Icky Thump

Today's Music of the Day is Icky Thump, by none other than The White Stripes. Now let's get down to business.

This is a fine album, a return to form after the solid but uncharacteristic semi-goofy Get Behind Me Satan, the Stripes' previous album. Icky Thump is definitely a White Stripes album, though it is a little more polished than other albums, and includes a number of other elements/instruments. This is a logical progression, though; the group started with a very basic sound, Jack singing and abusing his guitar, Meg playing very open canvas-like drums for him to create on/against. GBMS carried that a little further, using piano on a number of songs (and having one very disco number, "Blue Orchid"). So for this album to have a number of horns and such is no real surprise, though I know it was probably something of a letdown for longtime Stripes fans.

However, I like this album. While the more structured production offers a different take on the White Stripes' sound, I don't think it's such a bad thing. I probably like the stripped-down dirty garage blues sound they have on earlier albums better, but this was a nice change of pace. Not all of the songs are so serious, either; "Conquest" and "Rag and Bone" are both fun songs even if you don't like them that well. In short, I think this album is like trying a new food that is good but not probably going to be your favorite; it's a welcome departure, but still a departure. It will be curious to see what direction the Stripes go in after this; I don't really expect another White Blood Cells, and there's always the chance that Jack will goof around with the Racounteurs for a while too. Remember, kids, even off-kilter White Stripes are still a far cry above the Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs of the world. My world, anyway.

In other news:
To hell with this damn snow.

( ) [Sigur Ros]

Today's Album That Is Good But Has A Pain In The Ass Name is ( ) by Sigur Ros. Now I could probably give you some background information on Sigur Ros, but let's just talk about the music.

This album is probably their least accessible and most minimalist, but it's still very interesting. The vocals are sparse and generally incomprehensible to this landlocked overgrown farm boy, but the sparsely populated soundscape (is that even a word?) is glorious for what it is. This music is full of hushed piano, occasional strings, and maybe a drum. Compared to the other Sigur Ros albums, ( ) is not nearly as uplifting; it's the kind of music that would score someone's descent into a coma. Still, I like this album, even if I couldn't ever call it my favorite music. It never seems forced, like so much modern music that has all kinds of ideas about how plastic and constrained love should be. This album is the opposite of emo, something that manages to be genuine and succeeds without having to tell you that it does.

In other news:
Merry Freakin' Christmas.

Back to Black

Today's Music That Jason Probably Shouldn't Worry About But Couldn't Leave Alone is Back to Black, by Amy Winehouse. Before I talk about the music, I have to get this off my chest: 'Amy Winehouse' is a terrible name.

Now: I like this album! It seems strange to hear songs from this album getting play on so many radio stations, even the 'new music revolution we think we're alternative even though that label is pretty much dead and now we basically play wannabe limp bizkit crap and sometimes modest mouse stuff' stations. Amy's music seems to be fairly accessible and pretty good, which is rare though not unprecedented. (Note: I wanted to talk about the state of music as a whole, but it all came back to the same thing, namely how I won't ever take Justin Timberlake seriously.)

Back to Black is sort of a modern-day Motown album, the kind of music that I suspect The Supremes would have made today if modern singing groups didn't focus more on their dancing than their music. It's the dark side of Motown, the side that knows it has serious problems but doesn't really want to get better, something that has been in the darkness so long that it is comfortable there. Amy's voice is absolutely perfect for this music; a delicate and sweet voice would make the music too polished, but her rougher, scarred voice lends the music an authenticity that I don't think you'll ever see on American Idol. If my opinion isn't enough, then check out this link:
http://www.theonion.com/content/infograph/the_troubled_life_of_amy

In short, to paraphrase a line from Dig!: Amy Winehouse, you are bad news. You have more tattoos than an entire NBA team, and I suspect that if you met me, you would probably try to light me on fire and/or get me into drugs within the first hour. I don't expect you to live past 40, and I think you're a despicable person; I don't want you anywhere near me unless you're on stage. I'll still listen to your music though!

Ten Silver Drops

Today's Music That Kind Of Worries Jason is Ten Silver Drops, by The Secret Machines. This album is pretty good, I guess; its greatest fault is that it follows TSM's wonderful debut album, Now Here is Nowhere. TSD has some good songs, nothing too poppy, they're all definitely Secret Machines songs, but it's hard to say that anything really stands out in my mind. The last two songs are ballads, and don't really seem all that great. I do like the length of the songs on this album, and the fact that they aren't too self-aware, but these just seem to be more run-of-the-mill indie arena rock songs. They're maybe a little too polished and pretty. Some of the joy of was that the songs weren't that hard to predict, but the timing was wonderful; that is, the energetic choruses were always there but the build wasn't diagrammed every time. I don't know, exactly. Whereas NHiN seemed to draw on elements of U2, Pink Floyd, and The Who, TSN seems to be an updated Rush album. Not the gloriously nerdy and technically proficient Rush of the 1970s, no, more along the lines of the synth-driven rock anthem Rush of the 1980's. Not bad, but perhaps content.

In other news:
I haven't purchased any music for a while, and I'm getting itchy. There are Okkervil River albums out there just dying to be listened to, dammit!

And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out

Today's Music That Jason Can't Believe He Neglected This Long is Yo La Tengo's And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out. In addition to having sometimes ridiculously long song titles, Yo La Tengo's other hallmark has been making interesting and generally damn good albums for a long time. And Then... is no exception. I don't know how I didn't discuss a Yo La Tengo album before now.

I wouldn't say this is my favorite Yo La Tengo album; no, that would probably have to be either I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One, or I Am Not Afraid Of You and I Will Beat Your Ass. This is still a fine album, something I like to listen to in the mornings when I'm too tired and grouchy to deal with anything as abrasive as, say, The Black Keys or Rage Against The Machine. No, this album is maybe a little too gentle if anything, but still interesting, and funny at times (see "Let's Save Tony Orlando's House). The songs are laid back, sometimes dark, but never too much so. This is an album with latent appeal, something for dedicated fans of the band or people who understand the appeal of more minimalism in their music. If you ever hear any tracks from this album on the radio, I'll be quite surprised, more so if it's not "Cherry Chapstick". In short, this album has a lot of things going for it, even if it doesn't feel the need to get in your face to tell you.

In other news:
Winter is here. Boo.
It's also Friday, and not too soon.

Andorra

Today's Music That Is Fairly Great is Andorra, by Caribou. I don't know anything about the group, so let's just talk about the music today.

I don't know who I'd consider to be peers of Caribou based on their music. Maybe a little R.E.M., maybe a little AIR. They seem to be a whimsical, carefree version of the Arcade Fire, maybe? Hard to say. There's a definite old-school feel to this music, like it could have come from the Byrds or one of their contemporaries. It's not quite public television, but a long way from Clear Channel radio. Maybe this is what would happen if The Cure actually cheered up, or maybe if Of Montreal just didn't suck so hard. Or maybe if Architecture in Helsinki had too much cough syrup and settled down a little. I got really out of control here.

Anyhow, the music is sort of dreamy, with lots of falsetto vocals, sleigh bells and strings, some synthesizers and digital effects make their way in. Sometimes it's danceable, sometimes it's creepy, but it is always compelling. I'm really enjoying this album, to the point where I may have to track down some of their other music.

In other news:
It's Monday again. I'm not having a bad day, but some of my coworkers are clearly easier to deal with than others.

Also, I bought The Dandy Warhols' Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia on vinyl this weekend. It's about damn time.

Writer's Block

I hope nobody saw today's title and thought "I guess Jason doesn't know how to start this." Today's Music That Made For an Ironic Title is Writer's Block, by Peter Bjorn & John. Now, if you haven't heard of PB&J (which makes me smile a little, I guess) that's not a complete surprise. But if you haven't heard the song "Young Folks" from this album, well, I think you should get out more. It's not nearly as omnipresent as, say Cher's "Believe" was a few years ago, or even that damned Soulja Boy song that seems to be everywhere now, but it's around.

Anyhow, this is a pretty enjoyable album. It's slightly dark indie pop, reminiscent of Architecture in Helsinki at times and DeVotchKa at others. The record as a whole is pretty jangly, if that's even a word. The songs are kind of poppy, slightly droning, sprawling and dreamy. Overall a pretty good record, if a little inconsistent at times. I've been listening to this record off and on as of late, and I still enjoy it rather than being tired of it, which is probably all you need to know. I really like the first track, "Objects of My Affection", and also "Amsterdam". "Start to Melt" is a good song too. It's hard for me to say that these songs stick out in my mind the way that, say, New Pornographers tracks do, but that doesn't mean they should be dismissed. Certainly not.

In other news:
I need to visit the library and get some more music.

Filler Song #2

This post is just to let you know I'm still alive. Music reviews forthcoming, whatever day this week I feel awake enough to write something. >< It's not funny how quickly my body goes away from my work hours to my 'play' hours, and how slowly it reverts.

Miscellany

Instead of one reasonable blog entry about an album, you're going to get some brief thoughts on a few things I've been listening to as I rebuild the music stash on my hard drive. I checked out five albums from the library this week, so there are my thoughts on all of them.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Abbatoir Blues / The Lyre of Orpheus. I'm certain I already wrote an entry about this (double) album, but I had to get it again b/c my hard drive died. It's amazing, piano-pounding music, the kind of stuff that would make Billy Joel wet his pants if it ever got played on mainstream radio. Two discs full of good songs, maybe one track that I'm not overly partial to. Maybe I haven't written about this album, but it probably deserves its own entry.

