First, Matthew Sweet appears the have a new album titled Sunshine Lies. From what the AV Club is saying, it sounds like it might be worth checking out.

Secondly, if you have a few minutes to kill, check out what Lou Barlow has on his Ipod. The AVClub has a nice little conversation with him.

That's all, when I listen to some new tunes I'll throw my thoughts up here.

Between the shifting of tastes at the time and the fact that the album didn't carry the Dinosaur Jr. brand, More Light flew pretty much below radar.  Which is too bad, as it's a fine rock album and still fairly Dino-ish.  It's certainly better than the scattershot Dinosaur Jr. coda Hand it Over, and could close to hold its own against 1994's Without a Sound. 

There aren't any real traces of the SST-era J Mascis to be found here until the title track wraps things up, but then the bludgeoning fuzz of those albums was mostly gone by the early 90's.  Nor does More Light feature the sonic overload of the early Sire records.  What's left is still J's jaw-dropping guitar work, but less layered, allowing it to come across a little cleaner and bit more angular.  The distortion is still there though, especially in "I'm Not Fine" and the "Same Day".  And there's still a growth curve going on, as his ability to pen slower tempos continues to improve.

It's actually not a bad point of entry to J Mascis, at least in terms of getting a full range of style.  I'll still take Where You Been?  to my desert island, but there are worse albums to be stranded with than More Light

This post is not about recent groundbreaking material.  it's not about the newest and hippest acts in the business.  It has nothing to do with the "scene".  It is, simply put, me wanting to discuss one of the best bands to ever be assembled.

I remember the first time I heard them quite vividly.  It was 1993...my freshman year of high school.  I was milling around with a buddy of mine and was flipping through his cassettes.  I came across one with some very strange cover art.  "Who the hell is this?" I asked him.  "Oh, that's Dinosaur Jr.  You don't know them?"  "No, never heard them.  Any good?"  He popped it in and as soon as I heard "Out There" come blasting out of the speakers and into my head, I was hooked.  "Who the fuck is this dude completely shredding this song?"  I of course came to learn that it was J Mascis.  I wasn't really aware of his legendary status at the time, all I knew is that he was amazing.

Went out and bought Where You Been the same day.  Loved it so much that 2 weeks later I bought Bug, You're Living All Over Me and Green Mind.  Brad Jackson would give me the self-titled (cover art was labeled Dinosaur, not Dinosaur Jr.  This was pressed before they got sued by that shitty Fleetwood Mac side project.  Quite rare...thanks Brad) a few weeks after that.  I went on to buy every album they released as they came out.  Without a Sound and Hand it Over are 2 of the most underrated records in existence as far as I'm concerned.

That was 14 years ago.  Somehow, after all that time, their music never gets old.  It never feels dated or boring, always as good as when you loved it for the first time (at least for me).  The original band of J, Lou Barlow and Murph broke up before I even got into the band, though everyone knew that this was the lineup that made what most consider the best records the band ever made (You're Living All Over Me, Bug)  I personally thought J's other lineup with Mike Johnson and Murph was pretty fucking excellent as well...i mean, who DIDN'T love "Start Choppin"?  Green Mind and Where You Been were some of the best things the band ever put out in my opinion.

After J broke the band up in 1997, I knew I'd never see them play live.  It was a terrible fucking feeling because I had heard of their legendary, ear-blistering sets and wanted to be able to experience it.  Just once.  In 2001 I saw J Mascis + the Fog (the good lineup, with Mike Watt on bass and I don't remember who on drums, but he was a monster) at the New Daisy in Memphis.  Great set, loud as hell...of course I was standing right in front of J's Marshall stack, so that probably didn't help.  My ears hurt for probably 2 days.  Nice.

I guess it was sometime in 2005 when I was cruisin' the net, looking at some gorilla pr0n or something, and stumbled upon a news article.  Wait, what the fuck is this?  Dinosaur Jr back together? ORIGINAL LINEUP??  I don't exactly remember, but I think I may have gotten a semi.  I quickly digested the news.  Was it possible that I would actually get to see J whine (voice and guitar both tend to whine...) with LOU FUCKIN BARLOW in person?  HOLY SHIT MAN.

They didn't tour a lot so I didn't get the chance to see them before Beyond was released.  Wow, what a record.  Reunion records are always supposed to be great but are rarely even decent.  Not with these guys.  All 11 tracks are blistering (well, except for "I Got Lost", which is more reminiscent of late-era Dino Jr, but is a great break in the album)...J, Lou and Murph are all in sync and somehow managed to record one of the best albums of their career.  "Almost Ready", "Crumble", "Pick Me Up" and "What If I Knew" stand up to anything else in their entire catalog.  The 2 tracks Lou contributed to the album, "Back to Your Heart" and "Lightning Bulb" are a great change of pace and some of the best on the record.

In October or so of 2007 I saw on their website that they were playing Memphis.  Sweet!  There was no way I was missing this gig.  December 3rd was the date (day after my birthday, considered it a gift).  Torrance and I hop into the whip and ghost ride that bitch...uhh, drove to Young Avenue Deli and walked right in...not a single soul in line.  What the fuck.  $15 cover I think.  We didn't bother to order tickets, sadly assuming that it wouldn't sell out, which is truly a fucking shame.  It may have ended up selling out though, I'm not exactly sure...by the time Dinosaur Jr. came out the place was packd like sardines in a crushd tin box.  Awesome Color and The Reatards opened, both excellent sets.  The Reatards were loud as shit.

Dinosaur Jr came on and I'm not gonna get wordy, I'm just gonna say that they were as much of a rock show as I could handle.  SOOOO loud, my god.  It's not often you see a band and they make your entire soul tremble from the sheer volume in the room.  Between songs J's guitar hum was louder than the entire band.  Your senses never get a break.  You really begin to wonder if your body can physically stand up to the sonic assault that is being righteously lain upon your ass.  I was standing in front of J again...bad decision I know, but I can't fucking help it.  I like loud.  They played a ton of my favorite songs..."Freak Scene", "Bulbs of Passion", "Little Fury Things", "The Lung", "In a Jar", a ton of shit off of Beyond...it was insane.  Loud enough that I could feel my organs moving around in my body.  I think my liver is still in the wrong spot.  When I left I felt like someone had stuffed cotton candy into my brain and kicked me square in the teeth.

Getting my ass kicked never felt so good.

Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond

• Airbourne – "Too Much Too young..."
• At the Drive-in – "One Armed Scissor"
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – "Weapon of Choice"
• Bob Seger – "Hollywood Nights"
• Dinosaur Jr. – "Feel the pain"
• Silversun Pickups – "Lazy Eye"
• Survivor – "Eye of the Tiger"

If those name drops aren't enough for you, then maybe Ozzy can win you over. Ozzy Osbourne has been confirmed as a playable character and a few of his songs are on board as well. "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train" will be yours for the rocking and OZZFest will be an exclusive venue in Guitar Hero: World Tour. Oh yes, bound to rock we all are come this Fall.

