Spotify Playlist :: December 2012

Hey friends and readers--I made you all a playlist for the month of December. Because I love you. It's a playlist filled with loneliness, darkness, light, hope, joy, despair, death, drinking, and religion. December is a lonely time for some, and special time for others. Here's to us getting through it together, with or without medication.

Some notes on the playlist if you're so inclined to read those sorts of things:

1. The Clientele, "Since K Got Over Me" - Asheville through Sam's Gap, all the way to Kinsport, TN - frigid winds - "it's like walking on a trampoline"

2. Wilco, "I Might" - borrowed my brother's car, it smelled like Old Spice and onions - "you won't set the kids on fire, oh, but I might"

3. My Morning Jacket, "Xmas Curtain" - out of college, applying for shitty jobs - the sparseness of winter air - "the criminal who never breaks the law"

4. Sun Kil Moon, "Carry Me Ohio" - early damp mornings, teaching college - the highways were empty, the countryside a friend - "sorry, I could never love you"

5. Sufjan Stevens, "Oh Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)" - why the heater won't work, I don't know - coffee is too hot to drink - no snow for this year, but definitely snow in Michigan - "Industry! Industry!"

6. Damien Jurado, "December" - taking medication for my mind - wondering where the future is - "cause one day I'll kill you, too"

7. Bob Dylan, "Not Dark Yet" - packed like sardines in an apartment - sharing floorspace with my brother - an early Christmas present "it's not dark yet, but it's getting there"

8. Halloween, Alaska, "The Jealous Ones" - so much traffic - not sure this new year will pay off - "you're half right, you're mostly right"

9. Beach House, "Norway" - January won't stop raining - not alone anymore - where do I go from here? - "we were sleeping til, you came along"

10. Destroyer, "Virgin With a Memory" - mornings last forever - spending money I don't have - a striking warmth here with you - "the singer not the song, no"

11. Ida, "Lovers Prayers" - I may not ever figure this out - so much to do, too much time to do it - you may never finish what you started - "watching the sun turn black in the desert sky"

12. Low, "Long Way Around the Sea" - is this what Christmas can be? shot full of possibilities? - a new faith - "Herod heard, said bring me word"

Low - The Invisible Way (Album Trailer)

The Twilight Sad: No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes

New Review at PopMatters :: The Twilight Sad, No One Can Ever Know: The Remixes

(The Twilight Sad: The Remixes, 2012, Fat Cat Records)

Will Oldham Discography: Entry #1, Part 2

(Palace, There Is No One What Will Take Care of You)

(Palace Brothers, Days In the Wake)

After reviewing Will Oldham on Bonnie "Prince" Billy for PopMatters, I decided it was time to start an experiment I've always envisioned--listening to an artists' entire discography. And, of course, blogging about it to the excitement of absolutely no one.

Days In the Wake wasn't the first Will Oldham album I heard, but it was the first one that I cared about. To begin, the cover of the album is something altogether unnatural. There is no indication of  album name, artist name, or what the contents might hold. It's cryptic and unsettling in a deliberate and enticing way. Not really knowing (or needing to know) who (or what) the image on the album cover is, makes it appealing. Almost as if the cover were an afterthought, an indirect assertion of murkiness.

But the album cover stands in complete contrast to the music on Days In the Wake. Oldham's voice is clearer, his songwriting has ticked up a notch or two, and there appear to be song structures and chord progressions in fistfuls. "You Will Miss Me When I Burn," despite having one of the best titles in the Oldham catalog, is a defining moment. I hear the early slivers of Oldham finding his voice, identifying with themes that he will return to, and plotting out melodic, repetitive choruses. "In the corners there is light/That is good for you/And behind you, I have warned you/There are awful things," Oldham sings over a distant acoustic guitar. Those are the corners he will spend much of his music exploring, fighting off the awful things behind us.