Bad Brains - Build A Nation. This album is off-beat and I like it. I could talk about the greatness of Bad Brains, about how hardcore and punk bands in the early 80's dreaded playing shows with them, because Bad Brains was such a musically and intellectually proficient unit that they would generally blow the other bands off the stage. This album jumps between punk and almost-reggae with ease; the lack of transition makes it seem like a joint album between two bands sometimes, but nothing lame is found here. This album made it onto my mp3 player for gym use, hopefully I don't get too many of the slow songs in the rotation.

The Fratellis - Costello Music. This album is fairly awful. I didn't even make it all the way through! It's not so much that the musicianship is lacking, or that the lyrics are simple, or even that almost every song seems to have a 'la la la' or 'do do do' section, though these are all very valid criticisms of the album. It's mostly that the musical structure is so simple that I think a musically aware 10 year old wrote most of it. Every song seems to be built off two-or-three measure phrasing; it just isn't complex enough to hold my interest at all. I'd say that this is what would happen if Tom Petty wrote music for the Ramones, and then decided to dumb it down as much as possible. Really, unless The Fratellis get their act together, they'll be lucky to open for the Wiggles next year. Of course, there are probably legions of 14 year olds who listen to this stuff every day on the way to high school. You poor bastards.

Guster - Keep It Together. This album has some good songs on it, but I can't say it's Guster's best - that distinction probably should go to Lost and Gone Forever. This album is a little too sensitive for me sometimes, and that comes from someone who has no shame in talking about his Cat Power albums. Still, when the songs work, they really work, like "Red Oyster Cult", or "Homecoming King" - Guster is best when its songs are both sweet and upbeat, while maintaining their nihilistic undertones. This album also has "Amsterdam", a good archetypal Guster song that brought them to radio listeners everywhere a few years ago. A pretty good album if not ambitious enough for my taste.

Radiohead - I Might Be Wrong/Live Recordings. I can't really critique this as a regular album, but it's still fun to listen to. It's got a couple of my more beloved Radiohead songs ("Everything in its Right Place", "The National Anthem") and one of my favorites ("Idioteque"). While this album is no Live From Folsom Prison, I appreciate a band that makes a live album now and then. It's just a nice way to let people know they're not a studio wonder, and that they don't completely blow in concert.

George Harrison - All Things Must Pass. Well, I saved the best for last, and that's no small feat considering that in almost any other group of six albums, Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus would give the other contenders a serious, American History X-style curb-stomping. This is a double album, chock full of great songs. There are ballads here, straight-up blues rock tunes, all driven by Harrison's wonderful voice and guitars: sometimes electric, sometimes acoustic, always controlled and leading. It's not often I listen to an album and decide that I will have it before I finish the first playthrough, but this one earned it.

It's no secret that Harrison was unhappy towards the end of the Beatles, in particular because the McCartney/Lennon songs dominated the albums and his material was given stepchild status at best. This album came out in 1970, the year the Beatles broke up. Harrison famously said that making his own albums was like "being allowed to go after being constipated for a long time". Well, sir, if only our refuse could all be so fine, the world would be a much better place.

In other news:
This week hasn't been much fun. But I think things turned around yesterday sometime, maybe? I guess on a scale of 1 to 10, I'm probably a C- right now, but still much improved from a couple days ago.

The Slow Wonder

Today's Music of the Day is The Slow Wonder, by A.C. Newman. Yes, that A.C. Newman, of New Pornographers fame. The music today doesn't really get a snappy title, partially because it's Monday, partially because the music just speaks for itself.

This is Newman's first solo album, recorded in between New Pornographers albums a couple years ago. It's very much an A.C. Newman album, clever semi-poetic energetic pop music that doesn't make a ton of sense but doesn't have to. I don't think you could dance to this, and it doesn't exactly rock, but it's enjoyable at the very least. It's very much a spiritual successor to, say, the Beach Boys records of the sixties, probably owes a little bit to the early R.E.M. records too. Some of the songs are stronger than others, but as a whole the record is very much a triumph. I prefer "Miracle Drug", "Come Crash", and "The Town Halo" in particular, but even the other songs are still worth a listen.

Somewhere there's a 'Newman vs. Bejar' debate, or at least discussion, but that's probably best suited for another day.

In other news:
I succeeded at a few things this weekend but failed at some others. Such is life.

I

Today's Music That Kind Of Fits The Bill, I Guess is I by The Magnetic Fields. Again, no history lesson, let's get down to business.

This is sort of a pop record, I guess, but certainly an unconventional one. First off, the singer is a baritone, something of an anomaly. Second, there are only strings to back him up. All acoustic strings, mind you, no electric guitar, no drums, no synthesizer, thankfully no vocoder. The album manages to be hazy and dreamy, sometimes a little too pretty but usually interesting. It doesn't exactly move me, though, and doesn't rock at all. It is upbeat, and I'd have to say I prefer it to anything I've heard by The National at this point, a group I would consider something of a peer to MF due to the vocals alone. I manages to be a number of things, but it doesn't stray far enough from its roots to really be revolutionary; it seems to be an album more interesting in concept than execution. Still, it's not a bad listen, just not anything I would see myself spending hard-earned money on, not when there are albums out there by Low and Sigur Ros and Explosions in the Sky and so on.

In other news:
I don't have to be anywhere or do anything this weekend, just make a pan of brownies sometime between now and Monday. Should be fun.

Mars Polaris

Today is a real treat for you. Well, maybe not, but it's something different. Usually I blog about music that I've listened to a number of times and have a strong opinion about, but today that isn't the case. I'm going to blog a little big about some music I'm listening to for the first time. Today's Music That Jason Got At The Library Because All The M83 Was Checked Out, Dammit is Mars Polaris, by Tangerine Dream. I know little or nothing about the band and how this album fits into their discography, so let's talk about the music a little bit.

It's very atmospheric, the kind of thing that probably owes something to Hans Zimmer and his ilk in the late 1980s. This music is ominous, in that just enough happens to keep you on the edge of your seat; it's mostly guitar/synthesizer driven, without any real lyrics or even vocals to speak of. Not much to sing to, anyway, but I feel like it would easily score the tense sections of an action film or a well-presented video game. I have a hard time feeling like this will be one of my favorite albums for years to come, but it's interesting and a nice change of pace from something more singer-driven.

In other news:

I'm really having a hard time not spending money on music today. There's a new Sigur Ros album and concert film out, and a new group called Yeasayer that has an interesting album out as well. I got halfway to my car before I decided that I couldn't go to the record store today.

My office computer's hard drive died last week, and consequently I lost a good 13-14 GB of music. Most of what I was really into was put on my laptop as well, so I'm not really missing anything I was attached to, but it's still lame. I suppose it does give me an opportunity to rebuild without all the unessential music that I wasn't especially fond of, though.

Rockin' The Suburbs

Today's Music That Makes Jason Sad is Rockin' the Suburbs by Ben Folds. This is an album I first got into a few years ago, after having heard "The Ascent of Stan" on the ISU radio station. I was immediately interested in it, the piano absolutely hypnotized me. It was a bit of a surprise to find out that the same Ben Folds who was behind "Brick" (which i have no shortage of distaste for) wrote this song. I was able to get this album at the public library, and never looked back; I wouldn't say this is my favorite album, but it does have a place in my heart, I guess.

This album is classic Ben Folds: both silly and sobering, piano driven, featuring a tenor voice that is equally comfortable being flippant and serious. It's probably a good starting point for anyone interested in Ben Folds, as the songs are somewhat pop-ish and generally brief.

It's alternately melancholy and irreverent, but certainly full of good songs. In particular, I am especially fond of "Annie Waits", "The Ascent of Stan", and "Not the Same". The only song I'm not overly positive about is the title track, which abandons Folds' piano for a generic electric guitar. It's still kind of funny but doesn't really have the same impact of the other songs, seems to be more of a radio-friendly throw-away.

The whole album is kind of emo, but I'll take this over anything on popular radio anyday. The last song, "The Luckiest", is probably the saddest song I can think of, a ballad about appreciating one's life. It always manages to ruin my day and basically make me feel as alone as anything ever does, but it's still great. In fact, it's what I'm listening to now, and I think I'm going to go stare out a window for a while until the feeling passes.

In other news:
I had a pretty good weekend, even if nothing important really happened. Sometimes the best days are when nothing really happens at all though.

Takk...

Today's Music From Jason's Dreams is Takk... by Sigur Ros. I think this is their fourth album, but I'm not going to give you a history lesson on Sigur Ros today. Some other day, perhaps; let us talk about the music today.

This album is probably more accessible than their previous work, at least as accessible as Agaetis Byrjun. (Suprisingly, Blogspot doesn't think 'Agaetis Byrjun' is misspelled.) I think the best word for this album is 'ethereal'. It absolutely sounds like something from a dream: strings, piercing soprano vocals, sparse but effective use of driving piano, maybe even drums, everything in its right place. I don't understand a word of it, and neither will you, to be honest, but that won't stop you from enjoying the music. It isn't cheery and playful like, say, your Architecture in Helsinki albums, or even as bittersweet as some Yo La Tengo tracks. It's very much post-rock, not for people who like singer-songwriters, but more for people who like minimalist music and atmosphere. Still, the songs have enough movement and interplay between the various elements to keep most people interested. If you aren't familiar with Sigur Ros, this is probably a good place to start; I wouldn't say this album 'rocks' but it's certainly worth listening to.

In other news:
Some ordinary stuff happened this weekend. I'm still in something of a foul mood but better today.

