The Liberace Sequence

The Mighty Poof

2009-04-01T07:55:00.000-07:00

Cocteau Twins: An Introduction...

2009-03-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

When the thought of a Cocteau Twins post crossed my mind, it was during a caffeine fueled burst of creativity. The coffee gave me the power to not only process delinquent invoices, but to also wax poetically via the company email directory. The nearby 20-30 somethings, who I mingled with, saw me as some sort of freak. I honestly can't blame them, conventionality was the last thing from my mind. In fact, I would carelessly draw wacky wizards, dragons, and elves on ms paint for my enjoyment during an especially slow day.

First, I was going to make an ornate banner, which would be ethereal, to say the least. If you notice it above the text, feel free to judge it for yourself. Then I was going to make a mix, which would span their entire careers. It would make unfamiliar fans fanatics and it would also try to turn people on to this band, who have a significantly large and imposing discography under their belt.

Their early career is influential, as it has come to represent the ideals within the "Goth" music movement. In the subsequent years several bands for better or for worst have shaped the meaning and ideals of "Goth." More appropriately the Cocteau Twins were a "dream pop" group with post punk/Goth leanings. I honestly despise musical investigations that are purely focused on genre studies.

The album Treasure is when the group finally reached an epoch. The song writing style on this album went on to define the Cocteau Twins throughout their career, as it texturally became dream-like. This band seemed to care less about the fact that they lacked a drummer. They used the drum machine (the most loved and hated musical instrument) as a completely separate percussively versatile tool that is to say: the drum machine was used to make sounds, that were out of the traditional, acoustic drum set's range. Sometimes, however, they did use a traditional drum set, depending on the song.

In the early 90's they released Heaven or Las Vegas, which is actually my favorite album. This album crosses into an even more accessible territory. Several singles off of this album grazed the UK top 40. This album was indicative of a long persistent and largely successful career. This band influenced a young Bjork in the hills of Norway and young Harriet Wheeler in Manchester. It also influenced a young Lisa Gerrard in the fields of Australia. Actually, I dont know if it really influenced Dead Can Dance, but they are definetly contemporaries. In fact, they are both integral members of the 4AD supergroup This Mortal Coil.

Cocteau Sequence: click either here or on the image
And now the Tracklistings:

1.) Crushed
2.) Orange Appled
3.) Athol-Brose
4.) Aikea-Guinea
5.) Iceblink Luck
6.) My Love Paramore
7.) Sultitan Itan
8.) Wax and Wane
9.) Seekers Who are Lovers
10.) Pandora
11.) Fotzepolitic
12.) Cico Bluff
13.) Circling Girl
14.) Frou-Frou Foxes in Midsummer Fire
15.) Smile

Roisin Murphy: Hot Chics: Backing Vocalists: My Bloody Valentine: Sundy Sundae Smile: Video

2009-02-24T14:05:00.000-08:00

I did not intend to write about Roisin Murphy. In fact, I forgot about her, as she exists merely as a musician ( one of many) on my ipod. This was going to be about the My Bloody Valentine Sunday Sundae Smile E.P.

Why the picture above (with Roisin)? It can be explained as simply as Typing "Sunday Sundae Smile" in the Google Image search. Before, we change gears and talk about MBV, we should take a second and think about the picture above. First of all, The colors are vivid; intense shades of yellow and orange surround the beautiful and ethnically diverse singers. It's politically correct and beautiful. Also, the girls in the picture are hot. If I met a girl, who happened to look like that and was in Roisin Murphy's backing band, I would do everything in my power to...( I must stop there, because It was going in that direction)

The Sunny Sundae Smile EP (click to download a rip of the vinyl: VBR) was released before their albums and as you would imagine, it represents and poppier manifestation of the group. If you listen closely, you can hear the the massive wall of noise burgeoning from beneath these light-hearted poppy jams. Also, when I say "pop," it is relative to MBV's more notable material (Loveless, Isn't Anything, etc.)

New Music Find! Wavves!!!!

