"To Be Kind": The album you missed this summer

There was an album I wanted to review last semester. Unfortunately, it was released one week after finals. Of course I still listened to it. Months have passed and I still consider it one of the best albums of the year. Did you hear it?
Swans’ 13th album, "To Be Kind," is two hours of pure confusion. Droning, heartless, bizarre, dynamic perfection.
Swans have a long history of making listeners feel uncomfortable. The new album glorifies the feeling of discomfort and pokes fun at all things normal, natural and joyful. Michael Gira sings about topics like love and freedom amid raucous, doomsday musical accompaniment. He doesn't even "sing about" these topics as much as he just shouts out the actual words repeatedly. "Love is free! Love is strong!" "Freedom!" "Forever beautiful!" "Hallelujah!" "Love! Now!" All the sudden these normal, positive phrases turn into something big and scary. Thank you, Swans.
I've always considered "To Be Kind" to be a score for a psychedelic sci-fi horror film about Egyptians praying to mysterious satanic-alien-gods to help them build pyramids and make human sacrifices on top of them. This is the overall imagery of the music of To Be Kind; a dark, blockbuster cinematic layout of sound. The build-up on some of these tracks are strictly for patient listeners ("Bring the Sun"/"Toussaint L'Ouverture") while some provide non-stop energy ("Oxygen").
Gira is 57 years old. His vocal delivery on this album is the zaniest thing I've ever heard. He heartlessly yells demands. He moans cultist chants. He scream like his eyes are being torn out. He wails like a baby in a tantrum. He imitates southern blues vocal styling. Occasionally, he actually just sounds like an old dude muttering into a microphone. The variety quite refreshing. The fact that he does all of the above- all of the above- proves his uniquely insane personality.
The work from the rest of the band don't disappoint either. Swans' guitars have never sounded so consistently bright and refined. Combined with the screeching synthesizers on "A Little God In My Hands," they turn a cheeky southern funk jam turns into chainsaws vomiting in outer space. The drums on the album-opener "Screen Shot" make for an impressive, eight-minute workout. The surprise brass section on "Oxygen" is full of power. The strings on "Some Things We Do" are heartbreaking.
Overall, this album is jacked up. Yet there are subtle moments of joy. The "bum-bum" vocals on "A Little God In My Hands." Gira's little boy impression and the assorted blues guitars on "Just A Little Boy." The vibraphone part on "Kirsten Supine." The never-ending ending of album-closer "To Be Kind." As draining and dismal this double album may be, it's good to know they're having fun in there.
Some fans are probably asking themselves if this is the band's best work. Judging by the album cover alone it seems like a sequel release to 2012's "The Seer." Some sounds on here are reminiscent of 1996's "Soundtracks for the Blind." This is another world from their 80s releases. Consider this: Which album do you think they worked hardest on? I'll just leave that there.

Despite the excellent production on "To Be Kind," I don't believe Swans tried to get ahead of "the game" with this album. They're creating a game of their own. Whereas the rest of the music world is trying to one-up each other, Swans is more focused on becoming a monster.

MY RATING: 9.5/10

Blog Update

I'm updating this blog by posting every music-related thing I've written in my other blogs (from the last few months) onto this one. Because I just don't write about music for The Statesman. On average, I do it whenever the heck I want.

10 Years of Kanye West

I remember being 14 years old and I believed anything without a guitar solo wasn't good. I was a freshman at Linden High School and sometime Ms. Grant would play Late Registration during class. I remember liking "Heard 'Em Say" and I thought- maybe there is such thing as good rap music. These days I listen I listen to every genre, but I remember Kanye's "Heard 'Em Say" was the first rap song I ever liked. Soulful, melancholia, catchy...

What happened to that guy?

Kanye's voice was first heard on the radio in 2003 with a verse on Twista's #1 hit "Slow Jamz." He rapped about sexual innuendos for a little over 30 seconds while name-dropping Luther Vandross, Gladys Knight, Michael Jackson, 90s rappers and Cool Whip. Apparently it was enough to get him a record deal on Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella records within the year.

:his solo album works, in a nutshell:

COLLEGE DROPOUT (2004)-
This album was very cheerful and even more cheeky. Commercially popular and critically acclaimed. My mission buddy Elder Funk knows all the words to "Jesus Walks," and I'm pretty he's not the only one. On his debut, Kanye was already causing a cultural stir. Rolling Stone ranked it among their 300 Greatest Albums Of All Time, one of the 8 albums from the 2000s with a ranking so high. I never got the 'bear' thing...
LATE REGISTRATION (2005)- I personally think this one was better. If you can't decide on whether you you want to listen to a cocky rapper or your favorite Curtis Mayfield record, you can chose both with this album. The soul of this album may just be from the direct sampling, but Kanye was producing bigger things and rapping about bigger topics. "Gold Digger" reached #1. That bear was still around...

