ChordStrike

Rent This: Heavy Metal in Baghdad

For the most part, Vice Magazine aims to uncover the world's more troubling aspects in an equally troubling light, but their documentary about Baghdad metal band Acrassicauda's aspiration to simply remain intact amid the bedlam of war is one of the authentic documentaries I've ever seen.

To find out what happened to "Iraq's only metal band" after the fall of Saddam Hussein, two filmmakers travel from NYC to Baghdad, get outfitted with heavy artillery and a security detail and witness how the band copes with a reality most metal bands only write about--in Baghdad there is actual carnage and hell is quite possibly right here on Earth. It's Acrassicuada's simple love of music alone that guides them through a downright ridiculously dangerous, depressing reality. Seeing what they go through to play a show or record their first demo puts into perspective how criminally easy up-and-coming bands and anyone not living with with war have it. 

--Gabi Knight

Introducing: Lyrics & Liner Notes

In the age of digital downloads, the process of experiencing music has shifted - some say adversely so - to focus squarely on the music itself while other accoutrements that traditionally shadow a release fall by the wayside. CD and Vinyl are still the only formats that offer a full palette for the senses including not only the music, but also art, mixed media, lyrical writing, and production info all in one package.

With that in mind, Chordstrike is launching a new blog category, Lyrics & Liner Notes, to recognize and pay tribute to our favorite lyrics, the unique packaging that they come in, and the venerable tradition of cracking open that new CD or record to behold the complete artistry and background information that goes into a new release.

To launch the new category, I went through my collection and found a few CDs that appealed to me strictly from the perspective of either the lyrics, the studio story, or the graphic design. This list would be radically different if I included special package releases and box sets for all the value-added content that comes with each. For now I'm starting with a few humble releases that are appealing mostly from a lyrical and information design perspective:

1) Neutral Milk Hotel: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

Why: One must be committed to read the lyrics since each song is jumbled into one massive paragraph of 6 point font. Serious time and energy is needed to scroll through at least 50 lines or follow the lyrics in real-time as the album plays in order to find the lyrics for a certain song. There aren't even any song breaks in this tome, emphasizing the album as a whole collective piece of work.

Favorite lyric from Track 9, The Ghost:  "She was born in a bottle-rocket, 1929 / With wings that ringed around a socket right between her spine / All drenched in milk in holy water pouring from the sky / I know that she will live forever, she won't ever die"

2) 16 Horsepower: Secret South

Why: Although they took an approach similar to the one described with Neutral Milk Hotel, the band decided to print the lyrics for each song separately and on their own page. However, they are still jumbled in a text block format with each word appearing in all caps and without any space breaks between each word. The effect is not only to challenge the listener to follow and find the lyrics, but also to give added consideration to the album title, Secret South, since each song looks like a cross word puzzle formed by lyrics in hiding waiting to be revealed like some secret.

Favorite Lyric from Track 7, Praying Arm Lane:  "Well I told it fast and glad / the color of a slow drink / or so they say / so they say by the light of day / hidden beneath their wings of black, brown and gray / the boughs they all will bend for us / and all the earth awaits thee / all the stones they will cry out / and every tongue confess thee"

3) Scarlett Johansson: Anywhere I Lay My Head

Why: Even though this is a cover album of Tom Waits songs, the Liner Notes are worth the scrutiny based on their own merits since the packaging includes rich and interesting fairy tale artwork to accompany a fairy tale-esque story about the making of the album. In addition, Scarlett and primary musician David Sitek (TV on the Radio) wrote a short paragraph about each track and the writing/recording process behind it.

Lyrics are not included (see Tom Waits' catalog instead), but one thing I learned from the Liner Notes: David Bowie sang on two tracks. His voice is subtle and not immediately apparent within the mix, so I wouldn't have known this without the liner notes.

