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Jim Clark
06-29-2004, 11:30 AM
Well, the day's not over yet so here goes. I'll edit in some additions to this post. Want to get it started before it get's duplicated, although nobody seems to be clammoring to get it started.

Still been enjoying that Killers CD, Hot Fuss. Very big sound coming out of this new band.

New this week was "Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever" by Felix Da House Cat. This is one brutha that makes some music for me. New Wave delights dominate this tale of Devin as he weaves his way through the assorted entrapments of LA. Electronics are there but this time around we have some occasionally funky bass lines and some pretty cool sounding guitar work mixed in. Probably the best dance CD I've heard in a long time, but it's not a dance CD. Ultra cool hooks rule this pop heavy new wave treat.

Also grabbed Mission Of Burma's, OnOffON and was suitably impressed despite the fact that it's my first Mission Of Burma CD. Didn't really know what to expect but overall it's pretty engaging punk rock for the most part with some changeups thrown in along the way to spice things up. 15 tracks (16 if we count track 9's 15 seconds of silence, but we won't), and not really a dud in the bunch. For me things really take off with track 8 and there's not a moment of let down after that, excepting of course the already mentioned track 9. What a great CD. Punk rock fans should be flocking to this little gem. Also available in SACD and heavy duty audiophile approved vinyl but BB didn't stock either format.

Regards,
jc

Swish
06-29-2004, 11:39 AM
Just listended to Interpol's "Turn on the Bright Lights", one of my faves from last year (or was that released in 2002?). Also just picked up the new Franz Ferdinand but no spins yet. One that I HIGHLY recommend is the recently release double live ceedee from The Dream Syndicate(hmmm, what's that titile? I'm in my corp. office and the copy is out in my car), but I'd bet that many of you already have it.

I'm still listening to "Ohio" by Over the Rhine, along with Lucinda Williams' "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road" and Emmylou Harris' "Wrecking Ball". I guess I'm into the female stuff this week.

I know there's a lot more, but I'm jammed at work and can't think right now.

Swish

Troy
06-29-2004, 12:08 PM
Buncha old stuff:

Jethro Tull -A. A few good tracks. Don't like the timbre choices.

OSI- Trancy and trippy. This has grown on me.

Thomas Dolby- The Flat Earth. One of his best albums. Moody and atmospheric. Not as funny as his other stuff.

Dave Matthews- Crash. I like it. So sue me.

Platypus- When Pus Comes to Shove. I think it's a side project of Dream Theater guys? It's a CDR with no info. Can't even remember who sent it to me. Very 70s homage. Sort of a Blue Oyster Cult meets Spooky Tooth kinda vibe. Lots of fun.

The Spent Poets. Solid 90s singer/songwriter power pop. Some would gind the production excessive, but it's really clean.

Starlight Mints- Built on Squares. Still really good and really weird.

Wondermints- Bali. Again, extremely solid late period Beach Boys power pop. "In and Around Greg lake" is a great prog rock gag song.

Steely Dan- Royal Scam. 5 stars.

Alice Cooper- Billion Dollar Babies. Another classic. "I love the Dead" too.

They Might Be Giants- Apollo 18. My fave TMBG release. Fat sound, great songs.

Group 87. Isham, O'hearn and Bozzio. Presaged the New Age movement by 5 full years.

Be Bop Deluxe- Modern Music. An undervalued band.

I have 10 of my songs in rotation on a streaming internet radio station-
http://www.progressivesoundscapes.com/
Coooooooool.

Here's another new song I made.
http://www.designshed.com/toonage/MulletFlambe.mp3

DarrenH
06-29-2004, 12:38 PM
New Things:

Tr3nity - Precious Seconds. New album from this fine British group. Those that liked The Cold Light Of Darkness will not be disappointed. A fantastic sophmore effort. Neo-prog lite is a good description. Tastey guitar work.

