Vol. 3 Episode 34

I am so excited, I got the new Man or Astro-Man? 7" in the mail to day! There is a sticker holding the top closed though. I don't think that I am going to open it. I am going to download the tracks when they become available on the internets.

I also got a CD in the mail from Run For Cover Records. I am a little miffed at this release. They sent it in a simple paper envelop with out any kind of stiffener. Because of this the CD has a crack on the outer edge where the track that I want is located. I have sent them an email asking for a replacement. We'll see what comes back.

I also got an email from the company that I ordered the new XX album from. It has been delayed two weeks. It is a little disappointing but I am still excited to hear the album and get it in my hands.

Anyway, on with the show...

Chic – Risque

This is the third studio album from Chic. It was released in 1979. This is a great disco album and has been sampled by many hip-hop and rap groups. I love disco and have loved it since I was a child. The music had its heyday when I was a child though so I don’t know many artists or songs names from the time. I stumble on them from time to time and buy then as soon as I figure out who they are. I bought two albums from Chic when I realized who they were and what they sang. This is one of them.

There are three singles released from this album. The first is called Good Times. The bass line in this track is stand out amazing and creative. I remember the chorus being so happy and energetic. This was what disco was about to me, happiness and enjoyment. This bass line has been sampled most famously from The Sugar Hill Gangs’ song Rapper’s Delight to a more recent Daft Punk song called Around The World.

The second single released from this album is called MyForbidden Lover. This song was not as popular as Good Times but still has a great bass line. I don’t remember hearing this song ever until I heard this album. The song is good but it doesn’t have that nostalgic feeling to it that I have with Good Times.

The third single released from the album is called My FeetKeep Dancing. The bass line in this one is a little bit simpler. It uses octaves and repetitive notes. There are little flourishes but for the most part it just keeps the song moving. This is another one that is very good but doesn’t give me that feeling that I want, nostalgia.

Over all this is a very good album. If your not into disco don’t bother. If you are into disco but just want that nostalgic feeling then just get the single, Good Times. You will be more than happy with that.

DJ Shadow – Preemtive Strike

This is a compilation album of non-album singles. It was released in 1998. I remember being in Let It Be records when it was still in the heart of Minneapolis MN and seeing it displayed on vinyl on the main level of the store. I thought it would be cool to get but it was too expensive for me at the time. I remember going to that store and going to the basement to look through their huge collection of techno music. I probably bought less than ten techno records from them but I absolutely love then to death. They are probably some of the best records that I own. They were all singles with only two or three tracks on them but they remind me of a special time in the music industry and in my life. I wish I had bought that record but it doesn’t really matter because I still got it on CD. Actually, I am probably happier that I have it on CD because there are extra tracks on the CD version. The extra tracks were just short interstitials on the disk but they change the feel of how the music is laid out.

There was only one song on this comp that was released for radio play. I have never heard it on the radio but I like the track a lot. The track is called In/Flux. It is a twelve minute track that goes through some broad changes. Through out the whole track the drums remain consistent. What I mean is that the tonality of the drums doesn’t really change. This is pretty amazing since they are samples and usually when the song changes so drastically the drum samples will slightly change. I have a lot of respect for DJ Shadow because of this.

Elefant – Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid

This is the first album from Elefant. It was released in 2003. I found out about this group in 2005. I remember taking a drive with some of my friends, this doesn’t happen very often, and turning this album on for them. The driver, Shorty, said that he loved the music that I found and did not know how I found out about this underground stuff. I felt so proud but told him that all I did was surf the internet to find new acts really. I love to be able to turn friends on to new music. I don’t know if he really liked the music but it was definitely new and different to him. There is something special about this album though. I am not sure if it is the tones or the rhythms or the combination of the two but it is perfection. The vocals are clear and normal.

There was only one single released from this album. It is too bad really because there is so much great music on this album. The single is called Misfit. This track does stand out over the rest of the album but only by a hair. I wish that I could make a track like this really. It is exceptional. The guitars are layered four deep at least. There is the bass, a clear tone guitar, a distorted guitar and then a different tone distortion used for stabs and separate rhythm from the first distorted guitar. And the song gets better with the fact that you can understand the story that is being told through the vocals.

To a lesser extent the rest of the album is just as good as Misfit. This is an underground album that I think everyone should listen to and fall in love with. Go and get it today!

 

Harvey Danger – Where Have All The Merry Makers Gone?

This is the first album from Harvey Danger. It was originally released in 1997. I got this album and instantly fell in love with the album. It is so much fun and easy to sing along with. The first track, Carlota Valdez            sets the tone for the album, punchy and energetic. It is really a fun album.

The single released from the album is called FlaggpoleSitta. The song is an introspective on life as a teen ager. Mainly their view on sexuality but it also looks at psychological changes as one grows up as a teenager too. The music is very expressive as well. It is very punchy and energetic but also has a lull in the middle of the track that keeps me interested in the song. The lyrics are easy to sing along with and are not so convoluted that they don’t make any sense.

This is one of my favorite albums from the late 90s. This was a period of time when nobody knew where the music industry should be moving. This was also when everyone putting out music was still trying to make a light version of grunge music. This was a light for me during that time. something that was musically incredible and didn’t suck. 

