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
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Thursday, September 6, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, August 31, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
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!
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!
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