foggy ruins of time

Artsweek Articles: SBIFF-Kate Winslet & The Virtuosos

2009-02-16T23:17:00.000-08:00

This year I was lucky enough to get into two award ceremonies for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The first event was the Montecito Award given this year to Kate Winslet

Read the article here.

The second event covered was the Virtuosos Award with Michael Shannon, Viola Davis, Richard Jenkins, Rosemarie DeWitt and Melissa Leo!

I was able to meet them all and the presenter James Cromwell too.

photo of Richard Jenkins and I by Terry Straehley, check out his wonderful work here.

Read the article here.

Stay tuned for tons of youtube links to footage a took with my crappy camera before it died!

Foggy Ruins Of Time Best of 2008-Top 20 Albums

2009-01-19T23:30:00.000-08:00

This year in music was more confusing than ever, but there were a few key things I latched onto. As the quiet folk stylings grew stale to me this vacuum imploded and hip-hop emerged on top as some of my most listened music of 2008. I cannot say that this year was better for hip-hop than other years, but this year I was just paying more attention.

The confidence on display in hip-hop spoke to me. The swagger and the hustle of some of these artists inspired me in many ways because they knew that in order to be successful you have to be willing to work harder than everyone else.

But we are here to talk about music right?

This year more than any other year I chose albums that I really listened to most often. Sure there were albums I thought were better, but what difference does it make if I’m not putting them on repeat? If they aren’t getting stuck in my head? If they aren’t inspiring me?

So my top twenty albums of 2008 aren’t necessarily the best of 2008, but they are the albums that pulled their weight…into my heart…yeah.

1-10 (In Alphabetical Order):

Chris Zabriskie-O Great Queen Electric, What Do You Have Waiting For Me?

A quite record that occasionally bursts at the seams, Chris Zabriskie’s first record of 2008, O Great Queen Electric, What Do You Have Waiting For Me? is unbelievably tender, contemplative and pervasive. I am constantly humming the melodies and musing over things that Zabriskie sings about. It is a beautiful exercise in minimalism, one of the very best of its kind.

Key Tracks:
“I’m On A Talk Show”
“God’s Will”
"Psycho II"

Chris Zabriskie on Myspace
Original review

Existential Hero-The Great Sublime Melancholy!

Those who know me and read this blog know I am not shy at all about tooting my horn (that’s what she said). This is why I am not ashamed to think that The Great Sublime Melancholy!, an album I wrote and recorded while traveling in New Zealand, is one of the very best records of 2008. I also wouldn’t place this up here if I didn’t listen to it constantly and know that others listen to it also on a regular basis. I feel like it’s my most holistic work to date and truly captures a particular mood, time and place like no other. Take this for what you will.

Key Tracks:
“I Dream Of Antarctica”
“Until The Very Last Moment”
“Meant To Carry Me Along”

Existential Hero on Myspace

Gang Of Virgins-Virgins?

This is the kind of record that makes me believe in psychedelia again. Rob and Max literally fuck shit up and create a hazy mirror to reflect our modern society. Virgins? is a funhouse mirror that only shows us the nightmares and fleeting moments of bliss. Although Rob’s poetry can overwhelm me I try and shout along no less. It’s a rallying cry for the sick and neurotic, the hopeless and toxic.

Key Tracks:
“Aubrey De Grey”
“Cocaine”
“Rot Gut”

Gang Of Virgins on Myspace

Kanye West-808s & Heartbreak

Even with Obama’s presidential victory and a renewed faith in hope, some people were still depressed. Kanye West beat emo at its own game and emerged victorious with one of the best records of 2008, 808s & Heartbreak. His mother died and his fiancé left him, why would anyone want to party? Regardless of logic or reason, sometimes we still feel like shit. Translate this into some of West’s catchiest beats and an arsenal of auto-tuned cries. One of hip-hop’s bleakest affairs in recent memory, 808s & Heartbreak is a stunning album that only gets more and more nuanced and true with time.

Key Tracks:
“Welcome To Heartbreak (Feat. Kid Cudi)”
“Amazing (Ft. Young Jeezy)”
“Robocop”

Kanye West site

Lil Wayne-Tha Carter III

As most people consistently state, Lil Wayne is force of nature, a black hole where empirical modes of thinking are useless. Tha Carter III proves that Weezy Baby rides the spectrum of brilliant to ridiculously absurd. Is he the greatest rapper alive? If you are listening to him while pondering that question the relentless assault of images, sensations and jokes will beat you into submission screaming, “You are indeed the greatest rapper alive!”

Key Tracks:
“Mr. Carter (Ft. Jay-Z)”
“Lollipop (Ft. Static Major)”
“Let The Beat Build”

Lil Wayne site
Original review

Scarlett Johansson-Anywhere I Lay My Head

Down in the Louisiana bayou, in a hazy fog of swamps and moonshine arises the beautiful Scarlett Johansson uttering the gospel according to Tom Waits. David Sitek captures the whole affair in Anywhere I Lay My Head. So full of atmosphere, Johansson’s husky vocals ghosting in and out of the fog, the experience is slightly ethereal and pretty drunk. Throw down your misconceptions and dive into the murky water.

Key Tracks:
“Town With No Cheer”
“Anywhere I Lay My Head”
“I Wish I Was In New Orleans”

Scarlett Johansson on Myspace

Secret Owl Society-Ghosts Of Children Past

Secret Owl Society has crafted an album of dreams. Entering Ghosts Of Children is like getting all your senses rewired; new smells, tastes, sights and sounds emerge. There is something terrifying at work here and only when you’ve fully committed does this become apparent. The dreams become a nightmare, but there is solace in despair. It is liberating to be swallowed whole.

Key Tracks:
“Monochromatic World”
“RAF”
“If Only They Could Turn Around”

Secret Owl Society on Myspace

Tinyfolk-Sic Semper Equis

OKAY, WE GET IT! TINYFOLK’S SIC SEMPER EQUIS IS AN AMAZING RECORD. SHUT UP ALREADY! So maybe you feel that way about my continued praises of Russ Woods’ postmodern hilariously melancholy landscape, Sic Semper Equis. I swear this is the last time I talk about this album. If you haven’t listened at this point, you might be dead, or one of those scared animals in the forest.

Key Tracks:
“If I Was A Person”
“Thus Always Horses”
“Animals Are Stupid”

Tinyfolk on Myspace
Original review

Vampire Weekend-Vampire Weekend

Unlike most of the records on this list, Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut is all kinds of fun. Seriously has there ever been a less pretentious album this year? Honestly these cats are enjoying themselves so much it’s infectious. Don’t be a hater just because they go to college and actually try and do something other than cock rock. Vampire Weekend is a breath of fresh air in the overindulgent, stiff and snobbish scene that exists today.

Key Tracks:
“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”
“Campus”
“Walcott”

Vampire Weekend site

Wabash-Glucose

There is always one album that I find right as the year comes to a close that immediately finds its way into my heart. That album would be Wabash’s Glucose. Spiritual by nature and joyful in its longing, Glucose is loaded with all kinds of keyboards, organs and lo-fi piano sounds that culminate in a completely beautiful album. An uplifting experience into existential longing, Wabash’s Glucose is a refreshing and enthralling album from start to finish. You will believe.

Key Tracks:
“Glow”
“Sweaters”
“Almost Famous”

Wabash on myspace

11-20 (In Alphabetical Order):

Adam Faucett-Show Me Magic, Show Me Out

This year the Arkansas troubadour manages to outdo his debut The Great Basking Shark with Show Me Magic, Show Me Out. I never really know quite what Faucett sings about, but I feel it and that is usually more important. With a voice that pierces the thickest of whiskey brews and fingers that won’t quit, Show Me Magic, Show Me Out displays everything great about Faucett’s abilities while at the same time increasing the mystery of what he’s really all about. Undoubtedly a timeless record to be sure.

Key Tracks:
“Poor Directions In Rabbits Blood”
“Indian Giver”
“You Do It”

Adam Faucett on Myspace

A.R. Rahman (& M.I.A.)-Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack

A.R. Rahman’s score (with assistance from Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A.) of Danny Boyle’s magical Slumdog Millionaire is simply electric. Mixing more traditional Indian music with more modern techno sounds was simply genius. It never feels trite mixing sitars and beats together. The score perfectly reflects the kind of developing society portrayed in the film. World’s collide, ideals clash and music echoes in beautifully frantic harmony.

Key Tracks:
“O..Saya”
“Paper Planes”
“Liquid Dance (ft. Palakkad Sriram & Madhumitha)”

Slumdog Millionaire site

Death Cab For Cutie-Narrow Stairs

There is a revitalized angst in Ben Gibbard’s voice. No longer is he resigned to death as he was on Plans. Here on Narrow Stairs he refuses to back down and Death Cab For Cutie come in with fightin’ words and clenched fists. Laying out the punches, the songs are dirty and confined, no longer is Chris Walla allowed to play in open pastures. Death Cab For Cutie have created some of their catchiest numbers yet on Narrow Stairs. This is what happens when someone lights a fire under your ass.

Key Tracks:
“Bixby Canyon Bridge”
“Cath…”
“You Can Do Better Than Me”

Death Cab For Cutie site
Original review

Ross Major (Iamb)-Farewell (Dear Friends)

San Luis Obispo’s Ross Major used his impending move to UC Santa Cruz as a way to create Farewell, a shockingly tender and beautiful record. Regret, loss and longing are deftly handled here in a way that blows away Iamb’s earlier, if a bit overblown, album I’ll Stay Waiting. Farewell is definitely one of the best folk albums of the year, using the ghosts of the form’s rich history to shape a mythic story of his own, looking brightly (and bruised) into the future, whatever that may be.

Key Tracks:
“The Sea In San Diego”
“Butterflies”
“When The Plane Landed In Seattle, WA”

Ross Major (Iamb) on Myspace

Madeline Ava-Film And Lentils/In The Aeroplane Under The Sea

The first in my two-for-one top 20 album deal is Madeline Ava’s Film And Lentils and her cover album of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In The Aeroplane Under The Sea. Madeline’s voice is certainly the star of the show here (the ukulele strumming is kept to a delightful, but to a bare minimum). A slight rasp augmented by a girlish tone (she often giggles in her songs Lil Wayne style), Film And Lentils paints a sweet portrait of the life of a slightly normal girl in a day-to-day perspective. Her astonishing cover album of In The Aeroplane Under The Sea allows Madeline’s spirits to take flight.

Key Tracks:
“August 4th”
“Tambourine In Time”
“Holland, 1945”

Madeline Ava on Myspace

Patrick Ripoll-Praise The Lord!/Spawning

Emotional provocateur Patrick Ripoll is more popular for his sampling wizardry, but I have always preferred his folk stylings and in 2008 he offered up two great albums, Praise The Lord! and Spawning. Like two schizophrenic brothers, both play off each other. Praise The Lord! is more diverse and scattered spanning as much time as it does tracks while Spawning focuses on one specific relationship and is minimal in execution. Both are unbelievably down to earth albums and complicate any notions of simple artist evolution. They are capsules of emotion, pockets of passion that we dig up with wonder.

Key Tracks:
“Second Place”
“Rest”
“Another Fucking Titanic Song”

Patrick Ripoll on Myspace
Original review of Praise The Lord!

The Roots-Rising Down

In stark contrast to the rest of the hip-hop on my top 20, The Roots eighth studio album, Rising Down, is fierce, passionate and incendiary. Using dirty synths and horns that squelch and squeal, ?uestlove’s drums keep constant rhythms for Black Thought and friends to spit on. Everything from war, global warming, racism and human perceptions in a real and gritty world careen off each other to make one of the most openly political and refreshing hip hop albums in years.

Key Tracks:
“75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)”
“Criminal (Feat. Truck North and Saigon)”
“I Will Not Apologize (Feat. Porn and Dice Raw)”

The Roots site

T. I.-Paper Trail

T.I. doesn’t appear to be that special on first glance, but the hooks, the rhymes, they grow on you. He has that certain southern charm and on Paper Trail all these factors combine to make his most satisfying experience yet. His confidence here is tempered with a new sense of mortality that makes the claims of success all the more melancholy, but at the same time, all the more joyous. You can feel more than just the alcohol in the club with these songs.

Key Tracks:
“Live Your Life (Ft. Rihanna)”
“Whatever You Like”
“Swagga Like Us (Ft. Kanye West, Jay-Z & Lil Wayne)”

T.I. site

Various Artists-21 Love Songs - A Tribute To The Magnetic Fields

Organized by James Eric, this DIY tribute to the Magnetic Fields, 21 Love Songs, is what collectivity and family are all about. Artists ranging from Tinyfolk to Manipulator Alligator to Your Yellow Dress all offer diverse hilarious and melancholy renditions of Stephin Merritt’s tunes. All these new takes echo a great love of music and no matter how much of a fan you are of The Magnetic Fields or of these artists, it’s great to see a community so unified.

Key Tracks:
Abrevadero-“All My Little Words”
Manipulator Alligator-“living in an abandoned firehouse with you”
Your Yellow Dress-“Absolutely Cuckoo”

Download 21 Love Songs here on CLLCT
Original review

Wee Pop! Records’ Releases

Wee Pop has definitely carved out its own beautiful niche in the DIY scene and in 2008, its second year, rose to number one in my eyes as the best and most consistent label out there.

Every release by Wee Pop! Records this year was unique and redefined the very definition of what pop music means to us. Here are my three favorites of 2008:

Let’s Whisper-Make Me Smile

The sweetest most unpretentious little EP this year, Colin Cleary and Dana Kaplan of The Smittens took the melodies and lessons learned in that band and constructed something more minimal more tender and even more intimate. A true gem that makes me feel at home.

Key Track:
"Hey Sunshine"

Let's Whisper on Myspace
Original review

Mexican Kids At Home-When We All Live In Igloos

I like my original description of Mexican Kids At Home, “A chibi Led Zeppelin” and my adoration of this little EP has grown since. The songs all carry a vibe of the mythic, but leave behind any grandiose or verbose renderings. It would as if Lord Of The Rings was adapted as a puppet show (maybe we should ask these guys). This EP is tons of fun.

Key Track:
"Start A One Man Band!"

Mexican Kids At Home site
Original review

-One Happy Island-Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn’t Know About

Boston’s finest sloppy pop band, One Happy Island Island’s second album on Wee Pop! Records is more fun, more catchy and more melancholy. The songs are more nuanced in their range of emotions and are more cathartic. They easily have found their way into my heart.

Key Track:
"Temporary Tattoo"

One Happy Island on Myspace
Original review

Wee Pop! Records

And there we go. These lists are exhausting, but worth it. Hope you all enjoy it.

Links:
I quick top ten I made for The Daily Nexus back in December
CLLCT to download a bunch of these albums for free!

White People Have Problems Too In Revolutionary Road (2008)

2009-01-03T08:43:00.000-08:00

I use that headline to make a point about Sam Mendes’s new beautifully crafted film Revolutionary Road. It Stars Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio as a couple who have fleeting moments of happiness, but mostly cannot find a way to satisfy their lost desires and dreams.

BUT The Wheelers have made it. April (Winslet) and Frank (DiCaprio) have the house with the white-picket fence and two kids. Frank works at a decent job he cannot stand and April is a fulltime housewife who had dreamed of being an actress. So what’s the problem?

Obviously if you were thinking that question you probably wouldn’t sympathize with April and Frank when they talking about wanting to feel alive and special. Or you won’t sympathize with each character when they start cheating or when April declares that she is trapped or when Frank says he doesn't want to end up like his father.

April is selfish, immature and aggressive. Frank is passive-aggressive, a coward and a smooth-talker. It was a match made in heaven and at times it becomes difficult to watch these two simmer and explode.

However Winslet and DiCaprio make Revolutionary Road and I couldn’t keep my eyes off their wonderful performances. And even though I had a problem with the wordiness of Justin Haythe’s script Winslet turns those overly intellectual speeches into pieces of terrifying venom and despair while DiCaprio turns those 50s misogynistic lines of power into spineless weapons of hope.

Through all the ugliness seething in Revolutionary Road emerges a wonderful, if a bit clunky, film. Michael Shannon as an electroshocked son of The Wheeler’s friends says most pointedly to them, “Plenty of people are on to the emptiness, but it takes real guts to see the hopelessness.”

I think we care about April and Frank because more often than not, we see it too.

Trailer:

Revolutionary Road on IMDB

We All Have The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button (2008)

2009-01-02T09:44:00.000-08:00

What a movie.

I haven’t followed David Fincher’s work as much as I’d like (although check out the magical assembly cut of Alien 3). I basically got a lot of shit for not seeing Fight Club freshman year of college.

So I was slightly apathetic when I first heard of The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button even thought my peers sang praises for Zodiac. However, I have always respected Brad Pitt and I often fall in love with Cate Blanchett so I was excited to see their performances.

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is about (in case you haven’t heard by now) a man who is born looking like an old man and ages backward through several eras. As someone said he is a man of his condition and Benjamin touches lives and sees history literally happening right before him.

Before this film was released those who had seen it were hailing it a masterpiece, but as I sit today, critics are as sharply divided as my friends. Roger Ebert had a heart attack at the very premise whereas Sasha Stone from Awards Daily is in love with it. Most average moviegoers call it a masterpiece whereas film majors and filmmakers call it essentially a Forrest Gump rip-off (Eric Roth wrote both screenplays). So how do I feel?

It’s a beautiful movie and if you don’t have respect for Brad Pitt after this film than I think you have lost your way. He is simply electric, transformative and when he finally comes of age it takes your breath away.

Cate Blanchett is no slouch either. Although I love her more in other films, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is just as much about her as it is about Pitt. Daisy is a normal girl who meets this strange man and falls in love with him, but it isn’t that easy. I think it’s unfair to think of her as shallow, what would you do if you met Benjamin Button?

Ultimately how I feel about this film is more important than any kind of logic. Is it a masterpiece? No. Will it win best picture at the Oscars? It’s a possibility. Will it stick with me? Yes. There is something so irrevocably sad about The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button and this man’s life through history. I’m more inclined to cherish those I love and I’m grateful for that enlightenment more than anything.

Trailer:

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button on IMDB
Awards Daily for all your movie needs
Roger Ebert's slightly curious review

Get In Touch With Wendy And Lucy (2008)

2009-01-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

Independent film director Kelly Reichardt is telling a simple story in Wendy And Lucy with deep implications.

A girl named Wendy (played with graceful complexity by Michelle Williams) is on the road in hopes of getting a good job up in Alaska. She brings her dog Lucy with her on the journey filled with nights sleeping in her car and refreshing in gas station bathrooms. However through a series of events and a broken-down car, Lucy goes missing and Wendy must use her wits and what little cash she has to get her back.

The film is so beautifully minimal it almost takes your breath away how bare and real everything feels. Reichardt said in an interview that they didn’t have money to close locations like big Hollywood films so the environments they were filming in did have a whirling sense of spontaneity and truth.

The film’s political subtext about economic hard times hits most poignantly when Wendy, asking to make change for a payphone, is offered a chance to use a security guard's cellphone while he says, “No one uses a payphone anymore.” Harsh words for a girl stuck in dire straits.

Wendy And Lucy is ultimately about the interaction between strangers and as Wendy makes her way in this small town, Reichardt and writing partner Jonathon Raymond explore all the subtle details to how we treat those fleeting bodies around us and how we deal with them once one makes contact.

A beautifully minimal movie, Wendy And Lucy hits harder than you think and Michelle Williams lucid and striking performance cements this as definitely the best independent movie this year proving you don’t need big bucks or special effects to strike a chord or lay reality bare.

trailer:

Link:
Wendy And Lucy on IMDB

Foggy Ruins Of Time Best of 2008-Top 50 Songs TOP TEN MIX

2008-12-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

I think some people may have been confused about the top 50 songs list. It is in alphabetical order. I know some of you may hate that, but hey that’s how I roll.

However, I realize fifty songs is a lot to track down. So to meet you dedicated readers halfway here is my TOP TEN songs of 2008 IN ORDER to d/l and enjoy as a mix.

You better enjoy it.

1. “Thus Always Horses”-Tinyfolk
2. “Can’t Believe it (Feat. Lil Wayne)”-T-Pain
3. “Anywhere I Lay My Head”-Scarlett Johansson
4. “Cocaine”-Gang Of Virgins
5. “Pygmalion”-Withershins
6. “A Wonderful Year”-Let's Whisper
7. “Let Me Love You”-Candle
8. “Shower”-Watercolor Paintings
9. “I'm On a Talk Show”-Chris Zabriskie
10. “Now Thats What I Call a Circuitous Conversation”-Jaw-Zizzle

Link:
Top 50 songs of 2008

James Eric's Traumnovelle is out now!

2008-12-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

James Eric one of the sweetest and most hardworking musicians/artists out there has released a new album today just in time for those Christmas Blues. It's a real treat.

Just go download it now!

James Eric's Traumnovelle

Promotional Video:

Link:
James Eric on Myspace!

The Lorimer Sound: Greetstreets (2008)

2008-12-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

Chicago’s The Lorimer Sound has released such a good little EP on Wee Pop! Records that I haven’t been able to review it.

That’s not true, but I have been listening to Greenstreets for about two months now and I feel like words aren’t necessary, but I’ll try my best.

The first song “Brooklyn Bound” sounds straight out of the 50s or 60s with its surf rock/girl group (even though the band isn’t all women) appeal. It is a ray of sunshine and an incredibly catchy tune. I have the tendency to clap along with this song. It’s a really damn good song, and the guitar and organ solos are no less orgiastic and enthralling.

Although one may be quick to accuse The Lorimer Sound of staying too close to their influences I don’t know if really matters in this case. I’m sure we’ve heard the down-by-the pier rollicking of “Block Party” a million times before (even that wacky drum solo in the middle), but it’s still great no matter who’s doing it.

The rest of the tracks blend into each other in a good way. Greenstreets is the kind of album that you could leave on repeat and it would feel like one endless summer to your ears. The Lorimer Sound of has definitely captured that sound.

Mp3:
The Lorimer Sound-"Brooklyn Bound"

The Lorimer Sound on Myspace!
Wee Pop! Records

Foggy Ruins Of Time Best of 2008-Top 50 Songs

2008-12-19T03:32:00.000-08:00

Mac Paint program ftw!

I exponentially listen to more and more music each year and this year proved to be overwhelming, but also exciting.

I really tried to get this list down to thirty, but while hacking away arduously I looked up and realized I was only down to around forty-five. So screw it I’m doing top fifty songs.

Some of these fifty songs represent the best song of the respective artists’ release and some represent the song I listened to more than any other. Some overlap. Either way these fifty songs captured my imagination and inspiration more than any other songs this year.

(note: In alphabetical order)

“Anywhere I Lay My Head”-Scarlett Johansson
This is probably the number 1 song I identify with most this year. Its atmosphere was perfect for my walks back and forth from campus in Wellington, New Zealand or the rainy mornings I spent in Tokyo, Japan.

“August 4th”-Madeline Ava
Acapella songs are really hard, but Madeline Ava makes it seem so darn easy. The first line is simply exquisite.

“Bigger Than Yours”-Girl Band
A collective of sweet gals from Santa Barbara (including Watercolor Paintings), this song is so freakin’ sexy, and funny. The harmonies are incredibly sweet.

“A Bird And A Wire”-Morgan Enos
Lyrically this song seems beyond little Morgan Enos’s years, but I hardly think anyone cares. It’s a beautiful piece of poetry and the words sound delightful.

“Campus”-Vampire Weekend
It was hard to pick just one Vampire Weekend song for this list, but I like this one because it's about school and that is basically my life right now.

“Can’t Believe it (Feat. Lil Wayne)”-T-Pain
OMG I love this song. That’s the only way I can describe this tune. T-Pain is at the top of his game and nobody can fuck with Lil Wayne. Slightly melancholy, no joint was hotter this year.

“Careen”-The Diggs
I don’t really know any other songs by them, but this song rocks so much. I can’t even tell if the lead singer is a guy or girl, but that doesn’t really matter. The mood is perfect.

“Cocaine”-Gang Of Virgins
The best version of the song, Rob and Max truly have created an awesome piece of thoughtful psychedelia. The end hits me the most.

“Crazy”-Your Yellow Dress
Carrie has a gorgeous voice and here it truly shines. Alex’s production is top notch. I love everything about this song. It’s catchy and very pretty.

“Forest of Legs II”-Redbear.
Although I am not in love with all of Hollywood Taoism, this song is fucking great. The song froths and bubbles explosively along with changing time signatures and propulsive drumming. Haunting is the only proper way to describe it.

“Geography”-Thao with The Get Down Stay Down
Vivian Thao is like Cat Power only with a sense of humor. I love the way this song bounces along and nobody pronounces “abandon” better than she does.

“Gila”-Beach House
This song is a behemoth. Buoyed along by a dusty organ line and lighsaber-like guitar licks, Victoria Legrand’s vocals are stuck on permanent reverb in this cavern of despair.

“The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn)”-Weezer
This song is so ridiculous it hurts. This song is so epic it hurts. I know Rivers Cuomo would appreciate these sentiments.

“I Dream Of Antarctica”-Existential Hero
I think this song surprised everyone. I really love it. The song is all about a atmosphere and going to the Antarctic Center in Christchurch, NZ solidified my desire to visit that desolate continent on the bottom of the Earth.

“I Hope...”-James Eric
Leave it to James Eric to make a beautiful song with hope in the title. Really James, you inspire me so much. The ending is hilarious, poignant and really sweet.

“I Tried To Die Young”-Marc With A C
This is Marc’s most well written song. It is so relevant and so telling of this day and age it should belong in museums. However it's probably better that it’s in our hearts instead.

“I Will Not Apologize (Feat. Porn and Dice Raw)”-The Roots
The keyboards are as dirty and grimy as the words themselves here. This song makes me want to fuck shit up. I feel tough when listening to it.

“I'm On a Talk Show”-Chris Zabriskie
This song flows. Initially not my favorite, it has become so thoroughly ingrained in my head I can’t imagine a time without it. I am constantly humming this song. It’s a great song in the pantheon of minimalism.

“I've Been To A City”-Prince Edward Island
Captures the feeling it describes perfectly. One of the most satisfying songs of 2008.

“Just Do It”-A Drum And An Open Window
Although I was disappointed with their new album, this song definitely hits some high marks for me. The drumming is so sure-footed and the harmonies are their best yet. Very inspiring stuff.