Other contenders for this list:

Radiohead, both OK Computer and In Rainbows: for their progressive graphic design and full lyrics transcribed and organized on the page in a unique way.
Eminem, The Eminem Show: with a wordsmith like Marshall on the mic, it helps to have the full lyrics in front of you to see and appreciate the range of his lyrical abilities. The photo montage is also intimate (with pictures of Em at work and playing in the pool with Hallie), but also a bit creepy with photos of undercover surveillance footage throughout the package.
Hayes Carll, Trouble in Mind: the CD package is pretty cool and offers complete lyrics, but the Vinyl version cannot be beat with a full-sized comic book story to accompany the album.
Band of Horses, Cease to Begin: no lyrics - just 8 polaroid-sized images of kitschy nature scenes. Okay, it wouldn't be fair not to recognize Pearl Jam as well here for taking the same approach on their No Code release which included polaroid pictures. I just happen to like Band of Horses more, so they get the call out.

There are obviously a ton of other releases out there that could fit the bill here. What albums are in your collection that stand out for their Lyrics or Liner Notes and why?

 

I <3 Song-Poems

I've always been a fan of the odd, offbeat, and slightly warped. Hence, my discovery of song-poems felt like finding a long-lost cousin in a random crowd. For those of you who aren't familiar, song-poems come from small ads placed in the back of magazines soliciting "poems" (and a few hundred dollars) to be turned into songs--because, you know, there's big bucks to be made in the music industry, and your poem could be turned into the next big Billboard chart-topper! For your words and money, you'd typically receive a 7" record (or these days, a CD) and maybe even the opportunity to appear on a compilation. Many of these records ended up in dusty thrift store record bins where they sat for years. These days, they're nearly impossible to find and are considered very collectible.

Song-poems are essentially a scam. No song-poem has ever topped the charts, or even come close to entering them. The people who make the music and sing the songs are in it simply for the paycheck. However, what we are left with is essentially comedy gold, and the results range from completely insane to passable. Many songs are political or patriotic in nature, there are, of course, love songs, and some are kinda dirty. There's even a collection of holiday themed song-poems available. What all these songs have in common is a distinct "huh?!?" factor that is virtually unmatched in music. It feels like these songs could really only come from the anonymous collaboration of amateur writers and hack musicians. Try throwing one of these into the mix at your next party and watch the looks on people's faces and you'll see what I mean.

There's a great film covering the subject, Off The Charts: The Song-Poem Story, which not only takes a look at the history of the art, but gives us a peek at what the industry looks like today. In the film you can actually witness the recording sessions for such future hits as "I'm A Ginseng Digger," "Be My Shark," and my personal favorite: "Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers," who's author states "The subjects I write about are: martial arts, the ladies, and religion, and science fiction too." It can sometimes be hard to find, but the soundtrack is an essential post-viewing purchase.

All in all, I have to admit that I really, truly love these recordings. They're always the perfect bit of spice for a mix CD or playlist, and when one comes on in shuffle mode, it almost always elicits a smile. As ridiculous and fun as they are, most of the words come from the heart, and though the vast majority of them are extremely bizarre, they mean something to someone. In a world full of jaded and often pretentious music, that's gotta count for something.

Recommended listening:

• The American Song-Poem Anthology: Do You Know The Difference Between Big Wood And Brush
• The American Song-Poem Christmas: Daddy, Is Santa Really Six Foot Four?
• Off The Charts Companion CD Soundtrack
• Anything by prolific song-poem composer Rodd Keith

--Alan Wiley

Recommended: Les Concerts a Porter at La Blogotheque

Now, I don't speak/read French, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying the hell out of Les Concerts a Porter (or "Takeaway Concerts") at La Blogotheque. The folks behind the site invite talented artists to leave the comfort of the stage and perform in atypical situations, every week posting video from these bands playing in locations like the back of a car, on a ferry or at a dinner table. I got hipped to the site about a year ago when someone linked me to this video of an intimate gig by the National. Since then, the site's hosted music by the Shins, Vampire Weekend and R.E.M. While those are all definitely worth a listen, here are a handful of my personal favorites:

Throw Me the Statue performing "About to Walk" on the ferry to Bainbridge Island, Washington:

St. Vincent playing "Marry Me," one of my favorite 2007 songs, in bed:

Elvis Perkins performing "While You Were Sleeping" while walking down a street, making like a one-man marching band designed to make you cry:

Bon Iver performing "Skinny Love" by candlelight to a handful of lucky, adoring onlookers:

Guillemots playing "Made Up Love Song #43" on an outdoor staircase:

-- Jeff Reguilon

25 Years and Counting--But Why?

When asked by Larry King why Mötley Crüe is reunited and out with a new album, guitarist Mick Mars' solitary reply was "greed." I can't say I'm surprised, but I am at least weirdly (naively?) impressed that a band like Mötley Crüe (so farcical and overblown, so stunted from years of narcosis, so crippled by their specific place in time) has stayed together for 27 years.

What fuels this kind of commitment? Contracts and cash certainly. But can a band stay together for 25 years and consistently create worthwhile music that doesn't seem like a direct route to an inflated paycheck? Is there a reason beyond fame and fortune that keeps certain elderly monsters of rock a-spinning their steel wheels?

Quickly and unscientifically, I polled one person and together we were only able to come up with five bands that are still worth a listen after 25+ years.We stuck exclusively to the "popular music" genre since so many jazz, classical, solo, or R&B artists consistently record great music for decades, and well, you know because we're trying to prove a point.

1. R.E.M.:
Together for 28 years
Mike Mills to the question, will you guys be together forever? "Oh, who knows? You know, we've never been the type of band that looks much past the next record. So that's really all that's on our mind."

2. Sonic Youth
Together for 27 years
A marriage of art, noise, and actual marriage.

3. The Cure
Together for 35 years
(The Cure is now old enough to be the President of the United States)
A million Robert Smith devotees can't be wrong!

4. The B-52s
Together for 32 years
Who else makes candy-pop complete with wacky call-and-response lines you never saw coming?

5. Public Enemy
Together for 26 years
This band is so unconcerned with commercial success that they've remained completely authentic to their art and message. Also, Flava Flav features prominently.
 
Chordstrike readers--who else are we missing and why?

--Gabi Knight

Interview with 3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold

From their humble Mississippi roots to worldwide fame, 3 Doors Down has entered the list of the most popular bands of our time with over 13 million albums sold in the US alone--but they don't seem to have let it go to their heads.

In the half hour I talked to lead singer Brad Arnold, he came across as a totally down-to-earth, cool, and genuine guy. It was pretty refreshing.

Check out this week's podcast where we talked about the new 3DD album, the band's history and roots, crazy rumors and gossip about the band, Brad's near-death experience on tour, and more fun conversation.

--Jordan Thompson

The BET Awards: Watching the Pageant So You Don’t Have To

For this year’s BET Awards, I assembled my dream team:

* Lashanna, 28, mother of two
* Trina (not to be confused with the "Best Female Hip-Hop Artist" nominee of the same name), 31, mother of…
* Imphamous a.k.a. Imp the Pimp, 14
* Nastalja, 10

This literally mixed bunch is a perfect pack of purebred mongrels, as willing and able to hold forth on the suspicious enterprise of race-based marketing as they are to clear the couches for a communal limbo at the least hint of Flo Rida’s ubiquitous “Low.” On the home front, plenty of what transpired would be inappropriate to repeat here, but a few highlights from the show merit mention.

Usher opened the show. He hardly sang, though, apparently too busy prancing the stage and only occasionally planting his feet to gesture as if jack-hammering his own pelvis.

D.L. Hughley took less than 30 seconds to drop his first white joke, an occasionally repeating ruse that only once aroused laughter among our party, when Niecy Nash (of Reno 911) cited Madonna and Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt’s well-publicized and mutually congratulatory adoptions as a call for the audience to start adopting more white kids. To avoid any confusion, Nash brought a few out on stage with her, names of Marquis, Clidell, and “Little Raineesha.”

“These kids are great for my credit score!” she exclaimed.