That is all I have for now...

Vol.3 Episode 33

It is time for another singles issue. I have been sitting on these for quite a while and I am very excited to share them with you. I couldn't wait another week. I wanted to put them out now!!

Here it is...

Echo Lake – Another Day/BreatheDeep

This is the first single from Echo Lake. It was released in July of 2011, before the first album was released. As I was not sure at the time that I wrote about Wild Peace this is the single from the album.

The A side of the single, Another Day, is included on the new album Wild Peace. The song has a heavy hand with echo but the vocals still seem to float up to the top over all of the music. Although you can’t understand the lyricist is still a very pretty sound and that is what is most important in the music.

Ths B side track, Breathe Deep, is only found on this single. This song has the light and airy/dreamy vocals that I love so much. The background vocals are just oos and ahs but they overlap the actual words that are being sung making for a nearly breathless sound in the vocals. It is really cool to listen to.

This was an interesting hunt into the background of Echo Lake. I liked the album so much that I had to find more from them. The only other collections that are out there from this group right now are the first EP, Young Silence, the first single as seen here and their first album, Wild Peace.

Foxes – Warrior EP

This is her first EP but her second release ever. This Ep was released in the summer of 2012. The EP was released as a 7” vinyl with three songs or as a download with five songs. I bought the 7” and downloaded the two tracks that were not included on the physical release. The record label that is supporting her is called Neon Gold. This is the same record company that put out Passion Pits’ first single, Sleepy Head. They are a very small record company.

The first release from this EP is called Warrior. I heard it through an email that I get that promotes indie bands, I think it is called Rcd-Lbl. I don’t keep the email after I have read it so I can’t be sure about that name. She has a beautiful voice and the backing music is usually slow and deliberate with lots of emotion. The music is electronic in nature and has some big beats that boll you over.

The second song, The one that I heard from Rcd-Lbl, called White Coats, has some really cool digital backing vocal samples that are very intriguing. It has that mountainous feel with tympani drums used in the chorus and the sampled vocals having a nice clear echo on them. She sort of has a bit of a whine in her vocals. Some people may not like this sound. For me, listening to Thom Yorke for so long, it is all right.

The third track from the EP is called In Her Arms. This track has a really awesome big distorted bass drum sound. The melody of the song sounds like it is coming from a set of pipe bells that are all bent out of shape. They have a slightly out of tune sound that works so well with the song. This track is one of the two that are only available on the download version of the EP

The other two tracks are a demo of Let Go For Tonight, download or vinyl, and Warrior done as a live acoustic version, download only.

Foxes – Youth

This was Foxes first ever release. It was released early in 2012 on Neon Gold as well. The graphic on the cover reminds me of porcelain artistry. It is very pretty.

The A side of this 7” single is called Youth. The song start out with her vocals only with the music fading in slowly. There are lots of synth strings and a low under current bass line and light drums. It builds into a bass driven track with glitch drums that sound really good. The song drops this all off with only her vocals about half way through the song. The piano comes in slowly and then everything picks back up. It is a great song with great song craftsmanship in my opinion.

The B side of the single is called Home. This track is much simpler. It starts out with her vocals and a music box sounding melody behind. The drums pick up with a slow big sound. There is also some synth parts that support the music box sound that continues through the verse. There are some strings that pick up in the chorus to pick up where the music box leaves off. It reminds me of a child moving with his or her parents from town to town. The child in the story almost never gets to make any friends. It is a heart wrenching story that rings true to me through some of my friends who have had to live like that.

Lorelei – Asleep EP & Single

Both versions of this collection are long out of print. They were released in 1993. I was lucky to find both of them recently for cheap prices. Not many people know of this group so, if you look around, you can find them for cheap. The EP, which is a CD, has a different track listing from the vinyl single which is why I had to track down both versions. I was lucky to have tracked down the red vinyl version of the vinyl single.

It is called Asleep but they are in support of the song MostlyI Sleep, the A side of the single and lead track for the EP. The guys have younger sounding voices than what I have gotten use to on the new record Enterprising Sidewalks, There was nearly 20 years between this release and the new album that just came out. The song has a smooth beginning that slowly deteriorates into a staccato stutter. It really reminds me of something that Sunny Day Real Estate would have done. I like it a lot.

This leaves four songs that are not found anywhere else but on this EP and single. The B side to the single, called Float My Bed, starts out as an average song but bursts into a distorted mess at the end of each verse. It is an interesting way to craft a song, I will give them that much. I would not want them to float my bed away on that noise with me in it though.

The second track on the EP is called The Sky Is Falling. This is a slow song that doesn’t seem to do anything. There is so much dead space on the beginning of the song, I am just not sure that it is going any where until the second third kicks in. it is still slow but it does fill in the spaces better. The song goes back and forth between this dead sound and the full sound. It is a good song but really looses me in those dead parts.

The last two songs, Caterwaul and Stale Houses, are interesting but not tracks that I would sit down and listen to because I wanted to be enveloped in happy warm music. I will just put it like that. I will say that you need to be in the mood to listen to both the EP. I could probably listen to the single and be happy with that though.