2009-01-25T14:15:00.000-08:00

This band is just one guy: Nathan Williams. This is album is most likely out. It's self titled (Wavves by Wavves). Note the additional "v" in the name.
First and foremost, this album is really f*cking loud. When I was on the bus listening to this, I turned it down slightly, because for once in my life, I actually felt sorry for my ear drums. The loudness may be viewed as a gimmick, which actually works well for the band. Behind the clipping tracks, fuzzed out instruments, and distorted beats are some wonderfully, catchy songs. In unison the sound with the songwriting deliver an A+ combo. The singing is complimented by the overdriven overtones of the voice create an ominous albiet loud melodic finish. Two coats! one coat being the voice, and the second being the fuzzy guitars. Well, now that I think about there three coats. I hate this analogy to paint...what-eva! Furthermore, this dude might be touring and since he is not as popular as Phil Collins or Modest Mouse, tickets are most likely reasonable. I personally am going to check this out.

Would you like to hear this band? easy easy click the link and enjoy! (fingers crossed)

Wavves So Bored E.P.

Why isn't ze* fucking album out yet?

2009-01-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

Violens "Acid Reign"

Best of 2008

2009-01-11T10:41:00.000-08:00

Having decided to compile this almost obligatory(to myself and the fledgling integrity of this "blog") list, I chose to wait until the dust has settled on 2008. After all, this allows one to carefully examine other lists from various sources such as: friends, magazine, web-zines, blogs, casual glimpses at mass-mailing from record stores. I have noticed that this year in music does not live up to the previous years. Maybe that's stigma closely related to the feeling of nostalgia, which over values experiences past. This stigma does not allow for a close enough analysis of this year as far as amazing albums go. People have tried creating top fives, top three's, top tracks, etc. in order to readdress this "top ten year end list" phenomena. I try, for my own records mostly, to make these lists, while at the same time considering the sociological impact of these albums. The result more often than not is ...failure. From that point on, I viewed my top ten lists purely a personal endeavor. The practice of abbreviating the year in music by others have affected my own top ten lists. A brilliant if not perfect example comes from a friend of mine named Rob Chandeliers. Below is a peak at his list (note the Robjectivity taking place):

"Honorable Mention:Monotonix - "Body Language" (Drag City)
hype deserved. nutbars live show that i imagine gets old around the third time you see it. the EP is NOTHING NEW, just zepplin-y riffs and hilariously broken english lyrics, but it's infinitely listenable.
Dishonorable Mention:
Radiohead - "In Rainbows" (Interwebz)
wait, did this happen last year? whatever. i still can't get into this snoooooozefest past the first two songs.
BEST NEWS OF THE YEAR :
the jesus lizard set to reunite and tour with their original line-up next year (and re-issue all their good albums on vinyl!)
dudes, i'ma be out like lindsey at the end of freaks and geeks following these motherfucks like they were widespread panic.
Best Old Find of the Year:
do you guys listen to Form of Rocket? that band fucking rules. it's like, kids listen to every time i die but don't know bands like Form of Rocket. what is wrong with kids? they should be listening to bands from salt lake city whose songs have been know to include catchy choruses like "i'm gonna/beat my/woman/til i'm satisfied" (Makes sense in context.)
Worst News of the Year:
The bass player for Vampire Weekend's amp doesn't make ANY SOUND. what the fuck is wrong with that band.
- runner up: the yankous and will changed their band name FROM Balls Balls Balls Vagina. what the fuck is wrong with that band.
Worst Old Find of the year:
man i can't stand that battles record anymore.
well, i'm done jerking off. this was fun!

Nice read, eh?!
Why did I choose this excerpt exactly? The answer is simple: this section is what I immediately jumped to after giving his entire post a scant overview. He curses like a sailor and he likes to rock pretty hard, which are characteristics that make him my kinda guy. Earlier in his post he gave his "props" to several "brutal" and "crushing" rock acts: Race Bannon, Boris, New Brutalism to name a few. He also gave praise to the TV on the Radio, which was a little out of place. Imagine if there was a bill with Race Bannon, Boris, New Brutalism, and TV on the Radio. The only plus of that arrangement is that with TV on the Radio on the bill, there might be girls at the show. Moving Along, This more or less award ceremony that Mr. Chandelier engages in seems to be the most interesting part of his post. Immediately, He goes into mentioning obscure bands (Monotonix), then a quick insult at the legendary Radiohead (this album came out more than a year ago, mind you), and a brief mentioning of an off-kilter rock band with edgy lyrics (Form of Rocket). He does all this with the revelation of a Jesus Lizard reunion. To me a great post, which lacks the objectivity, but posses the narrative knack that accurately corresponds to this author's personality. In summation Rob Chandeliers or more commonly, Rob Montage strikes again. Whatever, dude!?

