what about us?

the fall - ride away

Give it a chance give it a chance.

Comments?

i am getting good

fiona apple - not about love

A few things about this song.

1) The drumming is a mess. In a good way.

2) When it swings around to the chorus and she steps on that pedal on the piano in the pause before the drum comes back in... I enjoy that.

3) I like it when she starts singing almost too fast for the music to keep up with.

4) "What is this posture I have to stare at?" That's what he said when I was sitting up straight.

I thought that maybe this Fiona Apple album was a pile of crap at first (I'm actually a Fiona Apple fan, so I have high expectations) but after giving it more listens I think it's pretty good. I mean, more songs about some dude that did her wrong. Maybe that's getting old. I still dig it. She still seems like she's too smart for anyone.

Anyway, this song is one of the better ones, if you ask me.

what a fantastically different experience

my morning jacket - wordless chorus

Well, I'm back from Japan, and strangely enough I can't think of any music I would associate with the trip. I'd be willing to be that this is because my Ipod crashed on day 1 and it took me most the rest of the time to get it back half-resorted.

Today it is finally back to some sort of normal. I DID buy some cds while I was in Japan, and then a couple more when I got back, which means that I've bought more music in the past week or so than I have in over two years. Hmm.

Today's track is from My Morning Jacket's new album Z. My Morning Jacket sound like Blind Melon in a cave, if you ask me. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing.

Last night Gina and I went and saw a comedy show in Indianapolis, and My Morning Jacket were playing next door, and although I don't really go to shows anymore I felt like maybe I would have had a good time at the My Morning Jacket show. But alas...

This song is pretty good, I think.

JAPANANNANNA

The blog is currently closed while I go get lost in Japan. See you in two to three weeks, when I will return triumphantly. Perhaps.

and...

camille - janine 3

nikki note: try both these camille tracks, i guess.

I'm discovering this Camille album at work, so it's just sort of playing in the background, and I hear this sort of grunting sounding thing...

Here's the track. I have no idea what's going on, but I found it entertaining.

freedom fries

camille - ta douleur

Bjork did this medulla album recently, which was done without any instruments, just voices laid on top of each other to make songs. She had Rahzel and Mike Patton and all these people that could do interesting things with voice. It was a fine idea. But it sucked.

Camille is French. I know this because she sings in a language that sounds like French. Apparently she had the same sort of idea as Bjork, because her album Le fil is also an accapella sort of thing (though is sounds as though the bass parts are done with some instrument). The difference? Camille's album actually sounds good.

Camille sort of has this breathy Fiona Apple thing going on as well (or at least I hear it), and that makes it even better. This song also has some sort of doowopy kinda thing going on.

Anyway, enough about it. Give it a listen. I think you'll find it enjoyable and wonder how I am so in tune with everything. You'll say "why that Mike is a genius! He exposes me to so many wonderful things!"

Then you will think about ways to repay me.

pop

john frusciante - second walk

I've been listening alot to John Frusciante's Curtains and Shadows Collide With People albums, two albums in a series of six albums he released over the course of a year.

This track is short, which is a good thing because I'm running out of web space. I like the guitar solo.

oldplay

doves - 45
doves - there goes the fear

Don't get me wrong. I like Coldplay enough. But sometimes when I'm not feeling like a 45 year old woman, I like my Britrock with a bit more attitude, and that's where Doves step in.

Doves are great because they answer the question "who fits in between Bends/Ok Computer era Radiohead and current day Coldplay?", and they do it with just a little bit of old r&b flavor (I said "just a little bit").

The first track is 45, a b-side from the Black and White Town single, I think. It starts off with this sort of sinister feel in the vocals (I don't have any idea what the lyrics are; They might be about puppies) but then this sort of swooping Edge-like guitar line comes in and saves the whole thing before it starts to remind me a little too much of a Rush song.

The second track is There Goes The Fear from the album The Last Broadcast. It's a song that builds and builds and I really can't even convey how completely great it is. And it ends so fantastically perfect. I really enjoy it when a song is so good that I can't explain it in words.

