Thursday, January 10, 2008
2007 Music Year in Review
So, I've been a slacker lately in updating my blog. I've been slowly working on my comic, plus I'm trying to get a no-budget movie off the ground. Anyway, here's the music that I listened to in 2007. Most of it actually came out in 2007, but not all.
Fields - "Everything Last Winter" (A) This is definitely my favorite album of the year. A folky indie rock band that somehow seems to combine Fleetwood Mac, A Perfect Circle, and My Bloody Valentine. Or something like that. It's bittersweet magic.
Hammock - "Raising Your Voice... Trying to Stop an Echo" (A-) And so begins my exploration of post-rock and ambient music, and what a way to start.
Camera Obscura - "Let's Get Out of This Country" (A-) Happy indie rock from Scotland, with strong flavors of old-school country and some motown.
The Brothers Martin (B) What happens when brothers Jason (Starflyer 59) and Ronnie (Joy Electric) get together and make an album? Well, if you're familiar with the music of their other bands, then this album sounds exactly how you think it would. Actually, Jason's songs sound like Starflyer songs, while Ronnie's songs really have more of new wave rock band sound to them.
Thrice - "The Alchemy Index, Vol.1 (Fire and Water)" (B-) Thrice releases the first half of their concept album of four EPs, with each EP based on one of the four alchemical elements, both lyrically and musically. "Fire" is a further progression of Thrice's trademark post-hardcore, while "Water" has strong ambient and gentle electronic sounds to it.
More postrock and ambient:
Rachel's - "Systems/Layers" (A-) Postrock pseudo-classical.
Clogs - "Lantern" (A-) Postrock pseudo-classical with a rootsy feel.
Clint Mansell - "The Fountain" (Original Soundtrack) (B+) Performed by The Kronos Quartet and Mogwai.
Loscil - "Plume" (B-) Put-you-to-sleep electronic ambient with a *very* subtle beat.
Anyway, here's a mixtape to keep you happy:
1. "Song for the Fields" - Fields
2. "You Brought This On Yourself" - Fields
3. "I Turn My Camera On" - Spoon
4. "Ocean City Girl" - Ivy
5. "Heaven (Nicola Conte "West Coast Vibes" Remix) - Bitter:Sweet
6. "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" - Camera Obscura
7. "The Plot That Weaves" - The Brothers Martin
8. "Fears To Remember" - The Brothers Martin
9. "Snake Devil" - Scary Kids Scaring Kids
10. "Burn The Fleet" - Thrice
11. "Digital Sea" - Thrice
12. "I Can Almost See You" - Hammock
13. "Shipwrecked (Flat On Your Back)" - Hammock
14. "Water From The Same Source" - Rachel's
15. "Canon" - Clogs
16. "Death Is The Road To Awe" - Clint Mansell
17. "Zephyr" - Loscil
Labels: music
Friday, June 29, 2007
Mixtape No.4
Hey friends, here's a mixtape for you guys to listen to. It's mostly new or fairly recent stuff, with a few classics thrown in there for good measure. So run along to iTunes and enjoy! It will make your summer better.
1. "Jerk It Out" - Caesars
2. "Fearless" - The Bravery
3. "Plan B" - Mute Math
4. "We Used To Be Friends" - The Dandy Warhols
5. "Surf Wax America" - Weezer
6. "A Strange Education" - The Cinematics
7. "The Unwinding Cable Car" - Anberlin
8. "Mic The Mic" - Starflyer 59
9. "Don't Let Go" - Pacha Massive
10. "Red Carpet Blues" - A Northern Chorus
11. "Black Metallic" - Catherine Wheel
12. "Distance" - Smog
13. "Knights of Cydonia" - Muse
Bonus Track: "Insane In The Brain" - Cypress Hill (edited version available)
Labels: music
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
"Repudiating the Boogie Woogie and Marching for the Lord!"