Another year-end list worthy of mention comes from an associate of mine that goes by Blaise Cronin. Although, he did not write it he was accredited with this list purely because he supplied me the link: Popless Epilogue 2.
I will spare the details, because you should actually take a gander at it. It has the top songs of the year with a neat little miniplayer which plays the songs for you. Also, with these song snippets there is a brief review about the song for better or worst.
Take his analysis of Jay Reatard:

There was way too much Reatard in '08 for me to make sense of it all, and since I wasn't previously aware of Jay Lindsey's half-dozen other bands and solo projects, it's going to take a while for me to get up to speed and figure out where I stand. In a nutshell, I'd say that I'm not entirely convinced that Lindsey's prolific nature serves his music all that well, though the preponderance of memorable melodies and exuberant sound on Jay Reatard's two '08 singles collections is clearly indicative of an artist working at such a peak that he's unwilling to stem the tide, even when leaves behind a lot of flotsam. Can't say I blame him, actually.

Couldn't have said it better myself. I almost got punched in the face at his concert and some nasty bugger stole my blue scarf.
Enough with the stories! It is time to unveil my best of 2008:

1.) Deerhunter: Microcastle/ Weird Era Cont.
As the name indicates, it is a double album. With this format the band seemed to be free to explore various musical landscapes. These landscapes venture off into the shoe gaze territory. The result being good drug music. In a nest of reverberated vocals and guitars your mind will slowly drift into outer space with little intent on returning back. In fact, as Todd Rundgren once said " If you haven't got time to rest, turn the record off now." The first several tracks from either album hit it out of the park. Idioms aside tracks like "Agoraphobia" and "Operation" have the potential to sneak their way on my top tracks of the year (see the post script). These tracks exemplify the albums diversity. At times it does not even seem like the same band, which may initially seem to be a set back. However, there is a sense of identity among these tracks, which makes these songs clearly their own. The subtleties in the various production techniques on each track enable this band to cross over into different realms (that is not to say that they do reggaeton or hip-hop). Instead these realms are categorized by the diversity of texture, which occur on the album. A good example is in the track "Dot Gain". It begins as a song focused on percussion, because of the the multiple percussion tracks and the vocals being very low in the mix. As the track progresses the vocals turn into a ghostly drone and the guitars become louder in the mix, and before you know it you are immersed in a swirl of guitars and angelic, ethereal voices.

2.) Cut Copy: In Ghost Colours
There isn't much to be said about the innovation behind this album. In fact, most of the conventions employed by this album have been used previously. That isn't to say that this album is nonetheless amazing. What this album lacks in musical innovation it makes up for in good song writing. Every song on this album is good and the transition tracks between the "songs" are notable as well. With these transitions the flow of this album is so smooth that each track bleeds into the other. As far as the sound of this album goes, it is very 80's (dance beats, synth bass lines, etc.). Ameliorated by the productions styling of DFA's Tim Goldsworthy each song is as punchy as it is poppy, which creates songs that will be in your head for hours on end. In fact, after a month or owning this record I found myself listening through at least once every other day.

3.) Portishead:Third
Admittingly, I have not listened to this album as much as I would have liked, but after several listens the importance of this album shines through. The verdict is that Portishead has and will continue to innovate and develop their sound, which is unique and unparalleled by even the most adventurous modern acts. Ghostly vocals and electric beats paint an erie composition . This arrangement is characteristic of Portishead's old sound, but with the inclusion of a wider variety of electronic conventions Portishead successfully looks ahead towards the future

4.) Stereolab: Chemical Chords Can these guys ever mess up? Alluding to 60's french pop coupled with modern production techniques. You can't go wrong with this combo. "Daisy Click Clack" is a perfect example of this deadly combination (This can be found on the mix: see below)

5.) Hercules & Love Affair: S/T- Feel the funk and those wet wet drums. Sound like someone submerged the marraccas. Yet another Tim Goldsworthy production job which appears on this list. Antony guests on several songs in this album, which creates this '85 New York club sound which is nothing but infections. Subtle Horns and several polyrhythmic percussion tracks create intricate and at times dense dance grooves. If this fails to even incite a toe-tap, then you clearly have no soul.

