Sunday, April 24, 2011

Supergrass... Diamond Hoo Ha

File:Diamondhooha.jpg

Released: 24 March 2008 United Kingdom
                 25 March 2008 Canada France
                 29 March 2008 Australia
                 16 April 2008 Japan
                 10 June 2008 United States

Recorded: January 2007-November 2007 in Hansa Studios, Berlin and Los Angeles, California
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Ok so it seems like Cheap trick with weirder lyrics but I like it. Makes a Monday morning, feel a little brighter (even if it’s only in my mind). Good vibes in this album, retro sounds and interesting lyrics (I really dig the William S. Burroughs allusion in Whiskey and Green Tea, never tried that combination but it intrigues me).

The 70’s still live in this album, and I’ve recently found a new appreciation for the era from working with my friend Chris. So this album almost seems like something we’d hear on the classic rock station, even if none of the stations in Southern California would ever play them, even though it was Rodney Bingenheimer was the one who played them and introduced me to them, way back in the 90’s.

Outside makes me feel like I’m watching a movie and everything picks when the piano kicks in and the guitars keep me going, it’s not too crazy just, upbeat to me. There’s something familiar in this song and all the rest, that’s probably why I like it.

With everything in life there has to be an end and Supergrass leaves off on an awesome high note with 345 allot of energy and motion in this song, there seems like there are few tracks they had to hold back with this one, like the jam session kept going and the producers were like “we gotta stop there. There’s way too much material to put in one album”.

If you don’t like this week’s selection I don’t care this is my weeks pick. Yeah I could have written about allot of crazier bands (Health) or something more obscure (Fantastica Bastidas… my favorite band by the way), but this is the album that really stuck out in my head today. And just hope you at least give it a chance and you may like it. If not at least you looked outside your own world for a minute.

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1. Diamond Hoo Ha Man 3:26
2. Bad Blood 3:03
3. Rebel in You" – 4:41
4. When I Needed You" – 2:31
5. 345" – 3:39
6. The Return Of..." – 3:36
7. Rough Knuckles" – 3:25
8. Ghost of a Friend" – 3:54
9. Whiskey & Green Tea" – 4:16
10. Outside" – 3:32
11. Butterfly" – 5:11



Bloody Fucking Hell there's only lame cellphone videos of the songs i want to post... well this is all i have to work with this week



Sunday, April 17, 2011

Battles... Mirrored

File:Battlesmirrored.png
Released: May 14, 2007 (2007-05-14)
Recorded: 2006
Length: 51:52
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Thanks to Brian Eno for this one and my moronic eyes for misreading the title on the video (I thought it said Brian Eno talks about the Beatles). I was completely shocked when I heard "Atlas” blew my mind kind of like Genesis, mixed with Brian Eno, The Locust, and some bizarre electro Jazz. I’m a big fan of Brian Eno and his Ambient sounds that always seemed way ahead of there time, so when he was talking about Battles in an interview, I had to check it out for sure.

There are some songs on this album that really annoyed me like “Ddiamondd”, hella annoying like some of the stuff Man is the Bastard or The Locust would do, so I skip that song every time I listen to this album, and that gets me to the stronger stuff in this album like the song “Tonto”. The bass in this song reminds me of TOOL’s Lateralus album.

It’s been less than a week since I was struck by this band, and I’ve listened to this album start to finish around 50 times. And when I think I’m done with it, it calls me back to find new elements that I didn’t hear before in the last sessions, “Leyendecker” makes me feel this way with crazy sounding vocals, everything in that song is strong bass, drums, guitars, samples I love everything about this song(Constant repeat when I’m driving)

In the end I really love this album. Allot of energy and innovation in this one, that I keep trying to get people to give a chance(especially my musically inclined friends). Give it a chance and I think you might like it, Not much on lyrics but sonically awesome
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1."Race : In" 4:50
2."Atlas" 7:07
3."Ddiamondd" 2:33
4."Tonto" 7:43
5."Leyendecker" 2:48
6."Rainbow" 8:11
7."Bad Trails" 5:18
8."Prismism" 0:52
9."Snare Hangar" 1:58
10."Tij" 7:03
11."Race : Out" 3:29





Monday, April 11, 2011

The Kills... Midnight Boom

File:Kills album.jpg

Released: March 10, 2008
Recorded: 2007
Length: 33:57
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Ok now time for the modern era, not everything is "remember back when", there are something’s that get missed everywhere around. And this is an album that I don’t think too many people may have given a chance (mainly because it wasn’t on pop radio namely the gay rocks A.K.A. KROQ).

