As the title obviously indicates, this is a follow-up to 011: Fuck Shyness. It was one of my better posts, all told. This will not be in the same echelon, unfortunately, but it does bear listening. So:
Friday night I dragged Hastie along to a concert at Il Motore, a strangely large and empty bar/concert hall in the vast empty elephant graveyard that is night-time Mont-Royal. I told him, "I don't fuck with the Blue Line," as we were making our way there. It's not really my thing, because it sucks.
What doesn't suck, though, is Titus Andronicus, the band we were going to see. Though the concert took forever to start, and was pretty sparsely attended, Titus brought the mosh. Frontman Patrick Stickles, the grime of a three-days-sans-shower-minimum head of hair (plus the least-groomed beard you've seen this side of the line between us and the homeless) and all, drunkenly told us that he was glad we were enjoying ourselves because "That's what it's all about, right?" Never before have I heard a less sincere-sounding celebration of happiness, which is fitting considering the tone of most of TA's lyrics, which are the the top end of the literate, angry and despairing spectrums.
That's not the only great thing about Titus Andronicus, though. They, as a band, represent the antithesis of the shyness and coyness I was complaining about in the aforementioned 011: Fuck Shyness. I'll break it down: their debut album, The Airing of Grievances, was nine tracks long—and still clocked in at over 45 minutes long. These guys know how to do long well—very well. Apart from short, punky bursts "My Time Outside the Womb" (2:30), "Joset of Nazareth's Blues" (2:55) and eponymous track "Titus Andronicus" (3:13), every song takes its sweet time growing, building, and then dominating.
The main reason? These guys don't underuse their great riffs. They let them build and then unleash them, and ride them just far enough so as to be completely satisfying without oversaturating. I've racked up a combined 500 plays from those 9 songs since I first downloaded The Airing of Grievances about 13 months ago and it remains my favourite album of the last two years by far. It's a modus operandi I wish more bands would employ, but which is made all the more satisfying here by its relative rarity. Do your ears a favour and check these guys out.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
014: "u mad?": The 5 Best Rap Beefs Of All-Time (#4)
#4: 50 Cent Vs. Rick Ross
A clear lesson in "careful what you wish for". Though the origins of the feud are mysterious and various (the most popular belief is that Rick Ross dropped the initial warning shot after 50 allegedly looked at him funny at some awards show), the feud ended up terribly for the Miami-based rapper as his past as a correctional officer came to light, largely destroying the credibility he had built for himself.
50 Cent, never one to shy away, decided to use his website as a soapbox from which to fire off video after video, mocking the Miami-based rapper and Ross cohort DJ Khaled. In one particularly strange incident, the NY-based rapper even threatened Khaled's mom. This feud showed Curtis Jackson's truly fucked-up persona as bizzare video after bizarre video was rolled out. 50 hangs out with Rick Ross's ex-baby mama, who helped give 50 ammo in the form of pictures and videos of Ross in his pseudo-cop uniform. 50 also managed to unearth a sex tape (which is definite NSFW territory) with Ross's current baby mama, narrating it in his Pimpin' Curly persona. Ross managed to walk away from this somewhat unscathed. Sure, his reputation and persona as a drug-pushin', law-ignoring son-of-a-bitch took a hit, but he continued on his way, merrily playing a character he fashioned for himself. 50 released two mixtapes and continually pushes back his newest studio record. Perhaps by 2011 we'll see it come out.
Unfortunately, unlike the majority of the beefs, this wasn't kept on wax too much, but the level of amusement and the sheer amount of material 50 came out with in order to totally bury Rick Ross is astounding. Some may even contend that 50 and his network of folks put in just a bit too much work. But maybe that's just me asking too much.
A clear lesson in "careful what you wish for". Though the origins of the feud are mysterious and various (the most popular belief is that Rick Ross dropped the initial warning shot after 50 allegedly looked at him funny at some awards show), the feud ended up terribly for the Miami-based rapper as his past as a correctional officer came to light, largely destroying the credibility he had built for himself.
50 Cent, never one to shy away, decided to use his website as a soapbox from which to fire off video after video, mocking the Miami-based rapper and Ross cohort DJ Khaled. In one particularly strange incident, the NY-based rapper even threatened Khaled's mom. This feud showed Curtis Jackson's truly fucked-up persona as bizzare video after bizarre video was rolled out. 50 hangs out with Rick Ross's ex-baby mama, who helped give 50 ammo in the form of pictures and videos of Ross in his pseudo-cop uniform. 50 also managed to unearth a sex tape (which is definite NSFW territory) with Ross's current baby mama, narrating it in his Pimpin' Curly persona. Ross managed to walk away from this somewhat unscathed. Sure, his reputation and persona as a drug-pushin', law-ignoring son-of-a-bitch took a hit, but he continued on his way, merrily playing a character he fashioned for himself. 50 released two mixtapes and continually pushes back his newest studio record. Perhaps by 2011 we'll see it come out.
Unfortunately, unlike the majority of the beefs, this wasn't kept on wax too much, but the level of amusement and the sheer amount of material 50 came out with in order to totally bury Rick Ross is astounding. Some may even contend that 50 and his network of folks put in just a bit too much work. But maybe that's just me asking too much.
Friday, August 21, 2009
013: Apologies, Then We Get Down To Some Wu-Related Business
This blog has laid dormant long enough... At least as far as my output is concerned. I feel like my stupid, meaningless opinions and ideas need to continue onwards, and as such, I command thee, blog, to RISE.