GRADUATION (2007)-
I remember when this album came out. "Stronger" was the immediate #1 single, although I preferred "Can't Tell Me Nothing." The album's personality was based off 80s-throwback synths. Kanye single-handedly made these shades cool! I love those things!
And yes, that bear was on the cover...
808S & HEARTBREAKS (2008)-
I think much of the world has forgotten that this album happened. I personally try to. But this has just been universally accepted as his worst work. I think the track "Love Lockdown" is underrated, but I don't even like most of the songs on this album. Plain beats + plain pianos. Nerdy glasses are cool now, but not because of Kanye.
MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY (2010)-
The most important part of the album title is the word "my." I've heard plenty of albums that are more beautiful, darker, more twisted, more fantastical than this one. But this album is definitely his. It's as Kanye as it gets. It's my favorite one by him. "POWER" lives up to its title, coming from the cockiest, angriest man in the music business. More so out of drunken depression than humility, he calls himself a "douchebag" on "Runaway." The album was just so darn loud and legitimately crazy. Critical acclaim up to wazoo- it was the first album in 8 years to get a perfect 10/10 upon release from Pitchfork. It was his first album to have not top 10 singles, but I don't think he was focused on popularity when he made this. As usual, he was more focused on himself.
YEEZUS (2013)- Generally like this album, but I like it less and less every day. I ranked it #11 on my list of favorite 2013 albums, which is lower than where most folks would put it. But I think its minimalism, darkness and volume is only shocking to those who listen to popular rap. I still give it some props for being purposely heartless and overly nasty. I love "New Slaves." But just how unique is this album? Why are critics calling it the best of the year? Who is Kanye West anyway?

:the future of kanye west:

Kanye West is an idiot, a bigot and a wimp. Unlike the best rappers in hip-hop history, he has never experienced poverty or street violence. He may be "artistic" among other celebrity rappers, but seems pretty plain standing next to the underground likes of Death Grips or Shabazz Plalaces. Yet I approve of 5 of the 6 albums listed above. Is it possible to like a guy's music and hate the guy himself? (sigh) Meet Kanye West...
Is he overrated? Yes. But he's done some GREAT stuff. Critics love Yeezus because its release and approach are bold. My buddy Liam Perry said of the album, "Musically it's his worst album, conceptually it's great." This is true. He represents a character in the studio- a different one for each album. I think he's a great artist with great potential. But if you think he's the best, you've fallen into a trap.
I predict a sad future for Kanye. He doesn't have fun anymore. Even cocky people can be fun. Even depressed people can have fun. I've yet to mention any remarks he's ever made outside the studio. Long-story-short: It's all an act. At least it used to be. I'm starting to think that Kanye actually believes all the stupid stuff he says ("I'm the Braveheart of creativity"/"I am the next Nelson Mandela"). I'm a lot more impressed with Kendrick Lamar threatening to murder a list of 11 rappers in the middle of a rap verse. Kendrick just wants a rap battle. Kanye wants an eternal, gold-plated cookie of greatness.
Considering how his latest album is a musical step down from anything he's done before, I think he'll just keep stepping lower and lower. Crude concepts are great and all, but he can't back it up for much longer. The fact that he's already made an album spilling his guts in the studio (Twisted Fantasy) and an album comparing himself to Deity (Yeezus), he has nowhere left to go. I bet his next album is a rap-rock opera with one truly great song as a centerpiece surrounded by awkward turds of music. Coming sooner than later. I might call him a genius if he didn't think so himself. 10 years of this guy... one of the most important artists of our time... but his time is up.

MAYBE HE'S A NICE GUY

My favorite Kanye songs? "Jesus Walks"//"Heard 'Em Say"//"Flashing Lights"//"POWER" to name a few.

Thank God for Carl Sandburg & the World's Columbian Exposition

I remember the first time I listened to Sufjan Stevens' Illinois.  I remember I heard a few tracks from it over my spring break, senior year of high school. I got a job as a dishwasher at Redfish where a guy named Tony would put Sufjan tracks on shuffle in the kitchen. I eventually copied Illinois from him and knew it was going to be awesome.  I had already heard a few tracks, the classics- "Chicago," "Casmir Pulaski Day," "John Wayne Gacy Jr," "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" So I had the thing sitting in my mp3 player for a few days before I decided to listen.
I remember hiking alone up to the Shangri-La lakes and getting intensely lost on my way back.  I was worried sick until I remembered how to read military time: The shuttle boat doesn't arrive in 1 hour, it arrives in 2 hours. So I stopped running around like a chicken with its head cut off and walked by the river until I rediscovered the trail.  I had some time to kill at the dock, waiting for the shuttle to come. So after experiencing some horror and feeling a lot more comfortable with myself, I decided, what the hey!  Lets listen to that Sufjan Stevens guy! And yes, I took a picture at the docks that day. So this  is exactly where I was & what it looked like the first time I heard Illinois:

...Not bad, eh?
So not all of the songs hit me at first. "Concerning the UFO Sightings Near Highland, Illinois" has become one of my favorite tracks, but it wasn't at the time. And I didn't even get to hear the whole album yet- by the time Mikee Linville rolled in with the shuttle boat, I was kinda lost on a track where Sufjan was singing about Abraham Lincoln. He then took a pee in the trees behind me. Anyways, the song that stuck out to me that day, and even the first time I heard it a few months prior, was "Come On! Feel the Illinois!" Now I know, "Chicago" is one of the greatest things of all time, and it makes me question divine intervention associated with songwriting. "Come On! Feel the Illinois!" however, is my track.
The song is divided into 2 parts (Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition/Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream). The song title in itself is cleverly ingenious, the divisional titles are just as enjoyable. Part I is the definition of life and joy in music. I remember listening to it in the Redfish kitchen and Chad asked if we were listening to the Charlie Brown theme. It indeed sounds like Vince Guardali's "Linus & Lucy," only in 5/4 and and with some bright, extra instrumentation. The city of Chicago has a lot of Columbian immigrants who have helped out with the building of the city. It's a fun, insightful lightbulb of a history lesson. The history lesson lasts for a little over 2 minutes, then the song shifts (VERY suddenly).
The 2nd part has even more layers of instruments, including an Americana strings section (qunitet? gah! i'll never know!) that's hard to forget. He sings about writing poetry and the conversing the meaning of life and death with the ghost of Illinois poet Carl Sandburg.
The songs ends nearly 7 minutes later, and it's a very eventful 7 minutes. The composition is brilliant. The background singers, vibraphone, trumpets, electronic organ solo, strings, piano, the hidden woodwind parts, the jazz drumming- I realize now that these are all standard Sufjan habits. But hearing it for the first time, a midst Mother Nature; in the sunshine... was life-changing for me.
"Oh, God of Progress
Have you degraded or forgot us?
Where have your laws gone?
I think about it now...
I cried myself to sleep last night
And the ghost of Carl, he approached my window
I was hypnotized, I was asked
To improvise on the attitude, the regret of a thousand centuries of death...
And we laughed at the beatitudes of a thousand lines
We were asked at the attitudes they reminded us of death...
And I cried myself to sleep last night
For the Earth, and materials, they may sound just right to me...
Are you writing from the heart? Are you writing from the heart?"

