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Sunday, January 10, 2010 Le Phoenix These videos were posted a few months ago and honestly, they are great. Phoenix are sweet, beautiful men and I'm more or less in love with them. See two other videos, for "1901" and "Lost Distance Call" here at La Blogotheque. Labels: curiosities, loved sounds, music, videos posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 1/10/2010 11:07:00 PM 1 comments Thursday, January 07, 2010 Been A Fan  This is, I believe, the first and probably last time I will ever write about Nirvana: For the past month I have been overcome by yet another one of my biannual Nirvana swoons, whereby I read an article about an upcoming Nirvana release and suddenly dive back into their catalog, wondering whether I might fall in love with Kurt & Co all over again. In 2002, it was the release of "You Know You're Right"; 2004, the With The Lights Out box set; 2006, Live! Tonight! Sold Out! re-release; and now this year, the Live at Reading release. It always happens. Like many men my age, I loved the shit out of Nirvana in the early to mid 90s, listening obsessively to their four studio records, and then MTV Unplugged, and then (far less so) the '96 live record From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah. But also like many kids of that age, I was mostly interested in the hits, and so what got perhaps the most plays of all was a homemade tape I made compiling the singles/best from Nevermind, In Utero, and Incesticide, plus and "About a Girl" and "Love Buzz" from Bleach (ie, a variation of this). Despite the at-the-end-of-the-day greatness, Nirvana were a band that spent a lot of time pumping out non-poppy sonic sludge, and this meant that a lot of tunes were frequently passed over by me during the band's '91-'95 heyday (though I loved the shit out of the uncharacteristically tuneful Unplugged) Of course, as I grew older, the way I heard music changed and eventually a more developed and nuanced sense of taste and patience led me back to many of the tunes I'd previously overlooked, namely the snarly In Utero, the second--non-singles--halves of Nevermind and Incesticide (my feelings on Bleach though are still more or less the same). The first point I really remember reconnecting with Nirvana in an adult-fashion was my freshman year of college, almost immediately after getting there that fall. I had at that point had been getting heavily into indie rock for the few years prior and was no longer really giving much time to anything I'd cared about musically between ages 10-14. Nothing new Nirvana-related was released at the time, but this was in the heyday of Napster and I remember that a boy down the hall from me would blast a bootleg called Outcestide featuring lots of Nirvana I'd never even heard before$$$. At the time I generally had a policy of disavowing bootlegs for their shitty sound quality and the fact that a band may not have intended for people to hear the material~~~, Outcesticide, hearing Cobain screaming through my hall made me pick up his records and get into them all over again. I gave each of them many spins, but rising above it all was both the joy and sadness of finally understanding the shining moment that is In Utero, far and away the best thing Nirvana ever put to record. The tunes on In Utero are an astonishing mix of melody and rage like almost nothing else. Beginning with opener "Serve The Servants", the searing guitar wails of which are like the broken bit nails of bloodied fingers screeching down a chalk board--ie, magical aurality that resonates intense terror deep within one's gutheart. In Utero is a record that pummels and rarely relents; even mid-record quiet moment "Dumb" feels like a welcome*** and a momentary two and a half minute breather between devastation. When some people are down and out, they want to drown themselves in seas of blunt-force sound ala thrash or Merzbow or whatever, but when I'm on the mental shitter I want more than ever to hear my rage led by the voice of someone who understands me and feels my pain and truly there are few other records I can think of that I so significantly connect with in these kinds of moments than In Utero. From there In Utero stayed in my general disc rotation, but the rest of the catalog drifted away for the next couple years until late 2002 when the much ballyhooed "You Know You're Right" leaked to the internet and suddenly, for the first time since '96^^^a best of featuring nothing else new--bad feelings muted because once again I was connected with the great records I'd forgotten. In 2003, I began for the first time in almost ten years to care about rap music again and my thoughts went elsewhere, returning Nirvana to its place on the backburner again until Christmas 2004 when, finally, my prayers were answered and the longcoming Nirvana box With The Lights Out was released. I did not immediately pick it up though and was stunned after seeing review after review panning it as a disappointment. Bewildered, I finally got the set and discovered that my fears were confirmed--that there was in fact almost no "secret gold" to speak of. Despite the fact that With The Lights Out is well-worth a listen and filled with recordings few have heard before, the bottom line is that it was actually tremendously short on new songs. Of the 51 songs, the vast majority were either previously released b-sides, very rough demos or pre-Bleach tunes (presenting little value to me). Leaving just four actually new, previously unreleased peak-era (90-94) songs--"Old Age", "Verse Chorus Verse", "Return of the Rat", "Do Re Mi" (only a demo but worth it). This is not to say that I'd had much exposure to many of the additional b-sides and so they were still welcome to my hears, but it meant that more than half of the box amounted to poorly recorded demos and late 80s sludge. Boo. As perhaps an unintentionally ironic homage to the past, I fashioned myself a 16 track "Condensed Version" of the set boiled down to the good new songs and b-sides plus the 3 decent sounding songs from disc one I was remotely interested in ("Pen Cap Chew", "Even In His Youth", and "Token Eastern Song"). And even this, honestly is a bit of a bummer road. But while I'm describing this irony as coincidental, it also hits upon the fact that as great as Nirvana were in theory, they were tremendously overrated as an actual band that made records. Because, at the end of the day, they really didn't make that many records--just TWO great albums--Nevermind and In Utero, plus Unplugged, since it's basically completely different--and the rest is a tremendously mixed bag of random gems and forgetable filler. Incesticide has probably 8 or so great tracks and 7 toss-offs and, again, Bleach has two great tracks and a lot of promise. Some of the b-sides and outtakes are GREAT ("Sappy", "Verse Chorus Verse", "Old Age", "Do Re Mi", "Return of the Rat", and Dave Grohl's proto-Foo "Marigold@@@ namely), but the rest are fresher and cleaner versions of the forgettable early shit ("Curmudgeon", "Oh the Guilt", "I Hate Myself And Want to Die"). Which, at the end of the day, doesn't amount to a lot of quantity. But... god... the highs. Honestly. The best of this fucking band is just so good, such a precious and unique combination of power, rage, His Voice and tunefulness that few have ever