For the night’s second performance, Keyshia Cole waltzed straight out of a  pseudo-Herb Alpert album cover and into a serviceable song that sadly devolved into a duet with Lil’ Kim, signaling a tailspin that lasted half an hour, punctuated only by the conclusion of Ne-Yo’s performance when a pack of dancing masked mimes popped onstage like the Phantoms of the Hip-Hopera.

By way of passing irony, Flo Rida’s “Low” was choreographed for the most fabulously costumed awards-show performers in living memory, female dancers on stilts with long, flowing, puffed white pants that were a whipped-cream reprise of Keyshia’s Cole confectionary ensemble.

Gospel heavyweight Marvin Sapp sang amidst a surreally conceived staging that might quietly go down in history as the first mash-up of Mandela, Jesus, Obama, and spandex.

Chris Brown almost put on the performance of the night, helped along by a gorgeously cascading waterworks show, but the evening's apex came with the presentation of the BET Lifetime Achievement Award to Al Green.

“I am so honored and humbled by the Academy… of the BET Awards,” Green began. Nervous chuckles begat uncomfortable laughter from both the audience in Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium and the peanut gallery in my living room, but the immediate impression of late-stage senility vanished when Green sang, a doting but nevertheless inspired rendition of his famous "Let's Stay Together."

Like most such big-budget industry circle jerks, the BET Awards were largely predictable and 50% too long, and I ran out of professional interest before the show ended. Without further ado, then, the winners:

• Best Female R&B Artist: Alicia Keys 
• Best Male R&B Artist: Chris Brown
• Best Group: UGK ... Highly recommended!
• Best Gospel Artist: Marvin Sapp
• Best Female Hip-Hop Artist: Missy Elliott
• Best Male Hip-Hop Artist: Kanye West
• Best New Artist: The-Dream
• Video of the Year: UGK featuring Outkast, "International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)"
• Best Collaboration: Kanye West featuring T-Pain, "Good Life"
• Best Video Director: Erykah Badu and Mr. Roboto
• Viewers' Choice Award: Lil Wayne featuring Static, "Lollipop"
• BET J Award: Raheem DeVaughn
• Best Actress: Halle Berry
• Best Actor: Denzel Washington ... What is this, the 2002 Oscars?
• Female Athlete of the Year: Candace Parker
• Male Athlete of the Year: Kobe Bryant

For a comprehensive spread of the nominees, performers, honorees, and related artists, click this red carpet. 

Until next year,
Your ChordStrike BET Awards Correspondent… 

     --Jason Kirk

Favorite Albums of 2008 So Far?

NPR wants to know (and I'm curious, too): What are your favorite albums of 2008 so far? They've posted this nifty poll and want you to vote. Are your top picks even on the list? A few of mine are definitely missing. Though my taste changes hourly (it's my prerogative), right now my Top 3 would include: Santogold, Flight of the Conchords, Esperanza Spalding, and Robyn. Damn, that's four. Well, that's ok. I'm in charge here today.

Quizzes by Quibblo.com

--Renata Sadunas

Soulja Boy and Smooth Jazz: Two Great Tastes that OMG MY EARS ARE BLEEDING

Two things:

1) Even though Kanye apparently has Soulja Boy's back and I can't seem to get behind Ice-T's old man-style get-off-my-lawn posturing in this whole "Crank That" is/is not the Hip Hop Apocalypse debate,* I can say the teenage rapper's YouTube-fueled smash is one of my least favorite popular songs of the last decade.

2) Maybe it's because it gives me flashbacks to dentist-related trauma or maybe it's because being trapped in an elevator is one of my worst fears, but, regardless, it's difficult for me to listen to smooth jazz for any length of time without totally flipping out. I have a music allergy to smooth jazz.

Taking these things into consideration, you'll imagine my joy when this morning I discovered this unholy smooth jazz version of Soulja Boy's "Crank That," which is easily one of the most terrifying things I've ever heard.

It comes from the Hidden Beach Unwrapped series, which is a collection of albums apparently dedicated to sucking all the joy out of any rap song that might have appeared on one of the Now That's What I Call Music compilations.

