29 in 2009 - The Smiths: "The Queen Is Dead"

The Smiths: The Queen is Dead

Originally Released: June 16, 1986

Genre: Alternative Rock

Rating: 6 out of 10

Not putting a lot of thought into this article. Just writing what comes to my head. You have been warned.

I don't love this album. It's hard for me to say that I even like it. I'm giving it a 6 out of 10 simply because as far as 80s music goes, it's not half bad. But really, when I'm done writing this piece, I'll never listen to it again. It's not really my style of music, and in my opinion, there's not a great piece of music on the thing. It's best song is "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side," and there are a few comparable tracks on there as well. Unfortunately, nothing stands out. Nothing infects me or gets stuck in my head. Everything is pretty much straightforward, and nothing is special.

So this is my biggest complaint with the album. And it's the one thing that I can't get over. Every time a song starts playing, I start to wonder if I'd be better off just skipping ahead to the next song. Even the good ones get boring and repetitive half way through. Morrissey just annoys me after a while.

Is there anything positive for me to say about this album. Probably, but I just can't think of anything overwhelmingly positive about it. It's a "meh" album through and through. Nothing special about it. That's my opinion.

I don't feel like writing any more about it. Goodbye forever, album.

Verdict: Nope

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29 in 2009 - The Beatles: "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Originally Released: June 1, 1967

Genres: Rock, Psychedelic Rock

Rating: 8 out of 10 Stars

So here it is, the album which makes it to the top of nearly every best-ever list. Quite a daunting thing for the average blogger to review without mentioning the cultural/historical impact of the record. But then again, I am not the average blogger - so I won't mention it.

Taken out of the context of the era, where The Beatles were in their career, and how influential it became, Sgt. Pepper's is still a wonderful album! And yes, believe it or not, this was my first time to ever listen to the album - ever! The only song on this album that I had previously heard was "Getting Better" which I believe I saw on a TV advertisement. Weak sauce, sure. I understand this. I am a failed music blogger.

Despite this, I would say I'm at least passingly familiar with The Beatles' earlier, poppier, more-commercial work. It is with that passing familiarity that I've always said, "Meh, I'm just not much of a Beatles fan." Blasphemy!! Cue the pitchforks and torches. Well, Sgt. Pepper's is far removed from the band's earlier career, and I like it all the better because of this.

My personal breakdown, interjected into this middle of this article for kicks:

Great Songs

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (Track 1 & Reprise)

"Getting Better"

"She's Leaving Home"

"When I'm Sixty-Four"

"Lovely Rita"

"A Day in the Life"

Good Songs

"A Little Help From My Friends"

"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"

"Fixing a Hole"

Okay Songs

"Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite"

Bad Songs

"Within You Without You"

"Good Morning, Good Morning"

I'm sure someone could argue with me about the value of "Within You Without You." Someone could also argue the value of "2 Girls 1 Cup," and honestly I'd be more-inclined to listen to this that. It's just not a very good song. Unique and experimental, absolutely! Just not good.

I once read a review (perhaps from AMG, not sure) that compared Of Montreal's The Gay Parade to this album, and I certainly see the similarities. Of Montreal is my favorite band, mind you, so listening to this album was a long-awaited treat. Of course, I prefer The Gay Parade due to its consistency in tone and, in my opinion, perfect tracklist; but Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is still a fantastic album! What The Gay Parade lacks in variety, musicality and polish, it has in spades. Both are classic albums, and I'm happy to have finally listened to both of them.

I'm also happy that the next time someone searches for "2 girls 1 cup" and "the beatles" in google, I'll likely be the top result! Score!!!

Verdict: Classic

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Get Yr Doo Doo Face On!

I try to treat all bands equally - I really do - but sometimes the prejudice side of me just comes out. It's in situations such as these that I like to give special treatments to bands that I absolutely "luuuuuv." Exhibit A: that Top 40 List of Of Montreal songs from last year. Exhibit B: this shameless plugging of the new Wallpaper album, DooDoo Face.

Wallpaper, the Oakland R&B/Pop duo has been a staple on my iPod for the last year or so, ever since I got a promo copy of their T-Rex EP. I had to go out and buy the somewhat disappoint remix album myself, and this morning I paid for a copy of the first single from DooDoo Face, titled "I've Got Soul, I'm So Wasted." The song was just released today on iTunes for the obvious price of $.99 and it was well worth the price.

