WAKE UP!!!!! It's Tunesday!

[ForeverAutumn]

Not a big list for me this week. But here it is in case anyone still cares

Metallica - S/T
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Dream Theater - Octavarium
Matchbook Romance - Voices
...Trail of Dead - Worlds Apart
Snow Patrol - Final Straw
Jeff Buckley - Grace

A couple of Blue Rodeo comps that I made a few years back, Rockin' The Rodeo and Singin' The Blue

That's all that I can think of right now.

On another Tuesday note... After what seems to me like a slow start to the year, there are some interesting new releases today that I'll be picking up later this afternoon...
Jeff Martin's (singer for The Tea Party) solo disk.
Sam Robert's new disk.
Death Cab For Cutie DVD.

[Stone]

You beat me to it.

Wake up! Won't you listen to me.
Wake up! Won't you listen to me.
Won't you listen to me!
Wake up! Won't you listen to me.
Wake up! Won't you listen to me.
Won't you listen to me!

[MasterCylinder]

Beatles -- One
Beatles -- White Album
Beach Boys -- Holland
Starship -- Greatest Hits
Liszt -- Hungarian Rhapsodies
Carlos -- Switched-On Bach
Wilson/Gann -- Cat Vomit

[-Jar-]

I don't get stuck on one song very often, but for some reason I've spun Rage Against the Machine's "Wake Up!" about 20 times this past week. I know it rips off "Kashmir" at the beginning but that song just plain rocks. Plus, the main riff is VERY Kyuss-like. It kicks off RPM's "Compus Roolus Maximus" nicely and it also decided to use to kick off one of my new comps. Man I have about 5 comps going on the computer right now..

I bought the Lips MYSTICS this week. I need to give it a few more listens before I can speak in detail about it. Didn't really listen to too much else. Just been listening to the songs on my computer on random.

-jar

[Dusty Chalk]

LOTW: far and away, the new Katatonia -- a continuation of their already successful formula of dark hard rock, though I still think I like Last Fair Deal Gone Down better, but I think this might be second after that (yes, even more than Tonight's Decision). Fidelity is a lot better than the new Amorphis disk, too.

New Prince -- melikes.

Wakeman, Cost of Living -- an under-rated masterpiece, one of his best solo albums -- not the grandiosity of Myths and Legends... or Journey..., but just a bunch of pop/rock songs. The thing that gets me is the range, and the sense of humour. Songs like "Monkey Nuts" and "Bedtime Stories" are just silly, but he has the kahunas to contrast that against a short ditty ("Twij"), a rockin' instrumental ("Shakespeare Run"), a vocal rocker or two ("Pandamonia", "One for the Road", "Happening Man") a beautifully lyrical introspective instrumental ("Gone but Not Forgotten"), and the finale, an extended spoken word piece against a very nice bed of cinematic music ("Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard"). Superb beyond words.

Lots of classical music -- Byron Jamis, Hélène Grimaud, et al. Hélène Grimaud, in particular, is blowing me away with her ability to capture the essence of tracks. Quickly becoming my pianist of choice (Chopin, Rachmaninoff), and introducing me to some music that I would not have otherwise listened to in the process (Brahms, Schumann, etc.).

[noddin0ff]

Mine are kid influenced. Turns out my 2 year old really likes the first track from Robyn Hitchcock’s latest Spooked. The track has the lyrics "Bing-a-bong-a-bing-bong, bing-bong" and some nice verse where he sustains a note. Good for toddler sing along. It’s also very pleasingly dreamy with good lyrics that the kids won’t really get but keeps the adult engaged for say the first 43 listenings.