approached. So much so that, outside of played-everywhere-forever "Teen Spirit" I will probably never truly tire of hearing this band. And if you could come up with some kind of ratio of "never getting sick of a band" to "amount of tunes recorded" they would probably be the King Ducks. POSTSCRIPT: What else is there left to say about Nirvana? Well, let me say a few final things about the live releases--in particular, the new Live at Reading--and what might still be unreleased. The Nirvana MTV Unplugged release is, of course, canonical--so great and significant that it is arguably as important as either In Utero or Nevermind. And if you like Nirvana, you've most definitely listened to it a million times all ready, so I won't say anything more about it. From The Muddy Banks of The Wishkah, while a solid live record, was mostly significant to me upon its release for the aforementioned release of "Spank Thru" (actually Kurt's first ever song). As having always been an "album guy", I always had mixed feelings about this release and it's up-and-down sound quality--but, it is without doubt a great and worthy record, and if you could handle the lesser fidelity, it serves as a superior single disc primer to the tame 2002 best of. I should listen to Muddy Banks again, because I haven't in years since my cd was destroyed and I'm curious what i'll think about it in light of... ... Live at Reading, the newest and possibly last (for a while) release by Nirvana of any value. While having the added value of feeling like a whole rather than a compilation of odd parts, Reading outperforms Wishkah for also being more energetic, frenetic and fun. Plus it features one more dangled carrot in the form of never-before-released "The Money Will Roll Right In"--definitely forgettable "minor Nirvana", but still noteworthy in 2010 nonetheless. In fact, the only bummer road about Reading is that, like Wishkah, it too favors album cuts over b-sides (understandable, but a disappointment to crazy people nonetheless), and that the show took place in 1992, meaning that only three cuts from In Utero appear--"Tourette's", "All Apologies" and "Dumb"--and the latter two are somewhat gestational. But seriously! If you have any space in your life or heart in 2010 for Nirvana, you should really pick this record up. And the rest? Krist Novoselic said last March that, sadly, there are no unreleased Nirvana songs left and "there aren't going to be any new Nirvana records%%%." Outcesticide and Chosen Rejects collections. A lot of the best material on both of these five and four disc sets has since been released on With The Lights Out, but have fun with the rest if you really gotta. POST-POSTSCRIPT That's pretty much it. Last I leave you with a shitload of footnotes, a handful of arbitrary "Top Five" lists and five mp3s worth checking out. Of the mp3s, I'm giving you: --two tracks from Live at Reading, including "new to you" "Money Will Roll Right In" --"Ain't It A Shame", a weird tongue-in-cheek Leadbelly cover from 1989 that is the closest Nirvana ever got to country --"All Apologies (demo)", from the Chosen Rejects comp, in an early, laid back form sounding almost like Ryan Adams (well, not really). Would go from curious to amazing were a) the lyrics actually written and b) the vox not buried in the sand. But it is what it is. --"Love Buzz", a great version from largely unreleased Peel Sessions OK. NOTES: $$$ -- It's entirely possible hearing these tunes and being surprised I didn't know anything about them is what first triggered my future obsessive desires to collect the fuck out of the detritus of any band that I ever truly loved. ~~~ -- Umm, yeah... seriously. It's hard for me to believe it as I type, but I remember those faux-righteous days so clearly. Things change, indeed. *** -- "Dumb" and In Utero closer "All Apologies" are children to Nevermind quiet counterparts "Polly" and "Something In The Way", but where each of the latter two lag with energy and sag with forced "intensity", In Utero's softer moments enrapture and possess, and "All Apologies" of course doesn't even stay quiet, as it opens up and rages for its outro chorus. ^^^ -- The live record Muddy Banks of the Wishkah was released in '96 and contained the more or less unreleased track "Spank Thru", the first and only "new" Nirvana track since In Utero. @@@ -- Curiously, you can hear an audience member shout out "Marigold" in the video version of MTV Unplugged after Kurt says "What should we play next?" Obviously this wasn't happening. FIELD STUDIES  "Suggested bass and treble positions" printed in the liner notes to In Utero. I have never before or since seen a band do this. The Five More Or Less Best "Nirvana Records" In Order Of Personal Favoritism: 1. In Utero 2. MTV Unplugged 3. Nevermind 4. Live at Reading 5. Incesticide The Five Favorite Nirvana Songs Of Jeffrey Beaumont, In An Actual Order: 1. Serve the Servants 2. Drain You 3. All Apologies 4. Molly's Lips 5. Old Age The Five Best Nirvana Songs You May Have Never Heard (All Of Which Are On The Box Set): 1. Old Age 2. Verse Chorus Verse 3. Sappy (formerly called "Verse Chorus Verse") 4. Do Re Mi 5. Return of the Rat (Wipers cover) Five RandomNotes On Nirvana I Would Like to Share: 1. In Utero is by far the best Nirvana record 2. The Butch Vig production on Nevermind is total shit and makes that record sound dated in a way that the rest of their recorded music--even Bleach--doesn't. 3. "Something In The Way" would have been more effective without the strings, and possibly even just as Kurt acoustic. 4. "Drain You" is the best song from Nevermind 5. I wish this asshole had kept his shit together because he probably could have made a few more great Nirvana records Five Nirvana Songs Available For You Now: 1. Nirvana - "Drain You", from Live at Reading 2. Nirvana - "The Money Will Roll Right in", from Live at Reading 3. Nirvana - "Ain't It A Shame", demo from Leadbelly Sessions, released on With The Lights Out 4. Nirvana - "All Apologies (demo)", bootlegged unreleased demo, from Chosen Rejects 5. Nirvana - "Love Buzz", from unreleased Peel Session 1989 Labels: heroes, loved sounds, memories, mp3, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 1/07/2010 09:48:00 PM 2 comments 2
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Tuesday, January 05, 2010 Shinin' On Big Boi Ft. Gucci Mane - Shine Blockas from SNORT THIS TV on Vimeo. Still no word on when the Big Boi album is going to drop but apparently they've finally released a video for my beloved "Shine Blockas" (the only track other than Real Estate to crack my Last.fm Top 10 list over the past three months), sans incarcerated second fiddle Gucci Mane. Listen, watch and enjoy. Labels: loved sounds, music, rap, videos posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 1/05/2010 07:32:00 PM 0 comments Sunday, January 03, 2010 Scattered Hearts, Old Worlds  I am listening to Bjork's "Scatterheart" now (from the at-the-time-slept-on Selmasongs, de facto soundtrack to Dancer in the Dark) and yearning for the free and easy days of 95-2001 when the Icelandic Queen made inarguably the most compelling and engaging electronic pop music out there. What happened to those days, O Cynical Wisp Of The Ever-changing Future? I liked Vespertine enough, especially in 2001, but it felt a little flat and confined even then, and was clearly the end of the line for our fairy princess. Medulla was interesting in theory but kind of something I never ever want to listen to, and while Volta was a return to form... it was only literally so, as it hit upon the successful song structures of Homogenic era Bjork without the soft-touch melodies, magic, or heart. Fuck man, this is what getting old is all about--you can't do much more with today's present in the future but hang on to the memories of the past. Three such memories below, including one you may have never before heard by Warp artists and occasional co-collaborators Plaid. LISTEN: Bjork - "Scatterheart", from Selmasongs Bjork - "New World", from Selmasongs (tear my fucking year 2000 heart apart) Plaid (f. Bjork) - "Lilith", from Not For Threes Labels: loved sounds, mp3, music, old flames posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 1/03/2010 04:45:00 AM 2 comments 2