Source: IGN.com

Related Entries: Guitar Hero

• Airbourne – "Too Much Too young..."
• At the Drive-in – "One Armed Scissor"
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – "Weapon of Choice"
• Bob Seger – "Hollywood Nights"
• Dinosaur Jr. – "Feel the pain"
• Silversun Pickups – "Lazy Eye"
• Survivor – "Eye of the Tiger"

If those name drops aren't enough for you, then maybe Ozzy can win you over. Ozzy Osbourne has been confirmed as a playable character and a few of his songs are on board as well. "Mr. Crowley" and "Crazy Train" will be yours for the rocking and OZZFest will be an exclusive venue in Guitar Hero: World Tour. Oh yes, bound to rock we all are come this Fall.

Source: IGN.com

Related Entries: Guitar Hero

a bunch of ecclectic stuff (would I have it any other way?) I have found Emilie Autumn, a great and talented classical/poet/goth/industrial/ecclectic artist; discovered purely by accident and then thought "I have no idea how someone can be tagged so many different things" and then realised why. She is incredible, whether she's playing classical violin, reading her poems or playing/singing an electronic-industrial-goth-classical piece. Shades of Tori Amos in there, perhaps. Love the Goth look, always have :)

Rediscovered groups from "my past", including some Dinosaur Jr albums; which are just as great today as they were when I first heard them (late 80s/early 90s) - also, some Midlands' doom metal in the form of Cathedral ; not sure what it says about where my mind has been (although, in that vein, I'm listening right now to a group, Morning Theft, who I discovered through a collection of covers of Pixies songs; and they are just brilliant; loud, Indie rock and roll - their current album is available (currently) as a free download from www.morningtheft.net and is definately well worth a listen.

Finally, I've been a-listening to the Ting Tings current album, We Started Nothing. which I have to say I really enjoyed; "That's not my name" and "Shut up and let me go" being songs that have had more than a little bit of airplay recently tempting me to seek them out and have a listen; and they are pretty good. Enjoyable. I just need to find a few minutes and then I can give them a few re-listenings... and possibly the odd boogie or two :)

...Watching

Comedy and comedy drama, largely on DVD. This past week has seen me finish off the first season of Weeds [IMDB / WIKI] and get ready to start the second season (I know they're onto season 4 already; sometimes it takes me a little while to get started on these things); this show, the DVDs have been constantly tempting me as I passed by the various purveyors of audio/visual material, and I finally picked up the first season a couple of weeks back and I have shot through those first 10 episodes (and picked up the 2nd season almost immediately) What can I say about it ? If you've not caught it already, it is a  comedy/drama that centers around a single mum who has turned to supplying pot to make ends meet. That's the "short of it"; there is so much more to it than that, and the supporting cast of characters ... watching it, I often found myself laughing, going "Oh my god!" then laughing more as taboos were crossed and things came thick and fast.

I have also, finally, gotten around to watching the great BBC3 comedy "Gavin and Stacy" [IMDB/WIKI] What a bloody brilliant show this is. The laughs come thick and fast - you can see why it has won/been nominated for so many awards. Gavin and Stacy, a distance relationship; I'm 3 episodes into the first series (so, half way through it) going from the first meeting to the... no, I won't spoil it; but it is great and the characters are spot on. Laughs a plenty... and then some. Must pick up the second series DVD soon!

A bit of nostalgia now, Sean's show [IMDB/WIKI] broadcast way back in 1992 (well, that's hardly way back (um, it's 16 years... am I that old already? YIKES!)) on Channel 4 that I picked up the first series of from hmv.com for a fiver. And you know what, it still holds up. The strangely surreal sitcom where Sean Hughes plays a fictional version of himself; fully aware that he's stuck in a studio and so on - it is just pure brilliance. Loving this trip down memory lane.

[update] Hmm. I forgot to mention that I'd been slowly working my way through re-watching/watching for the 1st time all the alien [IMDB/WIKI] and predator [IMDB/WIKI] films, the Rocky films [IMDB/WIKI] (although watched Rocky Balboa [IMDB/WIKI] out of sequence (as I couldn't wait!) and enjoyed/loved it!) and the superman films (loved the Richard Donner Cut of Superman II [IMDB/WIKI]; it felt like a similar, but different movie; and a lot of fun.

Playing...

Badminton [WIKI] and 5 a side football [WIKI] which are both a lot of fun; even if they have given me the nickname "Mad Dog" which I actually kind of like. On the consoles, I've been having fun with WING OVER 2 [APS] which is brilliant; a flight simulation/combat game (although I'm still going through the training sequences and thus far have learnt to take off, turn, fly, land and not crash into too many mountains. I am loving it, it is upwards of brilliant once you get into it. I've also been playing the PS2 game Zombie Virus [AMAZ] from D3/Essential Games which is strangely addictive; the plot, the city has been taken over by zombies - as you're shaking up in the local hospital, you get to drive an ambulance around the city, ploughing into zombies and rescuing people.

Like a real life cousin of Monty Python’s fictional cheese shop, Pure Groove, a record shop which has recently opened in the Farringdon area of London, infamously only offers 100 different records for sale at any time. In the current climate, with record shops closing down left, right and centre (nearby Berwick Street stalwart Sister Ray reportedly went into administration just last week) this would appear to be admirably foolhardy at best, commercial suicide at worst. Especially given that the minimal stock is primarily vinyl (much of it 7” singles) by lesser-known ‘indie’ artists who are unlikely to be familiar to the scant passing trade (during the week this consists largely of office workers on their way to buy a sandwich from the nearby Tesco - one can imagine them requesting the new Arctic Monkeys CD only to be informed, “We don’t get much call for it round here, Sir” - while at the weekend the area is largely deserted).

Mercifully, Pure Groove have a trick up their (record) sleeve to entice the more discerning music punters to make the journey to their door. Several times a week, they play host to a free lunchtime or early evening gig by one of their favoured artists. Sets typically last around 30 minutes and are often stripped down ‘MTV Unplugged’-style affairs which give the audience a flavour of the act whilst hopefully encouraging them to buy the record or attend the full show which is invariably being promoted. My workplace is just round the corner and in recent weeks I have popped in to see acts such as Edwyn Collins (with Roddy Frame), Micah P Hinson and The Little Ones perform (as well as an exhibition of photos of My Bloody Valentine). But this evening’s performance is the one that I have been most eagerly anticipating.

