Saturday, November 29, 2008

Queen + Amanda Palmer

Think about it. The potential that pairing would have.

OK, I admit it. The whole Paul Rogers thing, how much I don't like it. It sticks in my craw. So much potential, ruined by the whole... pedestrian-ness of his lyrics and melodies. Can Amanda sing like, or as good as, Freddie? Don't think so, don't care. She'd bring the personality, the feeling that Queen has leaped into the unknown, that they are playing without a net, and with another very strong personality. Did I mention personality? I submit Amanda's new video as my closing argument:

The Jesus Lizard Return, Old Skool Feels Like Christmas Just Came Early

The Jesus lizard were one of the best/scariest bands I have had the privilege to see. A band that ran with military precision musically with David Yow screaming like a rabid cat over the top of it all. Yow without the solid underpinnings of Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims, and Mac McNeilly would have seemed unlistenable. The band without Yow would have run the risk of being pedestrian. This is truly an example of chemistry that worked extremely well.

The only details so far is that they will be appearing at All Tomorrow's Parties in May, and will end their brief reunion with a final show in Chicago, their home town, in November. Will they come to St. Louis? We will have to wait and see. Until then, here they are at the Side Door, performing "Gladiator":



That David Yow can't seem to stay on the stage. man, they were a great live band. I found this comment on Youtube to be right on, in the best possible way: Michael Azerrad writes that "on the Jesus Lizard albums Albini recorded, singer David Yow sounds like a kidnap victim trying to howl through the duct tape over his mouth; the effect is horrific."

Monitor your internet-viewing devices! Do not miss this opportunity to rock with the Jesus Lizard! HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Nada Surf: Weightless

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone from the Old Skool Institute of Musicology. We hope that you have many things to be thankful for.

Here's a great winner of a video that some fans did to win a Youtube contest for Nada Surf's song "Weightless":



It's amazing what can be done now, the power that used to only be in the hands of the $$fortunate few$$, now spread upon the masses. This video has an interesting surreal quality that makes me wonder if it is all a dream. Well done.

Now go get that turkey in the oven. Peace.

Friday, November 21, 2008

"Single Ladies"

Having a bad day? This parody should brighten things up considerably:

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Monday, November 17, 2008

Queen's "The Cosmos Rocks": Yes It Does, But This CD Does Not.


I did not have high hopes for the new Queen/Paul Rogers release, but tried to go into it with an open mind.

I find it to be boring, for diehard fans only. There are glimpses of the greatness from time to time, especially when we hear Brian May's guitar roar to life, but that glimpse is immediately mitigated by Paul Rogers' inane lyrics. Gone is Freddie Mercury's genre-hopping that energized the band, in its place is a bluesy bar band approach. The whole affair is closer to Bad Company at its most pedestrian.

I offer these sample lyrics:

Call me if you need my love
Call me if you need my love
Call me if you need my love
Call me if you need my love

I met her in her neighborhood
I was just passing through
One look was all it took yeah
One look or two

Call me if you need my love
Call me if you need my love
Call me if you need my love
Call me if you need my love


here's one more:

Once I loved a butterfly
don't wonder how- don't ask me why
But I believed what I'd been told
"All things that glitter can't be gold"


OK, I can't help cite one more:

Surf's up
School's out
I got a criminal urge to
TWIST AND SHOUT!!!!!!


Oh, man. Blarg. I'd go see them live, though. If they promised to only play 3-4 new songs...

Post Secret

Many of you may already be aware of Frank Warren's Post Secret web site. I know I have gone to the site regularly for some time now. Frank posts new secrets that everyday folks send in to him every Sunday morning. It has become something of a ritual for me to go to his site sometime in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and peek behind the strangers curtain. The experience is sometimes funny and also sometimes surprisingly moving. He recently came to STL and Mizzou, and unfortunately I could not make either of those appearances. But I did go see him last year at the Mad Art Gallery, not really knowing what to expect. The video below gives you at least a small feel for what that was like.



I expected Frank to be boisterous, and to make fun of the posts. Turns out he is an amazingly sensitive person who takes what he does with a respect for each and every person's secret. Now that doesn't mean he can't have some fun with the posts, but I felt a great admiration for him after his talk. If you get a chance, go see him. You won't regret it.

BTW, I didn't post any of the cards from his site here, because I think that would cheapen what he does. So take a look.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Amy Winehouse: So Sad



Photos taken just this week. Man, she is looking messed up.