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HIGHPOINTS OF ELECTRONIC MUSIC: "LP5"  For as long as I've loved experimental electronic music over the course of my life, I've always managed to let the triumph of melodicism stand tall as king over the dominion of Beaumont-pleasing sonicality. To break it down empirically at the feet of arguably the two most significant EEM artists of the past 20 years: when put to a test, I would always take the mischievous neo-romanticism of Aphex Twin over the formal deconstructivism of Autechre. This is not to say that I love all of Aphex Twin (or none of Autechre), but that when it came down to his best work, Aphex Twin was a man who used electronic futurism to sail his melodic explorations, whereas Autechre were men whose labors uncovered the occasional melody locked away within the cold structures of binary programming. Over the many records released throughout these two giants' respective careers, this distillation has with few exceptions held true for each, and for the most part has kept my interests aligned significantly more with the AFX camp than the other--except once, with the release in 1998 of Autechre's fifth full length unofficially titled LP5, which is the one Autechre release in their entire discography to step outside of their devotion to sonic brakhage and let the wind of melodicism take away the tunes. You have likely guessed therefore that LP5 is my favorite release by Autechre*** (though I won't necessarily argue that it's their best, as I know my opinion on them is quite different than the small handful of nerds who give a shit about them), and choosing a favorite cut from it is not an easy task, as there are a number of standouts. Key among them are schizophrenic album opener "Acroyear2", intellectual "Corc", the soft-but-pounding "Rae", and "Fold4, Wrap5", the warmest and most accessible Autechre tracks ever. But perhaps tops among them all is penultimate number "Arch Carrier", which is a return to the skittery iso-melodicism of "Acroyear2" but overcast by a dark, nagging sense of dread. Every single time I hear "Arch Carrier" it slays me, partially because of the impact it carries in usually having followed a relatively exhausting hour of electronic experimentation, but also because its melody and beat are strong enough to grab me by the throat even on their own. Below are mp3s for "Arch Carrier", "Acroyear2" and "Rae", plus "Leterel", a precursor of sorts from the '95 record Tri Repetae. And then finally I've thrown in Aphex's "IZ-US", from the Come to Daddy EP released the same year as LP5. If you want to know what the highpoints of experimental electronic music in the late 90s were, the next five tracks are pretty good place to start. NOTES: *** - I've also written previously about the excellence of 95's Garbage EP LISTEN: Autechre - "Arch Carrier", from LP5 (1998) Autechre - "Acroyear2", from LP5 (1998) Autechre - "Rae", from LP5 (1998) Also: Autechre - "Leterel", from Tri Repetae (1998) Aphex Twin - "IZ-US", from I Care Because You Do (1998) Labels: loved sounds, Maple Syrup Delights, mp3, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 1/03/2010 03:38:00 AM 0 comments Tuesday, December 01, 2009 Beach Finds  Point Pleasant Beach, Jersey Shore: 9 May 2009. Larger here. More photos from the Jersey Shore here. If you are reading this post and haven't yet listened to the Real Estate track "Beach Comber", then it means that I have failed thus far at conveying to the urgency that you experience the great and immense awesomeness that is this song. Please, I implore you to listen: this is one of the best subtle and laid back songs that I think you will ever hear. As great as the whole song is at blowing my body up like a balloon, the 2:51 bridge/breakdown actually stands me tall and then slays me. And if it doesn't hit you immediately, that's fine. Just play it again, and give it time to grow. It will grow it will. Noch einmal-- Real Estate - "Beach Comber", from Real Estate Labels: loved sounds, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 12/01/2009 12:52:00 AM 0 comments Saturday, November 28, 2009 Suburban Recordings  "Valleyview Elementary Hoop" I have loved the shit out of New Jersey band Real Estate since Alex Doorknobs and I first saw/heard them on a bill with Nodzzz and Wavves in early 2009. and their track "Suburban Beverage" from an eponymous 7", is without doubt on my list of the Ten Songs That Touched Me Good In 2009. (I meant all summer to pen a great ode to "Suburban Beverage" but never seem to have gotten around to it, only denoting my additional appreciation for its b-side "Old Folks" in a post about my grandfather.) I have been primed for more from these dudes for a long time coming. And now, finally, their full-length is here and it's better than I'd even hoped (and you can get it here). Before I say anything further, let me reiterate the most important point I could make about Real Estate: great record, and I encourage you to buy it and fall in love. Because as good as "Sub Bev" and "Fake Blues" (summer follow-up) are, I have fallen even harder for "Beach Comber", which might be the most subtly awesome pop song of 2009 by anyone, and, of course, the rest of the record ain't far behind. I have to say: despite me liking Real Estate almost instantly, I've found myself somewhat surprised at their fast-growing popularity. Obviously my tastes are not so esoteric or obscurantist that my "love" for Real Estate might imply that they don't have something valuable to offer a greater public, but in my brain their tunes fit into a category of bands I have always seen as offering limited appeal to a main-er audience on the lookout for hooks, noise, aggression, or bounce. To my ears, Real Estate have little of this in the tunes; their music is largely made up of loping, hookless excerpts of noodly, spindly, circular guitar riffs that don't sound like they're ever quite supposed to go anywhere. In listening to this record nonstop the past week, I am beginning to think that part of why I feel this way about them is because the production feels not just "lo-fi" but straight-up amateur. The drumming is for sure recorded primitively and sloppily, but i think it's the guitar really that gets me: it sounds almost specifically unmixed and unproduced--so that ultimately their tunes literally sound like a four track recording of four dudes playing together in a garage, with not a knobtwitch of mix adjustment. I know that this in