For the uninitiated, Bombay Bicycle Club are a four-piece guitar band from North London who, through two excellent four-track EPs (The Boy I Used To Be and How We Are, both released last year) and a string of live shows, have laid valid claim to be one of the best new bands in the UK. Much has been made of their ages (they are not yet old enough to vote) but this is an irrelevance – they are not great despite their youth, they are simply great full stop. Singer/guitarist Jack Steadman’s quavering yet sharp vocals recall Stephen Malkmus at his sassiest, while the music is at once anthemic, precise and beautifully melodic, suffused with chiming guitars, like Television covering The Smiths (or, to provide a more contemporaneous albeit contentious reference point, like Bloc Party might sound if they possessed wit, soul and verve).

Tonight’s performance is in support of their debut single ‘Evening/Morning’ (b/w ‘You Already Know’) which was released on Monday. The A-side is a barn-storming stop/start rocker which sounds worryingly like Kasabian in places (producer Jim Abiss also twiddled the knobs on their self-titled first album) but that apart is replete with all the above-mentioned BBC trademarks and is sure to become a live favourite. The flip side is a lovely slow folky number featuring acoustic guitar, brushed drums, what sounds like vibraphone and hushed female backing vocals courtesy of Kathryn Williams. It is easily their most serene offering yet and suggests that they may have been listening to the likes of Bright Eyes of late (actually, at times it particularly reminds me of the quieter passages on Dinosaur Jr b-side ‘Sideways’ but this is probably not the most useful reference). Right, that’s the venue and the single reviewed, on to the gig …

I arrive to find I am the oldest person in the audience – by around twenty years. The scenesters who came in droves to see Peggy Sue & The Pirates yesterday have been replaced by a hoard of fresh-faced teenagers. I shuffle sheepishly to the side trying not to look like a teacher at the school disco where presently I am joined by a few other oldies (we later grin with collective embarrassment when the singer asks, “Who’s going to the Underage Festival?”).

Outside of Spinal Tap, punctuality is a little valued attribute in rock ‘n’ roll and so it is gratifying to see the band threading their way through the crowd and taking the stage at the scheduled time of 6:30pm precisely. They plug in their guitars and kick off with ‘Open House’. Understandably, most of them still look a little uncomfortable on stage; guitarist Jamie MacColl and bass player Ed Nash stay near motionless on either side, only moving to swap instruments between songs for the first few numbers (each proving equally capable with either), while drummer Suren de Saram keeps the beat unobtrusively at the back. However, Steadman is a natural front man. Looking equal parts rock musician and geek with his shoulder length hair and glasses, he displays Thom-Yorke-like tics when at the microphone, his body shuddering as his free hand waves around excitedly, and then jumps around attacking his guitar with joyful abandon throughout the instrumental passages.

Perhaps it’s the early hour, the lack of alcohol (surely not) or the abnormally bright setting but the audience, while obviously enthusiastic, are remaining as static as the majority of the band. “Our manager said that because it’s a shop you can’t move around a lot, but you can move around a little,” Steadman helpfully advises before launching into ‘How Are You’. The band are warming up now and a few heads start to nod as the song, a reflection on the aftermath of a relationship (“we haven't spoken in so long/we can't get past the how are you”), skips from the stacatto bounce of the verses to the climatic guitars of the chorus.

The new single and its b-side follow next, the former benefiting from the live setting and catching out much of the crowd with its false ending, the latter providing a change of pace as Steadman and MacColl switch to acoustic. ‘Ghost’ conjures the spirit, if not the duration, of Marquee Moon, featuring fantastic interplay between the two guitarists - while no big fan of indulgent soloing, I sometimes wish they would indulge just a little bit more and stretch out these moments where the songs really take off. It also provokes a little frisson at the line, “You just fly straight up and come the fuck down”.

‘Cancel On Me’ is a personal favourite and judging by the reception of the audience to its introduction and the bouncing sing-a-long it provokes, I am not alone in my opinion. The set concludes with ‘The Hill’, all Belle & Sebastian lightness until it breaks into the ‘classic rock’ outro of slide guitar over a cascading riff. The band stick around to sign records as I slink off, resolving to catch them in a couple of weeks when they return to play a headining show at Koko (it’s a measure of their greatness that I am prepared to endure such a ghastly venue) and to drag a few friends along to see what they’ve been missing (and no, not just to avoid being the oldest person there).

- DJM

The single ‘Evening/Morning’ (Young And Lost Club) is available now on limited 7” vinyl and download. Bombay Bicycle Club are touring the UK throughout August (see http://www.bombaybicycleclubmusic.com for details).

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So with the actual world not much fun to live in at present, it is time to visit Planet Rock. There are always, always bountiful, joy-giving things aplenty there. And today, we celebrate five stunning pieces of guitar invention. These are yer actual, foot-on-monitor, air guitar classics. They are at times silly, at times innovative, but above all, they are all simply great. God gave RockN'Roll to you; thank him for that.

The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet
Dunno whether talking about heroin got me thinking about Peter Perret's gang of pharmaceutical cowboys, but what a tune this is. A slippery, eel-like thing which is just the perfect 45, back when you got such things. Perret's voice, a strange mix of ennui and hope, is fantastic but the guitar solo is just unforgettable. Technically brilliant, there is not a note that doesn't sound as though it is living exactly where it is supposed to be.

Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene
J.Mascis was simply cool, man, in a way Kurt Cobain or Eddie Vedder just never managed. You can argue about the different social levels they came from, of course - Mascis is the son of a wealthy Doctor - but he fundamentally just had it going on. The end of this song is the epitome of his sclerotic genius - buzzsaw guitars take off in about eight different directions, before collapsing into themselves in an exhausted heap, leaving a ringing and deeply satisfying noise in your ear. It makes for an exhilerating end to possibly the best statement grunge ever made about itself. And he now looks like Gandalf. Sir, we salute you.

Metallica - Enter Sandman
Metallica have become a bit of a joke recently and it's hard to argue with that. But back in the day, when they were in their pomp, they were the flag-bearers for proper old-school rawk, and they were peerless. This was their anthem and acted as the bridge to straddle their thrash days with the more conventional route they took through the 90's. And it's just fucking great. If ever a solo deserved to be played loud, this spinning, virtuoso barrage of noise is it. And it is actually far more subtle than many would give it credit for. A masterly change of pace and tone towards the end and you are in hard rock heaven, frankly.

Mission of Burma - Academy Fight Song
What a strange song. Mission of Burma are often labelled as being just another US punk band when in fact they were always a band whose horizons stretched much further. The Mish, as no-one called them, were more influential than successful - several tracks of Blur's eponymous album are direct cribs - and this is the perfect distillation of their ideas; unlike doing a Dave Gilmour (eight bars to fill of signature sound; go) or simply going high in the neck and having a wank, this little sequence is perfectly thought out and really, really lovely. A band for whom the only fitting epithet is 'ahead of their time'.

