It is Halloween, my favorite holiday, and this sorry sap got elected to work! Now that is scary s@^&t!!! I don’t always dress up, but I love going out to parties, and I love the whole event. Who doesn’t love seeing the different costumes, watching kids trick or treat, and throwing on all those scary songs as you pre-party! Making sure your Jack-O-Lantern is lit, or has a strobe light in it, and drinking your favorite beer. Is there really is anything better! The vibe is one of craziness on the Devil’s Night, especially in Chicago, and I had to go into work. But I still had to do a few of my favorite things. So in not breaking with tradition, I poured a Three Floyd’s Popskull, and I played the punked out version of a Halloween classic “Monster Mash” by Murphy’s Law! Since ‘91, when this holiday EP showed up on our local record store shelf, I have been cranking this tune to get myself psyched up for a ghoulish night! It was tougher this year as I knew I had to work, and wasn’t shot gunning a beer during the second tune “Beer Bath,” but this tune is, and will always be a classic!
Three Floyd's Pop Skull For Halloween
Man did I get a treat on Halloween! SNL was a re-run with that killer short by Andy Samburg “I Threw It On The Ground!” If you haven’t seen this video, it rivals his best work, and could possibly be the funniest thing he has done yet! Throughout this song he refuses to get played for “a sucker” by “the system!” People are offering him free stuff, and instead of taking it, he throws it on the ground!!! All this, because as he says in the video, he’s not “a charity case!” I challenge you not to laugh, good luck. The reason it makes me laugh most, I guess, is because it’s just stupid. But it’s his expressions, his seriousness, and the fact that he can also really rap! So, it’s all very convincing, and that’s the best part about it! He has a knack for grappling the most far out idea (like last week’s Transformers Digital Short) and giving them a serious quality. You just have to laugh:) The best part of this song is when he’s at a Farmer’s Market with his girlfriend, and she tells him his dad is on the phone and hands it to him. Of course he throws the phone on the ground, because his “dad’s not a phone,” and he won’t be tricked by the man! Actually, what he says, is that he’s not a puppet, and can’t be had by the system!! OMG, too funny! Folks this is a masterpiece and I just had to share. If you’ve seen it, watch it again. If you haven’t, enjoy!
Call me late to the game, or bandwagonesque on this one, but Lil’ Weezy’s newest prodigy, Drake, is the real deal. His mix tape sold over 300, 000 copies through Tunecore, which in turn, scored him a “real deal!“ There was a point in time when any Joe Schmo could cop a free copy of his latest and greatest mixtape “So Far Gone,” anywhere online, but now you’ll have to go to your local retail store, or I-Tunes (although if you are real crafty, you’ll know what to do:). It was a free download for a minute, but those greedy record execs figured if they could repackage this “free” music in a nice, shiny jewel case, they could make grip off of Drake…and so begins the sad tale of “Selling Out.” At the end of the day though, it really doesn’t matter where you get it; just go out and get it! This is an LP that you will play from start to finish, over and over! His flow is nice, real smooth, like a Jay-Z , or a Kanye West. Maybe even a new skool version of Dana Dane, Kwame, or a Slick Rick. As a matter fact he just put out a new single “Forever” on which Kanye, Lil’ Wayne, and Eminem all appear. Needless to say, Em steals the show, but regardless, Drake does a great job of holding his own in the ‘Bigs. He is also spotted two times on the new Jay-Z record (that I blogged about a month ago) and he fits right in! The lyrics are good, and the beats area really different, as he samples the likes of Coldplay and Peter, Bjorn, and John. The best part of Drake is his voice though, whether he’s rapping or singing. Yes, this guy can sing as well! When you put the two things together, you start to get a new, or newer sound. He sings and raps, which isn’t new per se, but he definitely puts his own spin on it! You never know what he’s going to say next, his lyrics are intriguing, humorous , and really fun to listen to! I can’t stop spinning “So Far Gone, ” and it’s a staple on my iPod! It’s addicting, but first you got to give it that chance! Start with “Congratulations” at the bottom, and work your way up!
