I just couldn't find a particular album to blog about today, so I hope you will settle for some odds and ends, at least until I get fed up with my inability to focus on anything and quit in mid-sentence. I gave some thought to blogging about Neko Case's The Tigers Have Spoken, but decided that my knowledge of the material wasn't current enough to do it. Maybe another day.
I am fairly excited that both Neko Case and A.C. Newman are putting out solo albums in 2009! Newman is touring to support his album - hopefully Case will, too - so with any luck, I'll have at least one decent show to go to next year.
Christmas is coming up. I can't lie to a blog, even, I don't enjoy the holidays much. But it will be kind of nice to see family, and just be out of the office for a few days. Hopefully the weather is nice or at least not terribly seasonal.
Also I am going to see the Dandy Warhols for New Year's! More on this to come, but I'm already excited.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Films of 2008
Today, there will be no to very little music discussion. Today, I'm going to discuss the films I saw in 2008. Specifically, I'll list the 10 best, in reverse order. Note: I haven't seen Milk yet, but hope to this weekend. From what I hear, Milk may be good enough to bump some of these films down. To be fair, though, this hasn't been the best year for movies - the past two were much stronger. Anyway:
#10: Be Kind Rewind. This was pretty lighthearted, but entertaining, and very clever in places. Some decent laughs to be had here. It also gets filed under 'what if', as the Mos Def part was supposed to be played by Dave Chappelle. While I like Mos Def, it's hard to say that this wasn't a missed opportunity. Still, not a bad film, fun for what it was.
#9: WALL-E. Probably the least impressive Pixar film I've seen, but still visually stunning. I don't know that I could sympathize with the characters much, and it was fairly preachy for an 'all ages' film. But it was amusing. Started strong but petered out in the second half.
#8: Burn After Reading. I couldn't decide what to make of this film, as it wasn't funny enough to be a comedy, but not really serious enough for a drama. The whole thing seemed to be one extended, violent episode of Seinfeld, really. Still, all the parts worked together well, and it had a couple genuine laughs in it. Without giving away too much, Brad Pitt's character was the best part of the movie, though the other principal players were strong.
#7: Paranoid Park. Hard to decide whether this or Rambow should be #6. This was a dark, quiet film, the kind that eventually gave some of its secrets away but not willingly. Pretty well presented. I don't know, maybe I'm just a sucker for noir. I feel like this film had potential for a much more dramatic climax, but maybe I just wanted it to be Brick too badly.
#6: Son of Rambow. This was more like what Be Kind Rewind should have been: a whimsical film that is basically fueled by the imagination of children. Not my favorite movie, by any means, but it had as much good-natured charm as anything I've seen this year. I don't know anyone else who saw it, and that's a shame.
#5: Iron Man. It's rare that I enjoy blockbuster films, the type full of 'splosions and big names. This film was very polished, but it still succeeded on a lot of levels. It was exceptionally well cast, and the special effects didn't get in the way. Also, I never really read Iron Man comics, but I have to say the ending was a pleasant surprise. I'm not against big-budget action films, but they rarely have much appeal for me. While this one might not have been impeccable, it was certainly good by any stretch of the imagination.
#4: Redbelt. This was a really well done, reserved drama that most people probably didn't see. It owes a lot of its success to the actors, Chiwetel Eijofor (spelling) in particular. This is what martial arts films should be like - character-driven and thought out, not all alpha-dog posturing and preening. I will admit that the film ends too conveniently, but it wasn't enough to spoil an otherwise fine piece.
#3: In Bruges. I came out of this film contemplative, partially impressed by how clever it was, but partially wondering why so many plots failed where this one got all the details right. It was a well-cast film, with solid characters, and a script that didn't get ahead of itself. The film itself was wonderful to watch, as the city of Bruges really elevated a film that would have suffered if set in New York City or some other generic metropolis. Perhaps the sum of the parts wasn't quite enough to endear itself to me, as it lacked something I could really connect with, but it probably had the fewest weak links of any film I saw this year.
#2: The Dark Knight. Fine. Yell at me for not putting this #1. Do it. This film had some faults, but let's start with the good points, which were not hard to find. Wonderfully shot, just enough special effects, well acted, Morgan Freeman. All the moral ambiguity and consequences were timely and completely rational. And Heath Ledger. If this wasn't one of the two or three best performances I've seen in a film, I don't know what would beat it. I wish he would have laughed a little more in the movie - I guess I'm partial to the Joker from the animated Batman cartoon of the 90's, who seemed to enjoy himself a little more - but it's a minor gripe about a mountain of gold. I think he does fit with the gritty tone of the movie exceptionally well, to be fair. If anything, the film is somewhat heavy-handed, particularly when Ledger isn't onscreen, and it could have easily been 30 minutes shorter. Still, this is exactly what a superhero film should be, with respect to Iron Man: not just tights and 'splosions, but moral consequences and questions about what is right and how far is too far.