Heavenly/Bis split single

This was a split single put out by K records. It was released in 1996. I got this as a freebie when I bought the Lorelei Single. I did not order it nor did I know that it was in the package when I got it. I was not even going to listen to it. I ended up cleaning it and putting it on as I was recording all of these singles for conversion to digital. There is one track from Heavenly and two from Bis.

I did not know what side was the A side or the B side as it was not labeled. I looked it up on Discogs to find that the Heavenly track was the A side. I listened to the Heavenly track, Trophy Girlfriend, and fell in love with the group instantly. The song has the classic 90s distorted guitar but has the clearest English accented female vocals. It was new and old to me at the same time. The song reminds me of something that Lush may have done on their last album, i.e. Lady Killers. I loved it. I am going to try to get some of their full length albums after hearing this song.

Bis had two songs on the B side of this single. The first song is called Keroleen. It has the licks of straight up punk. The problem that I have with the track is there is a slowed down sounding background vocals that is very distracting from the song. If they would have done that background as a normal voice I think that I would have liked it better.

The second song that they have on this single is called Grand Royal With Cheese. This song is just music, no vocals. The song is a very cool drum driven track. I think that this track is so much better than Keroleen. This is mainly due to the fact that there are no vocals and that it is mainly electronic/drum driven.

Other Lives/Atoms For Peace Split Single

I don’t know who Other Lives are honestly. The 12” single was released just recently in 2012. I bought it simply because Atoms For Peace is Thom Yorkes’ solo band.

The A side of this single is written by Other Lives but remixed by Atoms For Peace. The song is called Tamer Animals. There are sound clips of the lead singer from the group but I can’t tell how much of the original song is in this remix. It is an interesting glitch styled remix of the song which is indicative of Thom yorkes’ style.

The B side is a remix of the song Other Side. The remix is labeled Stuck Together Remix. This is significant because Thom did a song called Stuck Together for some modeling thing a while back. This is another electronic track from Thom and reminds me of the Radiohead remixes that were put out over the summer of 2011. It also reminds me of the sounds that I use to make when messing around with the old windows music software called Rubber Duck. You would make a loop and just mess with the loop over and over seeing what kind of new sounds you could come up with. It is an interesting song but at eight minutes it gets a little long in the tooth.

There is always more to come...

Vol. 3 Episode 32

All right, I am very excited. The music that I have been waiting for is finally rolling in. I also have the stereo up and useable. The record cleaner is out for repairs and should be back early next week. On the down side, My pre-amp display is acting strange but the pre-amp itself is still functioning. My big storage CD changer that has been out of commission, simply because there was no room on the rack that I had before, is now not recognizing CDs. This is all on top of the fact that there is something wrong with my first amp and my sony tape deck. I don't use the MD side of the CD/MD player though and don't plan on getting that fixed anytime soon. There is other stuff too but I wont get into it all.

I also had a fun trip to barnum with my Mother-in-law. I made four CDs worth of music for the drive. They were filled with classic rock, electronic, shoegaze and indie music. I was very proud that she only skipped about 10% of the music. We talked about lots of stuff on the way up but fell silent and listened to the music on the way back. just like last time I went on a road trip with her I drove about half of the leg back. I hate driving but it is never a problem to do so when she needs a break.Good times were had by all.

On to the music...

Passion Pit – Gossamer

This is the second album from Passion Pit. It was released in 2012. First off, I was very disappointed to find that the vinyl version of the album was going to cost over 25 bucks. I put off buying this album for quite a while because of this. I finally broke down and bought it on CD. I am glad that I did because I just read a review that said that the record was a 125 gram record. That is very poor quality for a record that costs more than 20 dollars. For those of you who don’t know that is a very thin record. It has become a standard as of late to press records at about 180. They are more durable that way and not too stiff. A 200 gram record as no give to it at all incase you were wondering and 150 is OK. The album is very loud and has big beats with lots of electronics high pitch noises. It is a great party record.

There have already been three singles released from the album. The first single is called Take A Walk. It has a very big sound with a light and airy feel over the top. It gives the song a great contrast making it very fun to listen to. The vocals are not quite as high pitched as the first album making the songs easier to listen to over all.

The second single released from this album is called I’ll BeAlright. This track is a hard hitting song that pounds you in the chest. The song has huge big beats with high pitched noises and vocals that add so much to the song. This is such a fun song. I love the breakdown with the shimmering notes that mimic rain. It is really amazing what this guy can come up with.

The most recent single that has been released is called Constant Conversations. This track is slowed down quite a lot. It is not my favorite on the album. I think that he has tried to do a ballad in the same vein as Hot Chip but falls short big time. It is a good song, just not the best song.

My favorite song on the album so far, excluding the singles, is called Carried Away. It is the closest to what was done on the previous album. It is not a rehash but it could have been on the previous album very easily I think.

This is a great electronic album and is a step or two above the first album that was put out.

Blur – Under The Westway/The Puratin

This is the latest release from Blur. They had been on hiatus since their last album Think Tank in 2003. Since then they have only released one song that was included on the Best Of album and one song for Record Store Day 2010 called Fools Day. These two songs were released in 2012. They commemorate the band getting together for the latest live shows. They were released in three formats; download, CD and white 7” vinyl. I of course got the 7” record.