Ahem.
Hm.
Fuck.
Anyways...
---
The Wu-Tang Clan is a vast army of slang-slinging, an enterprising group of hustlers who have no lost love for each other. But brotherhood is brotherhood and as such, they've managed to put out collective albums that have lasted beyond the ages. Hell, even their last record wasn't that bad. But their vast wealth of solo material available continues to boggle the mind as all 9 members (even Ol' Dirty Bastard, from beyond the grave) continue to put releases out that vary vastly in quality, so in that spirit we'll be looking at some of the great (and downright terrible) records members have put out.
Top 5 solo albums
5. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
ODB, bless his heart, was at his very core a man always struggling in-between being the designated wildcard of the group and trying to find some semblance of artistic integrity. Joe Bananas tiptoed that high-wire very deftly on this, his first record. Released in the aftermath of the ultra-successful 36 Chambers album (as well as Method Man's platinum-selling debut) and with production duties largely handled by Wu architect RZA, Russell Jones starts his album off with an eccentric 5-minute intro that sees him quoting Blowfly and pretending to emote through a series of feelings he can't seem to properly project. At first glance a strange left-turn, it makes perfect sense for a man known mostly for his comic-like antics. From then on ODB manages to bring the ruckus all on his own with the piano-driven 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya', before moving on to the vastly under-rated 'Raw Hide' (which features great verses from Meth and Raekwon). The album continues to astound with stellar track 'Brooklyn Zoo' (and its sequel, Brooklyn Zoo II) as well as several posse cuts. The real winners here are the beats RZA constructs for Big Baby Jesus: playful, vibrant, resonant with the personality spitting lyrical on it. An album that steps out of the standard rap pattern and delivers a product that is full of unforeseen twists and turns, engaging the listener far more than typical rap fare.
4. GZA - Liquid Swords
The first Wu member to wrangle himself a record deal prior to the group's debut album, the Genius jumps outta the gate as part of the first-wave of post 36 Chambers releases. The RZA once again comes to the rescue on this album, orchestrating a collection of dusty beats that feel as if they were laying dormant decades prior to being utilized by the GZA. The intro sample, lifted from 1980's Shogun Assassin, sets the mood for the rest of the album: rapper as warrior, man as a creature constantly seeking conflict. Spiritual, introspective and laid back, the record brings the goods consistently, the GZA's almost-mumbled prose definitive, his aim sure. The RZA and the GZA both hit the mark on this one.
3. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Ghostface Killah is perhaps the most soulful of the Wu-Tang set. His albums have always been chock-full of soul-based, string-laden beats that find the Wallabee Champ perpetually living in a '70s haze. Ghostface is also gifted with the inate ability to tell stories with such gusto and a keen eye for detail that following Ghost down the lyrical rabbit hole as he spits is no easy task, but rewarding if done right. Dude is more enthralling than most suspense flicks and it feels as though he finally combines his most gangster moments along with some grasps at his ladies man persona, careful to appear thug even through his most difficult moments. It doesn't hurt that the stellar production on the album brings out the best in Ghost, as he comes full circle, combining the best parts of his prior albums. Debut solo album Ironman was too hard on the gangster tip, and follow-ups Supreme Clientele, Bulletproof Wallets and Pretty Toney Album found Ghost relying a bit too much on the soulful atmosphere he so loves, creating an uneven output that finally coalesces into a complete package on this album. Oh, and just for kicks, the album ends on one of the best posthumous Biggie collabs you will ever hear, as if the album couldn't get any better.
2. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Raekwon is definitely one of those 'practice what you preach' fellahs. The man, who during his tenure in Camp Wu, has allegedly spent his free time involved in various illicit activities (as corroborted by the RZA), helped pioneer the mafia gangster genre. Along with Jay-Z's debut album and albums by Nas and AZ, this strictly New York phenom quickly spread to the rest of the country, inspiring many. This landmark, street-tough release found Rae living up to his chef moniker. The dude was on fire, enlisting the help of Ghostface Killah throughout most of the disc as his lyrical cohort, extolling the virtues of a drug-dealin', mafia-inspired, enemy-hating lifestyle. Raekwon's subsequent output has been far inferior to his debut release, marked by repetitive lyrics and boring production, rarely living up to his abilities to enthusiastically come at the genre as he should. Rae himself has acknowledged this fact and the forthcoming OB4CL2 should slay, given the fact that we've all been waiting 15 years for a proper follow-up.
1. Method Man - Tical
Bring The Pain. Meth Vs. Chef. All I Need. Release Yo Delf. Case closed.
Actually, not so fast. The dirty and down-low production (the beats had to be reconstructed in a matter of days by the RZA after an accident destroyed the originals) add a distinctive flavour. Meth as a street hustler, bringing in the ladies with promises of growing old together. Lots of great guest spots and Meth definitely shows up to play on every track. Simply mesmerizing, musically and lyrically. To understand is to listen. Over and over.
4 Wu albums that disappointed
4. Wu-Tang Forever
Now I know I'm gonna catch some shit, but damn. The second group album (a two-disc marathon) was wildly inconsistent, spreading material thin and giving the world subpar solo joints. Stand-out cut (and first single) 'Triumph' sets itself apart from an album of boring, forgettable raps. Concise is the key to victory in the land of the Wu, and this album is a product of excess, of celebrity and an unsureness about where to go next on the part of the RZA, who applies a 'throw it against the wall and see what sticks' approach, trying to cater to whoever will listen.
