Wednesday, August 27, 2008

I Woke Up To Molten Light



A superb video created by the musician himself!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Turbo and Ozone

What better way to celebrate the U.S. men's basketball gold victory than these two, totally sweet videos!



Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Pacific Ocean Blue

Dennis Wilson
Pacific Ocean Blue (Legacy Edition)
(June 17, 2008 - Sony Legacy)

Damn! This album is crazy good and has had me mesmerized from the start. I wanted to get something up for my five readers before I head to Chicago for Lollapalooza, and here it is. The talk of the town--Dennis Wilson's reissue of Pacific Ocean Blue.

Dennis Wilson led one hell of an interesting life--from being a founding member of the Beach Boys, living with Charles Manson, dating Christine McVie (of Fleetwood Mac), to starring in movies. Unfortunately, his "fast life" sent him spiralling out of control and would be his demise. In some circles he was simply regarded as the "troubled alcoholic drummer."

The album was originally released in August of 1977 but was never widely received. It was the first solo project from any member of the Beach Boys, and the only officially-released album made by Dennis. As is often the case, only years later is it widely regarded as the finest solo album from any of the Beach Boys. Aquarius put it best:
...the overall feel of Pacific Ocean Blue marks the end of that vibrant sun-dappled seventies west-coast sound; a coke and whiskey sunset to the sunrise wake-and-bake of David Crosby's If I Can Only Remember My Name.
With that being said, this will appeal to anyone with even a passing interest in The Beach Boys.

Quotes from Dennis Wilson:

"They say I live a fast life. Maybe I just like a fast life. I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. It won’t last forever, either. But the memories will."

"I give everything I have away. What I am wearing and what’s in that suitcase is it. I don’t even have a car. I have a 1934 Dodge pick-up truck which someone gave me. I could have anything I want. I just have to go out and get it. If it’s worth having, it’s worth giving. The smile you send out will return to you!"


Tracklisting:

Disc: 1
1. River Song
2. What’s Wrong
3. Moonshine
4. Friday Night
5. Dreamer
6. Thoughts Of You
7. Time
8. You And I
9. Pacific Ocean Blues
10. Farewell My Friend
11. Rainbows
12. End Of The Show
13. Tug Of Love (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
14. Only With You (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
15. Holy Man (Instrumental) (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
16. Mexico (Previously Unreleased bonus track)

Disc: 2
1. Under The Moonlight (Previously Unreleased)
2. It’s Not Too Late (Previously Unreleased)
3. School Girl (Previously Unreleased)
4. Love Remember Me (Previously Unreleased)
5. Love Surrounds Me (Previously Unreleased)
6. Wild Situation (Previously Unreleased)
7. Common (Previously Unreleased)
8. Are You Real (Previously Unreleased)
9. He’s A Bum (Previously Unreleased)
10. Cocktails (Previously Unreleased)
11. I Love You (Previously Unreleased)
12. Constant Companion (Previously Unreleased)
13. Time For Bed (Previously Unreleased)
14. Album Tag Song (Previously Unreleased)
15. All Alone
16. Piano Variations On Thoughts Of You (Previously Unreleased)
17. Holy Man (Taylor Hawkins Version Previously Unreleased bonus track)

Download Pacific Ocean Blue
Recommended Tracks: Definitely Everything on Disc 1

MP3: Dennis Wilson - “What's Wrong”

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill

Grouper
Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill
(June 10, 2008 - Type Records)

Tonight, I've been working on capturing some of the footage I shot in Guatemala. It has taken me a lot longer than I had anticipated--maybe because I have gotten a little too meticulous about the process. In any case, I've been listening to the new Grouper album while doing so and it is quickly becoming one of my favorite albums of 2008.

Portland's Liz Harris is the talented musician behind Grouper, and Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill marks her 4th proper release, and in my humble opinion her best to date. Once you get past the disturbing cover art and title, you'll find the psych-folk aesthetic to be as good as it gets. Haunting, yet soothing, vocals under the stripped down guitar and looped recordings will quickly move you into a deep and relaxed state. Great for late night, rainy, dreamy, just before bed, isolated and quiet, reading, or contemplating sort of music. Long bus rides would also be good. Heck, it's damn good listening anytime.

Tracklisting:

1. Disengaged
2. Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping
3. Stuck
4. When We Fall
5. Traveling Through A Sea
6. Fishing Bird (Empty Gutted In The Evening Breeze)
7. Invisible
8. I’m Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill
9. A Cover Over
10. Wind And Snow
11. Tidal Wave
12. We’ve All Gone To Sleep

Download Dragging a Dead Deer Up A Hill

MP3: Grouper - “Heavy Water/I'd Rather Be Sleeping”


This is a beautiful video from an EP that Grouper did with Xiu Xiu in 2006. The name of the song is called "In Dreams." Absorb!