Drake “Best I Ever Had (Proper Video)”
Drake “Congratulations”
The Von Bondies do the dark, bluesy rock thing really well. It’s something they’ve been perfecting since their first record “Lack Of Communication.” Their stylistic approach is a post grunge rock, infused with soulful blues. This is what separates them from a lot of bands which is cool, but sometimes you just want to hear their rock tunes, straight up! The newest LP “Love, Hate, and Then There’s You” is really good, and a step in the right direction. By right direction, I mean more variety in their sound, and that might come with the slick production, and great song-writing skills that co-producer Butch Walker is known for. Live, they played some of this new stuff, but of course, also played rockers from their extensive back catalogue. My favorite song of the night was “It Came From Japan,” which has a rawkus chant during the chorus of “We all hail, hail/From rock n roll!” I don’t believe anybody in the crowd even knew this song though, but after all, it was a Crawfish Fest!? The bottom line for this night was that most people at this old folks fest were waiting for the only radio hit that the Von Bondies have had up until till this point, ”C’Mon C’Mon!” The band didn’t disappoint, and of course, properly ended the show with this tune! In two simple words, IT ROCKED! It was a good performance on the whole, and now I have to go out and get the missing albums from their catalogue that I don’t own. Hopefully the cut outs’ are good to the ‘Kid! I think you’d be in for a good show if you can catch this band at a smaller club.
Youth Group is a great band! They take a page from Tim Booth and James, but have a big sound that is not unlike U2, Coldplay, and many of the greats that have come, gone, and are still with us. Simply stated, they do pop rock well! They are incredible musicians, really down to earth people, that love what they do! They are stars in their native Australia, and even in the U.K. they have graced the biggest stages. Yet on this windy night in the second city, they seem to be content with playing to the fifty-some people, in this quaint, dimly lit room which is Schuba’s. They have been a staple on my iPod since ‘05 when they released “Skeleton Key,” and I finally got a chance to see them do their thing in support of their latest masterpiece “The Night Is Ours,” last week here in Chicago! Youth Group literally blew away every expectation and pre-conceived notion I had. It’s hard to use the word amazing, now, because it has become a social term to describe something that is just “good.” But honestly, I could have watched these guys perform for three hours and still have not gotten my fill. The conviction this band plays with is captivating. There is a tightness of sound, a crisp mix of vocals versus the instrumentation; guitars, keys, and drums. There is also a freedom amongst the players, mainly because there are no egos, as they bare their soul to the audience with each new song. Youth Group is truly a “band,” in the purest form! Toby Martin is the lead singer and you could even call him the band leader at times, moving rhythmically across the stage in his skinny jeans and gigantic afro. The difference between him, and say a Chris Martin, is that he doesn’t flaunt his role as a traditional front man. Every player in the this band seems to have an equally an important role, at least that is the perception you get when watching them perform together onstage. There is no Mick Jagger here… nothing to distract from the passion of the songs and the moment being created. They choose focus and mood over salesmanship, something that comes highly regarded. They opened with the dreamy “Good Time,” worked into “One For Another,” then played the title cut off their classic, first record “Skeleton Jar!” Man, those three alone had everyone in house hootin’ and hollerin, and rearing to go! From here they spattered about classics like “Two Sides,” “Forever Young,” and one of my overall favorites “Shadowlands!” The energy was high as Youth Group played songs from all four of their releases, but spun out of control when they encored with “The Frankston Line!” Of course, I was yelling for them to play this, and wouldn’t allow the guys to leave until they did! That’s what type of show this was, the kind where you felt like you were in your living room watching your friend’s band play, shouting out your requests. But, your friend’s band was really good, and you were actually in your unfinished basement!:)
Here’s something new to spin on that iPod!:
Jack Penate has just proved himself to me with this single! loved his last EP, but this is just killer!
A friend of mine said that he and his buddies were talking about which album had the best closing song. I said that such a song would probably be relative to such a great album! I said that it would also be relative to the person, but that it could be discussed. But, wow, once I thought about it more, “What a good question!” So, I started discussing this with myself initially (inside my head), and then blurted out loud “Luna,” by the Smashing Pumpkins; that is a great closing song! This song was of course the last song on the second studio album from SP entitled “Siamese Dream.” Great Band, great album, great closing song! So, what is your favorite closing song?
The Smashing Pumpkins “Luna (Live)”
What moon songs do you sing your babies?
What sunshine do you bring?
Who belongs?
Who decides who’s crazy?
Who rights wrongs where others cling?
