The Zimmermann Note

There is not enough time to write and as we are almost through January, I figure this would be an appropriate time to look back on 2012.

12. Peter Buck – 10 Million BC

What has to be impressive right off the bat with this album is that Buck would be the last individual that you would think would come out with an albums worth of material, some of which he actually sings on. There are some worthwhile tracks such as the title track and the several tracks that take him on his lo-fi surfari nightmare. For that he took challenges. It would have probably made my top ten list if it had kept off some of the more “Country & Western” tunes off the album. We don’t wear cowboy hats in Chicago.

11. Animal Collective – Centipede Hz

Animal Collective – Centipede hz. If you have the opportunity to pull out Animal Collective’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion” or either of Panda Bear’s last two records there is one thing that is common on all three in that the album content has quite a bit of depth. It has air to breath and develop in your brains. There is no doubt about it that Centipede has great songs but it comes off as if you are watching cartoons in the 70s on a UHF station watching programs such as the Banana Splits and Speed Racer. Songs like “Today’s Supernatural” give the eerie feeling of watching Japanese animation with flashing videos that children would have seizures while watching. As I have been listening to it, I have been reluctant to gather my thoughts, in the same way I would be unwilling to critique a bottle of wine just after it has just been opened up. In this way it makes a list that considered a concept that seemed worthy on paper but not necessarily in reality and for this reason missed the cut

Top 10 List:

10. Crystal Castles (III)

Alice Glass is a rockstar pure and simple. She holds all the keys behind what you need to do to be a great front person. Confident, mysterious, poetic, strong, dark and plays her role to perfection and I am not just talking about the album but on the stage as well. Crystal Castles (III) is dark, violent, and still danceable. While I would not suggest their last album was necessarily mainstream this album pushes back from that dangerous territory (the lamestream) when Glass could become one of the greats. However, there is a second element to the music and that is Ethan Kath, the electronic mastermind behind the project. Kath just doesn’t write tracks for Glass to sing to but rather consume. At times the music becomes the barrier and you feel the struggle that she is trying to break through such as on ‘Insulin’. Other tracks like “Child I Will Hurt You”, she haunts you with her siren voice.

9. Trust – Trst

Another band from Toronto, Ontario like Crystal Castles which plays along the same moody electronic dancemusic. To be honest with you the thing that really caught my eye with this album was the overweight goth rocker on the cover. As any album with overweight goth stars, it’s dark and moody with plenty of dance pop hooks to keep you drawn in. At times, Robert Alfon’s lead singing sounds a bit like a muffled Vincent Price which I think gives the album a bit of character and not just like any other run of the mill rock album with an overweight goth rocker on the cover.

8. Cloud Nothings – Attack on Memory

The first important note about this album is that it was engineered by Steve Albini. This would mean that it is probably opinionated. The bigger question of course would be if Albini was feeding the band, as his secondary career over the past few years has been having just as serious opinion of food. The second important characteristic this year was trying to have more rock music influence my listening habits. As much as I enjoy the concept of someone sitting behin a mixing board, there is something compelling of getting back to the roots of guitar, bass and drums. This album was reminiscent of the late 80’s and 90s hardcore/grunge sounds while still sounding fresh and invigorating. “Wasted Days”, checking in at nearly 9 minutes, was on repeat during the early part of the year.

7. Ty Segall – Twins

The first of the Ty Segall releases to appear here. In typical “Guided By Voices” fashion, Segall has been prolific in 2012 releasing 3 albums worth of material. I would say that he is also the artist most influential on my music listening in 2013. I think it started with last years Grammy winning artist “Bon Iver” whose album “Bon Iver” seemed to have won over the hearts and minds of those that are impressed with music that you want to slit your wrists to. I began to miss the cockyness that rock and roll was built on vs. the artist that would admire their own shadow. I wanted every that was “Anti-Iver”, which meant that it needed to be a “Bon-ifide” rock and roll record. Segall became that artist for me and allowed me to embrace or believe in something that felt real. In some ways it reminds me of lo-fi grunge because there are some definitive 60s pop sensabilities in his work but it doesn’t sound as polished as many of the 90s albums that defined the early part of the decade.

6. Foxygen – Take the Kids Off Broadway EP

This album feels like a combination of Motown, Nuggets-era rock and the Rolling Stones. On the surface it sounds a bit rough but that is also what gives it its charm. It doesn’t have that polished feel but as if the band is sitting there doing their best impression of Mick Jagger going cukoo for Cocoa Puffs. While the inevitable comparisons exist and the band is clearly up on their 60s genre’s this EP is still fun. However, where I see that this bands future is in it’s ability to create something that still feels like their own. Having listened to their follow-up album that was released just a few weeks ago, I am concerned that they are trying to emulate the various sounds from the era rather than create their own.

5. Grizzly Bear – Shields

There could have been a time when this album would have been ranked higher than 5 but when I saw that Edward Droste seemed disappointed that the band was not nominated for a grammy, it got dropped a couple of notches on principle. Of course there is a reason that the Mumford & Sons can secure 6 Grammys because the Mumford, etc. suck and well the Grammy’s suck. Droste’s disappointment would suggest that they (The Grammy’s) mean something and that they were looking to follow in the footsteps of Bon Iver and Arcade Fire.

(Admittedly, the Mumford & Sons/Lumineers, Civil War rock fondness has already reached it’s peak and it is time to burn the acoustic instruments.)

Grizzly Bear is a much different band than the one that Droste formed as an art project, pushing more in the direction of pop band than say ‘Dirty Projectors’ but still providing enough of their art rock to not sound stale. ‘Shields’ is an appropriate follow-up to ‘Veckatimest’, continuing in the direction of offering some of the more intelligent baroque pop that is in existence today.

4. Ty Segall & White Fence – Hair

One of my favorite “underappreciated” tracks of the year was Ty Segall and White Hair doing the song Tongue on their album “Hair”. The glory is the combo of Segall’s lo-fi pop with Tim Presley (White Fence’s) psycha-funkyness. The second Segall album to break the top 10 and the one that in my opinion flew a bit under the radar. The question of course when someone releases 3 albums in a year would be whether or not had they edited down the work and only released 1 album would the quality be such where it could be considered a classic?

As this is often the question that plagues “Guided by Voices”, Segall’s travels lead him to various artists which should suggest unique working relationships which should push different influences forward.

3. Spiritualized – Sweet Heart Sweet Light

The neo-psychaedelic space rock sounds of Jason Spaceman, Spiritualized, in my opinion brings it’s strongest album, a flurry of tunes that will allow you to reminisce from the classic Spacemen 3 days. Quite possibly the track of the year was “Hey Jane”, which seems appropriate with its luring Velvet Underground feel. While the album does move in various soulful directions as it progresses there is plenty of white noise to be excited about.

2. Ty Segall Band – Slaughterhouse

The third of the Ty Segall releases to grace this listing, this album features Ty with his entire band and the album that definitely ignites the most amount of energy. It also breaks one of my rules regarding bands with the name “Band” in the band name. This is just pure unadulterated rock and roll. From the opening track “Death” opens with almost a minute of guitarwork before the onslaught occurs. While some have compared him to Jay Reatard, I sense a closer relationship to Wavves, but with a bigger sound. There is a definitive B-Movie Surf rock that begs for your eardrums to bleed. It does it in such a way that it creates an aura rather than make the process painful, such as Sleigh Bells. It feels like a mixture of Iggy Pop meeting Nirvana and that is a good comparison in my opinion.

1. Tame Impala – Lonerism

Oftentimes the term “Classic” can feel overused. One of my favorite talkshow hosts Kevin Matthews, formerly of the Loop AM 1000 joked that it “doesn’t have to be good to be a classic”, referencing the classic rock stations that would fill the airwaves of the best of the 60’s and 70s, offering up songs that on the surface were a bit overrated.