Television - Marquee Moon
How could you have a list about guitar parts and not include Television? A perfect economy of sound, not just on this song, but the whole album. There just isn't one note wasted and there just isn't one note that could be altered to improve it. Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd's duelling guitars were spiralling on the edge of breakdown on this one, but never quite did, giving it a taut, tension-filled claustrophobic feel. If your idea of guitar hell is Eric Clapton and his fucking blues, then get this - these guys can do things with a guitar old Eric hasn't even had a nightmare about.

So, onwards and upwards people, and remember, if you see ELM standing furtively in the corner of a bar this weekend, it's because we are waiting for you to buy us a drink. It's the least you could do.

Also, the entirety of 1991: The Year Punk Broke (mentioned previously here) is up on Youtube. Part 1 is posted below and here's the link so you can watch the other 10 parts. Definitely worth your time. The live footage is seriously intense, featuring Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr. and early Nirvana.

• Mission of Burma (Rating: 7.1) My exposure to Mission of Burma far exceeds my appreciation of them. I have 3 albums and have seen them twice and I don't get their celebrated status. Probably having something to do with when—not what—they played. That said, this wasn't too bad since they were restricted to playing their best album in its entirety. But that "roman empire" song stinks, even in context.
• Sebadoh (Rating: 6.5) I don't remember Bubble and Scrape and I don't think I would have liked it that much if I had. My experience of Lou Barlow begins with the beautifully sadsap Bakesale, and seeing this album in its live entirety kind of wants me to keep it that way. Lou delegated too many responsibilities back then it seemed.
• Public Enemy (Rating: 7.0) Everyone but me seemed to be swooning with anticipation. Britt Daniel even came out and stood next to me (I asked him to not suck). Never got into these guys and I lack the capacity to fake enthusiasm. Their songs seemed to die when Flavor Flav did that "Yeah Boy" thing and Chuck D seemed to be stuck in one militant mood. Still, Flav's television stuff and notorious undependability brought some celebrity and tension to the night. Was Flavor going to flake? But for missing the first song, he put in a solid show. Whatever people like of these guys, they liked this. Pitchfork Priceless Moment 1: As the crowd boos Flav for hawking his next reality television show (it's on Wednesday nights!), he responds "Why you booing? You a bunch of ghosts? Don't boo me, you fake ghosts!" Zing and zung.

Saturday—It poured all morning and was not letting up. It was far far from the nightmare that was Woodstock '98. Still, the sogginess would persist for the rest of the festival. And then arose the dancing mud people. Oh, dancing mud people, what do you do when you're not doing your filthy jive? Do you have jobs? Do you celebrate Thanksgiving with family? Do you even read blogs?

• Boban I Marko Markovic Orkestar (Rating: 8.5) Late start because of rain, but still kind of a nice way to begin the festival proper. Nothing of the raucous show they put on a few days before in Millennium Park. Yet, the unpretentious galvanizing gypsy horn tunes served as a nice palate cleanser. It's like they were wiping the slate clean for us, but we still end up chalking the same shit.
• Titus Andronicus (Rating: 7.9) I do like them. And I think they did well in the rain. It's still early Bright Eyes to my ears, but I don't prize originality that highly. I like the combination of modern overeducated-underexperienced disaffected white boy angst with unhinged 50's garage rock type pop. Reminds me of my dad. They didn't need to be on such a big stage, though.
• Jay Reatard (Rating: 6.4 by day; 9.1 by night) I'm a big fan of 2 minute songs. Get in and get out. And Jay is a master. No banter. Names the song title and boom he's going. But it doesn't work too well in the big outdoor setting. Way better for a musky windowless black room (where I would see them later that night).
• Caribou (Rating: 7.6): Much more rocking than expected from the ethereal Andorra album, but not that much more interesting. Stayed for a few and scooted.
• Icy Demons (Rating: 7.9): Way more interesting. And not so tricked out in weirdness, but definitely looking for new territory. Didn't close the deal for me, but I'm not walking away yet, either.
• Fleet Foxes (Rating: 9.1): I'm pulling for the Foxes to not be destroyed by their ridiculous press. They make pretty sounds, but they need better songs. But I think they're all only 12 and I need to work through some jealousy. Nonetheless, they do a great job of translating their 70's country folk sound live.
• Fuck Buttons (Rating: 3.2): Knob rawk, don't waste my time.
• Dizzee Rascal (Rating: 5.1): Oh Rahzkooh, why do you hate us?
• The Ruby Suns (Rating: 9.1): Their show minted at least one new fan. The breezy disjointed Carribean grooving were an unexpected treat as the sun came out.
• Vampire Weekend (Rating: n/a): Didn't see them. Just wanted to say again that I think they're the Jar Jar Binks of Indie Rock. That's copyrighted, btw.
• Elf Power (Rating: 5.0) They're like the Platonic Ideal for 90's indie rock. If we ever do one of those satellites we fill up with crap to launch into space for aliens to find and then use to conquer us (wa-wah), we could do worse by throwing in an Elf Power CD. Completely what you (or I) would expect. Stayed for 2 songs. The aliens will have our number, for sure.
• !!! (Rating: 6.2) I probably needed to be closer to appreciate this show. I had my !!! experience 2 years ago and was content to keep it distant. And it's hard to get into dance-punk with a backpack. The kids seemed to like it, so good for them.
• The Hold Steady (Rating: 9.2) I spent the first 3 songs trying to will myself not to like these guys. And I can't do it. It's almost un-American. Fist-pumping sing-along anthems about the self-destructive brats. They have embraced they're place in pop and made it they're own. I've heard Craig Finn say 3 separate times that there's so much joy in what they do, I almost believe it.
• Jarvis Cocker (Rating: 9.6): Holy mole, this guy puts on a show. I have a solo album and liked it alright. I liked Pulp, but then my exposure was only through albums there, too. The performance is a revelation. How can I become Jarvis?
• No Age (Rating: 8.7): Wanted to see more, but was delayed by being unexpectedly impressed by and unhealthfully wanting to be Jarvis. Then they were having problems and I'm like the wind. I got to hear "Teen Creeps," the Pitchfork 08 anthem I think.
• Animal Collective (Rating: 9.2): Knob rawk, but on a much higher level. I was expecting something much more sloppier, befitting an Umphry's McGee (or whatever) opener. These guys were tight. And efficient. They came to work. I wasn't putting up with much by then. I just might learn not to regret buying "Strawberry Jam.