“Let Me Love You”-Candle
I love the way the words fly off Kevin Coons’ tongue that work in tandem with the finger-picking acoustic guitar. And when the keyboard line comes in, goddamn what a pretty song.

“Let The Beat Build”-Lil Wayne
This song is so full of joy it’s ridiculous. I love it love it love it. This is why Lil Wayne is the greatest rapper alive.

“Liquid Dance (ft. Palakkad Sriram & Madhumitha)”-A.R. Rahman
I have no idea what’s going on in this song, but it’s probably the best representation of the kind of schizophrenic Bollywood/techno/hip hop music on the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack.

“living in an abandoned firehouse with you”-Manipulator Alligator
This song is beautiful pure and simple. I don’t know how this song was made musically, but it feels so right. My favorite Magnetic Fields cover.

“Love You Always Forever (w/The Anchorites)”-SFIAS
It is hardly a cover, but it is probably the most amazing thing I’ve heard all year. It swallows me whole and I’m fine with that.

“Monochromatic World”-Secret Owl Society
Secret Owl Society knows how to make a song. This piece is no less than brilliant, brimming with emotion and a fleeting sense of nostalgia. It surprises me again and again.

“Nine Cocktails (before we set sail)”-Jacob Borshard
The black humor in Jacob Borshard’s songs is so adorable and it’s in full force here. I always smile when he sings, “A little bit crazy is all right.”

“Nom De Guerre”-The Lonesome Architects
This song is so folky, bluesy, soulful and truly joyful. This song is a classic already.

“Now Thats What I Call a Circuitous Conversation”-Jaw-Zizzle
This song brings a smile to my face. Seriously, this guy has an unpretentious flow and great beats. The sampling is hilarious, well; the whole song is so much fun.

“Poor Directions In Rabbits Blood”-Adam Faucett
I played two shows with Adam this year and this song is just so pretty and the ending cuts right through me.

“Pygmalion”-Withershins
It’s only a demo, but I think it was meant to be this way. I really love this song. It makes me feel miserable, but I don’t care.

“Rest”-Patrick Ripoll
This might be the saddest song of the year. I don’t know how one can feel more despair than Patrick does here. It’s almost painful to listen to, but I listen anyway.

“Robocop”-Kanye West
Probably the “happiest” song on 808s & Heartbreak, the strings are so happy for what Kanye’s singing about. It is weird, but I really like how silly it is on one level.

“The Sea In San Diego”-Iamb
Ross says he doesn’t think this works live, but here it feels really real. I can imagine this as part of a film soundtrack and once the banjo kicks in, it’s a really inspirational number.

“Shower”-Watercolor Paintings
For a while I was afraid Rebecca’s lyrics were getting too cute and distant. Then she had to go and prove me wrong. This is probably the most emotional song she has written and I can’t get enough of it.

“Souled Out!!!“-Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band
The title itself is worthy of praise. Conor decided to ditch the Bright Eyes moniker this year and make a set of songs filled with lots humor and heart. This song is the best of them.

“Spaces Between”-A Kit Fox
There is so much earnest desperation in this song. He reminds me of me back in the day. I really dig this song a lot the more and more I listen to it.

“Start A One Man Band!”-Mexican Kids At Home
This song rocks harder than anything else this year. Stomping rhythms, steady marimba and fierce guitar, Mexican Kids At Home know how to bring it.

“Strawberry Swing”-Coldplay
Another disappointing album, but in the ashes this song shines through. Breezy, whimsical and romantic, it’s very sweet.

“Temporary Tattoo”-One Happy Island
I know the metaphor is silly, but the music is so melancholy and the melody so perfect I have become obsessed with this One Happy Island song.

“This (old) House”-Linguistic Banter
I love this song so much I covered it. Written at fifteen by Grace Noel Glasson, it is smart and melancholy and whimsical all at the same time. And if I am correct this was her first song!

“Thus Always Horses”-Tinyfolk
Can everyone just tell me to shut up now? This is probably my favorite song of 2008. I’ve listened to it way too many times it isn’t funny. It is the best Apocalyptic R&B-tronica song released this year.

“What Do We Do Now?”-The Just Joans
This song is one of the other saddest songs of 2008. The samples reinforce the general feeling and at this point in my life the sentiment is all too real.

“Whatever You Like”-T.I.
Sorry I live in a vacuum. I know lots of people find this song annoying, but fuck you I like this song a lot. The beat is hot, the bass engrossing, the tone chill and T.I. is totally coasting in a good way.

“When It Breaks Our Bones”-Jon Crocker
This song is amazing live and is no slouch on The Dust Will Settle. It is Jon at his most passionate. The album version has these great circus interludes that really add to the atmosphere of the experience.

“A Wonderful Year”-Let's Whisper
I’ve been throwing the word “sweet” around like there’s no tomorrow, but seriously Let’s Whisper have it in spades and this number is catchy and great. No cynicism allowed here.

“You Can Do Better Than Me”-Death Cab For Cutie
This song is over the top, ridiculous and really great. Never has there been a better use of sleigh bells in music than here. It’s saccharine, sarcastic and awful, but feels very true.

“Your Ghost”-Ryland Bouchard
Hushed and slightly off-kilter, former Robot Ate Me dude gets even quieter. This song is not of this world; ethereal and fleeting.

“14 Forever”-Stars
We’ve always needed a rallying cry for immaturity that didn’t involve the words “fall,” “out” and/or “boy”. This is it.

“123456 Pokemon”-Lemon Demon
The creator of Potter Puppet Pals apparently makes music. This song is random and silly, but with just enough feeling to get stuck in my head and make me laugh.

Phew! That was a lot of work. I wish I could give you a link to every song, but that’s a little unfeasible at the moment. The links below should help for the not-so-mainstream artists and DIY musicians.

Join me sometime next week for the top 20 albums of 2008.

Link:
CLLCT for most of your DIY/Lo-Fi artist needs

I Believe In Harvey MILK (2008)

2008-12-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

MILK, the new Gus Van Sant film about assassinated gay activist and 1977 San Francisco State Supervisor Harvey Milk, is anything but conventional.

The film starts off on a rocky foot quickly skimming through Milk’s failed attempts at gaining office in San Francisco. I think maybe if Van Sant and screenwriter Dustin Lance Black had spent more time on just one or two events leading to the ’77 win the beginning might have played smoother. A small complaint aside, seeing Harvey Milk’s transformation from an inspired go-getter to an enrapturing delicate leader is fascinating.

And as everyone has already stated (skeptics and fans), Sean Penn gives a phenomenal performance as Harvey Milk. He really is quite beautiful here. The way he interacts with his friends and enemies, tenderness and humor, makes me wish I could have met the man himself. Sean Penn becomes the engrossing personality and all ego and vanity are thrown out the door.

The film hops and skips a long through Milk’s trials, but really hits its stride when the passage of Prop 6 (The ability to fire teachers based on sexual orientation) looms ahead in 1978. Milk tells his boyfriend Scott Smith (a wonderful James Franco) that these fights are bigger than him, bigger than their relationship. Scott can’t take the neglect so he leaves. Milk was a man (a hero) who suffered greatly for the cause, but he took it all in stride and with a smile.

The battle becomes more than just cries against Anita Bryant (a homophobic hate monger and former pop star) when off-balance San Francisco State Supervisor Dan White (the extraordinary Josh Brolin) starts to become obsessed with Milk. He watches him constantly on television, invites him to his son’s christening, tries to make random deals with him and in one truly chilling scene White, drunk and late for Harvey’s birthday, confesses some very creepy thoughts and pathetic assertions. White seems to be an embittered ex-lover, jealous of Milk and his popularity. Dan White wasn’t a ridiculous homophobe, just a lonely man who didn’t know how to communicate. And that’s the tragedy.

As glorious as the victory was in 1978, Milk knew that they needed to keep pushing forward and I think the power of MILK is in how contemporary this all feels. This is no dusty biopic lionizing Milk and his achievements. MILK is a rallying cry through the words and images of the man. Harvey Milk was a kind man, maybe too kind, but regardless you can feel his spirit here alive and full of wisdom.

I can’t even imagine where we would all be today if Milk was still alive; at least we still have his message and his words, “You gotta give ‘em hope.”

Trailer:

Links:
MILK on IMDB
Harvey Milk's last words on tape

Get Interrupted In Rachel Getting Married (2008)

2008-12-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

And the best movie of 2008 done in the shaky cam style goes to the Jonathan Demme directed Rachel Getting Married (Sorry Cloverfield!).

A few days before Rachel (an impressive Rosemarie DeWitt) is set to be married her troubled sister Kym (a transformative Anne Hathaway) is released from rehab to attend. As much as Kym wants to return to a normal life, her past actions bubble up to heated moments between everyone in her family; her father Paul (a tender Bill Irwin) tries desperately to keep it all together.

Shot in a “family movie” shaky cam style, Rachel Getting Married manages to make the now begrudged form into something fresh and interesting again. The camera chases Kym as she fast-talks and indecisively let’s loose during some inappropriate but understandable times. During a pre-wedding dinner, the cameras hand-held nature increases the tension tenfold than any static shots could induce.

I must spend some time talking about Anne Hathaway here. She loses herself so purely into the role. Half the time I didn’t even know it was her. It isn’t that she so much sheds her good girl image (she did that in Brokeback Mountain when she showed her tits), it’s that none of her past work or personal life come into play. She is Kym and only Kym here.

This film is all about interrupted moments of life. Moments don’t rise and fall like traditional film structures; arguments get deflated, laughs turn to tears and catharsis is short lived. There is a scene when Rachel starts to call Kym out on her attention grabbing behavior, but before Kym can call out Rachel on her manipulative attitude, Rachel announces she’s having a baby. Similar moments like this happen again and again reminding me of the fleeting nature of emotion.

Props to Jenny Lumet (Daughter of the great Sidney Lumet) for creating a tightly wound screenplay that for its particularly loose nature stays incredibly focused and hits home in all the right (if sometimes uncomfortable) places.

Jonathan Demme, the ringleader of it all has made a finely crafted piece that never feels cliché, melodramatic or forced. Anne Hathaway has given a powerful performance and her fellow castmates never back down either. Rachel Getting Married is an intimate film that shows how subtle dramatic and joyous moments play out in real life with friends and family.

Trailer:

Link:
Rachel Getting Married on IMDB

A Year In Review: Tinyfolk 2008

2008-12-16T12:47:00.000-08:00

This is a segment I hope to do once a year where I pick one artist I really admire and trace their journey through that respective year.

Naturally for 2008 I chose Indiana’s Tinyfolk, Russ Woods and (sometimes) Meghan Lamb.

It’s no secret the praises I sing about Tinyfolk and how much coverage I have allotted to them, but trust me when I say Tinyfolk is the most interesting DIY act out there right now.

2008 was a unique year for Tinyfolk, chock full of releases, but only one true album. Is this indicative of changing times? Does the album format even work anymore? I’d like to think so, but Russ’s interests came in little bursts of Garageband folk, cataclysmic R&B, schizophrenic electronica and by the end of the year stripped down ukulele pop with all of it wrapped up in a nice Post Easy Listening bow.

So let’s do this release by release with a bit of other news thrown in for good measure.

Valley Forge (February 2008):

Released in hardcopy (still never got mine!) on Sanitary Records in March, this split with Manipulator Alligator is most directly a follow up to 2007’s Bill. The songs display a beginning obsession with the Mac’s Garageband program and use its tools to bring on the weirdness in a fun, if solemn way. “Valley Forge” uses a standard click track with Tinyfolk’s signature baritone ukulele to weave a tale somehow relating George Washington and the film Hustle & Flow. One of Russ’s first instances of sampling appears on “On Fire” to a frightening effect. “Golden Fur” recaptures if not trumps the epicness of Bill with its stomping rhythms and harsh guitar playing. The split ends tenderly with a reading of a poem (I can’t remember the author) and it’s terribly pretty.

Jack’s Broth (March 2008):

As I wrote in my original review of this teaser EP, Jack’s Broth is in many ways an exorcism of everything before to prepare us for Sic Semper Equis, his next album. “The Antelope” follows in the same tradition as Valley Forge with pitch corrected vocals and lots of minor chords. Meghan finally shows up again on a cover of “The Duke Of Earl” that is truly magic. Also on this baritone ukulele-free EP is two songs relating to the love life of Dumbledore the master wizard from Harry Potter. Both songs are delicate and “Before Our Beards Were Long” is really really sad.

Sic Semper Equis (June 2008):

There is before Sic Semper Equis and there is after Sic Semper Equis. My hyperbole praise of Tinyfolk’s postmodern masterpiece is probably irritating by now, but I still can’t get enough of it. “If I Was a Person,” a classical guitar prologue, quietly builds us towards the epic R&B auto-tuned “Thus Always Horses,” my favorite Tinyfolk song and one of my favorite songs this year. The song washes over you like a cold shower or a dive into a cold lake. Its imagery of panicking animals in response to Y2K is at once hilariously absurd and fittingly melancholy. The whole album straddles that line with songs like “Little Goat,” the “I told you so” animal in the forest, “The Forest Knows” a hip-hop exercise featuring Redbear. and Mike Lightening observing the total chaos around them and “Animals Are Stupid,” the other epic beast on the album that wraps up the story, but leaves us with plenty of questions to ponder.

Steel Magnolias (July 2008):

So what do you do after you’ve created a masterpiece? If you’re like Russ you say “Fuck it” and make your half of a split with Brother Bird into a bizarre series of electronica tunes that eschew most melody and traditional song forms for blips, bleeps and buzzes filled out by clever samples and lyrics that are probably more upfront than ever before. It really grows on you I must say. The lumbering “Is There Sex After Death?” one of the more traditional songs on Steel Magnolias is anything but actually. Necrophilia has never been sexier.

Catfood Shotgun Goddamn (August 2008):

Mostly comprised of Podcast theme songs, Catfood Shotgun Goddamn is a coming to the surface from the proverbial trenches dug by Sic Semper Equis and Steel Magnolias. “Ear Drugs Theme,” the new intro for James Eric’s Podcast, is a beautiful little song that samples the Golden Girls tv show of all things. The highlight and star of this album is Tinyfolk’s cover of the Hello Shark song, “Bubble Guns.” Truly one of the most melancholy techno songs, it has a fierce sense of energy and a linear revelatory follow up to Sic Semper Equis.

Look To The Sky!: Tinyfolkian Scraps (October 2008):

As it says in the name, Look To The Sky! is a collection of b-sides and offshoots even more random than Catfood Shotgun Goddamn. Tracing all the way back to 2005 til now, this collection works surprisingly well as an album. “Lost In Found,” an old school baritone ukulele Tinyfolk song provides a sweet contrast to the bumping and pulsing electronica, “Sleeper Sofa,” which in turn careens us into “Stay Poor,” a terrifying nightmare cover of a Real Live Tigers song. “A Terrible Crash (Magic Horses!),” seemingly follows up “Bubble Guns” with more techno beats, but it is more obtuse and a lot of fun.

The things we cherish are small indeed. (December 2008):

Things come full circle with this four song EP recorded on baritone ukulele with no overdubs outside on Russ and Meghan’s porch. The two recently got engaged and this EP, especially “Lunches,” Tinyfolk’s most touching song this year, is evidence of this in many ways.

It should be noted that throughout the year Tinyfolk appeared on several tribute albums (21 Love Songs and The Roaring Nineties), did a collaboration two song EP with Mike Downey together called A Football Fields and was a regular contributor to the monthly CLLCT compilations.

It seems in 2008 that with the release of Sic Semper Equis it would have been impossible to try and follow it up in any traditional form. So instead listeners were treated with a bevy of EPs and single tracks that experimented so wildly that the only place Tinyfolk could end up at the end of the year was back to where he started.

Funnily enough Tinyfolk, inspired by James Eric, just released Owling, a greatest hits album going all the way back to Russ’s first project A Pilgrimage To Save This Human Race.

So where will Tinyfolk be heading into 2009. Well rumors are afoot of a new album and a gig composing a student film. Little is certain in the Tinyfolk universe other than that it’ll be weird and pretty darn awesome.

Youtube version of "Lunches"

Best of Tinyfolk 2008:
"Valley Forge"
"Duke Of Earl"
"Can You Feel The Love Tonight?"
"Thus Always Horses"
"Is There Sex After Death?"
"Rabbit Washington"
"Bubble Guns"
"A Terrible Crash (Magic Horses!)"
"Lunches"

Links:
Tinyfolk on Myspace!
Tinyfolk on CLLCT!
Previous Tinyfolk articles on Foggy!

Find YOUR True Love In Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

2008-12-15T11:08:00.000-08:00

Simply put, Danny Boyle’s latest film, Slumdog Millionaire, about a young man who ends up winning a game show in order to find his true love, is an enrapturing, exuberant experience unlike anything in the cinema this year (or in general).

This film has a pulse. Slumdog Millionaire is a living breathing entity and we hold onto it for dear life from the very first couple frames. Jamal and Salim, two orphaned brothers, outrace police and racial infighting. They manage to escape the evil underground of child enslavement and they find themselves swindling rich American tourists all before the age of twelve it seems.

And it’s all a day in the life for a slumdog like Jamal (played in his oldest form by newcomer Dev Patel). Underneath that overwhelmed exterior (while being tortured-either in the hot seat of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? or by Mumbai police officers) is a survivor, a boy who grew up in the streets making the most of what was within his grasp.

But outside his reach is Latika, a girl who has crisscrossed in and out of his life so much that they simply must be meant for each other. We know that it is written, but I don’t think anyone in the audience really cares. I never have felt as much joy as when the two lovers finally get their chance to be together.

Danny Boyle once again proves he can take any established genre, (Horror, Sci-Fi, or children’s film) and in this case Bollywood, and transcend the established tropes while simultaneously honoring them. Trust me, stay for the credits, it isn’t the same movie without them.

What I look most about the movie is how every element explosively intertwines in service of the story. Chris Dickens editing style matches the chaotic, but defining nature of this modern day fairy tale. A.R. Rahman’s score assisted by Sri-Lankan rapper M.I.A. really capture the postmodern spirit of India today borrowing from traditional themes while injecting it with modern day pacing. Anthony Dod Mantle’s exhaustive cinematography is rough around the edges, but very precise at capturing all the details.

Some scholarly folks may be thinking, “OMG liek Danny Boyle is British, how can he reflect the day to day hustle of Indian folks?” Fact. This film is not as overly sentimental as some critics argue. This criticism originates from thinking that in order to be happy one must grow up in a white suburban neighborhood or have a lot of money. The reason that Slumdog Millionaire finds so much joy is because Jamal, Salim and Latika have gone through so damn much. This film deals with some truly tragic issues, but Danny Boyle and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy capture the hope that ultimately shines through.

Seriously folks, Slumdog Millionaire is one hell of a movie, why haven’t you seen it already?

Trailer:

Link:
Slumdog Millionaire on IMDB

Feel A Little Higher With Humboldt County (2008)

2008-12-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

Humboldt County, written and directed by newcomers Darren Grodsky and Danny Jacobs is NOT a stoner movie. I repeat: if you were expecting another Pineapple Express you will be disappointed, but then enlightened if you decide to stay.

If anything Humboldt County, about a nearly failed med student named Peter (played with poignant precision by Jeremy Strong) who manages, through sleeping with a stranger (Fairuza Balk!), finds himself stuck in California’s lost coast, is like Garden State but Grodsky and Jacobs manage to freshen up familiar plot devices, remove the clutter and keep things spontaneous and reflective without all the gimmicks.

Peter was always told by his father to never “sit idly, there is too much life to live,” but it isn’t long before the pot gets to his head. Or maybe it’s life telling him to slow down for once and admire his surroundings. His stay with a former UCLA physics professor, Jack (an amazing Brad Dourif), and his family start to give Peter a bit of perspective on things he may have been too scared to think about due to his tyrannical father.

Humboldt County wafts and bubbles along at a meditative pace with moments that never overstay their welcome. My only complaint is an unnecessary death at the end. The film works well, if not better without it, because Peter, Jack, his wife Rosie (played delicately by Frances Conroy) and adopted son Max (Chris Messina) all endure deeper more metaphysical pains from their past and present. Smoking doesn’t alleviate these scars, but it allows for a moment to reflect. Something we all need.

In this modern world we all hope for salvation and in Humboldt County you may just find it.

Trailer:

Links:
Humboldt County on IMDB
Directors Darren Grodsky & Danny Jacobs' production blog

Mp3 of the Week: “Can’t Believe It” by the very busy spider

2008-12-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

The very busy spider is terry xiao out of San Leandro, California and continues the trend of cute girls playing ukulele who love hip hop.

BUT, what I really love about Terry and especially her cover of T-Pain and Lil Wayne’s “Can’t Believe It” is the level of earnestness on display here. There is no irony when she sings mournfully about the all the things she wants to do for the lover in question and as she hits the “ooh oohs” of the chorus everything falls wonderfully into place. The ukulele is especially breezy here and really sets a melancholy tone that is merely hinted at in the original.

Terry’s rendition is definitely one of my favorite covers of 2008. Check out the rest of the very busy spider’s stuff too; it’s as equally feisty and genuine.

Mp3:
the very busy spider-"Can't Believe It"

Link:
the very busy spider on Myspace!

Until The Very Last Moment Trailer Hits The Web!

2008-11-29T03:08:00.000-08:00

Yes, this is my film, but hey I want to show you kids what I've been doing so I won't feel so bad about ignoring the blog for the last month or so.

Features a song by Tinyfolk in the trailer and will be released in March!

Links:
Film updates here!
Tinyfolk on Myspace!

Artsweek Reviews: Mike Leigh's Happy-Go-Lucky (2008)

2008-11-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

This week I saw Mike Leigh's beautiful little film, Happy-Go-Lucky, featuring a star making turn by Sally Hawkins who I am now madly in love with.

Check out the review here.

Mp3 Of The Week: “A Choppy Yet Sincere Apology” by Riverboat Gamblers

2008-11-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

foto by Sam Holden

Last week I was lucky to come upon the new single by Austin, Texas natives Riverboat Gamblers. The song, “A Choppy Yet Sincere Apology,” will be on their new album, Underneath The Owl.

The song at first came off as a slightly generic rock song, but what makes me ultimately want to write about here is its deepening sense of surreal underneath the pumping licks and strong sense of melody.

If you listen closely to the song (without looking at the lyrics, that’s cheating!) all these weird images pop up. The refrain repeats, “Like a pick in a hollow-body,” and I swear I heard something about tentacles. Its overall effect is pretty cool and has that “double-take” thing going for it.

Look out for these kids, Riverboat Gamblers I’m pretty sure will be big and I hope they keep things this weird. I mean their new album is going to be called Underneath The Owl! How cool is that?

Mp3:
Riverboat Gamblers-"A Choppy Yet Sincere Apology"

Links
Riverboat Gamblers on Myspace!
Volcolm Entertainment

Artsweek Articles: Shiny Toy Guns In Concert

2008-11-17T09:13:00.001-08:00

So for the most recent Artsweek I saw Shiny Toy Guns play at local bar/club Velvet Jones. The opener The Delta Fiasco were truly the highlight. You can read the entire article here.

Links:
The Delta Fiasco on Myspace!
Shiny Toy Guns on Myspace!

Artsweek Review: Snow Patrol's A Hundred Million Suns (2008)

2008-11-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

Another CD review this week, Snow Patrol's A Hundred Million Suns.

You can check it out here.

*EDIT
So apparently I'm not allowed to post even one song from the album. The least they could do is ask me to take it down instead of removing the page. Sheesh. I even have a disclaimer on the side...

Artsweek Review: Tom Gabel's Heart Burns EP (2008)

2008-11-06T09:12:00.000-08:00

This week I have a review of Tom Gabel's (from Gainesville, Florida's Against Me!) solo EP Heart Burns on Sire Records.

Check it out here.

Mp3:
Tom Gabel-"Harsh Realms"

Link:
Tom Gabel on Myspace!

Artsweek Article: CAM-CON 2008

2008-11-05T14:55:00.000-08:00

What's cinematography?

Another late article, mainly focusing on American Cinematographer's Society (ASC) conference that came to USCB this year. I felt like I was watching Grumpy Old Men...

Anyway check out the article here.

Mp3:
Paul Simon-"I Know What I know"

Artsweek Review: W. (2008)

2008-11-05T14:39:00.000-08:00

A bit late I know, but you can check out the article here. It got more edited than I am happy with...

Adam Balbo: Big Kid Now (2008)

2008-11-05T14:31:00.000-08:00

I could really go for a cup of coffee

Adam Balbo, a folk singin’ bluesman from San Francisco, California has recently released his new album/EP Big Kid Now and I must say I’m a little disappointed.

Big Kid Now begins with a lot of promise on the title track springing forth with light drumming, springy guitar and Adam’s unique gravely deadpan vocals uttering clever jokes a mile a minute, “You have a heart; it's in your chest/On Tuesdays, you put on your Sunday best/You can use a fork; chopsticks, too/Knives, ice cream scoopers, & spoons/You take three times one; divide five by two/You know what Brian Boitano would do.”

After that song, I started to lose interest. “The Snakeman” delicately steals the melody from Bob Dylan’s “Love Minus Zero/No Limit” as does the slightly ponderous “Stain On My Shirt.” The former might be redeeming if he didn’t sound so tired.

And that’s how most of Big Kid Now sounds like, tired. On the almost unbearable “Monkey Goes To Breakfast,” I swear all the musicians including Adam fall asleep. The organ sounds straight out of Sunday school and the drums are dull and unimaginative.

“16-Bar Blues Love Song” stirs the pot back up a bit if it weren’t so banal and ultimately as formulaic as the title suggests.

Actually I kind of like “Stain On My Shirt,” a duet of sorts, Adam’s deadpan vocals shared by an equally deadpan female singer responding to an insubstantial incident involving ketchup manages to reach out further than its scope. It closes the album nicely, but it took some time before I began to enjoy it.

Adam Balbo has a unique voice and shows lyrical promise on Big Kid Now, but I wish he’d wake up and put a little passion into all of it.

Mp3:
Adam Balbo-"Big Kid Now"

Link:
Adam Balbo on Myspace!