Henning Pauley - 13 Days. This is nothing like his prior work with Frameshift or Chain. Melodic guitar based rock featuring 11 guest vocalists. Thirteen songs written in 13 days. Guitar, bass, drum. Quite good actually. Henning can lay down some chops but it's not over the top. If you liked Henning's past musical efforts this should not disappoint either. Hidden track alert!

Hourglass - Subconscious. Second release from this fine Utah based prog metal band. Very much in the same vein as Dream Theater only not as bombastic. Well written and well played. For those concerned or care, the lead vocalists sounds nothing like LaBrie.

Brian Wilson - Gettin' In Over My Head. Well, if you like the Beach Boys in any way shape or form, this should be to your liking. Guest appearances from Macca, EC and EJ all help to make this a wonderful listen. I really enjoyed this "feel good" album. The blues number Brian does with EC is fantastic. Nice work Brian.

Old Favorites:

Cressida - Asylum. I love this album. The music is drenched with Hammond B-3 organ and mellotron. Excellent guitar work and some flutes and piano. Great psych-prog from 1971. The last song, "Let Them Come When They Will" is absolutely brilliant.

Blodwyn Pig - Ahead Rings Out. Guitarist Mick Abrahams band after he left Tull in 1968. Great British Blues circa 1969.

Bob Marley - Exodus. I LOVE this album. I listen to this all the time now. And up until a month ago, I had never heard it before. I'm becoming a reggae fan. Well, sort of.

Exodus.....Movement of jah people

I find myself saying that all the time.

Some Jazz, some Tull. You know the drill.

Darren

Slosh
06-29-2004, 01:20 PM
Sorry. Stupid question. It's pretty obvious that they're on the wrong drugs, however ;)

OK, so Wilco's new A Ghost Is Born may not be innovative or awe-inspiring but that doesn't mean it's not chock full of good music. Right, so they could have left off the drowning, pointless atonal noise fest that is "Less Than You Think", but that still leaves eleven other good songs. Actually I'm most disappointed in "Handshake Drugs". Not that it's a bad song or anything . . . it's just that the live version from the Soundstage PBS broadcast is so much better and could do a jam band proud. The album version almost sounds like a demo in comparison.

To me this album is a true grow-on-ya type record. It may take four or five spins for the songs to start sticking in your head but so what? It's kinda like Beck's Sea Change vs. Mutations, only not that extreme. Get it if you're already a fan. I don't think it will sprout new Wilco fans, though.

I'm not typing a list this time. If you're really that interested just read the last two months or so's worth of Tue.Ro posts :p

NP: Davey's Califone comp

audiobill
06-29-2004, 02:39 PM
Well, the day's not over yet so here goes. I'll edit in some additions to this post. Want to get it started before it get's duplicated, although nobody seems to be clammoring to get it started.

Still been enjoying that Killers CD, Hot Fuss. Very big sound coming out of this new band.

New this week was "Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever" by Felix Da House Cat. This is one brutha that makes some music for me. New Wave delights dominate this tale of Devin as he weaves his way through the assorted entrapments of LA. Electronics are there but this time around we have some occasionally funky bass lines and some pretty cool sounding guitar work mixed in. Probably the best dance CD I've heard in a long time, but it's not a dance CD. Ultra cool hooks rule this pop heavy new wave treat.

Also grabbed Mission Of Burma's, OnOffON and was suitably impressed despite the fact that it's my first Mission Of Burma CD. Didn't really know what to expect but overall it's pretty engaging punk rock for the most part with some changeups thrown in along the way to spice things up. 15 tracks (16 if we count track 9's 15 seconds of silence, but we won't), and not really a dud in the bunch. For me things really take off with track 8 and there's not a moment of let down after that, excepting of course the already mentioned track 9. What a great CD. Punk rock fans should be flocking to this little gem. Also available in SACD and heavy duty audiophile approved vinyl but BB didn't stock either format.

Regards,
jc
Hey, Jimbo.

