Youth of America, WE implore you to demand better

Posted on December 26, 2008 by admin

It’s their third full-length album. They’ve toured with Fall Out Boy, Gym Class Heroes, Motion City Soundtrack, Hawthorne Heights, and The Format. Out of this, a handful of chart-topping singles have been spawned.

Yet it’s not enough to reflect in their music. They refuse to evolve with the rest of the sounds available in art today. Oh dear reader, if you are going to set any sort of resolution for the new year, please resolve to DEMAND better music from teenage punk pop. It exists. Reach deeper. Haunt the record stores more. Accept add request from little indie bands on MySpace. Stay diligent on the music blogs. Bands like The All-American Rejects need to step up if they want your concert cash.

This album, When The World Comes Down, opens with a horribly weak track called “I Wanna”. What’s sad about this track is that they obviously throw their energy into it, and listeners who haven’t been able to experience truly good music will treat this like an anthem. Stop there. It’s not. Nevermind the fact that there are more eloquent ways of expressing the lustful desires of our young bodies. These guys are in their mid-20’s. They can figure this one out.

Moving along through the album, we have an unlikely duet between Catherine Pierce and lead singer Tyson Ritter on “Another Heart Calls.” Pierce has such a gorgeous voice but the pairing is awful. And several of the songs are so frustrating because it’s difficult to tell what the story is… And not in a good way. It’s one thing to have a dichotomy being expressed in any piece of art because of the confused position of the artist… But this is just not done in an artful way. It’s done in the manner of an eight-year old aspiring songwriter, no offense intended to eight year olds. I want to say that “Back To Me” is a halfway decent track, but the lyrics thwart and disappoint me. I’ll share it anyway, mostly because this is an mp3 blog but also because it is a decent piece of music that utilizes different instruments harmoniously.

Now I am getting off my soapbox. See you next year!

[All-American Rejects: Back To Me]

Submissions Part 1

Posted on December 24, 2008 by admin

Happy Jebus Birthday, folks! Better yet? Happy “So, we really don’t know that dude’s birthday, and we finally got rid of those blasted pagans, so why not steal their holy days and festivals, also?” Day. Sorry. I couldn’t resist it. Actually, right now? I’m high-fiving Emperor Aurelian. He’s a pretty fun dude.

And yes, nitpick away at the above. I know all the arguments about it. I’ll just be over there, sleeping and otherwise doling out my contribution to society.

Anyhow, enough of my contempt for…well…a lot. This post is to give you a few contributions I received in my e-mail these past few months. Now, I’m pretty honest, so I will simply give my opinions, and it’s then your job to go do a little research on these bands! If you like them? Hooray!

So after all these bands I list, I gave you a link to their myspace page. I’m pretty awesome like that.

First up? Ikoma. Click here for a link. Okay, sound-wise? Not bad. However, I get this nagging feeling I have heard some other bands that have this sound. It fits with the “pop-guy looking to show some indie cred” label. One thing, though, that bothers me. The statement that the band “represents the new rock regime.” Well, that’s for time to decide, really. Not a bad band, but needs to be a bit more unique. The one band that sticks out as a comparison is The Walkmen. That should give you guys a bit of a start!

Next up? The Volunteers. Linky-link be right here. I dig these guys. The music’s solid, and they sound like a more mature version of Ween (and checking the e-mail sent, yep! That’s one band they’re compared to!). And any band that makes a video for a song called “FckMyGhst” gets a thumbs up. Shit, why don’t I just post that video for you guys now? They have a new album called Spectrophilia out now, and I would personally suggest this one. Top notch submission!

And one last one for this week is Peasant. Yep, this is the trend – the link is after the performer name again! This dude’s pretty good. The voice takes a little getting used to, as it’s pretty high pitched. Listening to some of the Daytrotter Sessions, the first thing I thought of was either the recent Bon Iver album, or even a little Chad VanGaalen. I’m actually a bit bummed that I couldn’t at least catch his Boston area show. Nonetheless, to download this guy’s Daytrotter tracks, click here.

Next week, I’ll pass along a few more contributions, as well as post my favorite music from this year. Notice I didn’t say “Best of”. Know why? “Best of” is a load of crap statement that purports importance. And I and my opinions don’t really mean squat. So it’s a “Hey, this shit’s been on my iPod all year!” list. It’s a fucking awesome list. The other four voices in my head think so, so it has to be true!

And yes, buy this stuff! Especially these guys! They would love you long time if you give them your business!

What a catch!

Posted on December 19, 2008 by admin

[Fall Out Boy – What a Catch, Donnie ft. Elvis Costello, Brendon Urie, Travis McCoy, Alex DeLeon, & William Beckett]

They keep getting better.