#1: The Fall. I doubt if you saw this, either. It essentially had two films in one, and both of them were pretty great. It managed to be visually stunning without making a spectacle or losing sight of the intimate portion of the film. Yes, this film owes a fair debt to The Princess Bride, and while it isn't as light-hearted, it also isn't as tongue-in-cheek. Sometimes it was absolutely somber, other times very pulpy, but the end product was amazing. Some films manage to be epic and grand, while others strive for emotional resonance; this film managed to do both. Some of the stories I've read about this movie, specifically about the details of how it was filmed, really emphasize how wonderful it is. I suppose I might argue that it doesn't aim as high as The Dark Knight, but it also came closer to realizing its potential more often. (In comparison, I thought In Bruges had a lower ceiling than either of these two films, but came closest to reaching it.)
So there you have it. Feel free to disagree with me, or don't. Either way, this wasn't the greatest year for movies - while I liked The Fall a great deal, it didn't give me the same feeling that Once or Brick did, and my top 10 from this year felt weaker than the last two years. Hopefully Milk will be a positive experience - even if it's just fair, I appreciate the attention being given to a worthy subject. Also, I'm looking forward to the adaptation of The Road, which should be out early next year.
Coming soon: some more music news.
In Other News:
I am physically beat today. Still going to the gym, though.
Screw winter.
#10: Be Kind Rewind. This was pretty lighthearted, but entertaining, and very clever in places. Some decent laughs to be had here. It also gets filed under 'what if', as the Mos Def part was supposed to be played by Dave Chappelle. While I like Mos Def, it's hard to say that this wasn't a missed opportunity. Still, not a bad film, fun for what it was.
#9: WALL-E. Probably the least impressive Pixar film I've seen, but still visually stunning. I don't know that I could sympathize with the characters much, and it was fairly preachy for an 'all ages' film. But it was amusing. Started strong but petered out in the second half.
#8: Burn After Reading. I couldn't decide what to make of this film, as it wasn't funny enough to be a comedy, but not really serious enough for a drama. The whole thing seemed to be one extended, violent episode of Seinfeld, really. Still, all the parts worked together well, and it had a couple genuine laughs in it. Without giving away too much, Brad Pitt's character was the best part of the movie, though the other principal players were strong.
#7: Paranoid Park. Hard to decide whether this or Rambow should be #6. This was a dark, quiet film, the kind that eventually gave some of its secrets away but not willingly. Pretty well presented. I don't know, maybe I'm just a sucker for noir. I feel like this film had potential for a much more dramatic climax, but maybe I just wanted it to be Brick too badly.
#6: Son of Rambow. This was more like what Be Kind Rewind should have been: a whimsical film that is basically fueled by the imagination of children. Not my favorite movie, by any means, but it had as much good-natured charm as anything I've seen this year. I don't know anyone else who saw it, and that's a shame.
#5: Iron Man. It's rare that I enjoy blockbuster films, the type full of 'splosions and big names. This film was very polished, but it still succeeded on a lot of levels. It was exceptionally well cast, and the special effects didn't get in the way. Also, I never really read Iron Man comics, but I have to say the ending was a pleasant surprise. I'm not against big-budget action films, but they rarely have much appeal for me. While this one might not have been impeccable, it was certainly good by any stretch of the imagination.
#4: Redbelt. This was a really well done, reserved drama that most people probably didn't see. It owes a lot of its success to the actors, Chiwetel Eijofor (spelling) in particular. This is what martial arts films should be like - character-driven and thought out, not all alpha-dog posturing and preening. I will admit that the film ends too conveniently, but it wasn't enough to spoil an otherwise fine piece.
#3: In Bruges. I came out of this film contemplative, partially impressed by how clever it was, but partially wondering why so many plots failed where this one got all the details right. It was a well-cast film, with solid characters, and a script that didn't get ahead of itself. The film itself was wonderful to watch, as the city of Bruges really elevated a film that would have suffered if set in New York City or some other generic metropolis. Perhaps the sum of the parts wasn't quite enough to endear itself to me, as it lacked something I could really connect with, but it probably had the fewest weak links of any film I saw this year.