Enjoy.

quickness

neil young - only love can break your heart
saint etienne - only love can break your heart

Neil Young is great any way you take his music, and I think a great illustration of that can be shown by listening to the original and cover versions of "only love can break your heart".

Saint Etienne's version is probably something Mr. Young never had in mind, but the strength of the melody shines through.

Ok gotta go.

i can't

mali music - le relax

I may have mentioned before that I'm a huge fan of Blur. Because of this I'm also willing to give Damon Albarn's side projects a chance. That might be a lie. I never actually listened to the new Gorillaz album.

I did convince my girlfriend to buy the Mali Music album, though, because I thought I might like it. Well, I don't. Not much. I think she liked it for a little while though, so all was not lost.

Today's track is from that album, and is the sort of thing that works well if I'm not paying too much attention to it. But you may enjoy it more than I did. It's certainly not unlikable.

* * * * *
Please someone recommend me something good and fairly unknown to listen to. I need some good memorable music for my upcoming Japan trip. Last time it was Jim O'Rourke's "I'm Happy and I'm Singing and 1,2,3,4" and a newfound appreciation for the power of neo-soul.

I'm going to need some help this time around though. So please, please... recommend me some music for a 14 hour airplane ride and a country filled with overwhelming lights everywhere.

sore ankles

charles mingus - freedom part II (aka clark in the dark)
happy end - kaze wo astumete

I'm not going to pretend to know anything about Charles Mingus, or jazz even. Now watch as I do what I just said I wouldn't. I took a class in college once. I'm completely qualified. I think I got a B.

I can recall reading about Mingus a little bit in Miles Davis' autobiography, and I think he disliked white people. Or maybe that was Miles. The problem with reading is that you have to be able to comprehend what you've read. Stupid reading.

Anyway, today's first track is from "The Complete Town Hall Concert", and album of a live show that apparently went way wrong. As far as I can remember, people were playing wrong parts at wrong times, the audience had no idea what was going on, and the japanese invaded half way through the show and forced the band to spell really difficult words.

I like this track because the horns (and I don't know a french horn from a croissant) sound huge. It also sounds like whoever is recording is moving all over trying to get the best sound from whichever instrument is soloing, or something along those lines. The recording is fucked. But not in a way that makes the song unenjoyable. I'd say it almost works in a way that makes the song more enjoyable.

I really had to exercise restraint to not but the word "more" in italics in that sentence.

Secondish today is a track by Happy End called Kaze Wo Astumete, which in Japanese means "a whale's vagina".

Big ups if you got that one.

This track is from the Lost In Translation soundtrack. I'm going to Japan in less than a month. These two things are completely unrelated.

I like this song because it's a good happy sorta thing. And you should too, because.

Remember when I wrote ok? That was great. Now I suck.

KHTR - 103.3

broken social scene - 7/4 (shoreline)

KHTR was the St. Louis radio station I listened to as a kid. They had all the choice Kenny Loggins cuts, which is all you need when you're a kid. I really think that worst thing about bring a kid up in the world today is that there's no new Kenny Loggins jams.

The track today is a leak from Broken Social Scene's new album. The vocals seem sort of muted here, and I'm wondering if this is a mastered or unmastered copy. In any case, I guess the band wasn't that happy about the leak, and I'd put up a link to the statement, but then they'd have a direct link to a blog leaking a track. Duh.

Here's what the dude said:

Nevermind they took it off their site, probably because it sounded stupid.

But something I discovered at the site is that this must be the single.

That figures.

Anyway, rock out.

getting darker earlier

the constantines - on to you
radiohead - i froze up

I suppose it's amazing how much music I've missed in the last couple of years considering how on top of things I like to imagine I am. I think the reason this happens is because I tend to be skeptical about every review I read.

To be honest, I download enough music that I can't even keep up with what I've stolen.

I did buy the M.I.A. album last week because even though I had already downloaded it, I thought enough of it to actually pay for it.

I guess that absolves me of my sins.

Alright. The Constantines are a band I had to keep listening to to get. This happens from time to time. Now I really like them, and I'm sure in another year I'll think they're boring (this happens to every band I ever like, pretty much). For the time being, enjoy the fact that when he sings "ooh ooh I'm on to you" it sounds like the timing is off. And that when the music does come back in suddenly it makes sense. That's a wonderful musical revelation of discovery and I don't know what the fuck this sentence is supposed to be. Did I mention that it gets dark too early now? I'm going to end up fat again.

