The First And Last Time I Will Ever Mention The Rock Group Kiss

I'm not sure if you and I have a similar sense of humor. Let's find out shall we? Lately I've been watching these series of videos on Youtube that feature various bands "shredding". They may be a few internet years old but they're new to me. I've got to say, these had me CTM(chuckling to myself). If you're thirsty for more, then be sure to check out Creed receiving simular treatment. I'd be more inclined to listen to Kiss if they actually did sound like this. Very Spinal Tap-esque.

Christmas Score

This Christmas, Santa brought me the same damn thing he gave me when I was probably 11 or 12 years old. I couldn't be more pleased. The difference being that this time it wasn't a shiny piece of plastic delivering the sounds of my youth, but rather a nice luscious piece of tasty vinyl. People can go on and on about the merits of listening to vinyl over other formats of recording but at the end of the day it just simply possesses that certain 'je ne sais quoi'. This fact never became more apparent then when those opening guitar strings began to pluck out the intro to 'My Name is Jonas'. There's just that element of mystery and discovery when that needle hits the groove. It felt like the first time again.
While we're on the subject, I'd like to shed some light on a Weezer related album from the past that deserves some much needed attention. It's well documented that Weezer began it's quick decent into something else after the release of 'Pinkerton' which just so happened to coincide with the departure of bassist Matt Sharp. If you're wondering where all that talent went then look no further than 1995's The Rentals - Return of the Rentals. To me this album contains many of the lovable features found on 'The Blue Album' and at the same time is able to be something completely different. Most notable differences include female vocal accompaniment and a heavy heaping of the Moog. The Rentals still play but nothing really compares to their debut album.

Oh and if I hear one more shitty cover band play 'Say it Ain't So', I'm a gonna go ape shit!

Top 9 of '08

Well, you know what they say about opinions. They all stink! But of course we all love our own particular brand of stink. So without further adu, please allow me to throw my own thoughts on top of the smelly heap that is the internet. This year didn't provide the consistency of awesomeness like it's year old sibling '07, but it did offer some tasty treats for those in need. In retrospect, I am glad to say that these albums are not just well crafted but are also just flat out enjoyable. The organization of this list just so happened to end up as a sort of grouping of works. Richman, Dr.Dog, and Little Joy all share a warm, human sensibility in their sound and subject matter. The Walkmen and Beach House both create gorgeous soundscapes that are shrouded with a hint of unsettled eeriness. El Guincho and High Places use layers of sound to weave a wonderful array of textures and color. Wait, can sound have color? I vote yes. And the top two, Thee Oh Sees and Man Man just plain kick ass in a similar no holds barred fashion.
9. Jonathan Richman - Because Her Beauty is Raw and Wild. If the title alone doesn't pique your interest then perhaps you should get to stepping. Jonathan wears his heart on his sleeve at all times and this album is no exception. I've found it a bit dicey navigating his catalogue of work. His stuff from the 80's and early 90's in particular. Some incorporate too much studio embellishment and mask his directness which I find to be his greatest asset. This album does well to present his songs in a style similar to his stage performances and if you haven't seen him live then please put that on your to-do list for '09.
8. Dr. Dog - Fate. Some people hate on these guys for borrowing too much from the bands that inspired them. Elements of The Beatles, The Band, The Beach Boys, or I suppose any other band that begins with a 'B', can be quite easily picked out of any given song. I look at it like this. Yeah, it's true but hey, it sounds great and not a lot of groups can pull that feat off this well. Also, I feel that sometimes originality is given too much significance when considering the validity of certain music. Sure it's great to bring new ideas to the table but sometimes reconfiguring elements from the past in a new light can be just as rewarding. In a way, it's a form of sampling. Besides, if we didn't borrow from the past we'd still be painting in the caves. In the end, it's the songs that matters. And I like their songs.
7. Little Joy - Little Joy. More like... A LOT OF JOY! LoL! But seriously, this stuff is quite pleasant.
6. The Walkmen - You & Me. To be honest, I've never spent much time listening to The Walkmen before this album. I've always known that they were around but never inquired as to much more than that. I'm still too lazy to investigate their previous works but I am grateful to have this record fall into my lap. It's one of those albums that create their own little world that you enjoy stepping back into time and again.
5. Beach House - Devotion. Similar to The Walkmen, 'Devotion' creates it's own space with lovely aching tunes. Sophomore slump need not apply.
4. El Guincho - Alegranza! Okay, some dispute whether or not this is a truly a 2008 release or an '07. To them I say, with all due respect, "shut up stupid face." Some say this album is the work of a latino Panda Bear fan boy. To them I say, "yeah, you're probably right." After all the talking is done and the music is played this record speaks for itself. And it says things like "fun" and "excitement" and I'm okay with that. This guy has great potential.
3. High Places - High Places. This duo road the wave of underground hype before formally releasing their first proper album. Sometimes this can be a curse disguised as a blessing but this seems to be one of those rare cases where all the hoopla is well earned. They deserve all the accolades that they receive for the sweeping beauty of these tracks.
2. Thee Oh Sees - The Master's Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In. If you've met me or if you have read this blog at some point during the past few months then you know of my undying affection for this band. I said all year that this was going to be my number one choice but I decided against it. Mainly because I feel that these guys have the ability to put out some marvelous work in the near future and I wouldn't want them to hog the top spot for too many years in a row.
1. Man Man - Rabbit Habits. I was fortunate enough to catch their album release show in Philly this past year and it's true what they say. No one puts on a performance like these guys. Wild, zany, passionate. Twist and turns all over. This record showcases all of their finest attributes. Sure they owe a good portion of their sound to the likes of Zappa, Waits, and Cpt. Beefheart but as I mentioned back with the Dr. Dog situation, it's the songs that matter and no other album this year threw in a more ambitious and exciting display than 'Rabbit Habits'.
Man Man - "Top Drawer" (I'm experiencing technical difficulties with getting their mp3 to work. This will suffice.)

