Happy Friday

To celebrate, here is my favorite Sesame Street bit ever. "If Moon Was Cookie" by Cookie Monster. Enjoy.

Okkervil River: The Stage Names

Don't judge a book by it's cover, because let's face it, covers don't get much worse than that. Here's the question -- are we viewing the palm or the back of that hand?

Thanks to Dick Darlington for hunting this one down. First listen: not blown away, but pretty happy with the results.

Soooo many highly-anticipated records leaking lately. I'll be on the lookout for links to other new ones, and get those up when and if I can. New jams from the New Pornographers, Interpol and Iron & Wine are all on the loose this week.

LINK:
Okkervil River: The Stage Names

Recent Shows: The Wrens, Feist

A few quick words on some shows I caught recently.

Feist (w/ Grizzly Bear) @ The Vic Theatre
It's the little creaks, creaks, and subtle vocal inflections that make Feist such a joy to listen to. On her records you can hear it in the way she cascades her phrases and cuts off her enunciations. It is really hard to get an appreciation for it when you see her live. Aside from super-intimate tracks like "The Park" (which I wanted to hear two or three more times), the quality of her voice was lost on the fullness of her band. They sounded great, and her performance was very high-energy, but next time I see her, I want it to be a solo-acoustic thing though.

Grizzly Bear was surprisingly entertaining, despite the fact that I think their album is a bore-fest. They're interesting to watch live because the songs are very dense for only having four guys on stage -- i.e. they have a lot of loops, layers, instruments, and other goings-on. At the same time the songs feel slow, and hollow. You gotta respect Grizzly Bear after seeing them live because, let's face it, it must take a lot of patience to write songs that are this empty.

The Wrens @ The Belmont Arts & Music Fest

First of all, let me just say one thing about this festival: Corn Dogs = $9. Sure they come with fries, but holy fuck... $9???

The Wrens are an interesting story in rock 'n roll. They work regular day jobs and take short vacations to tour. From what I can tell, they seem to be pretty happy playing their most recent record The Meadowlands (see below) in it's entirety every night. That's great by me because it is an AWESOME album -- my favorite from 2003 in fact. I managed to lean over the railing before the show and ask Charles Bissel (Guitarist / Singer) whether or not they had plans to play any new material and he said jokingly, "New material? Come on man it's only been four years since the record came out and you want new tunes already? Get off my back with this pressure!" I'll give a 10% chance at best that they record another album, ever.

Anyway, no new material was played, but that's fine because the set was still ripe with energy. You can see from the photos that the band still enjoys playing these songs. In the 3 times I've seen them since 2003, each song on Meadowlands has evolved significantly from the version that's recorded. It's almost like the band is just rewriting all of existing material. Really, they could go on playing those songs forever and I'd still go. That's how good that album is. Did I mention I found a link and have posted it below?

The Wrens: Meadowlands

LINK:
The Wrens: The Meadowlands

Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther

Very good album from last year. Sounds like Fleetwood Mac they say.

LINK:
Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther

Sufjan Stevens: Michigan

If you love Illinois, you're gonna like Michigan, Ole Suf-boy's home state and initial foray in to the much-discussed 50 states project. Though it is stylistically similar to it's follower, the album is little less dense and melodically developed, with fewer ensemble-oriented tunes and more of a solo and rock-band feel.

Highlights:

• "Flint" -- one of Suf's better solo piano ballads
  
• "For the Widows..." -- Banjo!
  
• "The Upper Peninsula" -- excellent vocal harmonies, and great band feel
  
• "Detroit, Lift Up..." -- Poly-rhythm madness you know and love

LINK:
Sufjan Stevens: Michigan

Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger

When it comes to Ryan Adams, two things are certain: The man is a total self-absorbed douchebag, and also happens to be one of the most talented -- not to mention prolific -- songwriters of our time. I don't really mind the guy's personality, because let's face it, it's interesting. Rock'n Roll needs more loose mouths, and fewer poster boys.

Here, in it's entirety, is probably one of the more memorable answering machine messages in music history. Ryan drops in on Chicago Sun-Times critic Jim DeRogatis, with a few choice words concerning his review of a recent show. This is what I mean by interesting.

Fans are saying this new release, Easy Tiger, is the best since his debut Heartbreaker. The Grateful Dead tendencies continue on tracks like the excellent opener, "Goodnight Rose," but overall we see a pretty wide breadth of styles explored on this disc. Ryan's voice makes a welcome return back to Nashville, with the wavering yowl in full effect.

And just to spice things up for the haters, here's Ryan covering my favorite Alice In Chains tune, "Down In a Hole." Tell me who in the Alt-Country community covers Alice In Chains? Props.

Ryan Adams - "Down In a Hole"

LINK:
Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum

No doubt this one will be included in a future chronicle of worst album covers of all-time. What's inside is pretty interesting though, and about as out-there as the cover art. I suppose I'd describe it as electronic psychedelia, with a little smidge of instrumental hip-hop thrown in for variatino. That's a pretty shitty explanation I realize. Listen for yourself.

