Tunesday?

[Davey]

You first.....but I will say that The National Cherry Tree is playing right now and it's making me a happy boy...hey, remember the Beat Farmers?

I was walkin' down the street on a sunny day
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
A feeling in my bones that I'll have my way
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba

Well I'm a happy boy (happy boy)
Well I'm a happy boy (happy boy)
Oh ain't it good when things are going your way, hey hey?

My little dog spot got hit by a car
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
Put his guts in a box and put him in a drawer
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba

Well I'm a happy boy (happy boy)
Well I'm a happy boy (happy boy)
Oh ain't it good when things are going your way, hey hey?

I forgot all about it for a month and a half
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba
I looked in the drawer and started to laugh
Hubba hubba hubba hubba hubba

Well I'm a happy boy (happy boy)
Well I'm a happy boy (happy boy)
Oh ain't it good when things are going your way, hey hey?

Ahhh, free association run amok....one of the unforeseen perils of my past (past?) over-indulgence in those evil "brain cell killing" adult beverages. I call it the Homer syndrome

[tentoze]

I haven't been playing nuttin but that awful Twilight Singers' She Loves You cd. It really sucks.

[Mr MidFi]

Dave, I remember that song. One of the local radio stations here used to play that every Friday. Funny as hell, and catchy too.

I've played the new REM, Around the Sun, a few times since last Tuesday, and it's growing on me (as virtually all REM eventually does). It's still striking me as more "tasteful" than "exciting," but sometimes that's not a bad thing. If you weren't wild about the last one (like I sorta was), you won't be giddy for this one either, so be advised.

The latest Wilco offering, A Ghost Is Born, continues to get spinnage from me. But this morning I played YHF in the car, and AGIB is no YHF. It has its moments, but it doesn't quite reach the same level.

Elf Pee was kind enough to send me a couple of discs, which I have been tracking on and off in the car for several days. I'm definitely liking disc 2 more than disc 1.

I put Radiohead - The Bends, The Strokes - Room on Fire, Best of Sessions at West 54th, Beth Orton - Daybreaker, and my own Saturday Coffee comp in the changer for a lengthy "spiral play" session on Sunday. It worked quite well.

I resurrected Beck's Sea Change from hiatus in the stacks, and gave it a close listen at ample volume. It had been a while. This sadly beautiful song-cycle reminded me of every doomed relationship that ever blew up in my face and sucked the life force right from my eye sockets (before I met Mrs. MidFi, of course). OK, I meant that to sound like a good thing.

Finally, the new EP of cover songs from Los Lobos has its moments too. The songs are eclectic and well-chosen, and the performances are solid too.

[Jim Clark]

Spent some time with the National myself. Awfully enjoyable bunch of toons if I do say so myself,oddly though, I don't seem to be by myself this time.

Also played (long, sorry!):

The Legends- Up Against The Legends My o' my do I ever love this disc. The CD sticker says "the love child of the Smiths and the Stone Roses". Apt enough I suppose but it's very difficult for me to understand the Lightning Seeds being left out of the birthing stew. Yes it's another of those that borrow heavily from several prominent and not so prominent bands of days gone by but for those inclined to like those bands will adore this record. The snap, clap, and tambourine driven percussion ignite enough energy to light up even the darkest rooms. Layered on top is an odd mixture of fuzzed out indie guitar (see Raveonettes and MBV amoung others)) and enough jangly guitar to set your heart racing. The resulting big pop wall of sound (see Phil Spector) Just try stay uninvolved during this record. At first the vocals proved to be a bit distracting owed to the vocal processing (see The Strokes). At times it's just slightly mechanical, and during others they add an almost cavernous echo. Luckily Johan Angergard's vocal somehow seem to transcend the overproduction here. I will mention that it doesn't really dertract, I'm just left wondering what he'd really sound like and I'm guessing good enough to not need the effects and conclude that it's just a stylistic device. Oddly it does turn out to be a stunning counterpoint to the unprocessed vocals of the female singer in an early track. I can heartily recomend this disc to pop lovers everywhere, it's fantastic.

I'll conclude by quoting the closing lines of the AMG review: "Up Against the Legends is the kind of stunning debut that makes you excited about the possibilities of pop music. So many bands have taken up the noise pop mantle in the early 2000s and failed to deliver, yet the Legends deliver and, as daring as it may be to say, improve upon the work of their forbears. Indie pop in 2004 doesn't get any better than this."