3. The World According to the RZA
The RZA decided to use his clout as an industry figure to put out, for all intents and purposes, what one would consider a compilation album of rap acts from around the world. Label politics forced him to release this as a solo record, and he does sporadically show up to spit, though he leaves that largely up to the contributors. A strange pele-mele of various styles and languages that is nothing beyond a novelty, unfortunately. Stick to Bobby Digi releases and we won't have a problem. Also has the fuckin' worst album cover ever. 1994 called, they want their shitty fonts and halo effect back.
2. Raekwon - Immobilarity
From riveting gangster accounts to overdone and droning. This follow-up to OB4CL finds Rae trying to display the fact that he can go out on his own, eliminating one of the features that made his debut memorable (the exclusion of Ghostface), utilizing other guests sparingly over RZA Lite beats from producers who studied the Wu Architect and tried their best to sound like him. It goes nowhere quickly, and is worth barely a second listen. The Chef keeps the drug element around but is unsure about how to best talk about it, instead just relating hood stories in a tone that makes him sound bored. Also, it has the worst Method Man guest appearance I've ever witnessed. Meth, sounding thin and haunted, delivers line after line in an off-putting cadence.
1. Method Man - Judgment Day
Bloated, skit-loaded, boring. The follow-up to Tical fails in every respect, barely containing any of the memorable tracks that made Tical a classic. A truly sad moment. No keepers. Who the fuck wants to listen to a skit that's merely an 8-second phone call from Donald Trump? No one. That shit ain't gangsta in the least, it's tacky and shitty. Fuck. Thankfully, Meth's recent output has changed the current of my feelings towards his work.
3 solo collabs that make you say "hold up"
3. Beyonce feat. Ghostface Killah - Summertime
2. Shaquille O'Neal feat. The RZA and Method Man - No Hooks
1. Mariah Carey feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Fantasy
2 Wu-Tang members that should forever work together
Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. Have appeared together on countless songs, and continue to collabo to maximum effect to this day. The ying and the yang, the sun and the moon, the obvious and the metaphorical. They complement each other, almost like rap's Hall and Oates. Good apart, stellar together.
The most consistent Wu member
Without a doubt, Ghostface. Even his lesser albums feature engaging production and several rough gems to enjoy. Ghost is fearless, flirting with pure R&B tracks and guesting on tracks that you wouldn't normally associate him with. There is something for everyone on all of his tracks, and he's usually engrossing, lyrically-speaking. Also, he has a song all about being Santa-like. Who can't get behind that?
Ahem.
Hm.
Fuck.
Anyways...
---
The Wu-Tang Clan is a vast army of slang-slinging, an enterprising group of hustlers who have no lost love for each other. But brotherhood is brotherhood and as such, they've managed to put out collective albums that have lasted beyond the ages. Hell, even their last record wasn't that bad. But their vast wealth of solo material available continues to boggle the mind as all 9 members (even Ol' Dirty Bastard, from beyond the grave) continue to put releases out that vary vastly in quality, so in that spirit we'll be looking at some of the great (and downright terrible) records members have put out.
Top 5 solo albums
5. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version
ODB, bless his heart, was at his very core a man always struggling in-between being the designated wildcard of the group and trying to find some semblance of artistic integrity. Joe Bananas tiptoed that high-wire very deftly on this, his first record. Released in the aftermath of the ultra-successful 36 Chambers album (as well as Method Man's platinum-selling debut) and with production duties largely handled by Wu architect RZA, Russell Jones starts his album off with an eccentric 5-minute intro that sees him quoting Blowfly and pretending to emote through a series of feelings he can't seem to properly project. At first glance a strange left-turn, it makes perfect sense for a man known mostly for his comic-like antics. From then on ODB manages to bring the ruckus all on his own with the piano-driven 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya', before moving on to the vastly under-rated 'Raw Hide' (which features great verses from Meth and Raekwon). The album continues to astound with stellar track 'Brooklyn Zoo' (and its sequel, Brooklyn Zoo II) as well as several posse cuts. The real winners here are the beats RZA constructs for Big Baby Jesus: playful, vibrant, resonant with the personality spitting lyrical on it. An album that steps out of the standard rap pattern and delivers a product that is full of unforeseen twists and turns, engaging the listener far more than typical rap fare.
4. GZA - Liquid Swords
The first Wu member to wrangle himself a record deal prior to the group's debut album, the Genius jumps outta the gate as part of the first-wave of post 36 Chambers releases. The RZA once again comes to the rescue on this album, orchestrating a collection of dusty beats that feel as if they were laying dormant decades prior to being utilized by the GZA. The intro sample, lifted from 1980's Shogun Assassin, sets the mood for the rest of the album: rapper as warrior, man as a creature constantly seeking conflict. Spiritual, introspective and laid back, the record brings the goods consistently, the GZA's almost-mumbled prose definitive, his aim sure. The RZA and the GZA both hit the mark on this one.
3. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Ghostface Killah is perhaps the most soulful of the Wu-Tang set. His albums have always been chock-full of soul-based, string-laden beats that find the Wallabee Champ perpetually living in a '70s haze. Ghostface is also gifted with the inate ability to tell stories with such gusto and a keen eye for detail that following Ghost down the lyrical rabbit hole as he spits is no easy task, but rewarding if done right. Dude is more enthralling than most suspense flicks and it feels as though he finally combines his most gangster moments along with some grasps at his ladies man persona, careful to appear thug even through his most difficult moments. It doesn't hurt that the stellar production on the album brings out the best in Ghost, as he comes full circle, combining the best parts of his prior albums. Debut solo album Ironman was too hard on the gangster tip, and follow-ups Supreme Clientele, Bulletproof Wallets and Pretty Toney Album found Ghost relying a bit too much on the soulful atmosphere he so loves, creating an uneven output that finally coalesces into a complete package on this album. Oh, and just for kicks, the album ends on one of the best posthumous Biggie collabs you will ever hear, as if the album couldn't get any better.
2. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Raekwon is definitely one of those 'practice what you preach' fellahs. The man, who during his tenure in Camp Wu, has allegedly spent his free time involved in various illicit activities (as corroborted by the RZA), helped pioneer the mafia gangster genre. Along with Jay-Z's debut album and albums by Nas and AZ, this strictly New York phenom quickly spread to the rest of the country, inspiring many. This landmark, street-tough release found Rae living up to his chef moniker. The dude was on fire, enlisting the help of Ghostface Killah throughout most of the disc as his lyrical cohort, extolling the virtues of a drug-dealin', mafia-inspired, enemy-hating lifestyle. Raekwon's subsequent output has been far inferior to his debut release, marked by repetitive lyrics and boring production, rarely living up to his abilities to enthusiastically come at the genre as he should. Rae himself has acknowledged this fact and the forthcoming OB4CL2 should slay, given the fact that we've all been waiting 15 years for a proper follow-up.
1. Method Man - Tical
Bring The Pain. Meth Vs. Chef. All I Need. Release Yo Delf. Case closed.
Actually, not so fast. The dirty and down-low production (the beats had to be reconstructed in a matter of days by the RZA after an accident destroyed the originals) add a distinctive flavour. Meth as a street hustler, bringing in the ladies with promises of growing old together. Lots of great guest spots and Meth definitely shows up to play on every track. Simply mesmerizing, musically and lyrically. To understand is to listen. Over and over.
4 Wu albums that disappointed
4. Wu-Tang Forever
Now I know I'm gonna catch some shit, but damn. The second group album (a two-disc marathon) was wildly inconsistent, spreading material thin and giving the world subpar solo joints. Stand-out cut (and first single) 'Triumph' sets itself apart from an album of boring, forgettable raps. Concise is the key to victory in the land of the Wu, and this album is a product of excess, of celebrity and an unsureness about where to go next on the part of the RZA, who applies a 'throw it against the wall and see what sticks' approach, trying to cater to whoever will listen.
3. The World According to the RZA
The RZA decided to use his clout as an industry figure to put out, for all intents and purposes, what one would consider a compilation album of rap acts from around the world. Label politics forced him to release this as a solo record, and he does sporadically show up to spit, though he leaves that largely up to the contributors. A strange pele-mele of various styles and languages that is nothing beyond a novelty, unfortunately. Stick to Bobby Digi releases and we won't have a problem. Also has the fuckin' worst album cover ever. 1994 called, they want their shitty fonts and halo effect back.
2. Raekwon - Immobilarity
From riveting gangster accounts to overdone and droning. This follow-up to OB4CL finds Rae trying to display the fact that he can go out on his own, eliminating one of the features that made his debut memorable (the exclusion of Ghostface), utilizing other guests sparingly over RZA Lite beats from producers who studied the Wu Architect and tried their best to sound like him. It goes nowhere quickly, and is worth barely a second listen. The Chef keeps the drug element around but is unsure about how to best talk about it, instead just relating hood stories in a tone that makes him sound bored. Also, it has the worst Method Man guest appearance I've ever witnessed. Meth, sounding thin and haunted, delivers line after line in an off-putting cadence.
1. Method Man - Judgment Day
Bloated, skit-loaded, boring. The follow-up to Tical fails in every respect, barely containing any of the memorable tracks that made Tical a classic. A truly sad moment. No keepers. Who the fuck wants to listen to a skit that's merely an 8-second phone call from Donald Trump? No one. That shit ain't gangsta in the least, it's tacky and shitty. Fuck. Thankfully, Meth's recent output has changed the current of my feelings towards his work.
3 solo collabs that make you say "hold up"
3. Beyonce feat. Ghostface Killah - Summertime
2. Shaquille O'Neal feat. The RZA and Method Man - No Hooks
1. Mariah Carey feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Fantasy
2 Wu-Tang members that should forever work together
Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. Have appeared together on countless songs, and continue to collabo to maximum effect to this day. The ying and the yang, the sun and the moon, the obvious and the metaphorical. They complement each other, almost like rap's Hall and Oates. Good apart, stellar together.
The most consistent Wu member
Without a doubt, Ghostface. Even his lesser albums feature engaging production and several rough gems to enjoy. Ghost is fearless, flirting with pure R&B tracks and guesting on tracks that you wouldn't normally associate him with. There is something for everyone on all of his tracks, and he's usually engrossing, lyrically-speaking. Also, he has a song all about being Santa-like. Who can't get behind that?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
012: Foxes Fellowship
I saw Fleet Foxes in concert tonight, finally putting to rest the long arc of the fourth law of thermo-nuclear-dynamics, to borrow an inside joke from tonight's conversation. Which is—in this case—beauty wins. Holy shit. So much beauty. I am engorged to the point of suffocation. I am suffused with gorgeousness. Oh, it's too much.