Drive XV

Today's Music That Kind Of Wasted Jason's Time is Stereogum Presents Drive XV: A Tribute to Automatic For The People. It is what it looks like - an all-cover version of R.E.M.'s super-delicious 1992 album. Now, initially I was fairly excited about this. Then I downloaded it and forgot about it for a couple months. Then a few days ago I was cleaning my computer's desktop up and found it, and decided to give it a shot.

Well, I was fairly underwhelmed. Some of the songs were okay but nothing really stands out as being a track that I'd listen to again. In particular, I didn't care for Rogue Wave's cover of 'The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite', which is one of my favorite tracks on the original album. The Shout Out Louds' 'Man on the Moon' was equally mediocre. I would probably only recommend Catfish Haven's cover of 'Monty Got a Raw Deal' out of all the songs on this album, sadly.

Some other albums I've been listening to:
The Dandy Warhols (self-titled debut): pretty good, this one grew on me right away.
American Analog Set - Promise of Love: despite the bad, bad title this is a pretty great album. It's depressing to no end but I liked it anyway.

Rounds

Today's Music That Doesn't Suck is Rounds, by Four Tet. In addition to having one of the best band names I can think of in recent memory, Four Tet makes interesting music. It's almost completely void of vocals, sometimes electronic, always busy, never dull. Strings and piano are prevalent, drums show up as well, but other instruments/devices make cameos too. The music is neither as melodic nor as ominous as Mogwai, who I would probably consider to be a Four Tet peer in some respects. Four Tet is maybe a little mysterious though, just not full of the impending doom that some of the Mogwai songs I like are.

I guess you'd just have to find out for yourself; I don't know exactly what I would consider Four Tet to be good music for. Probably blogging about music.

In other news:
Today hasn't sucked, so far. It's only about halfway over though.

Apologies to the Queen Mary

Today's Music That Jason Has A Crush On is Wolf Parade's Apologies to the Queen Mary. This is a CD that I finally bought after having legally downloaded a few tracks from the old BetterPropaganda website that I really liked. And now, having listened to the album a couple times, I am kicking myself for having waited so long. This is an album well-regarded by one of my more respected music sources, and for good reason.

I don't know that I can sum up the sound of Wolf Parade in one or two words, but I'll try to explain it as best I can. It's well-composed indie rock; I don't think it has quite the poetic cache of the New Pornographers or the storytelling of the Decemberists but it's quirky. The band sounds like they are influenced by The Clash, maybe The Cars. I would consider Cold War Kids to be the closest thing to them I can think of, though CWK is probably a little more pop than WP. In any event, the vocals on this album are kind of a polarizing aspect, the lyrics are interesting, the sound is marvelous. There's a really good build to a lot of the songs. In particular, I like "I'll Believe in Anything" and "Shine a Light". So check this album out. It is in my car's CD player right now, maybe I'll write more about it as I have a chance to listen to it some more.

In other news:

I had a decent weekend. Need more sleep, as usual.

Why, nothing, nothing at all.

Today's Music of the Day is nothing. Nothing at all. I'm working in silence today.

Apparent silence, anyway. Tuesday's New Pornographers concert was so great that I still have many of their songs in my head. They played songs from all of their albums and were wonderful. The only thing that even attempted to mar the show was that Dan Bejar was apparently quite drunk, though he still sang very well. Well, that, and the fact that they didn't play "Chump Change" despite my screams to the contrary.

The highlights of the show? Hard to say. Neko Case & Bejar don't normally tour with the NPs, at least to my understanding, so the fact that both of them were present was a real treat. Consequently, we heard more of the Bejar-written and/or Case-sung tracks than usual, which is good. I'll keep this blog from becoming a love letter to Neko Case, but her voice is absolutely incredible, electricity through my veins, a fire in the snow. I really enjoyed "The Bleeding Heart Show" though there wasn't a bad song the entire evening. Even the tracks from Challengers, which is growing on me a little, were great to hear.

In short, I enjoyed the show so much I thought about going to see them again on this tour, though I don't think I'll be able to make it. But if the New Pornographers come to your town, or at least somewhere close, you should go see them. They're amazing.

Castaways and Cutouts

Today's Music That Jason Knows Isn't For Everyone But Still Likes is The Decemberists' Castaways and Cutouts. This album was released in, maybe, 2001. Just a little background on the Decemberists: They sort of picked up where Neutral Milk Hotel left off, with a little more of a naval fetish. Their music doesn't suit everyone - I know Colin Meloy's voice grates on some nerves - but for the most part I enjoy it. I guess I'd describe their music as 'nerd-folk', though not quite 'geek-folk', in that it's literate but not about wizards and dragons and such. Most of their songs tell stories, about escaping from prison or being a sailor or things like that, very ribald turn-of-the-century blue-collar sort of escapades.

There's a good personal story that goes with Castaways and Cutouts - specifically the song "July, July!" - but I'm not going to take the time to type it here.

Castaways and Cutouts is a pretty good album. It gets a little melancholy towards the end but has a number of wonderful songs. Some are upbeat ("July, July!" or "A Cautionary Tale") though most tend to be darker ("Odalisque", "Leslie Anne Levine") or just very mellow ("California One/Youth and Beauty Brigade"). Still, it's a smart album with a good dynamic songlist. There aren't a ton of instruments here, including (I think) a well-placed accordion on a couple songs, but the simplicity works in the album's favor. I think The Decemberists work best as a group when they allow the lyrics and uncomplicated music to stand alone, rather than using elaborate, multi-layered song structure. I prefer this album to some of their other enjoyable work (namely Picaresque or Her Majesty) simply because the moods and tempos are more varied.

I do appreciate that The Decemberists aren't really concerned with being 'cool', but make their kind of music without being ironic. That is, if anything is truly unironic anymore, or at least not overly self-aware.

In other news:
I can't believe I went this long without a Decemberists blog. Shame on me.

I'm still a little sick but better today. This weekend wasn't much fun.

I'M GOING TO SEE THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS TOMORROW. HELL YES I'M EXCITED.

I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning

Today's Music That Jason Has Mixed Feelings About is I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning by Bright Eyes. I know there are other people in Bright Eyes besides Conor Oberst, but since he is the singer/songwriter, I'm going to write this blog as though they are one and the same.

I want to like this album. Well, sort of. There are some clever, well-written songs on it. But they're all sung by Conor Oberst, who has the voice of a crying 14 year old emo boy. Really, he sounds like a crying teenager. But he can write songs. Maybe he should just write some mellow songs for, say, DeVotchKa or Gogol Bordello. The songs here are generally simple arrangements, just Conor and his guitar, though a few other instruments show up. The lyrics aren't terrible but sometimes a little too cute to have any real poetry. Still, when Conor has the decency to push a song's tempo a little, it tends to not suck so hard. So, while I can't recommend this album in good conscience, it isn't completely devoid of worth. I do listen to it from time to time, though I generally wish I had listened to something else afterwards. So, Conor, when you decide to sing with a little bit of fortitude, and not make so many mopey songs, let me know. Until then, I'll keep putting Nick Drake and Cat Power albums where yours would go.

In other news:
I have a cold today! That isn't so great, but it is nice to be able to sleep at night. I hope it's gone in a day or two though. Vitamin C is my new best friend.

The Hydrox Blog

Today's blog is 'The Hydrox Blog' because it's a cheap imitation of the original, since there isn't time for a real blog. But for the sake of including some music in here, let's talk briefly about the new Beirut album, The Flying Club Cup.

I like this album. It has even more instruments on it than Gulag Orkestar, and I think it's a more consistent and overall better album. However, none of the songs really grab me the way that "Postcards From Italy" and "Mount Wroclai (Idle Days)" do. I mean, there are some marvelous songs on this album - tracks #2 and #4 stand out in my mind already - but I can still hear the driving trumpet from "Postcards From Italy" in my head all the time. Well, I've only listened to The Flying Club Cup twice, though I suspect there will be more listens in the near future.

In other news:
My new car has a CD player. And now that I have one, I don't know how I ever survived without it.

Low, plus Misc.

Today I don't have an album review. I do have a little bit of music to talk about though.

Last night I saw Low in concert. Now, I was very curious to see how their music would translate to a live show - they aren't exactly the most upbeat group I can think of. But their particular downtempo, ominous rock music really works well for a small to medium sized crowd. They played a number of songs, some of their more driving numbers but mostly the kind of mellow songs I've come to expect from them. It was a really enjoyable show, particularly after the socializing crowd settled down and/or left. I hoped to hear two songs, both from The Great Destroyer - "Silver Rider" and "Death of a Salesman" - though I only got the former. It was great. Low also opened with a cover of Pink Floyd's "In The Flesh?", the opening track from The Wall. I like a good cover tune now and again, and my affinity for Waters-era Floyd is no secret, so I was sold from the opening song. Good show, I'd easily go see Low again.

The opening act was a middle-aged gentleman named Charlie Parr. He seemed like a really cool guy, played a sort of old-time country music that was enjoyable and rootsy. I wouldn't mind having his job when I get older, if only the band I was supporting would let me bring some exercise equipment on the tour bus.

And then there's this:
http://www.coucoucircus.org/ost/generique.php?id=1163

This is the theme song to "Bokurano", the anime I've been watching lately. It doesn't seem to be my type of music, but I actually really like it. As for "Bokurano", I could tell you more about it but that seems like an entry for another day. It's probably as good as anything I've seen recently; it isn't the same as Cowboy Bebop, certainly not as stylish, but very mature and realistic.