Razorlight which I'm still enjoying
SR-Snakebit
and also some incredible bootlegs. This Calexico show is the best sounding bootleg I've ever heard. It is a testament to what must have been and incredible show.

1: Pepita
2: Across the Wire
3: Quattro
4: Frontera/Trigger
5: Dub Latina
6: Sunken Waltz
7: El Picador
8: Not Even Stevie Nicks
9: Fade
10: Fatal Spring >
11: Close Behind
12: Woven Birds
13: Minas de Cobre
14: Spokes
15: Stray
16: Corona
17: Güero Canelo

Disk 2

1: Black Heart
2: Falling Rain*
3: Alone Again Or*
4: Cancion Del Mariachi
5: Crystal Frontier
6: Attack El Robot! Attack!

A ...trail of dead bootleg which sounds good but not as dynamic as the Calexico:
intro
Will You Smile Again
Worlds Apart
Relative Ways
Days of Being Wild
Caterwaul
Another Morning Stoner
Rest Will Follow
Aged Dolls
A Perfect Teenhood
Richter Scale Madness

and a couple of others that I can't find the tracklisting for at the moment.

jc

[Davey]

This Calexico show is the best sounding bootleg I've ever heard. It is a testament to what must have been and incredible show.

Wow, did that come from someone around here, JC? I'd love to get a copy of that too (hint hint). Your words about The Legends has me elevating that one to the top of my wishlist. Probably one of my next purchases so if you have any last minute disclaimers to add....now is the time

Hehehe, just kidding. Sounds killer. Here's my weekly rotating in review update....

The National Cherry Tree
This is just a 7 song EP with about 28 1/2 minutes of music. The first 5 songs are new and one is a live version of a song from the last LP and one is performed mainly by Australian labelmate and avant garde composer/performer Padma Newsome. If you like Interpol and the Tindersticks (and by extension Joy Division, Nick Cave, Scott Walker, Tom Waits, The Smiths, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen, etc, etc) then these guys from Brooklyn via Ohio might become one of your favorite new bands. They are one of mine. Beautiful EP. Saw a 5-star review of it in Uncut a couple months ago and they included a song on the CD sampler that month. Totally sold me! Time to look for the last full length.

I'm put together beautifully
Big wet bottle in my fist
Big wet rose in my teeth

I'm a perfect piece of ass
Like every Californian
So tall I take over the street

With high beams shining up my back
A wingspan unbelievable
I'm a festival
I'm a parade

And all the wine is all for me
And all the wine is all for me
And all the wine is all for me......

BTW, just did a search and the Uncut review is posted at http://www.talitres.com/TheNational_CT_Uncut_e.htm.

And that Vetiver debut CD is some very cool new folkie stuff along the same lines as Devendra Banhart (who plays second guitar) and Iron & Wine and all the others in this newly resurrected and now seemingly highly populated genre.

And the Buzzcocks! Singles Going Steady is such a great collection. What a classic! If you know pop-punk then you know this one, but if you don't....what a treat that would be to listen to this for the first time in 2004!

Girls Against Boys - House of GVSB
Still a mid 90s classic in my mind. Twin bass drivers and just enough of that dark and elusive snarl to make you think of something kind of seamy....but sexy.

Arcade Fire - Funeral
I like this one quite a bit, maybe not as much as some of the early reviewers, but still a lot. I wrote a little review at my site based on some of the things I already said here, so guess that's enough for now.

Also listened to Arto Lindsay Noon Chill and Moonbabies The Orange Billboard and probably a few others.

[Jim Clark]

Wow, did that come from someone around here, JC? I'd love to get a copy of that too (hint hint). Your words about The Legends has me elevating that one to the top of my wishlist. Probably one of my next purchases so if you have any last minute disclaimers to add....now is the time

Hehehe, just kidding. Sounds killer. Here's my weekly rotating in review update....

Actually I probably should have mentioned where it came from and it's the Live Archive site Swish brought to our attention a while back. Of course for my bud on dial up I'd love to send a copy his way. Who knows, maybe something else could find it's way down there as well.

http://www.archive.org/audio/etreelisting-browse.php?

[mad rhetorik]

Songs: Ohia: Magnolia Electric Co.
A really great rec, sent to me courtesy of Audiobill. "Farewell Transmission" is the best song that Neil Young never wrote, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Bark Psychosis: Hex
Jar sent this to me. I've only given it one spin thus far, but it's very similar to Talk Talk's last two albums. A bit more dissonant and a bit "busier" sounding than Laughing Stock (at least that was my first impression). I really need to listen to it again to unravel its subtleties.