The goal when bands try to capture the essence of prior decades is to put their own stamp on the material, that line in the sand which you can clearly capture the essence of a prior decade rather than copying a sound.

Tame Impala’s own rise among my own favorite bands was built by their debut LP, ‘Innerspeaker’, an album that has improved over time with it’s brilliance slowly revealing itself. Over two short albums, the troubadour, Kevin Parker has made himself one that should be noticed. The influences he is pulling from, as well as his attention for detail is such that the landscapes are captivating. “Lonerism” becomes the theme, i.e. getting lost in the music on top of the themes discussed in the music which deal with the concept that you are alienating yourself from the rest of the world. There is the euphoric, “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards”, which uses an almost dreamlike bubbly music to describe a relationship that seems to stall. “Apocalypse Dreams” theme is suggestive in the title itself.

While the album might take influences from works like Pink Floyd, Supertramp or Fleetwood Mac, Parker has developed his own signature sound that makes this release a true classic.

remring Uncategorized

In the midst of a presidential campaign season, R.E.M.’s politically motivated ‘Document’, turns a quarter century old. From the fiery pulpit of Michael Stipe and guitar work of Peter Buck, R.E.M. masterfully craft these 11 songs into an iconic work. I always felt that Stipe laments the dangers of ‘isms’ but while the band has always sought a more progressive point of view and while it truthfully ridicules some of the Reagan cheerleading of the 80’s, it also clearly points fingers at some dangers of institutions in general.

‘Finest Worksong’ opens the album as an almost “Pseudo Workers Party Theme song”, straight from the “Barack Obama Socialist” handbook some might say. There is a certain hokeyness to the lyrics, as if I need to sit there and be inspired to psych myself up for the workday. It drives home an opening statement and an idea. The album follows some of the themes of prior albums in a different manner. ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ opens thoughts up to the idea of “Let’s begin again”, “Lets start a new country up”. For Document, it’s let’s organize with a different purpose than the America that we currently live in. Let’s not just talk about beginning again but actually starting over. The first side of the album becomes a bit of a propaganda piece, a PSA, if you may.

Realize that R.E.M. becomes more than just singing these mantras without actually believing in the concepts behind them. As they tour, their shows always have a local politically minded groups with worthy causes having tables set up near the entrance ways for fans to gain knowledge. Realize that this is before the internet where the power of information was much more expensive than it is now.

‘Welcome to the Occupation’ and ‘Exhuming McCarthy’, both make their points known with one suggesting the hypocrisy of how America values it’s own freedoms but not those of other countries, in this case a country in Central America and another, a reference in the title to Senator Joseph McCarthy who went on his dirge regarding communist spies in the United States. They kick start this album in such a manner in that we are not speaking about ‘Hope and Change’ but challenging the very fabric of America and the party on the right. As some have claimed that Ronald Reagan has grown to become an icon among the right wing, there needs to be a realization that the progressive left did not have the power during this time challenging the listener to understand the ideas of what it means to be an American.

‘Disturbance at the Heron House,’ grapples at the heart of the album. The song contains all the necessary ingredients for a classic R.E.M. track. There are lyrics like the following: “The followers of chaos out of control” and the “Gathering of Grunts and Greens” which will leave even the most studied R.E.M. fan questioning what is being derived by the song unless they read the “Stipe Notes” and see that the song is Stipe’s version of Orwell’s classic novel “Animal Farm”.

For me, the song’s strength was not realized for me initially, on the album itself but live and in this case the acoustic version.

R.E.M.’s songs invoke a level of flexibility that show both their delicate nature in tracks like the one above or their more “Stomp and Stammering” nature like the version on the album. Bill Berry’s percussion has this very shocking and persistent beginning, a sense of prevailing order where the fable being shared is quite the opposite. Stipe’s mechanism of enunciating during various elements of the acoustic track pulls in the listener in the sad spectacle.

‘Strange’ is the second time that the band has covered a song from another band on a regular album. In this case, its Wire’s with the lyrics slightly altered to Michael’s own nervousness rather than Joey’s. It offers a nice segway into ‘It’s the End of the World As We Know It’, a song that would be considered more popular now, especially with all the various “Doomsday” items that will hit the news, the song often becomes part of that news cycles soundtrack.

If we were old school, we would then flip sides and run into the song “The One I Love”. It’s the first time that Michael Stipe uses the word “Love” in any song and one listen to the caustic lyrics and one you realize that the reminiscent moment holds very little meaning. The simple message is Stipe doing Morrisey, “A simple prop to occupy my time”. However, on the live version on the Deluxe Edition that was released, we see a much more vulnerable side. The acoustic version here shows an even darker side.

Per the liner notes, it would appear that there were plenty of different versions of the song available and each one would seem to be reinvented but each would have a different story. For a song that repeats itself, it is one of the few that often feels so complex and yet at the same time, you can take a word like “Love” that Stipe had refused to use in a lyric before this and somehow made sure that it would be utterly complex, confusing and their first legitimate hit single.

The 25th Anniversary Edition of Document contains not the complete but most of the show from Utrecht, Holland from September 1987. The diehard fans out there will whine and scream that the second disc was not the complete show, choosing to leave off some cover tracks like the Clique’s ‘Superman’, which appeared, on ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’.

Others will complain that they would have preferred a demo concept, like the previous 2 reissues that contained early versions of songs worked on during that period of time. What I have found with Demo’s in the past is that while there will be a handful of the songs that will feel unique, there will be some that just do not feel all that different than the version that ended up on the album itself and will thus get 4 songs that feel partially interesting.

While this might satisfy the anal retentive R.E.M. fan wondering if it is true if a song was originally written with a mandolin in mind, the truth of the matter was that R.E.M. is a live band. For the fan that is introduced to R.E.M. with this album, the show that is attached is a worthy piece of history with one minor exception being the editing down of So. Central Rain to remove both Time After Time, and the Capella snippet of “Red Rain”, from the album. That part is a bit of a travesty because the medley is one of the most beautiful renditions of So. Central Rain that I had heard and for me there is a bit of sentimentality in that it was this B-side that had pushed me deeper into the R.E.M. discography looking for anything and everything R.E.M.

By the time of Document, Michael Stipe had been getting much more comfortable in the live setting taking on the role of the lead singer more prominently than before. While the band had grown by leaps and bounds, Stipe had exhibited a level of growing pains in front of the audience. Interviews were rough, as he would get tired of the same questions being asked and often make up answers while the other band mates would roll their eyes. If you read old interviews you will note that it is often Mike and Peter doing interviews for this reason.

When he got around to touring for Fables, he would often tell stories onstage about Old Man Kensey before the band would sing or discuss Brevis Mekis, i.e. the man behind the song ‘Life and How to Live It’ who split his house in half and would live in one side for awhile and would move and live on the other half. While the live show does contain a mention of Mekis during Life and How To Live It, it’s the ability of the songs to be injected full of energy that might be missing on the album versions. This is not to say that their music is boring on the albums but rather, unlike todays bands, the live sound often features less meddling and more emotion. While their earlier albums can be characterized with less studio work than their later years, they were never trying to be Pink Floyd either, expanding songs past the 10 minute mark

‘Oddfellows Local 151’, a song that is actually referencing a liquor store (The Firehouse is a liquor store in Athens) rather than the suggested thought that it might actually be a firehouse and Peewee was union member. Its duplicative meaning is often tricky and when realized, maybe even a little hilarious. As I am reminded from doing an Athens tour with Paul Butchart that we did pass by that Liquor store but did not see Peewee hanging around anywhere. The live track emanates more of the eeriness of the moment that you don’t feel as much on the regular album a song that in my opinion feels much more sanitized than on the live version.

