Adventures in Tunesville (Tuesday Edition) [Archive]

Monkey Bones

05-12-2009, 07:07 AM

What you been listening to the last week? Anything fancy and fun-filled? Dumb and dreary? Fast and frantic?

The Concise King Crimson got a couple plays, mostly in the car. Always strange to hear a collection like this when it bridges such dissimilar sounding eras of a band. I always tend toward the less progressive early 80s period which is well represented here with over 1/3 of the songs.

Augie March - Sunset Studies always close to my ears and heart these days. Great record, fantastic debut. Pretty nice sounding too, not nearly as loud and compressed as the later ones.

Califone does the Rolling Stones - cool live set from a few years ago, very well recorded too. I have the ful resolution set, but here's a lower res download for anyone that wants a quick dose of Street Fighting Man or Miss You or Ventilator Blues or ... http://berkeleyplace.wordpress.com/2008/01/08/cover-wars-two-califones-rolling-stones-tribute-concert-vs-counting-crows-covering-springsteen-round-two/

Joy Division - Loaded up the 4-disc Heart and Soul box in the car changer and been driving under a bad sign for the last week or so. But what an amazing place to be. Listening to Unknown Pleasures followed by Closer is always epic, even with the gaps for work and life separating the songs. And always makes most other music seem a bit trivial too. Is UP really 30 years old now? Wow. What an old geezer I've become.

And also some other odds like the latest from David Kilgour, and my Light So Dim comp from a few years ago, and some new Andrew Bird, Dodos, etc.

3-LockBox

05-12-2009, 09:59 AM

I been revisiting the last couple of years

The Shins: Wincing The Night Away - I sure these guys have a new one coming out

Spoon: GaGaGaGaGa - Just like The Shins, this band has me gripping for a new one, one of few bands that have me wanting more.

Satellite: Into The Night - a Polish prog band that channels Pink Floydian style rock guitar, not unlike RPWL did a few years back. A lot of ambient influences as well, like Riverside. This is a great rock album and isn't the typical neo-prog band.

Marillion - I made a comp for HyFi and I have been listening to a version of that one this last week

Spring '09 comp I made is seeing some rotation just to make sure I like the flow - I haven't made any comp in a long long time and now I've made three in two weeks. I made a PT comp of songs I think my wife would like.

Swish's Better Late Than Never 2008 sampler came in just yesterday and I spun that two times - good tunage...if ya got one you know.

dean_martin

05-12-2009, 01:53 PM

Joy Division - Loaded up the 4-disc Heart and Soul box in the car changer and been driving under a bad sign for the last week or so. But what an amazing place to be. Listening to Unknown Pleasures followed by Closer is always epic, even with the gaps for work and life separating the songs. And always makes most other music seem a bit trivial too. Is UP really 30 years old now? Wow. What an old geezer I've become.

Have you seen the movie "Control"? The black & white gave it an authentic feel and Sam Riley was convincing as Ian Curtis. But I could use a little more "in the studio"-type info. Any suggestions for reference materials on how the band developed/achieved its sound?

http://www.controlthemovie.com/

noddin0ff

05-12-2009, 02:31 PM

Been listening to Live Music Archive lately. Specifically been listening to

Toubab Krewe: Live at Neighborhood Theatre on 2006-02-03
http://www.archive.org/details/tk2006-02-03.flac16

african rhythms with a bit of a bluegrass influence I think. Very catchy. Good recording on the flac downloads. Opening track 'Hang Tan' is infectious.

3-LockBox

05-12-2009, 04:31 PM

Have you seen the movie "Control"? The black & white gave it an authentic feel and Sam Riley was convincing as Ian Curtis. But I could use a little more "in the studio"-type info. Any suggestions for reference materials on how the band developed/achieved its sound?

http://www.controlthemovie.com/

I gotta get a hold of that. I looked for it at Hollywood Video but they didn't have it, neither did Blockbuster. I guess I'll have wait and buy it.

dean_martin

05-12-2009, 04:51 PM

I gotta get a hold of that. I looked for it at Hollywood Video but they didn't have it, neither did Blockbuster. I guess I'll have wait and buy it.