Artsweek Review: Religulous (2008)

2008-10-17T10:42:00.000-07:00

This week I wrote a review of the Larry Charles directed documentary "Religulous" starring Bill Maher and a host of religious fools.

Check it out here

Morgan Enos: Lucky Stars (2008)

2008-10-14T12:19:00.000-07:00

Atascadero’s Morgan Enos sounds exactly like a boy who listens to too much Bob Dylan and Neutral Milk Hotel and it ain’t a bad thing in the slightest. Lyrically, Morgan is further ahead of the game than the rest of us. I think in high school I was writing Blink-182 style couplets. On his true blue debut album Lucky Stars, Morgan culls the best tracks from some older EPs and a couple new gems.

Inherently this creates a problem because Lucky Stars ultimately feels like a collection of songs rather than an actual album and I almost wish he could have written a few more new tracks. Don’t get me wrong I’m glad that more people will get exposed to tracks like “A Bird And A Wire” and “Seventeen Flowers.” The former track is especially startling and quite possibly the best song Morgan has written. I’m just going to post a sample of the lyrics for you all to bask in:

Oh girl left behind in a canopy/I’m picking off my worries from cherry tree/You’re the only thing that makes any sense to me/You’re the only thing that makes sense to me

But tonight I think of all I missed/while the spring time bends down for a kiss/ And she shudders and sputters and sparks in the night/ when there’s nobody there to set her right

I’m a cloudy crazy weather in the front of the room/ You’re a seasick sunbeam and up high you loom/Just out of reach and out of touch/On my boney wings I send my prayers up

Morgan’s punky/nasally/raspy voice provides a cool contrast to the straight acoustic material and often is serviced better to faster tempo numbers. On slower songs such as “Climb Aboard” and “Jupiter,” things can get a little ponderous.

Lucky Stars is primarily and introduction record meant for everyone to get a good glimpse at what Morgan Enos is all about. Sometimes he still stays a bit too close to his influences, but if anything it’s giving him the confidence necessary to expand his horizons. He’s doing some great things and really it’s only up from here.

Mp3:
Morgan Enos-"A Bird And A Wire"

Link:
Morgan Enos on Myspace!

Oh Sanders: The Death of Nature (2008)

2008-10-14T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hailing from Gainesville, Florida, Oh Sanders has released their debut The Death of Nature at a time when that sentiment is pretty much fact, not conjecture. So it seems fitting that lead singer, Stella Leung, is a woman given all those Mother Nature stereotypes thrown around for the last couple thousand years.

So what does all of this really add up to? Well, The Death Of Nature is heavy on the synths, slinky guitar riffs and features a confident and commanding vocalist and band whose mission seems to get a bit funky in the face of the chaos at hand.

This especially comes to mind on “Season For Sleeping,” a ska-like number (in it’s blippy synth line and head-bobbing bass) that would rather get you dancing than ponder its message of the fear of change…I think that’s the message anyway.

Oh Sanders have the ability to make subtle changes to certain artistic formulas and make them exciting again. On “You Should Have Been Nicer,” the band uses the guitar washes of My Bloody Valentine, but breaks them down into stop-start drumming and keyboard arpeggios so that when the guitar washes return for chorus, it feels really like a wave ebbing and flowing and ultimately super satisfying.

Sometimes the band gets a little too silly lyrically for my taste like on “Underwater Voyeur” (the science metaphor is stretched too thin) and maybe a little bit on “Conspiracy To Commit Arson,” but on the latter the Faint-like synth line and genuine sentiment win me over in the end.

Oh Sanders’ The Death Of Nature is a solid debut and something I listen to more than I realize. Its message may not be as clear as it could be, but I think I feel it more than anything else and that’s probably more important anyway.

Mp3:
Oh Sanders-“You Should Have Been Nicer"

Link:
Oh Sanders on Myspace!

MIX FIVE: Mp3 of the Week, Catching Up!

2008-10-12T15:43:00.000-07:00

As this site has progressed over the year or so I am disappointed that some of the weekly smaller segments have completely dropped off. That’s why in the midst of everything I need to do I bring to you all, this “catch up” mix of some of the single songs that have caught my ear in the last month or two.

Tinyfolk-“Bubble Guns”
A cover of a Hello Shark song, this song kind of picks up for Sic Semper Equis left off. It’s marvelous and downtrodden; the darkest techno song ever. I used it in a short film I made over the summer.

Jon Crocker-“Lap Dog”
I’ve had the pleasure of spending more time with Jon Crocker as of late and I think I understand his music a lot more. On this tune from the recent The Dust Will Settle the cynicism strangely fits the style and this soaring sing along has just enough vitriol to almost taste sweet.

Jellybean!-“Love In This Club”
Featuring a bit of auto-tune vocals and keyboard on this Usher cover, Kelly adds a touch of melancholy to make this silly song into something romantic.

Pomona City Rydaz-“T.R.U.E. Crimes (Ft. Tray-Dee)”
A slightly unknown rap group featured in the True Crime: Streets Of LA videogame soundtrack, the MCs here display unique forms of flow that are downright astonishing. Straight up gangsta.

They Might Be Giants-“They’ll Need A Crane”
I’m kind of embarrassed for just discovering They Might Be Giants, but on Lincoln, this song continually floors me over and over again. The video is hilariously sad as well. John Linell’s hair and dance moves reinforce the sort of awkward confidence on display here.

Withershins-“Pygmalion”
More Smashing Pumpkins than The Smittens, J Isaac Gadient (formally the man behind Lo-Fi Twee sensation Blanketarms) has started a new, more rocking band. This is just an acoustic demo, but it tears me apart inside. It’s a downer in the best possible sense.

Dustin And The Furniture-“Falling Apart”
This song is a rerecorded version, sparser and more intimate, on Dustin’s new album No Living In The Living Room. I suggest you buy a hard copy because the album comes with a book featuring commentary, footnotes and all kinds of important information and resources on how to prepare for the paradigm shift in our world that’s coming sooner than you think.

The Bad Spellers-“The Ungrateful Sojourn Of Nomadic Follicles”
The keyboard line, handclaps and the earnest vocals kill me every time. This album, Keep On Shining, was the house music for a show I played in Hachoji City, Japan and I desperately needed to find a copy. I suggest you track it down too.

Watercolor Paintings-“Shower”
A solo number by Rebecca, the lyrics are boldly frank but equally mysterious. More than anything the effect is more than the sum of its parts. The ending is quite sweet, but really sad and over before you want to be.

M.I.A.-“Paper Planes”
I discovered Kala in a vacuum and immediately became fixated on this startling song. I had no idea how popular it was until I heard it blaring from the frat house across the street a week or two ago. It doesn’t matter; this song is too good to let them have it.

Links:
Tinyfolk on Myspace!
Jon Crocker on Myspace!
Jellybean! on Myspace!
Pomona City Rydaz on Myspace!
They Might Be Giants on Myspace!
Withershins on Myspace!
The Bad Spellers on Myspace!
Watercolor Paintings on Myspace!
M.I.A. on Myspace!
Until The Very Last Moment: Ground Zero featuring "Bubble Guns"

Artsweek Articles: Stars Interview & Concert Review

2008-10-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the pleasure of doing a phone interview with Torquil Campbell of Stars.

You can read the transcript here.

or listen to the interview in its entirety here.

Stars played at UCSB last Friday and my review for the show can be found here.

Mp3:
Stars-"14 Forever"

Links:
Stars on Myspace!
Sad Robots EP available now!
Embarassing Music Video I made for "Going, Going, Gone"

Video Interview with The Elated Sob Story

2008-10-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Without Further Ado I present, in five movements, the first Foggy Ruins Of Time video interview. About a month and a half ago I was lucky to meet with Star Dell'Era, leader and ruler of The Elated Sob Story and we chatted about all sorts of music and non-music related topics (Cats too!).

The Elated Sob Story is an alternative, twee, pop, rock musical jubilee where everything is played fast, loose and just a little bit sad.

I apologize for the quality, the interview was conducted with two canon digital cameras.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Mp3:
The Elated Sob Story-"Wish You Had A Mind"

Link:
The Elated Sob Story on Myspace!

Artsweek Review: Don Hertzfeldt's I Am So Proud Of You

2008-10-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

Q&A after the show

My second article for Artsweek, I covered the premiere of Don Hertzfeldt's new film I Am So Proud Of You. Don is a film studies graduate of UCSB so it's cool that he comes back often to show us something special like this before anyone else.

Don Hertzfeldt and I Am So Proud Of You

oh and I also wrote an article on the Beach House show in Santa Barbara but it isn't online yet.

Artsweek Review: Lakeview Terrace (2008)

2008-09-25T13:30:00.000-07:00

The school year has begun at UC Santa Barbara and during the year I will be writing for Artsweek, the entertainment section of our school newspaper, The Daily Nexus. For publishing reasons I won't post the articles directly, but will give you a link to check it out.

First up is the film Lakeview Terrace starring Samuel L. Jackson!

Lakeview Terrace!

Let’s Whisper: Make Me Smile (2008)

2008-09-18T02:27:00.000-07:00

More than a little baby side project of The Smittens, Colin Clary and Dana Kaplan as Let’s Whisper have released their first album/EP, Make Me Smile, on Wee Pop! Records. And really, they are the perfect spokespersons for Wee Pop, probably even more so than Little My.

Let’s Whisper is CUTE CUTE CUTE and they have an almost militant devotion to simplicity and explore every trick of the Twee Pop trade on Make Me Smile without ever sounding bored or tired. Really, it’s as if they had never heard music before and these songs are born from a naivety and enthusiastic desire to well, make me smile.

“Dylan’s Song” opens and closes the album (the final one acoustic) and provides a perfect framing device. Now, declaratory songs (Songs that address the audience or somehow introduce or close an album explicitly) aren’t new and are probably super in fashion these days, but Dana and Colin manage to (with western guitar, taut basslines and dreamy harmonies) make that kind of song into an inviting and exciting experience, zero pretensions to boot. It’s an open arms kind of a welcome. We should all be hugging more often I think.

For how adorable Let’s Whisper come off as, they have a swagger that is pretty well defined. On “Hey Sunshine,” the ukuleles are springing, the bass bouncing and the drums swinging. The lyrics, “Sweetie, you’re making me weak in the knees/Darling, you’re starring in all my movies,” contain just enough sexual nuance by Dana’s voice that really, this could be a hip hop song in some alternate universe.

“When You Were Eating Ice Cream” is the only instance where Let’s Whisper falls into uber-preciousness that could make one slightly queasy. Kind of funny considering the subject matter, but when Colin and Dana sing, “Go ice cream! Go Ice Cream!/Go nummy num num!” It’s a little much. The song ultimately redeems itself because the metaphor is inventive and fitting with theme of Make Me Smile.

I think Let’s Whisper meant “Tender Circles” to be the true end to Make Me Smile, but the lyrics are a little too funky to provide any real closure. But the lines, “Maybe she was a princess/Once, a couple turns ago…” are pretty evocative and quite clever.

Ending on a stripped down demo of “Dylan’s Song” is perfect and hits at the root of what Let’s Whisper are about. Dana and Colin on Make Me Smile aren’t simply just making smaller versions of Smittens material, rather they are creating a warmer more intimate look into the little things in life that possess us and never let go.

Mp3:
Let's Whisper-"Hey Sunshine"

Links:
Let's Whisper on Myspace!
Wee Pop! Records

7th Poll, Train Never Stops, News, New Poll

2008-09-17T20:17:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not making apocalyptic porn

Hey kids, I feel like the past few weeks had been my longest absence and I hate that. I’ve probably got too much on my plate and I’ll spell it out here to give myself some sort of excuse for the lack of reviews (but when my schedule normalizes in the fall I know it’ll get better).

What I am doing right now:
Full time film major/English minor at UC Santa Barbara

Applying to Graduate School (taking the GRE next week)

Pitching a short film next week, Until The Very Last Moment (6 month production, decent budget, will take up every weekend from now until March)

Submitted my last film Chimes Of Gaviota: or I've Got The Real Estate Blues to the SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival) and making a special edition DVD

Finishing a script with a PHD student about the war in IRAQ to be produced in the fall

Working at Video Services (taping lectures, events, etc.)

Writing articles for Artsweek, the entertainment section of our school newspaper, The Daily Nexus

Will be writing articles for WORD, a local Isla Vista magazine

Playing shows as Existential Hero and making another album or two

Being an active member of CLLCT

And of course writing for Foggy Ruins Of Time

I’m sure there are those crazier than I, but I’m hustlin’ as much as I can. Again I think when I start having classes and my film gets started, the time will be more regimented and I’ll actually have no excuse to not give you more reviews and interviews.

So if you look below there is a review of the new Just Joans album (hint: it’s pretty darn fantastic), and right now I’m working on a review for the new Let’s Whisper EP. Hopefully next week I’ll have my long delayed interviews with Star from The Elated Sob Story, Rusty Anderson from The Top Grossing Films Of 1984 and Rob and Max from (Gang Of) Virgins. I’ve also received a few new CDs in the mail so look for some new faces soon.

Oh yeah, that poll:

Wall-E and The Dark Knight were so very close and as a tag team they did well too. I suspect The Dark Knight won because of Wall-E’s divisive philosophy on the future of the human race; although, both movies kind of share that view. Shame on those who haven’t seen either, but I suspect that by now they will have. And who the hell liked Hancock over the other two? Will Smith is pretty charming, but that movie was a mess.

I was planning to write a review of The Dark Knight, but seeing it in IMAX never panned out. I may write one eventually.

NEW POLL, check it out and leave any comments here.

Okay, so thanks everyone for being patient, I should be back on track soon.

Mp3:
The Brooke (a tiny ocean)-"Born On A Train

The Just Joans: Hey Boy... You're Oh So Sensitive (2008)

2008-09-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

The Scottish kids are back with their second album on Wee Pop! Records, Hey Boy… You’re Oh So Sensitive. A bit more somber than Virgin Lips, The Just Joans still manage to mock and praise (quite beautifully) how we all become during the messy complications known as relationships (or lack thereof).

Hey Boy… kicks off with the title track where the sensitive boy in question tries as many possible ways under the sun (Woody Allen six-disc boxset, art school classes, glasses, etc.) to try and get a girlfriend, but is consistently rejected by the sweetly cruel refrain, “Hey boy, you’re oh so sensitive/But I’m afraid I’m just not interested.” Even in an age of ever growing “understanding men,” women still savor rejecting, or perhaps even since nerdy guys still want ass, women can see through the charade.

“What Do We Do Now?” is simply put, The Just Joans's masterpiece. Framed by two clips from what I assume is the same show, the song reflects on experiences of young twenty-somethings who return home after years of university, work, the road, or just time away. The act of reminiscing is placed under the microscope and The Just Joans capture perfectly the melancholy of growing up and growing apart. There is still humor but in the grip of a mortal sense of sadness when they sing, “What do we do now?/Now we’re ten years older/The bands we loved are dead/The bands we loved are dead/ I’ll always think of you/Whenever I smell cider/But it won’t be the same again.”

The rest of Hey Boy… vacillates between feelings of loathing, “Ma Baby (He’s Boring)” “The Telly’s Shite… Without You” and insecurity with and “The Kisses At The End Of His Texts” and “Grant Kelly.” Doesn’t give me much confidence in love, but I’m sure The Just Joans feel the same way.

Overall on Hey Boy… You’re Oh So Sensitive The Just Joans preoccupation with the utter failure of relationships leads to uncomplicated instrumentation and gripping narratives that play out like episodes on TV or short films (there is in fact a lot of sampled audio). It’s almost unbelievable, but then again, it happens everyday right in our own living rooms.

Video for Hey Boy... You're Oh So Sensitive:

Mp3:
The Just Joans-"What Do We Do Now?"

Link:
The Just Joans on Myspace!
Wee Pop! Records

One Happy Island: Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn’t Know About (2008)

2008-08-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

Oh what’s that? You mean you aren’t listening to the newest One Happy Island EP Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn’t Know About from the greatest little record lab Wee Pop? Not even on vinyl? That’s a shame, a damn shame.

For the less savvy, I’ll be sassy with you and tell you that this latest EP from the sloppy Boston popsters might be their best work yet. And did I mention that Wee Pop! Records coughed up the dough to do a 7” vinyl run? That’s gotta count for something right? Right.

The songs, well the first two tracks, “Temporary Tattoo” and “Earth’s Circumference,” knock it out of the park and are probably my two favorite One Happy Island tracks overall.

“Temporary Tattoo” has a lilt of melancholy that will draw you into the extended metaphor of temporary tattoo-as-friends/lovers sticking together. It’s a little complicated (the issue at hand), but with Rebecca Mitchell’s beautifully understated voice ghosted by Brad San Martin’s harmonies the song distills any silliness offered by its initial premise.

“Earth’s Circumference” draws the melancholy out even further with a slightly heartbreaking tale of distance-destroying-relationships. Brad and Rebecca exchange vocals quite effortlessly while an old school Casio keyboard anchors the entire dizzying affair on, well, Earth.

“Shorthand” and “Mothball” never quite reach the same heights as the first two songs, but “Mothball” still works well as a semi-cathartic closer that ultimately is a winner due to the odd little chorus where Rebecca, Brad and friends sing, “Do the mothball with me, Catherine/Make ‘em think we did every sedative in Birmingham/Do the mothball with me, Catherine/Do just stand there/Do just stand there.” It’s evocative enough to keep me wondering what exactly it means.

Secret Party That The Other Party Doesn’t Know About is a great little introduction to One Happy Island and I think with this EP this self-described sloppy DIY band from Boston has finally hit their stride in combining everything cute and sad and wonderful about pop music. Oh and did I mention that you can grab this album on vinyl?

Mp3:
One Happy Island-"Temporary Tattoo"

Links:
One Happy Island on Myspace
Order the VINYL on Wee Pop! Records

Hotpants Romance: It’s A Heatwave (2008)

2008-08-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Part of me really wanted to hate It’s A Heatwave by Hotpants Romance. What’s to like about the messiest, sloppiest kind of garage pop by three girls who can hardly sing? A lot actually. I mean on first listen you might be mortified, but Kate Armitage, Laura Skilbeck and Lowri Evans have so much charm and a “fuck it” kind of attitude I really started to almost love this record.

The opener “Hotpants No Chance” is a ridiculously brash, obnoxious, sweet and clever combo that really optimizes everything I love and hate about this band. Every song after pretty much follows suite and songs like “Sugar Dip” and “Heatwave” even turn it up to 11 and would make pretty fun live experiences.

“Effin’ + Jeffin’” and “Don’t Go” are almost too much for me to handle as you can’t even understand what Hotpants Romance are saying and “Stop Escaping” starts off in that same mesmerizing level of awfulness (starting off acapella too) before coalescing into what I’d say is the band’s most coherent and beautiful melody on It’s A Heatwave. It's a rewarding track that has become my favorite.

“I Don’t Wanna” is also a pretty little guitar-only number that sounds dirty if I could understand the lyrics. I enjoy that kind of suggestiveness.

I am probably notorious for not digging the albums released on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records (Cars Can Be Blue and The Smittens are exceptions), but what makes Hotpants Romance and their record It’s A Heatwave something memorable is its go for broke attitude, the “I don’t give a fuck we are going to make you dance” attitude that is complimented by the insane level of charm that exudes from every pore on their bodies.

Mp3:
Hotpants Romance-"Stop Escaping"

Links:
Hotpants Romance on Myspace!
Order It's A Heatwave on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records

The Smittens: The Coolest Thing About Love (2008)

2008-08-24T13:30:00.000-07:00

Hey folks, sorry about the mini-disappearing act, I've been busy with my potential career as filmmaker, but I am back as far as I know. Anyway onward with The Smittens!

Vermont’s most beloved band The Smittens has released a new album, much to the joy of lovers of Indie-Pop and Twee music, actually, much to the joy of everyone really. I usually am one to say critical writing can be done about anything, but with The Smittens’ The Coolest Thing About Love, I don’t know, I guess I’m having too much fun listening to really write out my thoughts.

With that said, they deserve heaps of praise. They have the art of melody down pat, unique and fun instrumentation, lyrics that are super sweet and more singers than you can shake a stick at.

More than anything else, I love the trifecta of singers, Colin, Dana and Max. Colin’s voice is something else, may take some getting used to, but over time you’ll love it. Dana has a sassy singing voice that isn’t oversaturated with fake sultriness. Max just has a kick ass bass register. All three come together harmoniously on songs like “The Interstate,” “Half My Heart Beats,” “C’mon! (When The Grass Grows Tall And Green),” and “Gumdrops.”

It’s not hard to understand where the Smittens come from on The Coolest Thing About Love, but I’m really happy about that. They are just a collection of cool kids doing what they love and I understand now how they can create such joyous music. I mean really, if you were able to travel the roads with your friends and make people smile, how could you not write about love, love and more love?

The Smittens are a special band and that they are a band is a testament to a lot of things, notably, music really does bring people together and not just on the surface either. I’m sure all the members aren’t sunshine and lollipops every second of the day, but at least on The Coolest Thing About Love, The Smittens channel every ounce of positive energy into a little microcosm of joy.

Mp3:
The Smittens-“C’mon! (When The Grass Grows Tall And Green)"

Links:
The Smittens on Myspace!
Order The Coolest Thing About Love on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records

Interview With Marc With A C

2008-08-11T11:06:00.000-07:00

Foto by Blackstarlight

Marc Sirdoreus, former blogger/music critic but better known as Marc With A C has been playing for almost ten years now and recently released his latest album Linda Lovelace For President (comes with the Live At Stardust DVD too!). The record takes a more serious turn than any previous album, but it’s still got Marc’s classic and stripped down sensibilities. Most importantly it has some great tunes that I think are more rewarding in many ways than some of his older songs. You can read the rest of my review here.

But let’s get on with it shall we? Marc was kind enough to entertain my questions (many many questions) and I hope everyone will find them as enlightening as I did.

Foggy: How did you get started making music?

Marc: My grandmother bought me my first guitar when I was around twelve or so. It was the cheapest little Spanish guitar that wouldn't stay in tune. She tried to buy me a strap so I could wear it, but accidentally bought a saxophone strap for me instead. I didn't know any better, so I wrapped it around the back, attached it to the inside of the sound hole and went for it. My mom taught me some initial chords, and then I mostly learned to play from the tablature in classic rock songbooks, as well as a hearty amount of trial and error.

Around 14 or 15, I got really into writing and recording my own music under a different name, which eventually branched off into a somewhat unrelated band. There are probably hundreds of those tapes floating around, but I'm pretty embarrassed by them now and I'd prefer they just sort of disintegrated. It was all really whiny, angsty teenage stuff. I didn't have enough remove from the situations I was singing about to offer any real perspective, and my voice was unusually high for my age. Since I didn't really know how to control my voice at the time, I tried to push my range into something really gravelly - which is the exact opposite of what my vocal cords naturally want to do. So... bad songs, bad singing, bad lyrics.

Marc With a C as a solo persona was invented to kill time between acts at a local open mic night that I hosted. I wrote some silly little nerdy songs that were probably more honest than I wanted to admit - things like "Why Don't Girls Like Me" and "Left For Her". This persona became more of a draw than any musicians actually showing up to play, and it was a little surprising. I didn't really expect to be doing it this way ten years later.

The first Marc With a C "show" happened when a very popular local band didn't show up for their set on time. The promoter wanted someone to fill time, I offered my services, expecting to bomb. I opened with the theme to the Laverne & Shirley show and followed it up with an early version of "Victoria's Girls". Probably played for about 20 minutes or so. The crowd hooted and hollered, but... I didn't expect people to start booking me the very next day. I haven't really slowed down since.

Foggy: Do you think like a music critic (blogger) while making your music and vice-versa?

Marc: I suppose so. I'm certainly trying to capture experiences and feelings sort of condensing them into bite-size reviews of my life. I'm also elaborating on whether the subject affected me in a positive or negative light, usually. I've never really thought about it that way before... but I think you're totally dead on.

Foggy: As a writer who puts a lot of pop culture references in the songs do you wish listeners knew them all or do you think of it as a nice surprise for the nerdier fans?

Marc: My motto just sort of tends to be "the right people will get it". Although I'm often surprised by the references that people don't pick up on as much as I am shocked by what the listeners gravitate towards. I thought that my years of name checking The Who would have landed me a big following of fellow Who freaks, but it hasn't happened.

Sometimes, I don't even realize how many references I'm using! An interviewer once asked if I meant to refer to Winona Ryder three separate times on the Bubblegum Romance album... and I hadn't even thought about it until that very second. However, I get asked all the time about the line from "When My Ship Comes In". You know, if I really named our dog Meatwad. And the answer is yes.

Foggy: What do you do for a living besides making music, (formally) writing about music, and just plain being a cool guy?

Marc: Hah! You think I'm cool? Man... I'm the biggest dork on the planet, but thank you very much for putting that in print! Every job I have revolves around music in some way. I have been known to while away my time in record stores for employment, but that has ended for the time being. We're going to devote a lot of energy to Marc With a C work for a few months, and a regular job might not sit well with it.

Foggy: On the recently released Live At Stardust DVD you went on some hilarious little rants; are they planned or completely off the cuff?

Marc: Usually off the cuff. I might think of some stories I want to tell during the day before a show, but usually they are all long forgotten by stage time. Even when I tell some recurring stories, like the banter you'd hear before or during "Drunk Classic Rock Fans" or "Life's So Hard", I'm always improvising new bits. I rehearse as much as I can, but when I stand in front of a crowd that's as excited to see me as I am to see them? I'm just oozing happiness and I almost can't think straight. It's intoxicating, for sure, and that situation often leads to my mind going blank for the first few songs. But once I get talking during shows... all bets are off. Even I'm surprised by the things that come out of my mouth. I guess I'm just so excited to be there that I can't really shut up.

Foggy: Would you consider putting your discography online for free? Older stuff? All?

Marc: No. I give away a lot of music in the form of free "official bootlegs" on my site. I make as many of my concerts free as I possibly can. But making the official records entirely free, all the time? No, that's not really in the cards for me. I think in terms of albums for the most part, and giving it all away negates the cost of packaging and such for me. I grew up liking to buy records, tapes and CD's. That old guard mentality might be fading a bit in recent years, and I'm adapting as well as I can, but... I like record collections. I like for my albums to be part of someone's physical collection. If that vanishes? Half of what I love about music will have disappeared. It's likely that I'd quit altogether, at that point.

