Tuesday Thread / whatcha been lis'nen to?

[3-LockBox]

I though I'd get a jump on ya.

White Stripes:Get Behind Me Satan - still trying to digest this one...I'm liking the funkiness of 'Blue Orchid' and 'Doorbell'...every album since Deja Stil is a more and more experimental (for them) in that there is a variety of instruments being introduced into White's repretoir, more production beyond the punk rock aestetic, and a broader scope of subject matter. Some songs are just wierd and White's vocal diversity is startling at times. He shows a remarkable sense of control, if not a tad bit of self-indulgence.

Dream Threater:Scenes From A Memory - don't know why I put off listening to this one (well, maybe it was the vocals on past albums)....there are some very affecting songs on this album. Its a great story line, though some songs seem to confuse the theme. Its a keeper. Neal Morse may be the best writer of the epic, but DT has the theme album down pat.

I've even been revisiting Genesis:Foxtrot. I've had this CD for a little over two years now...while I liked 'Watcher' and 'Time Table' right from the get-go, I still find 'Get Em Out By Friday' a tad silly, though the music is very good. I still don't get why a lot of people adore 'Supper's Ready'. I like the apocalyptic theme, and musically speaking, it has its moments. I think its a well written piece, but I think that Gabriel's vocal masturbating is my sticking point. Selling England By The Pound is the best of the Gabriel era IMO.

In fact, I guess you could say that most of my listening this week involves three acts whose lead singers are enamoured with their own voices. hhmmm...

I've also started to warm up to the new Hot Hot Heat:Elevator; its a grower. Same with DT's Octavarium; its getting a lot of rotation lately.

[ForeverAutumn]

I also spun Foxtrot this week.

James LaBrie - Elements of Persuasion

Muse - Absolution

Mercury Rev - The Secret Migration

The Killers - Hot Fuss

Keane - Hopes and Fears

Supertramp - Crime of the Century; Even in the Quietest Moments; Crisis? What Crisis?

[GMichael]

My CD changer still has the same 6 that have been in there for months:

Kansas - Leftoverature
ELP - Brain Salad Surgery
Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin
Beatles - Best of (something)
Genesis - And Then There Were Three
Shania Twain - Come on Over

The CD player in the dash has been rotating through Rush chronologically lately.
I'm up to Hemispheres today.

[3-LockBox]

James LaBrie - Elements of Persuasion

What's the Elements Of Persuasion like?

[MindGoneHaywire]

I just got the White Stripes album & I think it's their best. I didn't like Elephant as much as the two before it, never have heard the first one, but this grabbed me on first listen more than anything else I've heard from them, & it's not like I didn't like Elephant. I've seen some people--not here--dismiss this record, & they seemed serious, so I can't figure out why. I think it's fantastic.

Also got the new Rolling Stones. I can't remember what I thought the first time I've heard any of their painfully mediocre records over the past 20+ years. On this? Mostly positive, outside of the embarrassingly lame Sweet Neo Con. That's worse than Steve Earle's song about Condoleeza Rice...but this record I think could've been edited down to a pretty darned good album that's maybe 12 songs & 40 minutes. Instead it's what, an hour? I don't see why it needs to be. The acts that can put together a consistently good one hour record are on a very short list in this house, and the Rolling Stones aren't on it. I'll try to focus on the positives with this, but why they couldn't cut some of the filler is beyond me.

Listened to the Redwalls album again, a couple of songs are unimaginatively derivative, but otherwise I like it a lot, good Beatles/Big Star sound. Spun the first Specials album for the first time in awhle, not a bad song on that. Checked out some of the most recent Maria Muldaur album, nice acoustic blues with Taj Mahal guesting on some stuff. Tried to listen to a 2-CD live Derek Trucks CD, but no dice. I do have a Jerry Garcia Band live DVD I'm going to try to check out, if I get the chance. Not sure I will. Oh, another good blues rec, or at least there's some real good stuff on it, is the soundtrack to HBO's Lackawanna Blues. Mos Def sings the first cut, a cover of Caldonia? If that's really him, he can effin' sing, bub. Uh, tried to listen to a Paul Weller rec from 3 years ago--Illumination? Yuk. Couldn't hack it. Tried a couple of Six Degrees recs, a Latin Travels collection, & something from someone named Bob Holroyd. I love this label, but these recs didn't do it for me. The Holroyd reminded me of some Middle Eastern-flavored electronica--not DJ Cheb I Sabbah, someone else--that I liked a lot better. Can't remember who or what it was, though. Uh, Leon Redbone, live in Paris from 1992? I've never listened to one of his recs before. Me like. I knew he was bluesy, but I didn't realize how rootsy. A lot of stuff on that's way more old-timey sounding than I expected. Very, very good.