Monday, July 7, 2008

Sunset Show On The Edge Of San Francisco Way Down By The Water Bay


Sorry if the map isn't large enough to clearly follow.

The show looks like it's going to be really fun. BYOB; the last B is for blanket, obviously.

The spot looks like it's right off 3rd St., near a cement factory, and some dirt pyramids. Go figure. According to the map, it's walking distance from the T.

Here is a better look using Google Earth.


View Larger Map

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Prism Of Eternal Now

White Rainbow
Prism of Eternal Now
(August 7, 2007 - Kranky)

Shit! I can't believe it's been about 5 months since I last touched this blog; not that anybody has noticed. I've been jones'n to write lately. I just returned from a month-long excursion all over Guatemala and have a little free time on my hands. I first bought this album in January (I think) and it has quietly become the sleeper hit in my collection. I constantly come back for more.

Adam Forkner, otherwise known as White Rainbow, is contributing to an already prominent music scene in Portland, Oregon. He runs the Yarnlazer cd-r label with his girlfriend, Honey Owens [Valet], a damn-good musician in her own right. He defintely dabbles in a minimalistic mindset, and is clearly influenced by the pioneer of the minimalistic school of thought, Terry Riley (even recorded a track in his honor). Don't be scared off by the length of the tracks, or the long, single-note drones. It's blissful.

White Rainbow will be playing in San Francisco July 16th. The venue has yet to be announced, but according to Mr. Forkner's website (or blog?) it will be, "somewhere within the city, but remote and strange and awesome." It's not to be missed!

Tracklisting:
  1. Pulses
  2. Middle
  3. For Terry
  4. Mystic Prism
  5. April 25th 11:14PM
  6. Warm Clicked Fruit
  7. Guitars
  8. Waves
  9. Awakening
Download Prism of Eternal Now
Recommended Tracks: "Pulses" "For Terry"

MP3: White Rainbow - “Pulses”

Friday, February 8, 2008

Distortion

The Magnetic Fields
Distortion
(January 15, 2008 - Nonesuch)

I have to be honest, I don't think I like The Magnetic Fields all that much. Well, that might not be a fair statement to make considering I had only heard one album prior to this one; that album being i. It didn't do much for me. I mean, it had modest sentimental value because it was given to me as a gift from a girl I was seeing at the time, but frankly, I thought it was pretty boring.

I was discussing this with a friend of mine a few nights ago at my place while we were listening to this album and she said I MUST listen to 69 Love Songs. Apparently it's widely regarded as their best album...thus far. I like to think their newest album, Distortion, will threaten that sentiment.

The Magnetic Fields are headed by singer-songwriter (I know we're all tired of that term) Stephin Merritt. I've got to hand it to him, he is a very good songwriter. His wit and humor, usually about romantic despair, are distributed all over the album. A couple songs that come to mind are California Girls and Too Drunk To Dream. The former, about the superficial beauty of Hollywood, reminds me of some silly parody; sort of like this one. Meanwhile, the latter reeks of self-loathing nicely disguised by clever lyrics and lots of feedback.

You can stream a few songs from Distortion on their Myspace page. Stephin and Co. are currently amidst their first tour since 2004. They will be in San Francisco for a two-night stint at Herbst Theatre on February 28th and 29th. Unfortunately, both shows have already sold out. There's always eBay or Craigslist!

Most, if not all, of their albums are concept albums--this one is no exception. The album is very good and even though it is very early in 2008, I think that Distortion is going to hold up well throughout the year.

Tracklisting:
  1. Three-Way
  2. California Girls
  3. Old Fools
  4. Xavier Says
  5. Mr. Mistletoe
  6. Please Stop Dancing
  7. Drive On, Driver
  8. Too Drunk to Dream
  9. Till the Bitter End
  10. I’ll Dream Alone
  11. The Nun’s Litany
  12. Zombie Boy
  13. Courtesans
Download Distortion
Recommended Tracks: "California Girls," "Old Fools," "Drive On, Driver," "Zombie Boy."

BTW
I'm using a new file-sharing site so if there are any problems let me know. It's slightly more indirect, but allows for larger file sizes.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

I Want My MTV!

I came across these two videos late last night. It was a pleasant surprise to see some good music videos on MTV! I thought that was a thing of the past.

Matt Costa - Mr. Pitiful



Radiohead - Jigsaw Falling Into Place


The guitar player looks a hell-of-a lot like Tom Green in parts of the video.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Erkin Koray/Wooden Shjips

Album CoverErkin Koray
Erkin Koray
(1973 - World Psychedelia Ltd./MIZ)

This is a prime example of the far-reaching influence of psychedelic music of the late '60s/early '70s. Erkin Koray, known as the Turkish Hendrix, is a psychedelic guitar guru and a musical trailblazer for rock 'n' roll in the Middle East. His fusion of traditional Turkish folk and rock created what is now known as Anatolian rock.