Despite the fact that I've listened to this track (Television) about 50 times this week in the car on the way to daycare, I still really like this album and would rank it among his best. My choice tracks are
01 Television
04 English Girl (nice word play)
06 Creeped Out
09 Trying to get to Heaven (beautiful)

Also on the kid side, from They Might Be Giants, I recommend Here Come the ABC's. I have the DVD which is great, and I was going to rip the audio from it, but then TMBG have their own store where you can download the album in MP3 or FLAC. So I did (flac).
http://www.theymightbegiants.com/
MP3's are at 250kbps

These are all songs about the Alphabet. They are interesting enough for adults and catchy for kids. There’s some lessons in there. For instance the song “LMNO” contains the lyrics ’LMNO are four letters, not one!’ and “QU” talks about how QU are always a pair with examples of words.

It’s uneven as an album, but difficult to predict what would appeal to an individual adult or child. Its fun in typical TMBG style. I suppose its better with the video, however, with some pick-and-choosing you can mix a pretty good selection of the 25 tracks that will make any kid or adult happy.

At the end of the Alphabet inspired tracks are two more. One title “Clap Your Hands” is infectiously happy and is 8000 times better than ‘If you’re happy and you know it…” Every kid will move to ‘Clap your Hands”, I guarantee it.

[dean_martin]

I'm wide awake, it's...Tunesday!

The past week I've been playing with new tubes in my phono stage and I've listened to several tracks over and over. The most played track has been Train Under Water from I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes.

Others included: I Turn My Camera On, My Mathematical Mind, Delicate Place and Sister Jack from Spoon's Gimme Fiction.

Second side of Now Here's Johnny Cash.

In the car I've been listening to an 80's comp, a comp entitled Best of Cosmic America and Buena Vista Social Club.

Not a lot of variety this week at home, but some concentrated listening. I've watched a lot of movies though!

[Jim Clark]

I've been playing the Appleseed Cast album so much that I had to get out today to grab the Pretty Girls Make Graves release just to get it out of the player. It took about three listens to really appreciate the Appleseed Cast album and there's a couple of places where I would have axed the noodling but there are some awesome songs on this disc and to be honest, it's the first really good album I've listened to this year. Pretty sad state of affairs when Davey has to turn me on to a band that's from a town 30 minutes away and does the lions share of their recording 20 minutes away.

PGMG was the second album of 2006 that I really like. Stone turned me on to this band and while I don't think it's going to thrill the main crowd around here Dustychalk, Stone, Davey, and probably a couple of the coolest like Audiobill and Nobody have a decent chance of liking it. BTW, Nobody, You should be getting a package soon.

Still have the Calexico album in shrink wrap but that should change at some point tonight.

Peace - Out

jc

[Slosh]

Built To Spill - You In Reverse (rawks!!)
Calexico - Garden Ruin
Tapes 'n Tapes - The Loon (betcha didn't see that one coming )
Loose Fur - Born Again In The USA
Willie Nile - Streets Of NY
Silversun Pickups - Pikul
Deftones - Adrenaline (rawks!!, still)
Spoon - Telephono
Enon - High Society
Grandaddy - Under The Western Freeway
Bowie - Scary Monsters
Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
Days Of The New - II

[tentoze]

Not much of interest here, as usual. On a whim, I picked up

Willy Mason~ Where The Humans Eat, I guess because the title intrigued me. Turns out it isn't very recent, it's like a year & 1/2 old, but that's the best part about it. A 20-ish yr old singer/songwriter that isn't very talented at either.

Townes Van Zandt~ Be Here To Love Me- 2 cd companion to the bio-pic released last year. 29 tracks, a few of which I actually had never heard before, and I thought I'd heard every song Townes ever wrote at least once. Mixture of live and studio recordings from various points in his career- the sound quality is at least as good as, and more often much better than, any other Townes recording I've heard.

Did I mention lately that Willie Nile's Streets of New York kicks a$$?

[Davey]

Built To Spill - You In Reverse (rawks!!)

Yeah, I was hoping to nab an early copy of that last week when I was out but they didn't have it in yet. Definitely wanna hear it sooner than later. I was fondling the double 180 gm LP of that Loose Fur album last time I was out. Very nice package, but at almost $20 I just fondled it discreetly in the store. Still a good price for what you get, unless just hearing the music is all you care about. So much cool vinyl out now.

Pretty sad state of affairs when Davey has to turn me on ...