In other news:

I need to get back to a normal sleep schedule. I'm kind of cranky due to lack of sleep but hopefully the work week will straighten me out a little bit.

Because of the Times

Today's Music That Jason Likes, But Just As A Friend is Kings of Leon's Because of the Times. The Kings of Leon are a band that I like more in concept than in execution, sadly. I bet they put on a kick-ass show, and I think they are genuine, which counts for a great deal. But I haven't been able to get into their music yet, not really.

I don't think Kings of Leon rock too hard for me, that's not it. I'm not from the South, and they're obviously a group of southern boys, though I don't know if that's it. Maybe there just isn't enough tension and release in their music. I mean, listen to a song like Pink Floyd's "Mother", when the electric guitar comes in and it just washes everything else away, and its entrance comes at the perfect point in the song. Kings of Leon make good use of their guitars, and some of their songs are almost anthemic, but I can't name one song of theirs that has that effect on me. So maybe that's it, that Kings of Leon make music which is good but doesn't hold anything special for me.

In any event, Because of the Times is a pretty good album, and has a great title. There are distorted, bright guitars here, laid-back dirty vocals, drums that build to a pretty good crash. It's bluesy, southern rock, though I can't say that I'd take this over, say, The White Stripes or even The Black Keys. I guess if you're really interested in Kings of Leon, you'd have to check them out for yourself. I don't know why Support Your Local Catgun is so melancholy and dissenting this afternoon; maybe it's just what you get on a Friday afternoon.

JEEBUS WHAT HAPPEN?

It occurred to me today as I was trying to decide what to blog about that I haven't actually blogged about an R.E.M. album here, ever. WHAT THE HELL JASON?

Well, without further adieu,

Today's Music That Jason Won't Let You Forget About is Document, by R.E.M. I decided to start with Document simply because it might be my favorite R.E.M. album, though Automatic For The People or even Reckoning would have something to say about that. Even Life's Rich Pageant could get in on this argument. Maybe the reason I haven't blogged about an R.E.M. album yet is that it seems unfair to talk about one and not the others. Well, anyhow...

Document represented a fair turning point in the R.E.M. discography. While the Athenians were certainly not political Luddites prior to 1987, this represented a major step forward in expressing their political views through their music. See, R.E.M. was ripping the Republican party before it was cool (and by 'cool' I mean commonplace for every whiny black-hair no-action attention-whore band to do it, System of a Down etc. I mean you. Did you really think your video calling Bush a warmonger or a megalomaniac was going to change anything? Why do you think a cheap shot from a liberal bottom-feeder is something new to a rich Republican?).

Politics aside, this is a straight-forward rock album, definitely an intelligent alternative to the hair bands that stank up the radio in the late 80's. Some of these songs are still receiving regular radio play ("The One I Love", "Finest Worksong", "End of the World"), which is nice. There are a number of other good songs on this album - actually, I can't really think of any bad ones. I particularly like "Disturbance at the Heron House", "King of Birds", "Welcome to the Occupation"..."Exhuming McCarthy" is simple but as bright and driving as anything on the album. Even the closer, "Oddfellows Local 151" is enjoyable. The fact that I can tell you the names of almost all the songs on this album (I think I left out "Fire" and one other track, which I can't name right now) should be enough of an endorsement for you, given that you don't completely hate my taste in music. Which, if you've actually read this far (i.e. through the small rant earlier), you probably don't. But then again, maybe you are just looking for someone to disagree with. Well, that's what I'm here for, generally.

Neon Bible

Today's Music That Jason Likes But Can't Quite Decide How He Feels About is Neon Bible, from the Arcade Fire. This is the group's second album, released earlier this year.

It's difficult to talk about Neon Bible without mentioning it in terms of Funeral. Whereas Funeral is a very intensely personal album, about life changing and loss, Neon Bible is a much broader album and more political. It took me a few listens to really get into it; the album didn't grab me right away. The songs are more layered and complicated, still very emotional and, dare I say, beautiful. It probably is more accessible than Funeral, even if it doesn't have quite the impact; this is a fine album and doesn't represent a radical departure from the Arcade Fire style. One criticism, though, is that Win Butler (the primary songwriter) does almost all the lead vocals on this album. On Funeral, Regine Chassagne (sp) had a number of vocal duties, but she is almost completely absent here, sadly. Still, I would recommend this album to almost anyone. Lots of good songs here, in particular "Intervention" and "Ocean of Noise". "Antichrist Television Blues" is another very good track, and probably has the best title of any song I can think of released in the past year.

So I guess I really can decide how I feel about this album. It is a letdown, but only in comparison to its amazing predecessor. Compared to almost anything else, it shines.

In other news:
I bought a car, a pretty nice one. I can't wait to drive it around a little bit.

I also sprained my foot today. It's painful, but nothing that will keep me from my regular routine.

Cleaning out the attic.

Today, rather than give you one semi-detailed entry for an album, I thought I'd give you some quick thoughts on music I've been listening to lately.

Be Your Own Pet: Be Your Own Pet - This seems to be like Goldfinger if they were a little more punk and had a rowdy female singer. It might not ever be my favorite, but I like it for what it is. Plus it's great workout music.

Slint: Spiderland - This is very interesting. I wasn't really able to form an impression of it because I was running all over the place at work and listened to it in pieces, but it seems to be good early post-rock. Probably warrants a more in-depth entry in the future.

The Beatles: Rubber Soul - This is a really good album, a number of wonderful songs appear here. If you were to pit it against other Beatles albums, I don't know if it would beat out Revolver, but it certainly would push Sgt. Pepper's. I like how simple so many of the songs are; they're clever but don't clutter the air too much, so you get to enjoy everything that happens. This is probably the greatest step forward for the Beatles in terms of songwriting, the album that really made them a band.

Pink Floyd: Atom Heart Mother - fun, interesting early Floyd. Sort of pretentious, but without the alienation and despair that would define the later and greater Waters-heavy Floyd works. I can't say I prefer it over the better-known Floyd albums but it's certainly worth a listen.

In other news:

I bought a car today. Straight cash, homey.

You Don't Like It? Tough.

You don't get a blog today because I'm far too busy looking for a car. Don't hassle me. Maybe this weekend.

Twin Cinema OMG

Today's Music That Jason Is Badly Smitten With is Twin Cinema, by the New Pornographers. Well, if you've read any of the other NP-related blogs of mine you kind of know what to expect. This is the album where A.C. Newman & company slowed things down, some, but really made some great songs.

There are ballads on here, Neko Case ballads mind you ("These Are The Fables", "Bones of an Idol"), and they're excellent. There are also some more traditional-sounding NP songs ("Jackie, Dressed in Cobras", "Stacked Crooked", "Use It"). There's even an epic song ("The Bleeding Heart Show"), a cheerful almost cult-happy song ("Streets of Fire"), and some bizarre falsetto ("Three or Four"). This album is all across the board but all the songs work. The Bejar songs seem to fit even better with the Newman songs than on the previous albums; also, Kurt Dahle's drumming comes to the forefront of a lot of songs and it seems to be a change for the better. It's clever Canadian indie-pop, probably about as good as it gets.

This album is generally regarded as the best NP's album, and for good reason. It kept the energy of the prior albums but slowed things down a little bit. There's a reason why my name on Myspace was "Bones of an Idol" for the majority of my time there. I absolutely can't recommend this album any more.

I bought this album in early 2006, with the other NP's albums (at the time) as well as Cat Power's The Greatest and The Arcade Fire's Funeral. Is it the best album of this group? Maybe. I'd be hard-pressed to pick between Twin Cinema and Funeral, to be sure.

Plastic Ono Band

Today's Music That Jason Is Listening To is Plastic Ono Band, from John Lennon. Well, if you don't know who John Lennon is, I'm certainly not the person to tell you, so let's get right into the album.

There's no Yoko on this album, and unsurprisingly, it may be John's best solo work. This album has a number of songs that manage to be personal without being preachy, emotional without being whiny, political without polarizing. They're simply structured, but powerful. John gets a lot of range out of his voice, giving us the gentle "Mother" to open the album but going all the way to the absolute wail of "Do The Oz" to close. This is not an album full of radio-friendly singles, but more the kind of album meant to be listened to as a whole. The songs are great, though, to be sure. This is a genuine album, from a man full of talent and torment. If I had to pick a song to represent this album, I'd probably pick "Working Class Hero". There's plenty of piano, but it always accompanies John, who is the real star of the album. Other instruments appear, and there's even a choir on "Power to the People", but your opinion of John's voice will probably determine what you think of this album. But give it a shot.

John sings "don't believe in Beatles, just believe...in me." Well, John, I love a lot of the Beatles' music, but this album made me believe in you.

In other news:

My weekend was okay. Great at times but absolutely awful at others. Pictures forthcoming.

Long Overdue

...sorry about the tease. I promise to rant about more music this week, I swear.

A Twin Cinema Tease

Today's blog entry was supposed to be about the New Pornographers' album, Twin Cinema. This album is wonderful in every sense of the word; however, I'm too tired to properly blog about it so this entry will have to wait. Maybe tomorrow.

Descended Like Vultures

Today's Music That Jason Gave Up On Once But Kind Of Likes Now is Descended Like Vultures, by Rogue Wave. This is music that I found via BetterPropaganda and was able to borrow from the public library. I initially didn't care for it too much but after a few listens when I didn't have anything else I really wanted to hear, it has grown on me somewhat.

