Feb 24, 2009
Jan 23, 2009
RIP Silver Jews
Since about 2004, the two biggest people in my life have been David Berman and Gilbert Arenas and I never believe anything either of them EVER says.
As reported everywhere now (via the Joos message board), the Silver Jews are apparently no more. Knowing Berman's crazy ways, it might take me up to five years of no new music for me to actually believe the Joos are over.
"I always said we would stop before we got bad. If I continue to record I might accidentally write the answer song to 'Shiny Happy People'."
That's at least nice to hear. Though the Joos were never REM. You knew they had no mainstream possibilities and that they'd always be "yours" just as long as they put out albums as solid last year's Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. Knowing Berman's genius and cool, you knew you'd never get anything less, regardless of what he says.
I may have came late to the party but that still doesn't change the effect his music had one me. I reset my last.fm page last January and over the last year I have listened the Joos 1,215 times and that doesn't even count vinyl listens, ipod listens or listening to them in my brother's room.
To me, The Stones and VU are the coolest bands. The Fall are the greatest band. But the Joos are my favorite band, and if this news is true, its a damn sad day.
As reported everywhere now (via the Joos message board), the Silver Jews are apparently no more. Knowing Berman's crazy ways, it might take me up to five years of no new music for me to actually believe the Joos are over.
"I always said we would stop before we got bad. If I continue to record I might accidentally write the answer song to 'Shiny Happy People'."
That's at least nice to hear. Though the Joos were never REM. You knew they had no mainstream possibilities and that they'd always be "yours" just as long as they put out albums as solid last year's Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea. Knowing Berman's genius and cool, you knew you'd never get anything less, regardless of what he says.
I may have came late to the party but that still doesn't change the effect his music had one me. I reset my last.fm page last January and over the last year I have listened the Joos 1,215 times and that doesn't even count vinyl listens, ipod listens or listening to them in my brother's room.
To me, The Stones and VU are the coolest bands. The Fall are the greatest band. But the Joos are my favorite band, and if this news is true, its a damn sad day.
Jan 14, 2009
this was weird
On a day to day basis I go to Rotoworld more times than I do Facebook, Gmail, YouTube and Wikipedia combined. So last night when I awoke from my customary Tuesday evening nap I thought I had to still be dreaming when the headline on the site's home page wasn't about Eddy Curry acting like a member of the Black Lips, but an interview...about fantasy basketball...with Stephen Malkmus.
Of course, there is nothing I love more than basketball, Pavement or fantasy sports so this was huge for me. The one problem I did have was with interviewer Steve Alexander's top ten Malkmus/Pavement list (well, that and SM's team name: "Widespread Perkins," c'mon).
Now, for the sake of making a Pavement oriented list, I'm going to reorganize SA's top ten Pavement/solo SM list. I guess I could make my own top 10 list, but mine seriously changes about every hour (and I probably like "Coolin' by Sound" more than I should admit to people). Here's what Alexander had in his top ten:
10. Gardenia – Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
9. Spit on a Stranger - Pavement
8. Greenlander - Pavement
7. Pink India – Stephen Malkmus
6. Gold Soundz – Pavement
5. Zurich Is Stained - Pavement
4. Summer Babe - Pavement
3. Box Elder - Pavement
2. Frontwards - Pavement
1. Here – Pavement
Not bad. Could be worse. Obviously "Spit on a Stranger" is a weird choice. Not to mention the hundreds of none Terror Twilight songs that could be on there in it's place, but if you're gonna pick a TT song isn't "Ann Don't Cry" a far superior choice or did Comet Gain just do a pretty rad cover of it?
The same could be said about his solo SM choices, but I guess it's hard to blame him there. If you're interviewing one of your indie rock heroes you probably don't want to make a list that says "hey, basically everything you've done in the last ten years is shit." I guess that's why I don't get to be in fantasy basketball leagues or hold interviews with SM.
Granted, "Pink India" and "Gardenia" are two of the better solo SM songs, but personally I would have gone with either"Mama" or "Post-Paint Boy" in there somewhere if I had to include the solo stuff.
(And if "Blue Arrangements" was even a consideration here shame on him for not having it make the top five.)
Okay, here's my rearanging of SA's list:
10. Spit on a Stranger - Ehh. Getting a better quality version of "For Sale: Preston School of Industry" is about the only reason I'm looking forward to the Terror Twilight reissue.
9. Gardenia – Richard Avedon would surely agree on this placement, but probably not the stupid video.
8. Pink India - A top five solo SM tune, but still light years away from...
7. Greenlander - This one has always sounded like REM doing a relaly slow cover of a Fall song to me. that's a good thing.