I didn't find it at my local video store and didn't expect to. I used a Christmas gift certificate and bought it. A Joy Division documentary came out about the same time (2007) that is supposed to focus more on the music and the Manchester scene. From what I've read, I think it would be a good compliment to Control.

3-LockBox

05-12-2009, 08:38 PM

The Concise King Crimson got a couple plays, mostly in the car. Always strange to hear a collection like this when it bridges such dissimilar sounding eras of a band. I always tend toward the less progressive early 80s period which is well represented here with over 1/3 of the songs.

Say what? You ain't list'nin no damn King Crimson

really?

I consider myself a King Crimson fan, and I wouldn't mix eras of KC...just too diff

In fact, I dunno which KC comp is worse, this, or the Compact King Crimson. Ya know, as I type this, I'll bet someone has attempted to send you KC comps in the past, and I know that most anyone else could do better than any commercial comp, so I wonder why you listen to Concise. Anyhoo - almost all of the KC that involved Adrian Belew sounds the same. If you gravitate towards the '80s stuff, then you need to hear Thrak as well, maybe even Power To Believe (I skip Construkshun Of Light cuz it sucks).

Hell, you may want to investigate Adrian Belew's solo stuff as well (I say this as if it hadn't been said before of course).

Mr MidFi

05-13-2009, 06:06 AM

I got ahold of the latest Umphry's McGee finally. It's a rather odd pot of influence stew, isn't it? A couple of listens in, and it's more 'interesting' to me than 'enjoyable'. But that will probably change, given enough time. These guys can definitely play, man.

Still really liking The Boxer Rebellion, Union. I know some folks have a thing against downloading in general...but I can't believe this one has hasn't generated more buzz. Maybe (probably) it's just me.

Lastly, I'm digging the new Wilco DVD, Ashes of American Flags. Good performances, filmy production values, some nice talky parts about the slow decay of small-town America and life on the road. Definitely worth having if you're a fan. If not...meh. For my money, Nels Cline's guitar parts on "Impossible Germany" are worth the price of the disc by themselves.

NP: Syd Barrett & Pink Floyd, "Astronomy Domine"

Monkey Bones

05-13-2009, 06:11 AM

...so I wonder why you listen to Concise. Anyhoo - almost all of the KC that involved Adrian Belew sounds the same. If you gravitate towards the '80s stuff, then you need to hear Thrak as well, maybe even Power To Believe (I skip Construkshun Of Light cuz it sucks).

Hell, you may want to investigate Adrian Belew's solo stuff as well (I say this as if it hadn't been said before of course).

I was a big KC fan back then, have all the records and a few CDs. In fact, I think that red/blue/yellow Swaziland series from the early 80s were some of my first CD purchases. I just picked that collection up last time I was at the library because I don't have any early stuff on CD, so it was kind of fun. I do have a bunch of Adrian Belew's solo stuff, and Thrak too (though not one of my favorites). Saw KC in Berkeley in the 80s, at the height of my favorite period, great show. Belew was quite the showman. Actually, one of the better concerts I've been to.

3-LockBox

05-13-2009, 06:38 AM

Saw KC in Berkeley in the 80s, at the height of my favorite period, great show. Belew was quite the showman. Actually, one of the better concerts I've been to.

I hope they can mend fences (Belew/Fripp) and get back together to put out at least one more album. There's talk that something's in the works. They did tour for a short stint with the drummer from Porky Tree, Gavin Harrison. I think our own HyFi saw it.

3-LockBox

05-13-2009, 06:43 AM

I got ahold of the latest Umphry's McGee finally.

Still really liking The Boxer Rebellion, Union.

Lastly, I'm digging the new Wilco DVD, Ashes of American Flags...Impossible Germany

Love the new Mcgee - gets plenty of rotation

Is The Boxer Rebellion only available for download?

Love the song Impossible Germany and that album, Sky Blue Sky, is my all-time fave Wilco album.