Once upon a time, the Apostle Paul wrote to the Colossians,
"If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations - 'Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch' (referring to things that all perish as they are used) - according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh." (Col. 2:20-23, ESV)
Apparently, our brother Alan Ives missed that one (or at least the principle behind it). I recently came across his misinformative gem on YouTube (link), where he explains the difference between godly and ungodly music. His distinction between godly and ungodly melodies is a bit hazy, but it seems that in order for rhythm to be godly, it must not contain any of the following: (1) boogie-woogie, (2) backbeat, (3) breakbeat. Why? Because any of those could lead to dancin'.
Basically, according to him, stressing the 2 and 4 beats is evil, so we need to return to stressing the 1 beat, and march for the Lord. I'm not quite sure what the scriptural basis of that is - oh wait, there's not any. I also highly doubt that he'd be able to make this case in any African-American churches.
Labels: music, religion/theology/philosophy
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Come As You Are
For some reason, the song "Come As You Are" by Nirvana crossed my mind the other day, and I became curious to whether or not there were any covers of the song on iTunes. Well, there were a lot (even after you realize that 15-20% of the search results are covers of a different contemporary christian music song). Of course, there were beaucoups of obligitory awful punk versions, but what really surprised me were how many jazz and bossanova versions there were. There was even a version by The King (yes, the Elvis impersonator), but for some reason you can't purchase that song in US (I suspect the hand of The Colonel in that), but you can listen to it here. Anyway, here is a quick guide to some of my favorites:
Sheila Cassandra. This a jazzy bossanova take, with a great clean guitar tone, and amazing vocals. Definitely my favorite.
Iris T. & The Billy Rubin Trio. Another great female-fronted jazz outfit, this one has a fun violin solo.
Keith Moore. Starts out with an original beginning, before launching into a reggae-tinged fusion cover.
The Mammals. A slow, lo-fi version, with dirty yet spacious guitar tones, harmonica, and a powerful bridge.
Charlie Hunter Trio. Instrumental jazz. Enough said.
The Inchtabokatables. Actually I don't like this version, but it's hard to stop listening to it. It's a live version by an interesting foreign (German?) power-rock band. The, um, passionate vocals are worth a listen.
Rockabye Baby! From the 'Lullaby Renditions of Nirvana' album. I also don't like this version either, but if you like toy piano and xylophone instrumentals, this one's for you.
Oh, well, whatever, nevermind...
Of course, this got me thinking - Could I put together complete cover versions of both the 'Nevermind' and 'In Utero' albums? And the answer is: almost. I couldn't find any covers of "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" or "Tourette's", but other than that, I present to you the following list. Some of these are really good. Some aren't, but they were still the best I could find, sadly enough.
Nevermind:
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Patty Smith. The Godmother of Punk - need I say more? It's mostly acoustic, oddly enough, complete with banjo, though at some point, Patty does her thing and starts rambling a bunch of spoken word that's not in the original. I must say that I was torn between this and the Tori Amos version.
"In Bloom" - So They Say. You can almost always depend on finding a punk version of any Nirvana song.
"Come As You Are" - Sheila Cassandra. That is, if you can't find the version by The King.
"Breed" - Bernstorffsminde Efterskole. See "In Bloom".
"Lithium" - Bruce Lash. Easy-listening acoustic jazz (complete with flute) that fits the title. Good times.
"Polly" - Tritone. Surfish garage rock.
"Territorial Pissings" - Ill Nino. Metalish punk with a proper numetal acoustic breakdown at the bridge.
"Drain You" - The Vitamin String Quartet. I tried really hard not to use any of the 'String Quartet Tribute' albums since they're the throwaway answer, but my hand was forced. It's not spectacular, but it's not bad.
"Lounge Act" - The Retroliners. A fun punkish surf instrumental.
"Stay Away" - UK Subs. See "In Bloom".
"On A Plain" - Agent Orange. See "In Bloom". While not all that different from the original Nirvana version, Agent Orange gets props for their role in early 80s punk, and the shaping of the SoCal skate-punk music scene.