Foggy: What do you think of CLLCT (001Collective)?

Marc: I think it's a great idea. There's nothing wrong with putting together a supportive musical community, you know? Plus, the site looks great, and I always end up finding something new that I like there. I can only hope that it grows beyond the collective's wildest dreams. CLLCT is doing something very ballsy... and they're doing it right.

Foggy: Are blogs the modern equivalent of how radio used to operate?

Marc: In a way. They are sort of a cross between the CMJ magazine if every band referenced could fit a song on the monthly CD... and if everyone were listening to the same college radio station. The smart labels know that blogs have the power now, and they're playing the games they used to dabble in with radio. The not-so-smart labels, however? They are the ones afraid of sending you free records and CD's in the mail. They think that if they drop an MP3 in your blog's inbox, then dammit... you'd better write about it. And they will follow up until you are just fucking annoyed with the band themselves. Like the labels are doing the blogs the favors, hah. If you want press, you gotta be willing to model your product. Period. And that goes for even the smallest label running on no money whatsoever. If you can't be bothered to walk to the mailbox and send a prospective reviewer the thing you want to sell a kajillion copies of, then they shouldn't have to be bothered with writing about it. Radio wouldn't have put up with that crap in it's heyday, and the upstart blogs shouldn't be expected to either.

Foggy: So many people are obsessing about what direction the music business will take in the few years, but is "the end" really near as some people claim?

Marc: Only for the less savvy brick and mortar stores. You don't see Amazon pitching a fit about how CD sales are slipping. Folks still (mostly) buy music at shows to support touring bands. T-shirts aren't any less popular than they used to be. But to those people obsessing about what direction the industry is taking? I honestly better not ever hear a single fucking peep out of them. They shouldn't have time to talk about predicting these trends... they should be busy counting their no doubt gigantic stacks of money from saving their precious little industry if they are so damned smart.

But you're not seeing that, and you won't. Folks have been up in arms about the industry dying since the 8-track went out. Music will continue to exist, and people will pay to see other people perform it. As long as that doesn't go away, we're pretty much gonna be fine. Maybe the WEA system won't exist in ten years, but really good bands will still be doing just fine.

Foggy: Do you think the hipster record player fad will go away? Is reel to reel the next cool thing?

Marc: Hey, reel to reels were considered high-end audiophile equipment back in the day! But will this record fad fade? There's a lot of things to consider there, Steven. First of all, a lot of the teenagers buying their first records and turntables have grown up never paying for music at all. They get this stuff home and find out what it's like to have bought a slice of art. They see liner notes, big pictures all matched up with better fidelity than they have ever heard in their lifetime. I've watched the most "technologically advanced" iPhone-toting folks on the planet sell off practically everything they own to rebuy all of their digital music on wax, and it only gets bigger every day.

Having worked in the record store industry, I can say that there's not only been an obvious dip in CD sales... but also in what people are bringing to trade in at used shops. Folks are often only selling back compact discs for trade credit that they can spend on vinyl. You weren't seeing as many hot titles entering the used bins anymore, and the CD's that were selling the best were often the ones that you couldn't get on wax. While the stock of newly minted records has skyrocketed, the price surprisingly hasn't, unless the label is doing something special - colors, heavyweights, etc. Although... if it does all turn out to be a fad, we're gonna see the price of vinyl drop immensely, but there's also gonna be a lot of great used records out there that these kids are going to regret losing later. If vinyl loses its flavor... the industry is fucking sunk.

Foggy: Is it possible for another Elvis, Beatles or Nirvana, or is global success coupled with critical acclaim gone forever?

Marc: It's already happened again. We're just too close to it to realize it. Mark my words on this one... the next step in your Elvis, Beatles and Nirvana timeline will be In Rainbows. Not so much Radiohead, but moreso that album and its business model. Fans loved it, critics praised it to the hilt, and then once we all actually *heard* it...? Everyone almost unanimously agreed that it was at least pretty good. I can personally take or leave most of Radiohead's output, but I'm glad there's a band that hipsters and casual listeners of music can both agree on that doesn't suck eggs and doesn't treat their fans like idiots. It's very reminiscent of the Nirvana phenomenon in that way, and Radiohead is certainly selling more concert tickets than Nirvana ever did at their peak.

Foggy: Do you listen to your own music for pleasure?

Marc: Of course, man. I make records that I want to listen to. Probably not often enough to be a total narcissist, but I'll go a few months without listening to the recordings I've made, and then go through them all in a shot. This usually leads to me rediscovering a song or two that I'd forgotten all about. "Human Slushy" is a good example of that, and it started getting played live a lot more for that reason. My records are pretty good for driving, as they mostly last as long as the average Orlando car ride, and that's where I end up playing them. If I ever make a record that I don't want to listen to afterwords, I've done something very, very wrong.

Foggy: Favorite album of 2008 so far? Most anticipated?

Marc: I've really loved a few records this year... probably my favorite had been the newest Breeders album. The last Robert Pollard album, Off To Business, is pretty stellar as well. Other really pleasant surprises have been the new platters by Capstan Shafts, Retribution Gospel Choir and those Os Mutantes reissues. The upcoming stuff I'm looking forward to most? Easily, the new albums by All Girl Summer Fun Band and Juliana Hatfield. Especially the latter. Anytime Juliana puts out a new album, it deserves a fucking federal holiday.

Foggy: Seriously, Isn't Chris Zabriskie's album O Great Queen Electric, What Do You Have Waiting For Me? the best thing ever?

Marc: Yes, it is. And in some alternate universe, people are building shrines to him for making it. We just have to wait for the one in which we live in to catch up. That record is a masterpiece, hands down.

Foggy: What is your relationship with Chris? What was it about those three songs he had written that made you want to put them on Linda Lovelace For President?

Marc: We're best friends, we're bandmates, we're family. I think that Chris Zabriskie is the finest songwriter I have ever having the pleasure of knowing personally. As far as why his three compositions made it to the last Marc With a C album, it's a bit of a long story, so let me give you a quick overall summation...

At the same time that I was putting together the ideas behind Linda Lovelace For President, Chris was putting together ideas for the second record by another band we did for awhile: lo-fi is sci-fi. Further activities for that nomenclature were put on indefinite hiatus, but I felt a very close kinship to three of the demos he'd given me. I knew that LLFP was going to center around spiritual turmoil and disconnect from the world at large... and to boil it down simply? Chris wrote better musical statements on those things than I had. I begged, pleaded and groveled to use the songs, Chris allowed them to be used for Marc With a C, and the tunes became crowd favorites instantaneously.

You can't dance around the fact that two people as close as we are will likely be on similar pages creatively. I can't thank Chris enough for those tracks... they helped me to express the rest of the sentiments on the album, and LLFP as an album would not and could not exist without his compositions. He wrote the glue. The same should be said about his work on the DVD that accompanies the album, Live At Stardust. Without his editing skills, that film would simply not exist, period. He's the best.

Foggy: So Linda Lovelace For President has been out for a bit now and is even available as a hardcopy, any new thoughts on the album? New revelations?

Marc: Not really. I got out a lot of things that I wanted to express on this album, and to me... it almost plays like the second disc of Normal Bias. I think it's a really good collection of lo-fi pop songs, and I'm every bit as proud of it as I was when the tape ran out at the end of the album. Which is very audible on the title track! The real revelations are what listeners make of it from here on out, you know?

Foggy: What's next for Marc With A C?

We have a lot of things cooking at Mw/aC HQ. Ultimately, we'd like to do some road shows for the first time in quite awhile, and we've already started in on that. I would like to finally complete the Shock Treatment album that I've been working on for, oh, ten years? Hah. For a guy that writes and records as much as I do, I don't nearly come close to completing it all. If I did, I wouldn't have time for my friends and family, you know? I will say this, though... for the first time, I would like to just sort of focus on showcasing and enjoying the stuff I've created as Marc With a C, and not so much just jumping head first into a new album or project. There's so much left to do with what we've already made. That's a really exciting place to be in your creative life, and a first for me.

Thanks Marc for answering my questions and I hope all you readers have lots of food for thought to chew on. Look forward to news about Marc With A C's tenth anniversary. I heard he has something special planned.

Mp3's:
Marc With A C-“Classic Country Wasn't Multitracked In '61”
Marc With A C-"I Tried To Die Young"

Links:
Older Marc With A C posts on Foggy Ruins Of Time
Marc With A C site
Marc With A C on Myspace!
Chris Zabriskie site

One Year Anniversary, Updates, (Very) Old Poll Results and New Poll

2008-08-06T19:41:00.000-07:00

View from The Studio, my venue of residence in Isla Vista, California.

Hey kids I’m back in good ol’ Santa Barbara and maybe, just maybe I can get back on a regular schedule. Then again was this blog ever on a regular schedule?

Foggy Ruins Of Time is now a year old (actually a few days ago, but still)! I remember being inspired by so many blogs out there who sadly aren’t with us anymore. But, I shall carry on the torch and continue bringing you faithful readers the most in-depth reviews of DIY music, Lo-Fi music and anything else that comes my way. Thank you all for making this something fulfilling and a necessary part of my day. I am a better writer because of it. Not to mention all of the great music discovered and friendships made.

Let’s finish up that poll from a zillion years ago:

It makes me happy that a majority of you readers said that “Indie” isn’t a genre. For those who said “yes,” what are the qualities of the “Indie” genre? For those who said “Not anymore,” I really want to know what that means.

So what’s on the plate in the next few weeks? For album reviews:

Patrick Ripoll’s Spawning
The Smittens: The Coolest Thing About Love
Hotpants Romance: It’s A Heatwave

Plus a slew of Wee Pop! Records releases. Damn it’s hard to keep up with Thor and Camila’s impressive output these days. Just too many good bands including secondary releases by One Happy Island and The Just Joans as well as the debut record of Let’s Whisper. I know you all can’t wait.

Also I will probably be ready soon to write my review for Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight, this summer’s other masterpiece.

But the biggest news of all is I have two interviews in the works, that’s right, two! Marc With A C was kind enough to answer my questions and give us some food for thought and some terrific insights into many many things. The second interview is a dual interview between Star Dell’Era of The Elated Sob Story fame and me (as my music moniker Existential Hero). What’s even better is that it is a video interview. Exciting? You bet it is…

Oh and a new layout soon!

Mp3:
The Roots-"Birthday Girl"

Links:
Marc With A C on Myspace!
The Elated Sob Story on Myspace!
Existential Hero on Myspace!

Cars Can Be Blue: Doubly Unbeatable (2008)

2008-08-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Initially I was turned off by Cars Can Be Blue’s new record Doubly Unbeatable (Their second record on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records). The bitterness displayed in this collection of songs is so palpable you feel like you’re trekking through a swamp. Luckily Cars Can Be Blue gives you a speedboat of garage band rocking and razor sharp melodies to hurl you through the muck.

The first six tracks of Doubly Unbeatable are a near flawless display of Pop and Rock music in ultimate synergy. Did I mention that these songs are fueled by bitter sarcasm? Check out “Coat Tails” a song calling out second-rate bands clinging to bigger bands for the press. It even includes the necessary Pitchfork bashing too. I love the descending melody as Becky Ann Brooks sings, “I don’t care about that stuff/I’ve heard you talk and I’ve heard enough/blow out the candles on your birthday cake and wish yourself away/from me.” She’s got a practical voice and never wastes a single breath.

On “Hope Your Hurting,” Cars Can Be Blue doesn’t waste anytime uttering the refrain, “I hope your hurting now/I hope you hurt right now.” They're the kind of lines we all like singing along with no matter our disposition. Even a line like, “I’m not saying that I hate you/Just because I can’t date you,” gets a lot of mileage because it cuts straight to the point.

Cutting straight to the point hits a ridiculously ridiculous level on the next track, “Pretty Special” when Becky calls out girls with groupie like behavior pleading with them, “Please put that pussy down/Cuz it’s been all over town/And if you don’t give it a rest/Have fun checking that pregnancy test.” Ouch, pretty harsh don’t you think? Though I like the way she sings the phrase, “You get them all with your big vagina,” so I’m just as guilty.

“Ribbon” is pretty addicting with its thrashy instrumental nature and when Becky and Nate start shouting something about “Ribbon on your car!" it’s pure, animalistic and fun.

At this point on Doubly Unbeatable Cars Can Be Blue start singing about penises, calling out fat people, cheap people and even attempt at trying to sell us merch. “Seems We’re Breakin’ Up” wraps things up nicely and puts a smart perspective on the entire album, or the band anyway.

The first half of Doubly Unbeatable is pure gold and even if its bitter sarcasm isn’t your cup of tea, trust me it will be when you press play. There is something to be said about carrying this kind of manic energy and bitter sarcasm I just hope for Becky and Nate’s sake that they aren’t stewing in this stuff when sitting at home. It certainly can't get out of my head.

Mp3:
Cars Can Be Blue-"Hope Your Hurting"

Links:
Cars Can Be Blue on Myspace!
Buy Doubly Unbeatable on Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records

Summer Cats: Passion Pop (2008)

2008-07-30T16:11:00.000-07:00

My internal clock is all messed up. Three different countries and four different time zones in less than two months is not good for the body and I’m confused at what time, day, month, season it is right now. Luckily Melbourne’s Summer Cats have come along to rescue me from my circadian rhythm woes with their new Wee Pop! Records EP, Passion Pop.

Summer Cats deliver the pop chops like no other and the first song on Passion Pop, “Burt Toast,” has an awesome Cure-like bass line that bounces along while call-and-response vocals chant above and even a little cowbell gets in on the action.

“Head To Toe” has haunting little melody that sounds like a Hawaiian sunset, no ukulele, hammock or piña colada required…

I’m going to say that the lyrics aren’t the focus on Passion Pop and that may sound like a putdown coming from me, but really, I’ve been blasting this album in the car with the windows rolled down and nothing sounds better than the “ooos” and “ahhsss” and “weeooooos.”

To keep it simple, Summer Cats’ Passion Pop offers up what Wee Pop! Records do best, sweet music to sing along to and enjoy repeatedly. Summer really begins now.

Mp3:
Summer Cats-“Head To Toe”

Links:
Summer Cats on Myspace!
Wee Pop! Records site

No Amount Of Hyperbole Could Do Justice To Wall-E

2008-07-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Like it says in the headline, Pixar's latest feature directed by Andrew Stanton, Wall-E, is essentially, a masterpiece, an engrossing slice of pure cinema that I place near and dear to my heart.

I think the theme of Wall-E has been the most difficult to grapple with out of everything in the film. The environmental slant is almost incidental to the story. To say that it is all about the dichotomy between "technology" and "nature" would not give Stanton and crew enough credit. Actually it's kind of insulting. What they propose here is that the complex relationship between technology and nature has merely distracted humanity's struggle for survival. It isn't the tools we've acquired, it's how we use them.

The ending for Wall-E is so hopeful, sweet and sublime because humans and robots learn that it is motivation and passion that ultimately save themselves, not the nature of their existence. The film doesn't wonder why we are here, but what are we going to do while we are here.

I could have never have wished for such a startling and beautiful film that disproves (along with The Dark Knight) the idea that mainstream cinema enforces ruling ideology. I know there can be claims against this (made by a huge corporation, Wall-E as a working class character, hopeful ending, current hip environmental views, etc.), but time and time again Stanton and crew (through their passion and motivation) prove the cynics wrong and show that in Wall-E hope is something still worthwhile and even something still worth striving for in our infinitesimal existence.

WALL-E Trailer

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Links:
Wall-E on IMDB
Buy N Large

Mexican Kids At Home: When We All Live In Igloos (2008)

2008-07-20T22:18:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite Wee Pop! release of the year so far.

Mexican Kids At Home is unassuming band from the UK and on When We All Live In Igloos they sound like a chibi version of Led Zeppelin. That isn’t to say these guys and gal don’t rock the fucking house (they most certainly do).

“Start A One Man Band!” is more rock ‘n’ roll than anything I’ve heard this year. Racing piano/marimba, lovely interplay with boy/girl vocals, some nicely executed tempo shifts and plenty of soulful “oooos” to make even the most twee bands puke, this song seriously kicks ass.

Songs like “Down By The Fire” and “Illustrations (On A Page)” contain enough tribal/exotic/medieval influences to be interesting and novel without overbearing the wonderful melodies. The latter track is especially groovy with its noodly keyboard lines and repeated mantra, “Sail away, sail away/on the clouds in the sky.”

“A Tiny Bronco” starts off with a wonderfully silly hook, “When I’m sitting on the corner/and I’m sitting on the street/I find that everybody that/I ever seem to meet/will always take me by the hand/And then they’ll kiss me on the cheek/that’s why I fall in love with someone different/ every other week." Carried along by melodica and banjo When We All Live In Igloos ends quite sweetly with just enough epic flavor to leave you feeling energized and enthusiastic.

I hope to hear more from Mexican Kids At Home, When We All Live In Igloos is a great little EP that (of course) leaves you begging for more. When We All Live In Igloos II maybe?

Mp3:
Mexican Kids At Home-“Start A One Man Band!”

Links:
Wee Pop! Records site
Mexican Kids At Home On Myspace!

Bearsuit: Oh:lo (2008)

2008-07-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

I admit I’ve been dragging my feet. After some international delays in receiving Bearsuit’s Oh:lo from Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records all I heard was just pink noise. I stated in a review last week of the Spring Forward compilation and its songs sights set on kill, well, with Oh:lo Bearsuit aim to not only kill you but mutilate you and piss on your grave as well.

Oh:lo is frighteningly busy on half of the songs and destroys any of this UK band’s attempt at melody. I understand this is one of those “big bands” with tons of people standing around playing horns, drums, guitars and a few weird instruments you’d never be able to name, but seriously do we need the screeching vocals, dozens of incongruous keyboard lines or unhinged horns like on “Jupiter Force (Recruitment Video),” “More Soul Than A Wigan Casino” and “Shh Get Out”?

Thankfully, maybe for contrast, there are a some songs on Oh:lo that are a bit more focused and clever. My personal favorite is “Foxy Boxer,” a song that also reaches a sexiness with a rollicking sub-synth and when the girls sing, “Don’t underestimate the power of a punch from a foxy boxer,” it works because of a buildup to the line and when the line is finally uttered Bearsuit strip away everything but the vocals. It’s a cool and very effective moment.

Another well-channeled effort is the hilariously titled song, “Steven Fucking Spielberg.” It starts off with swells of violin obviously mimicking a film score, but it’s surprising how easily it molds and folds into the melody, eventually becoming the backbone of the song. This song is incredibly lush, but never overbearing like some of the other tracks on Oh:lo and the flute line throughout is sweet and gives us some of that Steven Spielberg hope that we all love.

“Stay Alive” ends Oh:lo quite effectively and like the previously discussed song it is lush but not overbearing, at least unintentionally. It’s a beautiful little coda with piano and harmonized boy/girl vocals at its core but allows the accordion, violin and horns to create an intense build that when stripped away, sublimely carries us off into the sunset.

My initial impressions of Oh:lo aside, Bearsuit is creating music that is worth noticing if only they would stop trying to cram as many instruments and singers as possible into one song. There are some gems here and as you should take notice of those gems, Bearsuit should as well.

Links:
Buy The Record On Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records!
Bearsuit on Myspace!

Wonder For All: Wonder For All (2008)

2008-07-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Wee Pop! release of Wonder For All’s debut self-titled EP is probably the barest album in their entire catalogue and even if it may seem a little undercooked, Wonder For All serves up a refreshingly intimate collection of songs amongst all the danceable and more orchestrated pop as of late.

Running less than seven minutes, Wonder For All features a girl named Wendy and a ukulele plinking away various musings about love and more. She sings somewhere between a squeak and a hush, as if we are just sitting with her in her bedroom or sitting in the grass on a nice day.

I wouldn’t call these songs “confessional” or label them something silly like “bedroom pop,” they are more organic than that. This is the kind of stuff a friend would sing to you on a lazy afternoon while you should be studying instead. Songs like “Be Alright” and “Dream Dreamy” are barely songs in themselves, more like sweet musings, borrowing classic ukulele chord progressions to stimulate ideas and to distract from more important but less fun duties.

The song “Can’t Say It” is probably the closest thing I’d call to a song here, a cover no less, and Wendy’s voice really shines giving us a sweet dose of insecurity that sells it’s sincerity quite well more than any of the last few Wee Pop! releases.

For as short as Wonder For All is, there is a surprising amount of diversity and I think that is due to the casual nature of the delivery. I wouldn’t mistake this for laziness or amateur or even half-baked, Wonder For All has delivered a record that rewards listeners like any stimulating conversation can or good times with good friends. It is a moment in time and a wonderful one at that.

Mp3:
Wonder For All-"Dream Dreamy"

Links:
Wee Pop! Records site
Wonder For All on Myspace!

Spring Forward: A Wee Pop-Up Compilation (2008)

2008-07-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

The first in a slew of brand new Wee Pop! Records releases I’ll be catching up on, Spring Forward: A Wee Pop-Up Compilation is an adorable little release and the first various artists album put out by Thor and Camila. Yes, it isn’t spring anymore, but with my schedule I missed spring somewhere between Wellington and Tokyo so I’m in the clear. Besides what better way is there to catch up on a season than to listen to a compilation of finely crafted pop so delicious you'll get diabetes.

Spring Forward features all brand new artists to the Wee Pop! label and one veteran. I find it hard to talk about it as a whole album, but really it’s a just a packet of sugary fun with melodies aimed to kill (or make babies).

Take for example the first track, “Spring Forward, Fall Over,” by The Deidres, this glorious number feels akin to an opener like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band,” horns blazing, harmonies completely on fire and intentions exquisitely stated.

The next track, another favorite, “A Wonderful Year,” by Let’s Whisper is beautiful pop music done right. Simple, unpretentious delivery with a bit of marimba and light harmonies, the song captures so sweetly the feelings of those little epiphanies that make your heart swell. Nothing feels better than this.

I was a little disappointed by Little My’s entry, “Jumpers Back On,” because it feels a little too busy and downtrodden compared to the rest of the album. It’s a forgivable misstep as they have two wonderful Wee Pop! releases already in the can.

Previously I had written off The Hi-Life Companion as a poor man’s Shins, but I was so pleasantly surprised to hear their closer to Spring Forward, “Take A Leap At The Sun.” Beach Boys on an epic scale, this song propels the entire album and your body into summertime. This is the kind of music that plays as the credits begin to role in your favorite feel good movie.

Spring Forward: A Wee Pop-Up Compilation is just short of being a revolutionary pop comp that nevertheless rewards us with many new nuances in the pop scene only a record label such as Wee Pop! could deliver.

Mp3:
Let’s Whisper-“A Wonderful Year”

Links:
Wee Pop! Records site
The Deirdres on Myspace!
Let's Whisper on Myspace!
The Hi-Life Companion on Myspace!
Little My on Myspace!

Existential Hero's "New Zealand Trilogy" Is Available Now!

2008-07-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Spanning 7 months and three countries, the humorously dubbed "New Zealand Trilogy (The Storm Of The Century, The Great Sublime Melancholy! and Eating Grapes And Whale Bones)," is the newest, latest and greatest release from the human being known as Existential Hero. These albums have been carefully constructed to blow your mind.

Admittedly these albums are a bit self-indulgent, but it is fully appropriate.

I'm damn proud of these records and they run the gamut of styles, but contain only satires, flirtations with and deconstructions of the previous Existential Hero you thought knew. Don't worry, you won't remember the old records anymore after these three bad boys. For the first time instead of compromising between my actual abilities and my vision, these albums truly achieve the sounds I had in my head. If I had the budget these albums would come with footnotes and commentary.

The Storm Of The Century

Perhaps the least conceptual of the three, however it doesn't step down from the fight. It mostly focuses on frustration and all its manifestations: ranting, venting, worries, fears, gossip, primal scream, etc.

The artists that most directly influenced the album are Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, Tom Waits, Neutral Milk Hotel and Patrick Ripoll.

The Storm Of The Century

The Great Sublime Melancholy!

This was the first album concept I had dreamed up and is the most atmospheric of the three. It is an environment to get subsumed in, emotions to contemplate and feelings to ponder. The past, the future and the present are open books and web pages.

The artists that most directly influenced the album are Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy album, Chris Zabriskie, The Jesus & Mary Chain and The Motifs.

The Great Sublime Melancholy!

Eating Grapes And Whale Bones

This one came out of nowhere and quickly dominated. Aggression and fierce motivation are represented here and the refusal to step down. Everyone has a chance to be great, this is that acceptance of that challenge.

The artists that most directly influenced the album are Lil Wayne, Tinyfolk, The Roots and Outkast.

Eating Grapes And Whale Bones

There are a slew of collaborators including:
Pocketful.
Mandie Russell
Tinyfolk
The Top Grossing Films Of 1984
The Elated Sob Story
Linguistic Banter
Your Yellow Dress

I'm so excited for all of you to listen and comment and turn these songs into your own. I can't wait to play them live for you. Thank you everyone for listening and especially those who have so so supportive the last 6 months.

Some last bit of housekeeping, if you are interested in ordering fancy handmade copies of any of these albums I will be able to start mailing them out in a few weeks. I am also in the process of ordering buttons and t-shirts but they most likely won't be available until August.

thank you again everyone, these albums are yours now.

Some Notes:

The individual tracks will be uploaded later tonight, now you can d/l the three albums as a .ZIP file.

The "thank you" section is different for all three albums.

to anyone I've sent "in progress" mp3s, you can delete em, these are the mastered proper versions. You can keep em if you are into collecting =P

Links:
Existential Hero's Myspace!
Existential Hero on CLLCT.com

Mp3 of the Week: "This (old) House" by Linguistic Banter

2008-07-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hey folks still in Tokyo and amongst all the J-Pop and Hip Hop my new friend Grace, musically known as Linguistic Banner, has put up her first song on Myspace and let me tell you kids it's pretty darn fantastic.

Simply a soprano ukulele and rough, soulful (but young) voice, Grace sings a song that drips with a lot of nostalgia for someone who's fifteen.

I hate bringing in the age thing because unlike a lot of young musicians who play the ukulele or guitar she isn't angsty or "cute." I like "This (old) House" because it avoids all of the stereotypes that you could possibly tag her as being.

It isn't to say she is purposely avoiding these categories and feelings, but "This (old) House" is simply breezy without being cutesy, unassuming yet fueled with purpose, and melancholy without being heavy or angsty.