Ex Lion Tamer

05-13-2009, 07:28 AM

I didn't find it at my local video store and didn't expect to. I used a Christmas gift certificate and bought it. A Joy Division documentary came out about the same time (2007) that is supposed to focus more on the music and the Manchester scene. From what I've read, I think it would be a good compliment to Control.

I saw that Documentary, as well as Control, the doc is really very good - lots of insight into Ian's life from his bandmates point of view - and lots of good stuff about Martin Hannett and his influence on the band. Peter Hook does come off as a bit of a wanker though. Highly recommended. Incidentally, my neighborhood Blockbuster has Control, I must live in a hipster part of the world.

As for my recent listenings....

The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage; this is my favorite listen lately - vary good debut from this Scottish band. Not sure how to describe their sound besides big and bold. There is some monster bass on this disc too.

White Lies - To Lose My Life... Gotta think Finchy for this little gem. Typical Brit-guitar band along the lines of Doves and British Sea Power; obviously influenced by the British 80s post-punk scene headed by Echo & the Bunnymen -though their use of synthesizers puts me in mind of Adrian Borland's great and lesser known band; The Sound.

The Ettes - Look at Life Again Soon; and a shout out to Nobody for this littel garage-rock gem that's been in constant rotation in my car

Airborne Toxic Event; This one has also been getting a lot of spins chez ELT; solid album with a couple of epic tracks, (please see "Sometime Around Midnight").

Swish

05-13-2009, 07:49 AM

I Lastly, I'm digging the new Wilco DVD, Ashes of American Flags. For my money, Nels Cline's guitar parts on "Impossible Germany" are worth the price of the disc by themselves.

I never saw anyone utilize a whammy bar in quite the same way.Seeing him performing that solo live was a big thrill too. I'm curious as to the vintage of his Fender Jazzmaster, but they're pretty sweet and the pre-CBS models go for big $ these days. I was watching a couple on e-bay and they were going for $5,000 and up, mostly up, and I would bet Nels has something in the early 60s.

Swish

Mr MidFi

05-13-2009, 08:25 AM

dean_martin

05-13-2009, 08:56 AM

I never saw anyone utilize a whammy bar in quite the same way.Seeing him performing that solo live was a big thrill too. I'm curious as to the vintage of his Fender Jazzmaster, but they're pretty sweet and the pre-CBS models go for big $ these days. I was watching a couple on e-bay and they were going for $5,000 and up, mostly up, and I would bet Nels has something in the early 60s.

Swish

I'm a big fan of Jazzmasters and Jaguars. In '91 or '92 I picked up an '86 MIJ 1962 reissue candy apple red Jazzmaster that's been my favorite. Although it's not the easiest player's guitar (except in the hands of a genius like Nels), the tones are very much to my liking. The dealer who had taken it on trade was notorious for cutting deals near closing time on Fridays after a couple of drinks. I got it for $275 when I was a dirt poor student. Back then, I found a handful of vintage American made Jazzmasters and Jaguars. They were cheaper than Strats and Teles of the same vintage, but still too much for me. A friend of mine and I used to spend our lunchbreaks and Saturdays searching out pawnshops and used instrument stores for vintage axes. That was before anything with Fender on it was jacked up in price eventhough the guitar itself had been raped (started to see a lot of mismatched necks and bodies at outrageous prices by the mid-90's). We saw the Mosrite that Pat Smears played with Nirvana on the In Utero tour. Saw Sonic Youth live so I could see Thurston Moore's candy apple red Jazzmaster which was eventually stolen. Saw Dinosaur Jr. so I could see J. Mascis's Jaguar. Man, that brings back memories.

3-LockBox

05-13-2009, 10:34 AM

The Phantom Band - Checkmate Savage; this is my favorite listen lately - vary good debut from this Scottish band. Not sure how to describe their sound besides big and bold. There is some monster bass on this disc too.

I picked this up a couple of months ago, just before the hammer fell. It is a good album. Musically and vocally they remind me of Dismemberment Plan to an extent, especially the empasis on bass. They never delve into Pavement/Modest Mouse style quirkery the way DP did, at least not on this debut. But its in the ballpark.