Track 2 today was ripped from a RealPlayer stream of Radiohead's Christmas webcast a couple years ago. Look, I like Radiohead more than any other band, and I know there's some sort of stigma that goes along with that if you're a music snob, or maybe even if you're not. Guess what? Fuck it.

I could go on about how the band somehow pulls off these huge sounding records and blah blah blah.

I Froze Up is a very small sounding song. The audio quality here is surprisingly good. I like the words.

Leave a comment, you freeloading bitch(es).

house cleaning

pj harvey - one time too many

My girlfriend and I are preparing a room for our new guest, an old friend of mine who will be staying with us for anywhere up to two years. I'm not sure if this is a bad idea or not, but I'm really fond of the idea of having extra money lying around (he's paying rent).

Last night we started cleaning out two closets in order to make space, and I came across quite a bit of music from my past. Most of this was in cassette form, and although I was really quite tempted to go buy a tape player in order to listen to classics from bands like Metal Church and Duran Duran. How's that for variety?

I ended up throwing it all away. It was cathartic.

I did find some mix cds, though, one of which contained the PJ Harvey track I've posted today. I think this was from a soundtrack, and I'd guess it came from around the time she recorded the To Bring You My Love album.

This track is a 3 minute slice of perfect, and once again makes me realize that I have no idea what the hell happened to the real PJ Harvey.

i have no idea where i was

arcade fire - cold wind
queens of the stone age - the blood is love

I'm so excited by someone I don't know leaving a comment (see the previous post) that I've forced this entry. But that's ok, because they're all forced anyway. On to the music...

First up is Cold Wind by The Arcade Fire. I don't really know where I stand on The Arcade Fire. When I first heard "Funeral" I thought it was fantastic, but it hasn't stood up that well to repeat listenings. I can't ever make it through the whole thing. Part of the reason for this is that I saw what they looked like in some video on MTV. The other part is because I generally hate Canadians.

That's not true; it's just that I wrote "Part of the reason" and then realized I was going to need to say more. Saying "I generally hate Canadians" seemed funny. But it isn't. "I love lamp" is funny.

Alright already. Six Feet Under (a show on HBO) is ending next week, and last night's episode featured "Cold Wind". When it started playing I thought "is that Arcade Fire?" and figured it had to be because of the trademark warbling and the way the song seemed like is kinda sucked but it also seemed good. There's some sort of redemption in this song. I haven't figured it out yet (mainly because I'm just sort of listening to it for the first time right now). But I think it's the part that goes "HEY HEY HEY".

Like I said, this song might suck.

The second triggidy track (you're allowed to hate me for writing that) is "The Blood Is Love" by Queens of the Stone Age. QUOTA are one of my favorite groups because they allow me to pretend I'm covered in fire tattoes and drive cool cars.

Speaking of cool cars, I used to own one of these.



QOTSA make me want to own it again, and run over little kids, and sleep with girls that wear leather underwear.

and now this

depeche mode - policy of truth
the fall - the birmingham school of business school

Two for today, starting with Depeche Mode's "Policy of Truth". I always thought he was saying "upon a sea of truth" up until the time I downloaded this album 3 months ago. I downloaded this because of a glowing review by a former pitchfork writer. I've owned "Songs of Faith and Devotion" for a long time (it seems to be pretty common in used cd bins), but I don't think I ever really appreciated this band until recently. What's amazing about this track (for me, anyway) is that it's got these horrible synthesiser sax stabs, and I still enjoy it. Usually synth sax stabs are a deal breaker.

Track 2 is The Fall's "Birminham School of Business School", which is long and rambling and Mark E. Smith goes Rawarwarwarwrawrawrwarawrawrwraw and it's fantastic. When I like a Fall song, I really like it.