The first track, Under The Westway, is a classic Blur ballad. It reminds me of the early 90s ballads that they did. This track has the graphic on the back of the sleeve and the graphic for the other track is on the front. It is an interesting way to set up the unexpected. The inside of the sleeve is blue. It goes well with the white record.

The second track, The Puratin, which is billed as the AA side, digs back to the new wave music of the 80s. The song has some very cool synth bass sounds along with other electronic sounds through the song. Every one plays on both songs. The reason that the band broke up was that the guitarist, Graham Coxon, decided that he had had enough. He is back with the group and plays on both of these tracks. How long he will stay with the group remains to be seen.

They are a good couple of track from a very much missed group.

Ride – Going Blank Again

This is the second album from Ride. It was originally released in 1992. It was recently remastered and rereleased on CD and vinyl. The vinyl was pressed at 45 RPMs. It is generally thought that this gives a record better sound. It has been said that this record was a step in the right direction for the group. The songs are in the same vein as the previous record but don’t come off as stale. They are refreshing and new. They are also a little bit happier sounding than the previous record. It still has the layered vocals that the group is known for but adds the happy jangly guitar sounds over the heavy distorted guitar.

There were two singles released from this album. The first is called Leave Them All Behind. The song starts out with an echo that reminds me of something that The Who would have done. Then the song kicks in in-full. The echo is still in the back ground but the bass and guitar stand tall in front until the vocals kick in. The vocals are the light an airy sound that I have come to expect from artists that make shoegaze music. It is beautiful layered male vocals that fill me up with happiness.

The second single released from this album is called Twisterella. This song reminds me of something that April March would have done when she did an album with The Makers. It is very poppy and happy with the jangly guitars and straight forward pop sound. It is a more poppy sound than the previous song and would recommend it over the first single. The vocals are straight forward on this track and are only layered on the chorus.

This is another great album that should not be missed from fans of this style of music.

Lorelei – Enterprising Sidewalks

This is Loreleis’ second record. It was released in the end of summer of 2012. Their first record was released back in 1995. It is really good to see them get back together. I was lucky enough to have gotten the chance to get this record as a test pressing from Slumberland Records. I was honored that Mike thought of me when he had some extra to sell (Thanks Mike). I also bought the mail order colored version of the album. It is another beautiful record. It is clear with brown speckled splatter. My copy has two turquoise dots amid the brown ones making it even more unique.

I haven’t heard anything about a single being released for this album but there is a song circulating around the internets from the album. That song is the first song on the album called Hammer Meets Tongs. The song has a fun rif that reminds me of something that Blur might have done in the early 90s. I like the song and it was my introduction to the band. I have the first album but I only just recently bought it used. So, I haven’t had a chance to listen to the first album yet.

It is a great album that pulls from both the 90s brit pop sound and the shoegazer movement of the late 80s/early90s. If you have any interest in either of these sounds then this is the album for you.

Echo Lake – Young Silence

This is the groups’ first release. It was released in early 2011 on 12” vinyl. The EP contains six songs. The group has been given many genre names but my favorite is dream pop. I think that this fits because I could fall asleep listening to this and not even know it and the music would probably influence my dreams heavily. I could just as easily call it shoegazer (nu-gazer is a possibility to since it is a part of the latest crop of the new shoegazer sound) or psychedelic though too. It is not that this music is boring but it is so airy that it floats into your mind and you sometimes can’t even remember listening to the music. There are catchy bits that stick in your head though too, guitar rhythms that stand out and make you feel good just because you have listened to it. It is just really good music. There is not a track on this EP that really stands out as superior to the others though. It is all so good and even through out the collection of songs.

Here is a link to the first song on the album called Sunday Evening.

 That is all for now...

Vol. 3 Episode 31

The stereo is finally set up. I just need to do some furniture moving and get the speakers set up. I have also sent the record cleaner out for repairs. I am very excited about that too. The vacuum part of the record cleaner went out about a year ago but I have been air drying the records after they have been cleaned. I am very excited about being able to clean a record and try it in one move.

Our, my wife's, Incubus HQ Box set was delivered too. It has six CDs, four double vinyl, a DVD, a blu-ray and a picture book. I am very excited about this box, there is so much music and the box itself is huge.

On with the show,

Foo Fighters – The Colour And The Shape

This is the second album from the Foo Fighters. It was released in 1997 through their won record company, Roswell Records. This is the first album that was released as a group effort. The first album was played written and recorded by Dave Grohl only. There were four singles released from this album.

The first single released from this album is Monkey Wrench. I loved this song. It took punk music in a new direction. Dave had this to say about the song, “it was a song about realizing that you are the source of all of the problems in a relationship and you love the other person so much, you want to free them of the problem, which is actually yourself. It was a riff that turned into another riff that turned into another riff and ended up being a nice little power punk song." In another interview, Grohl stated his pride in the song, "With Monkey Wrench I remember I had the main riff, but I didn't have the little jangly riff that goes over the top of it and I thought it needed something. So I came up with the jangly riff and thought 'Oh my God this is never gonna fly! Everyone's gonna hate it'. But I was really excited the first time I heard it on the radio - it was in the middle of a load of mid-'90s grunge shit and I thought it was so killer."

