Tuesday Toons!

What have you listened to of note this week, gang?

Porcupine Tree- Deadwing. I've spun it a few times now. I think it's a grower. My initial reaction was . . . kinda bored. It just didn't feel as texturally interesting as the earlier albums. Like everything is being played on all white keys instead of all black ones.

This album did not whallop me in the head, first spin, right out of the gate the way all the other albums did. Surprised? Not really. Clearly, the band is searching for a wider audience so they're gonna be more homogeneous with their sound.

I like it, and I may end up loving it in the coming weeks. But today, it's not album of the year material for me. Gimme some time with it.

BTW, forgot to mention that the disc doesn't play in my office player. It makes a rubbing sound and quits about halfway through, if it even plays at all. Plays fine in the 'puter. Good thing I have it running thru the amp in my office . . .

Other stuff:
Rupert Hine- Immunity Classic weird 1979 vintage melding of progrock sensibilty and new wave quirk.

Brian Wilson- Smile Vaudvillian. Impeccable production.

Cardiacs- Songs for Ships and Irons Fans of Oingo Boingo or The Stranglers would dig this.

Dave Gilmour. Brilliant solo album from Pink Floyd guitarist. Low key and psychedelic. Very Pink, but with out all the angst and melodrama.

Jethro Tull- Thick as a Brick Anyone else think side 2 sounds too much like side 1?

Bowie- Low Side 1 is some of Bowie's best, side 2, some of his worst.

Too much music, too little listening time. I squeezed in the following new-to-me things on Saturday alone:

1) Townes Van Zandt, At My Window
2) Sam Cooke, Live At The Harlem Square Club 1963
3) Vic Chesnutt, Is The Actor Happy
4) Laura Nyro, Walk The Dog & Light The Light
5) Laura Nyro, The Loom’s Desire
6) Slaid Cleaves, Wishbones
7) Laura Veirs, Troubled By Fire
8) Laura Veirs, The Triumphs & Trials Of Orphan Mae
9) Sufjan Stevens, Illinois
10) Okkervil River, Black Sheep Boy
11) Springsteen, Devils & Dust
12) Otis Redding, The Ultimate
13) Doc & Merle Watson, Lonesome Road
14) Doc & Merle, Pickin’ The Blues
15) Ellen McIlwaine, Spontaneous Combustion
16) Eliza Gilkyson, Undressed
17) Kieran Kane, Dead Reckoning
18) Elliot Murphy, Soul Surfing
19) Webb Wilder, About Time<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tentoze

9) Sufjan Stevens, Illinois

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Is this out?

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Originally Posted by Stone

Is this out?

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Apparently not until 7/5. The first 20 minutes or so drew me in; after about 45 minutes, I was getting distracted; after an hour or so, I stopped it. It's at least 1/2 hour too long, IMO, with a lot of short-ditty filler. And the religious content of the lyrics started getting a bit much for my tastes. YMMV.

For the most part, it's been a mellow week for me.

Lot's of Al Stewart (the concert is this Thursday and I can't wait!).
Between the Wars
Rhymes in Rooms - this is a live album featuring Peter White on guitar. If you're a fan of acoustic guitar you have to hear this CD. Some amazing, amazing guitar moments.
Time Passages
Past, Present and Future

Ryan Adams - Gold - Great CD. Goodnight Hollywood Blvd has become a serious earworm. I hummed it as I fell asleep last night.

Kings Of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak - Before buying this I checked it out on a listening station. I made the mistake of only listening to the first few tracks. After a full spin I concluded that I like the first few tracks but absolutely hated the second half of the disk. I'll give it another spin in a few weeks to see if I change my mind, but so far I'm regretting spending money on this one.

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing - What Troy said. It's growing on me, but my initial reaction was that it was boring.

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia - I needed to compare the new PT to the last PT. No comparison. In Absentia rules!!!

Los Lonely Boys - All I could think, as I listened to this, was how much Finch would hate it. :D I liked it. It suits a certain mood. But I can certainly see it becoming very tiresome if played too often.

Jackson Browne - Ah, my newly rediscovered love. :)
Running on Empty - A classic
The Naked Ride Home - I didn't like this much when I first bought it. After not hearing it for a year or two, I enjoyed it much better this time 'round.

The Rheostatics - 2067 - This one is still getting regular play around here.

...Trail of Dead - World's Apart - Another new one still getting heavy rotation.