#2: The Dark Knight. Fine. Yell at me for not putting this #1. Do it. This film had some faults, but let's start with the good points, which were not hard to find. Wonderfully shot, just enough special effects, well acted, Morgan Freeman. All the moral ambiguity and consequences were timely and completely rational. And Heath Ledger. If this wasn't one of the two or three best performances I've seen in a film, I don't know what would beat it. I wish he would have laughed a little more in the movie - I guess I'm partial to the Joker from the animated Batman cartoon of the 90's, who seemed to enjoy himself a little more - but it's a minor gripe about a mountain of gold. I think he does fit with the gritty tone of the movie exceptionally well, to be fair. If anything, the film is somewhat heavy-handed, particularly when Ledger isn't onscreen, and it could have easily been 30 minutes shorter. Still, this is exactly what a superhero film should be, with respect to Iron Man: not just tights and 'splosions, but moral consequences and questions about what is right and how far is too far.
#1: The Fall. I doubt if you saw this, either. It essentially had two films in one, and both of them were pretty great. It managed to be visually stunning without making a spectacle or losing sight of the intimate portion of the film. Yes, this film owes a fair debt to The Princess Bride, and while it isn't as light-hearted, it also isn't as tongue-in-cheek. Sometimes it was absolutely somber, other times very pulpy, but the end product was amazing. Some films manage to be epic and grand, while others strive for emotional resonance; this film managed to do both. Some of the stories I've read about this movie, specifically about the details of how it was filmed, really emphasize how wonderful it is. I suppose I might argue that it doesn't aim as high as The Dark Knight, but it also came closer to realizing its potential more often. (In comparison, I thought In Bruges had a lower ceiling than either of these two films, but came closest to reaching it.)
So there you have it. Feel free to disagree with me, or don't. Either way, this wasn't the greatest year for movies - while I liked The Fall a great deal, it didn't give me the same feeling that Once or Brick did, and my top 10 from this year felt weaker than the last two years. Hopefully Milk will be a positive experience - even if it's just fair, I appreciate the attention being given to a worthy subject. Also, I'm looking forward to the adaptation of The Road, which should be out early next year.
Coming soon: some more music news.
In Other News:
I am physically beat today. Still going to the gym, though.
Screw winter.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Lucky
Today's Music of the Day is Nada Surf's Lucky. This is something I picked up from the library, for no real reason other than I would have felt guilty for checking out all the John Coltrane albums that were in. I wish I had some other history with Nada Surf, as they seem to be popular with some of the kids, but I don't. Maybe this will work in my favor, allowing me to evaluate the music objectively; we'll see.
I'm kind of on the fence about this album. It sort of sounds like teenage heartbreak, as though most of the songs here could have been used as theme music for Dawson's Creek spin-offs (yes, I know I'm dating myself a little here). However, the album isn't all that bad. It's not overly preening or facile, and has some nice instrumentation in places. These moments are fleeting, though, and they aren't enough to compensate for an album that is too tender and weepy to really be enjoyable or interesting.
In Short: You might like this album, and while I wouldn't think less of you for feeling so, I also wouldn't agree with you. It's nice enough, I guess, but for an album to run on emotion, the heart needs to bleed a little bit.
In Other News:
Decent weekend, all things considered. Winter is here, though, and I'm annoyed by it.
Coming Soon: my 'films of 2008 review'. Maybe. It all depends on whether I get around to seeing 'Milk' this weekend or not, and whether I feel like waiting to see it before posting my list.
I'm kind of on the fence about this album. It sort of sounds like teenage heartbreak, as though most of the songs here could have been used as theme music for Dawson's Creek spin-offs (yes, I know I'm dating myself a little here). However, the album isn't all that bad. It's not overly preening or facile, and has some nice instrumentation in places. These moments are fleeting, though, and they aren't enough to compensate for an album that is too tender and weepy to really be enjoyable or interesting.
In Short: You might like this album, and while I wouldn't think less of you for feeling so, I also wouldn't agree with you. It's nice enough, I guess, but for an album to run on emotion, the heart needs to bleed a little bit.
In Other News:
Decent weekend, all things considered. Winter is here, though, and I'm annoyed by it.
Coming Soon: my 'films of 2008 review'. Maybe. It all depends on whether I get around to seeing 'Milk' this weekend or not, and whether I feel like waiting to see it before posting my list.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Cellar Door
First off, I want to apologize if you saw the title and immediately got excited about Donnie Darko. I would have. Unfortunately, the title of today's post is the subject's album title. I hope you'll read anyway; I'll probably talk about Donnie Darko after the normal blog topic.
Moving on, today's Music of the Day is Cellar Door, by John Vanderslice. This album came to me by way of the public library, having stumbled upon it one day at random. I almost immediately claimed it for checkout, because of A) the aforementioned Donnie Darko connection, and B) I had no idea who John Vanderslice was at the time.