The second single from the album is called Everlong. This song ground breaking for a punk group. It is a really good song on its own too. The song was written when the band took a 2-week break from recording after the initial sessions. Grohl wrote "Everlong" by himself at his home in Virginia. It is considered to be one of the best songs by the band and is highly acclaimed.

The third single is called My Hero. This is a good song, easy to get along with. It is not my favorite from this album but it is very good. Many fans have speculated that this song was a tribute to Grohl's deceased friend and bandmate, Kurt Cobain. However, in Grohl's own words, the song is, "(his) way of saying that when I was young, I didn't have big rock heroes, I didn't want to grow up and be some big sporting hero. My heroes were ordinary people and the people that I have a lot of respect for are just solid everyday people - people you can rely on.”

The last single from this album is called Walking After You. It is a sweet acoustic song. It is very smooth and slow. I like this song a lot. This song was written and recorded by Grohl on his own in a studio in Washington. This version appears on the album. The band would later re-record the song with all the members for The X-Files soundtrack. Grohl stated, "It's an emotional, sappy song about getting dumped."

The Police – Zenyatta Mondatta

This is the third album from The Police. It was released in 1980. The album was recorded in four weeks between their second and third tours. Members of the band have expressed their disappointment of how the record sounds. Drummer Stewart Copeland said this about the time pressures: "We had bitten off more than we could chew. ...we finished the album at 4 a.m. on the day we were starting our next world tour. We went to bed for a few hours and then traveled down to Belgium for the first gig. It was cutting it very fine." There were two singles released from this album.

The first single released from the album is called Don’tStand So Close To Me. This song has some cool ska sounds on it. I am not a fan of ska music but this flows so well. It concerns a schoolgirl's crush on her young teacher and the teacher's nervousness about the situation. The song is about mixed feelings of lust, fear and guilt that a female student has for a school teacher and vice versa, and inappropriateness leading to confrontation. The music and lyrics of the song were written by the lead singer of The Police, Sting, who had previously worked as an English teacher.

The second single released from this album is called De Do Do Do, De Da DaDa. It is the lamest song title in the world and the chorus is the same but the song was a big hit. Sting has said that the song is about the attraction that people have to simple songs. I was trying to make an intellectual point about how the simple can be so powerful. Why are our favorite songs 'Da Doo Ron Ron' and 'Do Wah Diddy Diddy'? In the song, I tried to address that issue. But everyone said, 'This is bullshit, child's play.' No one listened to the lyrics. Listen to the lyrics. I'm going to remake it again and put more emphasis on what I was talking about.
The album as a whole is very good. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for what the 80s did to music.

Thin Lizzy – Jailbreak

This is the sixth album from Thin Lizzy and their most famous. It was released in 1976. It is a great album with only two singles. Those singles were both smash hits. I remember both songs being played on the radio as a kid and enjoying them a lot. They both had that highschool senior or college kids back home feel. It is for sure a nostalgic feeling for me.

The first single released from this album is called Jailbreak. This is track one on the first side of the LP. The track has the classic riff with the distortion sound that people are trying to recreate still today. This was pulled from Wikipedia, “It is typical of the band's music, with the dual lead guitar harmony and Brian Robertson´s peculiar use of the wah-wah pedal. Phil Lynott's lyrics about a prison break are the typical personification of the "tough guys"”

The second and last single from this album is called TheBoys Are Back In Town. It is the sixth track on the album but the first track on the second side. This is done to start on a high note on each side of the LP. The song has the standard Thin Lizzy two guitar one bass format that works so well for the group. This song is a little slower than Jailbreak but still has a lot of power behind it with the harmonizing guitars and call and response chorus.

The album is made great by these two singles and the group has never topped the success of this album. I do recommend a listen because the music is very good.

Cass McCombs – Dropping The Writ

This is the third album from Cass McCombs. It was released in 2007. The AV Club had this to say about the album, “Wispy singer-songwriter Cass McCombs probably wouldn't consider it a compliment to be compared to Seals & Crofts, but his third LP, Dropping The Writ, does recall the best aspects of the soft-rock '70s—most notably in the way McCombs doesn't overwhelm his delicate story-songs with instrumental frippery. Most of the tracks on Dropping The Writ build off McCombs' light, shimmery strumming and pleasantly airy vocals, to which he adds a few bars of piano here, a few bars of harmony there. The extra sounds are more like grace notes than dominant components of the arrangements—more like watercolors instead of thick oil paintings. The results are by no means earthshaking, but they do provide some gentle vibrations.” I really liked the album and wish that there was more than only one single released from it. It is really hard to get more singles released from artists that don’t have a huge following and I understand this but always want more for good artists.

The single that was released from this album is called That’s That. The song flows over the listener ensnaring them with easy to listen to rhythms that become uneasy to walk away from. It is an exquisite song that makes me want to listen to on repeat, to only listen to this song and no other. His voice is so smooth and the little flourishes on the song make it seem like it is not repeating itself musically. The lyrics on the song fit perfectly as well. This is one of my favorite songs ever.

That is all I have for now...

