say it will be a one-hit-wonder. No one knows anything. Blink 182 was this very mediocre punk band (everyone in L.A. said that) but then lightning struck and they started cranking out radio hits. Who knew? Certainly not them. They were always nice people, I'm happy for them. :cool: It just goes to show that you never know what will happen.

[KEXPMF]

Speaking of 'growing on me'...
M.I.A. I first heard this and thought, 'pretty cool.'
I've only heard three songs: Sunshowers, Bucky Done Gun, Amazon.
The more I keep hearing these, the more I'm liking them.
If the whole album is this good, I'm gettin it.

[Davey]

If The National's Alligator isn't the best of the year, then there's a real treat waiting down the road. As Dave pointed out last week the writer at Popmatters spews all over it but I think the guy is insane.
Yeah, that review was pretty lame. They posted another one today which leads off ...

Jon Langmead's recent review of the National's Alligator here on PopMatters a little over a week ago was a bit controversial among our writers. While I respect Jon's opinion, I couldn't have disagreed more with his review, no matter how entertaining or well-written it may have been, and felt that he was unduly dismissive of a band that, in my opinion, deserved to be shown a lot more respect.

[nobody]

Speaking of 'growing on me'...
M.I.A. I first heard this and thought, 'pretty cool.'
I've only heard three songs: Sunshowers, Bucky Done Gun, Amazon.
The more I keep hearing these, the more I'm liking them.
If the whole album is this good, I'm gettin it.

Yes, the whole album is that good. It's really one of the most unique, while still remaining fun and accessible, albums I've heard in some time. I listened to it quite a bit this weekend. I think Amazon is my favorite track, but the whole thing's really fun and interesting. Although I may not recommend the disc to everyone, depending on tastes, if you liked those three songs, I really can't imagine you wouldn't like the rest of it.