It's startling how original it sounds after a couple of listens, but I've listened to it more than that and you should too.

I can't wait for more.

Mp3:
Linguistic Banter-"This (old) House"

Link:
Linguistic Banter on Myspace!

Poll Results, New Poll, Updates From Japan

2008-06-27T03:04:00.000-07:00

I meant to write this before I left, but I simply ran out of time. I didn’t hurt that I had to leave a day earlier than I had anticipated. Always check your plane tickets. But I digress.

Concerning the poll last month it seems as if most of you good kids are willing to pay for something if you like it. Smart move by Radiohead. A few of you are actually trying to create a revolution so I throw kudos your way. And those cheap kids, I’ve been there before too but I still have to say, “tsk tsk” anyway.

There is a new poll up so let me know what you think and after my two-week vacation in Japan I will be back in California catching up on all those awesome things I missed like surfing and umm surfing. Radical dude… No but seriously, I have a slew of Wee Pop release reviews coming so stay tuned for that.

My sister and I in Japan three years ago.

Mp3:
Hitomi Yaida-“My Sweet Darlin’”

MIX FOUR: Wellington, New Zealand

2008-06-22T08:34:00.000-07:00

This foto is kind of misleading, weather-wise.

As my time in New Zealand comes to an end (literally I’m on a plane in less than six hours) I wanted to share with you all a mix of songs that best exemplified my time in the capitol city of Wellington.

Wellington is often described as a miniature version of San Francisco and even though I hate making those kinds of comparisons it is a relevant starting point. Extremely hilly, compact, windier than anything I could have imagined Wellington has its charms as being a hyper-cultured town that relishes in coffee and cigarettes by day and bars and cinema by night.

Some of you know that I haven’t had the best time here and coming from the suburbs to the big city was probably the hardest adjustment for me personally, harder than I could have anticipated. Sadly I don’t have the best memories of living in Wellington, but if you are touring New Zealand is worth a few days stay.

Flight Of The Conchords-“Inner City Pressure”

New Zealand’s own 4th greatest Folk parody Duo, Bret and Jemaine get their Pet Shop Boys on in this hilarious take on hard times in the city.

Bob Dylan-“Hard Times In New York Town”

Even though ‘ol Bobby D was singing about a different city, the things he’s singing about held true for how I felt coming into Wellington. Smart, sassy, a little funky and very observant, it’s a shame this wasn’t on his first album.

Bright Eyes-“The City Has Sex”

I admit I've been a little angsty and this early Bright Eyes kind of describes the later stages of my time here.

The Carpenters-“Rainy Days And Mondays”

I love Karen Carpenter and if this song isn’t the blues I don’t know what is anymore. Wellington doesn’t have the best weather so this tended to be pretty accurate.

Howard Shore-“The Passing of the Elves”

What is a Wellington mix without at least one Lord Of The Rings mention? This one fit the more serene qualities I felt while at the top of Mt. Victoria and in the forest surrounding it.

Casiotone For The Painfully Alone-“Toby take a bow”

After some initial disappointments this song became kind of a mantra. I feel stupid about it now, but this song really encapsulates the worst aspects of my experience.

The Diggs -“Careen”

I listened to this song a lot when I was roaming the city. I don’t really know what it means particularly, but it just matched my surroundings.

Scarlett Johansson-“Anywhere I Lay My Head”

Wellington has been my only home for the past five months and since I don’t have a room at either my mom or dad’s places I shuffle everything with me from apartment to apartment. I love Scarlett’s version because the atmosphere fits Wellington better than the New Orleans-esque original by Tom Waits.

Prince Edward Island -“I've Been To A City”

Lush, dizzying and somewhat harmonious this song by Prince Edward Island kind of captures my first impressions and immersion when I first stepped off the train in Wellington, sublime, beautiful and somewhat terrifying.

The Jesus And Mary Chain -“Just Like Honey”

Lost In Translation is sort of an existential shortcut for how my experience has been and this Jesus And Mary Chain song was in my head as soon as I even thought about coming here.

The view from my flat

Wellington is certainly a beautiful and slightly puzzling city that really caught me off guard. Even if I won’t look on this place as fondly as I wanted to I know I can’t forget it.

Links:
Wellington City site
Flight Of The Conchords on Myspace!
Bob Dylan site
Bright Eyes on Myspace!
The Carpenters on Wikipedia
HowardShore.com
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone on Myspace!
The Diggs on Myspace!
Scarlett Johansson on Myspace!
Prince Edward Island on Myspace!
The Jesus And Mary Chain on Myspace!

Existential Hero Will Release The "New Zealand Trilogy" On July 15th

2008-06-21T20:10:00.000-07:00

A bit of self-promotion for my music project Existential Hero:

Sorry I've been keeping you waiting, some of you know bits and pieces already but I am happy to announce that July 15th I will be releasing THREE ALBUMS humorously dubbed the "New Zealand Trilogy". They are called:

The Storm Of The Century
The Great Sublime Melancholy!
Eating Grapes And Whale Bones

I did not think I was going to make three albums but in light of everything that has been going on in my life in the last five months it was probably inevitable.

The Existential Hero you know from A Winter's Tale Told In Spring and before has greatly evolved into a new fiercer and weirder form, but I think these albums are the best thing I've ever done and all three are products of great devotion and concentration. Instead of a compromise between my actual abilities and my vision, these albums truly achieve the sounds I had in my head.

I'll say a few words about the three albums to "set the scene" if you will.

As a note, Luke Of Secret Owl Society drew the cover art for all three albums and they look simply jaw-dropping.

All three albums will be dedicated to the late Heath Ledger.

The Storm Of The Century

The least conceptual out of the three, it mostly focuses on frustration and all its manifestations: ranting, venting, gossip, primal scream, etc.

The artists that most directly influenced the album are Casiotone For The Painfully Alone, Tom Waits, Neutral Milk Hotel and Patrick Ripoll.

Tracklist:
1. You're Always Late
2. Waiting For The View
3. She Aches, She Makes, But Will She Break?
4. Amateur Alcoholic
5. But Reaching's All We're Meant To Do
6. I Want To Be In A Relationship So I Can Be Anti-Social
7. Clear Clear Clear
8. The Two Most Important People In The World
9. Deep Conversations
10. Ginny O
11. Guilty Song
12. You're Still Always Late
13. Meet In Japan
14. The Storm Of The Century

Tease Mp3:
"Deep Conversations"

The Great Sublime Melancholy!

The most conceptual, it deals with quiet sadness, deep introspection and longing as normal states of being. An environment to get lost in, think atmosphere and small details.

The artists that most directly influenced the album are Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy album, Chris Zabriskie, The Jesus & Mary Chain and The Motifs.

Tracklist:
1. The Great Sublime Melancholy!
2. I Dream Of Antarctica
3. The Cherry Orchard
4. Goodbye Mr. Ledger
5. Piano Bashing
6. Until The Very Last Moment
7. Meant To Carry Me Along Intro
8. Meant To Carry Me Along
9. Static Waltz
10. Just Like Welly
11. Charlotte
12. A Skype Love Song
13. The Road Begins At The End Of The World
14. Slope Point

Tease Mp3:
"I Dream Of Antarctica"

Eating Grapes And Whale Bones

Certainly the most aggressive thing I've ever done, it is a refusal to stand still and a rejection of feigned modesty. It's about being great and taking the reigns of your life so no one else will. A recovery from disappointment and an energetic push forward into the future.

The artists that most directly influenced the album are Lil Wayne, Tinyfolk, The Roots and Outkast.

1. Arrested, Part 1
2. Arrested, Part 2
3. TV
4. Lyrical Sunday (Six Strings)
5. 48 Hour Competition
6. I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING
7. Do You Know What Film Theorists Are Like?
8. Underwater World
9. Fotography Girl
10. The Washer Ghost
11. Orientation
12. Narita International Airport
13. I'm Coming Home
14. Eating Grapes And Whale Bones

Tease Mp3:
"I'm Coming Home"

Think of the albums like this; there was a problem, I thought about it and then I made up my mind. The three albums represent these steps.

All three albums include a guest or two including Mandie Russell, Tinyfolk, The Top Grossing Films Of 1984 and more.

They are essentially done I'm just waiting for a few collaborators and I will be doing a bit of mastering when I return to the states.

They will be released for free on CLLCT of course, but I will be making some super fancy handmade copies for anyone who would like them.

In addition to these three albums, today I will be putting up an extended preview of the albums and my work in the last five months, Colin McKenzie's Dream: A Collection Of B-Sides. Demos, covers and b-sides, it'll be for all of you to get a taste of the "New Zealand Trilogy" and the processes I went through to create them.

Tracklist:
1. Sinking Ship
2. Worldwide Travelin' Blues
3. I Heart Josh & Rebecca (Demo)
4. Oh Inspiration, Thou Has Forsaken Me! (Demo)
5. We Are All Artists (Demo)
6. Ghosts Never Die And Neither Will You! (Demo)
7. Down To The River And Pray (Allison Krauss)
8. You're Always Late (Piano Version)
9. I Don't Care About Love (Piano Version)
10. She's Holding On (Piano Version)
11. Just Around The Riverbend ("Pocahontas"/Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz)
12. Jordan (Paul Baribeau)
13. Until The Very Last Moment (Demo)
14. I Want To Be In A Relationship So I Can Be Anti-Social (Demo)
15. The Two Most Important People In The World (Demo)
16. Sailing To Byzantium (W.B. Yeats)
17. The Motivation Song (Demo)
18. If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out (Tinyfolk/Cat Stevens)
19. The Great Sublime Melancholy! (Demo)
20. Do You Know What FIlm Theorists Are Like? (Demo)
21. Lyrical Sunday (Six Strings) (Feat. Deep Owls) (Single Version)

DOWNLOAD HERE

AND there's more.

I am in the process of ordering buttons and t-shirts! That's right, I know some of you have been dying to get some Existential Hero swag so here's your chance.

So I hope you guys are excited as I am I cannot wait for all of you to hear these albums composed of blood, tears and lots of chai tea.

Link:
Existential Hero on Myspace!

Coldplay: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (2008)

2008-06-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the tardiness of this review. After coming off a two week high of Tha Carter III and Sic Semper Equis Coldplay’s fourth album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends was bound to disappoint.

There has been a large fuss before Viva La Vida’s release about how experimental it was going to be and even though Chris Martin and the boys do change things up a bit it is hardly as experimental as they contend let alone revolutionary.

There are three (or four) tracks on here that eschew the traditional (and Coldplay standard) verse -chorus-verse structuring but overall these songs, like “Lovers In Japan/Reign Of Love,” and “Yes/Chinese Sleep Chant,” end up feeling like multiple song bits crammed together arbitrarily. The only one that manages to work in my opinion is “42” that goes from Coldplay’s own “Trouble” morphing into a raucous Ok Computer-esque violin and guitar jam before jumping into a sweet pounding little pop number complete with handclaps and “oh ohh oh ohhhs.” Things come full circle before fading back into the Parachutes-reminiscent intro.

Chris Martin and crew come off best when working with “complete” songs such as “Viva La Vida” and “Violet Hill” even if the lyrics strive hard for universality and promote outmoded ideas of revolution. Did Chris Martin just learn about all this stuff now? The Iraq War has been going on since 2003! Where has he been? Oh that’s right he’s been fucking Gwyneth Paltrow; If it were me I’d ignore the outside world too. In all seriousness though, the "viral video" of “Violet Hill,” featuring found footage of our leaders and wars, is one of the best music videos I’ve seen in a long time and actually manages to say something new instead of just tossing around old activist slogans and imagery.

First single “Violet Hill” also is a good example of how Coldplay built up to the rooftop raving choruses and glorious anthems on previous albums like A Rush Of Blood To The Head. The closing track “Death And All His Friends” has the classic closing mantras but has no build up (the song is like thirty seconds I swear) so those moments of glory arrive undeserved. That’s not to say there aren’t some glorious highs on Viva La Vida.

“Lost!” is my favorite track on the album closely followed by “Strawberry Swing” for two different reasons. When I first heard Viva La Vida the only song that immediately grabbed me more than any other was “Lost!” because its confidence and awesome handclaps and Indian tabla stomp driven by an atmospheric organ and Jojnny Buckland’s guitar. “Strawberry Swing” is also a winner because unlike the rest of the album it seems a lot more intimate and relaxed, containing the endearing charm of Chris Martin that we’ve come to love without being overbearing. Some Afro drums and reverb-laden handclaps drive the beat, taut violins, subtle and discreet, and a sweet noodling reversed guitar circles around Chris Martin as he declares, “It’s such a perfect day…”

Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends is as hardly revolutionary as Coldplay would like to think, but once you get over the initial disappointment that rich multi-millionaire rock stars can’t change the world, you’re left with a decent album that shows that maybe rich multi-millionaire rock stars are at least thinking about it.

"Viral Video" for "Violet Hill"

Mp3:
Coldplay-"Lost!"

Link:
Coldplay.com

Tinyfolk: Sic Semper Equis (2008) + Part 2 Interview With Russ Woods

2008-06-14T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, today I have Part 2 of my interview with the illustrious Russ Woods of Tinyfolk, the Lo-Fi-ish, Post-Easy Listening, formally-ukulele-wielding-now-Garageband commanding sensation. You can read Part 1 here. After the interview is my review of Sic Semper Equis. Let’s get it started.

Taken by Adam Zolkover

Foggy: Often your albums would have the phrase "and sometimes Meghan Lamb". Do you have to beg her to sing on your songs or is it more collaborative? Or does it fluctuate?

Russ: I begged her to throw some vocals on Sic Semper Equis. It didn't happen. I love making art with her, but basically we get really really silly when we write together. If you've ever watched any of the Forever Wolf music videos, you'll know what I mean. I think if we were trying to do more serious things together it would be difficult just because we think so differently about music and art. Our brains work very differently, and that's why I'm consistently so amazed at the music and art she makes. I could never do anything like that. I wouldn't even think to come up with something like that. Iron Like Nylon is one of my biggest influences, honestly, and I beg Meghan for feedback on every song I write. I think I like to play up the fact that she's in the band a lot, even though she doesn't actually participate much in the recording or writing of the songs, or some of the live shows. I like to play it up because I feel like I get a lot of ideas from her, and I feel like my exposure to her tastes in art and music has directed a lot of where Tinyfolk has gone in the past two years.

Foggy: Could you explain the Y2K theme a bit more?

Russ: Basically the theme of the album is exactly what is presented in the lyrics of “Thus Always Horses” and (to a lesser extent) “Animals are Stupid.” A forest full of animals panics because they hear about Y2K coming, and they work and work and work to fix it, and when it comes, nothing happens, because they don't have computers.

Unless you mean "Why2k?" in that case, I decided to use it because a) I think it's hilarious, b) I wanted to do something that was about nature, but sounded as "unnatural" as possible, i.e. with the voices of the animals all being auto-tuned and robotic, and the only acoustic, unprocessed song being the one that was about being a person. I wanted to do a lot of mixing of the "natural" and the "synthetic" as a means of sort of confusing the two, questioning the rhetoric of naturalization, blah blah blah. Pff. Fuck that. Y2K is funny. That's why I decided to write about it. There's a short story that l wrote about UFOs and Y2K that sort of bridges the gap, thematically, between Bill and Sic Semper Equis, and I definitely got some of the ideas for Sic Semper Equis from that story.

Foggy: Did you have any concepts of sounds you wanted to do while recording or did you mess around in Garageband until you found sounds you liked?

Russ: Basically I messed around in Garageband until I found things I liked. Sometimes I would basically realize the songs as they were and just replicate what was in my head (that was how it was with “Trampled Underhoof)” but most of the time it was me coming up with one part then adding another, then another. I knew that "The Forest Knows" was going to be a hip hop song when I made it, but Mike and Pat made up all their own lyrics, so I didn't have any input in those. When I made "O Deer Lord" I liked it so much that I decided that it would be the blueprint for how I was going to do the rest of the album, and everything else was me trying variations on that formula (with the exception of "If I Was a Person").

Foggy: Why auto-tune vocals?

Russ: I love hip-hop and r&b, and I thought it would be really cool to use an effect that's basically only commonly used in those genres and do something different with it. It's neat because as I was making this album I really fell in love with Lil' Wayne's music, and his newer stuff uses tons of autotune. Though I think Sic Semper Equis has more Auto-tune than Tha Carter III (the album he's dropping this summer) will. I sure do hope someone else compares Sic Semper Equis and Tha Carter III besides me.

Foggy: How do you think you'll perform the songs from Sic Semper Equis live if at all?

Russ: I'm trying to work something out, but I don't want to give it away quite yet, as I need to do some more fooling around first.

Foggy: You've said you like singing songs about animals more than people because “people are boring,” but why do you think people are boring?

Russ: I think people are boring because everyone writes about them. That's actually a huge oversimplification. I really don't think real live people are boring, but I think the way they're portrayed in songs takes for granted the fact that we're humans and they're humans and that's understood so lets relate to these people like they're humans without even thinking about it. I hope it makes people a bit more aware of the emotional and relational aspects of a song every time you realize that I'm talking about two horses and not two people. Not to mention I just think it's hilarious.

Foggy: Any particular reason for the animals you choose?

Russ: I wanted it to be all ungulates (hoofed mammals), but i ended up with "The Bird Of Y2K" as a song because Meghan came up with the title for that one, and it being her only tangible contribution to the album, i wanted to use it. Mike Lightning used all kinds of jungle animals that I didn't even think of for his rap song. Which is awesome and I'm totally cool with. I don't think any of the animals I talked about would actually live in the forest, except maybe the bird and the centaurs.

Taken by Adam Zolkover

Foggy: With the recent closures of many DIY labels Valiant Death, Pop Monster, Sanitary Records, Agriculture Records, etc. how do you think this will affect the Lo-Fi/DIY community?

Russ: I think you just listed every label I've ever put anything out on with the exception of Dance Machine Records and Ought Implies Can Records, both of whom went under shortly after releasing something by me. I think I'm cursed. I guess WeePOP! hasn't gone under yet. I should warn them. I think Tract Records has stopped making stuff too, so there goes that as well. I don't know about anyone else, but basically CLLCT has filled the void that record labels used to fill for me. I don't see any reason to put anything "real" out anymore, unless I'm doing some serious touring, in which case I guess I can make some homemade release or something. I guess if I was going to be doing a multiple-month tour or something I would probably want to have CDs from a label. I'm embracing the Internet more than I ever have right now, to the point where it almost feels quaint to even buy a CD.

Foggy: What's next for Tinyfolk?

Russ: Next for Tinyfolk is...well, I imagine the Brother Bird split will come out in a proper version. I've got some fragments of songs that I've been messing around with, but nothing fully finished since the Brother Bird split. I feel really content and comfortable with making songs on the computer now. It feels good to have so much new material out and circulating. I'm excited to see people's reactions. I love reading what response people have to things I've made. I'm hoping for full reviews for Sic Semper Equis and the Brother Bird split from Foggy Ruins of Time, for sure. I'm working on how I'll do the live thing. It'll be a lot different, but hopefully cool. I want to do some more hip-hop. I'm thinking maybe a Dead Dead Meat album or a Deep Owls solo album might happen at some point. I kind of just want to be Jib Kidder.

Foggy: One last question. As I get closer and closer to graduating college the more tired I am at doing what I love as work. Do you think it'd be better to have a job you like, but reserve what you love as hobby?

Russ: I think the best thing to do is to have a lot of things that you do, all of which you love to some degree. I have no idea if I will love my job as a librarian once I finish library science school. I hope that I will. But, if it's just something that I do and am indifferent to, that's a success as far as I'm concerned, because there are lots of things that make me happy. I think if some people didn't make a living doing art or music or whatever, then we'd have about a tenth of the wonderful art that we have. I guess for me I just don't want to do something where I feel like I have to be constantly pushing to get ahead. I don't want to have to be competing with everyone all the time. Maybe sometimes I want to work hard and get recognized for it, both in my job and in my hobbies, but I don't want to feel like it's always something I have to do instead of something I want to do. A routine job is great for that kind of thing, and that, more than anything is what I'm hoping for right now. Maybe I'll change my mind. Maybe I'm naive.

I think it was obvious that I was going to love this record, but really it wasn’t that easy. I will spill a little secret.

When I was first introduced to Lo-Fi music (Watercolor Paintings, Blanketarms, Tinyfolk, Super Famicom, Redbear., etc.) I liked Tinyfolk the least out of all of them. I had “Love Is A Thing,” “Seasonal Anxieties,” a demo of “She Wore Antlers,” and Caj’s duet with Russ, “Let’s Date.” I remember making Lo-Fi mix CDs before I had ever bought one off of any artist (just Myspace downloads). And although I liked “Love Is A Thing” a lot, none of the others compelled me to take notice of Tinyfolk in any other way than his cute voice and ukulele.

Then funnily enough in June 2007 I had a chance play a show in Santa Barbara with him, Real Live Tigers, Jon Crocker and A Lime Tree. His performance coupled with the song “Desperation” (off of "Platapeasawallaland") made me rethink Tinyfolk and I began to understand the animal-centric, but still very intimate approach.

And now a year later, after other artists’ outputs decreased to a trickle, gone defunct or are in hiding, Tinyfolk, Russ Woods (and sometimes Meghan Lamb), sets the bar for where music is going and the opens the door to limitless possibilities.

Initially I had hyped myself up to believe that Sic Semper Equis was going to be so great that their entire discography before it would become meaningless and that I was going to throw away my own baritone ukulele. Now, retrospectively this is a bit silly and no, Sic Semper Equis doesn’t make Tinyfolk’s older music invalid at all, it simply makes the listening experience all the more astonishing and gratifying.

Sic Semper Equis, a concept album about animals fearing Y2K is more relevant than anything he’s ever done. Where singing about animals at times was a novelty, “Antlers” or a really clever “If I Were An Owl,” on Sic Semper Equis Russ infuses self-awareness within these stories that adds gravity while also being humorous and incredibly insightful. The opener, and reminiscently titled, “If I Was A Person,” purposely creates a bridge from the “Old World” of Tinyfolk and leaves you unprepared for what will happen next. I almost wish Russ had kept the rest of the album a secret so that the transition from track 1 and 2 would be even more shocking. As it is, the song is quiet, portrait painting and shows Russ playing an intricate classical guitar while addressing the listener, “If I was a person/If I was a little boy/Would you hear my story/Would you hear my story now.”

Nothing could prepare you for the next song and possibly one of my favorite songs ever. “Thus Always Horses” is a mega-epic and quite possibly the most beautiful thing Russ has ever written. It’s startlingly punchy for being a slow, almost R&B ballad. It is melancholy and hilarious while driving consciousness into your brain like a rocket. The beat is meticulous and melancholy, the piano subtle but insistent and Russ’s Auto-tune vocals are haunting. The song serves the function of a Chorus in context of the album, setting a summary of what’s to come.

But how do you follow up that? Russ pushes us further into the narrative of the world with the Phillip Glass-eque instrumental, “Bird Of Y2K” that gets more beautiful and more resonant each time I hear it. The flute is the voice of a bird, like the angel Gabriel, signaling the animals and spilling prophecy upon them.

All the songs on the album are beautifully articulated using only Apple’s Garageband as a source of instrumentation. From the beautiful piano plucking of “What Will Become of Our Poor Foal If He is Born into a Post-Technology World?” to the baroque cries of anguish on “Centaur Work Song” and “Cry Of The Centaurs” to the punk euphoria of “Little Goat” (containing one of the best lines on the album, “I know that people often don’t think things through/Horses are this way too.”), Sic Semper Equis is easily Tinyfolk’s most diverse album to date. But, it only gets stranger as the millennium approaches.

“The Forest Knows,” featuring MC Mike Lightning and Redbear. is perhaps the only song that is hampered by the effects that Tinyfolk has laid out. It’s a little hard to hear all three artists’ vocals clearly in the mix. With that said, it’s a cool hip hop track that allows for a little breathing room before the more chaotic second half of Sic Semper Equis.

On “Oh Deer Lord, Deliver Us From Y2K,” Tinyfolk’s most tension-filled song, the animals are going crazy as the fear consumes them all. “New Year’s Eve pt. 1” loses all voice completely with the exception of an eerily distorted sampled “da da da.” On Russ's cover of Prince’s “1999,” this previously orgiastic declaration of the apocalypse has been transformed into an unrelenting funeral march. When he sings, “I was dreaming when I wrote this/Forgive me if it goes astray,” it no longer sounds like a sexual plea; it sounds like a threat.

After listening to “New Year’s Eve pt. 2,” I was a little let down. Sure it’s wacky and danceable, but it was anti-climatic considering the build before it. And that’s exactly it; the deflated experience is perfectly articulated in the brilliant closer, tied for second place as my favorite song on the album, “Animals Are Stupid.” Y2K didn’t happen, the fanfare was for nothing and as such, how could we expect an epic, cathartic ending. Well, “Animals Are Stupid” is cathartic for a different reason. Russ poses this question, “What’ll we do when/ our screens all turn blue and/What will we say when/Y2K happens?” Yes it didn’t happen, but Y2K could stand for anything here. What will happen when everything we rely upon, family, friends, technology, our own sense of self, etc. disappears?

Sic Semper Equis ends with another question, “How could we be so stupid?” Constantly and consistently in our everyday lives we humans, who are capable of such brilliance and kindness, find ourselves failing to live up to our potential. We cheat, we lie, we act afraid, we act lazy, we refuse to care, we ignore, and we get jealous; we are irrational beings who constantly shoot ourselves in the foot. Yet, we are still here breathing and living despite all our efforts. Sic Semper Equis’s reframing of these issues within a harrowing story of animals in a panic about the collapse of technology says more about who we are now than anything previously and is a confident, brilliantly crafted, humanist and wonderfully resounding work from Tinyfolk. It is by no means perfect, but looking at the material with which Russ had to work with, it comes pretty darn close.

Mp3:
"Thus Always Horses"

Links:
Download Sic Semper Equis on CLLCT
Tinyfolk on Myspace!
Articles/Reviews of Tinyfolk on Foggy Ruins Of Time
Video of my cover of "Thus Always Horses"

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III (2008)

2008-06-10T05:02:00.000-07:00

I am probably one of the least qualified critics to talk about Rap and Hip hop much less Lil Wayne, but lately I’ve discovered some amazing rappers, singers and producers in these genres and I’m excited to be exploring this new territory (Like when I discovered Dylan or Lo-Fi music).