Enough with the history lessons; that's what Wikipedia is for. Let's talk about the music.
This is something of a pop album, but it's not really pop in the sense that, say, the New Pornographers are pop. These songs are very tightly controlled, to the point that the tension affects the mood, and consequently the entire sound is unfriendly without being dark. It isn't much like the Church or the Cure, but I would place his sound somewhere along the lines of Echo and the Bunnymen.
Cellar Door is hardly unlistenable; it's a pretty good album. However, it's not an easy listen, as the album is as stern and tense as any pop album I've listened to in recent memory. The lyrics are good, very good in places; the soundscape is busy but cooperative. The instruments are very rough, and the percussion almost industrial at times, but everything is moving - or at least being pulled - in the same direction. Listening to this album, though, gives a person all of the tension and very little of the resolution. It is sort of a strange effect, an album with such clearly defined emotional boundaries, but it's not a failure by any means.
There are some songs I care for more than others, here; 'June July' isn't bad, but it's hardly an inspired choice for an album closer. The opener, 'Pale Horse', isn't horribly dramatic, but it does set the tone well. My favorite song on this album, 'Promising Actress', is possibly the most well-resolved song. (It also happens to be about David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, one of the more interesting movies I've seen, a pretty good film but not Lynch's magnum opus.)
In short: interesting if not pleasing. Listenable but maybe not for you? Hard to say.
In Coincidental News:
It was J.R.R. Tolkien who said that 'cellar door' was one of the most pleasing phrases in the English language, but I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only one who heard this idea first from Donnie Darko. Lately, I've been hearing a lot of music from the soundtrack of this film. Recently I heard Gary Jules's rendition of "Mad World" at a bar, and on Sunday I heard the Church's "Under the Milky Way". (Both great songs.) I also heard the Echo and the Bunnymen song "The Killing Moon" (?) somewhere, recently, though it escapes me at present. Maybe it just means I should watch Donnie Darko again; I suspect the film is a little dated, and probably less mature than I want to believe, but I'd be hard pressed not to encourage anyone to watch it. I suppose there is a greater debate here, whether it's best to look at something objectively or to enjoy it in spite of its flaws, but this blog has gone on long enough for one day.
In Other News:
I think my foot is good enough for capoeira again. Yays!
This weekend should be fun if everything doesn't happen at once.
Moving on, today's Music of the Day is Cellar Door, by John Vanderslice. This album came to me by way of the public library, having stumbled upon it one day at random. I almost immediately claimed it for checkout, because of A) the aforementioned Donnie Darko connection, and B) I had no idea who John Vanderslice was at the time.
Enough with the history lessons; that's what Wikipedia is for. Let's talk about the music.
This is something of a pop album, but it's not really pop in the sense that, say, the New Pornographers are pop. These songs are very tightly controlled, to the point that the tension affects the mood, and consequently the entire sound is unfriendly without being dark. It isn't much like the Church or the Cure, but I would place his sound somewhere along the lines of Echo and the Bunnymen.
Cellar Door is hardly unlistenable; it's a pretty good album. However, it's not an easy listen, as the album is as stern and tense as any pop album I've listened to in recent memory. The lyrics are good, very good in places; the soundscape is busy but cooperative. The instruments are very rough, and the percussion almost industrial at times, but everything is moving - or at least being pulled - in the same direction. Listening to this album, though, gives a person all of the tension and very little of the resolution. It is sort of a strange effect, an album with such clearly defined emotional boundaries, but it's not a failure by any means.
There are some songs I care for more than others, here; 'June July' isn't bad, but it's hardly an inspired choice for an album closer. The opener, 'Pale Horse', isn't horribly dramatic, but it does set the tone well. My favorite song on this album, 'Promising Actress', is possibly the most well-resolved song. (It also happens to be about David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, one of the more interesting movies I've seen, a pretty good film but not Lynch's magnum opus.)
In short: interesting if not pleasing. Listenable but maybe not for you? Hard to say.
In Coincidental News:
It was J.R.R. Tolkien who said that 'cellar door' was one of the most pleasing phrases in the English language, but I'm willing to bet that I'm not the only one who heard this idea first from Donnie Darko. Lately, I've been hearing a lot of music from the soundtrack of this film. Recently I heard Gary Jules's rendition of "Mad World" at a bar, and on Sunday I heard the Church's "Under the Milky Way". (Both great songs.) I also heard the Echo and the Bunnymen song "The Killing Moon" (?) somewhere, recently, though it escapes me at present. Maybe it just means I should watch Donnie Darko again; I suspect the film is a little dated, and probably less mature than I want to believe, but I'd be hard pressed not to encourage anyone to watch it. I suppose there is a greater debate here, whether it's best to look at something objectively or to enjoy it in spite of its flaws, but this blog has gone on long enough for one day.