3-LockBox

05-13-2009, 10:40 AM

Oh, and 3LB...
I believe the Union album is an iTunes exclusive. Or at least it was when I bought it.

me hate iTunes

Ex Lion Tamer

05-13-2009, 01:36 PM

I picked this up a couple of months ago, just before the hammer fell. It is a good album. Musically and vocally they remind me of Dismemberment Plan to an extent, especially the empasis on bass. They never delve into Pavement/Modest Mouse style quirkery the way DP did, at least not on this debut. But its in the ballpark.

Didn't really make the DP connection - I've read comparisons to Stereolab and their ilk, but I'm not very familiar with Stereolab so hard to comment. I'll throw out the name The Boo Radley's, but I'm not really convinced. Anyway, big bass-heavy sound with a little bit of jam-band influence in places - especially considering the average song length - plenty of big power chords that rear their heads once in a while. I'd place their influences in classic 70s rock rather than 80s punk-wave. There's even some folk-rock influence too, a la The Strawbs ("Island"). And I do like that Scottish accent.

As an aside, I never really took to Dismemberment Plan; too much quirk, not enough hooks to keep my foot to tapping. (I actually preferred the more conventional "Change" to the more critically acclaimed "Emergency & I") but strangely enough, a song by Travis Morrison (DP frontman I guess) has found its way onto my computer - I don't know how or from where, don't even know the title of the song, but it's become a little bit of a musical obsession for me lately - go figure.

Finch Platte

05-13-2009, 02:15 PM

I'm really pretty astounded by how good the latest Uriah Heep disc is, Wake The Sleeper. (http://www.wake-the-sleeper.com/) There's a listen to it button at the top of that page. The first track is kind of a throwaway, just kinda showing you they have chops, but it doesn't do much. When the second track kicks in, it's Go Time.

Only original guy left is Mick Box on guitar, but the singer they've got (Bernie Shaw) sounds a lot like David Byron, but adds enough of his own so he's not a copy. Takes me back! :23:

It's a vital hard rock album, with a lot of hooks and keen ideas, good keyboard work & harmonies, and Box is no slouch on guitar. Pretty cool for a guy who's about 180 years old. :biggrin5:

I haven't been a UH fan since Sweet Freedom, but I'm glad I took a chance & picked this up. You might be, too, if you like hard rock w/ a touch of prog,

fp

Slosh

05-13-2009, 04:23 PM

...this just leaked:

Mr MidFi

05-14-2009, 05:39 AM

...this just leaked:

Holy mother of gawd. That might just be my favorite album cover of the 21st century.

Leak, you say? (insert single raised eyebrow emoticon, whatever that is)

3-LockBox

05-14-2009, 06:31 AM

...this just leaked:

What's it called...My Humps

or does this mean they've made a prog album that sounds like Camel?

Ex Lion Tamer

05-14-2009, 01:27 PM

...this just leaked:

...and you can't imagine the f-ing mess it made.

jonnyhambone

05-14-2009, 03:38 PM

...and you can't imagine the f-ing mess it made.

I'm just stending here waiting in ze evening, and it's nice outside...
( Rest obscured by pseudo-operatic voices )

NYAAH NYAAH NYAAH NYAAH
NYAAH NYAAH NYAAH NYAAH

Did you get any
Onya onya onya
Onya onya onya

- Frank Zappa

Slosh

05-14-2009, 04:12 PM

What's it called?It's called (are you sitting down?) . . . . . Wilco (The Album) and the first track is "Wilco (The Song)". Only one spin so far but me likey. A little more life (less mellow) to it than their last one.

Now that makes four very good albums I'm listening to but waiting for the real thing to get released on CD (the others are John Vanderslice, Future Of The Left, and Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse).

Mr MidFi

05-15-2009, 05:32 AM

Me likey too. If the last one was like "let's get a little mellow" and the one before that was all "let's get all arty and noisy," then this one is like "there's nothing wrong with being catchy, as long as we still sound like Wilco."

Almost guaranteed to be in my year-end top 10.

