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(09/22/10 11:17pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When we brainstormed our “Best of What You’ve Never Heard Of” music list, our hardly rigid guidelines were as follows: nothing too popular, too old or too new. And what we essentially ended up with was an arbitrary selection of 15 names out of a pool of seven bazillion eligible and worthy artists. This is because any serious effort made towards numerically ranking the true top 15 of these countless qualifiers would have been a stressful waste of time to create, an aggravating waste of time to read and the trigger for lots of heated, obnoxiously directionless debating. We did make a decent effort to span the “big genres,” but otherwise, this was more or less just a rare chance for each of us to promote two or three of those artists who have garnered more plays on our own iPods than anyone else’s in the room. How they found their ways under our own individual radars is the interesting part to me. Some were discovered from under a magnifying glass, their names written in size two font at the bottom of music festival lineups. Others were noticed during their sole play on college radio, and it was love at first listen. What, exactly, is the greatest claim to fame of any of the artists on this list? It could be Burial’s 2008 nomination for Britain’s Mercury Prize, or Deer Tick’s recent network television debut on “The Late Show with David Letterman”, or Ghostland Observatory getting a night slot last year at the Austin City Limits festival. But sadly, none of these accomplishments can guarantee any artist a profitable future of mass exposure. The fact remains that the music we are badly missing out on is right under our noses more often than not. So if I had to offer one thing to keep in mind when scanning our list, it would be this: you should not stop here. Look up all of our recommendations if you truly feel motivated, but you will be just as well off checking out one or two that sound like your thing and using them as jumping off points. Do some blind clicking around their record label roster. See who else they are touring with these days. Or listen aimlessly and see what you find. Show up to Lollapalooza earlier next year to hear a random band trying to climb their way out of the 1 p.m. slot. Put the iPod in the glove box for a while in exchange for a little daytime WIUX. Wanna really know the best of what you’ve never heard? Usually, all you need to do is look around a little more.
(09/22/10 10:32pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>There aren’t too many bands in rock ’n’ roll these days that are good at crafting their entire sound around their singer’s voice, but The Walkmen are certainly one. Hamilton Leithauser’s forceful and resonant howling is the commanding centerpiece for their latest release “Lisbon,” a raw and exhilarating rock record as moving as it is catchy. Leithauser’s vocals will easily seize your attention on the faster and mightier tracks like the adrenaline-charged album standouts “Angela Surf City” and “Victory.” But for better or worse, he chooses to harness this gift significantly on most of “Lisbon”’s tracks. On “Stranded,” for instance, a slow, woozy brass chorus accompanies his despondent wails at a sluggish tempo. Despite it being a considerably wild deviation from what The Walkmen do best, the song actually works. Considering the great energetic heights that The Walkmen are capable of, “Lisbon”’s prominent softer side might leave you wanting a bit more, but it helps amplify the loud impact from the record’s more invigorating moments.