Charlie Parker: The Bird Returns
I've heard tons of Charlie Parker (having grown up with my dad and an uncle who are big on jazz), but this is my first Parker on CD. Sound is kinda crappy (it was recorded live from a series of gigs in 1948-49), but the playing is fiery and inspired. Drummer Max Roach almost steals the show from the Bird on this one. No Diz though.

Tom Waits: Rain Dogs
Hoo boy, this is a magnificent rec. This is my first Tom Waits album, and I'm definitely going for more. Surprisingly, the classic "Downtown Train" is one of the weaker tracks on this album. My nods for best song include "Singapore," "Clap Hands," "Time," and "Anywhere I Lay My Head."

Others:
Skinny Puppy: Too Dark Park
Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material
Killing Joke: self-titled
Meat Puppets: II
McClusky: Do Dallas
The Pixies: Surfer Rosa

[Pat D]

LPs

Heinrich Biber, Six Sonatas for Two Trumpets, Strings, and Continuo. Philip Jones and John Wilbraham, trumpets; Joshua Rifkin, The Sinfonia of London String Ensemble. Nonesuch H-71172.

Works for Bassoon by Couperin, Corrette, Boismortier, and Devienne. George Zukerman, bassoon; Jorg Faerber, Wurttemburg Chamber Orchestra. Turnabout TV 34304.

CDs

Music of the Troubadors. Ensemble Unicorn, Oni Wytars. Naxos 8.554257

Codex Faenza, Instrumental Music of the Early XVth Century. Ensemble Unicorn. Naxos 8.553618

Chominciamento di gioa, Virtuoso dance-music from the time of Boccaccio’s Decameron. Naxos 8.553131

The World of the Harp. Susann McDonald, harp. Delos D/CD 3005

Debussy, La Mer, Nocturnes, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Ansermet, Suisse Romande Orchestra. Decca 414 040-2

Ippolitov-Ivanov, Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 37, Vespers, Op. 43. Boris Abalyan, Chamber Choir “Lege Artis” (St. Petersburg). Sony SMK 64 091

The Best of Peter, Paul and Mary/Ten Years Together. Warner Bros. 3105-2

[audiobill]

Songs: Ohia: Magnolia Electric Co.
A really great rec, sent to me courtesy of Audiobill. "Farewell Transmission" is the best song that Neil Young never wrote, and I mean that in the best possible way.

Bark Psychosis: Hex
Jar sent this to me. I've only given it one spin thus far, but it's very similar to Talk Talk's last two albums. A bit more dissonant and a bit "busier" sounding than Laughing Stock (at least that was my first impression). I really need to listen to it again to unravel its subtleties.

Charlie Parker: The Bird Returns
I've heard tons of Charlie Parker (having grown up with my dad and an uncle who are big on jazz), but this is my first Parker on CD. Sound is kinda crappy (it was recorded live from a series of gigs in 1948-49), but the playing is fiery and inspired. Drummer Max Roach almost steals the show from the Bird on this one. No Diz though.

Tom Waits: Rain Dogs
Hoo boy, this is a magnificent rec. This is my first Tom Waits album, and I'm definitely going for more. Surprisingly, the classic "Downtown Train" is one of the weaker tracks on this album. My nods for best song include "Singapore," "Clap Hands," "Time," and "Anywhere I Lay My Head."

Others:
Skinny Puppy: Too Dark Park
Stiff Little Fingers: Inflammable Material
Killing Joke: self-titled
Meat Puppets: II
McClusky: Do Dallas
The Pixies: Surfer Rosa

Hey, MadR.

It's always great when I discover an artist, for the first time, that many others are famililar with. Tom Waits is ultra-cool and ultra-good. Your choice of "Rain Dogs" is an excellent one. If you like "Rain Dogs", then you will not be disappointed with the rest of his output -- just avoid his "live" set "Big Time" (poor recording and disappointing). "Frank's Wild Years" might enhance your palate.

Cheers,
Bill

[MindGoneHaywire]

Been listening to the Green Day album a LOT. Far & away the best thing they've ever done. Actually the only real good rec start to finish I've ever heard them do. More significantly, a punk rock opera that doesn't suck, and that takes some doing. A great great song cycle in the Townshend mold, with a lift here or there, but overall so damn good it doesn't matter. The best record I've heard this year, nothing's even close for me.

Got the new Bebel Gilberto & the new Tom Waits and I've only heard both of 'em one time but they sound good, if not outstanding. I caught Waits on Letterman last week & he was in fine form. The Gilberto rec opens up with a cover of my favorite Os Mutantes song, 'Baby.'