In Other News:
I think my foot is good enough for capoeira again. Yays!
This weekend should be fun if everything doesn't happen at once.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Covers and Misc.?
Today's Music isn't an album, it's actually a mix disc of cover songs that a friend gave me. I sort of listened to it on Saturday, but I wasn't really in a mood to blog, so I suppose this will happen today. But first, as is my style, I will devise a scale on which to rate these songs. Today's scale is going to be pie. As always, feel free to disagree with my taste in music, or pie. With no further interruptions, the scale, listed from the bottom up:
Chicken Pot Pie: I don't think I've actually had one of these in fifteen years or more, and for good reason. Yikes.
Mincemeat Pie: Save this one for my grandma, I'll pass.
American Pie: let's go with the Don McLean song, which has its moments but mostly ruins its charm by being four times as long as would be necessary, and not the crappy movie with Eugene Levy.
Cherry Pie: Not necessarily bad, just not really my thing.
Lemon Meringue Pie: Pretty good, just can't compete with the better fruit pies.
Apple Pie: Solid if unspectacular, a good choice if not always special.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie: Oh, goodness. Now we're talking.
Raspberry Pie: In this case, top of the line. I am particularly thinking of a raspberry pie from a family holiday a few years ago, made by my grandmother, that was so tart that my younger cousins couldn't eat it. Wow. What a pie.
Well, enough pie talk, as I am getting hungry. Let's get to the music:
*P.M. Dawn - medley with '1999' and others - okay, not a bad start. Cherry Pie.
*Dolly Parton - 'Shine' - actually better than the original, still not a great song. Dolly Parton deserves more attention for her music, which is underrated, to be honest. Lemon Meringue Pie.
*Wire Waltz - 'Modern Love' - pretty good stuff, a nice slow burn, very much in the vein of Mazzy Star with a dash of twang. I'm not sure exactly where to rate this one, but it probably warrants a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
*Chris Cornell - 'Billie Jean' - not bad, I guess; I just can't get behind Chris Cornell trying to rein in his voice for an acoustic cover like this. Good intentions, but undelivered promises. Cherry Pie.
*Counting Crows - 'Borderline' - this song seems to suit their style; it's too bad they didn't have much in the way of style to begin with. Not awful, I guess, but very pleasant in a conservative white-underwear sort of way. Sometimes, though, this band makes groups like The Hold Steady look like the hardest rock band imaginable. We'll say American Pie.
*Cat Power - 'New York' - yeah, it's probably unfair that Cat Power gets a pass but Counting Crows draw my ire. This song is actually a little atypical of Cat Power's sound, but it still works okay. Lemon Meringue Pie.
*The Automatic - 'Gold Digger' - I didn't care for this too much. Kind of cute in a spastic sort of way, but not really an improvement. Mincemeat Pie.
*Antony and the Johnsons - 'Crazy in Love' - yeah, not so much. Though I blame Beyonce for putting out a pretty crappy song to begin with. Still, the melodramatic delivery doesn't work for me here. Mincemeat Pie.
*Puracane - 'Summertime Rolls' - this one has a great album title, "Things You Should Leave Alone". This one is a little too 'hey it's 1998 and let's do dancey remixes of everything' but it's not that bad. A much better use of style than the previous two. Cherry Pie.
*Willis - 'Word Up' - pretty decent, at least better than the Korn version of this song. This one works better than some of the previous string-based efforts; it's not my all-time favorite but I kind of like it. Apple Pie.
*Donny Hathaway - 'Jealous Guy' - nice enough but see the Counting Crows entry above. Really, I didn't care for this at all; 'blue-eyed soul' generally means 'elevator music' to me. Chicken Pot Pie.
*Trinidad Steel Drummers - 'Cissy Strut' - no score given. The recording was too faint for me to make heads or tails of any actual sound.
*Ramsey Lewis - 'Dear Prudence' - all strings and Muzak, basically. Probably has to go with Mincemeat Pie, simply because the world doesn't really need an orchestral version of a Beatles tune.
*Prince - 'A Case of U' - not so bad. Not really my style - it's a sweet ballad with minimal percussion and dominant piano, but it's simple enough and plays to its strengths. Lemon Meringue Pie.
*Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers - 'Got Myself a Good Man' - not bad, takes a little time to get going, though. All instrumental, not super but definitely listenable. Lemon Meringue Pie.