3-LockBox

05-15-2009, 07:21 AM

If the last one was like "let's get a little mellow" and the one before that was all "let's get all arty and noisy," then this one is like "there's nothing wrong with being catchy, as long as we still sound like Wilco."

Oh cool. I was wondering where they'd go after this, cuz yer right, their albums do come in stylistic cycles. I guess you can't accuse them of making the same album twice. I was glad to hear they used their fingers to play the guitar on Sky Blue Sky.

I wasn't a fan at all of A Ghost Is Born when it came out - I don't dig their propensity for brooding songs with wierd dissonant breaks off of YHF and GiB. A song like Spiders coulda been better without that Neil Young style, hamfisted guitar. And Less Than You Think is a super slow brooder that's around 4 minutes long, stretched over 15 minutes with some sort of electronic drone, and feels like its 30 minutes long - it does the album an injustice. I do like Muzzle Of Bees, Hummingbird, Handshake Drugs, Wishful Thinking, and Company In My Back. These songs were rediscovered via MP3 rotation, so my initial dislike of this album has eased over the years. Still not much on this album that was of immediate impact the way songs off of YHF or SBS were.

I love Tweedy when he's in a "catchy mood" - arsty...not so much.

Mr MidFi

05-18-2009, 06:04 AM

I wasn't a fan at all of A Ghost Is Born when it came out - I don't dig their propensity for brooding songs with wierd dissonant breaks off of YHF and GiB. A song like Spiders coulda been better without that Neil Young style, hamfisted guitar. And Less Than You Think is a super slow brooder that's around 4 minutes long, stretched over 15 minutes with some sort of electronic drone, and feels like its 30 minutes long - it does the album an injustice. I do like Muzzle Of Bees, Hummingbird, Handshake Drugs, Wishful Thinking, and Company In My Back. These songs were rediscovered via MP3 rotation, so my initial dislike of this album has eased over the years. Still not much on this album that was of immediate impact the way songs off of YHF or SBS were.

The GiB songs came alive for me when I got their Kicking Television - Live in Chicago set. The immediacy and dynamics of a live performance helped them a lot, methinks.

Back to the topic at hand (even tho it's a day early for Tunesday)... I'm 2 listens in to the new Green Day. It's another rock opera. If you liked the last one, you'll prolly like this one too. And if not...

tentoze

05-19-2009, 02:48 AM

Mr MidFi

05-19-2009, 06:02 AM

Wow...been a while since I stuck my foot in this door, eh. No Wilco or KC here, but the latest releases from:

Ben Nichols- best of the year so far
Willie Nile- rock solid
Al Kooper- good
Felice Bros- not as strong as the debut, but that would be hard to do anyway
Handsome Family- restrained
Ian Tyson- immediately likable
Webb Wilder- classic Webb

ANd, I got on a blooze jag Sunday afternoon and dusted off a handful of those old ChipB comps- what great stuff.

Good to see you, toze. Hope all is well with you.

Have you ever heard of Ezra Furmen & the Harpoons? To my ears, their latest one is about a 50/50 mix of Willie Nile and Violent Femmes.

Samples:
http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Human-Body-Ezra-Furman/dp/B001EN46BG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1242741636&sr=1-1

Monkey Bones

05-19-2009, 08:15 AM

Swish

05-19-2009, 10:13 AM

The GiB songs came alive for me when I got their Kicking Television - Live in Chicago set. The immediacy and dynamics of a live performance helped them a lot, methinks.

I saw them on Austin City Limits doing some tracks off that oft maligned record and it was a revelation for me.

Swish

05-19-2009, 10:22 AM

Been spending way too much time lately getting back into Curve, especially that amazing beginning with Doppleganger. What a great sound, just ebbs and flows in one long celebration of music, carrying you away on waves and waves of guitars, banging drums, and those sexy vocals.

Also some dusty leftover Swish Mix production that just arrived, seems to be a 2008 year end mix, but pretty fun and catchy mix it is, getting off nicely from start with some Monkey band, seems almost custom made :)) A lot of it sounds familiar (is that Morrissey, or is it Colin Meloy's latest impersonation) but some I have no idea, is there a tracklist somewhere? Doesn't seem to all be from last year. Yes, I did try a search, but nothing came up. Thanks!