Recent Discs:

1. Porcupine Tree - In Absentia

2. Tom Petty - Echo

3. The Clash - London Calling

4. Neil Young - Harvest

5. Medeski, Martin & Wood - End of World Party

6. Miles Davis - Birth of Cool

7. Drive-by Truckers - Decoration Day

8. The Zutons - Who killed the . . .

9. Chuck Prophet - Age of Miracles

10. Stanton Moore - Flyin' the Koop

11. The Walkmen - Everyone who pretended to . . .

12. Damien Rice - O

13. Spoon - Kill the Moonlight

14. Pinback - Summer in Abaddon

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ForeverAutumn

For the most part, it's been a mellow week for me.

Lot's of Al Stewart (the concert is this Thursday and I can't wait!).
Between the Wars
Rhymes in Rooms - this is a live album featuring Peter White on guitar. If you're a fan of acoustic guitar you have to hear this CD. Some amazing, amazing guitar moments.
Time Passages
Past, Present and Future

Ryan Adams - Gold - Great CD. Goodnight Hollywood Blvd has become a serious earworm. I hummed it as I fell asleep last night.

Kings Of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak - Before buying this I checked it out on a listening station. I made the mistake of only listening to the first few tracks. After a full spin I concluded that I like the first few tracks but absolutely hated the second half of the disk. I'll give it another spin in a few weeks to see if I change my mind, but so far I'm regretting spending money on this one.

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing - What Troy said. It's growing on me, but my initial reaction was that it was boring.

Porcupine Tree - In Absentia - I needed to compare the new PT to the last PT. No comparison. In Absentia rules!!!

Los Lonely Boys - All I could think, as I listened to this, was how much Finch would hate it. :D I liked it. It suits a certain mood. But I can certainly see it becoming very tiresome if played too often.

Jackson Browne - Ah, my newly rediscovered love. :)
Running on Empty - A classic
The Naked Ride Home - I didn't like this much when I first bought it. After not hearing it for a year or two, I enjoyed it much better this time 'round.

The Rheostatics - 2067 - This one is still getting regular play around here.

...Trail of Dead - World's Apart - Another new one still getting heavy rotation.

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if you dont want to keep the KOL album you can always just send it over my way. ive been meaning to pick it up.

Tool - Lateralus
System of a Down - Toxicity
White Stripes - Elephant
Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze (2 words…hippo balls)
Yes - The Yes Album
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Outkast - Aquemini
Screaming Trees - Sweet Oblivion


comps:
A Pionic Molt - Finch
Supertramp sampler - moi

PTree 'Deadwing' - First impression was that it was very even album, nothing (other than song 5, Arriving) was stellar yet the rest sounded only a few notches below their best stuff. Wondering if this was positioned as a 'gateway' release, made to appeal to a wider audience that'll subsequently explore the back catalog maybe. I find PTree to be excellent buzzed car ride music, will put it to that test over the weekend. Was able to copy the CD after ignoring the 'enter text' message that initially popped up.

The essential Ozzie Osbourne - two ceedees of the Ozzster's best.
White Willow 'Storm Season' - like the heavier direction they took.
Univers Zero 'Uzed' -like a soundtrack for that recurring nightmare you had as a kid. Really 'out there', but that's where the good fruit is eh?

The Flaming Lips 'Yoshime battles the pink robots'
Pallas 'The cross and the crucible' - Not bad, not great.
Frank Zappa 'One size fits all' - beginning to regret this purchase.
Happy the man 'The muse awakens' -took seeing them perform this live, plus several listens before getting into it. Really turning into toe tapper material.

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Originally Posted by richmon

Happy the man 'The muse awakens' -took seeing them perform this live, plus several listens before getting into it. Really turning into toe tapper material.

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Never saw Happy The Man but have heard plenty of people talk about them. I know Kit Watkins briefly played in, and toured with Camel back in the 80s. which brings me to some of what I've been listening to the last couple days:


Colin Bass (Camel's Bass player) - An Outcast Of The Islands
Mostly Autumn - Catch The Spirit
Beverly Craven - (self titled cd)
Chris Rea - Auberge
The Beatles - Rubber Soul
Walter Trout and the Radicals - Relentless
Alan Parsons Live Project - Live at BB Kings in NYC
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express
OSI - Office of Strategic Influence

This week's listens include:

Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter - Reckess Burning, and Oh, My Girl Both are outstanding albums. I've spun both 3 or 4 times this week.