Right now listening to Jill Sobule's Underdog Victorious. Outside of that one single I never really heard anything by her. Nice stuff, nothing earthshattering, but along the lines, I think, of some Aimee Mann. Who I've only heard in limited doses, but she has a rabid fan base. Less rockin' than the Juliana Hatfield rec, but kinda in the same vein also. I'll have to give the Eleni Mandell another spin also.

Watched the Ramones' "RAW" DVD. Great stuff...unlike Marky Ramone's horribly (un)-edited compilation of handheld video footage from the last 8 or 9 years of the Ramones on the road, there's a ton of great stuff interspersed on this. There was actually a frightening scene he captured on tape from the inside of a vehicle beseiged by fans in Argentina or Brazil somewhere that looked kind of dangerous. It was lost in the 'Ramones Around the World' thing because that's just a horrible watch, but here there's a bunch of stuff that even diehard fans won't have seen: a great performance from a festival in Italy in 1980; Uncle Floyd show clips; a segment with Gilbert Gottfried from USA's Up All Night; some of their appearance on the old Howard Stern TV show from 1991; footage from Bono presenting them with some Lifetime Achievement Award from MTV or VH1 or something; the induction ceremony at the RnR HOF a couple of years ago; a local television piece on the dedication of a street name on Joey Ramone day last November. Very nice selection of extras here too.

And the Best Of Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds on DVD. Haven't made it through the whole thing yet, but how can you go wrong? I'd never even seen a video by these guys prior to this. Now, I'm not going to say that videos are their strong suit, or anything, but it is interesting nonetheless. And even if all the clips are as deadly dull as the ones I did see, this guy's still a superb songwriter, one of the very best out there today. Anyone who disagrees should be pinned down & forced to listen to the Birthday Party, but I'll settle for asking them nicely to listen to 'Red Right Hand' or 'Henry Lee' or 'Deanna' or perhaps Johnny Cash's version of 'The Mercy Seat.' And that probably won't change their mind anyway, but I won't care.

[nobody]

I'll also say if you like Rain Dogs, go immediately to Swordfishtrombones. That anf Frank's Wild Years are the closest two to Rain Dogs in his catalog. Swordfishtrombones is my personal choice of the three. I've probably listened to that thing about a thousand times over the years.

Anyway, for a late list this week...

Lou Reed: Animal Serenade
A gentle answqer to the old Rock 'n' Roll Animal. Lou's got a great band here, sans drummer, so everything flows nicely across two discs. Excellent song selection that spans the years. I'm still a bit uncertain about the way he shares vocals with a real smooth voiced Anthony, but overall a good listen. Probably not a real starting point for newbies, but fans will enjoy it.

RJD2: Since We Last Spoke
A departure from his debut. He starts off with some guitar based rock stuff and features quite a bit of vocals. I have mixed reactions throughout. When he blends his new sounds with his strengths from the old one, as when he layers the guitars over his old style beats in several moments, it really works. Unfortunately, at times, it just comes across kinda flat. Strong moments though keep this one afloat.

Diplo: Florida
If you liked the fiorst RJD2, this one is more similar than RJs followup. Instrumental hip hop of a high quality. A solid debut. If you go to turntablelab.com, you can get it in a package deal with a very good 12" and a fun DVD mix. If this is your kinda thing, this is a good choice.

Tom Waits: Real Gone
First listen was so-so, 2nd listen got better, I'm into it now. As written just about everywhere, it follows the progression of his recent stuff. Echoes of bone Machine and Mule Variations taken further still. I can't see that I'll rank this one as one of the classic Waits albums, but it will get plenty of listens around here.

Talib Kweil: The Beautiful Struggle
I've been seeing this one get slagged a biut, aling with the new Mos Def, for going too mainstream, but ya know what, I like this a lot. Sure, the productions are a bit more elaborate and it ebbs and flows more, but the sounds are good to me. The later half of this one mellows out and flows along really nicely. Thje closing title track is fantastic.

Bjork: Medulla
OK...for fans only on this one. Some of the heavy breathing is pretty interesting. Her fans will surely enjoy that. Not as strong as Vespertine, but an interesting listen. When she mixes in some electronics over the voices, it seems to work better than when she makes the acapella stuff carry the whole weight.