*Aretha Franklin - 'Border Song (Holy Moses)' - yeah. It's wicked good. Maybe not everyone appreciates Aretha, but some people are fools. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, and that's really not fair.
*Nina Simone - 'Suzanne' - okay, I guess, but too schmaltzy. Probably American Pie at best.
*Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - 'For What It's Worth' - decent but not really on the money; fun but not ultimately very satisfying. Cherry Pie.
*The Brother's Rap - 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' - this is a gimmick track but it's a good one. Man, do I love sassy kids. It only loses points because spoken word tracks like this are basically a novelty, though this one has a good message. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
*Ray Charles - 'Living For the City' - maybe too busy at times, but you will have respect for Mister Ray Charles. The early part of the song, where it's just Ray, is amazing. When the other singers come in, it's not bad, but it's like putting some kind of condiment on a perfect, juicy steak. It's just more, and while it doesn't spoil everything, it's not really better. Strawberry Rhubarby Pie, and apologies to Ray.
*Nina Gordon - 'Straight Outta Compton' - yeah. Pretty good in its own right, and all the sweetly sung vulgarity is just glorious. Perfect way to close a covers album, just enough to make me wish the whole album was like that. Raspberry Pie, all the way.
So there you have it: some real stinkers, strong efforts by the folks with serious chops, a couple novelties, and a real dynamite send-off. Thanks to The Cheese for this disc!
In Other News:
Pretty good weekend, just what I needed. I didn't get everything I wanted - my foot hurt too much last night for running, among other things - but it was fun.
Chicken Pot Pie: I don't think I've actually had one of these in fifteen years or more, and for good reason. Yikes.
Mincemeat Pie: Save this one for my grandma, I'll pass.
American Pie: let's go with the Don McLean song, which has its moments but mostly ruins its charm by being four times as long as would be necessary, and not the crappy movie with Eugene Levy.
Cherry Pie: Not necessarily bad, just not really my thing.
Lemon Meringue Pie: Pretty good, just can't compete with the better fruit pies.
Apple Pie: Solid if unspectacular, a good choice if not always special.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie: Oh, goodness. Now we're talking.
Raspberry Pie: In this case, top of the line. I am particularly thinking of a raspberry pie from a family holiday a few years ago, made by my grandmother, that was so tart that my younger cousins couldn't eat it. Wow. What a pie.
Well, enough pie talk, as I am getting hungry. Let's get to the music:
*P.M. Dawn - medley with '1999' and others - okay, not a bad start. Cherry Pie.
*Dolly Parton - 'Shine' - actually better than the original, still not a great song. Dolly Parton deserves more attention for her music, which is underrated, to be honest. Lemon Meringue Pie.
*Wire Waltz - 'Modern Love' - pretty good stuff, a nice slow burn, very much in the vein of Mazzy Star with a dash of twang. I'm not sure exactly where to rate this one, but it probably warrants a Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
*Chris Cornell - 'Billie Jean' - not bad, I guess; I just can't get behind Chris Cornell trying to rein in his voice for an acoustic cover like this. Good intentions, but undelivered promises. Cherry Pie.
*Counting Crows - 'Borderline' - this song seems to suit their style; it's too bad they didn't have much in the way of style to begin with. Not awful, I guess, but very pleasant in a conservative white-underwear sort of way. Sometimes, though, this band makes groups like The Hold Steady look like the hardest rock band imaginable. We'll say American Pie.
*Cat Power - 'New York' - yeah, it's probably unfair that Cat Power gets a pass but Counting Crows draw my ire. This song is actually a little atypical of Cat Power's sound, but it still works okay. Lemon Meringue Pie.
*The Automatic - 'Gold Digger' - I didn't care for this too much. Kind of cute in a spastic sort of way, but not really an improvement. Mincemeat Pie.
*Antony and the Johnsons - 'Crazy in Love' - yeah, not so much. Though I blame Beyonce for putting out a pretty crappy song to begin with. Still, the melodramatic delivery doesn't work for me here. Mincemeat Pie.
*Puracane - 'Summertime Rolls' - this one has a great album title, "Things You Should Leave Alone". This one is a little too 'hey it's 1998 and let's do dancey remixes of everything' but it's not that bad. A much better use of style than the previous two. Cherry Pie.
*Willis - 'Word Up' - pretty decent, at least better than the Korn version of this song. This one works better than some of the previous string-based efforts; it's not my all-time favorite but I kind of like it. Apple Pie.
*Donny Hathaway - 'Jealous Guy' - nice enough but see the Counting Crows entry above. Really, I didn't care for this at all; 'blue-eyed soul' generally means 'elevator music' to me. Chicken Pot Pie.