Days In the Wake has so many affective songs that it's hard to single out just one as beacon. Closer "I Am a Cinematographer" repeatedly makes it onto my late-night playlists and "Pushkin" is as close to a sing-along as we'll get from Oldham at this stage. Even seemingly filler tracks like "Come a Little Dog," complete with dog barks and yelling harmonies is unbroken in its abandon. And "Whither Thou Goest" is just stationary. It's a perfectly competent song, but doesn't hold up against the luster of, say, "(Thou) Without Partner" or "Meaulnes."

"No More Workhorse Blues" is a pivotal centerpiece to Days In the Wake. It's as anthemic as we're apt to get thus far into Oldham's career where he's still tweaking his persona and (literally) tuning his voice. And, so far, there's no better example of that then when he raises his voice up forcefully to declare: "I am no more workhorse, I am a grazing horse." For others it might be an admission of defeat or a declaration of dependency; for Oldham, it sounds like a call to arms.

Highlight Track: Tie between "You Will Miss Me When I Burn" and "I Am a Cinematographer." "Burn" may inch it out by a millimeter, just because of it's stronger lyrical content.
Weakest Track: "Whither Thou Goest" It's not bad, it's just not good.
Strangest Moment: Hearing Oldham bark on "Come a Little Dog"
Other Stray Observations:

• The album was originally untitled or was self-titled Palace Brothers when it was released
• The photo on the cover is apparently someone drinking a pint of beer
• Complete album runtime is 26 minutes and 55 seconds
• Do not try to listen to this album in your car--it does not work. Listen to it on vinyl or with headphones. 
• I think "Come a Little Dog" is the only track with other musicians besides Oldham.
• Much like Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, this album seems to thrive on its own simplicity. And, like Nebraska, it was released at a time when excess in commercial music was de rigueur--April, 2004. Now that I've just written that statement, I think there's a good essay to be written about those two albums together.

Will Oldham Discography: Entry #1, Part 1

(Palace, There Is No One What Will Take Care of You)

(Palace Brothers, Days In the Wake)

After reviewing Will Oldham on Bonnie "Prince" Billy for PopMatters, I decided it was time to start an experiment I've always envisioned--listening to an artists' entire discography. And, of course, blogging about it to the excitement of absolutely no one.

To begin with, I'm biased towards Days In the Wake. I had never heard There Is No One before I started this bustling journey. And while it might be unfair to compare these two LPs together in the same post, I think they work together as a duo and as a primer to the realm of Will Oldham's music.

There Is No One is brazen in its amateurishness. Oldham's voice cracks several times on key tracks, tempos shift sporadically, and the mix could never be defined as "clear." On songs like "King Me" and "I Tried to Stay Healthy For You," Oldham's vocals are frustratingly buried underneath louder acoustic instruments that reach into the higher, ear-piercing registers of your brain. (Especially that slide guitar that shows up on "O Paul" which somehow manages to jab a nerve repeatedly when it shows up.) It's a understandable move; Oldham sounds vocally confident on some tracks, but nearly as much as he does on Days In the Wake. This is, after all, his first recorded material. Prior to this he was starring in films and theater productions. Most artists work hard on their early albums to mask the singers' voice. Lennon famously double-tracked his vocals at almost every chance he got because he didn't like the way he sounded and Jimi Hendrix never believed that he was able to sing at all, hence all the spoken phrases in his songs. But Oldham definitely has a go-for-broke delivery on There Is No One, and some of the best tracks are the ones where he sounds like he doesn't give a fuck how his voice sounds: opener "Idle Hands Are the Devil's Playthings," "King Me" with it's spoken pulpit-sermon bridge, and "Riding" with all its low-register menace and lyrically vague notions of incest.