6. Here – I'm assuming he's not talking about the Peel Session version. I personally perfer to dress for suck. It's not that I don't love all that "Here" has to offer, but nowadays I usually just skip it and "Two States" to get to "Perfume-V"
5. Zurich Is Stained - Near perfect, but not long enough. I can definitely appreciate the genius of a short song, but this isn't one I can accept as is. BE LONGER!
4. Box Elder - the easiest Pavement song to play on guitar. Whenever I pick up a guitar the opening chords to this one are probably my go to when I don't know what to play.
3. Summer Babe - Okay these top 3 are pretty much untouchable. I have it listed third here, but if I made this list while listening to "every time, every time every time...." I'd consider it my favorite song ever.
2. Frontwards - Watery, Domestic is so perfect that "Frontwards" is the second best song here, but the third best song on the EP.
1. Gold Soundz – I was too young to "be there" for Pavement. But I wasn't too young to own a radio. Well, unless HFS was cooler than I remember it might not have been the radio, but my older sister's room where I was first exposed to Pavement. I remember liking "Cut Your Hair" as a kid, but I remember LOVING "Gold Soundz." I judge people solely on "Gold Soundz" if I pay it for you and you don't like it, it's not that we can't be friends, it's that I hope something reallyterrible happens to you..immediately.
Anyways. I love Pavement. I love fantasy bball. If you feel same do me a favor and please pray for the following:
- a Monta Ellis return this weekend.
- for me to somehow join SM's fantasy bball league...or at least one with Nastanovich or Janet Weiss.
Oh, I thought this was pretty fun to watch
that is all for now
Of course, there is nothing I love more than basketball, Pavement or fantasy sports so this was huge for me. The one problem I did have was with interviewer Steve Alexander's top ten Malkmus/Pavement list (well, that and SM's team name: "Widespread Perkins," c'mon).
Now, for the sake of making a Pavement oriented list, I'm going to reorganize SA's top ten Pavement/solo SM list. I guess I could make my own top 10 list, but mine seriously changes about every hour (and I probably like "Coolin' by Sound" more than I should admit to people). Here's what Alexander had in his top ten:
10. Gardenia – Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks
9. Spit on a Stranger - Pavement
8. Greenlander - Pavement
7. Pink India – Stephen Malkmus
6. Gold Soundz – Pavement
5. Zurich Is Stained - Pavement
4. Summer Babe - Pavement
3. Box Elder - Pavement
2. Frontwards - Pavement
1. Here – Pavement
Not bad. Could be worse. Obviously "Spit on a Stranger" is a weird choice. Not to mention the hundreds of none Terror Twilight songs that could be on there in it's place, but if you're gonna pick a TT song isn't "Ann Don't Cry" a far superior choice or did Comet Gain just do a pretty rad cover of it?
The same could be said about his solo SM choices, but I guess it's hard to blame him there. If you're interviewing one of your indie rock heroes you probably don't want to make a list that says "hey, basically everything you've done in the last ten years is shit." I guess that's why I don't get to be in fantasy basketball leagues or hold interviews with SM.
Granted, "Pink India" and "Gardenia" are two of the better solo SM songs, but personally I would have gone with either"Mama" or "Post-Paint Boy" in there somewhere if I had to include the solo stuff.
(And if "Blue Arrangements" was even a consideration here shame on him for not having it make the top five.)
Okay, here's my rearanging of SA's list:
10. Spit on a Stranger - Ehh. Getting a better quality version of "For Sale: Preston School of Industry" is about the only reason I'm looking forward to the Terror Twilight reissue.
9. Gardenia – Richard Avedon would surely agree on this placement, but probably not the stupid video.
8. Pink India - A top five solo SM tune, but still light years away from...
7. Greenlander - This one has always sounded like REM doing a relaly slow cover of a Fall song to me. that's a good thing.
6. Here – I'm assuming he's not talking about the Peel Session version. I personally perfer to dress for suck. It's not that I don't love all that "Here" has to offer, but nowadays I usually just skip it and "Two States" to get to "Perfume-V"
5. Zurich Is Stained - Near perfect, but not long enough. I can definitely appreciate the genius of a short song, but this isn't one I can accept as is. BE LONGER!
4. Box Elder - the easiest Pavement song to play on guitar. Whenever I pick up a guitar the opening chords to this one are probably my go to when I don't know what to play.
3. Summer Babe - Okay these top 3 are pretty much untouchable. I have it listed third here, but if I made this list while listening to "every time, every time every time...." I'd consider it my favorite song ever.
2. Frontwards - Watery, Domestic is so perfect that "Frontwards" is the second best song here, but the third best song on the EP.