Yeah, I know this sounds like I'm being paid to write this up. I'm not. Actually, I'm just really psyched about this album, and I think more people need to know about this group!! Do yourself a favor and download the T-Rex EP and the new single from iTunes. It won't put you back too far, and you'll listen to it for ages! Pinky promise.

Various Wallpaper items below...

Tour Dates:
08/21/09 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
08/22/09 - Los Angeles, CA @ Blow Up LA (3 Year Anniversary Party)
08/28/09 - Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar
08/29/09 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Standard (DIM MAK Pool Party)
09/04/09 - Oakland, CA @ Art Murmur (FREE SHOW)
09/18/09 - Edmonton, AB @ Pawn Shop
09/19/09 - Clagary, AB @ Hifi Club
09/23/09 - San Diego, CA @ Beauty Bar (DOODOO FACE Release Party)
09/25/09 - Hollwood, CA @ Bardot (DOODOO FACE Release Party)
09/26/09 - San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop (DOODOO FACE Release Party)
10/01/09 - Austin, TX @ Beauty Bar (ACL Pre-Party)
10/03/09 - Brooklyn, NY @ Cameo Gallery (DOODOO FACE Release Party)

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29 in 2009: Cast Your Vote for the Final 9 Albums!

[UPDATE:] I've fixed the 3rd poll. You can now choose up to 3, rather than just 1.

It's time, folks! If you recall, back in May I asked the readers of Audio Overflow which albums should I feature in the final 9 entries in the 29 in 2009 series. Below it the fruit of your labor...another opportunity for you to decide which albums will be chosen. Granted, this time things will be a bit more definite, but still.

So the rules are easy. Pick up to 3 albums in each of the polls below. The 9 albums with the highest votes will be entered into the 29 in 2009 series. In the event of a tie, I'll be the deciding vote.

So get to clickin', people. Voting ends when it ends. And remember, an artist will only appear once in this series, so vote for your favorite Pink Floyd album...not all of them!

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

Online Surveys & Market Research

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29 in 2009 - Miles Davis: "Bitches Brew"

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew

Originally Released: April 1970

Genres: Jazz, Fusion, Experimental

Rating: ? out of 10

Early 2oth-century jazz: THAT I get. This stuff: not so much.

If that swingin', ragtime-esque jazz from the 1920s is in fact jazz, this stuff is not. It's like calling Nickelback "rock n roll." No, Buddy holly and Elvis were rock n roll, you guys make really mindless, uncreative modern rock! There's a difference. And it may just be an evolution of the genre, but at some point you have to draw a line and say, "This is no longer the same thing. This is something entirely different." So again, I say:

Jazz I get. Bitches Brew, I do not.

Cool your jets though. That's not to say that I completely dislike what I'm hearing. I actually think that this is a fantastic album when listened to in the right state of mind. Right state of mind: needing some background music to cleaning, writing, whatever. Wrong (well, misguided) state of mind: wanting to dissect and analyze music that is probably far beyond what you can grasp without a degree in music theory.

See, I could've spent months listening to this album, reading up on other peoples' interpretation of what the hell is actually going on, and then coming up with my own unique interpretation. But I chose to take it at face value. I'm happy with that decision because while some people may find such endeavors rewarding, it probably would've ruined this album for me.

Really the only distracting thing about the record - apart from its 1 1/2 hour length - is that I kept thinking that Miles' trumpet playing sounds a lot like the music on Sim City 4. Somehow I doubt many others will be bothered by this. So with that, I can do no less than award Bitches Brew my coveted "classic" verdict if only for the fact that it was indeed groundbreaking and a catalyst for an entirely new generation of artists willing to think outside the realm of what people considered possible or acceptable.

Verdict: Classic

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29 in 2009 - The Allman Brothers Band: "Eat a Peach"

The Allman Brothers Band: Eat a Peach

Originally Released: February 12, 1972

Genres: Rock, Southern Rock, Blues Rock

Rating: 8 out of 10 Stars

So I got the idea several weeks ago to listen to this album in one sit down and to have my write-up of it be a "live blogging" of my first listen. Not as insightful as some other posts, sure, but different. Here goes.