Agreed, on that Killers CD.
I was in HMV shopping for DVDs that I've been meaning to add to my hometheatre library, when this music comes over the store stereo. So,.....I linger some more while I look-up some more DVD titles. Although I found the 2 DVDs I came to buy, I still lingered.....
4 tracks in, I simply had to ask the young man behind the counter, "Who is this you're playing??" His response: the Killers.
I bought it on the spot.
The last time I did that was when I was fourteen and I was in a similar store, when I heard Meat Loaf's "Bat Out Of Hell" for the very first time -- I was mesmerized by the sound of the music and his voice. It was the first day of its release. I bought it on the spot.

Same experiece this time, only 28 years later.
Very cool, fun music....that Killers CD.
Cheers,
Bill

Pat D
06-29-2004, 04:34 PM
Well, the day's not over yet so here goes. I'll edit in some additions to this post. Want to get it started before it get's duplicated, although nobody seems to be clammoring to get it started.

Regards,
jc
LPs

Mozart, The Last Six Symphonies (box set, 3 LPs). Pablo Casals, Marlboro Festival Orchestra, Festival Casals Orchestra of Puerto Rico for no. 36. There is no. 37, as it is by Michael Haydn. Columbia D3S 817. Casals (1876-1973) was a great cellist, of course, but also conducted and composed. These are quite good performances, with the sound slightly edgy in the strings. They are stereo, but I don’t know when they were recorded.

Johann Christian Bach, Quintets Op. 11, nos. 1, 3, 4, and 6. Heidelberger Barock Ensemble. Da Camera Magna SM 92813

Viotti, Violin Concerto no. 22. Suzanne Lautenbacher, violin; Martin Galling, Symphony Orchestra, Berlin (no, this is not the Berlin Philharmonic!). On Vox Turnabout TV 34229. This is a very nice work, well recorded, and very well played. Lautenbacher also made the classic recording of Mozart’s Haffner Symphony.

Highlights from Verdi’s Don Carlo. Blanche Thebom, mezzo-soprano; Jussi Bjoerling, tenor; Robert Merrill, baritone; Italo Tajo, bass. Thebom was fantastic, although she doesn’t seem to have made many recordings. Tajo did a very nice characterization of the aria “Ella giammai m’amo.”

I bought some LPs from the library sale, LPs donated for this purpose. These are some of them.

Brahms, Symphony no. 3. Frederick Stock, Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Columbia RL 3013. Stock conducted the CSO from 1905 until he died in 1942, so this is a historic recording I picked up at the sale at the library. I don’t know when it was made but the sound is fairly smooth mono.

Schumann, Symphony no. 4; Mozart, Symphony no. 38 (Prague). Frederick Stock, CSO, again. Columbian RL 3026. The Schumann 4th is very good, but I didn’t like the Mozart.

Beethoven, Violin Concerto. Ruggiero Ricci, violin; Sir Adrian Boult, London Philharmonic Orchestra. London Richmond B 19034. Another mono recording bought at the library. Ricci’s performance is quite good.

Romberg, The Student Prince. Mario Lanza, tenor, with Orchestra under Paul Baron. RCA LSC-2339

Nana Mouskouri, Roses and Sunshine. Cachet Records CL3-3000

Brahms, Piano Quintet in F Minor, Op. 34. Leon Fleisher, piano; The Juilliard String Quartet. Columbian Odyssey Y 35211

CDs
Mozart, Violin Concertos nos. 4 and 4. Zino Francescatti, violin; Walter, Columbia Symphony Orchestra. CBS MK 42030

Haydn, Symphonies nos. 6-8. Ward, Northern Chamber Orchestra. Naxos 8.550722

Dvorak, Symphonies nos. 7-8. Dorati, London Symphony Orchestra. Mercury 434 312-2

Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf. Sir John Gielgud, narrator; Richard Stamp,
Academy of London. On Virgin ultraviolet 7243 5 61137 2 5

The Best of Chopin. Various performers. Naxos 8.551104

Cesar Cui, 3 Suites. Takako Nishizaki, violin; Kenneth Schermerhorn, Hong Kong Philharmonic. Marco Polo 8.220308. How many of you have ever heard anything by Cesar Cui, though he is among the Russian 5?

tentoze
06-29-2004, 09:52 PM
After a long day-trip to L.A., too tired to get into much detail, however, briefly, new-tom-stuff:

New Pornographers, Electric Version- only one spin so far. It sounds pretty good. Neko is always a treat to listen to, regardless of the vehicle.