(09/08/10 11:20pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Weezer recently announced plans to do a possible tour featuring their first two studio albums played cover to cover.It’s a rare move for any band to make these days, especially one that’s currently promoting its eighth upcoming studio album. But given the history behind the band’s discography, a brief portion of which is as follows, it is well overdue.In 1994, somewhere in between The Smashing Pumpkins’ “Siamese Dream” and Oasis’ “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?,” alternative rock reached full swing. It was an unlikely year for Harvard graduate Rivers Cuomo and his three tattoo-free bandmates to show the world the sounds of a great, no-nonsense guitar album. But it was the year Weezer released their eponymous debut that single-handedly gave actual meaning to “nerd rock,” known popularly as “The Blue Album.”Inside were 10 anthemic and power chord-laden tracks detailing various aspects of nerd life with lyrics so honest they induce occasional wincing. Case in point: the surfer wannabe’s anthem “Surf Wax America” (“I’m waxing down so that I’ll go real fast/I’m waxing down because it’s really a blast”) or the anti-socialite’s anthem “In the Garage” (“In the garage where I belong/no one hears me sing this song.”) Not surprisingly, the album cover wasn’t quite as loud as that of Nirvana’s “Nevermind”; it features the band decked out in the Gap clearance rack standing expressionless in front of a solid blue backdrop. But while the album felt modest and reserved on most levels, the guitar solos didn’t cower one bit. Each one flourished high above the album’s infectious classic rock melodies and emphatically punctuated the relationship plights of Rivers Cuomo, hopeless romantic. Against all odds, Weezer managed to produce a flair-free rock album still worth a close listen, and Cuomo laid to rest all notions that one must be from Seattle and have dabbled in heroin in order to wear his heart on his sleeve. Beneath the unassuming front, it was a deceptively brave record and became one of the elite LPs of the 1990s. Two years later they upped the ante with the harder, grittier, and profoundly emo “Pinkerton,” which took girl troubles to an unheard of new level. Cuomo spared no intimate detail of his cursed love life from falling for a lesbian to falling for an enamored stranger who wrote him a letter from Japan. The world found the vigorously self-deprecating album too off-putting to digest at first, and it was instantly shut down both critically and commercially, though it would earn its due appreciation by critics years later. What happened to the band next is basically anyone’s guess. Shortly after the “Pinkerton” release, Cuomo would dub himself “a complete fool” for creating a record so purgative, as he was hurt by its cold reception. His recluse echoed his words — it was another five years before the band’s next release, 2001’s “The Green Album,” a bubblegum-coated, gutless and totally failed attempt at reincarnating the “Blue Album” sound. At 28 minutes and change, its greatest strength was ending so quickly. Sadly, this was Weezer’s first step on the road to becoming rock and roll’s textbook sellout model. By 2009, they had upgraded their department store wardrobe to matching metallic silver jumpsuits for an AOL Sessions performance featuring Chamillionaire and Kenny G. And they were all over the radio. I don’t know why it took the band fourteen years to want to relive the good old days with its most devout fans. And I don’t know why they think now might be the right time. Maybe Cuomo just needed a little skillful persuasion from his bandmates. (Guitarist Brian Bell said he’s “praying” this tour will go down.) But I do know that I’ll finally be OK with paying to see this band. Because nobody deserves “Beverly Hills.”
(06/16/10 11:19pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Though it’s established a clear comfort zone within alt-country, Blitzen Trapper has never completely confined itself there for any album nor committed to straying from it. About half its catalogue consists of original Americana compositions in the ballpark of alt-country landmarks like Ryan Adams’ “Heartbreaker” and Uncle Tupelo’s “Anodyne.” The remainder of its songs are scattered across the playing field. Be it three minutes of flirting with heavy metal or doing its best Coldplay impression, Blitzen Trapper loves to explore any and all foreign territory. With the opening title track of its latest album, “Destroyer of the Void,” the Oregon sextet immediately makes it clear it still has absolutely no intention of staying put. It’s yet another curveball: six minutes of tempo-bending progressive folk that feels like a Neil Young and Queen collaboration that never was. There are also plenty of moments where the group’s heartfelt A-game shines through. The best example is bluesy murder ballad “The Man Who Would Speak True,” while “Sadie,” the album’s sweet, slow-rocking closer, caps it off in a manner highly evocative of the Rolling Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Blitzen Trapper’s signature direction swings can be uncomfortably abrupt, but they prove the band is more versatile than erratic.