Then there's "I Was Drunk At the Pulpit," a song made up entirely of one chord on acoustic guitar and Oldham's singing. One chord and one only. And there are natural times when a chord change is warranted, but Oldham ignores them, instead forging ahead with his lone chord like it's him and his guitar against a hostile audience. It's more than clear that Oldham is finding his way through the songwriting process, feeling in the dark for some solid form to grab hold of. But it does feel like Oldham threw out the rules, decided on simplicity only, and made a record just to see if he could. Who knew that such simple beginnings would take him to where he is now?

Highlight Track: Tie between "Idle Hands Are the Devil's Playthings" for just being a great song that gets stuck in your head and "Riding" because it sounds like a Bonnie "Prince" Billy song before BPB existed.

Weakest Track: For some reason, "O Lord Are You In Need?" turns me off. Too plodding? Too repetitive?

Strangest Moment: Probably waiting in vain for the chord to change in "I Was Drunk at the Pulpit"

Other Stray Observations:

• "Long Before" definitely feels like it is six minutes long. It's a big let down and momentum killer after "Idle Hands"
• "There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You" is sung by someone else--but I don't know who.
• "Merida" is oddly forgettable. I was hoping based on its title that it wouldn't be.
• "King Me" was apparently Oldham trying to be Solomon Burke. 
• "I Had a Good Mother and Father" is a cover song by Washington Phillips. Gilliam Welch also covers it on Soul Journey but it is listed as "I Had a Real Good Mother and Father." I would not have known that without first reading Will Oldham on Bonnie "Prince" Billy. 

PopMatters Review: Will Oldham on Bonnie "Prince" Billy

(Will Oldham on Bonnie "Prince" Billy, W.W. Norton, 2012)

New book review available for you to read on PopMatters. Read and enjoy at this link (or click the image above).

And follow along as I plow through most all of Will Oldham's discography, starting with his first two albums, Palace's There is No One What Will Take Care of You, and Palace Brothers' Days In the Wake.

WHY? – Mumps, etc. « Stereo Subversion

You guys, I love WHY? And I love this record. It may not be the best of their lot, but it is still really damn good. You should listen to it--after reading my review, of course. 

(WHY?, Mumps, etc, Anticon, 2012)

Record Review: Wild Nothing, Nocturne

A new review up at PopMatters, Wild Nothing's sophomore LP, Nocturne. I'll just say, I liked it. 

(Wild Nothing, Nocturne--Captured Tracks, 2012)

The Bonnie Prince and His Backlog

Last post, I raved about Mr. Ben Towle (who really is a great guy--I cannot stress this enough) and his recent undertaking of listening to the entire discography of The Cure. At the risk of coming off unoriginal (who am I kidding, I am nothing if not unoriginal), I have always toyed with the idea of digging through the back catalogs of favorite artists and bands and listening to them chronologically. Then blogging about it to the two of you who may be interested. Well, the time has come to let the world's greatest experiment begin. I will now begin listening to Bonnie "Prince" Billy's entire catalog...sort of.

I'm going to lay out some rules for my listening, since Bonnie (aka Will Oldham, aka Palace, aka Palace Brothers) has had his filthy fingers in nearly everyone's musical pies. So, the rules are thus:

1. Only full LPs will be considered. For this, I am consulting Alan Licht's extensive discography in the rear of his book, Will Oldham on Bonnie "Prince" Billy. (Which I am currently reading to review for PopMatters.)
2. Collaborations, as long as they are full LPs will be considered.
3. Instrumental albums and soundtracks will not be considered.
4. Rules 1, 2, and 3 are subject to change at my discretion.

I have a long way to go. And because Bonnie is not on Spotify, I am relying on my vast collection of CDs and LPs to complete this challenge.

First up is Palace Brothers, There is No-One What Will Take Care of You. Sit tight, it might be a long ride.

Who Will Survive After LIstening to the ENTIRE Cure Discography?