general is a definition of amateurish lo-fi tuneage, but i think the tipping point for me then becomes the way these recording techniques run in contrast to the type of music they play. The music of Real Estate is very much in line with a history of slinky, shimmering, sleepy surf and western mavens of yore--but it just feels like what sets Real Estate apart from their varied antecedents is this not primitivism but amateurism.... or something. Listen to the clear-ringing lines in "Beach Comber," the sludgy guit-murk of "Suburban Beverage", or, most hilariously, the drumming on "Fake Blues" (hilariously shitty sounding) and hopefully you'll get a sense of what I'm saying--it's rare you hear "hot tracks" sound so poorly recorded, especially in a way that isn't part of some forced conscious aesthetic like the mock 50s shitpunk of Vivian Girls and "we don't know much" slapdash of Beat Happening. Right?...? I dunno, I guess. I'm grasping at straws, really, and making points that aren't even important. I love this band, and I love this record, and every time I listen to it, I love both band and record more. But there's something strange and everyman about it that makes me feel weird, and I can't shake it. Ultimately I guess I'll just keep listening.  CD copy included with Suburban Beverage 7"--very pro LISTEN: Real Estate - "Beach Comber", from Real Estate Real Estate - "Fake Blues", from Real Estate Real Estate - "Suburban Beverage", from Real Estate Labels: loved sounds, mp3, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 11/28/2009 05:38:00 PM 0 comments Friday, November 27, 2009 His Name Is... A few things Wayne for you all. First: above is the trailer for the upcoming Lil' Wayne documentary, the exact details of which (including release date) I'm not very familiar, but which I was able view in its entirety last weekend. I'm not sure that anyone right now is arguing the need for such a film, but I was surprised how compelling it was and how much I wasn't ready for it to be over when it ended. The number one thing about the man, above and beyond, is that he's no dope who lucked into fame by brashness and circumstance--Wayne is, without doubt, a truly creative spirit with the kind of ever-burbling brain from which ideas constantly spring out. I'm a person who generally dislikes docu-bios and biopics as concepts, for the sake of my frustration at the idea of summarizing hours, days or years into 90-120 minutes, and as such I'm inherently dismissive of any ideas posited on characters displayed in such ventures.... but all of which is to say that the Wayne of the World here is one who anyone should be able to see and take interest in. I won't give much away, but he certainly comes off not as a rapper but as a wordgenius whose life has collided with the world of rap. And if that ain't interesting to you, then it ain't. ------------ On possibly a more exciting Wayne front though, the Lil' Master has finally released a mixtape worthy of the cream of his "tween-Carter" 2007-08 tapes Dedication 2 and Da Drought 3: and he calls it No Ceilings and you can get it here. Many of you have already heard and rejoiced in this tape, and I'll join you there, as it's for sure a "return to form". I do have to offer a little skepticism and say that I don't think i'd call No Ceilings amazing, but it's definitely good, and refreshing to know that he hasn't bought too much yet into the "Prom Queen" crossover shit he put out earlier this year. But speaking of crossover appeal, one track on No Ceilings that has sort of stuck in my craw in an embarrassing way is the late addition not-titular cut "I Got No Ceilings", a feel-good pop hit that takes the instrumental from--seriously--the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling". I knew the moment my ears took in this track that I would probably feel guilty once I found out the source, but it didn't stop me from experiencing an immediate swell of, "Wow!" as I for the first time heard Lil' Wayne delivering on the potentiality of candy pop-rap in a way I'd never quite imagined... which, when combined with his ability to go big in a more or less non-trad rap way with the emo-darkness "Shoot Me Down", makes me believe that it is entirely possible that he's got a quality post-rap record in him providing that he works with the right folks (ie, people with taste and a sense for true hooks). On some level, this is the same point emphasized by the striking power of his best mixtapes when compared to his released efforts: that Wayne goes from Rapping to Killing Shit when his generally-fantastic words are combined at last with truly A-level (ie, non-Mannie Fresh) beats. It kills me a little that "Lollipop" is the biggest hit Wayne has had yet as it simply emphasizes the dearth of quality pop-worthy beats he's had on his officially released output. Here's to the future though... LISTEN: Lil Wayne - "I Got No Ceilings", from No Ceilings mixtape ------------ Finally, I've been hard at work on putting together a Wayne "best of" compilation for a friend, and in that spirit, below are my five favorite Weezy tracks, in no particular order. There are obviously way more than five great hits, but these I think are the ones that I'll put on if I have time to just put on one song before leaving the house, to tie my shoes, to go into a business meeting, etc. Stand alone and unfuckwithable. Jeffrey Beaumont's Five Favorite Lil' Wayne Tracks (in no actual order): 1. "I'm Me", from The Leak EP 2. "Off The Docks", from Lil Weezy Ana mixtape 3. "You Ain't Got Nuthin' On Me", from Tha Carter III 4. "My Name Is...", unreleased 5. "Shoot Me Down", from Tha Carter III Labels: Lil Wayne, loved sounds, mp3, music, random lists, rap posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 11/27/2009 02:05:00 AM 1 comments Wednesday, October 28, 2009 Significant Others Sustain from Greg King on Vimeo (featuring music by the Rachel's). I love and will always love Rachel's forever. I have just managed to come across mp3s of two not really available Rachel's tracks that I've been trying to nab forever. You may remember a while back that I was searching desperately for a copy of the obscure cd-r Significant Others, more or less the last undiscovered puzzle piece to my Rachel's obsession. Sadly, I still haven't been able to track it down--but I do now have its first track. The other track here is a Rachel's penned tune from director Greg King's film Rotating Mirror, featuring a score done entirely by members of the Rachel's. Enjoy! LISTEN/DOWNLOAD:
Labels: curiosities, loved sounds, mp3, music, Rachel's, rare posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 10/28/2009 01:47:00 AM 0 comments Monday, October 19, 2009 Going to the Badlands  Original here courtesy of Mike Blanchette. These lovable bros never quite did the things I wanted them to do to get their career off the ground and out of the Albany Capital region (despite Ezra and Hannah's begging and pleading), but the now-defunct Kamikaze Hearts are one of the great bands that never were and I will live until I die sharing word about their impressive offerings to the world. There are many many great Hearts tracks worth collecting, but "Badlands", one of their later songs that never appeared on any kind of official release, is definitely in my top 5. It seems likely or possible that I've posted this track already in the past, but I couldn't seem to find it, so here it is again if so. I had a particular time with this in June 2006 when Doorknobs, Ice Princess and I were about to embark on an ill-fated trip to the Badlands that unfortunately was aborted and sent us to north peninsula Michigan (probably don't have to tell you that this wasn't quite a suitable replacement). At some point in my life I hope to travel there, playing this song along the way, and eventually find a nice patch of dirt and write the name "MATTHEW LOICANO" in the dirt while I fire up a cigarette and throw my fists into the sky in hopes I just might commune with the God I fear is permanently incommunicado. LISTEN: The Kamikaze Hearts - "Badlands", from WOXY session Labels: Kamikaze Hearts, loved sounds, mp3, music, My Love Of The Imaginary West posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 10/19/2009 06:24:00 PM 1 comments Monday, August 03, 2009 The Aching-est Of Musical Blue Balls  This photo means nothing to me. But I just don't see how using a photo of Toad instead accomplishes anything I was chatting briefly tonight with Sig Sauer about ridiculous people who make my brain want to explode (following first climbing out of my skull and spitting in their eyes). After a few minutes of hair-pulling, she insisted that I give four minutes of my life to Adam Duritz and the Counting Crows, in the form of "Raining In Baltimore". I indulged her but explained that after listening to August and Everything After approximately one thousand five hundred ninety three times in Grades 6-8, I didn't think there were any emotional "Wows!" left in me for that one. In listening though, I was reminded of an old song I used to love that still does get me, even as the years that have passed since its release just make it seem cornier and cheesier than it ever was. This song that I speak of is Toad the Wet Sprocket's absolutely delightful "Nanci", from 1994's Dulcinea. Right. Yes. In 2009, goojing for Toad the Wet Sprocket doesn't even really seem like a guilty pleasure, or a remembrance of the follies of a ridiculous past. It just seems like a "Really?" Even in their 92-94 "heyday", Toad were about a softpaw sissy of a band as you could get, and their music largely sounds like a "masculine" equivalent of Paula Cole or something. They were basically a lite version of Gin Blossoms ("Fall Down"), which probably says everything you could say about them. But. They were also tuneful. Honestly. And not in a stab-yourself-in-the-neck-with-a-fork-to-die-before-you-hear-another-song Bare Naked Ladies kind of tuneful. And on "Nanci", they are something more than that. It's a simple pop song, and yeah, it's not very toothy, but wow, yes, these are heart-playing-with melodies on display and they are seriously effective on my heart and brain and ears and fingers (which keep double-clicking to play on the track on iTunes). As I started talking with Sig about Nanci, I suddenly remembered that this song actually first "came back into my life" a few years ago, for the first time since Peak Listening Era (94-95), and I was so stunned by the way that its inexplicable sappy awesomeness was bludgeoning me into happiness that I begged Jay Greene (Renaissance man and general music master) to explain to me what it was that I so heavily killing my fuck. Below, a brief conversation from October 31, 2007: JeffreyBeaumont: http://slangeditorial.net/mp3/toad-nanci.mp3 JeffreyBeaumont: so, please: tell me what it is that just floors me about the part starting at 1:18 jaychampionvinyl: descending D progression, similar to "Dear Prudence" jaychampionvinyl: in the beginning at least jaychampionvinyl: is it the "oh I'll change my mind" part? JeffreyBeaumont: yeah, god. i just love that shit JeffreyBeaumont: there's just something about hearing that drop that really gets me jaychampionvinyl: just a descending bass line jaychampionvinyl: but a good one jaychampionvinyl: D to D7, I think JeffreyBeaumont: it's the harmony with the voice, which is rising? JeffreyBeaumont: or something jaychampionvinyl: great leading progression jaychampionvinyl: yeah, and the 7 chord lends a great sense of inevitability, because our ear DEMANDS that we hear the next chord, or else we jump out a fucking window screaming and lighting our hair on fire jaychampionvinyl: so when they do play the chord, it saves lives JeffreyBeaumont: wow. that's it then. jaychampionvinyl: a hanging 7th chord is like musical blue balls to the 1oth degree Wow. Yes, Musical Blue Balls. Jay Greene, please, take a fucking bow for that one. ----- Since I'm on this memory lane trip, please let me just offer three more tunes from the era (ish). "Pennies" is a forgotten b-side by the Smashing Pumpkins from the Zero single, off Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. As I've said before, it's pretty tough these days to hear Billy Corgan's voice and not want to puke, but there are definitely a few shining moments that I still love and will always hold onto--and this is definitely one of them. A short and sweet note to what could have been, I played this track for myself a million times while pining for various lost loves in high school (Caitlin, Kirsten--I'll never forget you). Another questionably epochal moment in my mid 90s adolescent life was the soundtrack to the film Empire Records. I never actually saw the film (pretty sure it was direct to video), but the soundtrack featured a handful of artists that said everything about the mid 90s for better or worse (Evan Dando, Gin Blossoms, Better Than Ezra etc). There are a bunch of cringeworthy clunkers on this record Among these is Dando's fantastic cover of Big Star's "The Ballad of El Goodo" and also an excellent Gin Blossoms number called "'Til I Hear It From You". I just discovered tonight though that this song was in fact co-written with late 70s/early 80s power popper Marshall Crenshaw, and so included now is a nice live recording of Crenshaw doing the song himself. Finally, I've included the Built to Spill track "Terrible/Perfect", which is a far more tasteful track that did not come from my I-Didn't-Yet-Know-Better stage, but instead from a few years later. Found on the early b-sides comp The Normal Years--which I received for my 18th birthday from my first serious girlfriend--this is a great song for a person who's just starting to understand what indie rock might be able to mean for a human being$$$$. LISTEN: Toad the Wet Sprocket - "Nanci", from Dulcinea Smashing Pumpkins - "Pennies", from the Zero single Built to Spill -- "Terrible/Perfect" from The Normal Years NOTES: *** -- In a perfect transition of sorts, in ninth grade I traded my copy of August to an older friend in exchange for Depeche Mode's Songs of Faith and Devotion, which after receiving Singles 81-85, I'd come to realize I should never have passed up when it was the BMG album of the month in the Fall of 1993. $$$$ -- Better still is their amazing cover of Daniel Johnston's "Some Things Last A Long Time" but I've already shared that one a few times over.  