My Personal Guitar Influences

Some of my favorite guitarists, namely when it comes to my style of playing.

NEIL YOUNG. I love everything about Neil's guitar playing. I love his approaches to country, folk, jam and even grunge. I play "Tell Me Why" more than any other song.

GEORGE HARRISON. This may be because I'm a guitarist, but George is my hands-down my favorite Beatle. His riffs were sometimes choppy, sometimes heavy, sometimes hazy, always memorable.

PETER BUCK. I feel like Buck invented the "alternative rock" guitar sound. Jangly, choppy, shiny.

J MASCIS. Life. Is all about shredding.

 DOUG MARTSCH. I remember easily being a fan of Built to Spill stuff that always played in the Redfish Lake Lodge Restaurant kitchen. Then I heard Perfect From Now On and it actually challenged me. I love Doug's guitar effects and the daring registers he often hits.

THURSTON MOORE. I always always always think about noise rock. More often than not, I think about distorted guitar noises before actual notes. Meanwhile, I like playing with obscure tunings, too.

JIMMY PAGE. Music I make doesn't really sound like Led Zeppelin. I don't like to show off fat, epic solos. But I always love a simple, powerful riff and some lush acoustic chords.

a post on Broken Social Scene's 'You Forgot It In People'

Confession time: I never heard Broken Social Scene's You Forgot It In People until last month.
For a long time, Broken Social Scene was just a band name I heard tossed around. I figured they were some average punk band I didn't have to hear. Even with their spot within Pitchfork's 25 best albums of the 2000s, I set it aside since it was right next to The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I listened to "Cause = Time" once and didn't even get it. I eventually studied up and learned that artists like Feist and Stars were BSS side-projects. So I immediately assumed they were a band making corny relationship music with folk and brass instrumentation. Considering what music I've been into for the last 4 years, this gave me even less reason to listen.
These days, I love a good mature artist. It's pretty rare when I listen to music that sounds young and immature (Destroyer > M83). But I remember being 17 and listening to 103.1 KSKI, where I was introduced to Stars' "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead" as well as some older Feist and Death Cab tracks. I loved that stuff my junior year of high school. This died off in about a year. I figured BSS was simply more of the same stuff I enjoyed from my hormonal 17-year-old days. And, well, I was right.
Fact is, this album could have been made any time in the last 12 years, only this was the one that was made 12 years ago.
Yes, this album is corny at times. Sometimes the production is kinda syrupy. Sometimes I listen to this album and I depict images from Rent or some kinda super cheesy "runaway-to-New-York-and-live-off-alcohol-and-sex-while-you're-still-young" film. I hate films like that (ex: when people think they're artistic but they're not). Then you take a step back from what stupid messages that have accompanied this album's music in the last 10 years. You start thinking about what it meant then. You Forgot It In People was sonic, epic and innovative. It's messages are actually quite vague. ("Looks Just Like The Sun"- What the heck does that mean?) Even though these are mostly love songs, there is a strong lyrical personality on this album (let's just say "it looks just like the sun" 10 times and call it good). The music on here covers a surprisingly broad range of genres. The production on the acoustic guitars are particularly enjoyable.
It's most popular tracks are "Lover's Spit" and "Anthems for a 17 Year Old Girl," which are definitely some emo-indie song titles, but their attitude was something new for 2002. My favorite track (like all albums) is the one that sounds like Dinosaur Jr. ("Cause = Time"). This album has some epic, theatrical moments as well as some temporary smooth jazz moments and cutesy-pie tracks. It reminds me what it's like to be young and emotionally unstable. Unlike anything else, it takes me back to being 17 and doodling in my basement bedroom. Which is weird, because I never knew any of these songs when I was actually 17.
So this album explains Candian indie for the last 12 years, as well as the new culture of toque-wearing, alcohol-doused, depressingly-freewheelin', annoyingly-hipster young adults. Much like Nirvana's Nevermind, you gotta love the original and scorn at the after-products. As a music critic myself, I'm not sure where You Forgot ranks among the Truly Great albums of the 2000s, but quickly learning to love this album just this past month taught me that it doesn't freaking matter.

My 10 Favorite Rolling Stones Songs

 I've always considered the Rolling Stones to be overrated. But let's face it, I love these guys.