And a bunch of New Day Rising too. Man, Mould was a maniac on guitar back then, what a sound!

...ago, but it was within another thread so I'm sure it was missed by many. It was originally 20 tracks but I removed that most excellent Elbow tune when I realized some other schmuck from PA had it on his 08 comp.

1. 505- Artic Monkeys
2. No emotion- Idlewild
3. Rats- The Walkmen
4. Vibration- Whigs
5. That's How Old People Grow Up - Morrissey
6. Always Where I Need to Be - Kooks
7. You Can Have It All - Ash
8. Weapon of Choice - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
9. Hang Me Up to Dry - Cold War Kids
10. GFC- Albert Hammond Jr.
11. Hey Little World - Hives
12. The Silence Between Us - Bob Mould
13. Right Hand on My Heart - Hives (this is my favorite on this cd, but I like all of them)
14. Bad Blood - Supergrass
15. The 59 Sound - Gaslight Anthem
16. Heat Dies Down- Kaiser Chiefs
17. Man size Wreath- R.E.M.
18. I'm Amazed- My Morning Jacket
19. Four Winds- Bright Eye

Monkey Bones

05-19-2009, 10:55 AM

...ago, but it was within another thread so I'm sure it was missed by many. It was originally 20 tracks but I removed that most excellent Elbow tune when I realized some other schmuck from PA had it on his 08 comp.

1. 505- Artic Monkeys
2. No emotion- Idlewild
3. Rats- The Walkmen
4. Vibration- Whigs
5. That's How Old People Grow Up - Morrissey
6. Always Where I Need to Be - Kooks
7. You Can Have It All - Ash
8. Weapon of Choice - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
9. Hang Me Up to Dry - Cold War Kids
10. GFC- Albert Hammond Jr.
11. Hey Little World - Hives
12. The Silence Between Us - Bob Mould
13. Right Hand on My Heart - Hives (this is my favorite on this cd, but I like all of them)
14. Bad Blood - Supergrass
15. The 59 Sound - Gaslight Anthem
16. Heat Dies Down- Kaiser Chiefs
17. Man size Wreath- R.E.M.
18. I'm Amazed- My Morning Jacket
19. Four Winds- Bright Eye

Thanks, powerhouse comp. Really tight. What's with that Walkmen tune though? Isn't that a few years old? Always liked it. Local band by the name of Dodos became one of my favorite listens from last year. Very cool and quirky stuff.

Mr MidFi

05-19-2009, 11:01 AM

Swish: <i>13. Right Hand on My Heart - Hives (this is my favorite on this cd, but I like all of them)</i>

This is the leadoff song on my 2008 YIR comp. But...isn't it by The Whigs?

Swish

05-19-2009, 11:11 AM

Swish: <i>13. Right Hand on My Heart - Hives (this is my favorite on this cd, but I like all of them)</i>

This is the leadoff song on my 2008 YIR comp. But...isn't it by The Whigs?

That was purely an error on my part. Of COURSE it's The Whigs. I can be such a dumb arse at times...as if you didn't know. D'oh! Now I need to see how many other mistakes I made. Crap.

Swish

05-19-2009, 11:15 AM

Thanks, powerhouse comp. Really tight. What's with that Walkmen tune though? Isn't that a few years old? Always liked it. Local band by the name of Dodos became one of my favorite listens from last year. Very cool and quirky stuff.

The Rat is from 2004 actually. I like it though, and since I saw them open for Spoon last year and they played it, it figured it belonged. It's not easy being me. :crazy:

3-LockBox

05-20-2009, 10:32 AM

I like this comp; it is a powerhouse like Davey said. There was a few I already owned, like that Kaiser Chief tune from 2007 and the Cold War Kids from 2006 ;) But you did say you took liberties.

all in all a good listen, and a few bands to investigate, most notably

Idlewild
Kooks
Ash
Bright Eye

I've come close to pulling the trigger on The Hives and Supergrass in the past, but just never could get off the fence. Good fit here though.

Thanks!