Yeah, that is sad, but remember this is a public forum buddy

Hey, I'm really liking the new Cast too. Don't think they recorded this one in your playground, though. Cannon Falls, Minnesota at Pachyderm Recording Studios is what they say. Got kind of an odd sound with some strange distortion effects. But some of it is pretty hypnotic. I can see it growing big for me too.

[Jim Clark]

Yeah, that is sad, but remember this is a public forum buddy

Hey, I'm really liking the new Cast too. Don't think they recorded this one in your playground, though. Cannon Falls, Minnesota at Pachyderm Recording Studios is what they say. Got kind of an odd sound with some strange distortion effects. But some of it is pretty hypnotic. I can see it growing big for me too.

Saw Eudora on there for something so it wasn't all in Minnesota. Lemme go downstairs and grab it.....

Nope, some of it done in Lawrence and some of it done in Eudora as well. Looks like a lot of the final touches, backing vocals, aux. instruments, keys, percussion. Not that it makes a darn bit of difference, if it's good it's good.

jc

[Slosh]

Yeah, I was hoping to nab an early copy of that last week when I was out but they didn't have it in yet. Definitely wanna hear it sooner than later.

Can you handle 99MB? YSI now is limiting files to 100MB at a time (was 1GB before) so I had to compress it down to 256kbps wma

[code] http://download.yousendit.com/68B040550D114D88 [/code]

Loose Fur really grew on me quite quickly. "Thou Shalt Wilt" is going on a comp soon as I get around to buying a legit copy.

[Davey]

Nope, some of it done in Lawrence and some of it done in Eudora as well. Looks like a lot of the final touches, backing vocals, aux. instruments, keys, percussion. Not that it makes a darn bit of difference, if it's good it's good.

jc

Ah, that makes sense. Get away to a new place for inspiration to lay down the main tracks, and then bring it back to the comfort of home to finish it off. Pretty nice high quality digipak, although it doesn't stay closed very well when new. I'm sure many fans like myself probably cringed a bit when we spied the silly AMG quote on the edge cover slip, "America's closest answer to Radiohead", but that's easily tossed and forgotten soon enough.

Can you handle 99MB? YSI now is limiting files to 100MB at a time (was 1GB before) so I had to compress it down to 256kbps wma

Thanks, but no. BTS is an auto buy for me. No need to preview. Like I said above, I like to fondle my music

Just need to get out to the store again and nab it. Bunch of good lookin stuff comin out this month and early next.

[audiobill]

A light music week for me:

Ron Sexsmith's Blue Boy

Antony & the Johnsons' I Am A Bird Now

The Tragically Hip - A Night in Toronto

Oliver - soundtrack to the movie

Cheers,

Bill

[BradH]

Same old stuff. Not in an indie mood lately.

Yes - Best Of Wembley 1977 (audience)
Neil Young - Comes A Time
Bo Diddley - Jungle Music
Allman Brothers - Hittin' The Note
David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name
Procol Harum - Grand Hotel
Sonny Landreth - South of I-10
Prince - The Black Album
Best of Booker T & The MG's
Nipples Of Stipe - Mood Indie Go!

I made that last one up.

Maybe.

[-Jar-]

Yeah, that is sad, but remember this is a public forum buddy

Hey, I'm really liking the new Cast too. Don't think they recorded this one in your playground, though. Cannon Falls, Minnesota at Pachyderm Recording Studios is what they say. Got kind of an odd sound with some strange distortion effects. But some of it is pretty hypnotic. I can see it growing big for me too.

I should have bought that instead of the new Flaming Lips

[Dusty Chalk]

Oh, forgot to mention, Adrian Belew, Side One.

Kicks serious eras. "Writing on the Wall" is like a Remain in Light outtake, "Matchless Man" is like an early 80's era Crim outtake, the opening squeal makes me want to give up synths entirely...

Side Three comes out next week, and I don't even have Side Two yet. If it's anywhere near half as good as this, I'll be happy.