It borders on being emo/wuss-rock/soft-rock/lite/sap/whatever but has some pretty good songs. I suppose it's harmless indie rock, music that manages to be touching at best and cloying or whiny at worst. It's of a moderate tempo, and the singer seems to have a very clear distinction between the two types of voice he uses (lower, breathy voice, and higher, more nasal voice) though he doesn't really stand out as a great singer. I suppose the whole record is serviceable but nothing I can recommend buying; if you're really interested, you'd probably be best served to get the last two tracks, "You" and "Temporary". The songs themselves are generally fair, but they seem more like something that Sam Beam or Jimmy Tamborillo would have thrown out for being too simple or not having strong enough lyrics.

This music actually fit today's mood fairly well: I'm just tired enough that I don't want my music to scream at me or be intrusive in any way. Consequently, the soundtrack for today also included Iron & Wine, the latest New Pornographers album, and Belly's King.

In other news, I need to find some other stuff to listen to. To the library!

The Electric Version

Today's Music That Jason Will Save For Something Special is Electric Version, by The New Pornographers. I listened to this album last night while I was cooking and eating, and just had to write about it. It's an album that I might not always mention in the hierarchy of albums that will change the way you think about music, but it's wonderful. The songs start out great and just keep getting better; there's maybe one song (out of thirteen) on the whole album that doesn't really grab me, and that's only in comparison to the others. Why aren't you listening to this album? Why?

This is the second album from the NPs. Electric Version is a very fitting title; whereas the first album was more whimsical pop, with a sense of 'we-don't-know-what-this-is-but-there's-magic-here' exploration, this is an album that turns up the guitars and really gets down to business. It doesn't exactly rock harder than anything else, but it's has more volume and drive than Mass Romantic. This album still has all the hallmarks of a NPs album, though: clever lyrics, more pop music in one song than most albums, Neko Case, and so on. It's smart indie-pop, all kinds of fun to listen to, but far too good to be dismissed as radio fluff. These songs will hug you and not let go.

I thought for a while about what my favorite song on this album would be. Maybe "July Jones", the penultimate and likely darkest song on the album. (This is the first NPs song I found, and I listened to it seven or eight times that day.) Any one of the first seven songs is a good choice - "From Blown Speakers", "Loose Translation", "Chump Change", "All For Swinging You Around", "The End of Medicine", and "The Laws Have Changed" are all marvelous. The album closer, "Miss Teen Wordpower" is great too. I don't suppose I really have to rant more about this album - it's just filled with wonderful songs.

In other news:
I had strange dreams last night. Also I went to sleep with a shirt on and woke up shirtless; I have no idea where the shirt is. I looked for it for like ten minutes this morning and could not find it. Strange days indeed.

Last night I also made pizzas on pita bread. Pesto, prosciutto, feta and parmesan cheeses, and some hot sauce. I wish I had used some tomatoes but the end results was still incredible. I'll be thinking about it, and hearing Electric Version in my head all day:

Go, don't stay, just throw it all away
There is you and then there is your body

Barrel of a Gun

Today's Music That You Should Listen To More Often is Revolver, by none other than the Beatles. Well, you know plenty about the Beatles, at least you should, so let's get right down to business.

This album features some excellent songwriting, to say the least. A wide variety of instruments are featured; in particular, the sitars and "Eleanor Rigby"'s strings stand out. One thing I like in particular is the varied tone of the album. Some songs are happy and boisterous ("Good Day Sunshine", "And Your Bird Can Sing"), some are somber and dark ("I'm Only Sleeping", "Eleanor Rigby"), some are even kind of snotty and political ("Taxman"). The songs themselves are marvelous, but as a whole they offer a glorious listening experience. The only song that seems out of place is "Yellow Submarine", which would stand out on any album on account of its "Ringo" status. (I do wish the album had more Harrison songs but I generally say that about any Beatles album. George was generally weirder than John/Paul). I think my favorite song is "Tomorrow Never Knows", which is just strange and complex enough to be really interesting.

[Warning: cursing follows, if you're actually reading this]

Probably the best endorsement I can give to this album is that even the cheery songs like "Got To Get You Into My Life" and "Here, There, and Everywhere" don't piss me off. I mean, it's not like you're unfamiliar with the Beatles, but why not find out why they're so revered for yourself? And to think, this album came from the braintrust of the 1960's equivalent of a boy band. At least then, the 'band' part of the term applied, unlike the dancing-and-sometimes-singing fucktards that were all over the place five or ten years ago. But seriously, Revolver is a good album for almost anything, except for maybe sleeping or feeling bad about yourself.

In other news:

Yesterday I was only moderately sore from capoeira. I'm sure tonight will be worse, though, or at least I hope it will.

Destroy Rock & Roll

Today's Music That Jason Really Shouldn't Like But Does, Kind Of is Destroy Rock & Roll, by Mylo. I don't really know anything about this group/artist/kitty, so I'll just talk about the music. It's a CD that I found at the library after getting a recommendation from an online music source.

The music has been best described, I believe, as "Daft Punk meets Fatboy Slim". It's very much electronic dance music, but catchy, easily the kind of stuff I'd play if I had a house party and the guests were just too rowdy for regular Twister. It's not quite what I'd prefer to work out to, though some of the tracks are upbeat enough for it; enjoying this music takes a fine balance of actual appreciation and ironic appreciation. Still pretty interesting after having listened to it off and on for the better part of a year now, which is probably as much of an endorsement as I can give this album. Favorite tracks are "In My Arms", "Zenophile", and pretty much anything but the title track, which is really just an awful four minutes of rock name-dropping. I generally skip that track when I listen to this album, which, given that I haven't for a while, might be later today.

In other news:
Yesterday sucked hard enough to make up for three and a half days of fun weekend. But I did have a very good capoeira class last night, and it's also not yesterday any more. Today is going to be a better day.

BSS

Today's Music That Jason Likes But Doesn't "Like" Like is the self-titled Broken Social Scene album. This is music that very much falls in line with the New Pornographers as a clever indie joint project. BSS is a larger music collective than the Pornos, though, and their music tends to be more rock than pop.

As a group, BSS tends to play well (or at least be mixed well) together. No member or instrument really dominates, making for a pleasant if unaffecting aural tapestry. The music is clever, to be certain; it really moves and jumps, and strays from the 4/4 time signature that popular music seems to be locked into any more. The musicians are more than competent; the drummer in particular manages to be busy without being intrusive, which is a nice way of saying that the drums are noticeable but not in a bad way. (This is somewhat uncommon.) As I do consider BSS to be the peers of the New Pornos, I have a hard time not comparing lyrics, and in this regard BSS doesn't hold a poetic candle to the words of Newman & Bejar.

Still, this album is good music for someone who likes their indie rock thoughtful if not verbose, who likes to rock - not too much though - without much pretense.

In other news, it's a three day weekend! And it's about freakin' time.

The Great Destroyer...and then some

Man do I ever want to blog about Challengers some more. I've been listening to it almost every day since I got it. While it's probably the least rambunctious New Pornographers album (and likely the weakest in some eyes), it's a very good album. It isn't as upbeat as any of their other albums, even Twin Cinema, but I'm still impressed. I do have one criticism: the Bejar songs (Dan Bejar contributes a few songs to each album) don't blend with the others as well on this album as they do on Twin Cinema or even Electric Version. His songs are good, and the Newman songs are excellent as well, but they are a little too different in sound to transition together cleanly. I suppose this is more a result of these two men having continued to grow as musicians since the NPs initially set out as a side project of sorts. I really like this album, though, and can't find a song that I dislike. Of course I like the Neko songs, but a lot of the others are wonderful as well.

No, no, today's Music That Is Making Jason Buy Concert Tickets is The Great Destroyer, by Low. This is far from the first Low album, but it's the first one I got my hands on, by way of the DSM public library. I heard their song 'Monkey' on BetterPropaganda and was rewarded for my curiosity. Low is a group of three people from (I think) Minneapolis who started making music in the early/mid 90's. Their sound is very reserved and minimalist, 'downtempo' or 'slowcore' for those of you who need to label your music. Whereas the New Pornographers are known for having all sorts of catchy pop hooks in songs, Low is almost exactly the opposite: ominous, foreboding promise that never explodes. Note: I really need to get some of the early Low albums. I've heard much praise for Things We Lost In The Fire, and apparently Low has a very good Christmas album.

Anyhow, The Great Destroyer is something of a departure from the traditional Low albums. It's more upbeat and louder, to be certain, though it retains the darker tone of their earlier work. For longtime fans, I suspect it came as something of a letdown, but I liked it almost immediately. My favorite song on the album is easily 'Silver Rider', which probably comes closest to emulating the slow, brooding sound that is more traditional Low. This album overall is enjoyable, even if it isn't 'fun'; it's great for holding a grudge or just being in a sour mood all day. It's also good for rainy days or just settling down.

In other news:

I need sleep. Apparently I can't just sleep four hours a night and ignore it forever.

The Man Comes Around

Today's Music That Jason Wants You To Listen To is Johnny Cash's American IV: The Man Comes Around. This is the fourth album in the 'American' series, which (as I understand it) was largely orchestrated by producer Rick Rubin. Now I may not have my facts entirely straight, but the first 'American' album was the result of Rubin getting in touch with Cash and just getting him into the studio and letting him do what he wanted, at his own pace. And thank God.