Ben Towle, that's who. Artist extraordinaire and all-around swell guy who took some time out of packed schedule of drawing funny books to listen to the ENTIRE discography by The Cure. Now, most of you may or may not know that The Cure is one of my favorite bands. I have had a man-crush on Robert Smith since he captured my crippled teenage heart back in 1992. But, listening to their entire discography is no easy feat, as evidenced by Mr. Towle's post on the subject. (Click the image below, too, for a link.)

Coincidentally, I was planning on performing this very same exercise, but got stuck once I hit the dark majesty of their album, Pornography. Not to take over Mr. Towle's idea (who really is a swell guy, I must say), but I will be performing this listening feat in the near future with The Cure, and then, likely, say U2. Or R.E.M. Or Neil Young. Or Fugazi. Doesn't that sound like fun?! Yeah, I thought so.

 

Robert Smith didn't quite nail that Walking Dead audition.

You are a Target: The Daily You

New book review up at PopMatters. Thanks for reading.

(The Daily You: How the New Advertising Industry Is Defining Your Identity and Your Worth, Joseph Turow, 2012)

Somebody Give Billy Corgan a Trophy (For Real)

I am only a little more than halfway through this interview with Billy Corgan, but already I can unequivocally say that he deserves a trophy for telling it like it is. We've shunned so many people in favor of codified "cool" that it no longer pays for an artist to create new work any longer. Or, as Corgan puts it:

But isn’t it funny how alternative culture likes to turn its back on those they don’t consider attractive. There is a narcissistic subtext to alternative culture that runs through its veins. Why do most people turn to alternative culture? Because they grow up in a family system or community system that doesn’t recognize their specialness or sensitivity or uniqueness, and they find that there are voices in the alternative community that represent them — whether they’re gay or lesbian or the pretty, overweight goth girl, or the outcast or whatever. They look at alternative culture and they say, “That’s the land of lost toys, there’s the place for me.” And we’ve seen this thing happen over the last 25 years — afforded by the Internet — where that narcissistic streak has become a business model.

Go read the rest at Stereogum at this link. Props all around for a great interview. 

Oh, and Oceania is really fucking good, too.

(Update: Just finished reading the rest of it. It did not disappoint. Especially when Corgan takes Stephen Malkmus to task for going on a "money run.")

Welcome back, Professor

Hi there.  Did you miss me?  I missed you. I went away for a few years, but now I'm back. Aw, baby, don't be like that. I've tried all the other girls. I had a little relationship with WordPress and LiveJournal. I still have a Tumblr on the side. But I'm ready to give it a go again with you, Blogger. You look all sexy now. Have you lost weight? Yeah, I thought so. Come on, baby. Don't be mad at me. I promise I'll only post on you now. You're the only one for me. See? I'll even put my latest review from Stereo Subversion up here. It's for XXL, Dude. That's the Xiu Xiu and Larsen collab. Just click the album cover below. All better? I love you. 

XXL, Dude (Tin Angel Records, 2012)

Moving Day

Hi friends and readers,

Please make note that my new blog is up at www.silenceisoverrated.com

I won't be updating this site any longer; all regular updates will occur at the other blog.

Make sure to update your bookmarks while I work on transferring my feeds.

Cheers!
SDE

The Great Migratory Patterns of Bloggers

Holy hell. Has it really been August 20 since I last updated this thing? There has been no lack of activity in my realm. Much has been doing and much has been brewing; many reviews posted on Stereo Subversion and many more albums to dig out from under.

I will be migrating from Blogger (bah!) to Wordpress (heh!). Data needs to be transferred, RSS feeds updated, and you, dear reader (all two of you) will be asked to follow me, if you so desire. This changeover will take place after the new year.

In the meantime, here are the two latest reviews from yours truly posted at Stereo Subversion:

The King Khan and BBQ Show, Invisible Girl
(In the Red Records, 2009)


Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Beware
(Drag City, 2009)

My year-end Top 10 List is coming next.

Merry Christmas, friends! Here's a link to one of my favorite bloggers who is extremely generous with allowing you to grab awesome, free mixes. Check out his previous Christmas mixes, too.