Now, I have nothing against the Hidden Beach label; they've released some excellent Jill Scott records and I'm thankful for that. No amount of Jill Scott, though, will allow me to unhear that slick, sickly sanitized Soulja Boy cover.

What are your musical allergies? What songs or styles make you go N-V-T-S nuts? Is this Kids Rap'n The Hits version of "Crank That" any less awful? Am I just being cranky on a Monday morning? Will this string of questions ever end?

-- Jeff Reguilon

* Not to be confused with the Hiphopapotomus vs. Rhymenoceros debate

Hating the Bands We Love

What is about some bands and musicians seeming to do all they can to turn fans against them? We've all witnessed moments when we really hate, or at least cringe about, some of the things they do. If you've ever been up-close-and-personal with some stars, you may have had the misfortune of witnessing firsthand how the fine line between rock star god/dess and tepid louse can be all too easily crossed.

I'll never forget the day my bubble was burst when Toni Halliday, aka the lead singer/goddess from Curve, walked into Albums on the Hill in Boulder, CO for an in-store performance/autograph signing and had the gall to proclaim, "Let's hurry up and get this over with" in front of everyone who had been waiting for more than an hour for her to show up. With my young and naive perception of the bands' perfection wasted in tatters, watching them play live that night at the Fox was a major let down.

And so, with that moment of disillusionment forever seared in my brain, I thought that MuchMusic.com's list of 10 Ways Musicians Piss Off Their Fans was missing one item in particular: Being Too Arrogant or Put Off for Autographs. When artists can't stop to recognize and reward the fans who helped make them successful, it only diminishes their already scant time in the limelight and hastens their downfall.

But even though autograph-avoidance didn't appear on their list, there are still a few others that have me nodding in agreement:
- Money Grabbing
- Becoming Uselessly Drunk or High Before a Show
- Becoming Wussies
- Be Metallica (my personal favorite of their list, click to see why)

I could go on and on explaing why these get to me, but really I just want to hear what else pisses people off about bands today. And, going one layer further, is it the band itself behind the misdeeds, or could it be the arsenal of managers, producers, and lawyers around them that are inviting the trouble? Do tell.

All's Phair in Guyville

One of my favorite albums ever, Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville, is getting the 15 year anniversary reissue treatment next week, and I couldn't be more excited. According Phair herself, Guyville is a song-by-song response to Exile on Main Street by the Rolling Stones, a fact scoffed at by many critics (and that I don't quite believe myself). Looking back, that possible truth/publicity gimmick seems like one of the least significant things about this monumental album--in fact, as great as Main Street is, I prefer Guyville, and I doubt that I'm the only one who feels that way.

Exile In Guyville was a revelation for many of those who heard it when it was released back in 1993. Here was a beautiful, independent woman creating her debut album packed to the gills with her impeccably written, semi-scandalous, and often touching songs filled with a swagger, sexuality, and confidence rarely seen by any artist of the time, male or female. This was no Lilith Fair pabulum--songs like the anachronistic Salome/John The Baptist-inspired "Dance of the Seven Veils," or the hypnotic "Glory" still beg me hit the back button on my iPod at every listen, just to dwell in Phair's lyrical mastery for another moment.  To me, it was a perfect album, completely devoid of weak tracks or filler, and one of few from that era that I still listen to on a regular basis. In the last several years, Guyville has become harder to find, especially as a digital download, but come June 24th, we get a remastered version with a few bonus tracks and a DVD of Ms. Phair interviewing some of the "guys" that populate Guyville.

I've heard the remastered tracks, and they truly shine brighter than those on any other reissues I've heard in the last several years. As a music lover, it's an ecstatic experience to listen to an album you've heard hundreds of times and all of a sudden hear new elements you didn't know were there. Kudos to Liz for finally re-releasing this and doing such a great job of it. Check out the trailer below for the DVD featuring the likes of Dave Matthews, John Cusack, and Ira Glass--but be warned--those Chicago musicians, most notably Phair herself, are known for their indelicate language, so watch out for the F-bombs!