"Something In The Way" - Birdsaw. It's kinda shoegazey, then the female singer starts yelling.
In Utero:
"Serve The Servants" - Rockabye Baby! The pickins' were slim on this one, but it's not as bad as their "Come As You Are".
"Scentless Apprentice" - Flipper. A solid performance, with fun/scary grunge vocals. Interesting, Krist Novaselic actually played bass in this band for a short tour.
"Heart Shaped Box" - Hip Bones. Saxophone-fronted jazz fusion instrumental outfit, but there is a guitar solo about four minutes in.
"Rape Me" - Richard Cheese. Only a Vegas lounge singer could simultaneously destroy the irony of this song, while making it even more ironic. Oddly more disturbing than the original.
"Francis Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle" - Jojo. A fairly solid rock cover.
"Dumb" - El Destroyo. Nice laid-back indie rock.
"Very Ape" - The Postmen. See "In Bloom".
"Milk It" - The Hellworms. Spastic old-skool noisy spazz punk.
"Pennyroyal Tea" - Binky. I think this is a ska-punk band. It has brass, anyway.
"Radio Friendly Unit Shifter". I've got nothing.
"Tourette's." I thought I had one, but I don't.
"All Apologies" - Kathryn Williams. A nice little track. Whistler's version is a close second, even though I almost went with the jazzy big-band version by Double Down.
Anyway, enjoy.
Photos by Charles Peterson, most likely - www.charlespeterson.net
Labels: music
Monday, March 19, 2007
My Very First Hate Mail. Yay!
a very special blog by andy scates
So recently, I was asked to review an album for the March issue of CCM magazine - Anberlin's new album, 'Cities'. Sure, why not? (after all, hey, I get a free copy of the album). So I listened to it, did my evaluation, and wrote the review. It had a few good songs, and a couple of really good songs, but overall, the album was a "B" - not great, but good. Today, we got a reader response (I omit their name for privacy concerns), most of which is aimed at me and my poor taste of music:
"Okay. Listen. I realize that you guys don't really like the more hardcore music I do. But that doesn't mean that everyone feels the same way you do. I completely, utterly disagree with what you said about Relient K's and Anberlin's new CDs. In the Relient K article, you insinuated that their newest album is their best, because it's mellower. Just because you like it more doesn't make it better than their older stuff. Don't assume the world is of the same mind as you. Now to the Anberlin review. I believe it was one Andrew Scates who wrote the review, saying, and I quote, "If the grandeur of 'Fin' could be captured earlier throughout the album, it might be what 'Cities' needs to not just be a good album, but to be a great album." That, my friends, is EXTREMELY wrong. It already is a great album, and this man needs to be told what a great album sounds like. dcTalk. Skillet. AudioAdrenaline. Great albums have always been ridiculed at first by the likes of this critic. I have to say that this is the worst review of an album I have EVER read, and not just in your magazine. I respect the fact that this so-called "critic" is entitled to his opinion, but libeling this AMAZING work of art in the form of music like that is completely inappropriate for a Christian magazine. I hope that this man will be, at the very least, allowed to read my comment. I say again: just because a piece of music is slower and softer, and that you like it for that fact, doesn't mean you go and libel it in this fashion. Every person I have talked to that has read this issue of CCM has had the same reaction as I have. I've gotten things back like "That was completely rude and disrespectful!" and some things that I won't write here. I don't want to be rude like this writer was. My gratitude goes out to you for reading my comments, and please do not let them go unheeded."
Awesome! I'm controversial! I tried to give some legitimate concern to what they wrote until they named some "great" albums - incidentally, I'm a bit unsure of how those qualify as examples of the "more hardcore music" that they listen to (apparently they've never heard Refused's 'The Shape of Punk to Come'). But mostly - I said it was good, and that's rude and libeling? Ha.
Labels: music
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Mixtape #3
Here's a new mixtape for you guys and girls. It's a nice variety of new stuff, old stuff, rock stuff, laid-back stuff, serious stuff, and goofy stuff. Enjoy!