Labels: IMs, love, loved sounds, memories, mp3, music, old flames posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 8/03/2009 02:06:00 AM 0 comments Wednesday, July 08, 2009 Nearly Lost You (Not Really)  Screaming Trees, circa late 80s So, on the heels of coming to home to the tailend of an Alex Doorknobs screening of Singles last night and reading his subsequent Knoblr post this morning on the film's music, I went ahead and d/l'd the OST today and man, what a rad trip that's been. Among the sort-of-forgotten early 90s Seattle-ish nuggets are tracks by Pearl Jam, Mudhoney, and especially Screaming Trees, Smashing Pumpkins and Paul Westerberg. Tunes by the latter troika comprise some truly wonderful shit that more or less no longer existed to me. Four random thoughts: 1) In 2009 there can be no doubt that Mudhoney at their peak were far away the best, most tasteful, and least dated of all bands who ruled Seattle in the late 90s. Their tracks today still sound like beautiful raw bits of beautiful garage, while most of their peers even when sounding good are still unavoidably time-stamped. 2) It's fucking sad to hear a Smashing Pumpkins song so good as to remind of the point where the mere sound of Corgan's voice didn't make me feel depressed. I used to love this band so much--Siamese Dream "spoke to me", of course--but in a way that few people have, I have been so alienated by the terribleness of Billy Corgan's humanity and post '96 music that I simply cannot stomach the man anymore. Anyway, I am enjoying "Drown" now. (Though i must note that the intro REALLY sounds like the intro to Collective Soul's "Shine". Seriously!!!) 3) I REALLY need to finally listen to some Paul Westerberg solo records. For whatever reason I have put off doing this forever and ever, which is crazy given the degree to which I love the Replacements and to which my friends have attempted to literally shove PW's solos in my face. I'm sorry bros, but I swear to god I will finally get around on this. 4) Screaming Trees. Ahh, yes. I LOVED THIS RECORD. SO MUCH. Listening to "Nearly Lost You", I can only think of being 12 and riding the ski lift on a Friday and listening to a tape of the record I made from a local Episcopalian youth minister (long story) on my walkman while I smoked secreted cigarettes and sipping 'rents-swiped road sodas. Ahh the days of fucking youth, how good they were. I miss them so. LISTEN: Labels: loved sounds, memories, mp3, music, old flames, v posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 7/08/2009 06:05:00 PM 0 comments J, I Will Never Ever Be Over It  From here (plus more great DJ photos)God, it is so summer and there is little in the world that goes better with a summer breeze than some searing J Mascis lovenote pyrotechnics. You know, of course, how much I love J & Co., so this sentiment probably comes as no surprise. To that point, I am currently working on a semi-mammoth post on the reforming of Dinosaur Jr. Haven't written much about music lately, and I'm really feeling this one. However, it's a little ways away and so in the meantime I just have to share with you this beautiful summer shredfest from their latest opus, Farm. Download Farm if you get a chance, especially if you dug Beyond. LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMERRRR!!!! VIDEO: Labels: Dinosaur Jr., loved sounds, music, videos posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 7/08/2009 01:48:00 PM 0 comments Monday, July 06, 2009 Ultragliding In Summer  Man, today really feels like summer for sure. And what better connotes the Sounds of Summer than the wonderful 2001 Dirtbombs record Ultraglide In Black? Hopefully most of you are aware of this wonderful paean to the triumphiant power of rock and roll, but if not, here's the shorthand:
Alles klaar? Basically Ultraglide is the record a man or woman who loves life may want to play when he or she gets a chance to take the car out for a cruise after work to smoke a cigarette, feel the wind through the hair, and inhale deep breaths of American possibility. So, like, dig. Skipping ahead now: Today's treat therefore comes in the form of a special Slang-ported edition of a YSI Thread Boys Club offering I made last year: a neat and tidy collection of the twelve originals found on Ultraglide in Black. It's possible that some of you may have taken the time to collect these already, and certainly you've probably all heard one or two of the more famous originals ("Living for the City" and "Underdog" probably) but a few are really pretty obscure and tough to track down (translation: i spent a lot of time on google blog search last summer tracking those fuckers down). And of course, careful Dirtbombs devotees may not that Ultraglide has not 12 but 13 tracks--because one song, "Your Love Belongs Under a Rock", is not a cover but a Dirtbombs original. I haven't included this song on my little comp, but here it is for your enjoyment now***: The Dirtbombs - "Your Love Belongs Under A Rock" Anyway, enjoy! LISTEN: The Dirtbombs - "Your Love Belongs Under A Rock", Ultraglide In Black NOTES: *** - Yay to me (and you) for finally figuring out that I can add this really light and easy Google MP3 Player to my posts for to preview posted songs without d/ling them. Holla technology! Labels: dirtbombs, heroes, late arrivals, loved sounds, mixes, mp3, music, sun posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 7/06/2009 04:11:00 PM 0 comments Sunday, June 21, 2009 It's Summertime (Meaning Mix Time) Summer is here and one of my favorite things in the world to do during this time is listen to mixes, while driving in cars or walking on streets (not while riding bikes, of course). Here are links to a bunch of mixes I posted in the past two years on Hyperliving--with a few more to come in the weeks ahead. This gets to most of them : http://hyperliving.blogspot.com/search/label/mixes The Mixes: -Built to Spill Summer Mix -Anglophilia/Out of Time and Rock Against Winter Mixes -Brian Eno Mix -Baroque Pop of the Harpsichord Mix -David Bowie Beaumont's Favorite Mix -2004: The Road to Perdition -Rod Stewart, I Loved You 1965-74 More to come, I promise. love Jeffrey Labels: loved sounds, mixes, mp3, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 6/21/2009 10:17:00 AM 0 comments Monday, June 15, 2009 WELCOME BACK TO THE USA (WE MISSED YOU)  Yes yes, as much as I love traveling, I also love this deprarious country, and love that each time I return home I can hear it calling my name loudly like Valkyries in the sky. I look forward to living elsewhere soon, but I will always love this country--and this city in particular--for being the most beautiful, messy, bourgeouis pain in the ass of a place on all of this earth. ---- As an aside, I've elected to change my "back on American turf" plane-touchdown song from "International Players Anthem" (of course, still my "landing on foreign soil" theme) to the Beaumont 2004 summer jam classic "Welcome Back" by Mase. I had an intense craving to hear this track last night when i got home and literally left my bags in the front door way as I ran to the stereo to find a cd (erm... cd?) that might have it so I could hear it immediately. Thankfully I received satisfaction, and in exchange for that I purchased the mp3 from Amazon which I am providing for you all now. Please enjoy and play loudly and learn the words on sing along as much as you can. love, Jeffrey PS--Logan, tell me you love this shit, please. LISTEN (PLEASE!!!!): Labels: loved sounds, mp3, music, rap posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 6/15/2009 04:38:00 PM 0 comments Tuesday, June 02, 2009 I Am Not Naturally Evil But I certainly struggle at being good. 