1. Gold Soundz – I was too young to "be there" for Pavement. But I wasn't too young to own a radio. Well, unless HFS was cooler than I remember it might not have been the radio, but my older sister's room where I was first exposed to Pavement. I remember liking "Cut Your Hair" as a kid, but I remember LOVING "Gold Soundz." I judge people solely on "Gold Soundz" if I pay it for you and you don't like it, it's not that we can't be friends, it's that I hope something reallyterrible happens to you..immediately.
Anyways. I love Pavement. I love fantasy bball. If you feel same do me a favor and please pray for the following:
- a Monta Ellis return this weekend.
- for me to somehow join SM's fantasy bball league...or at least one with Nastanovich or Janet Weiss.
Oh, I thought this was pretty fun to watch
that is all for now
Jan 7, 2009
HI!!!!!!!!!
Faithful Readers,
I'm sorry I haven't posted in like a year or something. Here is something to make up for my absence:
I'm sorry I haven't posted in like a year or something. Here is something to make up for my absence:
RIP Ron Asheton
Yesterday I was talking to a guy at work who I occasionally talk music with. We each took about an hour and gave a list of some of our favorite guitar players. One of his listed was "Ron Ashton," and I thought to myself "How do you misspell Ron Asheton's name? The man is a legend."
That was yesterday. Today Asheton's still a legend, but maybe more people will start spelling his name correctly.
Dec 21, 2008
crustache's top thirty albums of oh eight
I had started writing out little blurbs for each album but was never going to finish doing them all before the new year rolled around. So here, in an attempt to make my list topical, I've just listed them without blurbs. Believe me though, this was a really good year in music and if something is on this list then it means I really like it. A lot of good albums just barely didn't make the cut. Anyways, enjoy
oh, and just to note, I don't like to include compilations, EPs, etc. on my lists. I try and make it all exclusively albums. Sorry, Mr. Reatard
go wiz. fuck the cavs.
1. US E.z. - Sic Alps
2. Wagonwheel Blues - The War on Drugs
3. Rip it Off - Times New Viking
4. Dig Lazarus Dig! - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
5. Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea - Silver Jews
6. The Points - The Points
7. Primary Colours - Eddy Current Suppression Ring
8. Nouns - No Age
9. Constant Hitmaker - Kurt Vile
10. The Master's Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In - Thee Oh Sees
11. Posoinous Times - The Old Haunts
12. Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. - Deerhunter
13. Alight at Night - Crystal Stilts
14. Liferz - Blood on the Wall
15. The Muslims - The Muslims
16. Dirt Don't Hurt - Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs
17. Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
18. Distortion - The Magnetic Fields
19. Holy - Love as Laughter
20. Hold on Now, Youngster - Los Campesinos!
21. Sick to Death -Eat Skull
22. Brown Submarine - Boston Spaceships
23. Long Gone and Nearly There - Julie Ocean
24. Swimming - French Kicks
25. New Grids - Coming Soon
26. Devotion - Beach House
27. A Hundred Things That Keep Me Up at Night - Love is All
28. You & Me - The Walkmen
29. We Brave Bee Stings and All - Thao Nguyen & the Get Down Stay Down
30. Fabulous Diamonds - Fabulous Diamonds
oh, and just to note, I don't like to include compilations, EPs, etc. on my lists. I try and make it all exclusively albums. Sorry, Mr. Reatard
go wiz. fuck the cavs.