6.) The Walkmen: You & Me- Murky and dank these two word pretty much sum up this album. All in all a valiant effort on behalf of this seemingly consistent rock-outfit. They put on a great show and deliver an adequate amount of energy. If you are a fan of The Walkmen, you will most likely love this album. Sounds great on vinyl!

7.) Snowman: The Horse, the Rat, and the Swan
Finding music like this is really life-affirming. Hidden away in some remote corner of the world there is a band, which exits to bemuse even the darkest of hearts. The dark trance that this album puts you in is reminiscent of other Aussie acts like Dead Can Dance (not as worldly). At times this album ventures onto the heavier side of things similar to Birthday Party (also, Aussie). Note that it is a similarity rather than a carbon copy. This band's ability to be dark, brooding, and at times beautiful make them one of the best acts of 2008. It is really depressing and at times scary, but these moods only intensify the listening experience. Additionally, one of the singers sounds like a vampire, which is good, because vampires are so in right now! Seriously, this guy might actually be a vampire, which is not good. I must know slay this demonic hell beast!

8.) Vampire Weekend: S/T
The inclusion of this band is a "f*ck you!" to my friends that ridicule me because I like this album. I am not going to apologize for their catchiness and infectious song smith-ing. In fact, isn't that what makes an album good; a neatly crafted rhythm, pretty melodies, and smooth vocals. It's not the best music out there and it even out-stayed its welcome, but every now and then, I put on "Cape-Cod Kwassa Kwassa" and let the good times roll.

9.) Flying Lotus: Los Angeles
Perhaps, this is the future of music. It makes sense, because it would take an alien from the future to be able to distinguish the f*cked up time signatures. It would also require an additional alien to be able to decipher the seemingly endless layers of noise. At times there is a groove or driving beat. In fact, there are a lot of "dope beats" happening here. Hopefully, this will influence the hip-hop community. There are moments when the beats are reminiscent of madlib, but then they go into outerspace with the endless layers and slightly offbeat grooves. Hopefully the future of music is unquantized.

10.) Krallice: S/T
One of if not the only black metal releases I really dug this year. The average song length is over ten minutes. These ten minutes do not include "space out" interludes, instead they are just overwhelming blast beats. The vocals on this album are mixed well. They act as a compliment to the evil dark chasm of music, rather than sounding like some orc that frequents D&D conventions (not that there's anything wrong with that), they sound like a hell beast falling into the abyss of darkness. The opus entitled "Forgiveness in a Rot" is 15 minute barrage of blast beats and unequivocal evil. What do you expect from a black metal band? The genre rarely strays away, however the production of this album presents a more meticulous less over-produced metal sound, which is quite soothing (in a strange dark way) to my ears.

P.S. an extra special suprise: Liberace Sequence Best of 2008 (click to download)
The track listings are as follows:
1. Lil' Wayne "La La"
2. Gang Gang Dance "House Jam"
3. Chairlift "Planet Health
4. The Dodo's "Fools"
5. Deerhunter "Operation"
6. Violens "Spectator & Pupil
7. Cut Copy "Strangers in The Wind"
8. Lansing-Dreiden "I Dissappear"
9. Hercules & Love Affair "Athene"
10. Air France "June Evenings"
11. The Walkmen "Canadian Girl"
12. Stereolab "Daisy Click Clack"
13. Snowman "Gods of the Upper House"
14. The Magnetic Fields "Zombie Boy"
15. Fying Lotus "Camel"
16. Portishead "Machine Gun"

We Having A Party...A Political Party!

2008-10-23T18:21:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is a line from a song (go figure). I kid, I kid, it's actually from the Harry Potter novel, where he drops acid and moves to the factory town of Manchester, where he has a bugged out dreams of caped magicians. Both instances are true... true enough! The line is from the song "The House that Faded Out", which I am not including on this post. Humorous isn't it? Well, the song is by a group called Blue Orchids, which features cast-aways from The Fall. Before you start comparing these bands, realize that they are vastly different. These guys, Blue Orchids, are going for a post-punk psychedelic thing. Whereas The Fall is darker and more coarse, a more effective expression of "post" punk. Whatever the case, these bands are different. Finally, as George Micheal said "listen without prejudice". I guess he didn't say it as much as sing it.....Blue Orchids "A Darker Bloom"