They’re Fall Out Boy. And they’re not just for emo kids and screaming girls. They speak loudly to a lot of post-punk thirtysomethings. Non-emo kids, despite being unwilling to admit it, love them too. And we all know it. Pete Wentz called it almost two years ago when he said “There’s the bands that you say you like to sound smart, and there’s the bands you say you like to get laid. And then there’s the bands you really listen to.”

the little one says:
was he referring to the emotards who won’t admit they are at zia to buy their record?
the little one’s buddy says:
yes…I am positive he was…
tlo’s b says:
all of them bought one …you saw that right? or did I make that up
tlo’s b says:
I just brought a hot chick to buy mine
tlo says:
nope… they all did… they all got that 7 inch
tlo’s b says:
yeah
tlo’s b says:
that was like the alarm goinhg off that they bought it…
tlo’s b says:
awesome
tlo says:
lol
tlo’s b says:
it was a great night for that moment in the store
tlo says:
they got caught stealing condoms

…And that was back when Infinity on High was released. Sure, we could have just bought it on iTunes. But there are still some bands worth a midnight trip to the record store. Music snobs will be aghast that Fall Out Boy is slotted into that category. But give Folie a Deux a listen and it’s easy to see just how talented this fourpiece from Chicago is. And how far they’ve come.

When I hear “She’s My Winona”, (and by the way, before we give emo a bad name, let’s take a moment here to give reverence to Johnny Depp) I feel like I am listening to one of my old favorites off Take This To Your Grave or Under The Cork Tree. The “quit burning bridges and drive off of ’em” dark lyrics that get delivered so beautifully by Patrick Stump it allows for both the dry humor and the pain to emanate.

[Fall Out Boy – She’s My Winona]

But what I hear all over Folie a Deux, besides all the cameo appearances,

Elvis Costello from ELVIS COSTELLO!
Brendon Urie from Panic at the Disco
Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes,
Alex DeLeon from The Cab,
and William Beckett from The Academy Is

is what I fell in love with years ago but enhanced. What I thought couldn’t get better before, BETTER. In ALL CAPS. And it still takes my breath away after all these years. It surprises me how much better it gets. Sure, the early days were unsure and awkward. It’s mildly embarrassing to think back to those days. But as it got good, and built more and more on what was good, and went in bold directions… wait, am I still talking about FOB?

If you are looking for something BETTER, don’t look for a Kanye West remix. You want a MASHUP. Check out FOB vs White Stripes. And don’t make Baby Jesus cry. Go buy some Fall Out Boy.

Dance With A Seven Nation Army by geediablo

Since it’s the holidays, how about some gifts!

Posted on December 17, 2008 by admin

So I fully had the intention of tracking down a bunch of my Jess and Crabbe records for this post. I’ve got six or seven of them. Anything from all three of their “Tribute” volumes to “The Big Booya EP” and more. Well, digging through all my records, I found a ton of stuff I just got so excited about. Not least of which was the one George spoke of in Monday’s post, which is Jackson & His Computer Band’s “Sense Juice EP”. So today, I will still be posting a Jess and Crabbe cut, but I have plenty of other tracks in store. All are in the vein of house music, so just kick back and enjoy. If you’re somehow averse to house music? Well, just imagine being in a nightclub when this stuff is coming much louder and you’re surrounded by people who are just out for a good time!

First up is Jess and Crabbe. These two dudes from France make some great shit! This one if off the EP “The Hell and Back”, and is the title track. If you want to know where the sample comes from? It’s from a hip-hop group called Da Youngstas, and the track samples is “Iz U Wit Me”. I actually had that groups first album. That’s me showing my age, obviously. So here’s Jess and Crabbe’s “The Hell and Back”.

[Download Jess & Crabbe – The Hell and Back]

Next up are two tracks from a mix CD by Cevin Fisher (Dangerous Disco, the Adventures of Double O Cevin) I heard about ten years ago. There were two tracks that stood out – The Avenue’s “I Am (Filthy Rich’s own mix)” and Agent Purple’s “Kings of Spain (Mandrax Lower East dub)”. I somehow found two copies of the first record over the years (hell, I think I may have three, but that just shows you how much I love this song!), and I just recently came across a copy of the triple-pack unmixed vinyl of Fisher’s album, so I got both of these stellar tracks.

[Download The Avenue – I Am (Filthy Rich’s Own mix)]

[Download Agent Purple – Kings of Spain (Mandrax Lower East dub)]

Next up is the aforementioned Jackson and His Computer Band track. I first heard it on Lo-Fidelity Allstars contribution to the “On The Floor at the Boutique” series. It’s called “Makin’ It Happen” and good lord is it funky and just a stomper of a track! Just enjoy it!