I'm really glad I kept on listening to Ragged Wood on Maddie Lee's wonderful Tumblr blog. I'm so glad Brigitte sent me a YouTube link to White Winter Hymnal. O, I'm so glad.
Come back soon, guys! I will try to buy a medium-sized t-shirt earlier in the night next time. Hopefully I will not be turned away.
And the rest of you: Listen to this shit. It is golden; it is good as gold.
I'm really glad I kept on listening to Ragged Wood on Maddie Lee's wonderful Tumblr blog. I'm so glad Brigitte sent me a YouTube link to White Winter Hymnal. O, I'm so glad.
Come back soon, guys! I will try to buy a medium-sized t-shirt earlier in the night next time. Hopefully I will not be turned away.
And the rest of you: Listen to this shit. It is golden; it is good as gold.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
011: Fuck Shyness
I was at the AMC theatre recently watching The Brothers Bloom, which is being criminally critically underrated, and, as it's showing in only 173 theatres across the continent, will make far less money than it should. It's also the best movie I've had the pleasure to watch, in theatres or otherwise, in a very long time, and I urge you all to see it while it's still playing. As the movie came to its end, and the screen, as it is wont to, faded to black, I realized that the music playing over the credits was amazing. My friends and I all left the place before I could stay for the whole of it, but I knew I had to hunt that song down. So I did.
It's the second-to-last song on the Brothers Bloom soundtrack, titled "The Perfect Con" and my beef with it is this: The song is a cocktease. It's almost 7 minutes long, it spends the first 3 and a half minutes transitioning slowly from the movie's softly beautiful and emotional ending to the beginning of the credit-rolling, and by the time it reaches its climax, it plays a fucking amazing little riff two times, fucks around for a bit, comes back up with the exact same keyboard lead-in for said amazing riff, and then plays something else entirely instead, followed by two minutes of crap. I spent 99 cents at the iTunes store for about 15 seconds of great music and 6:28 of nothing-special. It's not the expenditure that angers me, though. It's that Nathan Johnson, the guy who wrote the song, and also Brothers Bloom director Rian Johnson's cousin, for whatever reason, would not repeat this genius riff so much as one more time.
I wish I could say this was the first time such a thing has happened to me. It isn't. Musicians, though I love them dearly, like to play mind games with us listeners. All too frequently I find myself listening to a song over and over, simply because the catchiest, best, most listenable part of a song is far, far too short, repeated too infrequently, if at all, or both. It's like the goddamn songwriters are too shy to let us appreciate their genius. Christ! All I want is to rock out to this little wonderfully climactic portion of your song! Throw me a bone here!
Now, some people go too far in the other direction. Yes, such a thing is possible. It is completely possible, as well, to ruin a song by over-repeating some part of it, no matter how good it sounded when the band first wrote it. And some people actually make good music by only using extremely short snippets of awesome music. But at the end of the day, I look to professional musicians for a balance; a harmony, if you will. I want good goddamn music, not 15-20 seconds of good goddamn music stuck in the middle of an otherwise uninteresting—or good, but not great—song.
A few examples:
Jigsaw Falling Into Place, by Radiohead: Probably my favourite song on In Rainbows. The mood here is wonderful. Intro is very OK-Computer-creepy. Unfortunately, Thom's nnn-nnn crooning in the background, which sounds FUCKING COOL underneath the vocals in the first verse, is completely absent from the climactic last verse. Boo-urns.
Dark Island City, by Crime in Stereo: I really loved the guitar tone on The Troubled Stateside. In that vein, this whole song is pure amazingness due to the main riff. Unfortunately, it's only 2:06 long. And there are about four lines of lyrics. It feels like the skeleton of a great song that never came to be.
Confessions of a Revolutionary Bourgeois, Part 3, by The Sainte Catherines: Check the guitar part from 1:24-1:40 and then to 2:13 to 2:29 and ask yourself why that guy barely plays at all on the rest of the song. I guess that's one of the problems inherent to having three guitarists? Anyway, there were lots of other great songs on Dancing for Decadence not plagued by this problem. (See: the bass riff building into the "hey! hey!" ending in "If There's Black Smoke Over a Bridge, It's Over", for instance.)
Owner Operator, by No Trigger: This song is probably still the best on Canyoneer. But just as the chorus gets reaallly amazing on the third repetition, the song ends. Total bullshit move.
Brandy Alexander, by Feist: The "it goes down easy" segment from 2:05 to 2:33 really makes this song. The rest of it? Kinda ehh. Nice, but not nearly as catchy.
Straight to Hell, by The Clash: The fucking intro riff! Goddamn! They only use it two times, and they don't really incorporate any elements from it into the rest of the song. At least M.I.A. saved the day on that one.
Anyway, if you share my beef, let me know, and I encourage you to post other good-but-frustrating examples.
It's the second-to-last song on the Brothers Bloom soundtrack, titled "The Perfect Con" and my beef with it is this: The song is a cocktease. It's almost 7 minutes long, it spends the first 3 and a half minutes transitioning slowly from the movie's softly beautiful and emotional ending to the beginning of the credit-rolling, and by the time it reaches its climax, it plays a fucking amazing little riff two times, fucks around for a bit, comes back up with the exact same keyboard lead-in for said amazing riff, and then plays something else entirely instead, followed by two minutes of crap. I spent 99 cents at the iTunes store for about 15 seconds of great music and 6:28 of nothing-special. It's not the expenditure that angers me, though. It's that Nathan Johnson, the guy who wrote the song, and also Brothers Bloom director Rian Johnson's cousin, for whatever reason, would not repeat this genius riff so much as one more time.