Sunday—It was a scorcher. Applied sunscreen 4 times to my sweat-slick forehead and I'll still burn. But it was cost effective. Made 4 beers feel like 8.

• Times New Viking (Rating: 7.3) I was expecting both much worse and much better. Their ridiculously low-fi ecstatic recordings portended either a brilliant live show or just sloppiness. Nonetheless, the short set of minimalist bursts of atonal poppy screaming didn't offend or inspire.
• The Dirty Projectors (Rating: 8.1) Maybe I'm just overly impressed that they can play Dirty Projectors' songs. So oddball and overly constructed. But they sounded like the recordings. No fist pumping sing-alongs, though. And did they need to be on the big stage? Stay in the library, you nerds. I change my mind. 4.3.
• Boris (9.1 for content; 4.3 for length) Japanese lady shreds. Drummer wears white gloves and plays a gong. But the token metal group only goes for 25 minutes? They flew from Japan for just 25 minutes of stage time. What kind of carbon footprint did that leave? Drummer says something about "electrical problem" but I can't understand him.
• Apples In Stereo (Rating: 8.5) Exactly what I expected. More nerd pop. At least these nerds were trying to be likeable. They were the eager-to-please waterboys to the indie jock squad.
• King Khan and His Shrines (Rating: 10.0) I pretty much hate anyone who has not seen King Khan live. That casts pretty big net, I know and sorry. But by missing the rarely US-touring Canadian-Indian paunchy naked-but-for-lavender-hotpants-and-a-gold-beaded-head-dress Memphis-style soul-punk KING, it probably says something about them missing something rare and essential to life that I just can't abide. Pitchfork Priceless Moment 2: I score a press pass gaining me front stage access. While the KING unnecessarily pantomimes lyrics from their transgendered anthem "I Want To Be A Girl," my head ends up about a foot from where he has unsecurely tucked his manhood, exposed for all to see. Some see too much.
• The Dodos (Rating 8.2) They probably need a smaller stage and to not come after King Khan, still the 3 guys do pretty well for the little instrumentation they bring.
• M. Ward (Rating: Whatever) I've seen this guy so many times. And he doesn't need anymore press.
• Les Savvy Fav (Rating: 7.80 They're alright I guess, but I've seen too many unappealing naked bodies today to be shocked by this guy's antics. But still, they do an old school Superchunk cover. 
• Spiritualized (Rating: 6.9) I really like Songs in A&E. But this seemed kind of boring here. But maybe I'm still coming off my Khan high. Too bad. He had some soulful backup singers that ended up doing too much of the lifting. Saw 3 songs and moved along.
• Bon Iver (Rating: 9.3 for the originals; 1.2 for the Talk Talk cover) There were some really nice moments here. The crowd participation was well managed and made the experience almost cozy in the overflowing crowd. Pitchfork Priceless Moment 3: Bon Iver makes a very wrongheaded detour with an overlong cover a forgettable Talk Talk mess. The confused crowd politely applauds and yet someone shouts "More Talk Talk!"
• Dinosaur Jr (Rating: 7.9) Holy guacamole, J Mascis is old. He now reminds me of this creepy dude who used to clean the pool at our YMCA when I was a kid. Or a short pudgy Gandolf the Grey. And say what you will of his reunion with Lou Barlow, I'm not too sure they deserved the prize spot they get in the schedule. But it was sweet that people still seem to like them. For me, that ship has sailed.
• Spoon (Rating: 9.0) They did their job as headliners. Nothing too mindblowing, though. Speaking of jobs, I have one to wake up to tomorrow in 5 hours. I'm no dancing mud person.

Exploring YouTube today, I found two things I wasn't looking for, which is always the best way to find anything.  

The first is a J Masic song that I, against all logic and credibility, prefer to most of the classic Dinosaur Jr. canon.  I love the slow-loose-Crazy Horse feel.  There's some quiet backing vocals by Robert Pollard, not to mention an inspired video.

The second is a song by Bettie Serveert that I'd forgotten how much I liked.  Carol Van Dyk has a lot of Chrissie Hynde in her, and that's a good thing.

In case you're not gonna make it to Chicago for the Pitchfork Music Festival or you're going to preoccupied with another festival taking place on the same weekend, KEXP and Pitchfork have teamed up to stream audio from this weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival. Pitchfork.TV is also streaming video for from the festival, though only certain bands were chose to be featured on the video.

With regards to KEXP's stream, there is no schedule for which bands will be streaming as of yet, but I've posted a link to the Pitchfork set times, so you can probably connect the dots from there, but keep in mind that Chicago is on CST, so don't miss your favorite band because you forgot about the different time zone. The link to the Pitchfork Festival video stream is below and the list of performers and set times is below.

KEXP is also currently broadcasting exclusive live performances from ENGINE Music Studio, and later today you can listen to David Vandervelde, The Occidental Brothers and The Ruby Suns performing live via the KEXP website (or on that old fashioned radio think with the knobs and switches for you people in Seattle). Check out KEXP's website for more information on their broadcast and hopefully there will be plenty of decent recordings from these streams, so I can listen to them after I get back from Rock The Bells. Although, I might have a secret plan to sneak in to Pitchfork on Sunday. More details as they emerge...

KEXP Live From Chicago 2008 [KEXP]

Pitchfork Music Festival Streaming Video Schedule [P4KTV]

Kevin Drew - Backed Out On The ...

...But, both bands will be on the Rock Band 2 tracklist, among many amazing others, as seen below:

!!!Tracklist!!!

Someday I will have free time.

Someday I will post something interesting.

Highlights of the new Rock Band include:

Beastie Boys - So Whatcha Want, Beck - E-Pro, Bob Dylan - Tangled Up in Blue, Dinosaur Jr. - Feel the Pain,  Elvis Costello - Pump it Up, Interpol - PDA, Modest Mouse - Float On, Rage Against the Machine - Testify, The Replacements - Alex Chilton, Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye, Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot, Talking Heads - Psycho Killer, The Who - Pinball Wizard, as well as a NEW Guns N' Roses song.  How the Replacements, Dinosaur Jr., and Sonic Youth were chosen is beyond me, but good job! (or will this be the downfall of alternative music? you decide).