(06/03/10 4:56pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>At least for the time being, the U.S. has an unfortunate ratio of accomplished musicians to BP executives behind bars, recently released or facing time. But there is hope.First, the ratio now seems to be slowly reversing itself. Second, not even prison — not even getting busted with headphones, or “music contraband” — will stop the currently incarcerated Lil Wayne from taking major steps toward his next release, “Tha Carter IV.” How difficult is it to make music sans freedom? It obviously depends on one’s external resources, record label situation, etc. — but evidently, it’s not too tough. Just ask Gucci Mane, the master of juggling jail and jams. In the eight months of freedom he had between sentences in 2009, he cranked out six mixtapes and an album. Then, while locked up again in March, he came out with his latest album, “Burrrprint 2,” part of which he recorded over the phone from jail. T.I. also has a comeback album due this August, aptly titled “King Uncaged.” He finished recording more than 100 songs for it just days before serving nearly a year and predicts it to be “the most significant return from incarceration that the game has had since (Tupac Shakur’s ‘All Eyez on Me’).” Yeah, you could say there’s a pattern emerging. Still, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I read this week that a certain legendary rock personality-turned-murderer is back on the horse as well. Phil Spector was convicted last year for the second-degree murder of actress Lana Clarkson and was sentenced to 19 years. In a few days, he will release his wife Rachelle’s debut album, which he somehow produced during downtime between his trials. It makes perfect sense that sitting in a cell for extended periods of time, or even thinking about sitting in a cell, might motivate someone to produce more at every opportunity. But what about a quality product? Will the torment of the pen bring out the best in our beloved heroes and villains? I give Weezy the slight upper hand for the bigger comeback. Yes, the album title suggests a return to “TC3” form, where he loudly and firmly planted himself at the top of the rap hierarchy before flubbing pretty hard with “Rebirth.” It never hurts to be at a low point when trying to make a comeback. But Wayne is a man who prefers to let his game do the talking, and given that no one else’s is better, “TC4” already has an irresistible element of mystique and will likely say more about life in prison than Gucci or T.I. ever have or will. “I’d rather be pushing flowers than be in the pen sharing showers,” Wayne reasoned on “A Milli.” Tough luck right there, but then again, the man has a knack for spinning tough luck into platinum and gold. As for Mr. and Mrs. Spector, hopefully they can provide the best prison comeback of 2029.
(05/26/10 8:53pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Pitchfork Festival, running July 16-18 in Chicago’s Union Park, is the
one of few events in the world where you can catch indie rock immortals
Pavement, Modest Mouse and Broken Social Scene along with members of
iconic hip-hop groups Outkast and Wu-Tang Clan in one weekend.
Their (self-) critically-acclaimed lineup never fails to pack in an
enthusiastic crowd, and the typical herd of Pitchfork Media fanatics
hailing from Chicago’s west side have all but made it our country’s
official modern hipster convention. Other must-see acts include
electro-pop pioneers LCD Soundsystem and Panda Bear along with promising
record-label newbies Surfer Blood and Girls.
It’s not an overnight event, so no camping gear is necessary. Union Park
is relatively small and usually houses three stages hardly more than a
football field apart, which means minimal walking. The headliners are
definitely worth getting up close for, but during the day, it’s best to
save energy and sit in the field toward the back of the crowd to absorb
the smaller acts.
Bring a large blanket and as many sealed water bottles as you want —
most other festivals have a limit on that, including Chicago’s other
main event, Lollapalooza.
(05/13/10 5:05pm)
Steven Arroyo previews "The Karate Kid."
(05/13/10 3:51pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Five years is a long time to wait between albums. But every so often, a band emerges that is simply too ambitious and too capable to be rushed. Case in point: Broken Social Scene. “Forgiveness Rock Record” is the Canadian gang’s fourth full-length record under the official Broken Social Scene name and their first since a self-titled effort in 2005 that won them their second Juno Award. They trimmed down their typically gigantic core lineup to seven this time around, but as always welcomed countless cameos from notable musicians and old friends alike, including ex-member Leslie Feist. Similar to their last two releases, “Forgiveness” is a batch of 14 cathartic songs ranging from heavily detailed acoustic rock to brassy, balls-to-the-wall power pop. Only this time, with veteran producer John McEntire on board, their songs are tighter, more refined and more focused than ever. “Forgiveness” uses every tool in the box, cuts loose, and, of course, is full of sharp left turns.No two songs of the first eight tracks sound anything alike, opening with the resolute, cymbal-crash-loaded “World Sick” and peaking at the joyous and shamelessly unsubtle instrumental track “Meet Me in the Basement.” Add other epic tracks like the irresistibly catchy “Art House Director” and “Water in Hell,” and “Forgiveness” will already warrant many repeat listens.