Lou Reed, Rock N' Roll Animal- a 2000 release- haven't had this availalbe for quite a while, and it got a major-league LOUD spin Sunday afternoon. @ bonus cuts on this remaser- sounds awfully good to me.

Zevon, The Wind- I deliberately held off buying this in order to put a little distance between the music and the events surrounding it. This is Zevon undiminished in any fashion. He did very, very good here.

Swish
06-30-2004, 04:49 AM
Sorry. Stupid question. It's pretty obvious that they're on the wrong drugs, however ;)

OK, so Wilco's new A Ghost Is Born may not be innovative or awe-inspiring but that doesn't mean it's not chock full of good music. Right, so they could have left off the drowning, pointless atonal noise fest that is "Less Than You Think", but that still leaves eleven other good songs. Actually I'm most disappointed in "Handshake Drugs". Not that it's a bad song or anything . . . it's just that the live version from the Soundstage PBS broadcast is so much better and could do a jam band proud. The album version almost sounds like a demo in comparison.

To me this album is a true grow-on-ya type record. It may take four or five spins for the songs to start sticking in your head but so what? It's kinda like Beck's Sea Change vs. Mutations, only not that extreme. Get it if you're already a fan. I don't think it will sprout new Wilco fans, though.

I'm not typing a list this time. If you're really that interested just read the last two months or so's worth of Tue.Ro posts :p

NP: Davey's Califone comp
I read a syndicated newspaper review (can't recall the guy's name) and the writer indicated that the song title was a clue to the listener that he/she should skip to the next song when they get tired of hearing the noise. So the song is really about less than you think. Hmmm, I suppose that sounds logical. Perhaps I'm not expressing it as well as the reviewer did, but I think you get the picture. He actually did a nice job overall and liked the ceedee very much.

Swish

MindGoneHaywire
06-30-2004, 10:29 PM
Heard a bunch of new stuff lately, most of it only once, though. Brad sent me a version of SMILE from February, Brian Wilson's performance w/the Wondermints in London, better than the previous one I'd heard. Hard to believe this even exists, so while it may not be as rewarding an experience as hearing the most recent approximations of it from the studio tapes, it's awfully darned good.

Listened to the Eric Clapton Me & Mr. Johnson album. I didn't hate it, in fact I kinda liked it. One big problem, but smaller, probably, than most of the problems I find with just about everything he's done since 1966. Those include overplaying, rotten, slick, commercial production, and painfully mediocre songwriting. All of these & a fourth I will mention have contributed to make me not like just about anything he's done since...1966. This is probably the best record I've heard that he was on since the Bluesbreakers rec. Which is not to say that Derek & the Dominoes is not good, but it's really not my cup of tea, and if I'm going to call something a 'classic,' it's going to have to be more interesting, more passionate, and a hell of a lot less overplayed than a rec like that. And that doesn't even take into consideration the Duane Allman issue, on that particular rec. Anyway...I found this far superior to that crappy blues album he made 10 years ago, which I absolutely hated. The production sounded like Robert Cray or something...there's a lot more soul in the sound of this rec, no doubt. There is one thing that gums it up for me, and that's his vocals, which are undistinguished at best, weak at worst. Boy, this rec could've been real good if only he'd brought in a vocalist that could've made this project a real good thing instead of only a...good..thing that wasn't better because he had to do the singing. This is the fourth of the problems I have with most of his output, and it may be the least of them, but still, this is not a bad record by any means, and I'm as surprised to say that as you probably are to read it. But as much as I've hated some of his work, I try to give things a fair listen. Sometimes that's impossible...but this is not bad. That said, I may never listen to it again. Why would I, when there are superior blues albums in my collection I haven't heard enough times? Hey, maybe next time out he'll get something else right & build on this. And if it's real good I will say so. My dislike of his music doesn't spill over into irrational hatred just because I hate the influence he had over rock music by virtue of his superior overplaying.