I wish I could say this was the first time such a thing has happened to me. It isn't. Musicians, though I love them dearly, like to play mind games with us listeners. All too frequently I find myself listening to a song over and over, simply because the catchiest, best, most listenable part of a song is far, far too short, repeated too infrequently, if at all, or both. It's like the goddamn songwriters are too shy to let us appreciate their genius. Christ! All I want is to rock out to this little wonderfully climactic portion of your song! Throw me a bone here!
Now, some people go too far in the other direction. Yes, such a thing is possible. It is completely possible, as well, to ruin a song by over-repeating some part of it, no matter how good it sounded when the band first wrote it. And some people actually make good music by only using extremely short snippets of awesome music. But at the end of the day, I look to professional musicians for a balance; a harmony, if you will. I want good goddamn music, not 15-20 seconds of good goddamn music stuck in the middle of an otherwise uninteresting—or good, but not great—song.
A few examples:
Jigsaw Falling Into Place, by Radiohead: Probably my favourite song on In Rainbows. The mood here is wonderful. Intro is very OK-Computer-creepy. Unfortunately, Thom's nnn-nnn crooning in the background, which sounds FUCKING COOL underneath the vocals in the first verse, is completely absent from the climactic last verse. Boo-urns.
Dark Island City, by Crime in Stereo: I really loved the guitar tone on The Troubled Stateside. In that vein, this whole song is pure amazingness due to the main riff. Unfortunately, it's only 2:06 long. And there are about four lines of lyrics. It feels like the skeleton of a great song that never came to be.
Confessions of a Revolutionary Bourgeois, Part 3, by The Sainte Catherines: Check the guitar part from 1:24-1:40 and then to 2:13 to 2:29 and ask yourself why that guy barely plays at all on the rest of the song. I guess that's one of the problems inherent to having three guitarists? Anyway, there were lots of other great songs on Dancing for Decadence not plagued by this problem. (See: the bass riff building into the "hey! hey!" ending in "If There's Black Smoke Over a Bridge, It's Over", for instance.)
Owner Operator, by No Trigger: This song is probably still the best on Canyoneer. But just as the chorus gets reaallly amazing on the third repetition, the song ends. Total bullshit move.
Brandy Alexander, by Feist: The "it goes down easy" segment from 2:05 to 2:33 really makes this song. The rest of it? Kinda ehh. Nice, but not nearly as catchy.
Straight to Hell, by The Clash: The fucking intro riff! Goddamn! They only use it two times, and they don't really incorporate any elements from it into the rest of the song. At least M.I.A. saved the day on that one.
Anyway, if you share my beef, let me know, and I encourage you to post other good-but-frustrating examples.
Friday, May 8, 2009
010: Hey Man, Nice Shot Vol. 1
Fame can be a tricky and strange thing, especially in the realm of popular music. How can a band know that the follow-up to their first smash-hit also certify them some amount of success? How does one make sure that their sophomore effort allows them to stay in the public spotlight and some charting? It is a tricky endeavour,to say the least.
Sometimes, though, fame can be a bitch. Certain bandmembers hop onto the famous train of a band whose dynamics they grow angry with and eventually decide to depart from, only to decide to start up their own outfit and hope to see comparable success.
So without further ado, here are a list of people who have left/disbanded successful bands in order to strike it out on their own with a similar-sounding endeavour, only to fail and return to their original well of money. Such are the pitfalls of fame.
Richard Patrick: Filter / Army Of Anyone
Dean/Robert DeLeo: Stone Temple Pilots / Army Of Anyone
Mr. Patrick fronted and was the mainbrains behind Filter, who had a string of successful singles in the late '90s. Waning visibility caused Patrick to give up the ghost, as he also checked himself voluntarily into rehab. Upon re-emerging, he teamed up with the DeLeo brothers (who were also currently bandless, given that Scott Weiland was off being erratic) and drummer Ray Luzier (now a certified member of nu-metal royalty) for an album and a tour that met with critical indifference. Patrick eventually returned to the Filter machine and the DeLeo brothers undertook a Stone Temple Pilots reunion as Weiland was either shown the door or booted from fellow supergroup Velvet Revolver in early 2008.
Wes Borland: Limpbizkit.com.org / Black Light Burns / Bigdumbface
Axeman Wes Borland was the perfect foil to loudmouth Fred Durst: Where Durst was loud and seemed to exude crude, simplistic comments that played down to people's basic urges (oh, and he also could bust out amazing guitar solos), Borland came off as tasty, artful, wearing make-up and writing memorable riffs, the consumate outsider to Fred Durst's frat sensibilities.