(04/21/10 9:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Most people expected Boston Red Sox player David Ortiz would get busted for any number of illegal activities before ever getting caught selling out his team pride because of a recording artist. In case you missed it, rapper/entrepreneur Jay-Z is suing the Red Sox designated hitter/Boston deity for opening a nightclub in the Dominican Republic called “Forty/Forty.” Jay-Z owns a chain of clubs in New York City called “40/40,” and Papi has apparently visited multiple times. “Forty/Forty,” in baseball jargon, refers to the rare feat of hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases in a single season. Ortiz is one of the best in the world at one of those two things, but whatever reason he had for naming his club “Forty/Forty” is fraudulent any way you look at it. The man has stolen 10 bases his entire life. But why sue him over it? Ortiz was probably just borrowing Jay-Z’s idea to spike some revenue. Justice has nothing to do with it. Clearly, nobody in the Dominican Republic is going to be under the false impression that they are actually in New York City. This is the beautiful part of the situation. It appears this humorous tiff has nothing to do with baseball. I, however, have to believe it has everything to do with baseball. What should you do if you have billions of dollars, billions of admirers and a man who might already be going into the Baseball Hall of Fame wishing he were you? You’re entitled to a good laugh, but you would be the bigger person by just letting it go. Unless you’re invested in the biggest rivalry in professional sports and he is the enemy. If you weren’t aware, Jay-Z likes the New York Yankees. See, as much as Bostonians love blindly clinging to their beyond-beefy hero Ortiz (what “steroids era?”), New Yorkers look up to Hova, the biggest Yank fan around. I see him wearing their hat on TV more than A-Rod. He was also that guy who performed at Yankee Stadium before Game 2 of the last World Series. You know, that song with the line “I made the Yankee cap more famous than a Yankee can” — right before they won it all. For those not keeping track, Boston chalked up their first point in the rivalry six years ago when Ortiz practically carried them to their first championship since 1918. In those 86 years in between, though, the Yankees won 26 times. I’m reminded of that World Series every time the slumping Ortiz gets on base now: It pretty much never happens, so Boston throws a parade, and no one has the heart to say anything about it. Anyway, if you’re Jay-Z, you consider two things at this point. First, David Ortiz needs to be put in his place. And you now have the power to do that and take his money at the same time! And if you’re a Red Sox fan, you shouldn’t be cool with Ortiz’s remarkably awful judgment for even putting himself at risk of ending up in this situation and embarrassing his fans. He didn’t just help spark Sox pride in Boston; he is Sox pride. At best, he made an unbelievably careless gaff that will now likely have him serving up a fat apology and a fatter check to Jay-Z of all people (who should probably show up to court in full Yankee uniform when he accepts) for using his popularity to make himself more popular. At worst, he did exactly that.
(03/24/10 6:05pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>For months now, the combined brainpower of the Broken Bells has had fans breathing heavily into paper bags. Now the anticipated collaboration of Shins frontman James Mercer and Danger Mouse has arrived. Mercer’s work over the past decade has made its way into feature films, a McDonald’s Olympic commercial and Natalie Portman’s CD player. Mouse co-wrote Rolling Stone’s song of the decade, Gnarls’ “Crazy,” and has applied his golden touch to other masterpieces including The Black Keys’ “Attack and Release” and Gorillaz’s “Demon Days.” What wouldn’t be exciting about this album? “Chutes Too Narrow” times “St. Elsewhere?” “Oh, Inverted World” to the “Grey Album” nth power? The possibilities were endless. Yet as is so often the case, this proved to be the band’s heaviest burden as its product has fallen victim to hype. At best, Broken Bells achieve sound harmony with propulsive beats animated by a catchy, Mercer-signature pop melody, especially in “The High Road” and “The Ghost Inside.”At other times, it openly settles for mediocrity with directionless songs that fail to push past the basics. The album ends on two less-than-high notes — the downright boring “Mongrel Heart” and “The Mall and Misery.”Other high points include nice density on songs like “Citizen”, where modest horns fade out with a haunting piano riff and shiny electronic accompaniment on “Vaporize” and “Your Head Is on Fire.” If you were as excited for this record as I was, it might very well disappoint you too, but Broken Bells is not a failure. Keep in mind that neither artist is working within his comfort zone. Mouse did not play an instrument with Gnarls Barkley, but takes on drumming duties for the Bells.And while The Shins’ “Wincing the Night Away” hinted at Mercer’s migration toward studio refinement, this album is a far cry from his natural element of whimsical indie-folk. Bottom line: These guys are challenging themselves but aren’t quite ready to lay all of their cards out on the table. So enjoy this record for what it is, and try not to hyperventilate when round two arrives.