1. US E.z. - Sic Alps
2. Wagonwheel Blues - The War on Drugs
3. Rip it Off - Times New Viking
4. Dig Lazarus Dig! - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
5. Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea - Silver Jews
6. The Points - The Points
7. Primary Colours - Eddy Current Suppression Ring
8. Nouns - No Age
9. Constant Hitmaker - Kurt Vile
10. The Master's Bedroom is Worth Spending a Night In - Thee Oh Sees
11. Posoinous Times - The Old Haunts
12. Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. - Deerhunter
13. Alight at Night - Crystal Stilts
14. Liferz - Blood on the Wall
15. The Muslims - The Muslims
16. Dirt Don't Hurt - Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs
17. Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
18. Distortion - The Magnetic Fields
19. Holy - Love as Laughter
20. Hold on Now, Youngster - Los Campesinos!
21. Sick to Death -Eat Skull
22. Brown Submarine - Boston Spaceships
23. Long Gone and Nearly There - Julie Ocean
24. Swimming - French Kicks
25. New Grids - Coming Soon
26. Devotion - Beach House
27. A Hundred Things That Keep Me Up at Night - Love is All
28. You & Me - The Walkmen
29. We Brave Bee Stings and All - Thao Nguyen & the Get Down Stay Down
30. Fabulous Diamonds - Fabulous Diamonds
Dec 11, 2008
top ten songs of 2008
10. "Call & Respond" - Times New Viking
The beginning of this one almost comes on as a tease. You hear the first 20 seconds and you know the rest is gonna be good. They don't let you down. Jared hitting the same note over and over and Beth playing playing a basic, yet hypnotizing, TNV keyboard lick seems simple until Adam's drums kick in and bring a sense of urgency that you rarely find in a TNV song. If they were out to prove something then it worked on me. Of course, I'm a little biased. TNV really do do (doodoo, haha) simple better than any band out today. Listen for yrself here.
9. "Teen Creeps" - No Age
I was a little let down when I saw No Age this past summer. I'm not sure what I was expecting. It's not that they were bad by any means, just not very memorable either. I think it was the scene that annoyed me the most. The way all the BYT reading hipsters that were in the front row talked through the entire High Places set was easily the most annoying thing I experienced at a show this year and it pretty much put me in a bad mood for the rest of the night. And, if we're not talking about looks, I don't think I would even qualify as a High Places fan. Anyways, one song I do remember from the No Age set was "Teen Creeps." This one blasted through the speakers with all the intensity of the album version. Getting that kind of sound out of two guys was really amazing to see.
8. "United" - Sic Alps
I mean just look at this kid! he's so damn sad until the music comes on. One of the reasons I like TNV is because they keep putting out music. One of the reasons I LOVE Sic Alps is because they are always putting out music. I'm pretty sure Sic Alps have put our more songs in the in the last year than I've received emails from Obama. Putting out one of the best (if not the best..?) album of the year wasn't enough for Sic Alps. Then they had to put out "United" and completley out do themselves. This is the musical definition of a cherry on top after having maybe the best year of any band in 2008.
7. "Hammer I Miss You" - Jay Reatard
Not even sure if this one came out in '08 of '07. I'm pretty sure it'sform this year, but since I'd like to keep my sanity, I'm not gonna go look up Jay's discography.
"And the boys in the alley ways
All bending at the knees
Trying to find something to fuck
Trying to find something to please"
COME ON! I know, I like that opening verse more than I should.
6. "Volatile" - The Old Haunts
I think this has to be the best opening track of the year. It totally sets the pace for what is an awesome album. If I close my eyes it sounds like an Is This It-era Strokes are being fronted by a White Blood Cells-era Jack White. Except they still have Tobi Vail banging away at the drums / being cooler than you and me in the process.
5. "Hibernation" - Blood on the Wall
I've already talked too much about this one. The scream at the end is easily the year's best.
4. "Suffering Jukebox" - Silver Jews
Lookout Mountain isn't gonna go down as an all-time great Silver Jews album, but "Suffering Jukebox" can hang with the best of them. Besides "Tennessee," it's become my favorite Joos song with prominent Cassie vocals and the opening verse...
"planes on the downtown skyline is a sight to see for some
it ought to make a few reputations in the cult of number one
while these seconds turn these minutes into hours of the day
all these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away "
and the closing verse...
"well I guess all that mad misery must make it seem to true to you
but money lights your world up, you're trapped what can you do?
you got Tennessee tendencies and chemical dependencies
you make the same old jokes and malaprops on cue"
...sum up why the man is a genius. If "Punks in the Beerlights" wasn't on Tanglewood, I might argue this is the best Joos song since "Slow Education."
3. "Taking The Farm" / "Arms Like Boulders" - The War on Drugs
I couldn't choose just one. Unfortunately "Arms Like Boulders" isn't posted on youtube. But thats okay, right? You already own this phenomenal album, right? Lyrically these songs are fantastic and not to use a hyperbole of saying he's on par with Dylan, but when I listen to War on Drugs I just can't get "Tangled Up In Blue" out of my mind...and that's the biggest compliment I can give someone.
2. "Albert Goes West" - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
The lead guitar on this song is it's unsung hero. Its way in the back of the mix until the 2:30 mark when it bursts out of obscurity. For most the song, if you listen close, it is doing some great things in the background. That's not to take away from the song and it's story. I never really listened to Nick Cave until the Grinderman album and I'm slowly learning that few songwriters tell a story like he does (screenwriters either. Buying The Proposition for $10 at Target has got to be my purchase of the year. It's maybe the best Western I've ever seen). There are a some things that always have my vote approval for a song: hand claps, Bruce Brand and guitars solos that fade out with the song. Of those three this one only has the guitar solo, but that was enough for me.