Document is the last of the truly strong politically motivated albums the band released. I have always felt that “Green” has been a little flawed and considering some of the carefully worded lyrics for “Document”, “Green” always felt a bit more dumbed down, ‘Document’ is often complex , especially musically but I am always mindful of the lack of music and lyrics that can match the power of what Stipe penned to paper 25 years ago. A work of art.

remring Music, R.E.M.

“Last year, a girl was raped by two wastes of sperm and eggs while they sang the lyrics to our song “Polly.” I have a hard time carrying on knowing there are plankton like that in our audience. Sorry to be so anally P.C. but that’s the way I feel.” – Kurt Cobain from the liner notes of Incesticide

I have to admit before I start this, that one of the aspects that I have always appreciated about R.E.M. is their support for causes, whether they were local issues, global politics or their ability to build awareness among their fanbase. In their heyday, the reason that the music meant so much was not just limited to the fact that they were good songs, but that it meant something. They were more than just a pop song on a piece of plastic but carried an inherent meaning much greater than many people realize. They grew in prominence from grassroots beginnings, keeping their small town charm while providing audiences with thoughtful rock and roll that didn’t dumb down their audience but rather challenged them.

Throughout their career, they had been very careful about having their songs used in advertisements for products, clearly understanding that they did not want to go down that path of selling out their music. There was even some misconception of course when I believe it was Microsoft used the song “Superman” from Lifes Rich Pageant on an advertisement. Of course, while the song received acclaim from the band, it was actually written by a little known band “The Clique” in 1969. But for the most part, you can say over their 30 years they were pretty clean in that respect.

That all boiled over when I would imagine, Michael Stipe was on his second espresso of the morning, flipped to Fox News and found Fox and Friends playing the song that he made a hit.

Ok, maybe I am slightly exaggerating my point here aka pulling a Ryan. He was probably on his first expresso. The simple point is that Fox News had used a clip of Losing My Religion on the air. Oh the horror!

Of course, the response from the reviled Fox:

“Fox News Channel’s use of an R.E.M. song was in full accordance with its license agreements with all appropriate parties. Nevertheless, we’re always flattered to have this much attention for a song selection and we hope R.E.M. was able to satisfy their publicity fix.”

Since, I have misplaced my online correspondence law degree from Dr. Nick Riviera’s School of Law, so I am really not going to discuss the legalese of the case but if I were to make a guess, I would imagine that R.E.M. doesn’t have much of one but that really wasn’t the point.

My knowledge of Fox News of course is that it is about as relevant as professional wrestling. In fact, in many ways professional wrestling and Fox have a lot in common in that they are both fake, a display that is purely entertainment with no educational value whatsoever. The only difference of course is that the hosts of Fox are not lathering themselves up with body oils (at least when they are on the air).

To their credit they have a strong fan base of nimrods, and I would imagine that nimrods have to go somewhere to be entertained and they have built a healthy franchise in instilling hatred and fear.

My knowledge of Losing My Religion of course can be summed up by looking at my iTunes collection which features a hefty 66 mp3s, most of them live performances, not to mention countless others on disc. I had often joked that I wanted to come out with a boxed set of 20+ discs just playing all the different versions of ‘Losing My Religion’ with the dream that there would also be a full 200 page booklet written by Peter Buck describing each of these versions. Of course, knowing Peter Buck he would fucking pull it off and people would buy it just to read that shit.

(Peter Buck of course is the guitarist of R.E.M. who is coming out with his own solo album out November 20th, which just so happens to be my 40th birthday. Of course Peter Buck is such in dire need of PR that he is releasing his album only on vinyl and limiting it to 2000 copies.)

The true meaning of the song has nothing to do with becoming atheist as the nimrod might understand. It would be about completely obsessive or infatuated with someone else. The song has nothing to do with organized or disorganized religions/cults/sects whether they are Christian, Muslim, Judiaism.

The song is about being 18 and totally infatuated with someone and doing everything fuck shit wrong and getting totally depressed about that and listening to the song about 50 times in a row. It has nothing to do with choosing not to take communion anymore.

If you are like me, sitting with your Che Guevara shirt on, and staring at naked photos of Oak Trees in a luscious manner, or bronzing children’s lunchboxes, I would imagine that if you ever had written a song or put together a piece of art and that piece was represented on a station like Fox, of course you are going to be upset. You are a liberal and your creation is now being broadcast on the anti-Christ channel. Congratulations, someone is taking a shit on your lawn and now you have to pick it up!

I was clearly impressed by quote by Michael Stipe: ‘We have little or no respect for their puff adder brand of reportage. Our music does not belong there.’ the emphasis on Puff Adder of course.

If R.E.M. were in the business of keeping its fans they would have kept their mouths shut during their career. They would not have supported candidates, protested wars, got booed on stage for their comments ,.etc. The point was that they just didn’t put shit on a record and sell units but rather were the band that mattered. So I am not sure how this is a PR move. Their comments in this case could have clearly alienated fans who might not be aware of their status of being very progressive in their politics.

From someone like myself who feels very passionate about politics, I have to admit that I do have problems listening to “Republican” bands. You will not see me play any, Ted Nugent, Hank Williams Jr. or Megadeth anytime soon.

Yes, you rile up the fanbase by being political but alienate some fans that might not share the bands opinions.

At the end of the day, it is their song, they are playing on and they are fucking playing a Mandolin. Does Steve Doocy even know what a fucking mandolin is? There are times when a nice “Fuck You” is warranted.

In the meantime, I think I will have to devise my own “Puff Adder” playlist to dedicate to Fox. Stay tuned.

remring R.E.M.

The day after Bill Doss, founding member of the Olivia Tremor Control had passed away, I was in transit on the Red Line (El), listening to the album ‘Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume One’, and the song “I Have Been Floated” had entered my earlobes. The song had always resonated with me and my emotions had taken over.

It was this chorus, taken/borrowed from Emerson’s Intellect:

I have been floated to this thought this hour
on a series of events I cannot explain
gather your with, your will, your luck, your power
that what it would effect that will not remain

It was more than the words but the way that the chorus had played out. It is sung three times throughout the song, the first time they play it straight, the second time they cut back the instrumentation and do it in a minimalist manner and the third time psychedelic. Every instance felt more powerful than the previous version. I am sitting in a packed sardine of a subway car with a tinge of water in my eyes and in this case there was no putrid smell causing this.

Hailing out of Ruston, Louisiana, four friends Bill Doss, Will Cullen Hart, Jeff Mangum and Robert Schneider who were pretty much daring themselves into writing different types of music. Robert Schneider went to Denver, Colorado and formed the Apples in Stereo. Mangum, Hart and Doss went to Athens, Georgia and formed the Synthetic Flying Machine, which later morphed into The Olivia Tremor Control. In the meantime Schneider formed the Elephant 6 Recording Company and the other three were on board in Athens. Jeff Mangum eventually begins his own project, Neutral Milk Hotel and we see the formation of the core of the Elephant 6 Recording Company (E6).

There was always a collectivist soul when discussing Olivia Tremor Control and well, E6 in general. The band led by front men Bill Doss and Will Cullen Hart were able to unlock spaces in our brain with their underwater psychedelic sounds. Their albums ‘Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle’ and ‘Black Foliage’ are both masterful works, both inventive and exploring sounds that opened the doors for artists that have followed in their footsteps.