 (favorite Stones albums: 3-Beggars Banquet 2-Exile On Mainstreet 1-Let It Bleed)

(songs honorable mention: "Miss You"+"Honky Tonk Woman"+"19th Nervous Breakdown")

10--"Can't You Hear Me Knocking" (from Sticky Fingers, 1971) 
Love this riff. Heavier than most. Great extensive psychedelic latin jam to boot.
9--"Ruby Tuesday" (from Between The Buttons, 1967)
This is basically the Stones miserably failing at trying to sound like The Beatles & it's kinda funny.
8--"Jumpin' Jack Flash" (from some random UK greatest hits compilation, 1968)
This is respectively of the greatest riffs of all time. It might be ranked higher if it wasn't oh so overplayed. The organs that sound like bagpipes are pretty tight.
7--"Street Fighting Man" (from Beggars Banquet, 1968)
Yes, this song does have a sitar and a shenhai in it. The topic of violent street protests was a pretty hot by '68, but this song makes it sound like something fun. The guitar part is just so crunchy and sounds so aged/vintage. The piano part is surprisingly pretty. Overall, it's a grungy classic.
6--"Rocks Off" (from Exile On Mainstreet, 1972)
If the only Exile tracks you know are "Happy" and "Tumbling Dice," I highly recommend you listen to the whole album. This song represents the album's raunchiness and raw power.
5--"Paint It, Black" (from Aftermath, 1966)
I'm a guitarist. When you learn to play guitar, you have at least one year before you learn how to play "Paint It, Black." The sitar hook is as memorable as "Norwegian Wood" any day of the week. The revolving rhythms throughout the song is impressive for 1966. And in case you were wondering, Jagger wants his whole world to be black. If that's not dark lyricism for ya, I don't know what is.
4--"Sympathy For The Devil" (from Beggars Banquet, 1968)
The Stones lived the definitive "drugs, sex & rock 'n' roll" lifestlye from day 1. But they were always too cool for cultish/satanic worship. They even dedicated an entire 1967 album to making fun of it. While the Beach Boys were losing band members to the Charles Manson family, the Stones focused on the fact that the devil is "cool." So is rock 'n' roll. At over 6 minutes, covered in latin percussion, lengthy memorable guitar solos, a heavy bass line, "woo-hoos" and explosive lyrics, this song is about 5 or 10 years ahead of its time.
3--"You Can't Always Get What You Want" (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
On paper, this song structure could turn out terribly wrong: The London Bach Choir. French horn. Congas. A drugged-up rock band. "Sympathy" is the more surprising track, especially for 1968 record players. On a personal level, this track is a singalong song for the ages. If you don't like this song, you're heartless. It's beautiful, it's fun, and somehow, it's by the Rolling Stones.
2--"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (from Out Of Our Heads, 1965)
I've been calling this song "overrated" for the last 10 years. People, it's not. This is rock 'n' roll songwriting 101. This could easily be considered the greatest rock song ever made and I would not argue. It has the R&B back-beat. Easily the catchiest vocal hooks ever. The most memorable guitar riff. It's about having bad luck with the ladies. It has commercial references. You know all the words. This is how you write a rock single. It still works. But for the last 50 years, this formula has become comparatively unoriginal. Because these guys did it first.
1--"Gimme Shelter" (from Let It Bleed, 1969)
Don't look at me like that. "Satisfaction" is a hit. In the words of James Murphy: "Well maybe I don't do hits!" This song is a creative achievement on every level. It continuously rocks. The opening whispering guitar part adds mystery. The song's dramatic dynamics bests most any 60s songsmith. There's some southern/blues instrumentation in this song, but that's not the vibe you get from it at all. Hearing gospel singer Merry Clayton scream out "RAPE! MURDER!" at the top of her lungs is as bold as it gets. The harmonica part is far from corny. Rock is supposed to be fun, but when you hear this song, you know the Stones mean business. Time to get scared. From a band dedicated (both musically and life-stylistically) to "drugs, sex & rock 'n' roll," this song was a well produced statement of the ultimate equation: Drugs+ Sex+ Rock 'n' roll= Apocolypse.

A Pet Sounds Blog

I wasn't alive in 1966 and I never heard this album until August of 2006. I was 15 and my music taste was at a crossroads; within a month, I bought this album along with Death Cab for Cutie's Plans, Rush's 2112, an Allman Bros comp, a Bob Dylan comp + Barenaked Ladies Are Me. Me + the fam had only been living in Idaho for 1 month. I was a quiet, skinny kid who was sensitively over-self-conscious. [ex: Pity me. No one understands me. :( ] Anyways, I only got Pet Sounds because I saw Rolling Stone ranked it the second greatest album ever and I was able to get a free copy. I didn't even get it one bit, but I pretended to like it and listened frequently.

I cannot reiterate enough that I didn't understand what made this album good. However, I remember always genuinely liking the singles and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times" and "That's Not Me." I'd put "God Only Knows" aside Death Cab on my pretty/sad songs playlists and consider myself cultured. I'm not sure how old I was when I understood this album, but even now, I'm not always in the mood for Pet Sounds. I am a young single adult; obsessed with modern music enough to not always connect with ancient classics. I give it a listen once every few months and get entranced in it for a week.
Pet Sounds is always ranked among the all-time greats, but for different reasons. Brian Wilson said he wanted to make an album like The Beatles' '65 Rubber Soul. He also said he wanted to make the songs more real, more natural, more personal. George Martin and the boys immediately started working on Sgt. Pepper, as he said, in an attempt make an album even better than Pet Sounds. This album didn't have the same clear-cut production as a George Martin work, but the music itself was more layered and even trickier. It may not always sound "big," but it sounds "dreamy." I'd say the first album to ever have this sound. The goofy surfer boys somehow leaped into Beatles-classic status with this album.