Sometimes the only way you can stay awake when you're up doing work at 2:45 am is to put on music from which a man couldn't possibly seek rest. Case in point tonight: Morrissey. The man is so over-the-top, so ridiculous, and yet so incredibly awesome and unlike anyone else. I go through many phases of wanting Morrissey (and the Smiths) in my life and then being without need, but right now his songs seem better than just about anything else I could imagine listening to. And for those of you who've only looked into the for-sure edgier and indie-er Smiths--or even specifically wrote the solo work off--please give the solo Moz a chance. It's undeniably less cool: more bombastic (seriously) and Main-leaning, and no 80s Johnny Marr obviously, but these differences don't really for a second take away the considerable impact of the greatness of the man, his songs, and his command of music as a lovenote to life. Please hear these seven songs and then go listen to 50 more. LISTEN: Morrissey - "Hairdresser on Fire", from Viva Hate*** Morrissey - "Suedehead", from Viva Hate*** Morrissey - "Last of the Famous International Playboys", from Bona Drag Morrissey - "Do your best and don't worry", from Southpaw Grammar Morrissey - "First of the Gang to Die", from You Are The Quarry Morrissey - "I Am Hated for Loving", from Vauxhall and I Morrissey - "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful", from Kill Uncle$$$$ NOTES: *** - I have to say if you can't enjoy those first two then you and I basically lack a certain bridge of understanding. Seriously. $$$$ - LOVE YOU ALEX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Labels: loved sounds, Morrissey, mp3, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 6/02/2009 02:46:00 AM 1 comments Monday, May 25, 2009 Take A Run At The Sun  I wish that, somehow, J Mascis could hum outside my ears as the omnipresent soundtrack to every sunny day in existence. There are certainly other great summer sounds, but there certainly isn't anything better on a bright warm day than these: J Mascis & The Fog - "Sameday", from More Light Dinosaur Jr. - "Been There All The Time", from Beyond*** Dinosaur Jr. - "This Is All I Came To Do", from Beyond*** J Mascis & The Fog - "Freedom", from Free So Free NOTES: ***--Psst! Beyond, the 2007 reunion album, is secretly the best Dinosaur Jr. album post-Living All Over Me (a different beast entirely). The strongest, most melodic and tuneful DJ album in their catalog, this one has six of the best Dino tracks ever written. Yezzir. Labels: Dinosaur Jr., loved sounds, mp3, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 5/25/2009 02:56:00 PM 1 comments 1
Comments:
Tuesday, May 19, 2009 "We played Bragging Party with the Kim and Kelly at Breeders' ATP!" Wow. A convergence of my favorite musician right now and my number one heart throb rock crush of all time, doing my favorite song she's ever written. I'm not even gonna do anything with this other than reblog Bradford's entry on the Deerhunter/Atlas Sound blog. The only thing I will add is that it isn't just Bradford who bleeds Deal--Deerhunter guitarist Lockett Pundt puckers for them as well, and actually posted a lo-fi gauzy cover of "Bragging Party" tothe Deerhunter/Atlas Sound/ Lotus Plaza blog back in 2007 (long before there really was a Lotus Plaza, even), prompting this hilarious comment from Bradford:
Too much goodness. Listen: Lockett Pundt - "Bragging Party" (Amps cover) Read on below. Love love love love love, and ice cream cone hearts. Sent to you by Jeffrey via Google Reader:via deerhunter / atlas sound / lotus plaza by bradford cox on 5/19/09 Here is another shorter video:  Things you can do from here:
Labels: crushes, deerhunter, Kim Deal, love, loved sounds, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 5/19/2009 01:50:00 PM 0 comments Friday, May 15, 2009 I Love You So Much Right Now  Dear Kelis, Fuck Nas for dissing you. He ain't man enough. You should definitely give me a call and come over this weekend: we can drink mint juleps and talk shit and make t-shirts and listen to this track while we come up with the freshest prank calls him to let him that his refrigerator is running. You ready for this shit, girl? I just put some pegs on my bike, so I can totally pick you up and we can ride wild style. I am here for you. The Beaumont Chariot awaits. love, Jeffrey Also PS the song is actually called "Caught Out There". Labels: crushes, loved sounds posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 5/15/2009 07:24:00 PM 0 comments Tuesday, May 12, 2009 Tunes Dropping Like Rain  There is a new five-song Deerhunter EP coming out (!!!), good tidings which I somehow managed to overlook while reading about and downloading a new song of theirs a few weeks ago. Both the song I heard and the EP are called Rainwater Cassette Exchange, which I guess is why I missed the fact that there are four other accompanying songs on the record (although "Disappearing Ink" and "Game of Diamonds" have already appeared in video form). I don't think anyone could say it's as revelatory for the band as, say, the Fluorescent Grey EP but it's a nice, mature addition to the steadily growing Deerhunter discography and definitely is a release you could play for someone who's never heard Deerhunter before ("Disappearing Ink" in particular). You should really buy it for yourself, but resourceful econo types can probably also find it somewhere on the internet fairly easily. You can stream the title track from the player below if you are curious, Labels: deerhunter, loved sounds, music posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 5/12/2009 01:07:00 AM 0 comments Friday, May 08, 2009 2004: The Road To Perdition I have spent my entire life making mixes for myself and those close to me. Over the years I have posted some of these, new and old, on this blog and elsewhere. Here is one of my all-time favorites, and, perhaps, my best--I truly think that this mix still holds up today as the one of the most cohesive mixes I've ever put together (ie, not a "shuffle mix").  This mix, called Full On Night, is the second disc of a two-part set in made in Summer 2004 for a friend after she, Doorknobs and I had taken a five week trip across the country. While on the road, we drove during all hours of the day and night, seeing many crazy and bleak sights. We went 12,000 miles and I drove about 9,600 of them (seriously) and a lot of that driving was late at night while they slept and I had nothing but cigarettes, music and darkness to keep me company. This mix, therefore, was a collection of the sounds running through my head on each unending 3am drive across America, knowing that there was a world out there ready to be seen but unsure whether or not I'd ever truly be able to take it in and get something out of it. Full On Night mix Download by clicking here. As always, my mixes are individual mp3s with an xml playlist file to import so it can rebuild in your iTunes player. Things Done Changed...  