*Trinidad Steel Drummers - 'Cissy Strut' - no score given. The recording was too faint for me to make heads or tails of any actual sound.
*Ramsey Lewis - 'Dear Prudence' - all strings and Muzak, basically. Probably has to go with Mincemeat Pie, simply because the world doesn't really need an orchestral version of a Beatles tune.
*Prince - 'A Case of U' - not so bad. Not really my style - it's a sweet ballad with minimal percussion and dominant piano, but it's simple enough and plays to its strengths. Lemon Meringue Pie.
*Pucho and his Latin Soul Brothers - 'Got Myself a Good Man' - not bad, takes a little time to get going, though. All instrumental, not super but definitely listenable. Lemon Meringue Pie.
*Aretha Franklin - 'Border Song (Holy Moses)' - yeah. It's wicked good. Maybe not everyone appreciates Aretha, but some people are fools. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie, and that's really not fair.
*Nina Simone - 'Suzanne' - okay, I guess, but too schmaltzy. Probably American Pie at best.
*Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 - 'For What It's Worth' - decent but not really on the money; fun but not ultimately very satisfying. Cherry Pie.
*The Brother's Rap - 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' - this is a gimmick track but it's a good one. Man, do I love sassy kids. It only loses points because spoken word tracks like this are basically a novelty, though this one has a good message. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.
*Ray Charles - 'Living For the City' - maybe too busy at times, but you will have respect for Mister Ray Charles. The early part of the song, where it's just Ray, is amazing. When the other singers come in, it's not bad, but it's like putting some kind of condiment on a perfect, juicy steak. It's just more, and while it doesn't spoil everything, it's not really better. Strawberry Rhubarby Pie, and apologies to Ray.
*Nina Gordon - 'Straight Outta Compton' - yeah. Pretty good in its own right, and all the sweetly sung vulgarity is just glorious. Perfect way to close a covers album, just enough to make me wish the whole album was like that. Raspberry Pie, all the way.
So there you have it: some real stinkers, strong efforts by the folks with serious chops, a couple novelties, and a real dynamite send-off. Thanks to The Cheese for this disc!
In Other News:
Pretty good weekend, just what I needed. I didn't get everything I wanted - my foot hurt too much last night for running, among other things - but it was fun.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Christmas
Today's Surprisingly Tolerable Holiday Music is Christmas, by Low. This album was given to me as a gift, partially because I mentioned it some time ago, but possibly a little bit to make me dislike the holidays less. Yes, I'm something of a Grinch, particularly about Christmas music. I suppose I wouldn't dislike it so much if I wasn't browbeaten with it from the moment Thanksgiving ends until the moment Christmas Day ends.
Anyway, this album sounds exactly like what would be expected from a reserved, semi-minimalist band writing Christmas songs. They're not festive, exactly, but more like Low songs that happen to be about Christmas. There are a couple covers here, which don't sound out of place, but the album is mostly originals.
This isn't really Bing Crosby Christmas music, nor is it music for a warm Christmas with your loved ones. It's more Christmas music for softly falling snow and cold winds, the kind of music that wants to celebrate the holidays but which brings a mood more fitting for a chilly night spent inside. I'm glad Low put out this album when they did, as the band's sound has changed a little, and the overall effect of a Christmas album put out under a vintage Low sound is more powerful than something under their modern ideas (which aren't bad, just more accessible).
In Other News:
Man this week has been a struggle. Maybe the weekend will lift my spirits? Who knows. But even as I complain, somewhere, people are outside in this frigid December, working or just trying not to starve or freeze to death. My 'problems' are all relative, whether they seem that way all the time or not.
Anyway, this album sounds exactly like what would be expected from a reserved, semi-minimalist band writing Christmas songs. They're not festive, exactly, but more like Low songs that happen to be about Christmas. There are a couple covers here, which don't sound out of place, but the album is mostly originals.
This isn't really Bing Crosby Christmas music, nor is it music for a warm Christmas with your loved ones. It's more Christmas music for softly falling snow and cold winds, the kind of music that wants to celebrate the holidays but which brings a mood more fitting for a chilly night spent inside. I'm glad Low put out this album when they did, as the band's sound has changed a little, and the overall effect of a Christmas album put out under a vintage Low sound is more powerful than something under their modern ideas (which aren't bad, just more accessible).