(03/16/10 8:29pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Broken Bells, the highly anticipated collaboration project of James Mercer, frontman for The Shins, and Brian Burton a.k.a. Danger Mouse, technical half of Gnarls Barkley and record producer extraordinaire, has arrived. Mercer’s work over the past decade has made its way into feature films, a McDonald’s Olympic commercial, and Natalie Portman’s CD player. Burton co-wrote Rolling Stone’s #1 song of the decade, Gnarls’ “Crazy,” and has applied his golden touch to others’ recent masterpieces including The Black Keys’ "Attack and Release" and Gorillaz’ "Demon Days." For months now, the combined brainpower of this new band has had fans of the duo’s prior work breathing heavily into paper bags. What isn’t exciting about this album? "Chutes Too Narrow" times "St. Elsewhere?" "Oh, Inverted World" to the "Grey Album"th power? The possibilities were endless. Yet as is so often the case, this proved to be the band’s heaviest burden as their product has inevitably fallen victim to its own hype. At their best, Broken Bells achieve sound harmony with propulsive beats animated by a catchy, Mercer-signature pop melody, especially in “The High Road” and “The Ghost Inside.”At other times, they openly settle for mediocre with directionless songs that fail to push past the basics. The album ends on two less than high notes, the downright boring “Mongrel Heart” and “The Mall and Misery,” an improvement from the former but a letdown of a closer nonetheless. Other high points include nice density on songs like “Citizen” where modest horns fade out with a haunting piano riff, and shiny electronic accompaniment on “Vaporize” and “Your Head Is on Fire.” If you were as excited for this record as I was, it may very well disappoint you too, but Broken Bells is by no means a failure. Keep in mind that neither band member is working within his comfort zone. Burton did not play a single ”instrument” with Gnarls Barkley, but takes on drumming duties for the Bells’ live sets. And while The Shins’ most recent effort "Wincing the Night Away" hinted at Mercer’s migration towards studio refinement, this album is a far cry from his natural element of whimsical indie-folk. Bottom line: these guys are challenging themselves, but aren’t quite ready to lay all of their cards out on the table. So enjoy this record for what it is and try not to hyperventilate when round two arrives.
(03/10/10 3:45pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The spring break playlist is a critical one. Every year, it’s essential that your iPod have the new material to underscore new memories, no matter your destination. These songs, released in the past 12 months, really should be on your spring break playlist. Photogenic ocean resort: “Swim” — Surfer BloodI’ll start with my favorite pick of the list. “Swim” is a thrilling, guitar-driven shout-along with an instantly catchy chorus riff reminiscent of The Velvet Underground. Side note: catch this West Palm Beach, FL group at The Bishop tonight! Mountainous region: “On the Vista” — The Black Keys and Mos Def One of the best songs from one of the best rap-rock collaborations since “Walk This Way” from your spring break playlist of ’86. Dan Auerbach and Mos Def will make you want to climb a mountain with this clean and totally compelling harmony of blues guitar and hip-hop. Any large city: “Empire State of Mind” — Jay-Z featuring Alicia KeysSo this pick probably works best for New York — you know the words — but “Empire State of Mind” is as uplifting as pop songs come and a suitable soundtrack for visiting any city the size of Cleveland or bigger. Turning star power on full blast, Jigga and Alicia turn bright lights into music and nobody could make it look easier. Some heavily wooded place: “Walk in the Park” — Beach HouseFor best results, listen to Beach House’s latest album of entrancing dream pop in nature. “Walk in the Park” plus a hike in the woods is any daydreamer’s daydream. Library: “And the Glitter is Gone” — Yo La TengoYo La Tengo — helping college kids study since ’84. This epic, sprawling 16-minute guitar opus by Ira Kaplan can get the gears turning like nothing else. Abroad: “Pants on the Ground” — General Larry Platt Don’t leave America without your “American Idol,” or at least the “General” we all know should have won it. Also, if you happen to meet