Openen werd al vroeg gedaan met Headphone. Belgisch en in de lijn van Radiohead / Thom Yorke. Live klonk het alvast meer dan behoorlijk. Zowel instrumentaal als qua zang zat het allemaal prima. Vooral genoten van de singles en The Pugilist (die ‘so wrong’ is zo heerlijk). Coveren werd er gedaan met Down By The Water van PJ Harvey. Een ietwat psychedelische versie, maar dat zal wellicht niemand verbazen.
Quotering: ***

Daarna was het de beurt aan Saul Williams. Op zijn zachtst gezegd een beetje een rare vogel op de wei (inclusief pluimen, dracula en een te laag hangende knalgele broek). Energiek klonk het wel, maar echt overtuigen? Neen, dat niet. Zijn reeks van bekende artiesten waarmee hij samenwerkte in het programmaboekje was dan weer wel een pak indrukwekkender. Ach, hij deed zijn zin, predikte er op los en schudde iedereen de prut uit de ogen. Coveren werd ditmaal gedaan met Sunday Bloody Sunday van U2.
Quotering: **(*)

Mali was ook vertegenwoordigd op dit wereldse gebeuren. Tinariwen tekende daarvoor present. Presentator Chris Dusauchoit gaf nog mee dat Chris Martin van Coldplay zich voor zijn laatste cd helemaal had laten inspireren door deze muziek. Wat we kregen was supermonotoon. Het repetitieve handgeklap, nummers die haast nergens varieerden. Slappe hap. Doorspoelen met een fris tarwebiertje.
Quotering: *

Soundchecken ging bij Pinback zonder boe of ba over naar het concert. Geen aankondiging en vroeger dan aangegeven op onze papieren. De bebaarde man bleek de praatpaal en vreemdste eend binnen de groep. Lummelen tussen de nummers door om tijd te rekken voor alles in gereedheid te brengen, gulzig een banaan naar binnen werken. Beetje raar, maar het klonk best lekker. Echter nergens helemaal begeesterend, wat toch een beetje de verwachting was.
Quotering: ***

Tijd voor wat dromerige, zelfs met momenten romantische deuntjes kwamen er van The Cinematic Orchestra. De gedachten zaten algauw in andere sferen, op andere plaatsen. Als het een tip voor de mensen met herexamens mag zijn: dit lijkt me ideale muziek om te studeren.
Quotering: ***

Tijd om het zachte pad te verlaten en een beetje de slaande richting uit te gaan. Dinosaur Jr. zorgde voor die uppercut. Alleen instrumentaal stond alles loeihard waardoor de zang wat in het ijle bleef hangen. Meer van hetzelfde hoorde ik hier en daar zeggen en inderdaad echt legendarisch vond ik die hap nu ook weer niet.
Quotering: ***

De avond valt en tijd voor echte ambiance. Geladen met veel klassiekers sleurde Arno het park helemaal mee. Het publiek mocht zingen, klappen en genieten. Net wat op dat moment nodig was. Arno zijn stem klonk ietwat hees, maar zijn het niet dedie met de rauwste stem’n, die ’t meest én gezongen (Lore, Het Zesde Metaal)? Ik lustte er wel pap van en was heus niet alleen.
Quotering: ****

Afsluiten werd gedaan met een vleugje poprock van het Britse Starsailor. Drie platen, heel wat singletjes en binnenkort een vierde langspeler. Genoeg bagage om vooral het jonge publiek aan te spreken. Fijne muziekje, niks mis mee. Al zullen de muggenzifters afkomen met het lijkt allemaal keihard op elkaar en die zanger klinkt wat schaapachtig, maar mij zal het worst wezen. Mijn persoonlijke favoriet Alcoholic zat als tweede nummer helemaal vooraan de set.
Quotering: ***

Afgelopen vrijdag trad Dinosaur Jr. op in een bloedhete Melkweg. Waar normaal sigarettenrook de overhand zou hebben gehad, rook het nu naar zweet. De zaal was behoorlijk goed gevuld met voornamelijk mannen uit dezelfde leeftijdscategorie als J. Mascis, die tegenwoordig 43 schijnt te zijn. Dat valt nog mee, want zijn lange grijze manen doen nog ouder vermoeden. Drummer Murph is het échte oude mannetje in de band. Lou Barlow ziet er verrassend fris uit, aan het begin van het optreden tenminste.

De band wordt aangekondigd door de érg amerikaanse tourmanager met pornosnor, die duidelijk zijn vijftien minuten roem nog niet heeft meegemaakt, en de band gaat naar ouderwetsch Dinosaur-gebruik snoeihard van start. Het geluid is een enorme brij, maar gelukkig verbetert dat snel. De band speelt erg goed haar platen na. Alleen Lou Barlow maakt contact met het publiek en danst er lustig op los. Als de band speelt zijn ze goed, érg goed, maar tussen de nummers door is de sfeer tussen de bandleden onderling bijna ongemakkelijk. Murph slaat wat op zijn drums, J. speelt een losse riff en Lou weet het allemaal even niet. Ze hebben niet voor niks ooit enorme ruzie gehad. Zou dat nog eens kunnen gebeuren?

De set bestaat voornamelijk uit nummers van You're Living All Over Me en Bug, met nog een paar verdwaalde songs van Green Mind, Where You Been en Beyond. De band weet duivels goed wat haar beste materiaal is. Elk nummer van You're Living All Over Me wordt door Lou aangekondigd als "this is a song from our second album!". Niemand die er wakker van ligt. Maar zou J. Mascis er zelf nog wel plezier aan beleven? Heel even twijfel ik. Maar dan, in het laatste nummer (Freakscene natuurlijk) stopt hij heel even met zingen en het halve publiek valt voor hem in. Een vette grijns verschijnt op zijn gezicht. Snel gooit hij zijn haar ervoor en begint aan een knallende gitaarsolo.

I'm so sorry not have have posted recently but you can check out a more regularly update version of the site on my Tumblr page. Bookmark that for more recommended links that I'll be providing here.

Going round at the moment is a trend of listing the favourite albums since your year of birth and I thought I would indulge myself in that one. I'm going to do a movie one too so look out for that.

So, from my birth to now, my favourite records of every completed year thus far. An additional comment: I realise you are only supposed to choose one per year but damn, this was a little too hard for that. As far as my research goes, all are also based on UK release dates.