             Meanwhile, some 23 year-old Mormon guitar boy in Logan-UT listens to this album as he lies wide awake in the middle of the night asking the same questions Brian Wilson asked himself nearly 50 years ago. Like many other artistic pop music statements, listening to to individual tracks won't give you the full album effect. Despite its popular songs ("God Only Knows," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "Sloop John B"), it wasn't about making hits (alright, except for "Sloop John B")... it goes much deeper.

"I know there's an answer!" "Where can I turn?" "What good would living do me?" "We could live forever tonight!" "Every night as I lay there alone, I will dream..." These statements are taken lightly by most artists. Wilson gave them proper, delicate treatment. Lyrics like this aren't too "original," I suppose. In fact- everybody can relate to them. I never use the word "beautiful" when it comes to music. But screw it, that's what Pet Sounds is. Next to this goofy picture of Mr. Wilson and a goat, here are some listed things I've learned from this album.
*Wilson wrote "Caroline, No" while high on marijuana
*"Let's Go Away Awhile" is impossible to hum to
*"I Just Wasn't Made For These Times" is my personal favorite track
*"Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)" still counts as a love song, no matter how super sad it sounds
*Compared to the rest of the album, "Sloop John B" is overrated
*Life is simple yet epic; the small things (pets, familiar places, friends, dreams, stars, love/romance, parents) are big factors
*Love might not be real, but we can always hope and dream that it is

The Jack White/Black Keys Feud In A Nutshell

The White Stripes were way better than the Black Keys. By a lot.

Jack White has recently been doing some impressive stuff in the production world. He has broken records that most folks (myself included) don't really care about. "Lazaretto" broke the record for fastest record release ever (in modern English, that's getting your record from the studio-to-the-shelves really fast). He recorded a live late night show Neil Young performance straight to vinyl. These things are both kinda cool, and I like "Lazaretto" better than anything on his last album. Then you have the Black Keys.
The Black Keys are a good bad who just made their first universally crappy album, Turn Blue. Turn Blue wemt straight to #1 in the US albums chart.
Jack White is a modern icon doing interesting things and he's making no money. The Black Keys are at their musical worst and making lots of money. Jack White had to show his pissed-off-ness somehow.
I've thought the Keys have sounded like the Stripes since 'Brothers' came out. Even the album art was red, white and black. I don't see why people are so shocked at the idea of the Keys "ripping off" the Stripes. I always thought this was obviously underlain knowledge. I myself am shocked that it came from Jack himself. It's unprofessional for this to coming from him. You don't see Paul McCartney and Robert Plant bragging about how much better/more original their music is compared to those that followed them. They sit back and leave it up to you to learn for yourself whose ripping off of who. So despite the truth of what Jack said about the Keys, I'm disappointed in him for doing this.
Let it be known that the Black Keys are not a bad band. I've loved their singles. Their albums aren't too bad. Unlike what Jack claims, they could have definitely existed without the Stripes. Before they sounded like Jack White, they sounded like Jimi Hendrix. Now they sound like 70s coke rock. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least it wouldn't be, although "Fever" is a pretty disappointing single for a fan whose waited 3 years for something new. One might say I don't like the new stuff by the Keys.
The White Stripes single-handedly changed the popular world of alternative and garage rock. Looking through their catalog, this may seem ridiculous because all their songs are kinda normal or kinda sound the same. Please just consider that you can distinctly tell Jack White's guitar tone from a mile away. His voice is just as recognizable and Meg's drums were's always indistinguishably playful (and often simple). Strangely dynamic, always fun, classic rock-based riffs, built from the ground-up: The White Stripes.
The Keys are enjoyable, but often try to hard for their own good.
Jack White will be making bank for his new album soon enough, no matter what it sounds like.

Important Music Stuff My Dad Taught Me

In case you haven't noticed, I think music is pretty darn cool. This is definitely something I carried from the collective members of my family. I don't remember any new music that came out between 2002 and 2003 because I became obsessed with classic rock. My dad has taught me a lot of things that have carried on since then. Here are a few that are very much... uh... most like my dad.

--Jazz music is the real deal.   What does it take to get your 15 year old kid into jazz?  Introduce him to Steely freaking Dan. Still today I wish I had a better appreciation for jazz, and I would still skip past 105.5 The River if I was still searching central California radio stations. But I'm a musician and I know that jazz is the hardest style to play. My dad tried explaining this to me when I was younger, but I guess I didn't fully understand. These days I listen to some occasional Miles Davis, John Coltrane & Ornette Colman, but even as a young teenager I was able to love Aja.

--All rock & roll music originated from the blues.   According to my dad, this is why Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix were great guitarists; they remember their roots. Eric Clapton once said that new music is so bad because too many artists listen to stuff from his era and refuse to go further back.

--Paul Simon is a genius.   Thinking of my dad, the first bands that come to mind are definitely Styx, Boston and Rush. They were like- The Big 3 for me because my dad loved them more than most people. We even went to a Styx show and a Boston show back in the day. But the Paul Simon thing has really stuck. I remember my dad used to read me books as I went to sleep when I was very little. One night once I was asleep, he secretly switched from reading a book to reading the lyrics to "The Boy In The Bubble." I woke up to it eventually, confused.
I'm 23 now and Paul Simon is among my favorite songwriters. Graceland is a favorite. At a young age, I didn't think the guy who sang about feelin' groovy with a white dude an afro could be all that impressive. But my dad knew he was genius. He told me so.