I had first been introduced to the band back in 1999 at about the time of their release of ‘Black Foliage’. As I had been planning a trip to Georgia to see R.E.M., it had been announced only weeks earlier that they and Elf Power, another Elephant 6 band would be opening for them. I had been instantly hooked at that time, taking in their inventive nature and bohemian style to not just listen to their albums regularly but search out their partners in crime and by 1999 there had been several other bands in existence as well as a healthy amount of side projects.

The concept seemed pretty simple: a love for music and a support of each other’s endeavors. Reading the liner notes of an Olivia Tremor Control album, you would see a host of outside names filling in on instruments. Most of the works in the 90s had been recorded on 4 or 8 Track players where they would have to create detailed schematics that would list when certain pieces would start and end. Of course now with Pro Tools and other computer software programs they can make this work much more simplistic on their end.

Psychedelic is not a fair label. Their style as such was one that engaged many different genres and they were not fearful of taking chances. While Doss had described themselves “Mid-Fi” they definitely had an impact on “Lo-Fi” music as well as seeking out cheaper recording styles and not relying on large labels to produce their work. They did so as well with their inventive nature. Their recordings include some of the most blissful pop sounds (ala Beach Boys and the Beatles) mixed with inventive musical interludes which felt at times they were part animated (See Black Foliage) and other parts mechanical. I had often felt that the band had taken the Beatles song “Blue Jay Way” and deconstructed it and formed a world within it.

“Dusk at Cubist Castle” is quite amazing that they were able to record this on 4 track equipment but they never made it sound like it was a 4 track, rather were intelligent enough to make proper music. I have always revered Green Typewriters suite, a selection of 10 identically titled tracks called “Green Typewriters”, (of note/coincidence, there was a “Green Typewriter” made by the Oliver Typewriter Company). It feels almost like an album within an album. The album contains some of the bands best pop moments with songs like “Jumping Fences” and my favorite “NYC-25” (“Pleasant dreams but please don’t sleep too long”).

Where ‘Dusk at Cubist Castle’ featured several interludes pieced together, ‘Black Foliage’ feels like your true ‘concept album’. While the liner notes provides a healthy explanation, it’s stated intent was to take a section of guitar and create sections of animation based on that guitar and then create different sounds onto the animation and reshaping different sections into each other. Unlike albums that focus on quick rewards, this one takes a good 50 or so listens to even start comprehending it. It’s been 13 years later and I still am not sure I totally get it. There aren’t bands or albums that are made with so much thought to detail so many that were arranging and rearranging, deconstructing and putting back together to put something that felt so real so alive and visual.

The last time that I had seen the band was during the Elephant 6 Surprise Holiday Tour in 2011. The band played on for over 3 and a half hours comprising of over 40 tracks from the Elephant 6 canon of works. Between songs it was the shuffling of instruments from one individual to another. Through it all, you saw the members having fun on stage, joking and laughing as if it was more than just a show but a celebration. They started the show by entering the stage moving through the audience, playing their instruments and treating the event as if it was a communal endeavor and did the same as they left by engaging the audience in singing Sun Ra’s “Enlightenment” as they brought the band down onto the audience floor.

With the Elephant 6, no one person stood out. Sure, Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum has received quite a bit of notoriety for his two albums but I get the impression that he would prefer living a quiet live anonymously rather than ever steal the spotlight. This was never part of the act with the E6. That was why I have failed to mention Doss directly through most of this. It never felt like “His” band. It was a band he helped form with Hart, Peter Erchick and John Fernandes as well. It was a group of individuals: (Andrew Rieger, Julian Koster, Scott Spillane, Laura Carter, Jeremy Barnes, and Bryan Poole/Helium to name a few), that would lend support on a project whether it was adding vocals, percussion, brass instrument or some other oddity that helped a project along. It was a community that lost a brother. Each one had a place on the stage whether it was clapping in the background or in the spotlight. It was a group of individuals that appreciated music. As a fan when you embrace that community, you not only appreciate the music that they have made over the years but embrace what they have stood for and this is when it becomes difficult to comprehend.

When you put it all together you find yourself on a subway listening to a song that you have admired for 13 years still having the same power and weight that it did when you first heard it in 1999.

remring Elephant 6, Olivia Tremor Control

Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven’s David Lowery is living in the past. His blog post criticizing NPR’s music intern Emily White has received some notoriety so before I proceed, I would first suggest you check out the article by the intern and the article by Lowery.

There are several things that go wrong here, namely why Lowery got on his high horse and started off on this tangent. It would appear that Lowery is attacking White as being part of the problem where I more would think that there is a generational gap in how we consume information.

Emily admits in her blog that much of the music that she has in her collection was not bought by her but obtained in other manners. She admits to a brief fling with Kazaa in the fifth grade but admits to receiving music in other ways, such as through mix CDs or in her unique situation, burning albums from her college radio stations collection.

As a generation X’er, I have to admit to getting tape dubs of albums from friends and or doing them for others. This was (and still is) a form of stealing and while in my personal situation I did purchase several albums, I would not be surprised of Mr. Lowery can also attest to receiving free music in the past. It would seem that the methods at which Emily has obtained this music are different than the methods at which the Music Industry has attacked, i.e. (Bit Torrent and File Sharing sites).

I support Emily’s position in that she is bringing the point of view of the current music fan that wants to go to concerts and buy t-shirts and wants to purchase music as a form of convenience rather than an owning a physical copy of the album. Is buying a copy of a piece of plastic or downloading a copy off the Internet the only way to support a band? Is Spotify a valid mechanism to distribute music? Now these are questions that I cannot necessarily answer to the detail of knowing the nuances of contracts but I do think that Spotify is a direction at how we sell music. Like any service, (see Netflix), there is eventually pullback from those parties that want a bigger share and even Emily brings out hope that methods in the future are more fair for artists.

This does not speak of a “Free Culture Movement” as David Lowery points out but rather speaks about an artist that has lost touch and a bitter old man because the band he is hasn’t been relevant for over 15 years. Emily is not asking for these items to be “Free” but rather change the mode of service. There is no ownership of Mr. Lowery’s Cracker cds but rather the fee to borrow them or have them on standby if need be and receive appropriate compensation of those albums are actually listened to.

Why do we need to buy a physical CD or record? What is so important about the piece of plastic? Does it have magic powers? If I subscribe to a service like Netflix and stream the same show over and over again is this any different than listening to the same album over and over again on Spotify?

An artist today has more power than ever before to completely control the method at which their music is going to be released. If they do not want to put it on Spotify, they do not have to. If they only want to put it on vinyl (see Peter Buck) they can do that.

The most shameful moment of course was the comments that Lowery made about Vic Chestnutt and Mark Linkous(Sparklehorse). I am not sure how can somehow blame file sharing for their suicides. Vic Chestnutt had financial/health issues before we even knew what file sharing was. I do not believe that in either situation that if file sharing had somehow not existed, that they would still be alive today but he makes it all seem so simple that if everyone that downloaded their music illegally had bought it properly they would still be alive today.

Music is not socialism. Where were the bands when all the fans complained about Ticketmaster? They were raking in the profits.

Where were the bands in the 90s when the price for a CD could be anywhere from 16-18 dollars?

We have more tools than ever to listen to music, whether it is on our computers, our telephones, our iPods (and yes, these do cost money but is that any different for those expensive Cracker CDs in the 90s needed the CD player and the amplifier and speakers that cost hundreds of dollars? Companies like Sony made out like bandits. Of course where is Sony today? In the shitter.

Fans, took over, they decided to make their own rules, and they threw away the corporate playlists at the radio stations and made their own Spotify playlists. They determined what was relevant to listen to not what the industry told them to. They shared music with their friends in their Facebook feeds to make more fans of their favorite music. They acted as that moment of free promotion, that level of excitement when you are sharing that song or album for the first time with a friend hoping that they like it too or the mix that someone finds several songs appealing only to go and check out that band for themselves.