Friday, November 7, 2008

Hayes Carll: She Left Me For Jesus

I was reading the Riverfront Times last night, I laughed out loud reading the refrain from this song:

She says I should find Him and I'll know peace at last
If I ever find Jesus, I'm kickin' his ass


OK, so I didn't get out to see Hayes Carll last night at the Duck Room in Blueberry Hill, the work week overtook me and sent me to bed. But I did find the video for the song, and it's a lot of fun, interspersing footage from a fake reality show "2-Timerz". Even has outtakes at the end. Looks like a good time was had by all. If only I could have gotten there myself. Anybody go, or anybody see him before?

From McSweeney's: 50 Years Of Popular Songs, In One Sentence

Happy Friday, everyone. This made me chuckle, from McSweeney's:

FIFTY YEARS
OF POPULAR SONGS
CONDENSED INTO
SINGLE SENTENCES.


BY MARC HAYNES

- - - -

The Beatles, "I Want to Hold Your Hand"

I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Marvin Gaye, "Let's Get It On"

I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Led Zeppelin, "Whole Lotta Love"

I want to do it with you.

- - - -

James Blunt, "You're Beautiful"

I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Sir Mix-a-Lot, "Baby Got Back"

I want to do it.

- - - -

Elvis Presley, "Hound Dog"

You're doing it with everyone.

- - - -

R. Kelly, "I Believe I Can Fly"

I believe I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Patsy Cline, "Crazy"

I want to do it with you so much I'm going fucking nuts.

- - - -

Frank Sinatra, "Strangers in the Night"

I'm drunk and I want to do it with you.

- - - -

The White Stripes, "My Doorbell"

Using metaphor, I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Little Richard, "Good Golly Miss Molly"

I'm doing it with Miss Molly, and she's totally into it.

- - - -

Duran Duran, "Rio"

I'd love to do that chick dancing on the sand.

- - - -

The Beatles, "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"

I'd like to do it with you right now.

- - - -

Carly Simon, "You're So Vain"

We used to do it, but then you did it with someone else, and now I'm not going to do it with you, although I wish we were still doing it.

- - - -

Pulp, "Common People"

I once met a stuck-up European who wanted to do it with me.

- - - -

Radiohead, "Creep"

I'm filled with self-loathing, and, though outwardly I hate everything you represent, I want to do it with you.

- - - -

Kate Bush, "Wuthering Heights"

I'm an 18th-century fictional character and I want to do it with another 18th-century fictional character.

- - - -

Bob Dylan, "Blowin' in the Wind"

The Man is currently doing it to you.

- - - -

Elvis Presley, "Jailhouse Rock"

Incarcerated men will on occasion do it with each other.

- - - -

Meat Loaf, "I Would Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)"

Hey! You won't believe what this one chick said while I was doing it with her!

- - - -

Kings of Leon, "Sex on Fire"

I did it with you, and now it hurts when I pee.

- - - -

CĂ©line Dion, "My Heart Will Go On"

Even your death has not stopped me wanting to do it with you.

- - - -

AC/DC, "You Shook Me All Night Long"

We did it yesterday.

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Today's The Day: Go Vote

It's your patriotic duty:

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Blitzen Trapper: Live At Vintage Vinyl STL


So I couldn't make Blitzen Trapper's proper gig opening up for Stephen Malkmus at the Pageant on Saturday night due to a wedding, but was excited to see that they would be playing a short in-store set at Vintage Vinyl Sunday at 1 PM. I showed up right at 1 PM and was surprised that the band was ready to go. Note to self: If a band plays an in-store the afternoon of a gig, they will show up 45 minutes late and play about a half hour after that since the van broke down, or they got lost, or some other story. If it's the day AFTER a show, the band has someplace to get to, so they are going to start pretty close to on time.

So on to the set, and Blitzen Trapper. Seeing them live, even at a record store, cemented a couple of things for me:
1. The band is really good, and bring more keyboards to the mix than I expected. They also have a lot of nice twin guitar leads that are melodic and toothy all at the same time. They have real songs that stand up, sounding like a combo of Gram Parsons, CSN&Y, and Pavement, with dashes of prog and Dylan thrown in for spice.
2. Listening to the band live also confirmed something that I have been thinking for a while: I think the band's latest, "Furr" is my favorite release of the year. It resonates with me, both lyrically and musically with a feeling of classic stories in a contemporary setting.
3. It was fun watching the 2 or 3 year old rugrats rocking out and playing with their hot wheels just a foot away from the band. Blitzen Trapper didn't mind, and the kids were cool as long as they listened to their parents and didn't go past the cords.
4. I really need a better camera than the crappy point and shoot that I was using. The pic above was the only one worth posting from about 8.

Pick up "Furr" and tell me what you think. These guys are the real thing.