Vol. 3 Episode 30

I have here for you all a couple of classics and a couple of little known albums. All are very good albums though. I have a bunch of small items coming in the mail this month and a big box set from Incubus too. I am excited to share these items as they come in.

On with the show...

Coldplay – X&Y

This is the third album from Coldplay. It was released in 2005. This album has many influences from the early days of electronic music including Kraftwerk, David Bowie and Brian Eno. The album contains twelve tracks and an additional hidden track, Til Kingdom Come. It is omitted from the track listing on the album sleeve, but listed as "+" on the disc label and inside the album booklet. It was originally planned for American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash to record it with Martin, but Cash died before he was able to do so. This was not an album that I listened to regularly but it was very hard to get away from the singles as they were played everywhere. There were six singles released from this album and they were all very big hits.

The first single from the album is called Speed of Sound. The song was inspired by Kate Bush and was written after the group had been listening to some of her music. The song is very easy to listen to with its slow build to the chorus and backing synth sounds. It really is a good song as much as I want to not like it.

The second single from the album is called Fix You. This song is near perfection and heightened by heavy emotional sounds. The lyrics are so heart felt and can be interpreted in many ways. When this song came out the church that I was going to used the song to reference all the people that needed help around the world, ranging from people in Africa to the people that needed help after hurricane Katrina. I couldn’t help but cry with the graphics that were shown of people needing help and this song playing with that video. It is one of the best songs that I have heard because of what I have seen while the song was playing. It is not because it is the best song period though.

The next single released from this album is called Talk. It has direct references to the Kraftwerk song Computer Love. The song seems to be about doing things that you haven’t done before and saving memories that are related to those things. There is also talk about meeting new people that speak different languages than you do but understanding that they are saying positive things to or about you. These things that they are saying don’t make any sense but you know that they appreciate you for who you are and what you have done. The music is sweet and warm behind the vocals making the song easy to listen to.

The fourth single from the album is called The Hardest Part. This song is a tribute to R.E.M. When asked why the song paid a tribute to R.E.M.'s lead singer, Michael Stipe, Chris Martin said: "I've lost all respect for fame, but I haven't lost all respect for respect. So the one great thing about being famous is that I get to meet people who I respect. Our relationship is akin to a dog and its master. I'll always look up to him." The song is supposed to slightly resemble the R.E.M. song Losing My Religion. The song is a slower song that I usually like and kind of drags on for me.

The next single form the album is called What If. This was not a favorite of mine. It is very slow moving and references the negatives of life and relationships. I do my best to avoid this song as it is so depressing.

The last single from this album is called White Shadows. Brain Eno actually played keyboards on this song with the band. This song was not a world wide single but released as a radio only single during their tour through Mexico. It is a good song with a good beat. I enjoy the song anyway.

Lush – Lovelife

This is the third and last album from Lush. It was released in 1996. With this album they abandoned the shoe gaze style in favor of the brit-pop style. There are still little bits of the shoe gaze style infused in the music still. This is really a perfect album for me because I loved the brit-pop sound and in the last four or so years have fell in love with the shoe gaze style of music.

There were four singles released from this album, the first of which is called Single Girl. This single was released as a two CD and 7” formats. Each disc had different tracks. I love the female vocals with this group. They are so feminine and soft but say so much with her musicality and tonality. I love it!

The second single from the album is called Ladykillers. This single also had two CD and 7” formats. This single is the reason that I bought the album. I remember hearing this track on the radio. It did not get much air play but there was something special about the track and it always stuck with me. I picked up the album last fall years after its release, actually a decade plus since its release. Now that I have picked it up I have found that it is a very enjoyable album that nobody seems to appreciate. I suppose that since they switched genres on this album fans seem alienated and it has become something that fans of the shoe gaze genre can not appreciate.

The third single from the album is called 500 (Shake Baby Shake). This is a slower song that falls more in the Shoe Gaze genre than brit-pop. It is a nice song that is easy to listen to. I don’t usually like the slow singles that are released but this one I can get into.

The last single released from the album is called Last Night. This was a promo only single probably released to radio stations and fans. This song is even slower than the previous single. The song doesn’t really do anything but somehow seems to keep me interested. I think that it may be the simplicity of the song that keeps me. The song only progresses between two or three chords through out the song. I guess that I have always been interested in writing a song that is that simple but usually get lost in it like I so while listening to a song like this.

This album is an interesting amalgam of the two genres, shoe gaze and brit-pop. If you have an interest in these two genres then this is a big two thumbs up to listen to.

Squarepusher – Number Lucent

This is a six track EP that was released after the album Just A Souvenir. It was released in 2009. The artwork is similar to Just A Souvenir as well. This is probably because it was released after the album. The tracks are more up beat than its predecessor and were aimed more for the dance floor. The tracks have a more 90s techno feel than anything current and use samples from Rhythm Section and The Prodigy. There was no actual single released from this EP.

The first song from the EP is called Zounds Perspex. This song and style is common for Squarepusher but comes off to me as a little bit off at times. I like the song but it is for sure not his best work.