Jeffrey Cracker, eating carrots outside Carlsbad Caverns, in June 2004  The 2004 triumvirate, in different times. Though five years later I still have that shirt. Labels: loved sounds, memories, mixes, mp3, music, thoughts posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 5/08/2009 02:26:00 AM 0 comments Wednesday, May 06, 2009 Hurting So Good  I am home sick today, feeling pretty shitty overall, but I'm taking the opportunity to relax and listen to a lot of music. Still running hard is my intense reggae kick--I just can't get enough of the (good) stuff lately. I've already mentioned my love for John Holt's "A Love I Can Feel" and Toots' "54-46 Was My Number", but another song that has been bowling me over lately is Susan Cadogan's "Hurt So Good (single edit)". Cadogan's vocals and sweet and soulful and this track really hits that perfect spot of "if-this-don't-make-you-feel-good-you-probably-dead". This cut was made with Lee Perry's Upsetter outfit and is just sooooooooooo fucking great--and if you dig, you should check out Cadogan's whole album by the same name. Also tumbling in the headwheel of awesome are three more tracks: 1) Another track on the Studio One Best of comp, The Cables' "Baby Why"--great reggaeloveache 2) John Holt covering George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" 3) an old favorite from 2003, an AMAZING Gregory Isaac's mashup with Alicia Keys' "You Don't Know My Name" All four are great and I recommend that you download below and listen for yourself. On the radar in the next month will be a little amateurly-compiled reggae comp featuring all of these any many others from yours truly. But for now, enjoy: Listen: Susan Cadogan, "Hurt So Good (single edit)", from Hurt So Good The Cables, "Baby Why", from The Best of Studio One Collection John Holt, "My Sweet Lord", from John Holt -- 18 Greatest Hits Alicia Keys and Gregory Isaacs, "You Don't Know My Name" And PS--thanks again to Joe Keyes for helping to ignite this reggae spark into an explosion of sound. love, JB Labels: loved sounds, mp3, music, reggae posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 5/06/2009 04:05:00 PM 0 comments Wednesday, April 29, 2009 Grateful Tangentials A roll through the always spinning brainwheel of Beaumont thought...  So... much to the chagrine of my friends Doorknobs and Cabbie, I have been listening to a ton of reggae lately--namely the Toots albums Funky Kingston and In the Dark; some Lee Perry collections (Super Apes and more); the amazing Horace Andy record Dance Hall Style; and a few great comps including (the aforereferenced) The Best of Studio One Reggae Collection, Life Goes In Circles: Sounds From The Talent Corporation, Get On Up (Joe Gibbs Rocksteady 1967-1968), and many more***. Some of these records are old faves and others are new discoveries (many via acquaintance/reggae-scholar Joe K), but all are good. Anyway, while listening to In the Dark today, I had an adolescent flashback moment where I suddenly remembered that that record's great song "54-46 Was My Number" was actually once "covered" by Sublime on their first record 40 Oz. To Freedom. Gah!!!! How I "remembered" that, I have no fucking clue, because--I swear to god!!!!!--I was NEVER a fan of Sublime's drunkfrat summer schtick, but remembered it I did. God, and how fucking terrible it was! As soon as I remembered that though, further memories flooded my brain as I recalled that the same record also features a "butchering" of the classic turning-point$$$$ Grateful Dead song "Scarlet Begonias". I can't stand up for "Scarlet Begonias" like "54-46", but the fact that I want to at all says enough about how atrocious this cover is. This reminded me though of the fact that at one point I was dead set (ha) on pulling together a compilation of the best "tasteful" collection of Dead covers out there. As a hipster of sorts with past (and somewhat continued) love for the Dead, i've always wanted to find a way to present the band to non-fans in a fashion that didn't include terribly slick studio songs or 19 minute versions of "Dark Star". I haven't put much thought into this comp anytime recently, but at one point it included Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's "Brokedown Palace", Oneida's "Cream Puff War" and Ryan Adams doing "Wharf Rat". Anyone with further thoughts on this matter, please let me know. Which brings me to Jane's Addiction, who lately have been in the news and on my mind both for their upcoming "NIN/JA" tour with Nine Inch Nails and for releasing a four-disc detritus comp A Cabinet of Curiosities. For whatever reason, a combination of my recent NIN fetish coupled with my general interests in nostalgia and historical reconsideration led me to imagine a Jane's Addiction that never existed--i.e., a band that made beautiful, timeless music not timestamped with middling marks of its era--and therefore download both of the bands' original '88 and '90 releases, Nothing's Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual. I was largely disappointed in listening to these records again (surprise!), but the few great moments they hold reminded me what I once loved about the band, and why I once went out of my way to track down the single random item not featured on '97 odds and sods comp Kettle Whistle: their cover of the Grateful Dead's "Ripple". This cover of the American Beauty standard was featured on the 1989 Dead tribute comp Deadicated ^^^^^ (which, admittedly, tried unsuccessfully to do more or less what I am talking about doing now) and came somewhat out of leftfield, both for the band and for the comp compilers. Most of the bands on Deadicated seem fairly obvious and uninspiring--save Elvis Costello's "Ship of Fools"%%%%%%--but Jane's doing "Ripple" is actually surprisingly adventurous, and, well, successful. I have gone back and forth on whether I would include this track on my "tasteful Dead covers comp"; I never came to a final decision but I'd definitely lean toward yay over nay. Sure, it's a little "teh ghey", but honestly, it's pretty great and it hits a special sunny, fruity Jane's sweetspot not often enough explored by the band, but one which makes total sense. And really, as far as I can tell, only one other time did Jane's ever approach this sunfruit "sweetspot": on their penultimate original-incarnation single "Been Caught Stealing", released on Ritual. ...Upon which I bring you to an IM conversation I had today with Jay-Jay: JeffreyBeaumont: man i still think Been Caught Stealing is the best Jane's song JeffreyBeaumont: it pretty much doesn't fit in with any other song they did on those two albums JeffreyBeaumont: but it's a great song jaychampionvinyl: hahaha, you're totally right, it's such an odd fit jaychampionvinyl: but it's also the only Jane's song I've wanted to listen to over and over and over again jaychampionvinyl: the VIDEO, too, RULES jaychampionvinyl: best Perry Farrell lyrics, too, probably JeffreyBeaumont: it was their best effort JeffreyBeaumont: the first and perhaps ONLY moment where they freed themselves from the shackles of both metalisms and mysticisms jaychampionvinyl: right! the best sense of "scuzzy bohemian dude" that Perry Farrell was always trying to get across jaychampionvinyl: because, like you just said, it's not pumped full of pseudo-mystical bullshit JeffreyBeaumont: yes-- just smart music-loving cultural observers JeffreyBeaumont: not weighed down by some desire to be "neo-metallic"/"neo Zep" JeffreyBeaumont: god and it's so brief JeffreyBeaumont: it's hilarious that it's followed by Three Days JeffreyBeaumont: which is sort of the bad endpoint where the metalisms and mysticisms meet jaychampionvinyl: hahaha yes JeffreyBeaumont: on the most maximalist level jaychampionvinyl: "Sorry for that pop song, now here's a six thousand minute song about a threesome" jaychampionvinyl: Ok, I think, since you've done a Moby post, an NIN post, and others like it, it's time for a Jane's post on slang And... SCENE!  ---------- Listen: Toots & The Maytals - "54-46 Was My Number", from In The Dark Sublime - "Scarlet Begonias" and "54-46" (YouTube links--can't bear to actually post these) Jane's Addiction - "Been Caught Stealing", from Ritual de lo Habitual NOTES: *** - Many of these records are available from emusic if you're interested! $$$$ - I say "butchering" and "turning-point" because on some levels "Scarlet Begonias", which I do think actually love, represented the turning point of the Dead from jazzy space-rock band to laid back heroin hippies influenced by reggae and bullshit. Yeah. ^^^^^ - Incidentally "Ripple" makes a re-appearance on A Cabinet of Curiosities %%%%%% - Also the topic of another long unpublished Slang post.... someday. Labels: Dead, fucktactics, IMs, loved sounds, memories, mp3, music, reggae posted by Nihilist Loves Hate, Hates Everything at 4/29/2009 06:25:00 PM 0 comments |
GET BEHIND ME DEAD MAN
best
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