[Snowbunny]

Van Lear Rose - Loretta Lynne (Jack White)

I forced myself to listen to this one a couple of three times at work this week. Although it wouldn't make my top 50, it is definitely a grower. The more you listen the more you feel Jack's influence. If Loretta's song-story Little Red Shoes doesn't pull at your heartstrings, well.... you may need to be re-strung.

Eleni Mandell - Snakebite - Why isn't she a huge success????

Death Cab for Cutie - Something About Airplanes

Nick Drake - Way to Blue (compilation) - I'm afraid he bores me.

Hawksley Workman - Treeful of Starling

Yippee! The reall Hawksley is back after that horrid Lover/Fighter where the record execs tried to make him radio-friendly! And I got the Limited edition with collectible cards that was sold out on his website at Walmart for 15.98!!!

I'm saving this sucker for my vaction next week!

Rilo Kiley - More Adventurous - Great range from blues to rock to emo to pop! Must get some Jenny Lewis!

Do you think this Rilo Kiley song is about Bush?

It's A Hit

Any chimp can play human for a day.
Use his opposable thumbs to iron his uniform
and run for office on election day
fancy himself a real decision maker
and deploy more troops than salt in a shaker.

But it's a jungle when war is made,
and you'll panic and throw your own **** at the enemy.
The camera pulls back to reveal your true identity.
Look, it's a sheep in wolf's clothing.
A smoking gun holding ape.

Any ******* can open up a museum.
Put all of the things he loves on display
so everyone could see them.
The house, a car, a thoughtful wife
ordinary moments in his ordinary life.

But if she breaks a smile, she'll give you away
'cause no one wants to pay to see your happiness.
No one wants to pay to see your day to day
and I'm not buying it either
but I'll try selling it anyway.

Any idiot can play Greek for a day
and join a sorority or write a tragedy
and articulating all that pain
and maybe you'll get paid.

But it's a sin when success complains,
and your writers block-it don't mean ****.
Just throw it against the wall and see what sticks.
Gotta write a hit
I think this is it.
It's a hit.

And if it's not,
then it's a holiday for hanging
yeah it's a holiday for hanging
yeah it's a holiday for hanging
yeah shoo-bop-shoo-bop my baby

Any fool can play executioner for a day,
and say with fingers pointed in both directions
'he went thataway',
It's only a switch or syringe,
aww, exempt from eternal sins.
But you still wear a cross,
and you think you're gonna get in.

Ah, but the pardons never come from up-stairs.
They're always a moment too late,
but it's entertainment
keep the crowd on their toes,
it's justice, we're safe.
It's not a hit, it's a holiday
shoo-bop-shoo-bop my baby

It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah
It's a holiday for hanging, yeah

I'm a holiday for hanging,
I'm a holiday for hanging,
I'm a holiday yeah
I'm a holiday for hanging,


It's a holiday for hanging, yeah

SB

[Snowbunny]

I should have bought that instead of the new Flaming Lips

Oh, I've heard rumours. Is it really that bad, Jar?

[Stone]

Nick Drake - Way to Blue (compilation) - I'm afraid he bores me.

SB

I suppose the next thing you're going to tell us is that you're a huge Jeff Buckley fan, too.

[Snowbunny]

I suppose the next thing you're going to tell us is that you're a huge Jeff Buckley fan, too.

Oh puh-leeze! Isn't there a Junior Buckley, too? I did try. Here's some other I consider snooze-worthy:

Beck - Sea Change (only one I have)
Ron Sexsmith (I'll mention him in spite of a little maple leaf guilt)
The Cowboy Junkies

Give me some time and I'll think of some more.

Snowie

Hey Davey, if you read this, and we know you will - WTH is going on on the cover of Geek the Girl?

[Davey]

Hey Davey, WTH is going on on the cover of Geek the Girl?

Oh puh-leeze! Like you've never been in bed with a naked doll before.

[Dusty Chalk]

Is that Alf?

[Snowbunny]

Is that Alf?

If that's Alf he's all lubed up!!!!