[Download Jackson & His Computer Band – Makin’ It Happen]

The last two are classics. Two tracks that just make me love life and the fact that somehow I have managed to stay alive and kickin’. Terrence Parker is a fucking legend. If you don’t know soulful house, please do yourself a favor and look this guy up. This is certainly more my end of the spectrum, as he focuses more on the disco element with “Your Love”, but regardless, his stuff is awesome. “Your Love” has a backstory, of sorts, also. Problem is? I can’t find the story! Instead of even attempting to tell it, I will hope someone is nice enough to read this and explain. Story does go that it was dedicated to a late Detroit DJ and friend of Parker’s, but that’s as far as I will take it.

[Download Terrence Parker – Your Love]

And yes, I said I had two classics. Ever heard of South Street Player? Most people haven’t. What about Roland Clark? Maybe? Well, he did vocals on Armand Van Helden’s “Flowerz” and has been around for quite some time. He does the vocals on South Street Player’s “(Who?) Keeps Changin’ Your Mind” and to top that off? A video featuring the song, also. Some classic ’80’s breakin’. Not sure how it all ties in, but I figure if I start thinking too hard about it, my nose will start bleeding, and next thing I know, I’ll be in my 50’s and just waking up out of a coma.

[Download South Street Player – (Who?) Keeps Changin’ Your Mind]

And yes, this is where I tell you to buy this music! Hey, I did! So should you! And hell, for 99 cents a song at some places? It’s well worth it!

Best of 2008: I feel a million miles away

Posted on December 12, 2008 by admin

2007 was a damn good year for new music. It was propelled forward by some sort of momentous occasion in 2006 that seemed to save all of the genres. 2008 blew by quickly, though, and the albums put out were still burning the energy radiating from the year before. I don’t know that many albums could argue they were radiating their own light. I have actually had a hell of a time putting together a Top Ten.

A few of my favorites put out new albums this year, but those didn’t change the scene, they didn’t change music, and they didn’t top what they’d done previously… So, despite how many spins they got on my iPod, they still didn’t make my list.

3OH!3 Want was one of the best, and most consequential, albums of the year. We claimed it resurrected Hip Hop. These boys are so damn adorable they resurrected something.

The Matches A Band in Hope was a) better than their last album which was already damn good, b) better than anything else in their genre all year long, and 3) enough to make a giant hunk of thugness get jiggy while driving his SUV. That’s a good album.

Colour Revolt’s Plunder, Beg, and Curse, The Bravery’s The Sun and the Moon Complete, and Murder By Death’s Red of Tooth and Claw were also some of the best albums of the year. These albums contributed to rock music in their own ways, whether it was proving that rock can translate to techno in an organic way and not just in the popular way club dj’s are doing it… proving that beards and southern rock are just barely getting started with their comebacks… or proving that three guitars and a drumset are not the only formula for a breathtaking live show. 2008 is better off for having these albums and these bands around.

Fasciination by The Faint was lauded by inAllcaps as “amazing” and “mind-blowing”. Thrice once again melted minds and limbs with the next installment in
The Alchemy Index, titled III and IV Air and Earth. And Death Cab for Cutie quietly and stealthily syncopated rhyme, rhythm, and reason with Narrow Stairs.

The Offspring, always one of my favorites, surpassed any of their previous albums combined in the ability to deliver that guitar that just makes my soul sing. Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace showed that they improve year by year and even though Splinter from 2003 was hard, smooth, and fuckyeah (yes it’s an adjective), RaF,RaG was light years better. THANK YOU OFFSPRING. I fucking love you.

But the best album of 2008 was Nine Inch Nail’s The Slip. How could it not be?

[Nine Inch Nails – 1,000,000]

Everything Trent Reznor puts out is impeccable. That is a lot to live up to. And there have been eight albums at my last count. He hasn’t slipped once. He has never failed to take on new challenges or rise beyond them. The Slip was even made available for digital download, free of charge.

“Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years — this one’s on me.”

Thank YOU, Trent. It. Kicks. Ass.

The official list from inALLcaps:

1. Nine Inch Nails: The Slip
2. 3OH!3: Want
3. Death Cab for Cutie: Narrow Stairs
4. Thrice: The Alchemy Index Vols III and IV Air and Earth
5. The Offspring: Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace
6. Colour Revolt: Plunder, Beg and Curse
7. The Matches: A Band in Hope
8. Murder by Death: Red of Tooth and Claw
9. The Faint: Fasciination
10.The Bravery: The Sun and Moon Complete

More of the French! Viva la stupid arguments!