1984 – The Replacements – Let it Be / Prince – Purple Rain
1985 – Tom Waits – Rain Dogs / The Jesus and Mary Chain - Psychocandy
1986 – The Smiths – The Queen is Dead / Billy Bragg – Talking to the Taxman About Poetry
1987 – Dinosaur Jr – You’re Living All Over Me
1988 – Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation / American Music Club – California / Pixies – Surfer Rosa
1989 – Pixies - Doolittle
1990 – The Replacements – All Shook Down / Fugazi - Repeater
1991 – My Bloody Valentine - Loveless
1992 – REM – Automatic for the People / Nirvana - Nevermind
1993 – Nirvana – In Utero / Liz Phair – Exile in Guyville / Red House Painters – Red House Painters
1994 – Pavement – Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain / Soundgarden - Superunknown
1995 – Radiohead – The Bends
1996 – Stereolab – Emperor Tomato Ketchup / Beck – Odelay / Sleater Kinney – Call the Doctor / Weezer - Pinkerton
1997 – Radiohead – OK Computer / Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating in Space / Elliott Smith – Either/Or
1998 – Neutral Milk Hotel – In An Aeroplane Over The Sea / Eels – Electro-Shock Blues
1999 – Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – I See A Darkness / Magnetic Fields – 69 Love Songs / Tom Waits – Mule Variations
2000 – Hamell on Trial – Choochtown / Badly Drawn Boy – The Hour of Bewilderbeast / Godspeed, You Black Emperor - Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
2001 – Elbow – Asleep at the Back / Sigur Ros – Agaetis Byrjun / The Shins – Oh! Inverted World
2002 – Queens of the Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf / Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2003 – Cat Power – You Are Free / The White Stripes - Elephant
2004 – The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow / Arcade Fire - Funeral
2005 – Sufjan Stevens – Illinoise / The National – Alligator / Mountain Goats – The Sunset Tree
2006 – Tom Waits – Orphans, Brawlers & Bastards / Cat Power – The Greatest
2007 – The Hold Steady – Boys & Girls in America

01. ".44 Caliber Letter" - Alexisonfire.

02. "Walls" - Emery.

03. "Comfort Betrays" - As I Lay Dying.

04. "Murder" - HORSE The Band.

05. "Metronome Arthritis" - At the Drive-In.

06. "Sludgefeast" - Dinosaur Jr.

07. "I'm Above" - Mad Season.

08. "Exam Room" - Hermano.

09. "Hotdoggin'" - Fu Manchu.

10. "Eagles Goth" - Eagles of Death Metal.

11. "See the Sun" - The Kooks.

12- "Great DJ" - The Ting Tings.

13. "Gimmie Some Salt" - Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah!.

14. "Violet Hill" - Coldplay.

15. "Fall" - Editors.

16. "Pagan Poetry" - Björk.

17. "Nude" - Radiohead.

18. "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Part 2" - My Morning Jacket.

Stuart Maconie hits the nail on the head in his intro, "The Peel Show has brought me moments of Joycean epiphany when pop has shed its scaly skin and changed my life".

Anyone who listened to Peel even semi regularly has a story about the time they were sat in the kitchen/driving to a party/lying in bed etc. etc. listening to his show when suddenly he played a record that made them feel like they'd been accelerated through space and time whilst being punched senseless. Those very rare moments when music leaves you stupefied, breathless and gasping...."What the fuck is this - this is amazing!"

Inspiral Carpets: Keep the Circle Around (live 2008 performance!)

Wedding Present - Why are you being so reasonable now? (about 3.45 in)

The Siddeleys: Sunshine Thuggery

Dat Blygu: Ugain I Un (can't find Wyau)

Mighty Force: Thrashing A Dead Horse

Robert Lloyd: Nothing Matters

A Guy Called Gerald: Voodoo Ray

Dinosaur Jr: Freak Scene

Got nothing on Chinhoyi Superstars after a quick search - if you're determinded and have more time then maybe you'll have more luck.

Stånkat och stönat med typ tusen nya pallar med varor som skall packas upp, ställas på rätt plats osv. Dessutom allt emballage som skall tas hand om; sorteras (kartong för sig, plast/frigolit/papper för sig osv), skäras sönder (kartongerna) och stoppas i enorma sopkärl som i sin tur skall köras ner i källaren. Lagerjobb är banne mig ingen barnlek.

Men det är ganska skönt också, att slippa vara trevlig och alert gentemot kunderna hela tiden, bara kunna gå omkring i sin egen värld och lyssna på radio.

Är tusenpepp på skolan och jättejätteglad för alla snälla ord, gratulationer och lyckönskningar - Tack!!

Skall nu kolla på ny dator, har en bestämd känsla av att min gamla Acer Travelmate - som knappt klarar att köra Gimp och Inkscape på samma gång - kommer att hålla måttet under min 90 veckor på Hyper.. Samtidigt dags att förbereda sig för livet som fattig student!

Robin berättade idag att isbjörnarna håller på att svälta ihjäl på Arktis. Isbjörnar äter nämligen sälar, som i sin tur lever på krill, en sorts fisk som håller på att utrotas pga den ändrade temperaturen i ishavet. Dessutom är isen nästan helt borta nu. Han kom med det blygsamma förslaget att vi kanske skall sluta köpa frukt. Det är nämligen den största miljöboven i våran vardag, eftersom vi cyklar till jobbet, käkar vegetarisk mat osv. Förslaget möttes av bestörtning från min sida;

"VAD?! INGEN FRUKT?!" Ifrågasatte om ett liv utan frukt verkligen var värt att leva. Fick ångest.

Sen kom jag på den perfekta kompromissen. Den har två faser.

Fas 1: Bara köpa frukt från Europa.

Fas 2: Flytta till ett land som producerar så stor del som möjligt av de produkter/livsmedel som jag vill ha.. Kan inte frukten komma till mig får väl jag komma till frukten, helt enkelt. Holland är en stark kandidat; de odlar typ alla sorters frukt och grönsaker. De är väldigt liberala. De är duktiga på design. Det är nära till Spanien (den mesta frukten som inte odlas i Holland odlas i där). Dessutom verkar Amsterdam jäkligt nice. Enda minuset är att stan ligger under vatten-nivån. Känns ju varken jättetryggt eller särskilt hållbart. Vilket dilemma! Hoppas de kommer på en bra lösning på problemet inom de kommande två åren.

Har för övrigt mest lyssnat på den här mannens ljuva stämma i dag:

J Mascis, bästa snubben nu alltså!

2005:

Kanye West - Late Registration

Beck - Guero

Spoon - "I Turn My Camera On"

2006:

Broken Social Scene - "7/4 (Shoreline)"

The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls In America

2007:

Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond

Feist - "My Moon My Man"

R. Kelly - "I'm A Flirt (Remix feat. T-Pain and T.I.)"

Kanye West - Late Registration - First thing: Kanye West is incredibly cocky and/or insecure. That doesn’t mean he can’t make a good album. “Late Registration” isn’t as good as “The College Dropout,” but it is a better follow-up than anyone expected. A lot of the credit goes to Jon Brion. Co-producing with Kanye, they have created the best sounding rap album this side of the Roots. The highlights here match the best from his debut. These are mostly the singles or tracks that will probably be singles in 2006, like “Gold Digger,” “Heard ‘Em Say,” “Touch the Sky,” “We Major” with Nas, and “Diamonds From Sierra Leone (remix)” with a great verse from Jay-Z in which he compares himself to Jesus (“I had to get off the boat so I could walk on water”). Maybe Kanye isn’t the cockiest person on this album. The problem with “Late Registration” comes from the fact that we learned the entire Kanye West story on his first album. The filler on “Late Registration” can’t be filled with car crashes or working at the Gap. Instead, Kanye decides to give the listener a history lesson about the government spreading crack and AIDS in the black community. And the skits still aren’t very funny after the first half-listen. For me at least, what saves the record from just having some songs on “The Very Best of Kanye West” in 2010 is the “bonus” track, “Late.” Kanye is still cocky, but I finally feel like he backs that up with “Late.” It’s the traditional “Kanye West” sound with the slowed down sample, but it feels like he’s finally becoming comfortable with his rapping skills. If Kanye hadn’t been telling us since January that his new album was going to change the world, it might have seemed even better. Supposedly he’ll have another out by this time next year. I just hope that all he tells us about it is, “You’ll have to hear it to believe it.”