On her subsequent albums, Liz Phair never really recaptured the magic that she caught on Guyville, but now that she's switched over to the Dave Matthew's-owned ATO Records, I have renewed hope. The (slightly bitter) cherry on top of all this reissue excitement is that Liz Phair will be playing four shows in three cities of the album in it's entirety (all of which I cannot attend, hence the bitter). One might ask: why no full tour? However, what I really want to know is: Ms. Phair, will you ever release all of your notorious Girlysound cassettes? Please?

--Alan Wiley

Estelle Still Has the #1 Summer Jam in Our Hearts

Idolator's 2008 Summer Jam Tournament came to a close today and I'm disappointed to report my girl Estelle's "American Boy" narrowly lost the final to the suspiciously Sean Kingston-sounding Tyga and his "Coconut Juice." I'm disappointed, but since I've been rocking that particular Estelle joint since it hit Amazon MP3 in January, I'm ready to retire it as my 2008 Spring jam, anyway. Instead, here are three other songs from Estelle's killer debut album Shine that I think make better Summer jams than "Coconut Juice":

• The breezy "No Substitute Love" features a hook that sounds like it was jacked out of a '60s rocksteady classic and the verse plays on George Michael's "Faith," which makes it seem instantly familiar. Here's the video:
  
  
• Kardinal Offishall lends some dancehall flavor to "Magnificent," which is so summery I can almost smell meat cooking on the grill whenever it comes through my earbuds.
• I'm not generally inclined to endorse anything Wyclef-tainted, but "So Much Out The Way" is so attitude-packed and bouncy, he might have worked some of the same Summer jam magic here that he did on Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie."
• Bonus candidate that isn't on Shine: Estelle guests on "Love Hangover" from the excellent new Kidz in the Hall album The In Crowd, and though it's more melancholy than your traditional Summer jam, I can certainly imagine dancing to this whilst sweat-soaked and obnoxicated.

Are you pro or anti-Estelle? What's your 2008 Summer Jam? Inquiring minds want to know.

-- Jeff Reguilon

Striking Gold

My brother Antanas called me back in April to tell me about an artist he heard being interviewed on KCRW that I he thought I’d like. I took a quick listen to the interview and then became immediately sidetracked by the million other CDs on my desk. However, yesterday, my cube neighbor Patrick happened to have Santogold’s CD prominently placed on his desk, begging me for a listen. He also claimed that Santi White (her birth name) is going to be as big as Gwen Stefani, which was just the impetus I needed to give it an immediate spin. I have been hooked on it ever since. Santogold’s music gets comparisons to M.I.A., but its really all over the map, in a good way. I am liking  "Unstoppable," which has a hint of "Pass the Dutchie" in it, and "Lights Out," which is more of a straight up indie pop tune. Take a listen here. She’s opening for Coldplay on some of their North American dates, so she won’t stay our little secret for long.

--Renata Sadunas

Coldplay and the Fallacy of Intellectual Property

Poor Andrew Hoepfner (pictured left). According to the Creaky Boards singer, Coldplay's new mega-branded single, the title track from the band's new album, Viva la Vida, is practically his. On a video that's already been viewed more than 350,000 times, Hoepfner claims that last year in New York, Coldplay singer Chris Martin saw Creaky Boards playing their tune, "The Songs I Didn't Write" (how's that for a spit-shine of irony?), and that the now ubiquitous "Viva la Vida" is a subsequent rip-off.

And now poor Chris Martin has to lurch down from his pedestal of pure aloofness to answer the charge that the only listenable song on his new album is a piece of outright plagiarism.

It's not, of course. After all, any song with three or four chords and some lyricist's necessarily limited version of the truth is bound to sound like countless others. Has Hoepfner ever heard sample-based hip-hop, or a jazz standard, or a full third of the Western classical repertoire?