Posted on December 9, 2008 by admin

How important is an argument about a band? Well, it ranks right around watching paint dry, in my opinion. I got quite a testy response when talking about the fad-driven band MGMT, recently. Which made me wonder why people get so snippy about something so awesome as music. We’re all snobs to a degree with our music. We all hate certain bands, or certain types of music. Instead of saying, “This band sucks!”, I think what would be more appropriate would be, “This just isn’t my cup of tea.” And I hate tea! The site here isn’t intended to not be inclusive with our music choices. And the debate with these two hipsters – who are right now probably shopping at an Urban Outfitters and lamenting the state of a band only six months ago they went apeshit for – made me realize this even more clearly.

So to go in a complete one-eighty of such trivial and banal bullshit? I head back the way of the music I started in on last week. The French pop sound. And with that awesomely long-winded introduction, I give you Benjamin Diamond. Benjamin Diamond? Who the fuck is that? Rhetorical question, mind you. Diamond was the head of Diamond Traxx, and possibly best known for his stellar vocals on the seminal cut “Music Sounds Better With You”. He’s essentially the Prince of France, and deservedly so!

Stardust was the trio that featured Diamond on vocals, as well as Thomas Bangaltar (from Daft Punk) and Alan Braxe. Braxe would later release cuts like “Vertigo” and the EP Intro with the help of Fred Falke. Unfortunately, his latest efforts have been dull and uninspiring, but he did help with this cut, and we’re certainly thankful for that! Below I’ve brought you all the original mix, but as a little gift, I’m also featuring the DJ Sneak 32 on Red Mix. This is possibly my favorite DJ Sneak remix job, as it served admirably on its own in house sets of mine, as well as a great DJ tool record.

Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit)

Stardust – Music Sounds Better With You (DJ Sneak 32 on Red Mix)

Well Diamond has had a solo career for close to ten years, now, and he’s just released a new album. Here, I’ll be featuring the track “Little Scare” off of his debut album Strange Attitude, along with the song “Baby’s On Fire” from his latest effort, Cruise Control. Viva la French pop!

Benjamin Diamond – Baby’s On Fire

[Download Benjamin Diamond – Babys On Fire]

Benjamin Diamond – Little Scare

And again, please do buy some of these! It helps to go a long way in helping us bring you this awesome stuff!

At least that means I have a soul left to lose

Posted on December 5, 2008 by admin

“‘Bears don’t want to eat people. We don’t taste that good.’ He grinned at me in the dark cab. ‘Of course, you might be an exception. I bet you’d taste good.’
‘Thanks so much,’ I said, looking away. He wasn’t the first person to tell me that.”

Have you read New Moon yet? It’s the second book in the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. I read the whole series and it was a good experience; it touched me in a lot of ways… But I just kept hoping for better. More eloquent writing. Prose that would stick with me and paint a better picture. It was, alas, a Young Readers series. I shouldn’t have expected so much.

[Senses Fail – Wolves At the Door]

Like Senses Fail. I keep trying to like them.

I don’t know what it is. They make use of the double bass pedal. They scream a little but not too much. They layer their guitars. But Senses Fail just refuses to grab me and either rock my face off or move me with really strong lyrics.

Their lyrics are better than many others. Better than most that get airplay, that’s for sure. And the sound has gotten better over the last few years. Maybe I just expect more. They don’t sound better than most bands that have been formed this decade. They’re definitely not better than Four Year Strong.

“Life Is Not A Waiting Room” is the fourth album put out by this quartet lead by Buddy Nielsen, who is actually the son of some of my mom’s favorite soap stars. Remember Iva Snyder from As The World Turns? I digress. The songs Senses Fail has recorded over the years have always been inspired by deep writings and works of art, and even their name comes from a eastern spiritual beliefs. But they just don’t go far enough with it. If I was writing their report card I would say “you need to apply yourself more.” Just because it’s not pop-punk about a girl who left you doesn’t mean you can’t get deeper than you already are. You can do it.

I did find Blackout to be one of the stronger tracks. Check it out:

[Senses Fail – Blackout]

I will keep watching and waiting. I know they have something to say. But they can say it louder, I am sure of it. But hey, I know one music snob in particular who just LOVES them. You might find what I can’t. Check them out:

That French sound still sounds good!