More, but I'm getting tired of writing. Listened to that Legends and liked it a bunch, heard the Clash: London Calling special edition and was disappointed in the extra tracks, played some Chriss Isacs and wondered how he doesn't get more credit than he seems to, finally heard the My Bloody Valentine that came out before Loveless and was pretty impressed, played some Pixies, some Dizzee Rascal, a bunch of old industrial stuff before seeing Ministry and Thrill Kill Kult...

[Davey]

Oh yeah, got the new comp from Mike last night along with a cool bonus disc. Listening to the comp right now and I'm about halfway through and this is really nice. Thanks Mike! That Faithless song really stands out on first pass but all sounds good so far. Is that Dido on backing vox? Sounds kind of like Protection-era Massive Attack. Nice transition into the Earlies song. Well done! Fun stuff

[Dave_G]

Men Without Hats - Rhythym of Youth/Folk of the Eighties. A cdr copy of the Oglio two-on-one cd. Man I love this stuff. Cheesy synth pop at it's best.

I saw this band too live and they were excellent, they opened up for Icehouse. A dream come true gig for me, back in the day.

Queen - News of the World - MFSL cd.

Ultravox - Rage in Eden.

Jethro Tull - A Passion Play. I love Tull but do not dig this album. Can't describe what it is about it that I don't like, but it just doesn't do it for me. Oh, MFSL too.

A few Camel cd's - I can see your House from Here and Raindances. I like Camel music.

IQ - Subterenea live. A good 2 cd set of neo prog from one of my favorite bands.

Flower Kings - Adam and Eve - I like this band and this cd. I hope I get to see them again sometime.

Genesis - The Lamb.

Genesis - Nursery Cryme.

Love,

Dave

[Dusty Chalk]

Mnemic, The Audio Injected Soul and Mechanical Spin Phenomena -- this is excellent for me. Extreme metal, proggy variety, screamed vocals (in the "emo" style, combined with the occasional clean ones)...but it's the music that gets me.

Anti-Depressive Delivery, Feel. Melt. Release. Escape. -- also proggy, not as hard, not screamed, excellent use of retro keys.

Solex, The Laughing Stock of Indie Rock -- I liked it better than that other album of hers that I got.

On!Air!Library! -- pretty good, from the school of "post rock" and what I have taken to calling "the new instrumentalism" (Album Leaf, Tristeza, Friends of Dean Martinez, etc.), yet it has vocals, so doesn't technically qualify.

Melvins + Lustmord, Pigs of the Roman Empire -- I read a review that said this was the Melvins' most accessible release yet. Well, even if it is, it still ain't accessible. Mestilldigs.

Animal Collective, Sung Tongs -- you like this? It's silly. It sounds like people experimenting in the studio and releasing whatever they come up with. Are the rest of their albums this silly? If so, I won't pursue further, but there are still elements here that if, implemented correctly, could pique my interest more.

Dirty Three, Ocean Songs -- I'll definitely be checking these guys out further. Neo-classical.

Jack Dangers, Forbidden Planet Explored/Sci-Fi Sound Effects -- when I put in the second disk, I thought I had mistakenly played the first disk again. Beeeeewwwwwyyyyyooooooooooop! Whoosh! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuuuuuuuwwww! Bloooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrrrp!

Medigs!

The Hacker, Mélodies en sous-sol -- this is the guy behind one of the Miss Kittin records, darker, more industrial-ish. Melikes. A lot.

The Fiery Furnaces, Blueberry Boat and Gallowsbird's Bark -- now this is silliness I can enjoy. G'sB is a little more raw, a little less schizophrenic than BB, but I like them both a lot.

Jim White, Dig a Hole in the Substrate... -- another recording y'all probably wouldn't associate with me, being lyric-heavy and all, but for some reason I do.

Hexentanz, Nekorcrafte -- If you're familiar with The Soil Bleeds Black and Psychonaut 75 (there are 74 others?), then you can probably predict what this will sound like -- a little darker than anything on the Projekt label, but still would fit right in.

Butterfly Messiah, Eternal -- gothy/dancey. What else you gotta know? It's good.

LOTW: White Willow, Storm Season -- prog. Easily my favourite album by them yet. It's just so much darker than Sacrament, plus I enjoy it's harder-ness. And the keys. Yes, this was a good week for me.

Lots of Piazzolla and Morricone.

[MindGoneHaywire]

Forgot to mention the Honeydogs! Cripes! Good record. I hear shades of Beck, which is funny to me in a way, but I dig.

You know what else is funny? The Zombies' 'Time Of The Season' is all of a sudden real popular around these parts right now. Hee hee hee, anyone know why?