Not as good was another live rec, Swing Out Sister. Never heard them before. Well, I suspect I have, but I didn't know it. I don't mind straight-up pop (as loathsome as it is, I thought there was a tune or two on the Maroon 5 rec that worked well as pop songs, very catchy even if hopelessly cloying & commercial), but this was a bit too far in the smooth category for me. Sort of Sade-ish? Not my bag. Didn't get too far with that one. Ugh, I have the CD soundtrack to the Dylan docu sitting here, haven't gotten to it yet. Tomorrow...I sort of half-watched the Scorsese thing, I did tape it on VHS for future viewing, it looked EXCELLENT. Way more engaging than the Blues series from a year or two ago. Uh, I saw a couple of intriguing covers on the Desperate Housewives soundtrack, but most of what's on there I just couldn't stomach. Liz Phair doing the Rolling Stones' Mother's Little Helper is okay, but just okay. Tried to get through a couple of techno recs--Curse Of The Golden Vampire & Daedelus. No dice. Way funnier was something called "Crazy Frog Hits." They made an album out of something that was used for a ringtone & it became a hit? Haw haw haw. Well, it sucks, but the idea that it exists is sorta funny.

'twas a couple of weeks ago, I had a Mark Knopfler release of recent vintage, some kind of EP that came from some live session at a radio station? I've never gotten this guy & how people rave about how great a guitar player he is. There was maybe one or two Dire Straits songs that I thought were okay, but mostly I always found them to be pointless & boring. People still rave about this guy. I gave it a chance. I still don't get it. Hey, I don't get Richard Thompson either, for the most part. But I connect with his work on some level. This guy, no way.

Interesting Fountains of Wayne 2-CD rarities collection. Some good songs, but I didn't have time at the time, I'll have to get back to that. Pretty decent garage rec, by a band called the Forty-Fives. Oh, almost forgot, I did listen to the Death Cab For Cutie rec. I don't think I'll ever be a big fan, but I did like it more than the last one or whichever one it was that I'd previously heard. They're getting a big push w/this rec. Maybe they're thought of as being capable of breaking through commercially the way Wilco was once considered. Um, new Michelle Shocked, she put out 3 recs at once? I heard the one that's supposed to be most typical of what it was that she used to do, it was pretty good. I do want to hear the one with the Disney covers, sounds interesting.

Lastly, a Terry Reid collection. Very good on first listen. The guy who Jimmy Page wanted for Led Zeppelin? Interesting backstory. Good rec. Next up, the most recent Eric Clapton, and a name I saw on one of Davey's posts--something like Richmond Fontaine? It's laying around here someplace. I'll try to get to that one & see what's up w/it. Oh, and a reissue of some Pete Townshend collaboration with someone, a live show circa 1980 or thereabouts, looks reasonably interesting. Gotta hit the sack now, though.

[ForeverAutumn]

What's the Elements Of Persuasion like?

I've only given it one spin so far and it sounded like a bad Dream Theater album. I'll spin it a few more times to see if it gets any better but my first impression was that it was nothing special. I'll let you know if my opinion changes.

[Slosh]

I've only given it one spin so far and it sounded like a bad Dream Theater album

How can you tell? Aren't they all bad?

NP: Mike's Shadow Of A Man comp. Wow, this is really, really good, Mike! And all but two songs are new-to-me. That Elbow track is very SFAish, me thinks. Thanks!

[Davey]

That Elbow track is very SFAish, me thinks.

Yeah, I've only given the new Elbow about once through between last night and this morning, but it struck me that it sounds a little like SFA this time out too, and I don't mean that just that because it's very mellow and lush and not too memorable on first listen like I reported the new SFA to be, but it has much more of the same sound to me than in the past. Guess Mike already picked up on this before since he was comparing Elbow to SFA and the Doves, whereas I've never compared them to SFA before. But I can hear it now. I actually made a similar comment at Head-Fi in the Elbow thread just a little while ago, before you mentioned this Slosh, which is actually kind of scary

[tentoze]

Been a bit of a lull around here lately as far as new releases go. Just not much that has piqued my interest enough to plop down the cash.

Neil Young/ Prairie Wind- Very good NY. A bit too much production ona couple of tunes, but overall very solid, and certainly more likeable than Greenwood to my ears. This one's closer to Comes A Time, stylistically.

Grey DeLisle/ Iron Flowers- released earlier this year, picked up used. There were probably howls of indignation from Queen fans when DeLisle turned her autoharp and crystalline roots voice to Bohemian Rhapsody as the album opener- never having cared much for Freddie and the boys, I like it and the rest of this.

John Cale/ HoboSapiens- also from the used bin, and will probably go back to whence it came. For being a 2003 release, this sounds remarkably like 1986. There's only so much cheesy synth drum loops I can take, particularly when they don't support anything of substance.

