On The Decay
Look at me. It's only Thursday and I'm already setting up my show for tomorrow!! Usually this doesn't happen until 12pm on Friday, which is a little last minute if you ask me. Anyways, for tomorrows show expect more from the likes of Picastro, Young Marble Giants, the new Aesop Rock, some Konono No. 1 and maybe a bit of the Weakerthans. I'll also be previewing the Built to Spill show by celebrating artists who tend to sport a good solid beard (any recommendations will ge greatly appreciated). Unfortunately I have yet to set up my interview with Himalayan Bear so that will have to wait until next week. In the meantime ...
Listening To ...
Picastro - Whore Luck (Polyvinyl)
I put this album in the same category as Black Moth Super Rainbow's Dandelion's Gum in that part of the beauty of the album has to do with the fact that you feel as though this is unfinished business. Rather than hammering you over the head say 'this is the kind of band we are' Picastro invites you to join with them on their journey to discover what type of band they in fact are. The songs range from the beautifully pleasant to the uncomfortably weird, and as such make the album a very exciting and intriguing listen. The Rocky Erickson and Fall covers are particularly good, as are the guest spots from ex-member Owen Pallett and Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart.
Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth (Domino)
This reissue of YMG's classic 1979 album is definitely worth the purchase. Not only do you get the bands entire recorded collection (including the wonderful Final Day Ep as well as some John Peel recordings), you also get liner notes from post-punk's greatest champion Simon Reynolds (whose book Rip it Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 introduced me to so many great bands like YMG). If you're a fan of DIY this is a must have.
Nirvana - In Utero (DGC)
Speaking of books, I recently finished the 33:1/3's book on Nirvana's awesome 1993 album In Utero. I was a bit skeptical going into the book as I thought that I had heard the story behind the album enough times. However there were a few thins I did learn that really helped me regain interest in this aggressive and exploratory release from one of rock's more important groups.
1.) 'Rape Me' was not written as a response to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. The song is clearly about the frustrations of having to deal with media types (ie. quick jabs regarding 'inside sources'). Couple that with the fact that I always thought the band was quoting their biggest hit at the beginning of the song and I thought it was safe to assume that 'Rape Me' had to be listened to against the background of 'Teen Spirit'. Not so! The song was actually written in the spring of 91 two months prior to the release of Nevermind and the insanity that ensued.
2.) The Albini mix and the final mix aren't really that different. I've always wanted to find a version of the Albini mix to see why it was deemed 'unlistenable' by both the band and their record company. However, apart from the guitar solo on 'Heart Shape Box', and the cello and cymbol sounds on 'All Apologies' the difference between the two mixes are hardly noticeable to the untrained ear.
3.) (And most importantly) I CAN NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LISTEN TO 'MILK IT' WHILE DRIVING!!!! 'Milk It' is easily my favorite Nirvana song. The aggressive and experimental aspects of the song are unmatched in the Nirvana catalogue. That said, I can't listen to the song while driving for two reasons. First of all, using your steering wheel and your stick shift as floor toms at the same time is never a good idea. Secondly screaming 'Doll Steak, Test Meat' at the top of your lungs while another car pulls up beside you can end up being embarrassing.
Not Listening to ... (warning, only sports-related stuff follows)
1.) The awful and plain stupid headlines regarding Edmonton Oiler defencemen Sheldon Souray's current knee injury
- eg #1 - 'Hip, Hip Souray!' from The Edmonton Journal
- eg #2 - 'Better Safe than Souray' by Dan Tencer on Hockey Buzz
Come on guys, those are just lame.
Until next time...
Listening To ...
Picastro - Whore Luck (Polyvinyl)
I put this album in the same category as Black Moth Super Rainbow's Dandelion's Gum in that part of the beauty of the album has to do with the fact that you feel as though this is unfinished business. Rather than hammering you over the head say 'this is the kind of band we are' Picastro invites you to join with them on their journey to discover what type of band they in fact are. The songs range from the beautifully pleasant to the uncomfortably weird, and as such make the album a very exciting and intriguing listen. The Rocky Erickson and Fall covers are particularly good, as are the guest spots from ex-member Owen Pallett and Xiu Xiu's Jamie Stewart.
Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth (Domino)
This reissue of YMG's classic 1979 album is definitely worth the purchase. Not only do you get the bands entire recorded collection (including the wonderful Final Day Ep as well as some John Peel recordings), you also get liner notes from post-punk's greatest champion Simon Reynolds (whose book Rip it Up and Start Again: Post Punk 1978-1984 introduced me to so many great bands like YMG). If you're a fan of DIY this is a must have.
Nirvana - In Utero (DGC)
Speaking of books, I recently finished the 33:1/3's book on Nirvana's awesome 1993 album In Utero. I was a bit skeptical going into the book as I thought that I had heard the story behind the album enough times. However there were a few thins I did learn that really helped me regain interest in this aggressive and exploratory release from one of rock's more important groups.
1.) 'Rape Me' was not written as a response to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'. The song is clearly about the frustrations of having to deal with media types (ie. quick jabs regarding 'inside sources'). Couple that with the fact that I always thought the band was quoting their biggest hit at the beginning of the song and I thought it was safe to assume that 'Rape Me' had to be listened to against the background of 'Teen Spirit'. Not so! The song was actually written in the spring of 91 two months prior to the release of Nevermind and the insanity that ensued.
2.) The Albini mix and the final mix aren't really that different. I've always wanted to find a version of the Albini mix to see why it was deemed 'unlistenable' by both the band and their record company. However, apart from the guitar solo on 'Heart Shape Box', and the cello and cymbol sounds on 'All Apologies' the difference between the two mixes are hardly noticeable to the untrained ear.
3.) (And most importantly) I CAN NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES LISTEN TO 'MILK IT' WHILE DRIVING!!!! 'Milk It' is easily my favorite Nirvana song. The aggressive and experimental aspects of the song are unmatched in the Nirvana catalogue. That said, I can't listen to the song while driving for two reasons. First of all, using your steering wheel and your stick shift as floor toms at the same time is never a good idea. Secondly screaming 'Doll Steak, Test Meat' at the top of your lungs while another car pulls up beside you can end up being embarrassing.
Not Listening to ... (warning, only sports-related stuff follows)
1.) The awful and plain stupid headlines regarding Edmonton Oiler defencemen Sheldon Souray's current knee injury
- eg #1 - 'Hip, Hip Souray!' from The Edmonton Journal
- eg #2 - 'Better Safe than Souray' by Dan Tencer on Hockey Buzz
Come on guys, those are just lame.
Until next time...
posted by Unknown @ 10:39 AM
1 Comments:
At 7:17 PM ,
jonathan said...
The beard-iest musician I ever saw live is the drummer for Ted Leo, a giant Rasputin of a man, with a nice Russian beard (pictured at left)
Regarding your FF post and why he's outsold the likes of Art Brut, ask 10 regular folks (say at a university campus or something) if they've heard of either. You'll probably get 1 yes for AB, 3 or 4 for FF.
It's not just hipsters that buy tickets.
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