2008-10-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

The Monochrome Set present Strange Boutique (full length LP)
&
Monochrome Set - Eine Symphonie des Grauens (live 1970)

Bid (right) & Lester Square (left): the songwriting force of The Monochrome Set.
Lead Vox/Guitar: Bid (happens to be Indian)
Lead Guitar: Lester (he happens to play the keys when he gets the chance).
The funny thing: My favorite album, Love Zombies, unattainable on digital format ( I have it on LP na na na boo boo!).
The good thing: Included in this post is the first album (sorry to those of you that had it from uploads past).

What is the deal?

2008-10-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

No, really! What is the deal?
I put minimal effort into this bloggy guy and I am agitated by the lack of response. Well, f*ck that!
My blog needs direction. Look out for new "best of's" and "new artists." Keep in mind that new artists can refer to old artists as well as brand new artists. What makes these "old" artists "new"? I'll tell you why, it is because they are new to me. For example The Monochrome Set is new although they are well over 20 years old. Hercules and Love Affair are new to me also and therefore, they too are new. Now I am tired of using the word "new." Let's change streams (without crossing them) I am contributing to my friends blog freaksatnight.wordpress.com, so keep your ear to the ground with that. He already has alot of nice little knowledge-nuggets. Enough to soil your mind-bed and get embarrassed by your theorhetical-friends. Additionally, these knowledge-nugs will scare away your conceptual-girlfriends. Enough for now! stay tuned.

white magic fell from above

2008-07-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

If you are not familiar with Lansing-Dreiden, the magic of this band is not so powerful, or so I thought. When I first listened to their track "Trance Like Turn," I saw little to no difference between this band (Violens) and their artistic collective counterparts/alter ego's (Lansing-Dreiden).
After hearing their other tracks, their influences began to show. On top of that, they are delightfully accessible. It is helpful that they include most of their influences on their myspace page. The Prefab Sprout song-smithing saturates the track "Doomed," their psychedelic-ness on the track "Violent Sensation Descends," Last but not least, their Smiths-y-ness on the track "Spectator & Pupil," which I consider to be my favorite song of the year thus far. (Click on th last track to download it). enjoy!
p.s. Chicagoans will be happy that they are playing in their town for two days in a row for a fairly inexpensive price ($5 and $10). July 31st and August 1st.

ROCKNROLL

2008-07-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

The subject of today's post is...rock and roll. I am going to go ahead and assume that this is a well-traveled path of many a music-blogger. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that I, once again, am taking the easy way out and escaping any sense of originality. In my own defense as you disinterestedly veer your browsers away to an amateur porn site to assuage your nightly needs, remember that here are The Liberace Sequence we strive to mesmerize your musical sense with tantalizing rocknroll landscapes.
Now for the body: punk rock covers of rock and roll standards!
Well, more specifically we are going to investigate the Ramones' cover of 'Do You Wanna Dance,' and we are also going to survey The Dictators' version of 'California Sun.'
The most noteworthy difference between these two covers involve the production embellishments on the drums. The Ramones adhere to their stripped down, raw, mechanical drum beats iconic of 'punk' rock, which set the standard for acts to come. The Dictator's on the other hand use a slap-back effects on the toms as a kind of nod to the surf rock genre. Also, the 16th note skitter of the high-hat's on the Dictator's cover contribute to the diversity of texture on this seemingly 'stripped' rock n' roll standard. Dick Manitoba's voice is also shrouded in a slap-back effect, thus making his voice seem as large as his stage presence.
The winner of the battle is undoubtedly The Ramones. The longevity of their career alone sets them above The Dictators. The Ramones cover is better because it absorbs this rock n' roll standard almost seamlessly into their oeuvre, in other words it is almost indistinguishable from their own compositions. That is not to say that The Dictators are inferior. In fact, they are the most underacted band of this genre (bet you've never heard me say that before). Their primacy of their music as it relates to the foundations of punk provide them with enough credibility in that their example adequately constructed a template for 'punk.' In their song 'Teengenerate' The lead guitar riff is somewhat of an influence to the likes of Mick Jones and Brian James. They are almost as important as Television in the evolution of American Rock n' Roll. Similarly, The Ramones adhered to their template throughout their entire career, which in part may be influenced by The Dictators. Occasionally, they would succumb to the eighties and use synthesizers. This did not compromise their sound entirely, instead it would reflect the sound of New York during that era (e.g. The Cars). All in all both bands have impressive discographies, both pack with seminal rock and roll album. Not half bad!

p.s. Click on the links to download the songs
p.p.s. 'California Sun' was written by Henry Glover and 'Do You Wanna Dance' was written by Bobby Freeman.