The second track called Paradise Garage is in a similar vein as the previous song but the bass guitar is so much fun. The tone that is used sounds rubbery and bouncy. The organ that is used is nice but I am not sure that it fits the song so well. The drumming on these songs is just spot on. It at the very least makes you want to get up and move around.

Arterial Fantasy is the penultimate track on the EP. It is mainly a drum and bass track. It is a very fast track that reminds me of some of Squarepushers’ best work. It is a great techno track done Squarepusher style.

The last track on the EP is called Illegal Dustbin. It starts off slow and slowly builds from drum and bass styling then kicks it in gear to a house track with hard hitting bass drum and transforms into something that reminds me of a harder Basement Jaxx track with lots of noise at the end. This is my favorite track from the EP.

I would only recommend this EP if you are interested in 90s techno or want to find out what else is out there.

 

The Doobie Brothers – The Captain And Me

This is the third album from The Doobie Brothers. It was released in 1973. There was a lot of pressure on the band to come up with a follow up to their second album, Toulouse Street. In order to get this done the band pulled on some of their older songs and reworked them along with taking some jams that they had played in concert and formed them into songs for this album.

There were only two singles that were released from the album. The first was China Grove. The song is based on a real town in Texas with the same name. The connection is obvious given its real-life proximity to San Antonio, which is referenced in the lyrics. However, the rest of the song is largely a fictional account portraying China Grove as Texas' version of Chinatown. Notable is the mention of samurai, who in fact are Japanese, not Chinese. The track was originally titled "Parliament" after the band's tradition of naming demos after whatever brand of cigarette Tom Johnston was smoking at the time. According to Johnston, "...I really owe Billy Payne for the words because he played this wacky (bridge) that started the thinking process with this wacky sheriff, samurai swords, and all that."

The second single released from the album is called Long Train Runnin. The tune evolved from an untitled and mostly ad-libbed jam that the Doobies developed onstage years before it was finally recorded. Its working title, according to Johnston, was "Rosie Pig Moseley" and later "Osborn". "I didn't want to cut it," Johnston later confessed. "...I just considered it a bar song without a lot of merit. Teddy [Templeman], on the other hand, thought it had some." Templeman convinced Johnston to write words to the song.

Johnston performed the signature harmonica solo as well as the lead vocal and the distinctive, rhythmic guitar strumming that propels the song. In an interview with Songfacts Johnston revealed that he "wrote the words sitting in the bathroom at Amigo Studios" in Burbank, California.

There was a third minor hit in the song With Out You. This song followed the jam track style and was played at concerts regularly. It is a good jam and is easy to listen to.

The album is very good but you can tell that it was rushed by the way that the songs sound.

That is all I have for now...

Vol. 3 Episode 29

I have a few albums here for you that should get more listens and fans than they do. Some very good albums that seem to have gone under the radar for most music fans. I will post links to youtube, like I have been, for all the songs that are talked about here.

I am still working on the sun room as of yet. I am hoping to get the windows sealed this weekend and have the stereo up sometime during the week.

Fleetwood Mac – Tango In The Night

This is the fourteenth album from Fleetwood Mac. It was released in1987. This album started out as a Lindsey Buckingham solo project but soon morphed into a Fleetwood Mac album. It is the last album that had the line-up of Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. This is the second biggest selling album for the group behind their album Rumours. The funny thing to me is that I had never heard of this album until I did some research on the group after listening to some radio taped cassettes that I had made in the late 80s. There were two singles released from the album that I absolutely loved of the six that were released from it.

Big Love was the first single released from the album. This single has a certain style to it. There are lots of staccato notes along with oos and ahs. The oos and ahs are of Lindsey sampled and changed to have multiple different male and female sounds. Most people assume that the female sounds are of Stevie Nicks, this is not true. This song was remixed for the clubs on a 12” record.

The second single released from the album is called SevenWonders. This song features Stevie Nicks on vocals. I like her voice when backed by the rest of the band. There is something special about that combination. This single also got the club mix treatment.

The third single released from this album is called LittleLies. I remember this song very well from when I was in middle school. I don’t think that I ever saw a video but the song was featured on the radio and the top 40 count down that I listened to on Sunday mornings on the way home from camping and maybe that fall/winter too. It is a very melodic song that floats through your head. I am not exactly sure what the song is about other than telling lies and trying to believe in them. I think that there is something to do with a love life or an affair in there somewhere but it is buried so deep.

The next single from the album is called Family Man. This was released in the UK and later in the USA. The song did not do much of me but it was still released as a single. I appreciate that they are supporting a healthy family with the song but musically it is not that great.

The next single from the album is called Everywhere. This is another song that I remember hearing on the radio regularly in middle school. It was a beautiful song that could have related to any relationship starting off. It deals with obsession, in my opinion, of getting that new girl or boy friend and wanting to be with them and take them in every chance that they could get. This is how I felt about having a girlfriend while in school. School was in the way and family was in the way of me getting to know the current girl of my dreams.

The last single released from the album is called Isn’t ItMidnight. This is a very rock and roll song from the group. The track was just a standard 80s rock track and did not chart that well. I don’t remember hearing the song on the radio or the top 40 shows that I listened to. It is a fair track but did not really fit on the album well and could have been from any other rock group. It was bland and I will leave it at that.