Perhaps this isn't the place for a full-throated critique of the idea of intellectual property rights. Regardless, every day tens of thousands of people across the globe--as part of corporations and governments alike--circle the proverbial wagons to document, label, protect the "ownership" of the intangible, and the business of hoarding ideas has a well-established history already. (No less a thinker than Einstein clocked a few hours a day poring over patent applications while surreptitiously preparing to upend classical physics back in 1905.) But the sooner we can all get past the "idea" that anyone can own the words, the thoughts, the music, the sooner we can survive the possibly ensuing class war and get down to the business of evolving our eventual hive mind.

To his gossamer credit, Hoepfner wishes Coldplay "the best of luck." Not that the band needs it. As soon as Coldplay knocks Lil Wayne out of the top spot on the Billboard charts next week, Chris Martin will be right back where he thinks he should be. And yes, you can quote me on that.

       --Jason Kirk

A Good Band You've (Probably) Never Heard Of: Whatfor

I get a lot of godawful CDs in the mail.

A lot of dudes who are in the same boat either immediately dump the discs or shamefully hock 'em to whichever used dealer will buy back promos (the number of which might be growing thanks to certain recent rulings), but I make an effort to listen to as much of the unsolicited, unknown music as I can.

I may do this because I feel guilty about poor musicians burning a significant portion of their monthly ramen budget to press and ship me their music. I may do this because I enjoy the occasional trainwreck. Mostly, though, I do this because sometimes-- not frequently, but a few times a year-- I find a bright, shining diamond amongst the trash.

The debut from Whatfor is one of those diamonds.

 Sooner Late Than Never sounds like someone took the bulk of my musical diet circa 2002 and threw it in the blender; one half comes off like the Strokes' attempt at recording a sequel to Rubber Soul, the other like outtakes from Rufus Wainwright's Poses.

Check out their MySpace page or click on the Amazon MP3 Clips Widget below to sample the album.

&mdash Jeff Reguilon

Comedy Death Match: Structure vs. Content

As comedian Eugene Mirman suggests, the best comedy makes its impact by attacking on two fronts, structure and content. He should know, having co-founded and -run NYC's often hilarious, occasionally brilliant stand-up series, Invite Them Up.

Sadly, Mirman and partner-in-crime Bobby Tisdale stopped inviting them up in February, but thankfully, they left a decent digest recorded back in 2005. (HIghlights include the adorable Aziz Ansari and, of course, Mirman.)

Which brings me to Comedy Central Records, who put out the three-disc compilation and for whom I spent much of the last week building a boutique at Amazon. Besides spending days on end with a long succession of stand-up recordings in my player, the project also forced me to work up just about every bumper-sticker-length joke I could think of (which is why I'm fresh out now).

Nevertheless, it was the kind of project for which I'd gladly steal bread from Third World kids. However, if Paul Reiser was right (or was it Jerry Seinfeld?) and comedy is an evolutionary method of saying, "Please don't eat me or my children," then maybe, just maybe, this devotee of Dick Gregory, Bill Hicks, Stephen Colbert, and Terry Sawyer (among others) will live to see another day. If not, well, be warned: I'm also hard to spot, rather gamy, and covered in a sheet of skin rendered poisonous from years of very good times and very bad decisions.

            --Jason Kirk

P.S. Lenny Bruce fans, rejoice! For one day only, Amazon's offering a killer Gold Box deal on the Bruce box set, Let the Buyer Beware, sometime in the next few weeks. I don't have a firm date, but stay tuned, and as always, caveat emptor!

[Eugene Mirman image courtesy of my brother, Sam Kirk.]

Viva La Eno!

Coldplay are releasing their new, highly anticipated Brian-Eno produced album tomorrow. I've never been all that interested in the 'play, but given my curiosity for what fuels huge worldwide hype juggernauts and that I'm a big Brian Eno fan, I will be tuning in tomorrow to give the disc a spin.

I probably first heard Brian Eno's work on U2's last great album, The Unforgettable Fire, an album that to my mind totally captures the artistic spirit of a great band still willing to take risks. (Listen to the song "Promenade.") Later I discovered Roxy Music, Talking Heads, and Devo--only sort of understanding how Eno was involved. Then some trusted friends of mine got me hooked on Eno's own solo work--from his avant rock-based recordings to the more ambient stuff--I love it all.