any friendly people curious about American music, be absolutely sure to play them “Pants on the Ground” first. It speaks volumes to the two things we love most in this country: an underdog and wearing low pants. Bumblefuck, USA: “Suburban Beverage” — Real EstateOK, I mainly picked this song because of its ridiculous title. But Real Estate’s comforting and laid-back rock is plenty capable of easing the pain from whatever boring town you’re going to but wish you weren’t. Snowy region: “What Would I Want? Sky” — Animal Collective Spin this one on the chair lift and you may forever associate it with every fresh snowfall. Disney World: “Before The Storm” — The Jonas Brothers featuring Miley CyrusWho else misses Justin and Britney? Alas, it’s a new generation for Disney and we all need to get used to it. At the very least, this song will train your ears to tolerate “It’s a Small World After All.” B-Town: “Embryonic” — The Flaming Lips Your break might lack excitement, but it’s not too early to get excited for the best live show on Earth that will be this year’s Little 500 concert, The Flaming Lips on April 22. If you haven’t sat down with this album yet, now isn’t a bad time.
(02/25/10 12:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>MTV decided to drop the words “Music Television” from its official logo last week, long after “The Real World” diagnosed the phrase’s meaning as terminal. In its memory, my music column this week won’t actually feature any music, but rather adolescent-friendly melodrama and cheap humor so as to get more people to watch — I mean read it. Through this rare opportunity, I present a tribute to my personal favorite contradictions that made MTV the channel I loved to hate and sometimes even watched when nobody was looking.“Beavis & Butt-Head” (1993-97)MTV got a peek into the power of alternative programming with the massive success of dim-witted metalheads Beavis and Butt-Head, lovable stars of the most parent-hated cartoon of its time. Not only did the crude duo gain enough popularity to become the faces of Music Television, they became ’90s icons. Between seven seasons and a feature film, their names are now practically synonymous with Nirvana or “Titanic.” Here’s to the “your momma” jokes that came before MTV beat those to death mercilessly and a memorable decade spent heh-heh-heh-ing.“Jackass” (2000-02)MTV’s programming wasn’t the only thing that “Jackass” changed forever. Adolescents everywhere started to find gratification in bullying their parents and stealing their camcorders to record some good times with shopping carts and fireworks in the parking lot. Whenever that warning screen flashed at the beginning of every show, it was another great day in the history of reverse psychology. Not to mention the daily reports of Knoxville followers rendered sterile from copycat stunts.“The Osbournes” (2002-05)It was a reality series based on a famous musician’s family, but “The Osbournes” had about as much to do with music as “Teen Mom” does. It didn’t matter; Ozzy was back, and for three long years, he was our favorite old guy. Then his show ended in 2005 and Chuck Norris promptly dethroned him. But how we remember the antics, the profanity, and the show’s way of blatantly milking that priceless element of “this is your brain on drugs!”“3 South” (2002-03)“3 South” was a short-lived animated series about socially inept college friends that felt somewhat like a failed reincarnation of “Beavis and Butt-Head.” Still, both shows were heavily stacked with one-liners and shared an adorably immature quality about them (fecal humor was pretty essential to “3 South”). This show couldn’t answer the call to be its decade’s B&B, but it was hard to get enough of while it lasted.“Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County” (2004-06)A humorously successful step forward for MTV’s format. The success of “The Real World” provided one big “a-ha” moment for MTV executives who saw how much people love contrived reality-drama stirred up between six to eight attractive people and documented. Then, they took a shot in the dark and tried one without a purpose: Instead of featuring a houseful of people from assorted backgrounds, what about people that just live in the same place? The result: “Laguna Beach.” People watched, and MTV continues to provide — the show paved the way for “The Hills” and “Jersey Shore.”