In Other News:
Man this week has been a struggle. Maybe the weekend will lift my spirits? Who knows. But even as I complain, somewhere, people are outside in this frigid December, working or just trying not to starve or freeze to death. My 'problems' are all relative, whether they seem that way all the time or not.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Receivers
Today's Music of the Day is Receivers, by Parts & Labor. This band's previous album, Mapmaker, was something reviewed here at Support Your Local Catgun in the recent past, and it certainly received the acclaim, if not attention, that it deserved. Apparently, after the release of the excellent Mapmaker, the band's drummer left. (This is possibly due to 'creative differences', or maybe because of a freak gardening accident that the authorities decided was best left alone.) So how did things hold up?
Fairly well, actually. The sound is definitely different - there are drums, but they carry much less of the record. This album seems to be a little more vocal-driven; the melodies are still present, but they're less confrontational. Sometimes the edge is clearly missed - "The Ceasing Now" has about a 15% rock to 85% drag ration - but this album is far from awful. It very much makes me think of a similar situation with another band - The Secret Machines - that released one very good album (Now Here is Nowhere) and followed up with another album that was fair but not up to the first album's standard.
Still, there are good songs, particularly "Satellites" and "Nowhere's Nigh". "Wedding in a Wasteland" has a fairly awful title but it is one of the better tracks here. I also like the way the songs transition right into each other - a number of albums that I'm especially fond of share this trait. Even the weaker songs aren't terrible, though they could stand to bump the volume by 10% and the tempo by 20%.
In short, this is a nice album with some strong moments, but Parts & Labor should probably get their drummer back.
In Other News:
More freakin' snow.
Today is going to be better than yesterday, I can already tell. A good workout will do me wonders, though. I feel okay, just haven't felt like myself for a couple days.
Fairly well, actually. The sound is definitely different - there are drums, but they carry much less of the record. This album seems to be a little more vocal-driven; the melodies are still present, but they're less confrontational. Sometimes the edge is clearly missed - "The Ceasing Now" has about a 15% rock to 85% drag ration - but this album is far from awful. It very much makes me think of a similar situation with another band - The Secret Machines - that released one very good album (Now Here is Nowhere) and followed up with another album that was fair but not up to the first album's standard.
Still, there are good songs, particularly "Satellites" and "Nowhere's Nigh". "Wedding in a Wasteland" has a fairly awful title but it is one of the better tracks here. I also like the way the songs transition right into each other - a number of albums that I'm especially fond of share this trait. Even the weaker songs aren't terrible, though they could stand to bump the volume by 10% and the tempo by 20%.
In short, this is a nice album with some strong moments, but Parts & Labor should probably get their drummer back.
In Other News:
More freakin' snow.
Today is going to be better than yesterday, I can already tell. A good workout will do me wonders, though. I feel okay, just haven't felt like myself for a couple days.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Cannery Hours
Today's Music That Jason Actually Didn't Steal is Cannery Hours, by a band called The Occasion. What I know about the band is minimal; I got this album from eMusic after having heard one of its tracks on Pandora. Thus far, the reviews are positive, but perhaps not overwhelmingly so.
Cannery Hours is an introspective album, one that has a message but doesn't really ever beat you about the head with it. This album is so quiet and unobtrusive that it might be mistaken for a soundtrack at first listen. It's not really light, though; the band makes me think of a less engaging Mogwai, though that's not really an apt comparison. I really like the sound, though sometimes I wish there was a little more of it. This is very much a 'fall' album, if you have to give it a season.
The title track and "You May Know Me" are the standouts here, at least in my opinion. I know this review is somewhat abbreviated but I don't know if I've been able to give this album a dedicated listen yet. Overall, this is a solid effort; I just hope the band listens to a little more Explosions in the Sky and a little less Von-era Sigur Ros.
In Other News:
My keyboard is working somewhat inconsistently and it's driving me mad.
The weekend was good, if unproductive.
I know the font is not so great here but it's more trouble than it's worth to make everything consistent.
Cannery Hours is an introspective album, one that has a message but doesn't really ever beat you about the head with it. This album is so quiet and unobtrusive that it might be mistaken for a soundtrack at first listen. It's not really light, though; the band makes me think of a less engaging Mogwai, though that's not really an apt comparison. I really like the sound, though sometimes I wish there was a little more of it. This is very much a 'fall' album, if you have to give it a season.
The title track and "You May Know Me" are the standouts here, at least in my opinion. I know this review is somewhat abbreviated but I don't know if I've been able to give this album a dedicated listen yet. Overall, this is a solid effort; I just hope the band listens to a little more Explosions in the Sky and a little less Von-era Sigur Ros.
In Other News:
My keyboard is working somewhat inconsistently and it's driving me mad.
The weekend was good, if unproductive.
I know the font is not so great here but it's more trouble than it's worth to make everything consistent.
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