"Ain't Wastin' Time No More" - Already I've felt that I've made the wrong choice here. I should've listened to this album tomorrow. That's what I've been saying for a month now...(1:33) I like the song so far. It's a very soulful rock and roll song. Digs for sure. (3:11) Yep, this is defintely a really good song, and while I'm not familiar with The Allman Brothers Band at all, this is kind of what I imagined them sounding like.

"Les Brers in A Minor" - (0:14) Just looked at the tracklisting and saw that this was 9:07 long. Great! Of course it could be worse (see track 4). (2:01) Is there an old saying that I'm unfamiliar with? "If you can't find a good way to start a song, don't?" (2:56) Yep. Probably. (3:46) Oh great, an entirely different song! Great to know the last 4 minutes weren't completely worthless....(5:47) I guess this is just a random jam song. Good to know. I swear if any singing comes in in minute 8 I'm going to be completely dumfounded! (9:03) Nope. No singing.

"Melissa" - (0:08) This song is on an AT&T commercial. I figured that out in 8 seconds. During the last song I looked up the band on Wikipedia. Turns out that the band's most commercial songs, "Ramblin' Man" and "Jessica" (two good ones, I think) were featured on the next album. Not this one. At least I can say that I know some Allman Brothers Songs though. That's good. (1:50) I know this song too, and I like it a lot. I never knew this was them (I've found myself saying that a lot during this 29 in 2009 thing). (3.30) A really smooth, melancholic song. Good stuff. So far a really good CD.

"Mountain Jam" - This song is 33 minutes long, and according to Wikipedia, originally covered two sides of an LP. (0:35) My gut is telling me to just skip this song or at the very least, take a break from listening to it and finish it some other time. After all, the readers (you) will never know that you didn't do one whole listen. Integrity, people. That's what's keeping me here. On a related note, my Top Album of 2007 was shorter than this song. (2:50) I'm just going to go lay down while this plays. Maybe play some Peggle. (11:29) This is definitely the same band that did "Jessica." That sounds gross. (12:25) Missed a note on the guitar but it's cool cause it's "improvisation" oooh! (19:01) I'm imaging that the rest of the band just went backstage and got super blazed during that 6 minute drum solo. The bass player was the first to finish his pretzel and cheese Combos (they had those then, right?). (21:49) REALLY cool bass stuff going on. You don't hear that often! (22:38) How the heck am I supposed to get 400,000 points on this challenge?!?!? (30:15) I'm very concerned that I still have 5 more tracks to get through. (32:07) I feel like this is a really satisfying jam, though I would've hated to be there when it was recorded. Any time a band breaks out into an extended jam at a show....gosh, I'm just not a fan.

"One Way Out" - (0:38) This is beginning to sound like another jam. (1:05) Lyrics! Yay!! (3:47) At this point the once-awesome guitaring is losing a bit of it's appeal. Still cool, just not as impressive as it was 40 minutes ago. The lyrics on this song and the vocals themselves are not all that impressive either. Of course, I'm not a huge blues fan either.

"Trouble No More" - (0:14) The riff sounds familiar, though I'm not sure if that's just my mind playing tricks on me. This song has a bluesy feel to it as well. (1:18) Already better than the previous song. Much more emotion coming through on this one. Nice.

"Stand Back" - (0:35) I'm really digging the southern rock. This song is fairly bitchin' thus far. (2:04) Oh yes, this song is definitely one to remember; the standout track on the album for me at this point! Has there been a bad song on the album up to this point? Nope. I'm actually surprised by how much I'm enjoying this!!

"Blue Sky" - Sounds like a pretty standard single. *Checks Wikipedia* Nope, but apparently Dickey Betts is singing lead vocals for the first time. That means nothing to me, but hey, fun trivia! (2:15) I'm finding that a lot of the solos for The Allman Brothers Band sound similar. Maybe that's just their style, you know, something that will make them immediately identifiable. It's good. But unvaried. Maybe it evolved more as the band went on. I'm still new to this whole thing.

"Little Martha" - (0:49) Sounds like a Nick Drake song. I can say that now because I've listened to him (thanks, guys). More specifically, I could say that it sounds like Pink Moon-era Drake. (1:43) Assuming this is an instrumental, but it would be cool if someone just said the word "cabbage" right at the end all nonchalantly. (End) Nope.