01. "Out Here All Night" — Damone
02. "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)" — Arcade Fire
03. "Carnival" — The Cardigans
04. "The Search" — Dolorean
05. "Night Birds" — Ryan Adams
06. "Carolina Rain" — Ryan Adams
07. "Color Bars" — Earlimart
08. "Wandering the Fields" — IDAHO
09. "Untitled #1" — Spain
10. "Banditos" — Refreshments
11. "Walk-Don't Run" — The Ventures
12. "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" — Ennio Morricone
13. "Precious (U.S. Radio Version)" — Depeche Mode
14. "My Spirit Will Go On" — DragonForce
15. "Only (andy scates' surf mix)" — Nine Inch Nails
You can go to iTunes and get these (although the last two you can get for free; info follows). Please note that Track 15 is not without sarcasm. :)
Free songs:
Track 14 - http://www.myspace.com/dragonforce
Track 15 - http://www.myspace.com/ninsurfmix
Labels: music
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Narnia and Kong vs. Plankeye and Fanmail
After Peter Jackson finished his films of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, he went on to do a remake of King Kong, while others (with the help of Jackson's Weta Workshop) made Lewis's (Tolkien's fellow Inkling) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I ended seeing both of the movies around the same time and bought both dvds on the same day, and I can't help but notice how each of them seems to have Lord of the Rings as a starting point from which they branch out in different directions.
What this really reminds me of is when Scott Siletta and Adam Ferry left the band Plankeye after their fourth album. While Eric Balmer and Luis Garcia continued on with Plankeye, it was definitely different without Scott's vocals. Scott, meanwhile, goes on with his new band Fanmail, which seemed to take the powerpop elements of Plankeye and push them to the extreme. Both new Plankeye and Fanmail were quality, and had the elements of old Plankeye, but neither were quite the same.
I'm not sure if I had a point to all this.
Labels: film/tv/books/arts, music
Friday, March 24, 2006
What do you get when you cross a Jew and a Jazzmaster?
That's right, you get Meshugga Beach Party, an instrumental rock band that plays traditional Jewish folk tunes surf-style. It's great stuff. Mel Waldorf, a practicing Jew, has been playing surf rock for a few decades now and has composed surf songs for several films and tv shows. (Mel is also does the Jazzmaster and Jaguar Page (www.jagandjazz.com), a nice history and info page on those guitars.)
Visit the band's website: www.meshuggabeachparty.com
Labels: music
Turn to Hymn Number What?
When peace, like a river,
attendeth my way,
when sorrows like sea billows roll;
whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet,
though trials should come,
let this blest assurance control,
that Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
and hath shed his own blood for my soul.
It is well with my soul,
it is well, it is well with my soul...
Labels: film/tv/books/arts, music, religion/theology/philosophy
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
"Here, I made this mixtape for you."
Wondering what to listen to? Or maybe you're still not convinced that you should buy the new album by Death Cab for Cutie? Well, for the cost of two CDs, you can go to iTunes and put together the following mixes, each of which will fit on a CD, and contains mostly cool music (well, okay, there's a few uncool songs, but I like them anyway):
Rock Stuff.
1. "Sparkle" - Rubyhorse
2. "Bohemian Like You" - The Dandy Warhols
3. "Soul Meets Body" - Death Cab For Cutie
4. "Space and Mexico" - Havalina
5. "El Caminos in the West" - Grandaddy
6. "Chartsengrafs" - Grandaddy
7. "Little Honda" - Yo La Tengo
8. "C'mon C'mon" - The Von Bondies
9. "Reptilia" - The Strokes
10. "Doesn't Remind Me" - Audioslave
11. "Repeating, Repeating" - The Juliana Theory
12. "Hysteria" - Muse
13. "To Hell We Ride" - Lostprophets
14. "For Miles" - Thrice
15. "Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell (Ego In Acceleration) [Jason Bentley Remix]" - The Flaming Lips
16. "Catch the Sun" - Doves (Addendum. Should be No.1.)