The Streets: Something about a Grand? Much better than the rec I heard last year. This one is much more cohesive, more interesting, just better overall. I have to give it another listen, but I did like what he was doing here on this rec. Hey, he's no Eminem, but I found this at least as interesting as Outkast, something I wouldn't have thought possible based on how overblown I thought the first rec was. Doubtless there will be someone who'll think I'm nuts because to them they're both very similar, and it's always possible my memory's flaky. But for now that's my story & I'm sticking with it.

The Decline Of British Sea Power--I probably didn't give this enough of a chance 6 months or so ago when I first heard it. Didn't think I'd get another chance. It's definitely in the ballpark with the retro postpunk acts like Franz Ferdinand, stellastarr*, Snow Patrol, stuff like that. I'm missing a name or two here. Honestly, I think a band like Clinic is better than these, if not any more original. But these are all certainly worth a listen. I realize I'm awfully out of touch for thinking that these bands are derivative of bands that seemed to exist to create sounds that wouldn't be blatantly copied, sort of in the way I hear these bands sounding, but that's okay. One day some kid will explain it all to me, I'm sure.

Velvet Revolver...as Sport said, 'Iron Aftermath?' "Vanilla Foreverchanges?' Not enough like Appetite for me to like it much, not enough like STP for me to dislike it all that much. It's just kinda...there. Maybe I'll have a little more to say after a second listen, but for now it's just wallpaper, and I don't think that's what they were going for. Isn't it AVIS that tries harder?

Maybe they could take a lesson from the Little Killers. Not the Killers, I don't even know who they are, but the Little Killers, fantastic garage punk band on Crypt Records. And Some Action, not quite as good, but with an awfully good EP. Also I heard an album by Ms. Led that I thought was pretty darned good, but I'll be damned if I can remember why or even anything about it.

Just listened to the most recent Liz Phair album. She took a lot of flak for putting out a commercial record, did she? Well, if you're going to put out a commercial record, and the songs are good, I have no gripe. I'd have to give it a second listen, but it mostly sounded pretty okay to me. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but hell, it sounded better than a Sheryl Crow or Alanis Morrissette record. Can't say I'd have any interest in owning it, but maybe that might change after a second listen. It's better than Avril Lavigne, from what I can tell, too. Umm...I can come up with more ringing endorsements if you'd like to read 'em.

On the other hand, I just heard the most recent Cardigans album. Life is one of my favorite records of the 90s. This is one fine example of some lazy-ass, mediocre songwriting. Such an uninspiring lot of nothing hasn't crossed my desk in some time, at least among records I deign to listen to. Feh.

Um, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I had nothing but disdain for their John Zorn-esque nonsense on the EP I heard a couple of years ago, but this is a different story. More like in a league with some of the retro post-punks, I guess. Not bad, and that's saying something considering I was expecting to hate it. Another pleasant surprise was the new Sonic Youth album--Sonic Nurse. On the mellow side, not too noisy, some very interesting things going on, minus the excessive dissonance & noise that makes most of their music just a bit inaccessible for a 3-chord simpleton like myself. I recommend.

Tony C & The Truth I thought might have something on RL Burnside, but that was an erroneous thought. Unless you like the idea of roadhouse bar-band-blues with a turntablist breathing everyone else's oxygen, don't bother. Kind of a waste of time.