American IV is a curious mix of mostly cover songs, with a few originals rounding out the album. The song you probably know is his cover of Nine Inch Nails/Trent Reznor's "Hurt", which is everything a cover song should be: a unique take on an interesting song that doesn't lessen the effect of the original at all. There are plenty of other good songs here too; most of the album consists of covers of old country songs and standards, making this album not a candidate for 'feel-good record of the year', but it is a fine work. As much as the old covers seem to fit Johnny's style, they almost seem beneath him ("Desperado", "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"). So many of them just seem to pander for sympathy, whereas Johnny being himself never had to, never would have. Still, the fact that Johnny was making albums right up until he passed away is nothing to scoff at, and his gentle touch with these songs generates no melodrama.

The more modern or popular covers ("Hurt", "In My Life", and others) are the highlights of this album. Ten years ago, who would have thought Johnny Cash covering Depeche Mode and NIN would be feasible, much less good? While you might suspect my favorite track to be "Bridge Over Troubled Water", due to my love of both Simon & Garfunkel and Fiona Apple (the latter sings with Cash on this track), my favorite is the title track. It's one of the few originals to make its way onto the album, and it probably even outshines "Hurt". Johnny was never shy about his Christian faith, so perhaps this song just suits him more than the others.

So in short, good though depressing album. I really hope to get more of the American series of albums from the library.

In other news:

I've been sore all week. Yesterday I couldn't even use the stairs well. It's great.

Challengers!

ItshereitshereitshereitshereOMGitshereitshere! Today's Music That Jason Has Been Waiting On For A Long Long Time is Challengers, by the New Pornographers.

So my copy of Challengers finally showed up! It was actually sent to my neighbor, who dropped it off last night around six-ish. (This is ironic because less than an hour before, I was talking to someone at the gym and specifically said "I haven't met any of my neighbors".) I didn't stay up to listen to the whole thing last night - I made it through half the album before I couldn't keep my eyes open - but the early impression is a good one.

Thus far, the songs I've heard seem to be more laid-back and sweeter than the tracks on Twin Cinema. I don't know that this is exactly what I would have hoped for - Twin Cinema was nigh-godly without being too chipper - but it still sounds like New Porn. Most of these songs were written by A.C. Newman, and they sound like Newman songs, with their busy layered soundscape and multiple hooks. Dan Bejar contributes a few songs, and while they don't disrupt the flow of the album, they have a different feel than the Newman tracks. I don't know how to describe the difference, exactly; the Newman tracks are better contained and pull you in right away, whereas the Bejar tracks linger and just grow on you to the point where they end and you aren't ready for them to be over but you know you never will be.

Standout tracks on the initial listen: "Unguided", "Challengers". The title track has Neko Case singing, thank God, and it managed to make me feel luckier and lonelier at the same time. While I don't honestly expect Neko to always be a part of this group, and I'd certainly buy their albums even if she didn't sing on them, her voice still has its Midas touch. Also, sometime if you wanted to hear me turn into a total fanboy, ask me about Neko Case. Let's just leave it at that.

So, in short: New Pornographers, less rambunctious than in their Mass Romantic days but still wonderful, Neko Case can tie me up anytime. Sorry!

Turquoise and Crimson

Today's Music That Jason Likes But Doesn't 'Like' Like is Turquoise and Crimson, by Vast. Now, I don't really know anything about Vast, except that a friend recommended them to me some time ago, so I picked up this double album on a whim. So here are my thoughts.

This album is probably not going to classify as my favorite anything, but it's still very listenable. It's rock, definitely not heavy metal but probably enough to make John Mayer wet his pants at the very least. It makes me think of a darker U2, as though this band heard "New Year's Day" and decided that they would make albums that expanded on that same sound. The singer actually has a comparable vocal range to Bono, though he doesn't have quite the voice. Still not bad by any means. The band incorporates piano very well in many of the songs, particularly "Don't Take Your Love Away From Me", which has a fairly awful title but is probably my favorite track on either disc.

I suppose there has to be an explanation for why I'm not over the moon about this album. It's interesting, dark and driving enough to be really enjoyable though probably not uptempo enough for the gym. Some of the songs are a little too similar in structure and overall sound, and there isn't always enough tension built up to make the release in each song particularly gratifying. The band doesn't really do anything wrong; I suppose it's like having a date with someone who is agreeable and pleasant, even attractive, but not at any point unpredictable or especially stimulating.

In other news, I'm late for something. See you later.

everybody in the place can just GET OUT

So today, I was toying with the idea of posting a somewhat less positive review. Just about all of the music I've discussed here so far has been things that I have a favorable opinion of. But the negativity, or at least less enthusiasm, is on its way. I was thinking about The Shins, specifically; they're a group that has some good songs and also some unaffecting soggy-cereal kind of songs. They aren't awful, but I wouldn't say their music would 'change my life'.

Enough. Let's get down to business.

Today's Music That Jason Keeps Locked Away Until You're Older is Elephant, by The White Stripes. I could go on and on about Jack and Meg themselves, but let's talk about the album today. This album is from a period in the White Stripes' existence where Jack was really getting into old blues and country, ran around with Loretta Lynn for a while, and incorporated some of these elements into the music. The result was probably the best White Stripes album (some people would argue in favor of De Stijl or White Blood Cells, certainly not baseless claims). The songs here jump around a little, stylistically: straight-forward dirty rock songs ("Seven Nation Army", "The Hardest Button to Button"), slow bluesy songs that get loud and squeal a little bit ("Ball and Biscuit", "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself") and even songs with Jack being cute and flirting with Holly Golightly ("It's True That We Love One Another"). It makes a whole that manages to be cohesive without reaching for any kind of uniformity.

I even like the song titles and lyrics on this album. The lyrics aren't exactly Stipesque, but they fit exactly with the style of music. This album is fun and rambunctious, but doesn't deny its roots. Underneath all of the songs is a sense of latent danger that you don't get in most records. There's always that possibility that each song might be the one where the White Stripes decide to go to 11 and ROCK THE HELL OUT OF YOU. I want to tell you that I have a favorite song on this album, but I couldn't pick just one or even two. The uptempo songs are fun and almost perfect workout music, the downtempo songs make for good contrast and offer a nice slow burn. Basically, if you like modern rock that doesn't blow, this album is for you. Not recommended if you like your bands full of late 20-somethings who still write songs about being in high school.

Someday, maybe, there will be a post about the greatness of the White Stripes in general, about how they are exactly who they are on stage and how they might not have 'saved' rock but they didn't let their image get in the way.

In other news:

As reported by The Onion, America's News Source, death is still 100% fatal. No cure in sight.

Gulag Orkestar

Today's Music That Jason Will Probably Get Into A Fight About At Some Point:

It's easy to nitpick. Nothing is ever perfect and criticism comes easy to most people, whether we like to believe so or not. If only this sandwich had more mustard, if only it were not so humid, if only so-and-so were a little more blonde. But is anything really above criticism?

YES.

Earlier this year, after having heard a couple of songs from Gulag Orkestar at The Lift one night, I purchased the CD. This album immediately endeared itself to me; through my first listen, I could tell that this was something monumental, on the order of the Arcade Fire's Funeral or even Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. This album is fantastic, inspired music, the kind of music that puts so much simple popular music to shame. But enough gushing, what does it sound like?

It sounds like a bunch of drunken gypsies who really know how to play their instruments, sitting around a fire, not really talking about what songs to play because they don't have to. There isn't much in the way of traditional rock instruments on this album; it's mostly horns, accordion, mandolin, and so on. The vocals will never be as smooth as say, Marvin Gaye, but they work perfectly with the casual theme of the whole album. It does have a bit of a dark tone to it, but it's hard not to fall in love with this album. There isn't anything contrived here to speak of.

Beirut is releasing an album on the 9th of October this year, and you can believe I'll purchase it as soon as I can. If anyone made a movie about my life, it might be lame, but the soundtrack would be awesome.

In Other News:

Saturday's plans fell through so I went to see Once. I wrote a gushing note about it already, but it's good, really good. Go see it!

Yesterday I had probably the best tuna sandwich I've ever had. I also took a dozen or so pictures of the sunset peeking out from the tail of a thunderstorm, giving the sky an interesting honey color.

This weekend went by way, way too fast, and it doesn't seem like I accomplished much of anything. It wasn't bad, really, I just couldn't keep up with anything in particular.

No Blog Today.

Support Your Local Catgun was cancelled today on account of nice weather and life being too short. Please try back at a later date. Thanks?

...I actually thought about blogging about the Black Keys today but perhaps later.

Now Here is Nowhere

Today's Music That Jason Thinks You Should Like is Now Here is Nowhere, by The Secret Machines. This music, not surprisingly, was recommended to me by a fellow music dork. I guess the best way to describe it would be as indie arena rock. It's boisterous and unapologetic, certainly not as dumb as the music we'd describe as 'hair-rock' or 'rap-metal' or 'nu-metal' or even some 'alternative' but it has a little swagger to it. In this case, I think that's a good thing. The band rocks fairly hard, but doesn't feel the need to keep anything radio-friendly; the opening song ("First Wave Intact") clocks in at exactly 9 minutes, and probably half of that is drums over 16-measure guitar chords.

It's hard to listen to this album and not think of some other bands: Who's Next-era Who, pre-Joshua Tree-era U2, maybe even Billy Idol. Maybe not. Anyhow, I think they're more conscious than their predecessors; they might be pretentious about some things but the songs generally back up their beliefs. Many of their songs find their way into my workout music, but they stand up to dedicated listening just the same. The real standout track is "The Road Leads Where It's Led", as driving and poetic a rock anthem as anything released in the past ten years, but there isn't really a song on this album that draws my ire. I think this album might be too open about what it is and what it wants for some people, but there isn't anything wrong with being accessible. Who knows? Maybe Roger Waters would have written music like this if he wasn't so intent on proving how little everyone understood him.