Lil Wayne, the hardest working rapper in Hip hop today, is called by some (including himself) to be the greatest rapper alive and on Tha Carter III he gets pretty damn close to proving it, but he doesn’t need anyone’s confirmation anyway right?

I’ve read (as far as I know) almost every early review of Tha Carter III and the consensus is so totally “fucked up” I cannot really find a reference point to know what is considered “great,” “good,” or “bad” about this album. It’s all over the map and as such my favorites will be different from others out there (just as every reviewers favorites are as well).

Lil Wayne refuses to be pegged down and that may be why Tha Carter III is completely and utterly scatterbrained, surreal and anti-climatic. Instead of closing with the brilliantly Kanye West produced, “Let The Beat Build,” Weezy ends on a not-so-completely self-indulgent but fascinating rant, “DontGetIt (Misunderstood),” on everything from crack cocaine handling laws to sex offenders to Al Sharpton. He’s completely postmodern in his deconstruction of the album format. Hell, there are probably a dozen different track lists out there right now anyway.

Take for example, the opener “3Peat,” sure it opens with all kinds of declarations about how great he is and how this album is going to be great, but really it's a slow burning track filled with strings and a melancholy synth line. He nearly breaks down completely by the end, wrenching his voice. And then “Mr. Carter” comes next which could work classically as an opener, featuring Jay-Z, but, it isn’t because it’s too cathartic to be an opener and is contextualized here as more of a lyrical Sunday. It’s two big rappers mediating and responding to their own success. Plus it has one of my favorite sets of lines on the album with Weezy declaring:

"Man, I got Summer hating on me cause I'm hotter than the sun
Got Spring hating on me cause I ain't never sprung
Winter hating on me cause I'm colder than ya'll
And I would never, I would never, I would never Fall
I'm being hated on by the seasons
So fuck ya'll who hating for no reason!"

The sheer diversity on Tha Carter III is astonishing. From the club bangers like “Got Money” (Featuring who else but T-Pain) and “Lollipop” to serious mediators like “Tie My Hands” and “Shoot Me Down” to just plain bizarre with “Phone Home” (Read, “I am a Martian”) and the David Banner produced “La La.”

The hit single “Lollipop,” is such a strange, but perfect song. It exemplifies everything subversive and crazy about Lil Wayne and Tha Carter III. On the surface it appears to be a traditional Hip hop fluff song with a nice hook and even a references other fun Hip hop songs. It even has the recently popular Auto-tune effect, which I fucking love, but the way he uses it is completely different than the way say, someone like T-Pain or Chris Brown uses it. It isn’t smooth; it enhances the quirkiness and originality of Weezy’s voice. The material itself is extremely sexual, but not in the way that most Hip hop songs present themselves. Lil Wayne isn’t singing machismo sexual colloquialisms; the words are intense, intimate, devoid of bragging/“playing to the crowd.” I’m not saying he’s singing about true love either, but “Lollipop” is much less sexist and degrading than say the Sisqó’s “Thong Song.” Also the fact that the only guest on the song, Static Major (R.I.P), died two weeks before the song was released adds another strange element, completely unexpected. Oh and on the video version of the song, Lil Wayne plays guitar. Far out.

In the end what I like most about Lil Wayne is his playfulness. In songs you can hear him constantly laughing, giggling, cracking up, he lives and breathes music and is having such a joyous time doing what he does best. Tha Carter III might throw people all out of sorts, but if you can't accept that you just ain’t having any fun.

"Lollipop" video:

Mp3:
Lil Wayne-"Let The Beat Build"

Link:
Lil Wayne on Myspace!

Alan Wilkis: Babies Dream Big (2008)

2008-06-07T04:41:00.000-07:00

Alan Wilkis’s new record Babies Dream Big is a fun cheesy record that isn’t afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve. Although I must say upfront that the album cover is horrendous, don’t let it deter you from the goodness inside.

First and foremost Wilkis appeals greatly to my love of the falsetto and on the first few tracks like “I’m Famous” and “Milk And Cookies” he clearly puts his all into his self-described “white-boy soul.” It’s in this latter track that Wilkis gets particularly funky with a marching rhythm complete with processed handclaps (a must of course). He mixes things up with a little renaissance fair-esque keyboard breakdown that goes by all too quickly.

Lyrically, Babies Dream Big leaves me desiring a bit more than just simple romantic clichés such as, “I wanna know/ Why you caused me this pain/Feels like I’m drowning/The memories are staid,” on “I Wanna Know.” However Wilkis makes up for this lyrical shortage in pure unrequited sincerity and vocal dexterity.

Props to Wilkis for making a song that has a rap section featuring Neptune, God of the Sea. This song, “In My Dreams,” is my favorite track on Babies Dream Big. Starting with a jittery 8-bit beat and Wilkis half-rapping/half singing, the song transforms into a funkadelic version of “Octopus’s Garden” with the Neptune rap that is so hilarious and wonderful.

“Girls On Bikes” probably epitomizes Alan Wilkis perfectly. Slithering in and out of various styles from the hard rocking intro and bridges to the sweet melodic pop of the verses and chorus that has Wilkis declaring (with vocoder-laden background vocals singing along), “If I only I could ride a bicycle/I would ride along with them/ It would be beautiful.” Then out of nowhere the song builds into an epic prog-rock breakdown (breakout?) before rocketing back to the sweet chorus and finally Wilkis whisks us out on a chugging rock outro. It is quite an exhilarating experience.

Even with my slight misgivings towards Wilkis’s lyrical ability, don’t think that could deter you from finding this record enjoyable. His sincerity and his ability to make us on smile Babies Dream Big is infectious and life-affirming. It’ll make you want to dance too.

Mp3:
Alan Wilkis-"In My Dreams"

Link:
Alan Wilkis on Myspace!

Weezer: Weezer (Red Album) (2008)

2008-06-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I like Weezer’s new album, dubbed The Red Album, more than I should.

But, most of the album is uncompromisingly bland. From the generic riffs of “Everybody Get Dangerous” and “Dreamin’” to the embarrassingly silly tough man voice on “Cold Dark World,” Rivers, Brian, Pat and Scott sound as if they are trying to make the worst album of all time. I honestly laughed the first time I listened to “Heart Songs,” Cuomo’s name-dropping ode to all that inspired him.

And yet, I cannot help myself; I keep listening to The Red Album. The lead single “Pork And Beans” eventually won me over with the hilarious music video and forcefully catchy riff. And for all of the inane lyrics and forced universalities that Cuomo has been shoving on us since The Green Album, “Troublemaker” offers one line that rings as true as anything on Pinkerton, “And I will learn by studying the lessons in my dreams.” Hell even “Heart Songs” started to get to me after awhile. Damn that melody.

However, the biggest praise I can give Cuomo and the boys here is for the song “The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn).” Nearing six minutes long and over ten bazillion different style changes within that six minutes, Weezer finally fulfills the grandiosity that was first promised on “Undone (The Sweater Song).” It is so utterly ridiculous and the rap breakdown near the end is actually funny with Cuomo preaching,

“Somebody said all the worlds is stage,
And each of us is a player.
That’s what I’ve been tryin to tell you.
In Act 1 I was struggling to survive.
Nobody wanted my action dead or alive.
Act 2, I hit the big time.
And bodies be all up on my behind.
And I can’t help myself because I was born to shine.
And if you don’t like it, you can shove it.
But you don’t like it, you love it.
So I’ll be up here in a rage,
’Til they bring the curtain down on the stage.”

So bad, it’s good. I don’t know if Cuomo is taking a piss out of all us or if he is actually being serious. My intuition says the latter, but I guess it really doesn’t matter at this point.

I guess I should apologize, but hell, Weezer’s Red Album is something I find myself enjoying more and more with each listen and I guess that really speaks for itself more than anything else.

Video for "Pork And Beans"

Mp3:
Weezer-“The Greatest Man That Ever Lived (Variations On A Shaker Hymn)”

Link:
Weezer.com

Everyone Except Me: Sidewalks (2008)

2008-06-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

I don’t spend a lot of time listening to accusatory music. Who knows, maybe it is because I could be one of the accused. So when I first heard Everyone Except Me’s (a moniker for New Jersey’s Michelle Antisocial) second EP on ACOSM Records, Sidewalks, I was a bit turned off.

“iPod Ears” being the prime example of a sort of self-righteousness that is on the same coin as the type of people Michelle is singing against. I’ve been listening to Everyone Except Me on my iPod, what does that say about me?

Maybe I’m being grumpy, but it’s been difficult trying to tackle this record. Reading more about Michelle and listening to the songs over and over I have started to get a better feel for where she’s coming from. And it’s understandable to want to rail against the man, but things are a bit more complex than making generalizations about men in suits, rich kids, etc.

Sidewalks comes off best when she turns the guns on herself as on “Don’t Feed The Hobos.” More nuanced and subtle, this tale of the street is humorous/ironic and it allows Michelle’s lovely voice to shine.

And that’s the thing, Sidewalks is a wonderful record, Michelle’s voice is something unexpected in the folk-punk world and it’s a nice change of pace than usual gruff shouters. On “The Preacher And The Slave” Michelle and I align in our hatred towards organized religion in a hilarious manner as she shouts with a chorus, “You’ll get pie in the sky when you die/That’s a lie!”

My disillusionment with the whole protest/activist movement has kind of colored my experiences when I first approached Everyone Except Me’s Sidewalks, but really, don’t let my old man politics get in the way of a wonderfully sincere album that’ll get the blood boiling and the fist pumping.

Mp3:
Everyone Except Me-"The Preacher And The Slave"

Links:
Everyone Except Me on Myspace!
Order Sidewalks from ACOSM Records today!

The Roaring Nineties (2008)

2008-06-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Put together by CLLCT’s Secret Chief (Luke!), better known by most as Secret Owl Society, this Lo-Fi compilation, The Roaring Nineties, covering the greatest hits of the 90s, is like most compilations, brimming with some amazing songs, some good and some bad. To keep this two-disc, twenty-six track beast at bay, I’ll just describe some of my favorites and mention a few others.

The Brooke (a tiny ocean) has graced us with two (that’s right) two awesome covers, her cover of Oasis’s “Wonderwall” being my favorite. Just an acoustic guitar and her dream-like voice, she manages to recontextualize this song, not in its sound or delivery, but in its emotional impact. It hits almost ten times harder than it did originally.

Shelby Sifers, along with help from the Sarcastic Dharma Society, cover Del Amitri’s “Roll To Me” a song I remember instantly, but don’t ever recall the original band’s name (or even the song title). Shelby manages to cover some new ground, articulating her voice in ways that sound more down-to-earth than ever before. It’s sweet and gives us a glimpse into an alternate universe where she would be selling millions of albums and the world was a better place.

Tinyfolk’s cover of the Elton John classic from the hit Disney film The Lion King, “Can You Feel The Love Tonight,” starts off a bit slow, but the Usher-influenced ending is totally perfect. If you like Bill and Valley Forge era Tinyfolk, this is a good reflection of that style with a hip-hop twist.

Dustin And The Furniture’s take on Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Life” was probably my most anticipated cover on The Roaring Nineties and it is everything I hoped it would be and more. It is acapella, focusing solely on Dustin’s “sleepy brown bear” voice. What more could you want?

Uggamugga’s acoustic cover of “Wannabe” by The Spice Girls is so hilariously cute. Sung almost off key and featuring boy/girl vocals, there is something so infectious happening here.

Fudge’s almost acapella cover of the Red Hot Chili Pepper’s “Suck My Kiss” is so ridiculous you have to love it. Featuring a chorus of kazoos, handclaps and vocal sound effects, it reminds me of Weird Al Yankovic at his most insane.

Perhaps the most stunning cover is SFIAS with The Anchorites’ cover of Donna Lewis’s only hit, “Love You Always Forever.” Essentially a wall of noise, they only hint at the melody lying deep within the chaos. It is beautiful, heartbreaking and sublime.

Now I’m sad to say that both of Patrick Ripoll’s covers didn’t do much for me, although the first bit of “How’s It Gonna Be (originally by Third Eye Blind)” is actually quite cool and very different for Patrick, it sort of teeters off aimlessly. I do like the nice use of the Amen Break though.

Both Fire Island, AK covers are a bit dreary and I wanted to like Manipulator Alligator’s cover of TLC’s “Waterfalls” more than I did.

But, I can see what some of the artists were doing here. Some were trying to take these glaring monuments of mainstream ideology and turn them into what they are, manufactured dribble. I think that’s taking the easy route. Many of these songs, no matter how manufactured still spoke to us and the best covers here are ones that reflect the deep loving or enjoyment we had of these songs back when we were growing up.

Sold to raise money to help maintain CLLCT, the amazing community of artists and musicians that ALL OF YOU should be a part of, it is now available to download for free! Enjoy!

The Roaring Nineties

Links:
The Brooke (a tiny ocean)'s site
Shelby Sifers on Myspace!
Tinyfolk on Myspace!
Dustin And The Furniture on Myspace!
Uggamugga on Myspace!
SFIAS on Last.fm!

*anyone know anything about Fudge? I can't seem to find anything on them.

Tissø Lake: Song Of The Black Dog (2008)

2008-06-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

Like Rambling Nicholas Heron’s records, Tissø Lake’s Song Of The Black Dog reminds me of Europe. Not the bustling city centers of Paris or Berlin, but the hills of the Rhineland or villas in Spain or beaches in France. It’s Ian Humberstone’s voice, a stunning baritone that sends shivers down my spine and the impressive array of instruments (Classical guitar, accordion, real piano, horns, etc.) that make Song Of The Black Dog a wonderfully dreamy album.

“In The Dawn,” the opening track sets the mood and the very organic feeling of this whole album. I can sense these songs were recorded in real spaces, with histories and ghosts and happy memories. An accordion glides along with Ian’s voice as a piano lightly rains and a guitar that sounds like it’s made of rubber bands. The way he sings words like “Tongue” and “Melancholy” is absolutely sublime.

“A White Horse Gallops” has a very interesting guitar line that’ll play with your emotions and a hammering piano that’ll…well hammer home the mood before changing into a trembling wind, hinting at uncertainties. Containing some of the albums most evocative lyrics Ian sings, “I feared the thunderclaps could bury us whole alive/And this horse is the shape…of the hallows/It is the look of dark night…drawing in/And the scene reminded you of Russian movies/While I just felt the storm was a blanket on my skin.”

“In Antlers” is quite soulful and damn if he hasn’t created a new sound with his rubber band classical guitar. It also features some beautiful harmonies and clarinet (I think) that sound like sunrise. It is all too short really, but I love it.

At times Tissø Lake’s Song Of The Black can be a bit repetitive, but it is more like each song blends so well into the next that you’ll often drift through the entire album dreamily before you even realize it. Powerful stuff, dripping in nostalgia and worth every listen.

Mp3:
Tissø Lake-"In Antlers"

Links:
Tissø Lake on Myspace!
Tissø Lake.com
Buy Song Of The Black Dog on Mathilde Records

Little My: Little My’s Sixth (2008)

2008-06-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

More cuteness awaits inside the liner notes

I was relatively less stressed out when I approached Little My’s new EP Little My’s Sixth than the last time. This is Wee Pop! Records first artist to have a second release on their wonderful little label and if anything Little My (from the UK as well no less) is a good representation of what Wee Pop! stands for.

As much as I enjoyed Little My’s Third, it felt a bit transparent, all fun and little feeling. Well I was happy to be taken aback with the first wash of slide guitar on “All But The Beeps Meep.” Featuring classic handclaps and Lo-Fi keyboards, hushed boy/girl vocals, it is the slide guitar that really adds something else to this song and gets hips shakin’ and hearts quakin’. Plus the song title is fucking adorable.

“Ruining Things Like Everything” has a mimic-inducing electric guitar and layered vocals that underscore the handclaps even more for such a seemingly relaxed song. By the end I wish I were in the band or at least at a live show so I could dance this one out. I bet it’s killer live.

As “Kicking People On Pavements” revs up I’d say it’s Twee on cocaine by its conclusion. And well…really that is all you need to know. Then “Excuse Me, It’s Springtime!” ends Little My’s Sixth nicely with a bit of positive acapella vibes and “La la las.”

For how twee-sterious Little My seem, on Little My’s Sixth they use their cuteness and pop sensibilities to hit a real emotional center that is very satisfying and sweet.

Mp3:
Little My-"All But The Beeps Meep"

Oh and Wee Pop! Records is turning ONE!

If you are anywhere in the UK, definitely make the trek to see all these great bands (including Little My!) and say hello to Camila and Thor for me! I so wish I had the TARDIS to make my way to London right now.

Links:
Little My on Myspace!
Little My's twee-sterious site
Wee Pop! Records
More details on the June 22nd show!

Mp3 of the Week: "I Hope..." by James Eric

2008-05-24T23:26:00.000-07:00

James Eric is the kind of guy who still sings about things I wish I could, but sadly do not have to the spirit to.

And despite all the things James has gone through he always sings with a level of energy and passion that startles me from time to time. On his much overlooked Fire In The Mountains from this year the song "I Hope..." is an anthem that has a great marching rhythm, stomping piano and is full of that classic James Eric sincerity that I so dearly adore.

This song's message is simple, but born out of a life of complications. It is so steadfast I can't help but wish to sing it aloud. And it's the kind of song that must be sung that way and even if you don't believe its message, the more and more you sing it you will eventually.

Mp3:
James Eric-"I Hope..."

Link:
James Eric on Myspace!
Download Fire In The Mountains on CLLCT!

YouTube Video of the Week: "Pork And Beans" and "Violet Hill" Videos

2008-05-24T04:59:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Postmodernism...

I would say I am a big fan of music videos, but lately I haven't seen any that have really impressed me terribly especially from the mainstream artists, but this week I have seen two pretty awesome videos that have restored my faith in the music video format.

First up is Weezer's "Pork And Beans." It's a song that I was sort of meh about yet slowly it became catchier and catchier. With this new video doing the pastiche thing by incorporating a bunch the YouTube "classic" characters interacting with Rivers and the gang I couldn't help but smile. It's funny because YouTube has created a whole new level of celebrity and this video for "Pork And Beans" is by no means the first video to capture this phenomenon, but it does it with enough charm and sincerity.

Secondly, and more hilariously and more seriously, is the alternate video for Coldplay's new single "Violet Hill." Why this is the "alternate" video is beyond me. Recycling a bunch of clips of old leaders, current leaders and maybe soon to be leaders and other footage of war and politics the video recontextualizes these images for darkly humorous purposes. It's an incredibly moving video really and was left stunned the first time I saw it.

Both videos make those songs even better then when I first heard them and it gives me hope for the music video, and they have re-inspired me to take a shot at doing my own once more.

Links:
Weezer.com
Coldplay.com

Feel Like A Kid Again In Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull (2008)

2008-05-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

I must admit I was not an Indiana Jones fan as a kid. With Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Legos, Ninja Turtles, Ghostbusters, Transformers toys and more (Lord Of The Rings and The Matrix as I got older) there wasn’t enough room (literally and mentally) for Indy and his archaeological adventures. And yet, sitting in The Embassy (The same theatre where The Return of The King premiere took place) as the lights went down I could not help but feel extremely giddy.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a damn fun movie that hits a lot more than it misses and the misses are things that no one should be upset about. Again, not being an Indiana Jones fanatic (only saw the three previous films twice) I did not come with that particular depth of knowledge, but I don’t think it mattered. The images from those films are ingrained in our collective consciousness and even if the context is lost, the icons remain.

I want to say a few things about the fans' worries (or the what seems to be the fans' worries). Shia is great, he was the BEST thing about Transformers and holds his own here. Him and Ford have great chemistry together. Cate Blanchett who I absolutely adore and admire is wonderful and a lot less over the top than she appears in the trailers. She finds the right balance between 50s B-Movie acting and dramatic subtly. Ford brings it here two hundred percent and I never knew how much I missed him until now. Yes there is more CGI than the previous outings, but its still less than any other Blockbuster today.

Steven Spielberg was my hero as a kid and this movie recaptures the awe, that classic Steven-fucking-Spielberg awe and I didn’t feel a single slow moment. The exposition relating to the historical aspects of the Crystal Skull, Mayans, etc. wasn’t clunky in the least. It made perfect sense in a story like this. I know that this final script was David Koepp’s hodgepodge of all the previous drafts, but honestly there was only one instance where I could tell. But overall I was laughing (even at jokes I know ‘ol Georgie suggested) and jumping in my seat with excitement. The action was dynamic and never lost its dramatic edge. I don’t know why people have to feel relieved when they say they enjoyed this film, did the Prequels really do that much damage? I guess maybe I’m not as desperate, but this film isn’t just a relief, it’s damn good cinema.

This review is a bit scattershot because it’s only been a half an hour since I experienced Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. It’s probably the best way to review this film though. And no it isn’t about turning off your brain and having fun, it’s more like flipping on a different set of lenses and leaving your cynicism at the door.

As I walked home in downtown Wellington I found myself whistling the theme and seriously looking forward to renting the original three films and maybe catching up on a lost childhood opportunity. I certainly feel like a kid now and it feels really good.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull on IMDB
Harry Knowles joyous review of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at AICN

Help Out Marc With A C!

2008-05-20T03:49:00.000-07:00

So Florida's resident blogger and rocker has run into some troubles and he needs YOUR HELP!

Go read the details for yourself on Marc's personal blog, but basically you guys should pre-order his forthcoming album Linda Lovelace For President (Comes out July 1st if we work together) because not only is it a damn fine record, but if you pre-order, you will you get the awesomely cool DVD (that will melt your face off), and other rare goodies as well.

Here is the trailer:

And here is a Marc With A C cover courtesy of yours truly:

Links:
The details straight from Marc
Pre-Order Linda Lovelace For President and get all kinds of goodness!
My review of Linda Lovelace For President

Interview With Russ Woods Of Tinyfolk + Mix!

2008-05-18T23:22:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of Tinyfolk's new album Sic Semper Equis, Russ (one half of Tinyfolk, the other half Meghan Lamb) was kind enough to answer my questions about his past, present and future. Now It's no secret I am a big fan, but I hope you can read his words and maybe get a greater sense of one of music's most inspiring and intriguing bands propelling us into the future.

Taken by Adam Zolkover

Foggy: What do you think of the term Lo-Fi and where do you think Lo-Fi music is going to go in the next couple of years?

Russ: I actually like the term lo-fi, unlike most genre terms that could have been used to describe any of my music. I think the problem comes when the term becomes something more than just a way to describe an act who uses a certain method of recording. I think lo-fi music is something that, for the majority of music listeners, will never be anything that they really hear any of, outside of perhaps a moldy peaches song on the Juno soundtrack (not that there's anything wrong with that), but I think lo-fi is important to the larger musical world in that it is a wonderful influence in challenging artists to think outside of the box. I don't think The Mountain Goats would have been able to make the studio albums they're making now if John Darnielle hadn't gotten his chops recording loads of hissy tape demos and selling them. I think the Mount Eerie is especially interesting, as basically he's gone from making lo-fi folk music to making something that is a somewhere between folk and Sunn O)))-style stoner metal. The only other band I can think of that's doing anything like that is someone like Lightning Paw. I think lo-fi itself will very likely stay where it is, but I think we'll see a lot of lo-fi musicians branch into very different genres and incorporate a lot of new things, many of which will push them out of the catagory of "lo-fi," for better or for worse.

Foggy: What stereotypes do you think go along with the term Lo-Fi?

Russ: I think the neat thing about the word lo-fi is because it's tied to a specific method of recording, there can be many different things that lo-fi can exist as. I've heard lo-fi country and lo-fi noise. I can't think of many other descriptors that can encompass both country and noise performers and not be seen as a stretch. I think it's cool. I don't think what I do is lo-fi anymore. Perhaps home-recorded (as I do record at home), but I think ever since I started using a condenser mic (basically Bill-and-after), I have wandered outside of the realm of lo-fi, except when I'll occasionally record something with some hiss on it. I think Tinyfolk's music is still very lo-fi influence, though, as there always has existed an element of sloppiness that I'll never quite be able to clean up, and I can't see that changing, no matter how hard I want it to sometimes. Hopefully it's endearing or something.

Foggy: What do you think of Twee? It is a category some would say a few your earlier albums fit into. Freak Folk?

Russ: I like twee. I think it's fascinating, and I love hearing all the different ways it exists/has existed. I'm not sure that many of my albums would fall under a strict definition of twee (i.e. one that is based around Sarah Records and Black Tambourine and full bands with drummers and jangly electric guitars), though I know some include Beat Happening (who kind of did both sometimes) and all the American lo-fi acoustic acts they influenced. There are loads of cutesy bedroom pop projects being created at any one time, and the word "twee" is definitely something that's being used to describe them, whether you think that's accurate or not. I'm not really in a place to say. Either way, I like lots of music of this type, though lately I've just been listening to other stuff, I still quite enjoy musicians like Dennis Driscoll and Rose Melberg and (of course) Watercolor Paintings. Not to mention stuff like The Sugargliders and Eggstone and the Television Personalities.

As for "freak folk," it's a descriptor I dislike enough to put quotes around it whenever I have to use it. I really dislike the emphasis on weirdsybeardsyness that the genre name implies, because I feel like it deifies the whole artist-as-madman trope but not in a way that seems aware of what it's doing. Maybe that's a lot of agency to put upon some sort of vague category. Probably I'm being somewhat unfair and generalizing. I like some music that people could call "freak folk." I like Little Wings. I like the Jeweled Antler Collective a lot (I'd been listening to The Birdtree a whole bunch when I first wrote the song "Antlers"). I guess there are a few Tinyfolk songs someone could call "freak folk" if they wanted to.

Foggy: Do you think promotion is a necessary evil or do you embrace the challenges?