LINK:
Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum

Justice - †

It doesn't happen very often, but here's a dance/disco (you be the judge) record that's completely tearing my shit apart. It's like someone took a rusty chainsaw to the usual nice, clean, tightly produced micro-house record. This album barks. It's not safe for children. This album has fucking rabies.

Give the first track, "Genesis" a listen:

I may still be in lust (only one full listen through) but I'm thinking Top 5 of 2007 here.

LINK:
Justice - †

The San Antonio Spurs are a Dynasty

I have to disagree. To me a dynasty is a team that has dominated for at least 3 years, without error. This team has now won 4 championships in 9 years, but none consecutively -- which to me, is required if you want to talk the dynasty talk. The Spurs are a great team, no doubt, but they're not a dynasty yet.

Tony Parker and Eva Longoria... now there's a dynasty. Did she get co-MVP honors? Is ABC sports carrying their wedding, live? Who's ABC got calling that game ceremony?

A couple quickies

It's been a few days, so here's a couple of quickies to keep you busy, including Andrew Bird as requested. I also found new ones from White Rabbit, Battles (hot), Elliott Smith, Spoon and the long-dormant Greyboy Allstars.

This self-titled release from Besnard Lakes is also one of the more interesting rock listens of the year. BL might have actually one-upped My Morning Jacket in terms of heaviest vocal reverb ever used on a single release.

LINKS:
Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
The Besnard Lakes - (s/t)
Greyboy Allstars - What Happened to TV?
Mastodon - Blood Mountain
White Rabbit - Fort Nightly
Battles - Mirrored
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Elliott Smith - New Moon

The Icky Icky

According to several sites frequented by yours truly, The White Stripes new one, Icky Thump, has "sort of leaked." Here is the album, though many of the tracks feature lead-ins from local Chicago rock station, Q101. The quality is actually pretty good still. A handful of the tracks probably came through other sources and do not have lead ins (the title cut has been out for a few weeks).

Initial thoughts on the album: definitely a return to the darker, crunchier side of the stripe. Jack gets downright psychedelic on some of his solos -- and I suppose that makes for the majority of the artistic progression here. The mandolin drops in for at least one appearance, but for the most part it's the usual guitar / drums thing... definitely a departure from thier previous release, Get Behind Me Satan, in terms of arrangements and song presentation. I don't think the songwriting is as good as that record. Aside from the title cut, I don't here any immediate My Doorbell-s or Denial Twist-s that stand out.

If you like the White Stripes you'll dig it. I predict a modest critical reception for this album, however. Neither good nor bad, just kinda... consistent.

LINK:
White Stripes - Icky Thump

Destroyer's Rubies

One of my Top 3 albums from 2006, Rubies can be a very rewarding listen if you don't mind (1) a lead singer who voice is unconventional enough that it warrants comparison (inaccurately, IMO) to Bob Dylan in the mid 1970s, (2) lyrics that might seem abstract and meaningless, but also completely smack you in the face with a brilliant line or two on occasion, (3) a stream-of-consciousness approach to song writing. Plus, there are some truly gorgeous melodies to be found in all this mess. I love it, but Destroyer is not a band for everyone.

LINK:
Destroyer: Destroyer's Rubies

Chromeo - She's In Control

Thanks to Mike for providing the link to this slice of digi-liquid-funktronic-ness. If you like synthesizers, BIG New Order-style beats, and vocoders, this one's for you. Kinda sounds like what Morris Day & the Time might have come up with, had they had the benefit of computers in the early 80s.

The track "Needy Girl" is a clear standout, but the whole album is pretty solid... if you like vocodor... and synths.

LINK:
Chromeo - She's In Control

Mic Check, One, Two

Is this thing on?
Is anyone downloading the stuff I post here?
Anyone having problems downloading these files?

I'd love to hear more about what everyone is listening to, what they'd like to see here on the site, etc. I added a shoutbox on the sidebar. Feel free to post whatever you want there.

Cheers.

King Geedorah: Take Me To Your Leader

Here's a great, and under appreciated effort from MF Doom alter-ego, King Geedorah. Thanks to Rob for fixing me up with this one back in the day.

Leader finds Doom helming the production effort as well, and it shows some distinct flavor that combines monster movie samples with dense guitar, string and synth loops (see "Fazers" and "Krazy World"). There are also more stripped down cuts ("Anti-Matter") that pay homage to the jazz grooves of groups like A Tribe Called Quest.

DOWNLOAD:
King Geedorah - Take Me to Your Leader

Beastie Boys - The Mix Up

UPDATE: Sorry gang, this one got pulled. Let me know if you didn't get a chance to snag it.

Big thanks to An Aquarian Exposed, who provide the link below. Rejoice, the new Beastie's disc is here in full. It's labeled as an advance, but sounds like a final mix to me. Love it so far! It's sure to provide background music for many sports highlights, and soda drink commercials to come.

DOWNLOAD:
Beastie Boys - The Mix Up