The album has some very special tracks for me growing up as a kid. I was happy to find a copy on vinyl at Cheapo for a reasonable price. The album may not be necessary to be heard but some of those singles certainly are important.

Saves The Day – Under The Boards

This is the sixth album from Saves The Day. It is the second in a trilogy of albums. It was released in 2007. I was lucky enough to find out about this album and get a copy on translucent green vinyl. The album is said to be darker in content like The Empire Strikes Back is in the Star Wars trilogy. The first album in the trilogy dealt with discontent. This album deals with reflection and remorse. I am not surprised that I nearly lost touch with this band. The emo style went out of style at about the time that this album or the previous one was released. Add that with the fact that this group is so underground at this point that people have nearly forgotten about them. I ran across them in one of my usual indie online record stores, Suburban Home, and saw that they had put out two albums since the last one that I bought, In Reverie. I bought the both of them on colored vinyl.

Can’t Stay The Same is the only single released from this album. The song is fun and nearly poppy for an emo group. The verse has some harmonized guitar chord slides that make the song easy to listen to. I couldn’t even sing the words to the song because the music is so fun. The chorus is just a bunch of noise but organized noise. I would call it a normal rock and roll chorus more than anything else.

I do have a favorite song from the album. It is called ByeBye Baby. The lead singer sings about loving someone that he just can’t be with because of complications in the relationship. He is not specific about what the problem is between them. He sings, “Bye bye baby, our love can’t save us” and that he will love her from afar. He loves her but mentally it can’t work because every time they are together they break out in arguments that usually end up involving the police. The music is very good and the lyrics work well with the song.

All in all a good album that should have gotten more listens from the public. I am saddened that most people don’t know about this album.

Pearl Jam – Riot Act

This is the seventh album released by Pearl Jam. It was released in 2002. This album has many influences including those of folk, art rock and experimental rock. The lyrical content dealt with mortality and existentialism. This was because of the political and emotional climate after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the accidental death of nine fans during the groups’ 2000 performance Roskild Festival. The album, for me, is very emotional. The music has a sad feel to it. It is easy to listen to and seems to become a part of you like a topical cream heals your wounds. It seeps into your skin to help you where you don’t know you need help. There were four singles released from the album.

The first single from the album is called I Am Mine. Eddy Vedder said that the song is about personal safety, the feeling of being secure and even free. The song is also very melodic with the use of a vibrato organ in the background of the song. The song is loud but it is easily overlooked with the harmonies that happen through out the song.

The second single from the album is called Bushleager. There are plenty of references to baseball in this song but they are actually references to the rich getting richer as is the groups want with political references. They are good about supporting those who can’t support them selves. I appreciate their ideals but don’t always agree with them. I don’t understand their references exactly. I think they are talking about the common ideal of the rich getting richer etc.

The third single from this album is called Save You. The guitar riff has so much energy that during the recording of the song the drummer lost his head phones and continued to play based on what the bassist fingers were doing. The fills are all on the fly giving the song an unexpected additional energy to the song. The song represents the anger felt by anyone who has watched a close friend waste away his or her own life. Some think that this is a reference to the lead singer of Alice In Chains, Layne Staley, that the group was friends with who died of sever drug overdose.

The last single from the album is called Love Boat Captain. This song has many things going into it. There are references to the nine deaths that happened in 2000 at one of their concerts. There are also references to The Beatles song All You Need Is Love. It is a very interesting and confusing song that should probably be analyzed down to its core and even then I may not fully understand the song. It is an important song in the history of music but will probably never get its just deserts.

This is another great album that did not get proper advertisements in my opinion. It is a great album that takes time to understand given the political and emotional climate that it was released in.

Abandoned Pools – Armed To The Teeth

This is the second album from Abandoned Pools. It was released in 2005. Tommy Walter has had some troubles with record companies. The first album was on Extacy Records. This was a division of Warner Bros. The company stopped promoting bands and went under only a couple years after it started. I lost a group because of this company falling down. I probably will never hear anything more from them either. Abandoned Pools (AP) did their best to keep going as a one man band. They were signed to Universal for this album. He started working on new material focusing on his personal life and political views for inspiration. Universal stopped promoting the album some time after it was released and the group became a one man band once again. I don’t know why the record company would have stopped promoting the album but they did. Tommy has a special sound that I have not heard reproduced anywhere else. I am excited for a new album at the end of August though.

There was one official single released from this album, the title track, Armed To The Teeth. It is kind of an angry track with feelings of outside pressure and the idea of not wanting to conform to what is generally expected of the American person based on the views of the corporate industry monster. It is really amazing that he could write music that really fits this lyrical idea so well. That is a real talent if I had ever seen one.

I also really liked the song The Catalyst. The lyrics say that you don’t need to live in a fairy tale to live your life. I will be there for you and through me you will see the world as it is with all of the good things and bad things. Life is as it should be, simple but difficult. But that is the way it should be, we can only learn how better to live life by seeing the truth of it. I am sure that there are more political points that he was trying to get across but I like my view better anyway.

The album as a whole is very good. It is sad that not many people know about this album as it is so good. This is another lesser known album that should have gotten more interest that it has.

That is all I have for now...