"Trance Like Turn" performed by the Violens

2008-07-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

The Return of the Liberace Sequence.

2008-07-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

The Return of the Liberace Sequence: The Liberace Sequence IV
This a mixtape for the avid and enthusiastic patrons of this website. On this compilation you will find smooth, wispy, galant, and somewhat epic jams. Two covers are a present: A French-pop rendition of the Dylan classic "I Want You" and and updated version of Galaxy 500's "Tugboat" performed by The British Sea Power. Doesn't entice you? Well look below and you can stream the mix tape via www.imeem.com. The ten track serenade is a return to an era marked by long languid melodic phrasing and drug induced dazes that last for days('s). Notice how French-pop employs Americanisme by using doo-wop idiosyncrasies and countless other rock and roll and motown themes. The music of Broadcast and Blackbox Recorder's analogously adheres to the lush orchestration canonical of French pop. Below is a playlist, so that you may preview/stream the tracks. If you cannot hear the full length tracks, join Imeem (it's free and beside someone needs to sign up Seymour Butts to imeem). To download the mix just click on the hyperlink at the top of the post. Ta Ta...

P.S. I Deleted the Imeem playlist, but you can still download the mix by clicking the hyperlink

Then I'll Drag You Home...

2008-02-28T14:40:00.000-08:00

Bonjour!
The subject of this evening's post is one the most "underrated brit-pop acts of the 90's". Believe me, I could fill the Library of Congress with bands that fall under that heading. I could fill up the Library of Congress with a lot of other things believe you me (???). Anyways! The band of this evening is no other than Gene. Having been compared to The Faces and The Smiths alike, Martin Rossiter and co. oozed cynical croons all over the 90's and didn't clean up (yucky). Their music has been condemned to Anglophile dick-measuring banter.

Here it is in two Parts: Gene's To See the Lights; a compilation of b-sides and live goodies. Additionally it was never formally released in the United States.
part 1
part 2

The Jesus and the Mary Chain Gangs of New York

2008-02-25T06:24:00.000-08:00

Guitar feedback is back in style, but the question remains: did it ever really go out of style? A perfect garnish to any jam session, loud-primal-ear-wrenching-feedback is a saving grace to rock music. Take the most recent Magnetic Fields album Distortion exemplifies this trend. Complete with beautiful cascades of white noise and soaring feedback this album pulverizes from start to finish, but in a sleek elegant and refined way. Where does front man, Steven Merrit, get this idea from? Well, funny you ask! Merrit is not bashful to cite Jesus Mary Chain's Pyschocandy as an inspiration to his new album. This album paved the road for all the great noise rock outfits of our generation. Drawing their inspiration from the seminal Velvet Underground, JMC use artful orchestration to transmit their raw loud, uncaged approach to rock and roll. Using primarily surf-inspired melodies, JMC's melodic backbone perpetuates each song, which is embellished by an unholy amount of feedback.
Chew on this Download 1985's Pyschocandy by The Jesus and Mary Chain.

-L-U-D-U-S-

2008-02-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

this week's selection is not one but two full length albums from the jazz-inspired, art rock outfit known as Ludus. How did I find out about these guys? Well, Morrissey put out a compilation during 2006 and one of their tracks just happen to appear on it. The track was jangly, melodic, and the atonal guitar solo added an extra shot of jazzy spunk to the mix. That song" let me go where my pictures go" before we proceed here are some reviews of the album:
"Ludus are surely the art and architecture of Malevich, Tatlin and Duchamp given voice" (Careless Talk Costs Lives, 1/03)
"A twofer of albums recorded in 1980 and 1981, that saw LInder confront the caveman attitudes towards women in rock which had survived punk. This she did in multiple, sarcastic vocals styles, against a tight but meandering backdrop of Beefheart/jazz-inflected guitar arrangements. Far from having dated, tracks like Herstory are as challenging to sexist and musical assumptions as they were decades ago" (eMusic, 11/06)
download Pickpocket/Danger Came Smiling

A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS

2008-02-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I attended a little show: A Place to Bury Strangers- Live!
the show can be described in these pictures above: (thank you, Justin!)