Laidback Stuff.
1. "Moon River" - Los Straitjackets
2. "What Will You Do When Your Suntan Fades" - Beulah
3. "You Can Have It All" - Yo La Tengo
4. "Snowbirds and Townies" - Further Seems Forever
5. "For Me This Is Heaven" - Jimmy Eat World
6. "The Dreaming Dead" - Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter
7. "Someday Soon" - Doves
8. "Tearing In My Heart" - Sunny Day Real Estate
9. "A Million Parachutes" - Sixpence None The Richer
10. "Wires" - Athlete
11. "What Sarah Said" - Death Cab For Cutie
12. "Hurt" - Johnny Cash
13. "Sunny Road" - Emiliana Torrini
14. "Sway" - Phaser
15. "Be Thou My Vision" - Pedro the Lion
16. "The Transfiguration" - Sufjan Stevens
Enjoy.
Labels: music
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Musical Year in Review.
Not so much a true musical year in review from a global perspective, and not so much stuff that necessarily came out this year, but more of "what have I been listening to this year". Also, I'm writing this after a heavy meal (greek chicken plate to go), so my sentences may or not be coherent.
First off, there was the unfortunate tendency for most of my favorite bands to release "'just okay' to mediocre" follow-up albums. The best of these was Starflyer's "Talking Voice Vs. Singing Voice"; the worst of these was Coldplay's "X+Y" (what a disappointment that was). Jimmy Eat World's "Futures" was somewhere inbetween. Oh well. Anyway, on with the reviews...
Grandaddy - "The Software Slump" and "Sumday" Both of these albums are a few years old, but I've just discovered them. Laid-back lo-fi slacker space pop rock with a pseudowestern flair. Or something. 'El Caminos in the West' is a great song.
Doves - "Some Cities" Semi-ambient Brit-pop rock. Doves' third album nicely mixes the mood of their first album with the song-writing flair of their second. It's really the first time one of their albums actually feels like a cohesive album, which is a good thing. My favorite of their albums thus far, although 'Catch the Sun' is still my favorite song.
Muse - "Absolution" Wow. This band sounds kinda like Radiohead, except they rock. They rock really, really well. Wow.
Thrice - "Vheissu" I did not expect to like this album, since I've really been getting out of the whole post-hardcore/post-emo/radio-rock scene lately, but Thrice has grown musically, apparently not wanting to get left behind as emo is finally thrown off the music bus. "Vheissu" intersperses the occasional post-hardcore flavor over a rather ambient and laid-back album. In a way, it reminds me of The Prayer Chain's "Mercury" album. Anyway, I like it.
Sufjan Stevens - "Come On, Feel the Illinoise" marks his second album in his 50 states projects (the first being Michigan). A great album, quite epic, but it still doesn't quite impart the same sense of beauty that his "Seven Swans" album did.
The Music - "Welcome to the North" A nice solid rock album from this British indie group, it's a strangely dancable record with classic rock influences.
Athlete - "Tourist" This Brit-pop band, with their 'mockney' vocals, of course gets comparisons to Coldplay and Doves. The album overall is good, but not great - but what really shines is their song 'Wires', which is one the most beautiful songs I've heard in a long time.
Other notable mentions: Yo La Tengo, Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, The Dandy Warhols, Massive Attack, Magna-Fi (stop laughing at me), Dolorean, Phaser, The Pixies, Rubyhorse, Kasabian, Emiliana Torrini, Death Cab for Cutie, Thievery Corporation, and of course, various selections from the Nirvana box set.
Labels: music
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
For your edification...