(02/10/10 10:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>I have to say I’m pretty excited for the Oscars. I saw most of the Best Picture nominees this year, and I’d really be quite happy seeing any of them win. Despite its nonsensical tradition of rejecting nearly every funny movie ever made, I do think the Oscars consistently succeed in giving out credit where it’s due. And I will tune in when it airs.If only such a large-scale ceremony existed for musicians, too. Just a sign of appreciation for our favorite songwriters and performers, covering all the appropriate bases – best song, album, music video – in one award show. It’s just a shame that it isn’t the Grammys. Last week, the 52nd annual ceremony only fueled my suspicion that the event is turning into a freak show rather than an awards show. I tuned in for a little bit, saw some performances that were absurd enough to be funny and managed to sit through a couple awards that weren’t really funny, just absurd.Then again, they only felt like excuses for an Elton John collaboration stunt. I gotta say, Elton forcing teamwork with totally incompatible musical personalities might be all I’ll watch the Grammys for anymore – it was a bull’s-eye with Eminem in 2001, and it was another with Lady Gaga this time.Award shows are supposed to be timely, so why did the Grammys feel outdated? In an era where more artists are actually succeeding based on the merit of their music alone, maybe a glorified popularity contest doesn’t fit reality like it used to. If the Oscars were this way, we could reasonably predict right now that “Dear John” would take Best Picture next year.Really though, my biggest problem with the Grammys was its illusions that once-relevant things are still relevant today.Some music still wins for heavy radio play even though nobody was listening because it’s 2010. It ruins an award as easily as insisting on separate categories for best song and best record (also a song).Take Wilco, who was nominated for Best Americana Album this year after winning Best Alternative Album in 2004. I’m not entirely sure what qualifies as an Americana album, but I’m even less sure how Americana or even Alternative qualifies as a genre worth acknowledging in this decade.The Best New Artist category had five nominees coming from every direction and was ultimately claimed by the Zac Brown Band. The rookie-of-the-year debate is always a fun and interesting one, but would anyone actually narrow it down to those exact five?It’s hard to picture any one person in the Academy nominating Zac Brown’s radio-molded country as well as the shoegaze rock of the Silversun Pickups, another nominee. I just can’t hear, “I loved MGMT, but they’re no Zac Brown” coming from a group of professionals, because MGMT simply has no place in, near or around a debate with a country band.So I now expect very little from these shows. The Video Music Awards wasn’t sending the clearest message when Beyonce won best overall video but couldn’t quite beat out the field for the best female video – Kanye West knows what I mean.I also had hope for the MTVU Woodies, intended for the most popular music on college radio, to bring a little justice to artists who can’t otherwise get playtime. Well, I saw right through that, too, somewhere between Green Day winning something over Animal Collective and Never Shout Never winning ... something.It’s time the Grammys made a change. Somehow, I doubt that even Kings of Leon considers “Use Somebody” as the pride of its catalogue.