1. "No Girl" - The Points
Punk rock perfection. I went to see them tonight but left my ID at home and couldn't get in. My biggest snafu of the year.
The beginning of this one almost comes on as a tease. You hear the first 20 seconds and you know the rest is gonna be good. They don't let you down. Jared hitting the same note over and over and Beth playing playing a basic, yet hypnotizing, TNV keyboard lick seems simple until Adam's drums kick in and bring a sense of urgency that you rarely find in a TNV song. If they were out to prove something then it worked on me. Of course, I'm a little biased. TNV really do do (doodoo, haha) simple better than any band out today. Listen for yrself here.
9. "Teen Creeps" - No Age
I was a little let down when I saw No Age this past summer. I'm not sure what I was expecting. It's not that they were bad by any means, just not very memorable either. I think it was the scene that annoyed me the most. The way all the BYT reading hipsters that were in the front row talked through the entire High Places set was easily the most annoying thing I experienced at a show this year and it pretty much put me in a bad mood for the rest of the night. And, if we're not talking about looks, I don't think I would even qualify as a High Places fan. Anyways, one song I do remember from the No Age set was "Teen Creeps." This one blasted through the speakers with all the intensity of the album version. Getting that kind of sound out of two guys was really amazing to see.
8. "United" - Sic Alps
I mean just look at this kid! he's so damn sad until the music comes on. One of the reasons I like TNV is because they keep putting out music. One of the reasons I LOVE Sic Alps is because they are always putting out music. I'm pretty sure Sic Alps have put our more songs in the in the last year than I've received emails from Obama. Putting out one of the best (if not the best..?) album of the year wasn't enough for Sic Alps. Then they had to put out "United" and completley out do themselves. This is the musical definition of a cherry on top after having maybe the best year of any band in 2008.
7. "Hammer I Miss You" - Jay Reatard
Not even sure if this one came out in '08 of '07. I'm pretty sure it'sform this year, but since I'd like to keep my sanity, I'm not gonna go look up Jay's discography.
"And the boys in the alley ways
All bending at the knees
Trying to find something to fuck
Trying to find something to please"
COME ON! I know, I like that opening verse more than I should.
6. "Volatile" - The Old Haunts
I think this has to be the best opening track of the year. It totally sets the pace for what is an awesome album. If I close my eyes it sounds like an Is This It-era Strokes are being fronted by a White Blood Cells-era Jack White. Except they still have Tobi Vail banging away at the drums / being cooler than you and me in the process.
5. "Hibernation" - Blood on the Wall
I've already talked too much about this one. The scream at the end is easily the year's best.
4. "Suffering Jukebox" - Silver Jews
Lookout Mountain isn't gonna go down as an all-time great Silver Jews album, but "Suffering Jukebox" can hang with the best of them. Besides "Tennessee," it's become my favorite Joos song with prominent Cassie vocals and the opening verse...
"planes on the downtown skyline is a sight to see for some
it ought to make a few reputations in the cult of number one
while these seconds turn these minutes into hours of the day
all these doubles drive the dollars and the light of day away "
and the closing verse...
"well I guess all that mad misery must make it seem to true to you
but money lights your world up, you're trapped what can you do?
you got Tennessee tendencies and chemical dependencies
you make the same old jokes and malaprops on cue"
...sum up why the man is a genius. If "Punks in the Beerlights" wasn't on Tanglewood, I might argue this is the best Joos song since "Slow Education."
3. "Taking The Farm" / "Arms Like Boulders" - The War on Drugs
I couldn't choose just one. Unfortunately "Arms Like Boulders" isn't posted on youtube. But thats okay, right? You already own this phenomenal album, right? Lyrically these songs are fantastic and not to use a hyperbole of saying he's on par with Dylan, but when I listen to War on Drugs I just can't get "Tangled Up In Blue" out of my mind...and that's the biggest compliment I can give someone.
2. "Albert Goes West" - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
The lead guitar on this song is it's unsung hero. Its way in the back of the mix until the 2:30 mark when it bursts out of obscurity. For most the song, if you listen close, it is doing some great things in the background. That's not to take away from the song and it's story. I never really listened to Nick Cave until the Grinderman album and I'm slowly learning that few songwriters tell a story like he does (screenwriters either. Buying The Proposition for $10 at Target has got to be my purchase of the year. It's maybe the best Western I've ever seen). There are a some things that always have my vote approval for a song: hand claps, Bruce Brand and guitars solos that fade out with the song. Of those three this one only has the guitar solo, but that was enough for me.
1. "No Girl" - The Points
Punk rock perfection. I went to see them tonight but left my ID at home and couldn't get in. My biggest snafu of the year.
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