The Sixth Sixeyes Christmas Mix: 2009

Interview :: We Were Promised Jetpacks

One of these days, I'm gonna have all the time in the world to blog to my heart's content...but it won't be any time soon. So, in the meantime, here is my latest interview at Stereo Subversion with the Scottish group, We Were Promised Jetpacks. Click on the image to read the interview.

We Were Promised Jetpacks, These Four Walls
Fat Cat Records, 2009

Also, my latest disc review of Sian Alice Group, Troubled, Shaken, Etc. can be read by clicking the image below:

Sian Alice Group, Troubled, Shaken, Etc.
The Social Registry, 2009

PS--I really am starting to hate Blogger...

PPS--Congrats to my homeys in B'ton! Together we are all fans of Chickenfoot!

The Role of the Critic

I wrote an essay that is included in Stereo Subversion's "The Role of the Critic" series being published every Wednesday in July. Read my essay, "I Can't Be Your Apologist Very Long:" Producing Something Akin to Excellence in Music Criticism by clicking on the nifty image below.

For those music nuts like myself, the title is nicked from a Built to Spill lyric. But you have to find out which song it is on your own.

And here's a review of the new Pete Yorn disc, Back and Fourth that ran on Stereo Subversion about a month ago. Incidentally, the "Comments Section" after the review provide good examples of some of the points I illustrate in my essay. Click on the album cover to read the review.

Pete Yorn, Back and Fourth
(Columbia Records, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for reading. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the essay, especially if they're nasty. Because I love a good argument...in case you didn't know.

I Love St. Vincent

Well, I do love St Vincent (aka Annie Clark). Her new album, Actor, is a great follow-up to Marry Me. I reviewed her latest at Stereo Subversion. Enjoy!

St Vincent, Actor

(click on the image to read the review)

And dig her new video for "Actor Out of Work":

And watch her kill the song "Marrow" live on David Letterman:



She's getting ready to tour as the opener for Andrew Bird, also. Check out all the tour dates here.

Song Obsession :: Company of Thieves, "Oscar Wilde"

I'm finding my self gravitating more and more to single tracks than entire albums. I think it may be a product of summer or my desire to make mixtapes. Here's a song I've been hitting "Repeat" on for a few weeks. The album is only so-so, but I love this track unabashedly.

Oscar Wilde - Company of Thieves

And the video is pretty great, too. Gotta love a Rushmore reference...



I found out at the last minute that these guys and girl were playing Friday night down the street from me. At the most divey-dive sports bar I've ever been to. The kind where the whores, uh, I mean, servers wear skimpy sports outfits that show the cellulite and bullet holes in their thighs. To the band, I would just like to say, I apologize for that place and I apologize that we could not find another suitable venue for you to perform at. On behalf of Charleston and West Ashley, I am sorry. I doubt you will return, but if you do, I will personally take you all out for steak dinner and wine.

Link-o-rama

Boy, I don't know about you guys, but if I go for a week without checking Google Reader, it's damn near impossible to catch up. (And is it just me or does that "+" in the (1000+) header look extremely menacing?) So I spend an hour or two glancing at headlines and clicking the links that I should have been reading instead of being productive. Then I post them here. Sure it's old news by now, but any news is old after ten minutes in the modern age. Here's what has caught my eye as of late:

--Videogum rants about Bruno here.

--Chromewaves reminds us why we still care about 90s alt-rock here.

--Muzzle of Bees has 5 Questions with Jay Farrar of Son Volt here.

--A double dose of Band of Horses courtesy of Charleston City Paper: Word association and a full profile. We really love these guys...can you tell?

--One of my favorite pop bands, Audible, has a new disc out for a "name-your-own-price" download here. Chip in and help out a great band. You'll love 'em.

--And Stereo Subversion has an interview with the excellently-bearded Matisyahu here.

Link-o-rama! Yippee! Serious buyers only, please...