Though this is considered Koray's first album, it is actually a collection of singles dating back to 1967. Lots of the songs on the album gorge themselves in acid/psychedelic rock, while others are much more reserved and folky, clearly prior to the psych explosion.
A holy matrimony of East meets West.

Tracklisting:

  1. "Mesafeler" – 3:40
  2. "Askimiz Bitecek" – 3:22
  3. "Yagmur" – 3:41
  4. "Silinmeyen Hatiralar" – 4:11
  5. "Istemem" – 3:29
  6. "Çiçek Dagi" – 2:39
  7. "Nihansin Dideden" – 4:05
  8. "Sana Birseyler Olmuş" – 3:08
  9. "Seni Her Gördügümde" – 3:22
  10. "Aska Inanmiyorum" – 3:34
  11. "Kizlari Da Alin Askere" – 3:32
  12. "Anma Arkadaş" – 4:04

Download Erkin Koray

MP3: Erkin Koray - “Mesafeler”
MP3: Erkin Koray - “Sana Birseyler Olmuş”

In other news, the San Franciscan quartet Wooden Shjips (and no that's not a typo) will be playing tonight at the Independent. While visiting their Myspace page last night I noticed they placed Erkin Koray in the coveted, "Number One Friend" spot, or whatever it's called. That was the inspiration for this post. They released their debut album on the highly respectable, and Santa Cruz-based, Holy Mountain label late last year. Support local music! (As I give you their stuff for free! Oh, the irony.)

Download Wooden Shjips
MP3: Wooden Shjips - “We Ask You To Ride”




Friday, January 25, 2008

Liars/No Age

This is sort of last minute. I'm going to try and make it short and sweet because it's really late and I shouldn't even be writing this.

Liars are coming off their eponymous fourth album, while No Age have created lots of excitement with their quality debut titled, Weirdo Rippers.

No Age is from Los Angeles and recently joined forces with countercultural publisher Arthur Magazine to present an "L.A. River Beautification Meeting," a.k.a. the band played by the river and everyone smoked lots of pot. No, but really, the purpose of the gig was to celebrate public space and nature among the urban sprawl. Too bad the rangers didn't see it that way. They saw to it that the celebration ended prematurely. Below is a clip of the show at its peak.



Liars and No Age will be playing together at Slim's tonight. The show is going to be fast and loud, so if that's not how you want to spend your Friday night then you'd be wise to skip this one. For the rest of you, the show will satisfy your craving for art-rock noise. Let's hope their shows are equally as impressive as their albums.

MP3: Liars - “Freak Out”

MP3: No Age - “Neck Escaper”

Thursday, January 17, 2008

5.18.98 - BOTH

Elliott Smith
Live @ Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco
(May 18th, 1998)

I think it's safe to say that most everyone has gone through a phase with Elliott Smith in which his music dominates your CD player, record player, iPod, and your life basically . And, I'm sure for some of you his music is more than a phase, but rather a lifelong-love affair. His lyrics were so personal they seemed to be able to strike a chord with people across-the-board. It didn't always feel like you were really listening to his music; instead it was like you were commiserating a troubled soul.

Elliott, who changed his name from Steve because he thought it sounded too much like a "jock" name, began having traumatic flashbacks of his step-father sexually abusing him while he was a kid. Nobody can confirm whether he was sexually abused as a child, not even Elliott, who was never positive that his flashbacks stemmed from reality. Some people have suggested that Elliott suffered from false memory syndrome. Either way it's certain that his drug and alcohol addiction played a key role in his deteriorative mental state.

I found this album while browsing through the Internet Archive website. The website provides lots of live bootlegs from musicians all over the world; though some of the files can be low quality. Luckily, this one of Elliott performing at BOTH is one the best. Elliott Smith did lots of Beatles covers during his shows, and in this one he does a pretty good job covering John Lennon's, "Jealous Guy." Although he almost forgot the lyrics about 3/4 of the way through, he calmly recovered and finished it off nicely.

It is soon to be five years since the mysterious passing of Elliott Smith. For those of us living in the Bay Area, there will be an Elliott Smith photography exhibit opening February 28th at Queens Nails Annex. If anybody wants to join me let me know.

Tracklisting:

1) Angeles
2) Division Day
3) Waltz #2
4) Clementine
5) St. Ides Heaven
6) Between the Bars
7) Alameda
8) Rose Parade
9) Oh Well, Ok
10) Needle in the Hay
11) Jealous Guy
12) Say Yes
13) Pictures of Me
14) I'm So Tired
15) Bled White
16) A Question Mark
17) Southern Belle
18) Coming Up Roses
19) The Biggest Lie


Download Elliott Smith - Live at Bottom of the Hill (5.18.98)
Recommended Tracks: "Angeles," "Waltz #2," "Between the Bars," "Jealous Guy," "Say Yes"

BTW
I couldn't upload Faces in the Rocks because the file size was too big. You're just going to have to check it out on your own. The song below will give you an idea of what her music is all about.