(01/27/10 6:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In my first column, I thought I’d let my readers know what I’m most excited about in music this year. Album: MGMT’s “Congratulations” On the heels of a pair of Grammy nods, MGMT is poised to grab 2010 by the horns with their sophomore LP to be released in the spring. The psych-pop duo blew up last year when their debut album “Oracular Spectacular” hit shelves and the Web, graduating them from their dorm-jamming days at a Connecticut liberal arts college to collaborating with the likes of The Flaming Lips, Kid Cudi, Beck and Jay-Z in no time. The duo recently announced that “Congratulations” won’t produce a single, which probably means no carefree take-these-drugs-and-dance-cause-life-is-short anthems like the synth-charged “Time to Pretend” or their breezy mega-hit “Kids.” But have no fear: If their most recent release (13-plus minute “Metanoia”) is any indication, MGMT is not out of their element with larger ideas. If “Congratualtions” ends up the fully intact, well-rounded record they intend it to be, expect more spectacular music. New Band: Broken Bells Danger Mouse, otherwise known as the technical half of Gnarls Barkley, joins forces with James Mercer, frontman for The Shins, to create one very curious super-duo called Broken Bells. Here we have a couple dudes who began the millennium as complete nobodies and ended with an album on our best albums of the decade list. If that doesn’t catch your attention, the one song they’ve unleashed will. “The High Road” weaves digital beats and harmonies into Mercer’s wonderfully imaginative lyrics for a fresh-sounding pop product. Old Band Reuniting: PavementBlink-182’s long-awaited comeback last year hinted we can expect to hear from all our favorite ambiguously separated groups of the mid-to-late ’90s. A couple other notable reunions coming soon have confirmed this: Pavement and Soundgarden. While the two gained their own turf and dissolved at the height of their game, they were polar opposites as far as successful ’90s bands go. Denied publicity when the hunt was on for the next Nirvana, indie-rock pioneers Pavement barely had success getting on MTV at all while grunge catalysts Soundgarden became the face for a trend that had a commanding run – then dropped completely dead. Pavement’s cult fan base hasn’t stopped influencing younger indie enthusiasts since the band disbanded in 1999. Bigger than ever now, they’ll tour the world this summer. Show: The xx with jj – April 6, 2010, Buskirk-Chumley Theater A suspicious amount of similarities exist between The xx and jj. On the surface, they both come from Europe, had eponymous debut LPs out this past summer and best of all, picked a single repeated letter for their name. Not to mention their undeniably related sounds: a heavily sedated, hypnotic brand of stunning electronic pop. So when they announced their plans to tour together this year with a stop in Bloomington, I already had reason enough to hurry in and snatch my $13 tickets. It could be the best local concert you’ll see all year, unless Yo-Yo Ma is your game.
(01/06/10 9:57pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It took them nearly a decade, but Animal Collective decided that 2009 was finally the time to meet listeners with an ear for catchiness halfway. First came the surprisingly accessible “Merriweather Post Pavillion,” a massive leap into pop territory that they executed somehow without even slightly compromising their trademark of genuine psychedelia (and one of our picks for the best albums of the decade). This brings us to Collective’s final thought of the aughts. “Fall Be Kind” consists of five tracks that are as abstract as anything from their back catalogue but extend the bright feeling in “Merriweather” that drew in so many new fans. It opens in identical fashion, with a two-part song that starts soft and kicks into an enthusiastic sing- and clap-along. “Graze” flows beautifully into the stand-out anchor of “Fall Be Kind” and a song I have no reservations with calling one of the band’s best ever, “What Would I Want? Sky”. Interestingly, the title/chorus is a distorted lyric deriving from the Grateful Dead’s “Unbroken Chain”, the first ever licensed Dead sample. The song’s aesthetic fits the title, euphoric and high-flying. With atypical musical traits including a prominent pan flute solo, those 2 songs paint an uplifting dream sequence that balances out its subdued counterpart, the record’s darker back half. The final three songs tone down the album’s energy a bit but preserve the diversity, especially the lullaby-like “On A Highway”. At first glance of any Animal Collective release, it can be near impossible to see past the twitchy, abrasive loops, listener-unfriendly time signatures, and dragged out, hallucinogen-influenced indulgences thrown at you, but they’re more than OK with it reflecting how uncool they are. “Fall Be Kind” is just their latest declaration that no other music welcomes you directly into a band’s psyche like theirs.
(11/22/09 8:58pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The debut album from the gurus of mainstream hard rock makes its purpose clear: It hits hard, as hard as anything from the extensive catalogues of members Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). Homme takes charge in this record with his murder-mystery vocal style and vigorous lead guitar, emerging especially on heavier songs like the gripping “New Fang,” which feels like being punched in the stomach repeatedly. The other notable highlight is Grohl’s lively drumming, a long-awaited return to his natural element where many have not seen him since the 1990s behind Kurt Cobain. TCV is a tad lengthy for its limited sound at 66 minutes, but it does succeed in creatively merging the quintessential sounds of hard rock from the ones who know them best.