This one’s got allot of darker elements that are retro sounding, but at the same time very sexy and hard like the song “Tape Song”. Little simple drum sound and voice, that just gets stronger till it get harder, I can image allot movie montages going on while this song plays.

Last day of Magic” is a track that gets me pumped up in the mornings, the guitars almost make me feel like the end of a story that ends on a high note. With both Alison "VV" Mosshart and Jamie "Hotel" Hince sing together, reminds me of X, back in the day.

Alphabet Pony” is the track that really caught my attention; I remember hearing this song a couple years back on an ex’s CD’s player. I remember wanting to borrow it for this song, but it was only a mix CD. Fail in my eyes (you can’t break up the flow of an album. It’s almost like a book; you don’t tear out the pages to compile your favorite chapters). But this song came out of nowhere, with a simple sound that makes me want to drive faster and do all kinds of Jackie Chan-esque stunts(like fighting a million ninja's and running up walls using my feet and furniture lol).

The album ends very well with “What New York Used To Be” very sexual sounding to me and gritty all the while. Followed by the true final track called “Goodnight Bad Morning” makes me think you can’t always be aggressive and in your face, something’s are best taken slow in the end to savor what was meant.


1."U.R.A. Fever" 2:16
2."Cheap and Cheerful" 2:26
3."Tape Song" 3:35
4."Getting Down" 2:55
5."Last Day of Magic" 3:21
6."Hook and Line" 2:03
7."Black Balloon" 3:46
8."M.E.X.I.C.O." 1:37
9."Sour Cherry" 3:07
10."Alphabet Pony" 1:45
11."What New York Used to Be" 3:15
12."Goodnight Bad Morning" 3:52







Sunday, April 3, 2011

Elvis Costello... My Aim is True

File:MyAim isTrue.jpg

Released: July 22, 1977 (UK) March 1978 (U.S.)
Recorded: Pathway Studios, London, 1976–1977
Length: 32:56
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OK this one came out of nowhere, like the URL implies (Rerun from Nowhere). This week's choice is a great example of what this blog is about. This album is something that most people didn't hear often enough, but have an idea of who Elvis Costello is. I didn't grow up listening to him, nor did most of my friends, but being older and having more access to music, I can truly appreciate this music.

Great start with the song "Welcome to the working week" strong fast start, that gives a brighter look to the start of a week (well at least it makes me feel like that). The line "welcome to the working week... I know it don't thrill you... I hope it don't kill you" seems fitting for the start of a week. this is another song i can play on repeat for more than a few turns, just a shame that its a short song.

"Miracle Man" and "Blame it on Cain" are great songs that I find myself singing allot of times. With these 2 songs it doesn't seem like a song that I’d associate with music from the 70's, but then again most of the songs on this album don’t give me an impression of the 70's. It gives me a 50's bubblegum feel till "Alison" (which makes me think, if there was the one that got away, this song would be the theme song), there's allot of soul in this song... can anyone say drunken karaoke? This song is the one that drew me to this album (thank you Shazam... back when you were actually cool).

"Watching the Detectives" is a single that was released along with the song "Alison" on a vinyl. I know this is a song that allot of stations play allot, but honestly I didn't like it, seems kind of boring to me. "Watching the Detectives" maybe the only Elvis Costello song my generation will know, so this may bring it to a new audience (which I hope it does).

OK this is a good album, but I will say this up front, not everyone will like this album. There are great songs, mixed in with songs that just seem like fillers to me. Great lyrics in most of the songs, that worth are listening to.

1. "Welcome to the Working Week" – 1:22
2. "Miracle Man" – 3:31
3. "No Dancing" – 2:39
4. "Blame It on Cain" – 2:49
5. "Alison" – 3:21
6. "Sneaky Feelings" – 2:09
7. "(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes" – 2:47
8. "Less Than Zero" – 3:15
9. "Mystery Dance" – 1:38
10. "Pay It Back" – 2:33
11. "I'm Not Angry" – 2:57
12. "Waiting for the End of the World" – 3:22
13. "Watching the Detectives" – 3:45
14. "Radio Sweetheart" – 2:25
15. "Stranger in the House" – 3:01
16. "Imagination (Is a Powerful Deceiver)" – 3:38



Ok and BTW forgive the videos, these were the best videos available on Youtube without be a cover or having poor audio
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