I’ll sing for you, if you want me too
I’ll give to you
And it’s a chance I’ll have to take
A chance I’ll have to break
I go along just because I’m lazy
I go along to be with you
And those moon songs that you sing your babies
Will be the song to see you through
I’ll hear you song
If you want me too
I’ll sing along
And it’s a chance I’ll have to take
And it’s a chance I’ll have to break
I’m in love with you
I’m in love with you
I’m in love with you
And you
I’m in love with you
So in love
I’m in love with you
With you
I’m in love with you
And you
I’m in love with you
So in love
I’m in love with you
I’m so in love
I’m in love with you
And you
The Smashing Pumpkins “Luna (Live)”
Whatever happened to me? Wish my parents had got me playing this early. Maybe this kid was musically inclined; or just started playing one day, and his parents thought “We should get him some Squeeze Box lessons!?” I don’t know, but the chances of becoming a star are like one in a billion. Something like that, I heard the quote on a PSA (Public Service Announcement) the other day during the Bears game and it startled me. There are so many people who aspire to be stars, but there’s only room for so little of us. Even then, it’s not just about talent. These days, looks come into play along with age and race. Money and connections also come into play way more than you think (see this controversy with Lily Allen lately). But in the long run, if your determined enough or just have a gift like this kid and can utilize it, your gold!
I’m I am so sick of reading these reviews by the d-bags at Pitchfork and Line of Best Fit! They review shit before they listen to it, and it’s annoying! Maybe they have people reviewing artists that they aren’t familiar with, or might not understand!? Either way, let’s be clear: this Jay-Z album is DOPE! There are a couple of misses throughout this record, but the majority of tracks on “The Blueprint 3“ rock! Yes, there are a lot of guest stars, but you really don’t notice them. A lot of them are singers that do the hook, or new comers like Drake, who are simply outshined by Jay! Kanye West holds his own, Jeezy sounds uninspired, and there are others who I can’t even remember right now, which tells you how much of a presence they have. This LP is straight Jay, having fun, on one of his best albums in awhile. Great beats help drive this and guest vocals by Alicia Keys and Rihanna are a bonus. “A Star is Born” is a really cool track where Jay pays respect to the greats that have come and gone in the rap game. Talk about great lyrics, and most rappers are out to defame others, not give credit where it’s due! “On To The Next One” is my favorite track off the album, which is helped by the chest stomping beat from Swiss Beatz, where Jay talks about starting trends, not following them. Basically saying that by the time something gets hot, he’s on to the next one to profit off that.
Jay-Z “On To The Next One”
The LP is truly tight! I could give a song by song breakdown but I won’t waste the time. The last two great rap albums that have come out this year were by Em and Jay, because they are the real deal! Drake’s “So Far Gone” sounds pretty good, but he has a lot to live up to after all the hype. Hopefully the majors won’t choke the life out of him to early, we will have to wait and see.
Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Rihanna “Run This Town (Live on Jay Leno)”
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- Supergrass “Going Out” Australian Tour EP! $1!
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- Supergrass “Mary” $1! “1 0f 2″ UK Import
Yesterday I scored two awesome imports from Reckless, for, you know it, $1 (so if you know how to add, that’s $2 for the both of them)!! These Supergrass imports were just two of the eight CDs I snatched from the cut out bins there! The first was a killer Australian Tour EP for “Going Out” with live versions of “She’s So Loose,” which just rocks, and “Strange Ones.” It also has a version of “Lenny,” all three of these b-sides were originally taken from the “I Should Coco” record, which rocketed these young punkers into the stratosphere! The second Supergrass disc was a UK import for “Mary,” a single from their third record, which showcases an older, more mature band. Track two on this single is a live version of “Pumping On Your Stereo,” which is one of my all time favs, just upbeat and poppy! The third, would you believe by coincidence, is another live version of “Strange Ones!” This version of “Strange Ones (Live at Peel Acres)” sounds a little less punk rock and more grown up, but it’s cool to hear the difference as three years have passed in between these two singles. It’s nice to grab these singles for cheap, and to finally get a chance to hear the different versions they contain, and the b-sides. I couldn’t afford to buy all these singles when they originally dropped, as anyone who loves imports knows, they were between $10-13 dollars a pop ten years ago. You never know what you are going to find in the dollar bins, but that’s the fun part! Much of this stuff has been sold off to pay rent or maybe for a drinking binge, either way, I love reaping the benefits. It’s great as well, because it makes you go back and revisit some bands that you haven’t listened to for a while. Supergrass is a great band, and it’s always nice to check in with these lads!
Supergrass “Going Out”