MP3: Mariee Sioux - “Wizard Flurry Home”



Sunday, January 6, 2008

Thursday @ GAMH

Entrance
Prayer of Death
(October 2006 - Tee Pee Records)

You know how sometimes you listen to a record for the very first time and you know instantly you're going to love it? This is one of those records. I listen to this album habitually and I never seem to tire of it.

Entrance is the musical moniker used by Baltimore native Guy Blakeslee. Being left handed, Guy has adapted by playing the guitar upside-down. Upside-down, hmmm? Anybody in particular come to mind? Indeed, Jimi's influence is readily felt in Entrance's music. Guy claims to be a huge fan of musicians such as Sandy Bull, Jimi, Can, and the enigma that is Yahowa 13. The dude even hooked up with Cat Power. I don't know how I can still like the guy, but I do.

For those of you still keeping track of musical genres, this might fall under the psychedelic rock category, though that's pigeonholing it for sure. It definitely has a blues feel to it, as well as a strong Middle Eastern vibe (track three features the sitar).

Entrance will be performing this Thursday at the Great American Music Hall. Despite how great this album is, it doesn't do their live show justice. They are one of the best live acts around. It's strange that they haven't received the proper accolades that they most definitely deserve.

Tracklisting:

1) Grim Reaper Blues
2) Silence of a Crowded Train
3) Requiem for Sandy Bull (R.I.P)
4) Valium Blues
5) Pretty Baby
6) Prayer of Death
7) Lost in the Dark
8) Never Be Afraid!

Co-headlining is Mariee Sioux who released a wonderful album entitled Faces In The Rocks in '07. One of my favorites of the year. I hope to get around to posting about her before Thursday. She's worth the price of admission alone. It's going to be amazing people! Be there!

Download Prayer of Death
Recommended Tracks: All of Them. Seriously!

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Juno

Juno - OST
(January 8th, 2008 - Rhino Records)

I saw this movie with my moms during my recent visit and we both walked out with a smile on our faces. It was such a charming movie due in large part to Ellen Page's performance. You really have to try not to like her. The writing was excellent; very witty.
At first I wasn't sure I was going to like the movie because the dialogue was a little too over-the-top for my liking. Using cheesy-ass slang to get by. But as the movie went on they eased up on it.

Music plays a big part in Juno's life, thus the soundtrack is embraced often in the movie. It is an excellent collection of songs that seem to be a good fit for the theme of the movie. It also introduced me to a singer named Kimya Dawson who was in a band called the Moldy Peaches (who are also on the album). The musical aspect of her craft isn't what grabs you, quickly strummed acoustic guitar chords, rather it's her engaging lyrics. Here are two I liked:

If I'm a spinster for the rest of my life
my yarns will keep me warm
on cold and lonely nights

When I saw Genevieve I really liked it when she said
what she said about the giant and the lemmings on the cliff
she said 'I like giants, especially girl giants
'cause all girls feel too big sometimes, regardless of their size'

Those lyrics came from the songs, "Tire Swing" and "I Like Giants", respectively. She's also socially conscious and expresses her points of view in songs like "Loose Lips" and "12/26" - a song about the 2004 tsunamis.
My favorite track on the album is Sonic Youth's cover of the Carpenters song, "Superstar." It's beautiful and brooding at the same time. Just the way I like it.

Tracklisting:

1) All I Want Is You - Barry Louis Polisar
2) Rollercoaster - Kimya Dawson
3) A Well Respected Man - The Kinks
4) Dearest - Buddy Holly
5) Up The Spout - Mateo Messina
6) Tire Swing - Kimya Dawson
7) Piazza, New York Catcher - Belle And Sebastian
8) Loose Lips - Kimya Dawson
9) Superstar - Sonic Youth
10) Sleep - Kimya Dawson
11) Expectations - Belle And Sebastian
12) All The Young Dudes - Mott The Hoople
13) So Nice So Smart -Kimya Dawson
14) Sea Of Love - Cat Power
15) Tree Hugger - Kimya Dawson And Antsy Pants
16) I'm Sticking With You - Velvet Underground
17) Anyone Else But You - The Moldy Peaches
18) Vampire - Antsy Pants
19) Anyone Else But You - Ellen Page And Michael Cera

Download Juno - OST
Recommended Tracks: "All I Want Is You," "Superstar," "All the Young Dudes," "Sea of Love," "I'm Sticking With You," "Anyone Else But You."