Daniel Lanois/ Shine- after buying Lanois' latest release a few weeks ago only to find out that it was Elevator Music, I took a chance on this 2003 release and am not unhappy with it at all.

...and a bunch of twangy vinyl, as usual.

[Mike]

Son Volt - Okemah and The Melody of Riot. Thanks to Swish or was it Slosh (I forget) for putting me onto this one. One of the highlights of the year so far, plenty of catchy upbeat songs from Jay Farrar and some nice guitar. Not a bad production too, it lacks a bit at the top end but Stephen Marcussen at the mastering controls makes it a decent punchy sound.

John Butler Trio - Three. He's Australian but I won't hold that against him, the album is from 2001 and thankfully not as commercial as his latest. Vocally he reminds me of Ben Harper but he plays a nice bluesy rock slide guitar.

Hey Bill any big thump from the letter box yet?

Cheers
Mike

[audiobill]

Hey Bill any big thump from the letter box yet?

Cheers
Mike

Hey, Mike. No big thump, yet.

I'm patiently waiting & I'll let ya know when it goes clunk.

Cheers,

Bill

[noddin0ff]

Beethoven: Late String Quartets -- Really good. Much more modern sounding than you'd expect. Aggressive and dissonant at times. Good for the brain.

The Beta Band: The Three EP's -- Love it. Monday morning music and Friday quitin' time music all in one.

Morphine: Cure for Pain -- Two string base, Baritone Sax, Drums...So much w/ so little.

Cake: Fashion Nugget -- Fun. Best remake of 'I Will Survive' that I know of.

G Love and Special Sauce: Yeah, It's that easy - Philadelphia Hip Hop?

The Cure: Kiss Me (x3) --Had to dig this one out to listen to 'Catch'

Lou Reed: Magic and Loss -- Truely an amazing album. If you've ever lost someone there's a lot of anger/healing inside. More beauty to be found on every listen. Desert island material here.

Lounge Lizards: Voice of Chunk -- not for everyone. Strange and beautiful.

[Swish]

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans (could be better than Transatlanticism)
Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft (not exactly Rings...but not bad)
The National - Alligator (this one's a keeper)
Spoon - Gimme Fiction (not quite new, but still fresh and very good)
New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (one of my faves for 2005...without question)
Milton - Scenes From the Interior (hasn't anyone else on RR heard this one? Great stuff!)

Swish Daddy

[BillB]

Listening to XPN's 885 greatest albums of all time but just got back from picking up:

Kasabian
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals (new one)

Finally broke down and ordered SFA's latest on SACD (import only) as well. Hope I like'em all.

BillB

[dean_martin]

I picked up some used stuff late last week.

New Order - BBC Live - good sound, I was surprised at how effective this style is live.

...Trail of Dead - Secrets of Elena's Tomb (EP) - at least 3 of the 5 songs are very good. The 3 tracks I like are reminiscent of Sonic Youth's more straight forward stuff. I detect another influence too but I haven't put my finger on it. I look forward to checking out full length albums. Any suggestions?

Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted, 2 disk version. I really like this one. It took a couple of listens for me to "follow" it since I haven't listened to "real" indie in a while, but now a couple of tracks are stuck in my head. Listening to this one also prompted me to pull out Crooked Rain, Crooked, Rain which is probably my favorite of theirs.

The shop owner and I were talking about Porcupine Tree and I mentioned that one of their album covers reminded me of the cover of Roxy Music's Avalon which I've been looking for on vinyl. He threw in a dirty copy of Avalon for free. It cleaned up well. I've only spun it once so far. No scratches and minimal noise. I'll be listening to this one in the evenings this week.

I had a chance to listen to some newer stuff over the weekend after following discussions on this board. I sampled albums from Sigur Ros, Queens of the Stone Age, Spoon and the Decemberists at Barnes & Noble while hangin' with the wife. I've got Sigur Ros - Takk and Spoon - Gimme Fiction on the wishlist.

[Jim Clark]

The shop owner and I were talking about Porcupine Tree and I mentioned that one of their album covers reminded me of the cover of Roxy Music's Avalon which I've been looking for on vinyl. He threw in a dirty copy of Avalon for free. It cleaned up well. I've only spun it once so far. No scratches and minimal noise. I'll be listening to this one in the evenings this week.

.

That's one of my favorite late night discs of all time. Excellent choice.

jc

[dean_martin]

That's one of my favorite late night discs of all time. Excellent choice.

jc

I've been looking for some late night music that's mellow but not too bland.

P.S. - Congrats on that new cdp!

[ForeverAutumn]

...Trail of Dead - Secrets of Elena's Tomb (EP) - at least 3 of the 5 songs are very good. The 3 tracks I like are reminiscent of Sonic Youth's more straight forward stuff. I detect another influence too but I haven't put my finger on it. I look forward to checking out full length albums. Any suggestions?