Just listen to the album. It isn't quite far enough removed from popular rock standards to be considered post-rock, but it's too clever to lump in with the Limp Bizkits and the Puddle of Mudds and even the Strokeses of the world. Just listen to it and enjoy it. You used to be fun, you remember what it's like to rock.

I actually saw the Secret Machines when they came through Ames in February of 2005, they were all kinds of amazing. The drummer had lots of hair and made me think of Animal (from the Muppets).

In other news:
I made a wonderful smoothie last night and succeeded at making crepes this weekend! I like cooking, but it's always more fun when things don't go horribly wrong.

NO MUSICS TODAY

The music blog was rained out today. I know there wasn't much rain, but on Monday it doesn't always take very much. Today's blog will largely consist of Other News.

This weekend was a lot of fun. I bought clothes at thrift stores, saw two decent movies, and played pool competently for the first time in years. I had good pizza, visited the art center, and kinda got hit on by a female bartender. She was pretty but I was just glad she wasn't some dude. Also I found the last piece of my Halloween costume. I'm such a dork, that's all I have to say about it.

I enjoyed the thunderstorms this weekend as well. There was some really spectacular lightning on Saturday night and even early Sunday morning.

Finally, I got back to writing my novel last night. I'm to the point where plotwise I think I know what happens but it's going to take some time with my notebook to get the rest of the words out. I'm sure when something actually happens it will be well-publicized, at least in my tiny corner of the world, but it's not yet, anyway.

Mass Romantic

Man am I tired today. I think tonight I'm going to go home and just read until I don't feel like reading any more, and then just sleep. I'm finally trying to read Marilynne Robinson's Gilead. This book is exceptionally well-written, but I haven't enough of it yet to tell you more than that. I'm also reading Terry Pratchett's Reaper Man, which is humorous though without the gravity of Gilead, to be certain.

Today's Music That Jason Talks About All The Freakin' Time is the first album from The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic. This album isn't really the first exposure I had to the NPs - that would be "July Jones" from Electric Version - but when I finally got around to purchasing all (three) of their albums, I made a point to listen to this one first.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the New Pornographers, and shame on you, they're sort of a Canadian indie-rock supergroup. When they formed, they all had previous music careers (A.C. Newman with Zumpano, Dan Bejar with Destroyer, Neko Case solo, etc.) and this was simply a side project for them. Newman wrote most of the songs, with Bejar contributing a few. What happened was that they made some smart and extremely catchy indie power-pop that took on a life of its own and somehow managed to be bigger than the collective works of all the involved parties. It sounds like a group that doesn't quite have direction, but that makes up for it by having more talent than any one group probably should.

The album doesn't take itself too seriously; it really sounds like a bunch of musicians having a good time without straying from the song structure too much. The record is somewhat inconsistent, but even the lows are hardly a burden. The strongest track is easily "Letter From an Occupant", though "The Fake Headlines", "Slow Descent Into Alcoholism", and the title track are excellent as well. So many good songs on this record! The NPs make albums that I can listen to without having to skip a single track, which I can't say about even some of the better CDs in my collection. I easily see "Mass Romantic" as being the soundtrack to a carefree day at an amusement park or campground with a lot of my friends. Before my recent promotional testing, I listened to music that I knew would put me in a good mood - it's no coincidence that the NPs were the most well-represented group in the playlist I made for the event.

I'm sure I'll review the other NPs albums at some point, but Mass Romantic is a good place to start if you're interested. This album doesn't quite have the maturity and depth of their later works, but if I were to give it a letter grade, it would have to be 9/10 at the very least.

A Love Supreme

Ah, jazz. It came into my life when I first became a teenager and for some inexplicable reason, joined the junior high jazz band. My interest peaked a few years later, in high school, when I spent most of the spring weekends traveling to different jazz competitions and shows with the school band. (I was a fair trumpet player: competent, I suppose, but certainly nothing to write home about.) As time passed, and my trumpet took a backseat to a number of other interests, my taste in music moved away from jazz to some extent. I still had Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong CDs, but I wasn't actively interested in acquiring more jazz.

So what happened? A few things, I suppose. Martin Medeski & Wood are partially responsible; I also consider Yoko Kanno to have pushed me back to sweet jazz. Even some of the records people brought into one of my favorite bars on Sundays were an influence. But the important thing is that jazz and I made up.

So, today's music is A Love Supreme by John Coltrane. I think this may be my favorite Coltrane album, possibly even over the highly-regarded Giant Steps, though it's hard to say. There are other musicians on the album, but it's really all about John, just freaking out with his sax. I don't know if I really have the words in me to compare to John's playing; it would be comparable to describing the Taj Mahal with grunts and scratches. Still, his playing is the absolute antithesis of all the 'lite jazz' crap that was forced on the country years ago; while John doesn't physically beat Kenny G to within an inch of his life with his sax, he certainly does artistically. If you haven't listened to any John Coltrane, then a) get out from under your rock and b) do something about it. Whether you even enjoy jazz or not is up to you, but you can't deny that this record is a showcase for a talented man at the peak of his powers. Highly recommended.

In other news:

I survived testing. I think it went very well. I failed to break boards with a wheel kick, which is unusual and irritating. Oh well. I have a couple sore spots but nothing serious. Somehow I managed to injure my right hand slightly by punching through a board, I think, which is both a surprise and a nuisance. It's certainly nothing serious though.

I looked at furniture last night - specifically, couches. I think that a reasonable couch purchase is in my near future, after which a house, er, spider-hole-warming party might be in order. Complete with smoothies and twister! And maybe some Fin du Monde if the party waits until I leave the state again.

Before The Dawn Heals Us, and others

I have a lot of things to think about today. But first, music.

Today's Music That Jason Stole From The Public Library is Before The Dawn Heals Us, by M83. This is an album that was recommended to me when I was looking for more electronic music, and I was fortunate enough to find it at the library. It's wonderful, ethereal music, the kind of music that makes me feel like I should be able to simply float off the ground and into the atmosphere somewhere. It's obviously influenced by some other artists I'm very fond of: My Bloody Valentine, Boards of Canada, even Wish You Were Here-era Pink Floyd. Keyboards are featured most prominently; some vocals exist, but they certainly don't drive the songs in the manner you would expect from a more 'pop' record. A few of the tracks are a little drawn out or too over-the-top for my taste, but as a whole the album shines.

I was surprised to find out (after a couple listens) that this is a relatively recent album; for some reason I always thought that it was almost as old as I am. It does have a little bit of a PBS vibe to it; I could easily see this music comprising the soundtrack for Stargazer though. If you've never seen Stargazer, just think about what a show about naked-eye astronomy for heavily medicated people would be like, and then animate most of it. (Side note: whenever I've seen Stargazer come on TV, it made me think that I should either start drinking or stop drinking, but that something definitely had to happen.) In any event, I am glad that M83 will (I think) produce more music for me to listen to and maybe blog about.

In other news:

I found some anime that I really like. It's called 'Seirei no Morobito', which roughly translates to 'Guardian of the Sacred Spirit'. Kind of a cheesy title, I know, but it's a very mature and smart anime with some great characters. Without spoiling too much of it for you, it's set in pre-industrial Japan, where a female spearfighter named Balsa is forced to protect a child bound to be assassinated. If you're curious, let me know and I can give you a link. It's very good. In particular, the main character (Balsa) is one of the best characters in anime that I can think of. (Note: I don't like a lot of anime, particularly stuff that has a serious premise but lots of dumb humor. I suppose the anime that I can stand is another blog altogether though.)

So tomorrow is testing! I'm actually looking forward to it, mostly. I have a hard time not thinking about it, and consequently being nervous, even though there isn't any reason for it. The only real concern I have is my back, which I injured at the gym a couple days ago. It isn't serious, but it will hinder me somewhat tomorrow. I think I'll be okay, though. Assuming it isn't so hot that we all perish, and that my back holds up for the first half of the day, testing will be a lot of fun. Wish me luck!

I'M FREAKIN OUT MAN

Nothing too much to report today; I don't really have time to talk about an album but I wanted to post something.

I'm trying not to worry about testing too much. It's in my thoughts much of the time now, though. I'm partially excited and partially scared, but I really believe testing will work out fine.

...and I got some really good beer today! Stuff you can't get in this lousy state. Stupid Iowa. If you're interested, you're welcome to stop by and have some. Though it probably won't last long.

Edit: I'm trying to listen to Phish's Billy Breathes, and the CD is all scratched up and keeps cutting out. Few things piss me off more than scratched CDs. It's like letting my ears take you out for a nice dinner and a fun night of dancing, then telling them to sleep on the couch.

So Tonight That I Might See

Today's Music That Jason Found In His Car is So Tonight That I Might See by Mazzy Star. Somehow, inexplicably, I have a cassette copy of this album, and I've been listening to it lately after rediscovering it underneath my copy of Crime and Punishment and some checks that I don't think I'll ever cash.

I don't exactly know how I came into possession of this album. I'm partially surprised that the contents of the tape didn't become Queen's Greatest Hits at some point as well, ha ha. I suppose it's possible that I may have purchased it at a thrift store, or that someone left it in this car or my previous vehicle, a red 1991 Grand Prix that was acquired through a Satanic ritual. In any event, it's nice to have, given that I've listened to most of my R.E.M. cassettes to the point where they are beginning to deteriorate. (I suppose a similar fate will befall this cassette in the relatively near future, inevitably.)