Lastly, a lot of bands just suck. They are not going to make money selling their albums, going on tour and selling T-Shirts. At the end of the day, the music has to be good, plain and simple. You can discuss the economics of music all you want, Spotify, stealing, .etc, but the biggest question comes down to the contents. Is it good.

remring Music

Since the point that my wife started feeling movement, we began tracking the songs and music that the baby (‘Lil Z) was rockin’ and rolling to. Often times, scribbled notes and memos on iPhones would be loaded to the playlist that stored the music that was making a difference. Currently, we are at the 34 week point in the pregnancy and over this time definite trends have started. We’ve seen a preference to certain classic rock bands and artists like Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix whereas at the same time has found time for more modern bands like Animal Collective and Radiohead.

Of course, ‘Lil Z gets a bit more time with my wife as could be expected. Thus, the music selection is often limited to her iPod which contains more of her music. While there are definite areas where our music tastes cross, this setlist has in some ways become a sense of pride for both of us and maybe in certain cases brought our tastes a little closer together.

At any rate, this is the current list with a few comments below. . .

The

Artist Song

Ahmad Jamal – Poinciana (The Song Of The Tree)

Animal Collective – Did You See the Words
Animal Collective – The Purple Bottle
Animal Collective – In the Flowers
Animal Collective – My Girls
Animal Collective – Bluish
Animal Collective – Tantrum Barb

Throwing together several songs from Merriweather Post Pavilion as well as a couple other favorites shows this baby’s tastes for the psychadelic. It is true that the baby’s first official show was an Animal Collective show (technically the first night of P4K) although was not much smaller than a tadpole at that point.

Atlas Sound – Flagstaff

The Beatles – A Day In The Life

Big Star – You Get What You Deserve

Caribou – Hannibal

Deerhunter – Desire Lines
Deerhunter – Calvary Scars Ll / Aux. Out

I remember playing the entire album ‘Weird Era Cont.’ for the singular hope that Lil Z would find stir on the final track Calvary Scars, etc., an epic 10 minute track. Whenever there are primary motives such as this I make sure not to mention this to my wife as it’s not the intent to try to subjugate my wife to any type of peer pressure, (the only exception of course to this rule is that of Iggy Pop’s – ‘The Passenger’ which is what my iPhone plays when my alarm goes off in the morning.) There willl be an active campaign of getting ‘Lil Z to appreciate this song. Of the 85 songs on the list, 11 of them are over 7 minutes, and 42 (half) are over 5 minutes. While I have always been a fan of the quick and dirty pop song or even a fine punk ditty that might tally a minute or two, this baby likes the epics. And while I would expect a slew of jam band tracks due to my wife’s propensity to enjoy the Grateful Dead/Phish genre, very little has been exhibited here on this list.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros – Home

Fleetwood Mac – Dreams
Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop

Two Fleetwood Mac songs from my only Fleetwood Mac album? Is this baby a Clintonite?

Friends – I’m His Girl

Furthur – Alligator >

Grateful Dead – Dire Wolf

Iron Butterfly – In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Jane’s Addiction – Classic Girl

We have often thought that songs such as this might reveal the gender of the child. While my wife and I both differ at this moment in terms of the gender our hopes are a healthy child

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – May This Be Love
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – I Don’t Live Today
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Are You Experienced
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Machine Gun
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Changes
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – All Along The Watchtower
The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Angel

It’s become fairly obvious that this baby is a huge Jimi fan. While my wife and I are fans, the baby will respond whenever a Hendrix song is being played on the stereo. You would think that this is totally random but will completely stop after the song ends and the ensuing song begins from a different artist/band.

Le Butcherettes – Tonight

Led Zeppelin – Immigrant Song
Led Zeppelin – Tangerine
Led Zeppelin – Kashmir

At first we thought that maybe it was Jimmy Page or John Bonham that was causing the surge in Led Zeppelin but we feel that maybe it’s John Paul Jones’ on bass that is making the difference.

Lotus Plaza – A threaded needle

M83 – Reunion

Madonna – Holiday

Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
Marvin Gaye – Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

Michael Jackson – Man In the Mirror

Midlake – In This Camp

The Minus 5 – Got You

Nena – 99 Red Balloon

Pearl Jam – No Way

Phish – Fluffhead

Pink Floyd – Fat Old Sun
Pink Floyd – Speak To Me / Breathe
Pink Floyd – Time
Pink Floyd – One of These Days
Pink Floyd – Fearless
Pink Floyd – Echoes
Pink Floyd – Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V)

Another band that has made an huge impact on ‘Lil Z. There is no rhyme or reason as the baby has found it’s way all across the Pink Floyd catalog hitting albums as diverse as Atom Heart Mother all the way to Dark Side of the Moon. Yes, even the 20+ minute ‘Echoes’.

The Pixies – I Bleed

The Police – Synchronicity II

Ponytail – Easy Peasy

Pylon – Yo-Yo

R.E.M. – Man On The Moon
R.E.M. – Talk About the Passion
R.E.M. – Moral Kiosk

As much as I can say about the lack of Grateful Dead/Further songs there is also a lack of R.E.M. tracks compared to the iPod/iTunes library containing a plethora. In some ways, I see this as setting their own independence; while we either consciously or subconsciously mold our children after ourselves, they often need to take their own journey.

Radiohead – Knives Out
Radiohead – 2+2=5 (The Lukewarm)
Radiohead – 15 Step
Radiohead – Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
Radiohead – National Anthem
Radiohead – Bloom
Radiohead – Separator
Radiohead – Permanent Daylight
Radiohead – Lucky

Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ was the first album that we listened to together when it came out and has been a constant in both of our music lists so there is no doubt the baby is exposed to quite a bit of Radiohead. For me, their catalog begins at ‘Ok Computer’ and moves forward and you will notice that is relatively true from the songs above.

Rihanna – Only Girl (In the World)

The Rolling Stones – Gimmie shelter

Smashing Pumpkins – Rhinoceros
Smashing Pumpkins – Rocket

We’ve had a small amount of local bands/music as well as music from our grunge past. The Pumpkins lead the list with two songs total.

The Smiths – How Soon Is Now?

Sonic Youth – Teen Age Riot
Sonic Youth – Total Trash
Sonic Youth – Bull In The Heather

Stereolab – Lo Boob Oscillator

Sun City Girls – Dukun Degeneration

Suzanne Vega – 99.9f

Tame Impala – It’s Not Meant To Be
Tame Impala – Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?

Toto – Africa

U2 – A Sort Of Homecoming

The Velvet Underground – What Goes On

Wilco – Shot in the Arm
Wilco – Cars Can’t Escape

Yo La Tengo – Everyday

remring Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, R.E.M., Radiohead, Sonic Youth

It is the end of the year which means that the world is putting together their “Best Of” lists. Often times, the case of putting together a ‘Best Of’ listing is a case of futility. How are we supposed to put a numerical value to your listening enjoyment? These lists often mention songs and albums over a limited listening window while, during this brief period of time we are expected to make a summation of the best albums over a government-sponsored Gregorian calendar and then write something slightly witty or asinine about the album while I fart onto my chair.

Over this period, a handful of idiots will expect us to make an objective review of the music, as if I am going to find Colin Meloy of the Decemberists somehow palatable or that R.E.M.’s latest would match the perfection of Murmur, that Jeff Tweedy would regain the magic he had with Wilco or that several of the senior circuit bands such as The Feelies and Wire would make records worthy of repeat listening. Will the bands trying to copy the retro sounds of the 80s live up to the scrutiny of that era and decide to put together something unique rather than just recycled.