Ryan Adams - Rock & Roll

Mary Gauthier - Mercy Now (my fav of 2K5 so far)

Iris Dement - Infamous Angel

Beth Orton - The Other Side of Daybreak

John Hiatt - Best of MCA Years

Decemberists - Castaways & Cutouts, The Tain, Her Majesty, & Picaresque

Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Ave.

Ben Harper & the Blind Boys of Alabama - There Will Be A Light



JD

Nine Inch Nails, With Teeth -- NIN for the pre-denture set? I dig it.

Oneiroid Psychosis, Forever is Forgotten -- their most accomplished album ever, lots of melodramatic interludinal stuff.

New Order, Waiting for the Sirens' Call -- dig it, but it's no more a return to form than Get Ready, which I also enjoyed, but impossible to compare with 'Low Life' and/or Power Corruption & Lies

Emergence, Eschaton -- saw this band live, and this album quite captures their energy. More literate than I realized at the show.

Flesh Field, Strain -- still my favourite album from last year of the genre (industrial), but realizing the audio quality kinda sucks

Depeche Mode Remixes 1980 to 2004 - 3 discs of remixes might be too much even for a fan but you can cherry pick some great sounds from this collection.

Joanna Newsom - Milk Eyed Mender
Kaiser Chiefs - Employment
Athelete - Tourist
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm

Jackson Browne, recent talk of him on the board made me pick out a comp I made a while ago and it struck me how consistent his music and especially his vocals are throughout the mix which covers over 25 years. I saw him live a couple of years ago with a full band but the highlight of the show was a little section with just him and keyboards he was outstanding.

Now I've got my DVD burner working here's a few I've abused recently

Blue Man Group - The Complex Tour, what a wacky show with great sonics

JJ Cale - In Session, great Sunday morning music, JJ is so laid back he's horizontal

U2 - Live At Slane Castle, I like U2 but I'm not a huge fan but I would love to see them live without a doubt they are currently the worlds biggest touring rock band

Eric Clapton - Crossroads, 3 days slimmed down to two DVD's but still features the worlds greatest living guitarists. But I can't understand why they had to make Layla
A hidden track, in fact so called hidden tracks in general are just a pain why do they still bother surely the novelty has worn off by now

Cheers
Mike

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mike

Blue Man Group - The Complex Tour, what a wacky show with great sonics

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I picked this DVD up at Christmas, and just got to watch it last week. You're right it is "wacky". I still have not watched the whole thing, but I loved the spot where they made it appear that the camera went down the audience members throat!

I kept wondering how these performers breath? They never seem to open their mouths. Can they really be getting enough air thru their nostrils? They sure do move around quite a bit.

Hey Dusty, at one time you recc'ed the album Melodica by Frost. I still have it on my wishlist. Wondering if you're still digging it?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tentoze

Too much music, too little listening time. I squeezed in the following new-to-me things on Saturday alone:

1) Townes Van Zandt, At My Window
2) Sam Cooke, Live At The Harlem Square Club 1963
3) Vic Chesnutt, Is The Actor Happy
4) Laura Nyro, Walk The Dog & Light The Light
5) Laura Nyro, The Loom’s Desire
6) Slaid Cleaves, Wishbones
7) Laura Veirs, Troubled By Fire
8) Laura Veirs, The Triumphs & Trials Of Orphan Mae
9) Sufjan Stevens, Illinois
10) Okkervil River, Black Sheep Boy
11) Springsteen, Devils & Dust
12) Otis Redding, The Ultimate
13) Doc & Merle Watson, Lonesome Road
14) Doc & Merle, Pickin’ The Blues
15) Ellen McIlwaine, Spontaneous Combustion
16) Eliza Gilkyson, Undressed
17) Kieran Kane, Dead Reckoning
18) Elliot Murphy, Soul Surfing
19) Webb Wilder, About Time<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

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How is this disc? Slaid Cleaves, Wishbones I dig that song.

fp

Pretty good rootsy Texas tunes- it sounds like he's still maturing as a song-writer to me, but overall, I like the cd a lot.

Herbie Hancock Future Shock
Pink Floyd Relics
Tortoise Standards
Cloud Chamber Dark Matter
Kraftwerk The Man Machine(so old school it rocks)
Bowie Hunky Dory
Do or Die Headz or Tailz(If you dont know, then you never will)
Cosmicity Pure
Others as well