Fuckin' Hell Yeah

2008-02-12T20:45:00.001-08:00

heavy ACCENTS!
versace dominance!

ROCK MOVIES!!!

2008-02-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

This year or past year has been the year of cataclysmic rock movies. Movies like Anton Corbijn's Control, Julie Taymor's Across the Universe, and Todd Haynes' I'm Not There blew the hair off of unsuspecting movie-goers all over the world. This is a slight exaggeration, because it would make no sense for all these movies to garner so much power. Come on! A musical comprised of age-old Beatles tracks set in a surreal environment sounds like a stoner's idea. I am in no way disrespecting the Beatles. Poor guys! It just that the idea of covering Beatles songs in a musical is not innovative, but rather a conceptual platitude. It is important to mention that I have not seen this movie, but that concept alone is the very definition of hackneyed. It requires little to no brilliance to grasp the concepts within the songs. Not to mention that the endless amount of resources that analyze every possible dimension to these songs. So, what could this movie possibly do to set itself apart from the ocean of present day Beatlemania. Additionally, the soundtrack is a trainwreck. Bono miraculously rapes "I am the Walrus", and "Helter Skelter"(a song that inspires beautiful mass-murders) gets murdered by this adult-contemporary-as-fuck-coffee-shop-voice. If you ever wonder what Beatles' song would sound like if Melissa Etheridge had her way with it, buy this soundtrack now to put that suspicion to rest. Anyways, you get the point!
I'm Not There on the other hand is a step up. It about Robert Zimmerman (Bob Dylan) during four different periods in his career. There is on catch! A different actor and actress (oooh la la) potrays him during these various stages. Heath Ledger (R.I.P), Cate Blanchett, and Richard Gere are among the cast of people who play this musician during his seminal career. All in all, not a bad idea. Given Todd Haynes record (going off of Velvet Goldmine; I have yet to see Superstar) the movie is bound suffer from an abstract sense of continuity, but this may also add to the "I'm Not There" motif. We'll see. I have not see these movies, so this review is not by any means "fair". They are preliminary reviews and they are more or less an experiment. I might change my mind and swallow my words. Like I said "we'll see."
Since I have seen and very much enjoyed Control, it would be fair to praise this movie. Because it had subjectively speaking more interesting subject matter, it would not be fair to belittle these movies in light of this. Additionally this movie's director, Anton Corbijn, has incredible photographer's eye, which more often than not delivers great art direction (cinematography especially). It would not be fair for me to talk "shit" about the art direction in both
I'm Not There and Across the Universe, because I just can't. If I did, it would be a hell of an assumption, which we'll save for another perhaps more interesting post. STAY TUNED!

Also check out my download du jour Cut Copy's Latest Remixed by Boys Noize

New Sensation: Hercules & The Love Affair

2008-02-04T09:38:00.000-08:00

Imagine a more disco-centric Pet Shop Boys with an occasional visit from Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser. I am unclear as to whether she is actually on the album or not. Regardless, there is definitely a strong Cocteau Twins influence on the vocals. I am not the first blogger to rave about these guys nor shall I be the last. Why? Because of their DFA-produced and approved sound and their poly rhythmic disco approach textured oh-so-DFA-like, they are going to stick around for a minute to pester all you dance-music-hatin' punks.
Take this track Iris (download). If that is not Elizabeth Fraser, I will be damned. Not to mention that the song title is very Cocteau Twins-esque. As the group's name suggest their music invokes classical themes and their fashion sense makes plaid look oh-so-stylish. The NYC quartet also enlists the likes of Antony (from Antony and the Johnson's). His operatic voice adds to the Disco-New-Romanticism aesthetic. Find out more!

SPARKS!