I have focused in on about 60 albums or so, which would be about the limits for my attention in any given year because music is not just researching the present but the past as well.

I did not find the year to have one spectacular release that stood head and shoulders above the rest. As often is the case, these things take decades to realize that the album that saw minimal listens in 2011 becomes a desert island classic in 2031. In the meantime I wanted to break down the latest year into albums and bands that I thought that were movers and shakers and deserve a fans attention.

I broke the list into three categories:

The Greats – The albums which were head and toes above the others.

Extended Play – Albums that have showed promise and depending on your tastes might be worth your attention.

Deep Cuts – A land of misfit albums. There might be a compelling reason to listen or not to listen.

The Greats

Fleet Foxes –Helplessness Blues

I am not sure if this album is the best album of the year but the title song moved me enough to suggest there is a greater meaning to this album than maybe what I expected after first listens. I do know that the title track is the best song of the year, Simon and Garfunkelesque!; The song provides a socially active conscience that is sorely lacking in today’s music scene. For a sophomore effort they have shown the world they are for real.

Girls – Father, Son, Holy Ghost

The growth of the indie rock community has created several bands that would sound good in an intimate setting of a small club. And while ‘Girls’ sounds like an amazing intimate experience, the latest album breaths life into the 70s Rock Albums where everything was larger than life, even the floating pigs. Girls is that 70’s band that you could only dream about. Their latest release captures that energy of that decade without sounding stale. There is an epic sound on songs like ‘Vomit’, and ‘Die’ relives all those great guitar albums but then it ends with the Randy Newman inspired Jamie Marie.

Panda Bear – Tomboy

A psychedelic beach-combing experiment with the Animal Collective drummer. Panda Bear (aka Noah Lennox) follows up his highly acclaimed ‘Person Pitch’ with a much more organic record. With the help of Sonic Boom (aka Peter Kember) of Spacemen 3 fame, the album is much more intimate and personal and still worth the effort to engross yourself in it.

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

How often can you remember any bands putting together a solid double album that doesn’t have significant portions of the album, which are weak? ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’ relives the 80’s but offers enough of the 21st century to not be put off as a cheap imitation. Check out simple but clever songs like ‘Midnight City’ that becomes total 80’s ear candy. And yet for every 80’s induced sound they turn the decade into progressive rock. This is not just a cheap imitation of the era and it is the only album that I have listed here where the Sax solo actually works.

The Bewitched Hands – Birds and Drums

This French band has a couple things in common with the band Arcade Fire, both in their music as well as their point of origin speaks quite a bit of French (Reims, France, for Bewitched Hands and Montreal, Canada for Arcade Fire). This act put together a fantastic pop album that’s infectious after the first listen. For some reason, the music media has largely ignored this gem of a record. Become the first person on your block to check these guys out!

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi – Rome

If you were in the mood for a spaghetti western movie soundtrack, this would be your album. This album caught me by surprise but I have to admit to have been taken in with its charm. The unlikely successes of Norah Jones and Jack White (they would not normally be my favorite artists) pit their strengths alongside the spirit of the “Good, The Bad, and the Ugly”, in this winner.

PJ Harvey – Let England Shake

PJ Harvey’s latest is a political statement/concept album/social commentary on Britain’s role in WWI and uses the themes of colonialism, war, .etc to ask questions as to their worth in the 21st century. Harvey might not be as in your face as he was in the past but her lyrics and pop sensibilities are clever enough to pull off this concept album.

Tuneyards – WHOKILL

Merrill Garbus. A name that should be remembered as her album WHOKILL was a definitive highlight for the year. What sets Garbus out is her ability to truly have a voice behind what she was saying. Dare I say feminist? Judging from the Pitchfork crowd this year that wore face paint in honor of her, it was obvious she is gaining a loyal following. I did miss her live set this year, for a couple reasons but from what I have seen online it would look like something that I would enjoy. At the same time, I do think that she needs a proper band so to put more attention on her soulful presence as a live singer. As impressive as it is to have a recorder and drums onstage while singing, it essentially cuts from her singing abilities when she is focusing on about three things at once.

Radiohead – King of Limbs

There were legions of fans that might have felt a bit shortchanged by Radiohead’s latest effort, an album that had to push it to bypass your typical EP Length record. That is also what happens when you are Radiohead, when you have taken your audience on wild trips with albums such as Ok Computer and Kid A, possibly the best albums of the 1990s and 2000’s respectively. ‘In Rainbows’, and the marketing genius behind that album was as solid musically and ‘King of Limbs’ expands in these directions. Oftentimes when you have a couple “Masterpieces” to your name, there is quite a bit to live up to.

Still, the release of ‘King of Limbs’ became an event like old school album buying. Fans and critics got their shot of the album at the same time which brings upon a unique dynamic where the fan becomes the critic while traditional journalism tried to catch up with the Radiohead dynamic. Very few bands could pull off what they did but it speaks to the quality of their work and also a reminder of being one of the few bands that truly matter in the music industry

‘King of Limbs’ sees the percussion play a more prominent role as sound is much more stripped down from the warmer ‘In Rainbows’. The single off the album ‘Lotus Flower’ made the biggest splash, as Thom’s dancing became an Internet meme with others editing songs on top of his work.

Cut Copy – Zonoscope

Maybe in a different world they would be the twins of M83. Their sound is very similar and at times it can be difficult to tell each band apart. In terms of Zonoscope it again crosses into the retro 80’s dance category with ‘Need You Now’ and ‘Where I’m Going’ but is not afraid to stretch into ambient region with the 15 minute Sun God.

Atlas Sound – Parallax

After listening to Bradford Cox lose it recently during an interview, this brilliant songwriter suffers from the fact of being a very depressed individual. And after having my wife telling me that she thought that this poppy record was anything but upbeat, I cleaned the potatoes out of my ears and gave it some more listens.

As the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound motif has evolved Cox has kept the psychedelic sounds but have added themes and ideas to his sounds which

Anna Calvi – Anna Calvi

Anna Calvi displayed a hefty amount of talent on her debut album, mixing the beauty of Julee Cruise but also the power of Patti Smith. Her flexibility in a song that showing the blue collar edge of a Bruce Springsteen vs. ‘First We Kiss’, which sounds like a title track to a 60s James Bond movie and other parts it feels like a David Lynch movie. But there is a little bit of Jeff Buckley in here as well. She is not just a beautiful singer but an accomplished guitarist.

Woods – Sun and Shade

Songs such as ‘Sol y Sombra’ and ‘Out of the Eye’ exhibit Woods strength of pushing trippy psychaedelic rock into epic proportions. Woods has expanded their lo-fi psych-folk sound into something much greater. Probably the best true “Psychaedelic” record of the year for me.

Worth an Extended Play


The Feelies – Here Before

The Feelies first album in about 20 years shows a band that has matured over this time. It’s not the ‘Crazy Rhythms’ of its youth but will still go down as a strong resurgence. They don’t remake the formula of the Feelies but rather rediscover it, with Glenn Mercer and Bill Million battling it out on the guitar.

Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde

This Chicago outfit has captured the spirit of John Lennon and the Smashing Pumpkins to update their sound and come out with a quality rock record. Their second record eclipses their debut record showing that the band can update their sound but also show they are not going to go away quietly.