Ok. Let me know how it goes? Do you enjoy The Fall? Radiohead's Thom Yorke does.

blues explosion!

the cardigans - do you believe
blind melon - car seat (god's presents)
bob dylan - bye & bye

The Cardigans track is here because it came up on shuffle on my ipod this morning and it sounded good. I like The Cardigan because Nina Person has a great voice and doesn't sound like anyone else. Something I've noticed from my musical wanderings is that alot of indie (or whatever) female singers sound the same. And by that I mean "not that good, really". Kind of like how there's 27 different rock stars running around now sounding exactly like Tool's singer.

I posted the Blind Melon track because I still think Blind Melon were great. This track kind of has two parts (the car seat part and the god's presents part). The car seat part was written by Shannon Hoon (who's dead and buried somewhere not too far from where I am right now) and the god's presents part was written by Shannon Hoon's grandmother when she was young. If I remember the story right, Shannon found the poem in her attic and decided to use it in the song. Shannon also had a ring of bugs tattoed around his neck because he was afraid of bugs and some voodoo lady told him that it would keep them away. I think that's a great reason to get a tattoo, and I wish it was my story.

I posted the Bob Dylan track because it reminds me of old people wearing seersucker suits, drinking tea and lounging in grand gardens. And I tried playing guitar along with this Dylan album (Love and Theft) once when I thought I'd pick the guitar back up, and I couldn't even figure out what planet it was coming from. It didn't work with any scale I ever learned. I'm horrible at guitar and should sell it and buy another bike. I'm ok at riding a bike.

Now taking requests.

on break

I guess this blog is on hold for a little while until I feel like sharing something. All I've been listening to lately is M.I.A.'s Arular. And Pearl Jam. I guess I could just put less effort in. You don't come here to read anyway. Let's try that.

les savy fav - we'll make a lover out of you

I posted this because it the ending (when there's sort of a chorus of guys singing "we'll make a lover out of you") reminds me of old Van Halen. I mean that as a compliment.

deerhoof - panda panda panda

A Japanese band that sounds Japanese. I haven't really heard a Japanese band that hasn't sounded Japanese yet, now that I think about it.

2 weeks off

underworld - two months off

I've recently been thinking about my upcoming vacation and that always sort of leads to thoughts of my relationship with my pal Jon and sort of "how did I get here". Also, this time around, I'm wondering if I'll have the best time ever, again, or if I'll get sick like last time (still had the best time ever) or if my current ankle problems will fix themselves because Japan involves a ton of walking.

Whatever, you don't really care about that.

The song I've put up today is Underworld's "Two Months Off", a track that contains the vocal stylings of Naomi Campbell (at least it sounds A LOT like her. I know this because we're old friends) before the song really kicks into high gear.

Jon introduced me to Underworld many years ago now, and this introduction opened a lot of musical door for me. Prior to Underworld, I pretty much hated anything dance-related; Nowadays all I want to do is dance. In fact, right now I'm doing the lambada with a stapler. It's hard to not appreciate the amount of freedom I have at work.

So this one is dedicated to Jon. I hope he hasn't heard this track, though I'm guessing he probably has. I've always wanted Jon to like the things I've introduced to him, and I think I'm probably hitting at about a 25-40% clip... maybe I'm better than that, maybe I'm worse. I think it's sort of natural to want to share and hope people enjoy the same things you do... I think I've probably written about this before. Ok. I'm going to stop typing now.

i hate music

shudder to think - ballad of maxwell demon
jack wilson - see sky crumbling

You might think that since I bother with posting music on this blog that I'm a fan of music, but the truth is that it's pretty rare that I actually hear something I like. In fact, even if I find something I like, it's pretty likely that I'll sour on it within a month or two.

I've been trying to find new stuff that hasn't been heard basically anywhere to post here, but like I said, I don't really like anything.

So that's why the two tracks I've put up today are special. They're both things I've liked for quite some time now, even though originally I would have never thought that would be the case (and I'll explain below).

The first track is Shudder To Think's "Ballad Of Maxwell Demon" from the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack... have I posted this before? For some reason I think I have now... nevermind, I haven't.

I've always dug this song for a few reasons: 1) I liked the movie 2) I always picture guys wearing white leather gloves performing this song, and for some reason that appeals to me 3)there's a lot of harmony here 4) it's quite dramatic. Or at least it sounds quite dramatic. I've never really paid any attention to the lyrics, other than to notice they sound good with the music.