Prior to finding this album and actually listened to it, my exposure to Mazzy Star was simply to the song "Fade Into You", the first track on this album and a mainstay of every high school dance I ever went to. It's a nice enough song, probably featured in a number of movies with overly emotional endings that I didn't ever see. I certainly don't mind it, but I wouldn't trade you a Cat Power song for it, to be certain. The rest of the album has a similar sound, not overly complicated, slow and dreamy. The guitar playing is very mellow, the vocals are subdued and entrancing. Maybe if Cat Stevens or whatever he calls himself now had been a depressed twenty-something in the early 1990s he would have made music like this. I especially like the title track of this album; it has a real slow burn to it, a rhythm so good I could listen to it all day.

Also, Hope Sandoval (the singer of Mazzy Star). I don't know where she is now, exactly, but I really really hope she could use a skinny Midwestern poolboy. Let's just leave it at that, though I think you get the idea.

Also I went to the Atomic Garage this weekend. I love that place.

Fingers Crossed

Every now and then, I borrow CDs from the public library to listen to at work. One of the things I try to do is to always check out at least one CD by an artist or group that I am not familiar with; this has been a good way for me to find new music. Some of the artists I've found this way: Four Tet, the Benvenetto/Russo Duo, M. Ward, and today's artist, Architecture in Helsinki.

Specifically, I'm going to talk about AiH's debut album, Fingers Crossed. It's probably classified as 'twee', meaning that most people would expect me to hate it. I really enjoyed this album though. It's full of upbeat melodies, hand claps, cheery keyboards, strings and breathy vocals. Maybe one track where there are children singing gets on my nerves a little bit though. This album even has horns and bells! Really, it's hard not to be in a good mood after listening to this album, unless it's just too precocious for you. The lyrics don't stand out but certainly fit the tone of the album; there is one song about protecting someone from a serrated knife, which is kind of funny for a few reasons.

The songs are all short, sometimes a little too much so; this is very much a band that has found its sound but doesn't exactly know what to do with it yet. I'll be curious to hear some of their other work, but I'll always like this album. Standout tracks include "Like a Call", "Vanishing", and my personal favorite, "Fumble." I could listen to the strings at the end of "Fumble" all day. I don't know what else to say about this album, except that it's just a little bittersweet listening to it; it makes me long for something I can't quite put my finger on. I guess this album is like a warm bed on a cool day when you don't have to get up and do anything right away: you know it can't last forever, but while it does, it's comforting and relaxing and wonderful. Bonus points if you can share it with someone.

I think I just found this album at the right point in my life. If I were younger, I might not have taken it seriously; if I were older, I might not have given it a chance. As it is, I'm just glad I found it.

In other news, I'm not freaking out about testing yet but I'm thinking about it. I wrote my statement of philosophy, and I actually don't hate it; if you want to read it, just let me know.

Miscellany

No music entry today. I've convinced myself not to buy any new CDs until after taekwondo testing, which isn't so hard. There's only one place I really buy music at locally (ZZZ Records) so I just have to stay out of there for a few weeks.

Last night I went to Wal-Mart for the second time in three days, in search of a turtle-shaped sandbox for a friend. I spoke to three employees, all of which were polite though not very helpful. In short, I wasted almost 40 minutes there and had no sandbox to show for it. I suppose the lesson learned here is one that I know but don't always remember: stay the hell out of Wal-Mart.

I also gave up on searching for my new favorite beer, after having failed to find it at no less than four liquor stores in Des Moines. Apparently it isn't available in Iowa. So, to make a long story short, if anyone is interested in going to Omaha at some point in August, let me know and you can ride shotgun. (If this trip fails at least I can get Fat Tire.)

The Creek Drank The Cradle

Today's Music That Jason Is Listening To is Iron & Wine's The Creek Drank The Cradle. I believe that some of the other Iron & Wine albums or LPs are more popular, but this is the one I was able to get at the library, so it is what shall be reviewed.

If you aren't familiar with Iron & Wine, it's essentially the stage name for Sam Beam. Creek is his first full-length album. It's a laid-back semi-Southern album, utilizing a number of secondary instruments (banjo, slide guitar, etc.) but all based around a man with a serious beard and a guitar. It's hard to listen to this and not think of Sam Beam as something of a hippie Nick Drake, if that gives you any idea as to what to expect. This is the album I like to listen to on Friday afternoons when there's nobody else around and I can do what I want at work. It's very laid-back with reserved vocals, perfect for relaxing or just maintaining a good mood. I can't ever imagine Beam going electric, not in the sense that Dylan went electric, but that's okay. I endorse this album fully, even if you'll never find any of these songs on my MP3 player (mostly because it is almost exclusively used at the gym, and for all its virtues, Iron & Wine is lousy workout music.) It's perfect for laying around almost anywhere though.

Funeral.

Today's music is Funeral, by The Arcade Fire. I chose this because I went to the bar last night to work on my statement of philosophy for TKD testing, and the bartender played this album in its entirety. This really drew me in, as I am more of an album person than a single song person. Part of this is that I like to hear the complete work of the artist/group, and often enjoy the transitions between songs on albums such as Funeral; part of this is that when I am in the mood for something, I just want lots of it.

Funeral is the first full-length album produced by The Arcade Fire, and was it ever an indie-rock heavyweight. It makes fair use of piano and strings, though the guitar is probably the most prominent instrument. It's mostly moving, with a couple ballad-ish songs, and has been described as being "emotional without being emo" (sorry Jeph Jaques) for good reason. The more I think about this album, the more appropriate "Funeral" seems for a title. It has great songs, really swelling and uplifting at times, but it really takes something away from me to listen to this album. I didn't know anything about it when I bought it, really, just that one of my better music sources strongly recommended it, and I found it for $7 at Best Buy. To say the least, it really knocked me on my ass.

This music might be too cloying and emotional for some, but I really think it works. There are songs that I like better than others on the album, but even the weak links are strong works. Good lyrics, good drive, a great album altogether. (The CD even comes with a small funeral program, which is a nice touch.) This CD is not one I listen to often, but I am fond of it; rather, I listen to it sparsely so that the effect it has will not be dimished by time and repetition. "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)" is a marvelous song.

I was pleased to find that the recent Arcade Fire release, Neon Bible, was a fine album in its own right (maybe a stronger complete work than Funeral) as well. But that's discussion for another day.

In other news, I figured out what I am going to write about for TKD testing. I never really had doubts that I would find an idea, but I feel better having one. If you'd like to proofread my paper, I would welcome some criticism before I send it out to everyone.

Fear and Loathing in Ames. Or, yes, we're in Iowa.

This weekend was pretty good. I helped a friend move, had dinner with my family, found part of my Halloween costume. I spent a little too much time in the car, had a decent workout, explored a part of Ames' Main St. that I hadn't visited before.

Preparations for taekwondo testing are in good shape. I think the hardest part of this is simply going to be keeping my nerves about me the day of the event. We have three weeks.

Something happened this weekend which I could not have forseen or imagined, and I believe it is worth sharing in some detail. So, Saturday night, I was playing darts at the Corner Pocket with my friend Scott, when a comely young woman came down the stairs next to the dartboard and begins talking to us. She had chest-length blonde hair, wore light-blue jeans and a greenish-patterned tank with some kind of jacket over it; she was tanned and looked to be in fair shape at worst. She began talking to us, and I don't know if I can reproduce her exact words, but here is how they exist in the malleable fabric of my memory:
"Hey, how's it going? Can I talk to you guys? I was upstairs and there isn't anyone for me to talk to there. It's just all black people and gay people and I don't like black people or gay people. So what are you guys doing? Just playing darts? Are you Iowa State students?"
Scott: "Sort of,"; Me: "Not really."
Her: "You two aren't gay, are you?"
Us: "No." (In hindsight, we missed an opportunity here.)
Her: "Okay, because I just don't like gay men." At this point we introduced ourselves; our little bigot's name was Lindsey.
Her: "Well I'm going back upstairs." (to Scott:) "You should come up."

At this point she left the same way she came. We had to sit down. Did this really happen? Sure it did. Lindsey may have been under the influence of alcohol at this point in the evening, but she seemed coherent when she spoke. Both Scott and myself agreed that we probably should have said something but our words were bound with disbelief when this actually happened. Still, it was astonishing. Such bigotry is a rare and stealthy animal, not often seen and rarely believeable when it is in this day and age.

We did eventually go upstairs, mostly out of morbid curiosity. Lindsey never crossed our paths again. The rest of the evening was fun though relatively uneventful, and it was never really in doubt that it would be.

Today's Music that Jason is Listening To is Twoism by Boards of Canada. This is ethereal, dreamy electronic music. It has no real vocal structure and only sparing use of language, mostly using percussion and various synthesizers to create a layered aural tapestry. It is not as emotional as, say, Mogwai or Explosions in the Sky; I usually find myself listening to BoC in the mornings when the fuzz of sleep is not entirely cast off. Still, this record's reserved nature is a choice rather than an inability to be something else, as it achieves a nice minimalist effect but still offers a fair amount of interplay on each track. I also enjoy the song titles, which are almost always nonsensical at their most relevant. This music may be too simple for some, or just not rock hard enough for others; I would agree that it is somewhat situational for my tastes but I certainly enjoy it. It manages to not always be everything that I want, but to not be something that I do not desire or appreciate.