James Blake – James Blake

I would imagine that seeing James Blake live has to be a rip-roaring experience filled with slam dancing, jumping from the stage, with plenty of broken bones and bruises. Ok, maybe in a different dimension. Blake delivers in trying to define the dubstep genre with an original recording that is both innovative and endearing. There are two songs here that stand out for me: ‘The Wilhelm Scream’ and ‘Limit To Your Love’ which become genre-defining songs. The album has holes at times but it should be understood that the good is much better than the bad and much too

Bon Iver – Bon Iver

It’s the type of album that you would expect to hear playing in Green Bay when the Packers lose in the playoffs this coming 2012. It bleeds Cheesehead land while Mister Meatpacker is contemplating about his sad and depressing life. Somehow, this album got some Grammy nods. Quite honestly, this is not the indie record that I would gather would get some type of following and it speaks maybe to the irrelevance of the Grammys in general.

Mike Watt – Hyphenated-Man

This album looks into the work of Hieronymous Bosch in this wonderful collection of songs that are reminiscent of his work with the Minutemen. Most of the songs do not stray beyond the 2 minute mark and offer a unique and often humerous response to the work of Bosch.

Dirty Beaches – Badlands

Alex Zhang Hungtai has created a landscape with his 60’s surfari-themed album. Where I would love to see an artist like this go is try to expand their sound beyond that of youtube clips and exhibit that same power on album as what would be expected live.

Le Butcherettes – Sin Sin Sin

Judging from the lead singers stage name Teri Gender Bender, there is plenty to be excited about in this band. This Mexican trio is not your mother’s band with the lead Ms. Gender Bender covered in blood onstage. This is in your face rock and roll!

Wire – Red Barked Tree

‘Red Barked Tree’ shows off a level of intelligence for Wire, a band that has been making music on and off for close to three decades. Over this time they have gone from Punk, Prog. Rock, dabbled in Electronica and we see them capturing all of those elements here.

TV On The Radio – Nine Types of Light

Part of me is still a bit torn up regarding the death of Gerard Smith this past year and it’s been trying to listen to this album. Say what you want, but TV on the Radio add some needed soul and funk to rock and roll and this world would be sorely lacking without their efforts. ‘Nine Types of Light’ is their most commercially accessible album but for newbie’s, I would still recommend Return to Cookie Mountain as possibly one of the best albums of the last decade. In terms of epic songs, nothing quite tops ‘Killer Crane’ which adds some organ reminiscent of early Zeppelin.

Cults – Cults

The Cults seems to offer a lo-fi sixties bubble-gum/psychaedelic pop combo meeting the “Wall of Sound”. As a debut album they offer plenty of hooks to please. The band is obviously looking to the direction of Animal Collective’s “Merriweather Post Pavilion” as an outside influence even if their tracks are relatively simplistic.

Wild Flag – Wild Flag

What gives bands like Wild Flag their edge is the fact they don’t play it safe. They are not selling their sexiness as much as their grittiness. In a year when many of the albums on this list were afraid to rock, preferring the sensibilities of synths, Wild Flag takes their supergroup status to provide a wholly enjoyable romp. Includes Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss from Sleater-Kinney, Mary Timony from Helium and Rebecca Cole from The Minders. What I am looking for in this album is something that blows me away and that seems to be the problem. The album is almost too perfect. I want a little bit more Patti Smith jumping off a cliff while grabbing her crotch.

Crystal Stilts – In Love with Oblivion

Like the Dirty Beaches, their sounds of 60s surf rock are more organic and feel a little less like pulling out an old 45 and dusting it off. They pull off plenty of psychedelic riffs with some catchy hooks to warrant a look in any stoner’s collection.

Deep Cuts

Wilco – The Whole Love

The Whole Love is Wilco’s best album since ‘A Ghost Is Born’. Jeff Tweedy went back to basics and actually wrote some rock and roll songs and then some. For every classic song like ‘Art of Almost’, the best song since take your pick of songs on YHF, there are clunkers like ‘Capitol City’ and ‘One Sunday Morning’. There is a solid EPs worth of material here and the rest is pretty disposable.

Fucked Up – David Comes to Life

Like some that appreciate the rock opera, its nuanced characters and crazy plotlines, ‘David Comes to Life’ becomes slightly trying for my ears for the fact of it’s length as well as it’s twisted plotlines. If you are interested in something where progressive rock meets punk, it might be your thing.

R.E.M. – Collapse into Now

The album becomes R.E.M.’s swan song and while it doesn’t push R.E.M. in any new dimensions, it merely looks back at R.E.M. over the past 30 years playing R.E.M. by numbers. While that might be nostalgic for some, it’s not a final product that sets the world on fire nor is it completely forgettable. But the problem with R.E.M. ultimately becomes that the album will not replace the memories of their earlier works.

Yuck – Yuck

This hit and miss effort offers a couple of indie rock classics such as ‘Georgia’, with it’s catchy Yo La Tengo tributary feel.

Destroyer – Kaputt

2011 has become the year for the sax solos. The forgotten instrument has been reinvented by the Lisa Simpson’s of the world all grown up and remembering the music of their youth. Dan Behar’s effort is a hit and miss record remembering both the good and bad from the 80s.

Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact

A mixture of 80’s pop, Indian, and oriental, I would imagine that they would be quite huge on the planet Tatooine. The album material is uneven however with standout tracks like Mindkilla and Adult Goth outpacing much of the other works.

The Braids – Native Speaker

Being the R.E.M. fan from the 80’s, after Murmur came out, all these bands wanted to start imitating their works and in the 21st Century, that band has become Animal Collective. Native Speaker, with it’s pop sensibilities and animal ‘yalps’ will remind you of Animal Collective, but do they break new ground?

St. Vincent – Strange Mercy

I honestly think that St. Vincent goes off the theatrical deep end with this album and some of her pop sensibilities from her previous effort ‘Actor’ have been lost. Some have called this one of her best efforts but I have not really bought into it.

The Pains At Being At Heart – Belong

One of those albums that is not offensive nor stands out. They put together some nice pop songs and a bit cleaner production that would remind you of Jesus & Mary Chain/Shoegaze pop but it’s not something that you are going to want to pull out over and over again.

Lou Reed & Metallica – Lulu

I remember going to Blockbuster video, I would imagine that it was over 20 years ago and finding the movie, Ed Wood’s ‘Plan 9 From Outer Space’ and reading the cover and thinking “I need to see this!”. Plan 9 is considered by most accounts one of the worst movies of all time, and maybe the same can be said for this Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration. If you go into it with the though that this is going to be the worst album I have ever listened to and I am going to laugh and have a riot making fun of Lou, Lars, James, .etc., then you might actually enjoy yourself.

remring Uncategorized

As I sit here and listen to the latest album by M83, a so far stunning double lp release that needs an Atari 2600 present while listening to it, I am curious as to whether, the ghost of John Hughes will soon make his way back into the limelight.

This year has seen it’s fair share of albums that are 80s retro sounding. Depeche Mode, Cure, New Order, and every and any Flock of Seagulls wannabe. What is even more strange is that some of the kitschy sounds from that era – i.e. the sax solo have ended up in anonymous places and there are other bands like Destroyer (Dan Behar) and while I enjoyed Bon Iver’s new album, it’s final track is one of the worst examples for 80s campyness.

As these new albums start the retro craze of teaming themselves with the “Oldies” I am feeling old that the music that I grew up on is well, there is no better way to put it but ….old.

Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is nearing it’s 29^th year on this planet. This issue seems to be a more troubling aspect to me than the fact that I will be turning 40 next year.

I’ve tried to get my head around the resurgence of the 80s. While I believe that these rediscoveries are inevitable. What I am always curious about is why an artist will grasp an era of music. I only wish they dressed like them too. Women, don’t you want to go back and wear the shoulder pads? Don’t you want to make a disaster of a dress like Molly Ringwald did in ‘Pretty In Pink’?

Does John Hughes get any credit for this resurgence? Do his movies play a prominent role among the artists that grew up on watching these movies over and over again?