--Everything old is better than everything new.   This is so freaking true. My older brothers and I were junkies for new "faux-ternative" (thank you Pitchfork) music, but we always loved the "greatest hits" tapes we had for the The Beatles and The Beach Boys. I remember wondering at a young age if old music could be good at all. Turns out, I liked old music the whole time.
My dad (and my mom) always said that music just isn't what it used to be. This is true because most everything that could possibly be done in a studio has already happened (one day I'll write a blog about Kid A). New music can't help it if its unoriginal, but my dad pointed out how poorly some new artists tried.

--AC/DC is pretty lame.   "I've never been impressed by AC/DC." -Wes Hall
I listened to a lot of classic rock radio at one point, which meant I was hearing something from Back In Black at least once a day. It's old. It rocks hard. It's on the radio. Aren't I supposed to like these guys? According to my dad, they are a band without a soul. Even if the solos totally shred, they sound thin and heartless next to any given Zeppelin track. All the songs are about sex. All the riffs sound the same. They're a stupid band.
Mind you, I've decided I'm cool with Bon Scott-era AC/DC, and this criticism comes from a man who had Hall & Oates on vinyl, but it's true. I once said that if the music you're writing isn't personal, it isn't really music. Who knew that my own dad was such a rock & roll skeptic himself?

I learned lots of stuff from Grampa Coach. He got me into lots of great classic bands and did a great job at explaining them to me. If a man's music is what makes a man, my dad kinda rocks.

some thoughts on the music of canada

Nobody cares about what's popular in America. No matter what country you're in, chances are, you're listening to it. Canada is pretty much the same, I guess... but unfortunately, most of what gets recorded in Canada stays in Canada.
I was 7 years old and the first song I ever loved was "One Week" by the Barenaked Ladies. I thought it was funny. Throughout my childhood, my family accumulated the band's complete discography. They had some hits in the US, but they are legitimately heroes of Canadian radio. 1-Because they're Canadian. 2-They think it's funny. These are hilarious reasons for a band to reach nationwide strardom, but this is Canada. Sometimes it's easy to forget what real Canadian music is all about: FREEDOM.

America has this legitimate concept that freedom is to be fought for. Canada believes in freedom too. But they believe it's a mindset; an atmosphere. You live in a country that doesn't nobody hates and you don't hate any other countries. There's plenty of open space. You're born free. Sometimes freedom isn't the sound of a Dixie band playing 1930's John Philip Sousa marches, nor does it sound like 3 Doors Down (but I guess even Canada loves Nickelback). Freedom can be expressed through fresh, unique instrumentation and lyrical exemption. And here we have the clarity, depression and bizarre spirituality of Leonard Cohen. Here we have the jazz-influenced, peace-loving  Joni Mitchell. Here we have the ragged personality and overtly political Neil Young. Here we have the story-telling and beautiful layering of The Band.
I guess there was a dry period for Canadian music. The UK and the US definitely had some musical edge during the 70s and 80s in order to fight their conservative leadership. Meanwhile, Rush was secretly among the most sonic, ambitious prog-rock bands ever. Cowboy Junkies is probably my pick for "most-Canadian-sounding" band from the 1980s, tying in the young genre of alternative rock with their more obvious Canadian folk influences.
I'm not going to say anything about the Tragically Hip or Bryan Adams.
The 1990s was a rebirth decade for Canadian music, at least among Canadians. Walk into a Canadian supermarket and you're bound to hear stuff by Sarah McLachlan, Alanis Morissette or the Barenaked Ladies. McLachlan was the baroque pop version of Joni, Morissette was a hippie, and BnL was (at one point) a good ol' zany Canadian folk band.
The past 15 years have been great for Canada on a critical scale. Arcade Fire brought some unique grandiosity with raw, powerful classical instrumentation. Broken Social Scene used instrumental variety to represent the sorrows and joys of youth, and has since blessed us with great side projects. The New Pornographers were an indie pop band unafraid to cover intellectual topics. The 00s belonged to Montreal and I feel like the 10s will belong to Vancouver.
The past of Canada's music history is unfortunately taken for granted here in the states (On the Beach, The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Music from Big Pink, Songs of Love and Hate, ETC). But the future of Canadian music full of hope and, yes, freedom.

The 90s According to Scott: SONGS

I never thought I'd make this list, but these are probably my 10 Favorite Songs Of The 90s, or The 10 Greatest Songs Of The 90s, or The 10 Most 90s Songs Of The 90s.
Before I list off, you all should know I (like most people who were alive in the 90s) have biases toward alternative rock and against anything that makes you dance. Also, I understand this list is missing plenty of important things: A catchy  Britpop song, So Cal gangsta rap, "Losing My Religion," any given track from Loveless, etc, etc. Anyways. Here it go.