Posted on December 3, 2008 by admin

So the French sound seems to have permeated the airwaves again! Justice came practically out of nowhere to become the new French electronica darlings, a la Daft Punk. Well, the sound isn’t limited to people born in France. You can ask our wonderful blog owner himself how much of the stuff I used to play while DJing! And I actually still have quite a bit of it lying around, too! May have to update you all with some slick French house one of these weeks!

Well, today, the post is dedicated to that heavily filtered sound and a band that’s beginning to make a few waves. They’re Thieves Like Us, and they just recently released their first full-length album, called Play Music. The best way to describe the sound will need some explanation. The band’s name is the title of an old New Order track. So it’s no real surprise that the sound seems to meld some elements of New Order with the French House sound – albeit at a lower BPM, many times.

The result is a sound that just sounds calming, yet makes you want to dance a bit. The single making a lot of noise right now is the second cut off of Play Music, titled “Drugs In My Body”. Along with the original, I’ve also included a remix done by a a duo of…well….sort of strange dudes that go by the name of Designer Drugs. I can’t knock strange. I am, also. It’s more fun that way, anyhow.

Thieves Like Us – Drugs In My Body

Thieves Like Us – Drugs In My Body (Designer Drugs remix)

And there’s even a video for such a wonderful tune! Check it out!

And for those who – for some reason unknown – haven’t been exposed to the Daft Punk I knew and loved back in 1996? Here are two tunes. It was off of their landmark album Homework, which still gets love from many out there, and rightfully so!

And if you are also up for a little house music on the deeper and more soulful edge? A friend of mine who I’ve known for right around 12 years now here in Boston has a site that’s dedicated to house music in it’s most pure form. DJ Bruno has been doing his thing here in Boston for twenty years, and I owe a lot to him, to be honest! So if you get a second, please make a visit to Utopia Boston Radio! If you’re ever in Boston? Please do send me an e-mail. As you can see from all of us, music is our lifeblood, and we love to share!

One final note! I am still digging through some contributions. I will be doing many of these in the final two blogs this months, as a sort of round-up of what to look for in 2009! So thank you for your patience!

And please, shell out those duckets! Buy a little of the aforementioned music, so these guys can keep bringing you more of the good stuff!

And absolutely no one’s dead!

Posted on November 28, 2008 by admin

[Nightmare Before Christmas – This is Halloween]

One of the best things about musicals is how they can convey the snarkiest of comments in a lighthearted way. And they’ve been doing so ever since we figured out how to mix music and performance. One of the best things about the holiday season is how all the most favorite musicals get hauled out of the vaults and broadcast on television so that each generation can experience this facet of pop culture that transcends all of the other trends.

I grew up watching The Wizard of Oz every single year around Halloween. I haven’t caught it in awhile, but this year I was delighted again to hear lines like “she’s not only merely dead, she’s really most sincerely dead!” as chirped eagerly from the mouths of the Munchkins.

But I haven’t seen any other soundtrack to a musical covered as much as Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Fall Out Boy, Marilyn Manson, Fiona Apple, She Wants Revenge, Flyleaf, Rise Against, Korn… and even more have recorded some of the favorites off this soundtrack.

Check out the video that a fan created, with the scene from the movie that matches Fall Out Boy’s cover of the song “What’s This?”

When Christmas decorations are now erected even prior to Halloween, what better contribution to the holiday musicals from our generation, than one celebrating both holidays?! If you haven’t seen this movie yet, you must. It is adorable, funny, romantic, and visually compelling. The film’s stop-motion animation and visual effects are as revolutionary as Star Wars was in its day.

And when Marilyn Manson wants to sing a song that comes from a musical… When She Wants Revenge produces a cover that sounds like it belongs right in the movie… You have a true winner. If you’re going to buy anything on Black Friday, get this movie, and check out the re-releases of the original soundtrack to include the various remakes of its compelling songs. Not only was one done in 2006, there has been a SECOND re-release for this year’s holiday season too! That should tell you something. This is something you have to be in on, if you weren’t already.

Cheesy-pop!

Posted on November 26, 2008 by admin

I’m on a Richard Cheese kick, lately. So this one will be a quickie for you all out there. I’m simply posting some kickass Richard Cheese songs. Who is he, you may ask? Why, only the most fun guy to see live, of course! Take modern hits – like “Rape Me”, by Nirvana – and think of some corny Vegas lounge singer using that style to deliver the aforementioned hit. Thus you have total hilarity as well as brilliance. I’m going to post for you three of my favorites of his. Seriously: check this dude out live if you can. Word has it that he has been told by doctors to stop singing, so you may not get to see the guy live again!

Click here for his website!

Richard Cheese – Personal Jesus

Richard Cheese – Sunday Bloody Sunday

Richard Cheese – The Rockafeller Skank