Hmmm. I haven't heard this one. I have Source Tags & Codes and Worlds Apart. I really like them both, but I have to say that I prefer Worlds Apart. I find Words Apart is a little more accessable. Some people may see that as a bad thing. I like it.

[Davey]

...Trail of Dead - Secrets of Elena's Tomb (EP) - at least 3 of the 5 songs are very good. The 3 tracks I like are reminiscent of Sonic Youth's more straight forward stuff. I detect another influence too but I haven't put my finger on it. I look forward to checking out full length albums. Any suggestions?

Hmmm. I haven't heard this one. I have Source Tags & Codes and Worlds Apart. I really like them both, but I have to say that I prefer Worlds Apart. I find Words Apart is a little more accessable. Some people may see that as a bad thing. I like it.

What she says.

[dean_martin]

Hmmm. I haven't heard this one. I have Source Tags & Codes and Worlds Apart. I really like them both, but I have to say that I prefer Worlds Apart. I find Words Apart is a little more accessable. Some people may see that as a bad thing. I like it.

Thanks for the suggestions, FA.

[BarryL]

Marillion - Script Of A Jester's Tear
Andrew Bird - And the Mysterious Production of Eggs


"Don't give me your problems."

[ForeverAutumn]

Andrew Bird - And the Mysterious Production of Eggs

Really? I don't know why I'm surprised at this. Your taste is quite diverse. I guess I just never expected you to listen to something that Davey has spent so much time raving about.

What do you think of it? I've almost bought this on a couple of occasions, but in the end decided I didn't want to spend the big bucks being asked for it.

Now, perhaps I could borrow your copy for test drive. Hmmmmmmm?

[Davey]

I just never expected you to listen to something that Davey has spent so much time raving about.

Ouch! Maybe just a temporary lapse in judgement, eh?

I wouldn't be surprised if Barry really liked that one because Andrew Bird is a great songwriter, and shares sensibilities with many we both love. Of course, I may just be delusional as well. Your call. But anyone who can resist the abundant charms on display when playing Mysterious Eggs is a stronger person than me

she's got red lipstick
and a bright pair of shoes
knee high socks
what to cover a bruise
she's got an old death kit
she's been meaning to use
blood in her eyes in her eyes for you
she's got blood in her eyes for you

Now we just need to get him a copy of Picaresque

[BarryL]

Really? I don't know why I'm surprised at this. Your taste is quite diverse. I guess I just never expected you to listen to something that Davey has spent so much time raving about.

This one kept coming up as a favorite of people, and when Davey raved about the quality of the songwriting, I thought I'd look into it.

Also, any artist and title combination this good required a try (Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs).

I haven't had any time to investigate the lyrics, but the songs are catchy and innovative and folksy, and just offbeat enough to qualify as "art rock" in the vein of bands like XTC and Split Enz, but more folky and accoustic.

I'm not sure that I would rave as much as Davey about this one yet, but it's a good album and an interesting find. I don't have anything more to say about it yet, but I'll continue listening to it.

I'd be happy to let you take it for a test drive. You pay for the gas.

[Jim Clark]

I listened to a lot of stuff while taking breaks from ruining a guy's business....

I really like the new American Analog Set. Just finished listening to it again. Low key affair but not to be confused with the singer/songwriter stuff that I've had more than enough of. Lots of fuzziness and laid back melody. Pretty cool even though there's a filler track or two.

Also really enjoyed the new Abandonded Pools record, which I just got today in time for one quick spin before I posted. Reminds me of the good old days when "alternative" meant something. If you liked the first one, this one is highly recomended. If you missed the first one, shame on you.

Still digging Stars,"Set Yourself On Fire". I'd really like to see something challenge this for one of the top spots on year ending top ten list, that would be a real treat.

Got a Clap Your Hands Say Yeah bootleg that I've played quite a bit, it was fun as was a 2004 bootleg from the B-52's. Exceptional SQ from both.

Cut Copy was playing live in Lawrence last night and Madina tried to cajole me into making the trip. I made the poor choice of staying home to watch the MNF disaster. At least I got to watch the Chiefs get shellaced in HD.

Been putting a tubed CD player through it's paces and it's been a blast revisiting lots of stuff I haven't played in a while: Echoing Green, Paul Simon, Juno Reactor, The Pogues and of course the Ramones.

Oh, I almost forgot - I saw last year's A Perfect Circle release at the library and grabbed it on a whim. Awesome! I was thinking this was like Korn, Tool or some other crap that I don't care for. "The Noose" alone would have been in the running for my favorite song last year. If Slosh had told me how gothic this album was I'd have tried it sooner. APC rools. L, even my kids like it and that has them scared.

jc-over and out.