10:CAR  Built To Spill (94)
Doug Martsch is one of my favorite all-time guitarists. The first half of There Is Nothing Wrong With Love is this boy's introduction to how to play some sick guitar on a low budget. PS- he's from Idaho.
9:UNFINISHED SYMPATHY  Massive Attack (91)
I figured I should add some track that represents all the chill trip-hop music from the 90s. This music seems to be everywhere these days. For the Purists and Everyday Joes alike, there's always Massive Attack.
8:YOU GET WHAT YOU GIVE  The New Radicals (98)
I've seen 3 different lists for best 90s songs, all very different from each other. Yet each list has a spot reserved for this song at around #100. Each one! That's because they're all afraid to rank it higher.
7:BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY  The Verve (97)
Personally, I think being from England in the 90s automatically meant you were futuristic and cool and probably wore sunglasses everywhere. Universally, this is a darn good song.
6:1979  The Smashing Pumpkins (95)
#datriff  #goosebumps  #errtime
5:JUICY  The Notorious B.I.G (94)
My favorite 90s hip-hop album is probably Nas's Illmatic. It had a meek, humble personality. This song has all the "started-from-the-bottom" humility, but Biggy shows 0% meekness. When you're Big, you're big.
4:FAKE PLASTIC TREES and/or PARANOID ANDROID  Radiohead (95/97)
Scott! These are 2 totally different songs here from 2 totally different albums! You can only choose 1! Every depressing song for the last 20 years or every band who pretends to sound weird/cool for the last 20 years! Actually... I'll leave this one up to you guys.
3:GOLD SOUNDZ  Pavement (94)
Why isn't this #1? Pavement is my favorite 90s band. This is my favorite song by them. When I saw Pitchfork ranked it #1, I was like- "Whoa, my actual favorite song by my favorite band!" As far as sounding like the 90s, this song captures all the jangly sunshine guitar nostalgia. And, well, Stephen freaking Malkmus.
2:ALL APOLOGIES  Nirvana (93)
Scott, this Nirvana song is ranked really high... and it's not "Smells Like Teen Spirit"... why? Nirvana or no Nirvana, I've always loved this riff. I also love how the lyrics represent an external reality to pain or care... which is actually the Buddhist definition of the state of Nirvana... and what made the 90s fun.
1:LOSER  Beck (94)
In 1998, the Barenaked Ladies got a #1 song in the U.S strictly because they rapped about Chinese chicken. When Beck made "Loser," he wasn't trying to make money. He was from lazy LA, he had an extremely low budget and his music influences ranged from Sonic Youth to classic blues to Bob Dylan to 80s hip-hop. This song is cheap, random, cool and fun. Aside from any grunge band, this is what the 90s sounded like.

My 2 Favorite Songs of 2014 (6 mo's early)

This year, I have an obvious pick for a favorite album. Someone would have to release a masterpiece to beat it out in my book. This album is by Sun Kil Moon and it's called Benji.

So I rarely give songs the kind of treatment I give albums. I like ranking albums on a critical level. More importantly, I can enjoy listening to them. Songs are different. When I hear one, I have to hear at least a couple more to fill emotionally fulfilled. And critically, I rarely say I like one song more than another. My favorite tracks from the last 5 years are "Holocene" by Bon Iver and Destroyer's "Kaputt." After that, I can't rank them. But this is 2014 and I'm 23 years old and at this time in my life, I need Benji. 

I was also going to write about "I Can't Live Without My Mother's Love" (a rugged, 46 year-old man confesses his deep love for his mom) and "Carissa" (capturing the beauty, the realities and the fragility of the death of a loved one), but perhaps I'll save those for another day. To spare your time no longer (and in no ranked order), here are my 2 favorite songs of 2014.

I WATCHED THE FILM THE SONG REMAINS THE SAME

I listened to classic rock and was unaware of any new music at all for a year or 2 in middle school. I wanted to play guitar like Jimmy Page and started playing around 7th grade. Like Mark Kozelek, "I learned to play guitar while everyone else was throwin' around a football." Also like Mark, I too was "always a melancholia kid" and after so many years, I still "cannot shake the melancholia." There's a certain aesthetic for me when I watch a movie I loved when I was younger. It brings back other memories from that age. There's 1 ringing xylophone note played about halfway through the song that shines like a light from an old projector. Throughout its 10:30 length, there's a *ahem* "really pretty" acoustic guitar part that repeatedly cycles like a projector reel. Every verse tells a different story. Zeppelin. His sadness. His love for the music world. Beating up a kid when he was younger. People who have died in his life. The man who gave him a recording contract. ETC. The song outros with a Led Zeppelin III-esque mandolin part. Then it just ends so suddenly; like someone abruptly took the needle off the record player. This is a very sad song. But mostly just beautiful. There are a couple of breaks from the cycling guitar for some heavenly backing vocals reminiscent of the outro to "Going To California." I guess we all have some sad memories. "If anything close to me at all in the world died... to my heart, forever it would be tied. I'll go to my grave with my melancholia & my ghost will echo my sentiments for all eternity."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbO2gvkTix4&hd=1

MICHELINE 

The scariest song on the album just finished and there's on 2 tracks left. Chances are, we've reached the climax, right? "Richard Ramirez Died Today Of Natural Causes" me be Benji's darkest moment, but "Micheline" is the most joyous. Very few songs in the world make me smile like this one. He talks about "feeling somewhere between happy and sad," yet for me, there's no sadness here at all. This song is the sound of children playing in the yard across the street from your porch rocking chair on a summer night. Each verse tells a different story. He starts off telling about the mentally handicap girl who lived down the street from him in his youth. He then reminisces of his old friend Brett who passed away in 1999. The last 2 verses cover fond memories with his grandma, mostly from when he was very young. He recalls the first time he ever saw an ocean, a hummingbird, the movie Benji. Despite some bittersweet moments brought up, everything about this song makes me happy. Like when you cry tears of joy at a small town funeral. He spouts out a lifespan of memories in a *ahem* "very short" 6 minutes. And if it's any consolation, I love the few piano notes added in. Like "Carissa," this song reminds us that life is so fragile and so beautiful. Your grandma deserves a song. So does your mom. And your friend Brett. And the handicapped girl down the road. "She had dreams like everyone else."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvNAHBI1V4o&hd=1