Unhappy with the direction that was taken after 2000's Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water (amongst the worst titles/puns of all-time, natch), he departed and soon finished work on Big Dumb Face's album. A playful mix of Zappaesque riffing and light-hearted humour, the record unfortunately went nowhere. Borland disappered into the abyss, re-merging to produce tracks with the Crystal Method, and also was to take part of a supergroup with Robert Patrick before Patrick hit the ol' "creative differences" button and the band ceased being despite never relasing anything. He also produced From First To Last's Heroine album. He rejoined Limpbizkit.net.co.uk in late 2004 and the band released an EP in 2005, before Borland was fed up of Durst's douchebagness and formed Black Light Burns, who released an album of decent rock material, which also... went nowhere. After playing with Marilyn Manson for two shows, he's now filling the Borland Family Coffers by playing festivals this summer with Limpbizkit.ru.jp
Rob Halford: Judas Priest / Fight / 2wo / Halford
Rock god Rob Halford was a part of Judas Priest for close to 20 years, garnering mammoth record sales and playing to countless people. One night in 1991, Halford had decided that he had enough of the machinations around the band and left, suing the band and their label for funds owed in the process. He then spent a few years with more straight-forward outfits, pairing up with Trent Reznor for the industrially-charged 2wo project, spending time in Fight, which liberally took from the House Of Pantera (trademark pending) and then the eponymous Halford band, which was considered Priest Lite. He found a certain measure of success with this band configuration but after two studio albums and a live release, Halford eventually returned to Priest just in time for 2005's Angel Of Retribution, citing that he wanted to feel the chemistry again. The album, the first step to many tours and another studio album (so far), is a record worth checking out.
Sometimes, though, fame can be a bitch. Certain bandmembers hop onto the famous train of a band whose dynamics they grow angry with and eventually decide to depart from, only to decide to start up their own outfit and hope to see comparable success.
So without further ado, here are a list of people who have left/disbanded successful bands in order to strike it out on their own with a similar-sounding endeavour, only to fail and return to their original well of money. Such are the pitfalls of fame.
Richard Patrick: Filter / Army Of Anyone
Dean/Robert DeLeo: Stone Temple Pilots / Army Of Anyone
Mr. Patrick fronted and was the mainbrains behind Filter, who had a string of successful singles in the late '90s. Waning visibility caused Patrick to give up the ghost, as he also checked himself voluntarily into rehab. Upon re-emerging, he teamed up with the DeLeo brothers (who were also currently bandless, given that Scott Weiland was off being erratic) and drummer Ray Luzier (now a certified member of nu-metal royalty) for an album and a tour that met with critical indifference. Patrick eventually returned to the Filter machine and the DeLeo brothers undertook a Stone Temple Pilots reunion as Weiland was either shown the door or booted from fellow supergroup Velvet Revolver in early 2008.
Wes Borland: Limpbizkit.com.org / Black Light Burns / Bigdumbface
Axeman Wes Borland was the perfect foil to loudmouth Fred Durst: Where Durst was loud and seemed to exude crude, simplistic comments that played down to people's basic urges (oh, and he also could bust out amazing guitar solos), Borland came off as tasty, artful, wearing make-up and writing memorable riffs, the consumate outsider to Fred Durst's frat sensibilities.
Unhappy with the direction that was taken after 2000's Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water (amongst the worst titles/puns of all-time, natch), he departed and soon finished work on Big Dumb Face's album. A playful mix of Zappaesque riffing and light-hearted humour, the record unfortunately went nowhere. Borland disappered into the abyss, re-merging to produce tracks with the Crystal Method, and also was to take part of a supergroup with Robert Patrick before Patrick hit the ol' "creative differences" button and the band ceased being despite never relasing anything. He also produced From First To Last's Heroine album. He rejoined Limpbizkit.net.co.uk in late 2004 and the band released an EP in 2005, before Borland was fed up of Durst's douchebagness and formed Black Light Burns, who released an album of decent rock material, which also... went nowhere. After playing with Marilyn Manson for two shows, he's now filling the Borland Family Coffers by playing festivals this summer with Limpbizkit.ru.jp
Rob Halford: Judas Priest / Fight / 2wo / Halford
Rock god Rob Halford was a part of Judas Priest for close to 20 years, garnering mammoth record sales and playing to countless people. One night in 1991, Halford had decided that he had enough of the machinations around the band and left, suing the band and their label for funds owed in the process. He then spent a few years with more straight-forward outfits, pairing up with Trent Reznor for the industrially-charged 2wo project, spending time in Fight, which liberally took from the House Of Pantera (trademark pending) and then the eponymous Halford band, which was considered Priest Lite. He found a certain measure of success with this band configuration but after two studio albums and a live release, Halford eventually returned to Priest just in time for 2005's Angel Of Retribution, citing that he wanted to feel the chemistry again. The album, the first step to many tours and another studio album (so far), is a record worth checking out.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
009: Band Name Wank
Everyone knows band names are huge deals. Everyone who ever dismissed !!! because of their ridiculous name, or who got into Rage Against The Machine purely on the basis of how cool they thought that sounded when they were 14 can tell you that band names play perhaps a larger role than they should in how bands fare. Ever wonder why Afghan Whigs and Archers of Loaf never made it big? Neither do I. Notice something about all the big rock bands these days? They have simple, inoffensive names. Radiohead. U2. Coldplay. They don't exactly have you on the edge of your seat.
If you're wondering what the genesis (lol) for this post was, I'll come clean. I read the first Scott Pilgrim book in my friend Will's basement a few months ago, in the span of about half an hour. It's not much by way of artistic great-shakes, but, like marshmallow bananas or cotton candy, it was a lot of fun to read and went down easy. Anyway, apparently, in the Scott Pilgrim universe, there's a band called "The Clash at Demonhead". I found this out while obsessively reading this blog, for no good reason.
It started me thinking about band names that incorporate other band names into them. In this case, "The Clash at Demonhead" is named after a 20-year-old videogame but for a brief, glorious period, the thought of a band named after The Clash playing a show at a club somewhere (probably in Britain) named Demonhead had me completely enraptured. I'm a big fan of meta-ridiculousness.