Russ: Promotion has presented interesting challenges for me, and is really kind of fun in a lot of ways, mainly because I am so adverse to the way a lot of people advertise their music, and I think a lot of people are with me on that. I don't think the answer is to not advertise, because everyone advertises, they just do it in ways that don't always seem like advertising. And that in itself is probably one of the most interesting challenges. To come up with ways to make your music available to be found without seeming preachy about it in the least. I think the most common answer is to let a label do it for you, then it no longer becomes "Look how great this thing I made is!" but rather "Look how great these people are! I'm putting out their album, you should listen to it!" Which in itself is a lot more palatable to people. But smaller labels are usually run by one person, maybe two if they're lucky. There aren't usually people whose job it is to focus on just promotion, and there isn't usually any money to actually do any type of promotion that would cost. It certainly presents an interesting problem, and one that isn't easily solved, but I think in the long run its just going to make us creative people have to be creative not only in making music but also in how we present it to people.

A young Russ (and Meghan!), playing in a Lo-Fi stadium aka living room.

Foggy: Where did you come up with the name Tinyfolk?

Russ: It's a dumb story. Basically I was at a Mirah show and there was this girl that I had a crush on who was a friend of a friend. We were all there together and I was sitting next to her. She was a fairly small person, as am I, and someone else wanted to sit on the bench and I said, 'you can probably fit, we're tiny folk.'" I liked the phrase, so I made it an instant messenger screen name, and then a livejournal, and then it was my username all over the internet. When I got sick of playing music under the name "a pilgrimage to save this human race," I decided I needed something new. Tinyfolk was the first thing I thought of. I remember asking my friend Zeb if she thought it would be a good idea if I changed my band name and she said, "No!!!!! I love "A Pilgrimage to Save This Human Race." Then she said, "What would you change it to?" and I said "Tinyfolk" and she said, "Ooh! Yes! Do it!" So I did.

Foggy: Did you have any goals when creating Tinyfolk and if so have they changed? Do you have goals now as opposed to before or vice versa?

Russ: My goal when writing my very first pilgrimage song was basically to create something that could exist as a song in the universe. At the time I was compiling songs with the word "supergirl" in the title, as that was my nickname for my girlfriend at the time. I got the idea to record my own supergirl song, so I did. And that was my first song: "My Supergirl." No, you can't hear it.

After that, basically I was just so excited about making anything at all that it was just an experiment to see what I could pull off. And that's what it's been ever since. So, I don't really feel like I've had any goals with the project other than to follow my impulses. Which is why I switch up the way I do things a lot, to keep myself interested.

Foggy: Bill and Valley Forge were very experimental and purposely busy aesthetically, any reason for why you pushed away from the simple ukulele albums of before?

Russ: Basically I wanted to see what else I could do. When I was recording Love Doesn't Grow on Trees, the guy who ran the label that wanted to put it out, Erik from Agriculture Records, said I should add lots of things to the recordings rather than just singing and playing the song like I would live. He said "make it a masterpiece." Ever since then I've basically been doing the same thing, adding things, trying to make it a "masterpiece." Bill was the first time when I had the capability (thanks to PJ) to add a significant amount of things and make it sound okay. Valley Forge was the first time I had that capability without anyone else helping me. Sic Semper Equis is basically me stepping back and saying, "Well, I can do all these things. Now what do I want to do?"

Foggy: Why no ukulele on Jack's Broth your latest (CLLCT exclusive) EP?

Russ: It's amazing how perfect a classical guitar sounds after having played a cheap baritone ukulele for years. It's like they're made of magic silk sound fluid.

Foggy: So you have a new album coming out called Sic Semper Equis. Besides the fact that it will be entirely recorded in Apple's Garage Band is there anything else different about it compared to everything else you've done? In what ways is it the same?

Russ: Well, basically the fact that (apart from one song) I never touched an instrument making this album makes it hugely different. Also, the fact that I came up with the concept after having written one song and then wrote all the others after the concept makes it different from all the albums except the Cat Album. It's also much longer. The longest release I've done up until now is probably about thirty minutes, and this one's around forty-five minutes. That feels really good, especially because I don't feel like I'm someone who tends to stretch songs out and make them long, so when I write a five minute song, I feel like it's got a lot smashed into those five minutes. Probably just because I'm not totally used to writing five minute songs yet. There are more long songs on this album. Four of the tracks are over four minutes long, and one is just about fifteen seconds short of that mark. That makes it way different from any album I've written, except maybe Valley Forge, which had two longer ones. Doing the same vocal effect, drum machines, and generally keeping everything made in pretty much the same way made this album a lot different to make, though its stylistically all over the place more than anything I've ever made. Because I was using drum machines I could let my love of hip-hop shine through a lot more than I ever have before. This is probably the first Tinyfolk album that will rattle your subwoofer. And it will rattle your subwoofer. The first time I burned some of the tracks to cd to hear how it sounded in a car, I had to turn the volume way down because the bass was so loud. It was embarrassing. I guess that's what I get for making bass-heavy recordings on a laptop, where I can't get a good idea of how the bass even sounds. I had to go back and turn it down a bit in the mix.

This album is the same in that it's still me singing about animals, and that's really comfortable. It's the same in that I'm still a pretty silly guy, and that shows in my lyrics and some of the choices I made musically as well. I want people to laugh sometimes when listening to this stuff, but I also want it to be the kind of thing that doesn't get old after the joke gets old.
Also, I heard that Erykah Badu's new album was recorded in GarageBand. So, I'm in good company.

Foggy: If you could say one thing about Sic Semper Equis to prepare listeners for when it comes out what would it be?"

Russ: Here's the album's tagline: "Y2K was hard on us all. Goats, Deer, Horses. Centaurs. Everybody."

Foggy: favorite online community, social network or website (besides CLLCT of course)?

Russ: Catbook.

Taken by Adam Zolkover

So there you have it folks I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to Russ for taking the time to answer my questions. I am saving a few extra questions & the responses to go along with my review of Sic Semper Equis. It is coming out soon so keep your ears posted. Learn Tinyfolk's music so everything you know will be deconstructed when Sic Semper Equis drops.

...AND SO I finally got my ass in gear and present to you a SUPER MIX. Not only am I presenting to you a ten song retrospective on the music of Tinyfolk, but a silly song I wrote and recorded about them and a collection of songs that showcase Russ and Meghan’s various (side) projects, collaborations and more.

Tinyfolk Retrospective:
"If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" From Thirty-Six Cat Songs By Tinyfolk
"Millions Of Leaves" From Love Doesn't Grow On Trees
"Love Is A Thing" From Little Mice And Other Things That Go Skitter Skitter
"If I Were An Owl" From "Platapeasawallaland": A Rainy-Day Owlbum
"Really, Really Blue: A Tale Of Unrequited (Perhaps) Romance And Lizardry" From Bill
"Do Animals Get Lonely Late At Night?" From Pizza Under The Sea on Wee Pop! Records
"Stay Poor" From Life Is Easy: A Real Live Tigers Tribute
"Valley Forge" From Valley Forge on Sanitory Records
"Duke Of Earl" From Jack's Broth
"Thus Always Horses" From the forthcoming album Sic Semper Equis

My Ode To Tinyfolk on a super-secret EP coming soon!
Existential Hero-"Hey Russ, Why You Singin' 'Bout All Those Animals?"

Various (Side) Projects, Collaborations And More:
A Pilgrimage To Save This Human Race (The first incarnation of Tinyfolk with just Russ)-"Were You Dating Me Just For The Mix CDs?"
Bikeweather (A band featuring Russ from Tinyfolk, Isaac from Blanketarms and Adam from Jenny Is A Boy)-"And We Can Read Emma Goldman At The Top Of Our Lungs To The Tunes Of Car Alarms (Original Version)"
The Spooky Ghosts (A Lo-Fi Pop Duo With Isaac from Blanketarms and Russ)-"Solitaire is a Two-Person Game. You've Just Been Playing It Wrong"
Tinyfolk and Secret Owl Society (Secret Folk Collaboration)-"We Are Hedgehogs"
Iron Like Nylon (Meghan Lamb's solo outing, a must listen!)-"The Tolling"
Forever Wolf (Russ and Meghan's "serious" side)-"It's All Coming Back to Me (Celine Dion Cover)"
Dead Dead Meat (Russ's Horror Rap Project)-"Braaaaiiiinnnnsss"

Links:
Tinyfolk on Myspace!
Download Tinyfolk's entire Discography if you please on CLLCT!
Articles/Reviews of Tinyfolk on Foggy Ruins Of Time
Buy Valley Forge Split with Manipulator Alligator on Sanitary Records!

4th Poll Closed, Vote In The New Poll, More Updates

2008-05-17T23:16:00.000-07:00

So is it safe for me to presume you cats out there like music? It makes me happy to see that many people feel that music is everything. I certainly feel that way. If you couldn’t tell…

VOTE in the new poll and...

I would check below for two reviews of two solid and catchy albums (Marc With A C and Lauren Elle). Believe me their music will get stuck in your heads quite easily.

Also there is a large surge of mainstream and indie albums coming out soon that I am anticipating (Coldplay, Weezer, etc.). Even though there have been some great Lo-Fi records released so far this year (Patrick Ripoll and Chris Zabriskie), I think that the big guys have also been contributing something meaningful and great. Keep your ears open to everything.

Look forward to reviews of records by Tissø Lake, Alan Wilkis, Everyone Except Me and more!

I will also be conducting an interview with Russ Woods from Tinyfolk about his forthcoming album Siq Semper Equis and more.

Here is a video of a new song of mine (It can be taken seriously or not):

Link:
My Latest VLOGS from New Zealand

Marc With A C: Linda Lovelace For President (2008)

2008-05-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

Taken by Jen Vargas

Florida’s rambling rocker and resident blogger, Marc With A C returns with his latest album Linda Lovelace For President. You’ll remember I reviewed his last album Normal Bias here. So how does it stack up?

Marc With A C has a style, messy acoustic guitars with even messier drums and he does not stray too far from the formula here, but a more serious tone shift separates Linda Lovelace For President from its predecessors. Where Normal Bias took traditional rock music tales and deconstructed them to fit Marc’s outlook, here he is taking a more nuanced look at the musical landscape he dwells in.

Not without some help of course! “All My Drug Use is Accidental,” written by Marc’s best friend/colleague (and a very fine, fucking fantastic artist in his own right), Chris Zabriskie (read the review for his latest album here), explores the effects of a life entrenched in music, specifically rock ‘n’ roll. Chris writes to Marc’s musical strengths and the chorus is perhaps the sweetest in his entire catalogue:

“That’s why all of my family hates me
All my fans underrate me,
All my doctors sedate me,
All my girlfriends irritate me!
All my habits are detrimental,
All my music’s experimental,
My religion is fundamental,
All my drug use is accidental!”

Seriously, the high note articulated on the word “accidental” is delicious.

“I Tried To Die Young” is perhaps the most honest, direct, passionate and best reaction to everyone’s romanticism of a life of fame and legendary. In our culture the phrase, “All the good ones die young,” is taken as religious certainty and individuals like James Dean, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and others are revered for living life fast and hard, their art echoing into eternity. We all get caught up in this sentiment and believe that following the same path will achieve the same status of immortality. Marc offers a different story. The drugs only last so long, sex leads to kids, and music is only good when it’s shared with others. Why do we shun people who live long? Marc sings, “It’s as if we say survivors don’t belong, there’s nothing worse than carrying on,” and it’s startling and eye-opening how silly we are for believing that. And it makes me grieve for all the great artists we’ve lost. I believe this is his most well written song and everyone needs to hear it.

Linda Lovelace For President is overall a lot calmer. Songs like “San Diego Doorways” and “Born Vintage” are bold statements sung with a sense of longing and expressed with a bit more experimentation than usual (a synth-laden outro and Lo-Fi drum track respectively). However, “Jessica, I Heard You Like The Who” could fit perfectly well on older records with the way it uses the subject of music as a story to express a particular feeling. No matter how much Marc denies this as a sexual song, “I wanna trade tapes with you,” is a new innuendo that I plan on using from now on. The interlude with the “audience” is a classic hilarious joke on the recording process that I can definitely relate to.

My biggest gripe with Linda Lovelace For President is the album cover (where you can see here). I think it really does a disservice to the tone of the material. The album title too I am not a big fan of, but maybe I don’t quite understand the context, it sounds cool though. The last few songs of the album drag on a bit and “Debt Is Only What You Make of It,” is my least favorite song, the chords sound all wrong to me. Yet for the length, “Linda Lovelace For President” ends on a particularly epic note with melody that will get stuck in your head even if you don’t remember the words.

Overall Marc With A C has recorded another solid album that I think is more rewarding than previous outings because of its more nuanced and less outwardly critically approach. On Linda Lovelace For President he takes the musical landscape he's grown up in and uses it to reflect on how it’s changed him, for better or for worse.

I would be sure buy this album when it gets released with a DVD of one of Marc’s shows that is surely worth every penny if you cannot make it to Florida anytime soon.

Mp3:
Marc With A C-"I Tried To Die Young"

Links:
Marc With A C.com
Marc With A C on myspace!

Lauren Elle: I Prefer The Element Of Surprise (2008)

2008-05-17T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hailing from Grand Rapids Michigan, Lauren Elle’s debut album on ACOSM Records, I Prefer The Element Of Surprise reminds me of the wonderful simplicity of music that so often gets lost today. Most of Lauren’s album is comprised of her trusty acoustic guitar and her voice. Now I am a sucker for female singing voices and although Lauren’s voice isn’t terribly unique she sounds like she has a wonderful handle on it and uses it to every possible advantage.

Take for example the first song, “I Wish My Heart Was A Stone,” it is probably the catchiest and sweetest songs I’ve heard in a long time. Pulling out as much humble sweetness in her voice she sings, “I/ Wish my heart was a stone/I/Hate making decisions/I/Am better off alone/Cuz I/Don’t trust myself.” No Lauren! Don’t wish these things because you sound too lovely to be so lonely. The stretch of the “I” is wrenching and beautiful.

Elsewhere on I Prefer The Element Of Surprise Lauren utters familiar hooks, but sings with such emotion and honesty, she really does make them all her own. On “H.O.M.E.S.” perhaps her most lyrically dense, she still manages to make lines like, “Smile like the sun does/Or my poor little heart might break/Or be sad and cry yourself a set of/Your very own great lakes,” into a chorus that is strangely catchy, but very moving. This song also contains one of my favorite lines on the album: “Sometimes I am criticized when my head is in the clouds/But to be honest I’m not partial to the solid ground.” That’s something I could definitely be criticized for as well.

Now I don’t know why “Bike Tickets” is listed as a bonus track on this album, but it is perhaps my favorite song here. Featuring a Lo-Fi sounding keyboard and drum track instead of her usual acoustic guitar, this angelic dirge is extremely haunting and beautiful. Her voice takes on an almost operatic manner, as she sings, “Won’t you be my sunflower,” over and over as if it was a mantra.

My only complaint about Lauren is that she sings The Moldy Peaches song, “Anyone Else But You,” alone. I don’t know if it was to transform it into a sad exercise on loneliness, but it unnerves me just a bit.

With that said, the rest of I Prefer The Element Of Surprise is utterly infectious for its strict simplicity and low-key manner with which it presents itself. Don’t let that fool you, Lauren Elle is making songs that are not to be missed. You may not know it, but the tugging in your heart is the lack of these songs going into your ears.

Mp3:
Lauren Elle-"I Wish My Heart Was A Stone"

Links:
Lauren Elle on Myspace!
Get I Prefer The Element Of Surprise on ACOSM Records!

Death Cab For Cutie: Narrow Stairs (2008)

2008-05-13T03:02:00.000-07:00

I’ll start off with such heresy (is it really?) and say that I prefer Death Cab For Cutie’s later albums to their earlier ones (although their cover of Morrissey’s “This Charming Man” off of You Can Play These Songs With Chords is so bad it’s endearing). But how does the band’s 7th album stack up against such monoliths as Transatlanticism and uhh…Transatlanticism?

The first seven songs off of Narrow Stairs are very nicely sequenced. “Bixby Canyon Bridge,” fools us into Plans-esque territory before exploding into a chaotic thunderstorm all buoyed by Ben Gibbard’s “vibrato-less” voice. I am particularly keen on the long opening to “I Will Possess Your Heart.” Do I think it adds to the actual “song” portion of this track? Not really, but it’s moody and groovy. “No Sunlight” and “Cath…” are both more upbeat numbers and although I prefer Death Cab's mellower songs, they are getting stuck in my head regardless.

“You Can Do Better Than Me” is probably the most melodramatic song in the Death Cab For Cutie catalogue but I LOVE IT. Sleigh bells and timpani march along while Gibbard sings viciously and immaturely, “But it's times I think of leaving/But it's something I'll never do/'Cause you can do better than me/But I can't do better than you.” And yet, I bet you can find thousands of live journals echoing the same sentiment. Powerful words indeed.

After “You Can Do Better Than Me” the record becomes pretty forgettable, but “Grapevine Fires” deserves special mention because it was written during all the fires in Southern California last summer. Taking classes in Santa Barbara I awoke one morning to see my entire kitchen was covered in ash (we left the windows open). I would bike to my catering job and see the sun blood red. Gibbard captures the sentiment quite differently then I would have imagined, singing about it with a resigned level of soul.

The one thing about Narrow Stairs that disappoints me is the non-presence of Chris Walla. Plans and Transatlanticism were equally his records as much as they were Gibbard’s (...and the other guys too). I don’t hear his “voice” at all really. This album is less of a headphones record and one more meant for the road.

Since I have begun this blog my music vocabulary has broadened a bit and even if I don’t hold Ben Gibbard and crew as gods of lyrical and musical subtly anymore, Narrow Stairs is a solid, memorable effort that fits nicely along with everything else they’ve done.

Mp3:
Death Cab For Cutie-"You Can Do Better Than Me"

Links:
DeathCabForCutie.com
Death Cab For Cutie on Myspace!
Narrow Stairs review on Pitchfork
Narrow Stairs review in Rolling Stone

Foreign Loren/Kapiano: Sea Faced/Home Is Where Your Heart Breaks (2008)

2008-05-13T00:47:00.000-07:00

Foreign Loren and Kapiano face off...yeah

This'll be the first split review for Foggy Ruins Of Time. It’s a format that still lingers in the Lo-Fi world, and for good reason. Real Love Records (Candle, Iamb) has provided me with this lovely little split featuring San Diego’s Foreign Loren and Paso Robles’s Kapiano.

I’ll jump right out of the gate and say this; stylistically, Foreign Loren sound like Beirut with a female vocalist on Sea Faced. Allison Barnes voice floats sweetly above the melody each time, but an issue I have with their half of the split (and an issue I have with Beirut) is that every song is a waltz. Maybe it is my unfamiliarity with this particular form of music, and although Foreign Loren have it down pat, I can’t help but wonder what else they have up their sleeve.

And yet I can’t help but love the first track “The Waltz of Dear Hector the Ghost,” where lush harmonies and a single trumpet surge like waves in the choruses. The phrase, “Sailing Away...” has never quite been this vividly poetic.

On the last track of Sea Faced, “Seaside, We Collide,” Foreign Loren get a bit rougher, more passionate, and I like it. The ukulele sounds aggressive and Allison’s lyrics take a huge bite when she sings, “We still hide in our hearts and in our minds/We still love all the facts we left behind/I smile like a child, curse like a saint/We haven’t lost, we've taken off.” The slow build up crescendos off the side of a cliff as the guitar and trumpet collide with the accordion and ukulele mimicking the beautiful chaos of the sea.

I can tell Foreign Loren are just getting their feet wet with Sea Faced. They have all the chops necessary, the experience is what’ll propel them forward next time and I look forward to it.

Mp3:
Foreign Loren-"Seaside, We Collide"

I had the pleasure of seeing Kapiano with Iamb in Santa Barbara about a year ago and although they put on an entertaining show I wasn’t compelled then to further explore their music. Still I was interested to dive into their half of the split, Home Is Where Your Heart Breaks.

Kapiano, get things started off real strong on “Six Years Of Sleep.” I don’t know what it is about this combination of chords but when they sing, “This ship will take me somewhere/No one will dare to follow/ I don’t know what I’ll find/But I need to find it alone," it is positively enrapturing and heartbreaking. This is a heavy song, but it’s lush and Andrea's and Patrick’s vocals work in tandem to become an expressive whole.

The rest of Home Is Where Your Heart Break suffers a bit from the songs going on a tad bit too long as in “Animals,” which also gets a bit melodramatic. “Saltwater” has a nifty guitar riff and interesting interplay between the Patrick's and Andrea's vocals, but it never really goes anywhere.

The final track, “An Oklahoma Song For You” plays a bit with percussion (ala “Lay Lady Lay”), Patrick adds a drunken swagger to his voice and Andrea sounds like she’s singing through a radio. It meanders sweetly without a sense of purpose, but when the piano jumps in everything starts to make sense and Kapiano wander off comfortably into this new world they have created.

Home Is Where Your Heart Break has some startling moments of emotion and truth, but contains moments that require a bit of patience. However all of Kapiano’s moments require listening and they will make themselves heard to all lovers out there.

Mp3:
Kapiano-"Six Years Of Sleep"

I don’t know if I approached reviewing a split correctly, but Sea Faced/Home Is Where Your Heart Breaks contains lots of promise from Foreign Loren and Kapiano. It isn't without its natural missteps, but this is the type of record you’ll put on to relax only to have it quietly hit you when you least expect it.

Links:
Foreign Loren on Myspace!
Kapiano on Myspace!
Order the specially handmade split from Real Love Records now!

Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

2008-05-08T03:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know if all my readers know this, but I had moved to New Zealand to study abroad for a year, but 4 months in, it hasn't worked out as I had hoped so I am moving back to Santa Barbara, CA in July to end this lovely, but ultimately unfruitful vacation.

Thank you readers for being patient with all the changes going on at Foggy Ruins Of Time and I have been happy to keep this blog going through of this and this change won't interrupt the blog anymore than the other changes have. If you are thinking of sending me something to review I'd contact me first before sending due to more address changing confusion, but just contact me beforehand and something will be worked out.

I look forward to writing more and being closer to everyone again. Even you UK kids. =D

Mp3:
Bob Dylan-"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right"

Link:
Detailed notes as to why I am leaving New Zealand

Holy Crap Another New Nine Inch Nails Album? And It's Free?

2008-05-06T06:04:00.000-07:00

The Slip

"Thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one’s on me"

So says Trent Reznor on the Nine Inch Nails blog. With the recently released Ghosts I–IV and its unorthodox release strategy ala Radiohead's In Rainbows I guess Trent wanted something cool to say thanks with. Now I'm not much of a Nine Inch Nails fan (grew up with the singles on KROQ and remember his "appearance" on Celebrity Death Match quite well), but I still think this is pretty awesome of him, giving away a full album, called The Slip for FREE! That's right kids get yer FREE copy today in the links below in a variety of formats from standard Mp3 to FLAC!

Mp3:
Nine Inch Nails-"Echoplex"

Link:
Reznor's message
Download The Slip here!
Thanks to Pitchfork for breaking the story

3rd Poll Closed, Lots of New Stuff, Vote In The New Poll

2008-05-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

So it seems if you guys really like me! That poll was a vanity project, but vote in the new poll which will be more focused from now on (as far as I can tell) on more interesting questions that do NOT pertain to blog maintenance. If you have any poll ideas write a comment on this post!

I would check below for some great articles on We Heart Arts & ACOSM Records, reviews of the Prince Edward Island EP Lies To Tell Tourists and the new Flight Of The Conchords record and the Mp3 of the Week “I Will Not Apologize” by The Roots.

Stay tuned for reviews of the Foreign Loren/Kapiano split from Real Love Records, ACOSM Records artists Lauren Elle and Everyone Except Me and more!

Links:
See my fotos taken in the South Island of New Zealand

Mp3 of the Week: “I Will Not Apologize (Feat. Porn and Dice Raw)” by The Roots

2008-05-05T02:47:00.000-07:00

“I Will Not Apologize” is a primary example of the grimy, dirty, enthralling and engaging sound on The Roots new album Rising Down.

Featuring taught and stuttered drumming from ?uestlove, an ultra-addicting bassline, sputtering horns and analog synth lines that frighten and soar, MC Black Thought and guests P.O.R.N. and Dice Raw let loose and get fierce.

I’ll just copy my favorite verse here that focuses mostly on suburban peoples’ absurdly warped perceptions of African-Americans and how this view is perpetrated:

For the statements I’m about to make I will not apologize niggaz talk a lot of shit really need to stop the lies jewels rented cars rented homie that aint authentic
actin tough on TV but to me you seem a little timid
don’t blame the nigga blame America its all business
actin like a monkey is the only way to sell tickets shit I can dig it, niggas gossip silly digits
white kids buy it its a riot When we talking about pimpin
or sippin on old English brew or whatever they think we do Spraying double Uzis cause you know they think we live in zoos
the problem is with this everyone seems to be real confused the niggaz on the streets to the old people that watch the news
and watch BET and the crazy shit they see
they associate with you do the same shit to me
when you look at me you see just a nigga from the projects but cant understand this niggaz mind set still

The hook, "I will not apologize its is for all of my peoples who understand and truly recognize/Some wont get it for that I wont apologize," is simple and addictive, but it’s the intensity of the music and lyrical dexterity and focus of MCs Black Thought, P.O.R.N. and Dice Raw that makes “I Will Not Apologize” one of my favorite rap songs in a long time.

Mp3:
The Roots-“I Will Not Apologize (Feat. Porn and Dice Raw)”

Links:
The Roots on Myspace!
Pitchfork review of Rising Down

Flight Of The Conchords: Flight Of The Conchords (2008)

2008-05-03T06:04:00.000-07:00

Being In New Zealand right now you’d swear that the release of Flight Of The Conchords debut studio album on Sub Pop Records Flight Of The Conchords was the second coming. Every record store within the vicinity of me in Wellington is covered in posters and half the stores are devoted to copies of this record. But let’s get on it with it.

As a devoted Flight Of The Conchords fan I cannot help but feel a bit tired. I understand why they wanted to redo the songs from the show, but we’ve heard every song on Flight Of The Conchords (“Au Revior” is pretty much a coda to “Foux Du Fafa”). The songs on this album are essentially just higher quality versions of the ones on the show, but that isn’t to say everything is said and done.

“Inner City Pressure” probably receives the best upgrade as well as “Ladies Of The World.” Both these songs sound fresh and Bret and Jemaine still sound excited about performing them. The differences between these versions and their show counterparts are insignificant but those insignificant bits make all the difference (note: listen to to Jemaine’s falsetto near the end of “Ladies Of The World” plus the kick ass coda).