Beck Show (stats)

THE CROWD
I was very close and was practically moshing the entire time- not in a moshpit- just trying to stand. We were all just trying to stand and dance and maybe move a little closer. I have never ever ever sweat so much in my entire life. It was blatantly nuts. Beck told us about 3 times to step back and take care of each other. I had drunk guys dancing with me. I single-handedly saved a crowd surfer. I also dropped one. I found some chick's purse. One guy offered me a smoke. Some teenager was yelling "I just smoked pot for the first time!" I was physically covered in other people's bodies, but I wasn't tiny guy. I was a contributing factor to the crew. Despite my closeness, all my pictures sucked. 9.5/10
THE TALENT
Lots of people around me were making of Future Islands lead singer (Sam Herring), but he is possibly the greatest stage performer I have seen in my entire life. He's crying on stage. His sweat changed the color of his shirt by the end of the show. His vocal styles range from David Bowie to Peter Gabriel to Tom Waits to James Hetfield. A beautiful voice. His body covers the entire stage with pure energy and emotion. The actual main act was alright too, I guess. 8.5/10 (perfect 10 for Sam Herring)
THE SETLIST
Beck played 5 songs from his most lazy album, Guero. However, they were a buncha staright-up electronica dance tracks and they sounded freaking great live. Started with "Devil's Haircut." He played "Debra," which I really really wanted him to play secretly. He also played "Minus," which was freaking bonkers. He played 4 songs from his new (and kinda boring) album. But they were actually my favorite tracks from the album. Everyone toked up during "Wave." The prolonged closer "Where It's At" was perfectly fine. (especially since he broke out his harmonica with "One Foot In The Grave" somewhere in the middle). Played nothing from Mutations. He looked confused while the crowd was still going nuts during during "Lost Cause." And screw it, he played "Debra." 10/10
THE CHARACTER
I showed up dressed in my "2-turnables-and-a-microphone" Beck shirt and a bucket hat and fake Kanye-Graduation shades. I tried to reflect his 90s personality. His personality has been a lot more musically boring recently, but that didn't show in the live show. He namely stuck with the bangers. He brought out this vox-speaking, handheld robot that reminded he's probably kept since the Odelay tour. There were a couple of noise-rock breakdowns, which is a refreshing live experience. He's not the same "I'm high and I don't give a f***" guy he used to be. In fact, I think he's sobered up and positive. But I could tell he's got a lot on his mind. He knows people think of him as the king of alternative rock (the guitarist looked like Danger Mouse). He's old, but he's not giving into any categories just yet. 9.5/10
THE ENERGY
Everybody wants to sound loud. Beck can definitely do that. But there were a couple of reminders during the show that he is also "The Enchanting Wizard Of Rythm." "Beercan," "Where It's At," "The New Pollution." The few slow songs he played were atmospheric enough. The fact that a quarter of these songs were from Guero kinda bugged me, but they are very easy to dance to. Also, this entire blog is based off a quote from "Loser."   9.5/10
OVERALL
This was probably the best show I've ever been to.

20 Years of Wilco: SONGS

One of my all-time personal favorite bands is 20 years old this year (for-reals, they started recording in 1994). Their lead singer's releasing his first solo album this week and the band still tours. I thought it'd be appropriate to list my 20 favorite songs by them. Good ol' WILCO.
You must listen to all these songs!

20--'Dawned On Me' (2011)
19--'Sunken Treasure' (1996) This song is the basic format for what makes Wilco "Wilco." Acoustic guitars getting slowly drowned out by noise. This songsmith is a talent that separates these guys from everybody else.  
18--'Born Alone' (2011)
17--'I Must Be High' (1995)
16--'Spiders (Kidsmoke)' (2004)
15--'I Got You (At The End Of The Century)' (1996) This will definitely be played at my wedding. My wife is likely to like it.
14--'Reservations' (2002) This is the most gorgeously freaking depressing song of all time. The perfect album closer.
13--'You & I' (ft. Feist) (2009)
12--'Heavy Metal Drummer' (2002) Listen closely. The song sounds basic, but within its 3 minutes, they actually cram in a ton of instruments.
11--'Can't Stand It' (1999)
10--'Impossible Germany' (2007) #datsolo
9--'She's A Jar' (1999) This song captures what I call "front yard paranoia," a perfected theme on Summerteeth.
8--'Handshake Drugs' (2004)
7--'California Stars' (w/Billy Bragg) (1998) Written by Woody Guthrie!
6--'A Shot In The Arm' (1999)
5--'Jesus, Etc.' (2002) Best song title/Best song 
4--'I Am Trying To Break Your Heart' (2002) So basically, all the top 4 songs have the same format as this one (the "Sunken Treasures" formula).
3--'Misunderstood' (studio and/or live version) (1996/2005) This song is pure Americana.
2--'Via Chicago' (1999) The strings sampling on this track is a miracle.
1--'Poor Places' (2002) As I made this list, I realized I've never heard a song like this one before. It's the climax to my favorite album of all time, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Music as layered as this can turn out sloppy, but 'Poor Places' turns out being something beautiful and memorable... And by the end, something very noisy.