This is the Fender Jazzmaster. It was introduced in 1958, and it is the only guitar that you'll ever want. It has a 25.5" scale length, two warm single-coil pickups, a separate rhythm circuit, and a floating tremolo:
Should for some obscure reason you want not a Jazzmaster, I suggest the Fender Jaguar, introduced in 1962. It has a shorter 24" scale length and brighter pickups:
Amongst many other colors, it is also available in the bizarre antigua finish (yum!):
Should you need a different sound, the Jaguar is also available with humbuckers and a fixed bridge:
A budget version is the hybrid Squier Jagmaster, also with a 24" scale length:
Should you need a lower range, try the Fender Jaguar Baritone Special, available with humbuckers, a fixed bridge, and a 27" scale length. It is typically tuned B-B, lower than a standard guitar:
But even more fun is the Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom, available with single-coils, a fixed bridge, rhythm circuit, and a longer 28.5" scale length. Tuned E-E, an octave lower than a standard guitar:
...which is more or less a modified version of the classic Fender Bass VI, with a 30" scale length, three single coils, and a floating tremolo:
However, should that not be bassy enough for you, there is always the Fender Jaguar Bass, equipped with Jazz Bass pickups and a 34" scale length:
For more info about the original Jazzmaster and Jaguar, their history, FAQs, etc., visit http://www.webrocker.de/jaguar/v2/index.php, which includes a nice helpful flash thingy that explains the Jaguar's switching configurations.
Should you wish to help me in my musical endeavors, I will accept donations of any or all of these. Thank you, and good day.
Labels: geek stuff, music
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Sufjan Stevens is your new favorite indie-rock/folk singer.
From his website: "Sufjan Stevens was found in a milk crate on the doorstep of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, in Detroit, MI, on Canada Day, July 1, 1975. He was wrapped in cellophane, and tagged on the wrist with the mysterious note: "I love you." Mr. and Mrs. Stevens had three other children: Jo-Jo, Zukey-Dukey, and Jam-Jam. Mrs. Stevens crocheted afghans for the flea market. Mr. Stevens was the custodian at the hospital. They had very little money, but very big hearts. They decided to keep the baby (using the milk crate to hold their National Geographics). They named him Sufjan Stevens, after Abu Sufjan Muhammad, the great Armenian Sufi warrior who slew ten thousand dragons to save the Fairy Princess. Despite his despondent looks, Sufjan was a good kid. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens did the best they could. They fed him carrots, they read him parts of the Bhagavad Gita, they combed his hair, they sang songs and tap-danced in the living room. Things were looking good!"
Sufjan Stevens' music is great. His latest album, Seven Swans, is mostly laid-back indie rock with acoustic guitar and banjo as the central instruments, yet is not bluegrass. It's more of an ambient slowcore. Sufjan sings and plays most of the instruments, but the Danielson Famile plays and sings backup. His lyrics are very narrative in structure (for example, his song "The Transfiguration" is a song about Christ's transfiguration) and range from spiritual songs to love songs. It's beautiful. Some of it reminds me slightly of Iron and Wine or Jeremy Enigk's solo stuff. Go buy Sufjan's music now.
I also currently recommend The Music's "Welcome to the North", Franz Ferdinand's self-titled, and Sigmatropic's "Sixteen Haiku and Other Stories".
Labels: music
Tuesday, April 27, 2004
"Are you listening? Then sing it back..."
As shown in the above photo, Jimmy Eat World is hard at work in the studio on their upcoming album. Their site is being redone, but you can look at photos of the studio, and they're keeping a blog updated with all the news.
For those of you unfamiliar with Jimmy Eat World, they are an indie/alt rock&roll band from Arizona, who got started almost ten years ago, worked their way up to a major label contract, got bumped from their major label, toured and built up an underground fanbase that allowed them to record another album on their own. Then, they shopped it around until another major label picked them up. Their songs can go from the rockingness of the Foo Fighters or Weezer to the beauty of Coldplay. Lyrically, they have a maturity and a non-depressing attitude that most bands in their vein don't. Anyway, they rock so that you don't have to.
Abridged Discography (okay, their last two albums, haha):
• 2001 - Self-Titled (formerly Bleed American) - It's more rock and pop. Good stuff.
• 1999 - Clarity - It's more mellow and artsy. More good stuff.
Labels: music