Lastly, heard for the first time the Fela album with Ginger Baker. Very hippy-dippy-trippy, with overblown drum solos, but interesting nonetheless. I have tons of Fela, and most of it sounds very, very similar. The only stuff that rings my bell that doesn't have the sameness I hear in most Afrobeat is the Koola Lobitos stuff from the mid-60s. This isn't quite that interesting to me, but it's still worthwhile enough to merit a listen or two, even if there's something about it that reminds me of Santana.

Gotta get the new Beastie Boys album...and Bebel Gilberto...and give this Chris Robinson CD a listen...and the new Uncle Kracker...and the soundtrack to Nip/Tuck...maybe the KC & the Sunshine Band dance remixes...and the Bumblebeez 81 Printz recs, which are supposed to be something like the Beastie Boys & Beck, or something like that, though I'm skeptical...and the new I Am The World Trade Center, and the new Phish, and the soundtrack to De-Lovely...but where am I going to find the time? I'm playing with this band & it kinda cuts into my listening time. Come see me sometime, huh? Here's a pic...

Dusty Chalk
06-30-2004, 11:42 PM
On the other hand, I just heard the most recent Cardigans album. Life is one of my favorite records of the 90s. This is one fine example of some lazy-ass, mediocre songwriting. Such an uninspiring lot of nothing hasn't crossed my desk in some time, at least among records I deign to listen to. Feh. How can you say that? I thought it was a wonderful direction that they went in...to...into which they went....? Whatever...Please Sister is a nice powerful song, and the rest should appeal to the more slowcore-oriented folk of this board, I would think...anyway, you're entitled to your opinion (as always), it's just...not mine.

MindGoneHaywire
07-01-2004, 10:32 AM
I'll have to give it another listen, Peter. Like most of what I posted about, as I think I mentioned, I've only had the benefit of one listen. But the Liz Phair rec sounded miles better to me. I didn't like Gran Turismo or First Band as much as Life, but they weren't bad & were at least interesting & had some good tunes. I didn't hear that on this rec on first listen. It just sounded dreary & boring, I didn't hear any hooks or interesting melodies. Maybe I'll feel differently when I get a chance to spin it again, but my first impressions rarely change drastically.

nobody
07-01-2004, 04:24 PM
J,
I agree on the new Streets. It's much more developed than the first one. I've seen some fans pissd about the addition of backing vocals and the less sparse tone overall, but I think it is a step forward in sound. I've listened to that one a ton, and even my wife, who rarely likes anything vaguely hip hop since the mid 80s is into it pretty heavily.

And, yeah, you should hear the Beastie Boys, I just got out of the truck after a 12 hour drive and listened to it several times along the way. I was thinking it would be OK, but wasn't wild about the singel. Well, for me, the single is one of the weakest treacks on the disc. I can't imagine a Beastie Boys fan not digging this one. I'd have to put it high in their catalog.

Also picked up the new Cure and the new Prince (old timers day, shopping at the department store on the way out of town.) They're both good. Best Prince in years and a solid Cure record, neither will make new fans, but shouldn't disappoint old ones. The Prince record may even win a few back.

Yeah, Velvet Revolver is just kinda middling and a bit boring to me too. I can listen to it, but can't really see myself sitting around and really wanting to hear it.

I did pick up a few other things a week or so ago, but I'm tired from moving now so I'm not typing anymore for now. Later.

Dusty Chalk
07-02-2004, 05:12 AM
I'll have to give it another listen, Peter. Like most of what I posted about, as I think I mentioned, I've only had the benefit of one listen. But the Liz Phair rec sounded miles better to me. I didn't like Gran Turismo or First Band as much as Life, but they weren't bad & were at least interesting & had some good tunes. I didn't hear that on this rec on first listen. It just sounded dreary & boring, I didn't hear any hooks or interesting melodies. Maybe I'll feel differently when I get a chance to spin it again, but my first impressions rarely change drastically.No, that's okay, it just surprised me after what you said about the Liz Phair record. But did you like Gran Turismo? I have to admit, that's probably still my favourite record by them, but it's so different from Life that I can't really compare the two. Ditto Long Gone...