Verdict: Classic

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Ranking the "Big 3" Music-Streaming Apps for iPhone

So long story short, I purchased my first iPhone recently after months of hesitation and self-debating. As you know, the iPhone comes with the option to install dozens of "apps" that open the device up to all sorts of things. As far as music goes, there are 3 big music apps for the iPhone, all of which are based off of popular websites: Pandora, Last.fm, and iMeem.

I've been spending the last few days growing accustomed to each app in order to determine which works best for me. Below are my findings.

Pandora

Pandora is easily the most popular music streaming app available for the iPhone today. A lot of that has to do with the success of its online counterpart (or the "Music Genome Project"). Pandora was one of the first internet radio sites that intelligently played music based off of artists or songs that you happen to enjoy. The app is no different in this regard. Simply start by entering the name of a band - say, "Modest Mouse" - and Pandora will work its magic from there. You have the option to rate a song "Thumbs Up" or "Thumbs Down." Ranking a song "Thumbs Down" not only will keep you from hearing that song again, but decreases the chance that you'll hear a song like that one as well. It is a very intelligent system, hence its popularity.

Pros:

Intelligent streaming

Ability to bookmark songs for instant playback

"Purchase from iTunes" option

Can change audio quality from "Low" to "High"

"QuickMix" allows you to shuffle all stations.

Cons:

Pop-up ads

Maximum of 6 song skips per hour

Sound quality, even at "High," is not the best

Cannot pick a specific song to play

iMeem

iMeem is sort of the stepchild of the music-streaming services. Of the "Big 3," it is the least used, both on the iPhone and on the regular interwebs. Longtime readers know that I use iMeem to stream songs and playlists in some of my posts, so I am very familiar with the service and its limitations. Like Pandora, iMeem will create a playlist for you based off of an artist or song and allow you to rate artists or songs. Its system is not as intelligent as Pandora's, but it does work. iMeem also has featured stations on its front page (currently "Top 100," "Summertime Jams," "Discover," etc.). Where iMeem stands apart is its "My Music" section that allows you to play specific songs that you have uploaded to your iMeem profile on your computer. Granted, it is limited to what you upload, but if you had a lot of time on your hands you could free up a lot of space on your iPhone by moving a portion of your iTunes library to iMeem. It's an option; no more, no less.

Pros:

"My Music" Section

Featured playlists

"Buy from iTunes" function

Cons:

Pop-up ads

Maximum of 6 song skips per hour

Sound quality is weak sauce

Some lag in between songs

Last.fm

More often than not, I'm listening to my own personal music collection, not internet radio. Last.fm is a great service because it intergrates both. For the unacquainted, Last.fm begins with you installing a small file on your home computer. From here, this file will keep track of every song you listen to on iTunes, WinAmp, your iPod or Zune and then upload that information (called "scrobbling") to Last.fm to keep an accurate account of what you're actually listening to. Last.fm is also a social networking site too, so you can add friends and listen to their music library station as well. Like the other 2 apps, Last.fm allows to play stations based off of your favorite artists (not songs). It also as a pre-made recommendation station that plays songs based on your song library and radio plays. Best of all, the app is like a mini version of the site: complete with friends list, events listings, graphical data on your listening trends, and more!

Pros:

Integration with your full music library, not just your station plays

"Buy from iTunes" function

No pop-ups

No skip per hour limit (I skipped up to 15 without interference)

A fully-functional mobile version of the real thing

No lag in between songs

"My Library" allows to to create a station featuring only songs in your library.

Tells you if the artist you're listening to is on tour, and lets you browse dates.

Cons:

Cannot pick specific songs to play

Audio quality is inconsistent

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Conclusion: For me the choice is clear. Last.fm offers the most options in a music streaming service, provided that you download the Scrobbler from the website and listen to music on your computer or iPod. If you're more of a CD person, you may find Pandora to be more to your liking. Really the only positive to iMeem is the ability to play specific songs that you have uploaded to the site. This is good if you have a collection of obscure artists that the other stations just wouldn't ever play. But as I said, if you really want the most-personalized and multi-faceted music-streaming app, I highly recommend Last.fm.

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