Beck - Guero - In the year or so leading up to the release of “Guero,” we were being led to believe that it was either a straight-up hip-hop album or a straight-up guitar-rock album. Somewhere those two ideas came together (along with bits and pieces of everything Beck has released since “Odelay”). Kicking off with his biggest hit in years, “E-Pro,” we’re greeted with the guitars that Beck promised. Up next on “Qué Onda Guero” we get the hip-hop with a Spanish taste to it, fitting as “Guero” is Spanish for “whiteboy.” Singles “Girl” and “Hell Yes” stand out as the first is one of the catchiest songs that might be about killing someone ever and the second features some old school (or at least back to 1996) rapping along with Christina Ricci saying “Please enjoy.” The majority of the rest of the album sounds like the more upbeat songs from “Mutations” or the more low-key songs from “Odelay.” This isn’t a horrible thing, but it does feel at times that Beck is trying to mix all the styles he’s tried together a little too neatly. A notable thing about “Guero” as a whole is the amount of official remixes released, from iTunes exclusives to remix Eps to deluxe edition tracks even to a full remix album. Combining all of these and finding the best versions of each song could turn this good Beck album into a great one.

Spoon - "I Turn My Camera On" - A minimalist track that combines elements of Prince and the Rolling Stones that isn’t a joke? Somehow Spoon made it work with “I Turn My Camera On.” With a barely there guitar track overshadowed by the bass and drums, Spoon created something new that reminds us of all the songs we ironically liked until they became popular again. By the time the feedback guitar solo hits with thirty seconds left, you’re not paying any attention to it. All that you can think about is that bass line that will be in your head for days and in the playlist of every indie-dance party for years.

Broken Social Scene - "7/4 (Shoreline)" - If you’re listening to a band that can have up to eighteen members, it should be expected that their songs would have a “Wall of Sound” quality to them. Broken Social Scene does not disappoint, especially on “7/4 (Shoreline)”. As if almost to slowly lead the listener to the audio onslaught to come, the layers are introduced one-by-one until you’re hearing a solid mass of guitars and the lovely voice of Leslie Feist. It all comes to a stop for a second to give you (and probably the band) a chance to catch your breath, but it starts right back up again and continues to build with more noise and horns and handclaps. I have no clue what they’re singing about other than that “It’s coming in hard,” but it’s still one of the most powerful things I’ve heard in a long time.

The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls In America - Good rock and roll music should make you feel alive. The Hold Steady’s Vagrant debut, Boys and Girls in America, does just that. Taking a combination of the best aspects of Thin Lizzy, The Replacements, Jack Kerouac, and Born To Run/Darkness on the Edge of Town era Bruce Springsteen, the songs making up Boys and Girls in America create a set of characters who are bored with what’s surrounding them and doing whatever they can, usually drinking, doing drugs, and falling in love, to make some sort of change. I think that the biggest fans of this album are people who have lived the situations that Craig Finn is describing in the songs and the people who don’t like it have never experienced it. Finn isn’t really romanticizing these characters, though. They seem to be as close to completely falling apart as the music does at times, but it doesn’t change the fact that right now they’re still alive and so is the listener.

Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond - I don't know much about the original runs of Dinosaur Jr. beyond the singles that made a bit of dent during the "alternative" era, so I didn't quite know what to expect when I put Beyond in my playlist of things to listen to before the end of the year. I was on the train and all of a sudden this crazy guitar started playing through my headphones. And it didn't let up for the next 45 minutes. This album rocks. Hard. Going back to that early Dinosaur Jr. album made me realize that even though this is technically a reunion album, it sounds like it could have been made in their heyday. For most bands, this is probably a bad thing, to get back together and make an album that sounds like you did nearly twenty years ago, but Dinosaur Jr. are so good at what they do, it doesn't matter. When Dinosaur Jr.'s peers in the Pixies reunited around the same time a few years back, everyone wanted them to record a new album. I say if they can't match half of what Dinosaur Jr. did with Beyond, why bother?
Feist - "My Moon My Man" - Seen as almost an afterthought in this post-"1234" world, the first single from The Reminder explores all of the sonic dimensions of Feist. Along with "Sea Lion Woman," it represents the sound that Feist has defined for herself live. As the song progress, more layers build up, until the song climaxes with a multi-tracked vocal repeating over the set of piano chords that have been churning throughout the song. Suddenly, everything else stops and we're just left with that piano. "1234" may have been the introduction of Feist to the mainstream, but "My Moon My Man" should be what lasts.
R. Kelly - "I'm A Flirt (Remix feat. T-Pain and T.I.)" - As the most recent in a long line of songs about R. Kelly stealing your girl, "I'm A Flirt" shines for a variety of reasons. First, you have the expected nonsensical one-liners flowing from Kels, like any uptempo sex jam should have. He is rather frank with the fact that if you are at the club and you go to the bathroom, he will steal and statutory rape your lady friend. He doesn't care that she's over 18. Why can/will he do this? Because he's black, handsome , sings, plus he's rich and most importantly, a flirt. Next T.I. follows and just like in last year's "My Love," he acts as the voice of reason. Well, sort of. At least compared to R. Kelly, he's trying to look out for you. Finally, T-Pain (did you ever expect to hear him on a hip-hop/R&B track this year?) shows up and T-Pains around a little bit. By combing three of the, if not best, at least most ubiquitous urban hit-makers of the last few years, you're left with a ridiculous jam that somehow still is the most logical thing found on Double Up.

Esta es la octava canción del disco Beyond, de 2007.

[audio="http://www.goear.com/files/sst4/a3459d320957b07b21e245eb816d8026.mp3"]

Letra:

I've been lying softly, glued to the ground
I don't need to listen, I just need the sound
piece it all together, let me out
When it's almost over there's a doubt to get through
I wanted you to say
'be around'

If you say 'we're not alone'.