This sort of glammy stuff usually isn't my thing, but this song has always been good to me. So now I'd like it to be good to you.

The second track is by DJ Brewer, a guy I know from Pittsburgh, who goes by the alias of Jack Wilson for performance sake. When you know someone in a band or someone who performs, I think it's only natural that you'll be forgiving or overlook their shortcomings in order to enjoy what they do. In the past I've had friends in horrible bands that I still learned to enjoy because I enjoyed the people. It's only in hindsight that you realize how horrible their music or art truly was.

But in the case of DJ's stuff I've never had to overlook or forgive anything. This track works for me because I can relate to the way he's thinking (which I take as "everything falls apart, but fuck it"), and because it's just really well done across the board.

So there it is. I hope he doesn't mind me giving it away for free. He's got more stuff at myspace, but that might require a registration or something. You'll see pictures of him there looking quite hard, but I can assure you he drinks milk straight from the baby cow's teet. Or something equally cute/frightening.

Have at it.

unaborted aborted post

Song Added by Request 7/19/05 - Geto Boys - Fuck Em'

Originally Posted 7/15/05

I don't really want to post this song any more, but I do want to post what I wrote because I thought it was important enough to save as a draft for the past month.

Track #4, if I have space, is the Geto Boys "Fuck Em'", which wins the award for most uses of Scarface samples in a song. It is my belief that this is a Rick Rubin produced song from way back in like 1994 or something. I think hip hop hit a sweet spot right around then, and with this track the proof is in the pudding. The Geto Boys (and that IS how you spell their name. I double checked) were pretty great because they've got a really smart sounding midget, songs about cutting up prostitutes, and they're from Houston, which is where Jason went to school.

Well fuck it I ran out of space. I'll post the geto boys track next time.

summer babe

Jason said:

these july afternoons leave me nostalgic and searching for a gorgeous anthem that can convey the heady days of the early 90s in southern illinois.
something bittersweet without being melancholy; purposeful but not pretentious; something that reminds you of a young lad just learning to drive; behind the wheel of a dull beige citation. the exhilaration, those first tentative steps into the blue expansive waters of freedom; not too deep at first, mind you, just comfortable but gazing ahead... what would be playing on the poorly designed vertical am/fm radio in this boy's chariot of adolescence? what song would carry him down country roads in the summer of 1992? it would be so difficult for a song of today to recreate those complicated times, but i'm sure you can find it. we're counting on you.

mclusky - she will only bring you happiness
art brut - moving to l.a.
mike watt - chinese firedrill

I have to admit that I was excited by the prospect of filling a request. It was an idea I had thought of suggesting earlier but never acted upon. I prefer a little interaction, you may have noticed.

Instead of just putting up the request though, I'm going to make it a sort of theme... "Music for that 16 year old in the Chevy Citation".

First track: McLusky's "She Will Only Bring You Happiness". This has always reminded me of Pavement's "Cut Your Hair"; but it's got that pessimistic and sarcastic vibe that McLusky (now broken up) were great for. Of course you've also got the around singing at the end. I'd explain that more but I wouldn't want to ruin it for anyone who hasn't heard the track. I'll just say it's humorous to me now, and I know it would have been just as funny for me when I was 16.

I've included the second track (Art Brut's "Moving to LA") because it has an Axl Rose reference, and at age 16 we were all about Axl Rose. The whole Art Brut album is sort of cheeky like this track, so if that's your kind of thing I highly recommend picking it up.

Track three, Chinese Firedrill, is from Mike Watt's alternative music superstar all star team album "Ballhog Or Tugboat". This album had guest appearances from everyone from Henry Rollins to Mike D (you can read more about that here) and has always been a closet favorite of mine. Of course I discovered this around the age of 16, and only really knew about it because I was a fan of Eddie Vedder, and he appears on the album. Of course Watt is perhaps better known as a member of The Minutemen, but I didn't discover them really until maybe two years ago.

I think maybe Chinese Firedrill fits the request best. Though I don't know how this would have sounded through a sideways stereo*, it isn't exactly Pearl Jam either, which was the first thing that came to mind when I read Jason's comment.