With that in mind, I present a list of potential band names featuring other band names. They really only work when the band/artist being name-checked is so big that they're a cultural institution of sorts in their own right. So, here:
1. The Clash at Demonhead (The triple reference—Clash/Scott Pilgrim/videogame—makes all the indie nerds jizz their pants.)
2. Fuck the Sex Pistols (Probably just a Modern Life Is War cover band.)
3. This Is Not a Fugazi Cover Band (In concert they play Fugazi songs in the middle of their own material.)
4. Like The Monks, But With Better Haircuts (This is almost more of a Murder by Death reference than a Monks reference.)
5. The Ghost of the Rolling Stones (Sort of a Joy Division/ Thursday/Interpol midway point. All of their album covers are in black & white. They will be huge in a few decades.)
6. A Mob of Heavily-Intoxicated Bob Dylan Impersonators (A bunch of bearded guys who probably hate Conor Oberst and dress like someone cloned the Blues Brothers' wardrobe.)
7. The Jimi Hendrix Escape Plan (This is a terrible joke about choking to death on one's own red-wine-infused vomit. These guys are all Republicans.)
8. A Tribe Called Zeppelin (Live instrumentation Led Zep/ATCQ mash-up band. Surprisingly large fanbase.)
9. In a New Order (Think Telefon Tel Aviv meets Beirut, but with more of a Phil Collins influence.)
10. "Pink Enemy. Public Floyd." (Not a mash-up band. Lead singer/cellist probably commits suicide during first Japanese tour. Retrospective live DVD gets rave reviews.)
11. The Beatles (These guys get sued out of existence before they can really get going. All the publicity the lawsuits afford them generates a much more substantial fanbase than they deserve. Two of the members drop out of the music biz to become tradesmen, one pulls a Richey Edwards, and the drummer becomes a feared and respected producer à la Phil Spector.)
Okay that's all. If I do any more my brain will explode. Feel free to post other non-sucky ones in the comments section. Warning: Comments containing sucky suggestions may be deleted.
EDIT: The Ghost of the Ramones (Career Suicided version of The Ghost of the Rolling Stones. Music critics completely divided as to whether to fall over and die in praise of them, or to railroad them out of music, tarred and feathered, for egregious crimes against humanity. World ends the day after their self-titled debut EP release, for unrelated reasons.)
If you're wondering what the genesis (lol) for this post was, I'll come clean. I read the first Scott Pilgrim book in my friend Will's basement a few months ago, in the span of about half an hour. It's not much by way of artistic great-shakes, but, like marshmallow bananas or cotton candy, it was a lot of fun to read and went down easy. Anyway, apparently, in the Scott Pilgrim universe, there's a band called "The Clash at Demonhead". I found this out while obsessively reading this blog, for no good reason.
It started me thinking about band names that incorporate other band names into them. In this case, "The Clash at Demonhead" is named after a 20-year-old videogame but for a brief, glorious period, the thought of a band named after The Clash playing a show at a club somewhere (probably in Britain) named Demonhead had me completely enraptured. I'm a big fan of meta-ridiculousness.
With that in mind, I present a list of potential band names featuring other band names. They really only work when the band/artist being name-checked is so big that they're a cultural institution of sorts in their own right. So, here:
1. The Clash at Demonhead (The triple reference—Clash/Scott Pilgrim/videogame—makes all the indie nerds jizz their pants.)
2. Fuck the Sex Pistols (Probably just a Modern Life Is War cover band.)
3. This Is Not a Fugazi Cover Band (In concert they play Fugazi songs in the middle of their own material.)
4. Like The Monks, But With Better Haircuts (This is almost more of a Murder by Death reference than a Monks reference.)
5. The Ghost of the Rolling Stones (Sort of a Joy Division/ Thursday/Interpol midway point. All of their album covers are in black & white. They will be huge in a few decades.)
6. A Mob of Heavily-Intoxicated Bob Dylan Impersonators (A bunch of bearded guys who probably hate Conor Oberst and dress like someone cloned the Blues Brothers' wardrobe.)
7. The Jimi Hendrix Escape Plan (This is a terrible joke about choking to death on one's own red-wine-infused vomit. These guys are all Republicans.)
8. A Tribe Called Zeppelin (Live instrumentation Led Zep/ATCQ mash-up band. Surprisingly large fanbase.)
9. In a New Order (Think Telefon Tel Aviv meets Beirut, but with more of a Phil Collins influence.)
10. "Pink Enemy. Public Floyd." (Not a mash-up band. Lead singer/cellist probably commits suicide during first Japanese tour. Retrospective live DVD gets rave reviews.)
11. The Beatles (These guys get sued out of existence before they can really get going. All the publicity the lawsuits afford them generates a much more substantial fanbase than they deserve. Two of the members drop out of the music biz to become tradesmen, one pulls a Richey Edwards, and the drummer becomes a feared and respected producer à la Phil Spector.)
Okay that's all. If I do any more my brain will explode. Feel free to post other non-sucky ones in the comments section. Warning: Comments containing sucky suggestions may be deleted.
EDIT: The Ghost of the Ramones (Career Suicided version of The Ghost of the Rolling Stones. Music critics completely divided as to whether to fall over and die in praise of them, or to railroad them out of music, tarred and feathered, for egregious crimes against humanity. World ends the day after their self-titled debut EP release, for unrelated reasons.)
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