No Doy: 5th Edition

At this point I'm wondering what route to take with this project. I got a few comic strip stories I'm working on. I'll probably still look to incorporate photographic elements. More to come.

Dusty Archive

So I came up with the idea of digitally cataloging my family's photo albums as a Christmas gift. I thought I'd share a little taste since we're all friends here. This one was taken in Colombia (the one that's spelled with two 'O's). I thought I might throw in some of my recordings from the vault as well. I intend to flesh these out sometime in the near future. Oh yeah, and all rights reserved and all that so don't you get any funny ideas.

1,000 Words is Worth a Picture

So lately I've been trying to get back into the habit of carrying a camera with me at all times. It has been slow goings of late. I like to blame it on the fact that my surrounding foot travels does not lend itself to interesting imagery. But alas, I can only blame myself :P. Above is a picture taken at a red light. I may revisit the site for some more in depth shots. If you'd like to see more of my photographs then please check out my flickr page.

In Memoriam

Get Close to Chuck Close

This here is a great interview with Chuck Close conducted by Charlie Rose. It's always good to hear one of the big names in the art world discuss their thought process in a candid conversation. Turns out, he's a real nice guy. Sometimes the allure and majasty of the musuem wall can make you think that these massive works were created by some type of reclusive savant. Not so. This video is about an hour long and it's very enjoyable and informative. Kudos to Charlie Rose. Topics range from how his thought process shifted after "the event", his qualms with being labeled as a photo realist painter, and what he wouldn't do on a deserted island.

Nil Carborundum Illegitimi

Oh goodness, what a day. You can probably guess by the above image how lovely today actually was. The key in this situation, as always, is to channel that negative energy towards the constructively good variety so I'll just go ahead and make this a positive blog post. Happy sunshine! :D eh, anyway... I discovered some interesting tidbits of information as I floated around the internet to learn more about the origin of the phrase that I was muttering to myself all day long. For one thing, it turns out the saying most likely was originated as a play on words. The 'bastard file' is a tool that is used as an intermediate between a more coarse and a more fine, second cut, type of filing tool. Bastard, grind, file.. get it!? Cool. And as an added bonus you can click here and find out what the phrase sounds like when said by a computer with a British accent or you can translate it into a language of your choice. Historically, the phrase gained popularity during WWII and became the motto of General "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell (pictured above). Oh, and the simple black/white/red/text/image combination is kinda sorta reminicent of the work of Barbara Kruger. Well, there 'ya have it folks. Thanks for joining me on my journey towards inner peace. Until next time.

Dream Baby Dream

You wouldn't expect a band by the name of 'Suicide' to write an inspirational song... or maybe you would, what do i know.. but here it is. Suicide's 'Dream Baby Dream' or 'Keep Your Dreams' is short on words but high on intensity. Accompanying it here is Bruce Springsteen's take on the song. The two compliment each other well with Suicide's atmospheric haze being displayed along side of Bruce's earthy grit. Suicide's live recording is one case where the crappy video quality of YouTube actually seems to enhance the mood and feel of the video. It looks as though it might of actually been recorded inside of someone's dome piece as they ventured into the land of slumber. And fair warning, Suicide's Alan Vega sneaks up on you... quickly. You'll see.