I have wondered whether it was necessary this year to come out with a Retro 80’s Album Listing, separating this from the rest of the albums, putting on my best Boy George impression while describing them.

I mention Boy George because there is one thing that many of these bands lack and that is the charismatic front person. The music exists but the full package doesn’t. Part of the flair of that era was a change in the way that music was being delivered to us. Back in the 80s it was the music video, a disaster of 3 minutes where bands would sail off to far away lands or perform some lip synching in a studio that was edited by Uncle Charlie.  All the same, Generation X ate that shit up and loved every delicious bite.  It was our Hostess Twinkee.

As I end my trek into the past and finish up the last song on M83’s new double length album I realize that it has felt odd and yet strangely appealing. I do have to say that I see visions of Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy and Anthony Michael Hall while listening to these albums.  But rock and roll is still young enough that it could have skipped a generation and never admitted to that time or era. The music was underappreciated. It followed the big bang of punk with a more fashionable futuristic model that flaunted for style points for possible demerits in substance.

At any rate, the music of today’s kids is copying that of my generation which should make some Gen X’ers take note.

remring Uncategorized

I figure the best way to start with this song is actually posting the lyrics:

Lyrics to Helplessness Blues :

I was raised up believing
I was somehow unique
Like a snowflake distinct among snowflakes
Unique in each way you can see

And now after some thinking
I’d say I’d rather be
A functioning cog in some great machinery
Serving something beyond me

But I don’t, I don’t know what that will be
I’ll get back to you someday soon you will see

What’s my name, what’s my station
Oh just tell me what I should do
I don’t need to be kind to the armies of night
That would do such injustice to you

Or bow down and be grateful
And say “Sure take all that you see”
To the men who move only in dimly-lit halls
And determine my future for me

And I don’t, I don’t know who to believe
I’ll get back to you someday soon you will see

If I know only one thing
It’s that every thing that I see
Of the world outside is so inconceivable
Often I barely can speak

Yeah I’m tongue tied and dizzy
And I can’t keep it to myself
What good is it to sing helplessness blues?
Why should I wait for anyone else?

And I know, I know you will keep me on the shelf
I’ll come back to you someday soon myself

If I had an orchard
I’d work till I’m raw
If i had an orchard
I’d work till I’m sore

And you would wait tables
And soon run the store

Gold hair in the sunlight
My light in the dawn
If I had an orchard
I’d work till I’m sore

If I had an orchard
I’d work till I’m sore

Someday I’ll be
Like the man on the screen

I have been stuck on this song for the last month or so.  What I find awesome was that I completely disagree with my review on the song (and my review of the Fleet Foxes) album.

It’s not that I am wrong (or that I think that I am wrong) but rather the song has amassed a meaning beyond that of a single narrative and yet carries enough weight with it to be, in my opinion one of the best songs of the year.

After seeing the Fleet Foxes at Pitchfork Music Festival this summer and re-inspiring my desire to listen to their latest album, it’s made some inroads up the Zimmermann Notes charts as one of the best of the year.  I complained in my earlier review about it’s lack of politics or social pursuits and I believe that my review shortchanged this just a bit.

As of late, it has been the Occupy Wall Street movement that made me refocus how this music will have a lasting effect as its title track is chilling as it explores the impetus of the generation making their case against the world.

I posted the lyrics as a whole because I think they need to be recited. Part of me listens to the first three stanzas of what has been written as Generation Y’s prelude to Occupy Wall Street.

However, it’s more this innate desire to return humanity to a more natural state but also a call to action.  It tilts the emotional scales with its beauty providing a sense of purpose and understanding for those that feel trapped in similar scenarios. The generation that distrusted corporations at the same time lives off corporations has to try to balance out the inequities of life and reevaluate their own. We hear the protagonist wish to work the land, to work in an orchard, creating their own fruits of their labor, feeling a sense of accomplishment and still able to appreciate the beauty in the world (‘gold hair in the sunlight’).

‘Helplessness Blues’ is a timeless treasure, one that will be redefined in my head for different causes and events, but a song that should be examined for it’s depth for the era that we are living in now.

remring Fleet Foxes, Music

3.5 out of 5

When I said I liked the new Wilco album, that means like with a small l. Lets make one thing clear is that if there is any band that has disappointed me more than R.E.M. it was Wilco.  The period between Being There and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is pure gold and I still look at that era as the golden age as well as the “Classic Lineup”, one that will obviously not return.

I think I am more disappointed because I thought that they had more potential. Jeff Tweedy had the power to be the 21^st Century’s Bob Dylan with a knack for sonic exploration. We see this on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, one of the true innovative and classic albums of our era.  However, since the demise of Jay Bennett from the band, I have to admit to them being just alright to bad.

At times, their Dad Rock/Jam Band genre they are trying to invent is boring going on ridiculous. The Whole Love however, has a handful of tracks that make the grade as being the best since YHF.

‘Art of Almost’ is a great way to start off this album, and is definitely the best track that Wilco has released in nearly a decade.  It contains everything that I would have hoped this band could have turned itself into.  Lets face it, it is very difficult to get someone with music talent who at the same time has the potential to write eloquent lyrics.

The Whole Love is much more up-tempo than some of their previous efforts and I think this has afforded the band some better reviews due to critics not being lulled to sleep. ‘I Might’ is a drum-stomping track that exudes more Velvet Underground than Dad Rock.

Before we get too excited, Sunloathe hits our eardrums and all of a sudden we are reminded of ‘Sky Blue Sky’ and the fact that Wilco’s mellow days are behind them.

Off the top of my head without thinking some golden oldie Wilco mellowness

She’s a Jar

Via Chicago

Far Far Away

The Lonely 1

Pieholden Suite

Radio Cure

Ashes of American Flags

Now you take a song like ‘Sunloathe’ and to be honest I just do not get it.

Capital City sounds like a B-Side/Broadway Number and Rising Red Lung has mellow Wilco syndrome as well.

Still there are plenty of other positive moments. ‘Born Alone’  and ‘Standing O’ kick this album up a notch, bringing a little pleasure and less pain to their sound but also point to the fact there is more positive than negative on this album.

Finally, I can say is that ‘One Sunday Morning’ (Song for ‘Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend) would make me go postal.  If I saw Wilco live this would be the perfect time to check out the bathroom and get yourself a drink.  Part of the problem with a 12-minute track is that it needs to go somewhere instead Wilco decides to proceed on cruise control. At about the 4-minute mark it becomes annoying. The 6 minute mark you are getting twitches and there have been cases of music listeners going into full seizures by the 10 minute mark. So before you play this song in the Jukebox at your local watering hole, think of your friends and choose epic songs by Sufjan Stevens instead.

A Whole Love is a solid album but not a classic one. It reminds fans why they loved Wilco but it will also remind why they still annoy.  For many fans like myself they are in a difficult predicament not being the same band they were 10 years ago and they never can be. I don’t know, I always thought there was something rock and roll about Jay Bennett.

Over the past few weeks of listening to the new Wilco and Girls albums on top of the breakup of R.E.M. I focused much of my time on how some of those old Wilco albums had a lot more heart in them. You could say that ‘Being There’ is your classic 70’s double album that you would never see anymore. I found myself missing the old Wilco after listening to the new Girls album and wondered aloud while listening to the new album where did that band go?

But bands become more than the songs. We care about the parts making those songs. When parts are changed along the way can we move on with the spare parts or is the machine not as authentic?

The Tweedy/Bennett feud was never answered but swept under the rug and while a review might not be the place to talk about it, I am not sure where is a good place. Critics are not objective voices in the crowd but subjective listeners just like the rest of the population, we’ve been maimed by rock and roll as well.

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