2008-02-02T14:06:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the title of this blog is unclear to you. Initially, it seems like it is a pun based off of the mathematical term "Fibonacci Sequence." -It is, but it also references flamboyant pianist Liberace. Just giving you something neat to wrap your head around.
Today's attraction is the hit British sensation, Sparks. Oddly enough, these purveyors of glam/new-wave/rock have had a long, critically acclaimed, and largely unnoticed career. I would then give you a description of the band, but Allmusic.com does a way better job. Here it is:

by Jason Ankeny

Sparks were a vehicle for the skewed pop smarts and wise-guy wordplay of brothers Ron and Russell Mael, Los Angeles natives who spent their childhood modeling young men's apparel for mail-order catalogs. While attending UCLA in 1970, the Maels formed their first group, Halfnelson, which featured songwriter Ron on keyboards and Russell as lead vocalist; the band was rounded out by another pair of brothers, guitarist Earle and bassist Jim Mankey, and drummer Harley Feinstein.

Halfnelson soon came to the attention of Todd Rundgren, who helped land the group a contract with Bearsville and produced their self-titled 1971 debut. Their quirky, tongue-in-cheek art pop failed to find an audience, however, and their manager successfully convinced the Maels to change the group's name. After becoming Sparks, they almost reached the Hot 100 with the single "Wonder Girl," and 1972's sublimely bizarre A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing cemented the band's cult status, scoring another near-hit with "Girl from Germany."

While touring the U.K., Sparks were warmly received by the British music press, and ultimately, the Mael brothers relocated to London, leaving the rest of the band behind; Earle Mankey subsequently became a noted producer, while Jim later joined Concrete Blonde. In need of a new support unit, the Maels placed an advertisement in Melody Maker, and with guitarist Adrian Fisher, bassist Martin Gordon, and drummer Norman "Dinky" Diamond firmly in place, they recorded 1974's glam-bubblegum opus Kimono My House, which reached the Top Five of the U.K. album charts and spawned two major British hits, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" and "Amateur Hour."

With new guitarist Trevor White and bassist Ian Hampton, Sparks returned later that year with Propaganda, another U.K. smash that scored with the hits "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and "Something for the Girl with Everything." Overblown production from Tony Visconti derailed 1975's Indiscreet, however, and when the record fared less successfully than its predecessors, the Maels returned to the U.S., where they recruited Tuff Darts guitarist Jeff Salen, former Milk & Cookies bassist Sal Maida, and drummer Hilly Michaels for 1976's Big Beat.

By 1977's ironic Introducing Sparks, recorded with a series of Los Angeles session players, the Mael brothers were treading water, so they enlisted disco producer Giorgio Moroder to helm 1979's synth-powered dance-pop confection No. 1 in Heaven, which spurred the group to renewed success in England on the strength of the hit singles "The Number One Song in Heaven," "Beat the Clock," and "Tryouts for the Human Race." Moroder's sidekick Harold Faltermeyer took the production reins for the immediate follow-up, Terminal Jive, which scored a massive French hit with "When I'm with You."

Sparks left disco in the dust with 1981's Whomp That Sucker, recorded in Munich with a new supporting band comprised of guitarist Bob Haag, bassist Leslie Bohem, and drummer David Kendrick (who also played together as the Gleaming Spires). After 1982's Angst in My Pants, they recorded 1983's Sparks in Outer Space; the wonderful "Cool Places," a duet with the Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin, nearly reached the U.S. Top 40, and was the band's biggest hit.

The disastrous 1984 LP Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat derailed any chart momentum the band had gathered at home, however, and after 1986's self-explanatory Music That You Can Dance To, Sparks -- again reduced to the core duo of Ron and Russell -- recorded 1988's Interior Design, which was followed by a long hiatus. Outside of composing the music for a film by Hong Kong action maestro Tsui Hark, Sparks remained silent until Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins, released in 1994. Plagiarism Balls, the band ushered in a more productive era, releasing Lil' Beethoven in 2002 and Hello Young Lovers in 2006.

Wow! Neat! Informative! Great job at explaining this band's lengthy historical tale!

Check out this song Sherlock Holmes from their 1982 album Angst in My Pants . For lack of a better word this song is "gay", but it is not a bad thing. The effeminate tone of the song creates a truly beautiful and theatrical soundscape. The airy melodic phrasing and the tom-heavy percussion accompaniment introduce a new-wave sensibility previously unheard Sparks' prior work.

[URL=http://www.zshare.net/audio/71715502886725/]04 sherlock holmes.mp3 - 6.42MB[/URL]