Elsewhere classics like “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rymenoceros” and “Robots” receive new upgrades. “Robots” is without a doubt done. I enjoy it still, but it’s lifeless. However on “Hiphopopotamus vs. Rymenoceros,” Bret and Jemaine manage to create an interesting meld between the live versions and the version on show. I applaud it for this hip-hop/acoustic hybrid, but it isn’t the best version out there.

I must not have noticed “Mutha'uckas” before because in another universe it’d be more popular than their “other” rap song. Using pretty much only a fat synth bassline and muted guitar, Bret raps “I’m gonna juice the mutha’ucka” and other various fruit related expletives while Jemaine lays down some woes about what else but money:

“Mutha’ucka charge a two buck transaction fee
Makes my payment short
My rent comes back to me
Minus a twenty-five dollar penalty
So you’ll see me ‘cause of your mutha’uckin’ fee
Read the words
On my ATM slip, it said
We’re all mutha’uckas
And we’re ‘uckin’ with your shi-“

Honestly how did we ignore this song for so long?

This album will probably be one of my favorites of 2008 and I know that they wanted these to be the versions for everyone to remember and yes they are as hilarious as ever, but really I just want Bret and Jemaine to be able to move on. I know they’ve still got plenty of funny left to say.

Mp3:
Flight Of The Conchords-“Mutha’uckas”

Links:
Flight Of The Conchords on Myspace!
Order the album from Sub Pop Records!
Plenty of FOTC for all Kiwis

Prince Edward Island: Lies To Tell Tourists (2008)

2008-05-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Prince Edward Island is a six-piece pop band from the UK, you know the part where they have those sexy Scottish-esque sounding accents. Regardless I had never heard of them until I received their newly released EP, Lies To Tell Tourists in the mail. Yet, this four song EP is one of the most lush and intricate pop albums I have heard in awhile, and it's fantastic.

This album starts off with two solid numbers “It’s All Over The Bar Shouting” and “Take Your Breath Away,” both songs trading off male/female vocals while maintaining an intensity that isn’t so common in boy/girl set-ups. Credit must also be given to the rest of the band for propelling the intensity on these songs (note: check out the drumming on the latter part of “Take Your Breath Away”).

On “I’ve Been To A City,” things jump from solid to phenomenal and it is easily one of my favorite songs I’ve heard this year. Living in a city at the moment, there is something so right about this song and it captures the feeling quite beautifully. And did I mention it’s lush? It has all these different elements from the drums, guitar, bass, keyboard lines, harmonies, horns, etc. that all stand alone but come together in a way that makes Arcade Fire songs seem flat by comparison.

They round things off quite nicely with my other favorite track on the EP, “I Am A Pig And You Are A Cow.” It may be the quietest song on here but it is still brimming with finger snaps, cymbals, horns, etc. And is that theremin I hear? (Or musical saw?)

Lies To Tell Tourists is one quick EP brimming with life, intensity and enough sexy accents to knock you on your ass. Prince Edward Island is a band that I need to investigate more of, but this is a damn fine start.

Prince Edward Island-"I've Been To A City"

Links:
Prince Edward Island on Myspace!
Order the EP now on BabyBoom Records!

We Heart Arts & ACOSM Records Doing The Good Stuff

2008-05-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

Is that Shelby Sifers hiding behind that sign?

We Heart Arts is a truly wonderful organization that every Lo-Fi musician or anyone who believes in the power of creativity should get behind. It is non-profit and seeks to raise money for kid’s creative arts programs across the globe. Here are their tenants:

i. Creative arts teaches young people the value of lifelong active personal expressionism
ii. Creative arts teaches young people to question the world they live in
iii. Creative arts teaches young people that thinking outside of the box is an important mental function in life
iv. Creative arts teaches young people to engage in a social network of proactive young people invested in a community built on meaningful, sustained ideas and expressionism
v. Creative arts open up a world of opportunities for young people to grow and help others through arts therapy
vi. Creative arts can open up an avenue of communication for children with learning difficulties
vii. Creative arts can help children process and work through traumatic experiences
viii. Creative arts can provide peer interaction and a sense of community, independence and feelings of control

I for one agree whole-heartedly with these and in today’s world it is a whole lot harder to express yourself freely in the public sphere and kids shouldn’t be ashamed of what they create and love to do.

So if you want to support We Heart Arts in some way now is your chance. Write about it, make posters and take photos, make videos talking about it and buy the digital splits featuring so far Shelby Sifers, Eyes For Volume, Secret Owl Society and Fire Island, AK!

Here your chance to use your creativity to make a difference, and not just awareness either, but the more people take part the more things get done. Go!

My video for We Heart Arts:

In conjunction with We Heart Arts, ACOSM Records is a label that ya'll are going to hear a lot about in the near future. Also started by Tony Cannings, he says this about ACOSM’s ideals; “Music is about passion, drive and the need to free you creatively from the monotony of everyday life. It's about being flag bearers of a new cultural revolution, about having a voice and knowing how to use it, sometimes the quietest of voices can make the loudest noise!”

With recent closures or hiatuses of labels like Pop Monster and Valiant Death, we need labels like ACOSM to take up the new mantle of supporting the unbridled creativity of the Lo-Fi world. Like I said, big things will be happening soon, just you wait. But for now check out the likes of Lauren Elle and Everyone Except Me who are already on ACOSM getting the whole thing started.

Mp3s:
Lauren Elle-“I Wish My Heart Was A Stone”
Everyone Except Me-“50,000 Screaming Adolescents Can't Be Wrong”

Links:
We Heart Arts on Myspace!
Buy The Digital Splits Here!
ACSOM Records
ACOSM Records on Myspace!
Lauren Elle on Myspace!
Everyone Except Me on Myspace!

Coldplay Releases New Single "Violet Hill"

2008-04-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

So we finally get to hear a song off Vida La Vida or Death And All His Friends due for release on June 17th."Violet Hill" is the first single and is available to download for free for one week at their main website (or here).

So does it live up to all the experimentation/latin-influenced talk that's been milling about from the band?

Well it's the first single, and first singles usually (most often/always) sound the most like the band's previous album and this song is no exception. With that said, I am starting to really dig it. It has a really nice groove to it, dirtier guitars and a nice sleazy bassline. Still, it is very piano heavy (not a bad thing, the end works for me) and Chris Martin's voice is the same as before (there has been mentioning of other songs on the album in a lower register).

But I say check it out and make up your own mind and check out the pretty sweet album cover here.

Tracklist for Vida La Vida or Death And All His Friends
1. "Life in Technicolor"
2. "Cemeteries of London"
3. "Lost!"
4. "42"
5. "Lovers in Japan"/"Reign of Love"
6. "Yes"/"Chinese Sleep Chant"
7. "Viva la Vida"
8. Violet Hill"
9. "Strawberry Swing"
10. "Death and All His Friends"

Mp3:
Coldplay-"Violet Hill"

Link:
Coldplay.com

CLLCT Is Better, Faster, Stronger!

2008-04-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

Around December 2007 a mysterious boy/creature Secret Owl (of Secret Owl Society) birthed the 001Collective from his gut and heart. The idea was simple: create a site where artists give their music away for free. Why? Well, these artist love their music and love sharing it more, it wasn’t (isn’t) about money.

This site quickly grew and its small but strong form wasn’t enough so then it evolved into its current form CLLCT. Although it has shed its skin many times since January, CLLCT is better, faster, and stronger.

The site not only has more music, but there is so much more you can do with the music (as an artist or fan). There are artist pages, album pages, forums, blogs, etc. etc. All of the progress towards this site has been towards this central idea that will make this free music relevant and that idea is community.

A community is what CLLCT has become. Whether it’s getting advice for what kind of ukulele to buy, getting tips on a song, shooting the shit about music or politics, booking shows and other things, CLLCT is a place where an artist can feel welcome to say (and sing) about whatever their heart desires.

I was initially skeptical about 001Collective when it first started. Being raised in music capitalism that is the mainstream I had the difficult time of accepting that it is okay to give away your music for free. In many ways I myself have gained many more listeners because of this site (and in turn friends). And it is this community that truly won me over (plus all the Tinyfolk, Real Live Tigers, James Eric and Shelby Sifers one could handle).

If you haven’t been there yet and you are a music fan, especially of Lo-Fi or music that comes from the heart and gut then you owe it to yourself to check it out. And if you are an artist or musician and you don’t have your stuff up there yet I have two words for you: DO IT! Seriously you won’t regret sharing your music, people will listen.

On a promotion-atory note:
Up for order right now is The Roaring Nineties, a compilation of your favorite CLLCT artists covering your favorite songs from the 90s. Artists like Tinyfolk, Dustin And The Furniture, Existential Hero and Patrick Ripoll cover Elton John, Third Eye Blind, Destiny’s Child and The Fugees respectively plus more! It’s only thirteen bucks and it goes towards keeping the site running smoothly and effectively. There are only a hundred copies so order this collectible fast before it’s gone!

Link:
CLLCT.com
CLLCT forums
Collective Common, the CLLCT blog
Order The Roaring Nineties compilation!

Mp3 of the Week: "Stuck With Me" by Marc With A C

2008-04-28T01:08:00.000-07:00

So I recently rediscovered this gem off of Marc With A C's greatest hits compilation, What The Hell Is Wrong With Marc With A C? (Originally off of This World Is Scary As Fuck).

it kind of captures how I feel right now and that when you have someone it makes anything difficult much easier to bear and not only that, but you want to bear it because you love that special someone so much.

It's classic Marc With A C and the hook couldn't be more effing perfect, "This world is scary as fuck/It's big and it's really mean/Yeah, I don't like this world/But it looks like I'm stuck/And I'm glad that you're stuck with me."

Mp3:
Marc With A C-"Stuck With Me"

Links:
MarcWithAC.com!
Marc With A C on Myspace!

Tinyfolk Unveils New Track From Forthcoming LP

2008-04-27T04:43:00.000-07:00

One half of Tinyfolk, Russ Woods lays down the law

About a week ago (Hey, I was on vacation!) Tinyfolk unveiled a new track from their forthcoming album Sic Semper Equis called "Thus Always Horses." It's startling and melancholy, featuring animals like most Tinyfolk songs, but in form and tone completely new. It has a sense of purpose and a humorous undercurrent that'll make you feel sad more than make you laugh. But that's the point.

No release date is set and as far as I know, no label has picked it up yet. If you are a label I say get your ass in gear and release it!

I have something special planned for its release that you won't want to miss.

Mp3:
Tinyfolk-"Thus Always Horses"

Link:
Tinyfolk on Myspace!

2nd Poll Closed, New Poll and Vacation Time

2008-04-11T04:29:00.000-07:00

Some things I want to know...

I figured there would be more "I told you," but this was a trick question since I'm God as well I got 19 votes total. Oh snap!

But seriously folks, tell me what "other" means?

Oh and I am heading on a two week trip around the South Island in New Zealand so I won't be updating. Sad I know, but I have many awesome articles planned for when I return including reviews of the new Bearsuit record, the new Kapiano/Foreign Loren Split, the new EP from Prince Edward Island and more!!

See, I'm stuck in a city/But I belong in a field (or the beach!)

Tinyfolk: Jack’s Broth (2008)

2008-04-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

What is Tinyfolk now? The days of “Love Is A Thing” are far-gone and the new EP from Russ Woods and Meghan Lamb, Jack’s Broth, feels like a watershed for Tinyfolk, a change is in the wind.

First of all, if I’m not mistaken, Tinyfolk’s key instrument, the baritone ukulele, is nowhere to be heard. Most songs use acoustic guitar, piano or are acapella. Aesthetically most of this EP recalls a more stripped down approach of early Tinyfolk, but is more assured and more purposely minimal.

“Antelope” appears to be a purging of the more self-described “bloated” and zany Tinyfolk of the Bill/Valley Forge albums. A Spaghetti Western-esque musing on looking for food, it contains various voices to provide its humor in its rhymes.

This cover of David Bowie’s “Five Years” is probably one of Russ’s most impassioned performances on tape. And by tape I mean the sound of song. It has an intentional “on the radio” sound that works well with how bare it sounds.

“Wandlight” is the first out of two songs that were supposed to go on a concept EP about the relationship between the wizards Dumbledore and Grindelwald from the Harry Potter series. It’s sensual, features some subtle production work and is quite moving. Russ’s singing on this song is quite exceptional.

The acapella cover of Gene Chandler’s “Duke of Earl” is probably one of the most adorable songs in the Tinyfolk canon. Featuring Meghan Lamb’s heavenly voice more prominently, it is intimate, silly and fun.

“Before Our Beards Were Long” is the second song about the romance between Dumbledore and Grindelwald and again for not being a Harry Potter fan I am extremely moved by this song. It’s incredibly sad.

Jack’s Broth is all about re-contextualizing familiar Tinyfolk behaviors, themes, motifs, etc. “Antelope” uses Bill-esque arrangements but infuses it with the vastness of Little Mice And Other Things That Go Skitter Skitter. “Five Years” takes a glam-rock song and brings the level of intimacy seen on "Platapeasawallaland". “Duke of Earl” plays off the twee cuteness of early Tinyfolk but is now acapella. Both of the Harry Potter romance songs use humans (wizards) as the subject for deep emotion instead of animals as on all other Tinyfolk albums.

So Jack’s Broth is a mish-mash of songs that work surprisingly well as an album (EP) and all hint at a new future for Tinyfolk. I wait with excited anticipation.

Mp3:
Tinyfolk-“Duke of Earl”

Links:
Download Jack's Broth for FREE on CLLCT
Tinyfolk on Myspace

Weezer's New Album Title Not A Joke

2008-04-06T03:11:00.001-07:00

Pitchfork has reported that indeed Weezer's new album coming out on June 17th, 2008 will be called Weezer. The cover will be red continuing the occasional scheme of theirs. So prepare yourselves for the Red Album. I for one am excited. I really dug Make Believe, but I've read all sorts of cool things about this new album including other members singing songs, instrument switch-ups, synths and more. It was produced by Rick Rubin as well. Rolling Stone reported that the first single is going to be called "Pork And Beans," but that may have been the actual fake part of the April Fools joke? We'll see.

Links:
Original article on Pitchfork
Weezer site

YouTube Video of the Week: Transformers Toy Reviews

2008-04-04T17:41:00.000-07:00

I don’t know why but lately I’ve been incredibly fascinated with toy critics who mostly (if not only) focus on reviewing Transformers toys.

As a kid I had Transformers and Beast Wars figures and the idea that a toy could change into several forms was a winning concept that changed ideas of what toys could be and how to get the most out of a toy. Many battles were fought and won in my room, living room and backyard as a child.

Now don’t let me think I am making fun of these guys. I mean honestly having an intense knowledge and passion for anything is awesome in my book, but there is something more here that I can’t even explain.

There are three reviewers I have been following: Goktimusprime, DCompose and MatrixPrime. The videos I selected for all three are a review of the same toy (Movie Leader Optimus Prime) so you can get a better sense at their differing styles.

Goktimusprime was the first reviewer I found and he is perhaps the most knowledgeable of Transformers reviewers. His reviews aren’t flashy, but he works with a relaxed but focused level of precision. Not only does he give you a nice history of the figure (character and manufacturing history), but also a very balanced and fair sense of criticism that speaks to my style of critiquing as well.

You’ll notice immediately that DCompose has a very different style. His reviews are a lot more cinematic featuring a lot more angles, shots, cuts, etc. He speaks with a mellowed sense of excitement, but the kicker is his seductive tone that he takes when talking about each toy. I swear I want to have sex with Optimus Prime after watching this review.

Watching MatrixPrime’s review is like watching an infomercial. He speaks about the toy so matter-of-factly like it’s a knife set or a blender. He captures every little nuance of a figure and nothing is left unmentioned. Reviewing from his point of view is probably the smartest way to review these toys allowing us to see the details very clearly.

So in the end we get three very different ways of looking at the same thing. Each one picks out something new or something unthought-of by the others. It speaks volumes to bigger ideas such as representation and taste (among other things).

Also it makes me want to dig my old Transformers out of the attic.

Link:
Optimus Prime on Wikipedia

Poem of the Week: "Women" by Adrienne Rich

2008-04-03T00:23:00.000-07:00

"Women" By Adrienne Rich

My three sisters are sitting
on rocks of black obsidian.
For the first time, in this light, I can see who they are.

My first sister is sewing her costume for the procession.
She is going as the Transparent lady
and all her nerves will be visible.

My second sister is also sewing,
at the seam over her heart which has never healed entirely,
At last, she hopes, this tightness in her chest will ease.

My third sister is gazing
at a dark-red crust spreading westward far out on the sea.
Her stockings are torn but she is beautiful.

I had a test today in Modern Poetry and what I love about this poem is how broken it shows women. It shows what men have done to women and it causes men to sympathize and then look at themselves in the "black obsidian." It's subtle yet extremely critical. However, it isn't hopeless, the last line ends on a sense of empowerment and resolution.

Link:
Adrienne Rich on Wikipedia

Patrick Ripoll: Praise The Lord! (2008)

2008-03-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

Many people know Patrick Ripoll through his glitch pop/noise/sample album Disorient, but before the samples he was making his own angry brand of folk. That album, Open All Winter, was admittedly hard to listen to because of the primal scream-esque approach. But, on Praise The Lord! Patrick’s skills as a musician and songwriter have beautifully come together to make it easily one of my favorite albums of 2008.

For the most part Patrick plays these songs straight, and really it works best this way. Half the appeal is its cathartic feel and when you could easily get turned off by some of the screaming and wrenched vocals by any other artist, here it used effectively and we scream right along with him.

For example, a song like “Second Place,” works best because it in many ways is a wonderful anthem for downtrodden souls everywhere. By the end of the song I’m shouting the lines, “Can anyone drive me home/I’ve had too much to drink/I apologize to the groom and bride/For vomiting in the sink,” at the top of my lungs.

The album is not without tender moments. “The Day I First Knew I Would Love You” takes a progression from The White Stripes and transforms it into a wonderfully detailed treatise on an errand trip that has far more implications than one would think. And, It has one the sweetest set of rhymes on the album, “And for each other we got DVDs/Punch-Drunk Love and Love Actually/And they were buy one get one free/We split the savings…50/50.” Pure gold.

One of the most contentious songs on this album is “Generation”. This song talks about leaving The Moldy Peaches buried and declaring to DIY artists, “Put the ukulele down son/You don’t know shit about life.” Now you know a movement/scene is dead when they lose their sense of humor (I’m talking to you punk!), so just laugh along and besides, “Nothing personal, really/I wish you twee sumbitches the best.”

The album climaxes with the song “Rest” that chokes me up every single time. Musing on giving up Patrick sings with resignation, “I'll give up all ambition that I ever had/ Go work at the post office, doesn't really sound too bad.” It’s simply heartbreaking. I hope he doesn’t mean it.

I could probably say something about all nineteen tracks on Praise The Lord!, but its fruitless to try and capture the brutal honesty and sheer drive that Patrick exudes. He sings like he’s running out of time, but I hope that he keeps creating and creating.

Mp3:
Patrick Ripoll-"Generation"

Links:
Patrick Ripoll on Myspace
Download Praise The Lord! for free on CLLCT!

Jacob Borshard: "Cocktail" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2008)

2008-03-29T02:01:00.000-07:00

One word to easily describe the newest release from Jacob Borshard, "Cocktail" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Based on that 80s Tom Cruise movie), is precious, but that would be undermining the irreverent humor underlining these two ukulele gems.

"The latest Wee Pop! Records release has only two songs!? What the fuck!?" Yes, Jacob Borshard’s EP only contains two songs, but included in the wee pop packet is a nifty fold out map of the island in Cocktail. So when you’re listening along you have something to look along with. Pretty cool right? I think it’s great when bands/artists use several mediums and Borshard’s art is just as compelling, cute and funny as his music.

So what about those songs. “Nine Cocktails (before we set sail)” is classic ukulele pop with a dash of light drumming and dangerously funny lines like, “A little bit crazy/ is all right.”

Borshard’s cover of “Kokomo” really does a great job at highlighting the ridiculousness, and yet, sweetness of this Beach Boys song. His voice is the real powerhouse in selling this cover (and all of his music). It can only be described as fragile with a tinge of irony that fuels melancholy, but speaks funny to your brain. Funny in the sense that you cannot help but feel the same. And it works perfectly.

Wee Pop! Records continues its reign of terror, but in the form of Jacob Borshard you’ll be sway and bounce, fall in love and laugh your way to a few cocktails; delightful.

Mp3:
Jacob Borshard-“Nine Cocktails (before we set sail)”

Links:
Jacob Borshard on Myspace
Borshard's site with free downloads of his first two albums!
Wee Pop! Records (2.0)

One Happy Island: Pulaski Park (2008)

2008-03-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

A self-deemed sloppy DIY band from Boston, One Happy Island has released their second EP, Pulaski Park, on Wee Pop! Records. It is a bit mellower than their self-titled EP, but what it lacks in energy it makes up in sunshine, kazoos and laser shows.

I think I know why this EP is mellower. When I listen to these songs I get the impression it is a journal of a day's events at this park drifting into the night. Each song sort of drips into the other and I smell the barbecue smoke and grass stains.

The songs on Pulaski Park are just four parts to the same song to me. “Anita” starts off with Rebecca’s soothing voice singing of a helpless devotion to a girl who’s far away. “Florida, Dear” continues the theme of distances, but bounces along in the albums most energetic track. “Potential” hops along to a country bass bounce and contains, as Marc from RetroLowFi said, “The best kazoo solo ever.” Finally everything reaches a beautiful climax with “Laser Show.” It is a very lyrical song befitting of Brad’s buttery vocals. By the end of the song I can see the sunrise to a new day and feel the morning dew in my nose. There were some ups and some downs but it was living.

One Happy Island joins the pantheon of artists released on Wee Pop! Records and does not disappoint listeners hoping for satisfying pop journey and more.

Mp3:
One Happy Island-"Laser Show"

Links:
One Happy Island on Myspace
Wee Pop! Records (2.0)

Keith John Adams: Unclever (2007)

2008-03-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

Sadly the ambivalence I felt towards Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records last artist is carried over to Keith John Adams' record Unclever.He plays his own brand of bouncy garage rock that it certainly meant to be catchy.

The first track, “Bed,” really grabbed me with its honest bounce, cool riffs and Adams’ snarling vocals, but it kind of went downhill from there. Songs like, “Lies,” and “Sorry That I Loved You Badly,” are meant to be clever, but they come off as annoying and Adams sounds kind of like a jerk. Now I’m not attacking his character, but this is the feeling I get when listening to these songs.

And the song “Yesterday Morning” is pretty atrocious with lines like, “When I woke up yesterday morning/And my heart felt like a flower press/Cuz of course I couldn’t call you/I couldn’t express.” Ugh.

Adams is really best at rocking out and “Elizabeth Hodgkinson Warzone” is successful at being catchy while maintaining its own sense of cool. “Nothing” mixes things up a bit with some pounding piano and a greater set of harmonies.

I feel bad for being 0 for 2 on albums from Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records, but Keith John Adams just comes off as a bit too arrogant most of the time and doesn’t have the skills to back it up. I could make a joke about the album title, but I'll leave that up to you.

Mp3:
Keith John Adams-"Bed"

Links:
Keith John Adams on Myspace
Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records
Unclever review on RetroLowFi

Eux Autres: Cold City (2007)

2008-03-28T18:06:00.000-07:00

Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records was kind enough to send me Eux Autres latest record Cold City, but I gotta be honest, it doesn’t do much for me. I listened to it at least a dozen times, but most of it passes through one ear and out the other, and believe me I wanted to love it. Eux Autres are a boy/girl drum-and-guitar duo based out of Portland and they sing songs mostly about military history, sports and/or being wronged. They occasionally sing in French. What’s not to like?

And yet, I am still hesitant. A lot of the songs sound the same-ish and when they sing I can’t really hear any of the words. I don’t want to say that Eux Autres is generic because I don’t think that. “Anne Boleyn” mixes things up and adds some shimmer-y organ that is really quite delightful. It reminds me of Stars if they had more discipline. Now that I think about it, the songs that have the organ are infinitely better. The next song, “The Town That Never Was,” has an ominous bounce that is further accented by the Halloween-esque organ riff throughout. I guess what I’m saying is, when Eux Autres are solely drum-and-guitar they come off as any other indie/garage rock band.

But, I think a lot of people will like this record more than me. A song like “Molly” has a soaring, almost one-word chorus that will definitely get stuck in people’s heads and has enough wit to satisfy any Pitchfork reader.

I really wanted to love Cold City by Eux Autres, and there are some good tracks, but I just couldn’t get passionate enough about it. Maybe you will.

Mp3:
Eux Autres-"Anne Boleyn"

Links:
Eux Autres on Myspace
Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records
Cold City review on RetroLowFi

Flight Of The Conchords Issue Free Song On Myspace

2008-03-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

Self-described "New Zealand’s 4th Most Popular Comedy Duo," Flight Of The Conchords first full-length studio album arrives courtesy of Sub Pop on April 22nd (Trying saying that ten times in a row). And today on an ever-so-epic myspace bulletin I learned that they have issued one of the songs from the album on their myspace for free. The song? “Ladies Of The World.”

Now I know some take issue with the fact that a lot of the songs on the forthcoming self-titled album are mostly (well, all) are taken from the show. However I know that they weren’t completely satisfied with the hurried versions that were released.

“Ladies Of The World” doesn’t get a heavy makeover, but the lounge angle is stressed more than any previous version of the song. At first I missed the Sean Paul-esque part that Bret sang, but I dig the lounge style just as equally. The best part about the album version is the beautiful wordless coda that comes after a few seconds of silence.

Here is the tracklist for Flight Of The Conchords:
1. "Foux Da Fa Fa"
2. "Inner City Pressure"
3. "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros"
4. "Think About It"
5. "Ladies of the World"
6. "Mutha'uckas"
7. "The Prince of Parties"
8. "Leggy Blonde"
9. "Robots"
10. "Boom"
11. "A Kiss Is Not a Contract"
12. "The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room)"
13. "Business Time"
14. "Bowie"
15. "Au Revoir"

Mp3:
Flight Of The Conchords-"Ladies Of The World"

Links:
Flight Of The Conchords on Myspace
Sub Pop Records
What The Folk, a great fan site