In honor of Coldplayday tomorrow, I present my list of the 10-best Brian Eno songs, in no particular order:

1. "Golden Hours" from Another Green World
2. "Against the Sky" from The Pearl with Harold Budd
3. "1/1" from Ambient 1/Music for Airports
4. "Very, Very Hungry" from My Life in the Bush with Ghosts with David Byrne
5. "The True Wheel" from Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy
6. "2HB" from Roxy Music
7. "Here He Comes" from Before and After Science
8. "Unfamiliar Wind" from Ambient 4/On Land
9. "Sparrowfall I-III" from Music for Films
10. "Everything Merges with the Light" from Another Green World

--Gabi Knight

 

Hip Flicks: Musician Cameos

Have you ever been watching a movie when one of your favorite singers or musicians suddenly walks onto the screen? Maybe you already knew ahead of time that they were in the flick, maybe not. Either way, I usually watch a little closer to see if the musician-turned-actor really has the talent to cross over, and whether they reveal another side to their creative talent or not.

I'm not talking about the Mark Wahlbergs or Will Smiths here. Guys like that have crossed so far into movies that I don't even remember their music anymore. And roles from the likes of J-Lo, Cher, Madonna, Courtney Love, and Bette Midler are all too big and, well, Hollywood, for my list here. I'm trying to remember the more obscure/cameo roles and came up with these 12 so far:

Bono: The Million Dollar Hotel
David Bowie: The Hunger, Labyrinth      
David Byrne: True Stories    
Dwight Yoakam: Sling Blade
Iggy Pop: Dead Man
Mark Kozelek: Shopgirl      
Nick Cave (as himself): Wings of Desire      
PJ Harvey: The Book of Life      
Sam Phillips: The End of Violence      
Tom Waits: Down by Law      
Vic Chesnutt: Sling Blade      
Willie Nelson: Wag the Dog    

Can you remember more?

--Lucas Hilbert

George Michael: The Final Tour

I've been an enormous George Michael/Wham! fan my entire life, and now, the man behind Faith (one of my favorite albums ever) has announced that his current tour will be his last. When the shows were announced and tickets went on sale a few months back, I was on the fence about dropping the $200+ bucks on a seat, and now I'm kicking myself a bit for not doing it. Still, I can't justify dropping that kind of cash on any concert--those kind of ticket prices are outrageous! I'm going to a concert, not boarding a flight!

GM's announcement video is not embeddable on this blog, so instead here's something else you can watch--the '80s-tastic video for the George Michael classic, "Careless Whisper." Too bad I won't be seeing it live.

What's the most you've ever paid for a show? What's the top you'd pay, and to see who?
--Alan Wiley

Moog Introduces Revolutionary New Guitar

I'm not one to typically lust after music gear, but this new guitar created by the geniuses over at Moog has me putting my credit card in a block of frozen ice to prevent me from pre-ordering it. Not only does this guitar feature infinite sustain on all strings (similar to what an EBow can provide for single strings), but it also sports the ability to mute any and all strings actively as it's being played, giving the guitar a sound not unlike a banjo.

The guitar's innovative technology is not post-processing or filter based. It's the actual strings that create the sounds--they contain a unique metallurgy designed to work specifically with the Moog Guitar's pickups (though according the the FAQ, normal strings can be used in an emergency, but just won't work as well).

Moog originally began as the analog synthesizer manufacturer back in the day, Moog keyboards were the first of their kind, handmade, and invented by the company's brilliant founder and mastermind, Bob Moog, who sadly passed away in 2005. According the the Moog website, Bob had long planned to create a new guitar but the technology to innovate and invent in the already crowded market had not been developed yet.

Check out the jaw-dropping video below and watch artists like Lou Reed, and former Living Colour guitarist Vernon Reid drool over this new toy, which will be released sometime in September for the probably-worth-it price of $6,500. What do you think? Would you buy one?

(via Wired's Listening Post)
--Alan Wiley