I still listen to Pearl Jam alot, actually.

*Interesting Note: I believe Jon Schmitt also knows about sideways radios... I seems like maybe he had a car with one. I also almost ended up with an Oldsmobile Firenza, which also had the sideways radio. How does a car designer come up with a dash that doesn't have room for a traditional radio? We will probably never know.

i could be one of the dead

REPOSTED TRACK - john frusciante - running away into you
john frusciante - past recedes
john frusciante - your pussy's glued to a building on fire

Today I've put up three tracks by John Frusciante, one of which I've posted before. The last time I posted Frusciante track I had a very good response, and I recently discovered another album by him, so I thought I'd revisit his music.

The first new track, "Past Recedes", is from the album "Curtains", which was released after John had gotten off the drugs and rejoined the Chili Peppers. I downloaded the track just this past Friday, and driving home from work I was struck by how good the Curtain album sounds. It perfectly fit my mood that day, which was sort of a resigned to boredom hot summer day driving kind of vibe. I really could have posted any of the first 5 songs from the album, because honestly I'm not that familiar with the whole thing yet because my iTrip crapped out on me. You'll probably immediately notice how far John's music has come here, as this more put together and better produced than anything off of "Niadre Lades and Usually Just A T-Shirt", which is the album I posted from earlier.

"Your Pussy's Glued to a Building On Fire", from Niandre Lades, is my second choice today. After giving you a hint at how strange the Niandre Lades album is with "Running Away Into You", I thought I could help you dive in headfirst. I don't really remember if this particular track has the random screaming/screeching/dying that about 70% of Niandre Lades has, but in any case it's chock full of odd, which means (at least for me) it's enjoyable about once every 6 months.

Alright. Fantastic.

i like him

joanna newsom - peach plum pear
modern lovers - i'm straight
tom ze - toc

Continuing with a theme of posting whatever, today I've put up three songs that are completely unrelated, other than I like them.

Track 1, Joanna Newsom's "Peach Plum Pear" is a song I've written about before; I discovered it in a blog I have linked here. As I've said before, Miss Newsom manages to sound like about 5 different people here, and I find it highly entertaining. Not to mention that I just happen to enjoy the song for song's sake.

Track 2, Modern Lover's "I'm Straight".... I'm not in the mood for this today. It's a good song, either you like it or you don't, maybe no one's reading this anyway, and I don't feel like I need to entertain myself today. Fuck it.

Track 3 is by Tom Ze, this Brazilian dude (I guess) and I sounds like a Books' song. A lot of stereo panning, very sort of minimalist guitars parts, and I'm in the mood for Taco Bell. Bye. Fuck it.

no wars no cars i wish it could be true

ellen allien - wish
annie - heartbeat
basement jaxx - hot and cold

If you consider yourself hip and on top of things musically, these tracks may be old news to you. In that case... Whatever. I guess I've just outed myself... I think I'm hip and on top of things musically. But don't think that if you're not familiar with these songs that I think you're not hip and on top of things musically. I just think you're swell.

Track #1 today is Ellen Allien's "Wish". Ellen Allien is a german DJ. I don't really know much about her except that he's into animals and wires and doesn't like cars. I tend to think that people that are against the idea of cars have never really been out in America. And while I quite enjoyed Japan's rail system when I visited, sometimes you just need a car. Anyway, sentiment aside (and it's not really a big deal to me anyway), this song is good stuff, and (ironically enough) sounds fantastic blaring out of the speakers of my VW Golf.

Track 2, Annie's "Heartbeat", is a song about hearts, and beating, and trully trully like a mystery (I think?). Get ready to dancercize! I have no stories for these songs. I just like them. Get off my back. I'm in a writing rut here. Two for two on songs that aren't filled with oogly boogly sadness.

I've chosen Basement Jaxx's "Hot And Cold" as my third track today, because it's good. Sometimes I'll choose a song because it's horrible, which is why from now on all I'm posting is Crazy Frog and other homemade crap remixes of Axel F. Seriously though, Beverly Hills Cop, Bitch.

Have a nice holiday weekend, unless you're in Japan, in which case you should just have a nice weekend.