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Saturday, November 03, 2007
Go News Go! - The Weekly News Recap
Hey kids! Please to enjoy the news!
- Download the new Of Montreal tribute album, Aluminum Plums, for FREE!!!
- Everything you could want to know about Sufjan's BQE Extravaganza!
- Sorry, Jeff :(
- The Decemberists
die in fiery automobile accidentcancel shows. - No seriously, how douchy do those guys in the front row look?
- That nursing home needs a curfew.
- The Shins cover Magnetic Fields....really?
- Radiohead sign deal to distribute In Rainbows everywhere but N. America.
- Stars head to Britain in 2008.
- A whole lot of Iron & Wine dates.
- Dear Pitchfork, no one cares!
- Get that subwoofer warmed up...
- Just one more reason to hold off on Rock Band.
Like are we now only spitting eggs.
Friday, November 02, 2007
The Top 5 Live Acts I've Ever Seen!
For the most part, there are a lot of awesome artists that I need to see live; Radiohead, The Decemberists, Joanna Newsom, Bright Eyes, you know, stuff like that. That's the biggest problem with living in Houston (aside from, say, the traffic), even though it's the 4th largest city in the nation, it's a crap music city! As such, a lot of the better indie acts avoid it like the plague. It's not all doom and gloom though. I can still get out there and see a show and enjoy myself, and then go on to make a list based on my experience. That's why I'm bringing this list to you today. Please enjoy the Top 5 Live Acts I've Ever Seen!
#5: The Shins - Generally speaking, The Shins aren't the most entertaining bands to watch. They don't writhe on the floor in extended rock-out sessions or wear funny costumes, nor do they have zany homade instruments and confetti cannons. What makes them such a great live act is the fact that they sound almost exactly like they do on their albums, if not better! Everything you could ever hope for in a Shins show is pretty much given to you without question. Let's face it, when you go to a Shins show, you don't want a bunch of distractions. You just want to jam to their music and have it be perfect. And it is! That's why they made it to #5 on my list. Read a review of my Shins show experience here.#4: Of Montreal - I've seen Of Montreal twice already, and if I didn't have to work tonight I'd be seeing them again (they're playing in Houston again). What makes Of Montreal such a great live band really lies in trial and error I would assume. The band spends probably about 85% of any given year on the road, bringing their indie pop masterpieces to the fans. So you'd have to think that the reason they're so good live is because they do it enough to to know what works and what doesn't. One thing is for sure, Kevin Barnes and Co. know how to get the crowd pumped. Sometimes that means just playing really well, other times that means performing in the nude. Of Montreal will do whatever it takes to get you moving and enjoying their songs, including selling their song to Outback Steakhouse. That kind of devotion to the fans really comes through in a live setting. Read a review of one of my Of Montreal show experiences here.
#3: The New Pornographers - I've been thinking about doing this list for awhile, but I had to wait until today to do it. The reason for that is because I just saw The New Pornographers last night for the first time, and I had a pretty good idea that this list would be incomplete without them. Turns out I was right! The New Pornographers put on one of the most flawless shows I've ever seen last night, complete with driving energy, flawless harmonies, and even a few surprising moments courtesy of Dan Bejar. I have a pretty good feeling that I may have been the only person at the show last night that would put them so high up on my list, but my expecations for the band were huge and they delivered well above what I expected. The band didn't spend a lot of time mingling with the crowd, but they didn't have a lot of time to. They used what time they had wisely, playing their strongest songs from their best albums. It was awesome and I'll definitely be in the front row they next time they swing by. Read a review of my New Pornographers show experience here.
#2: Sufjan Stevens - When it comes to delivering a flawless musical experience in a live setting, no one I've seen has done it better than Sufjan Stevens. When he came to Dallas last year, he brought along a mini orchestra and his usual pack of noisemakers to deliver one of the most awe-inspiring nights of my life! Every note he played on piano, banjo, or guitar was perfect and his voice was just as flawless! He seems a bit awkward on stage, like he doesn't know why he's there but he's going with the flow anyways. Of course, when you're wearing plastic eagle wings on your back, that might just be an expected side-effect. Add in the fact that Shara Worden was there lending a helping hand and just being adorable, and you have an amazing show! I've already said that the next time he comes around that I'm scooping up tickets for everyone I know, but I may take it a step further and buy them for complete strangers as well. It's that important. Read a poorly-written review of my Sufjan show experience here.
#1: The Flaming Lips - At this point, I'm not entirely sure that anything short of a Radiohead concert could top my experience seeing The Flaming Lips just over a month ago. Wayne Coyne can't really carry a tune all that well, but for every missed, cracked note that came from his mouth there were about 30 giant balloons and 800 pounds of confetti. The Lips sure know how to put on a show! From the first note they played to the time they walked off the stage, I was never bored, I never even wanted to leave (a rare thing for me). Every moment, every second was exciting and enthralling. The band really knows how to connect to their fans too, as Wayne would stop and just talk to us for a few minutes in between songs or lead us in explicative cheers! It was the absolute best show I've ever seen, without question. Make it a point to see them if you have the chance. There's no way you'll regret it! Read about my Flaming Lips show experience here.
11/1/07: The New Pornograhers and Spoon - Houston, TX
Technically, Spoon was the headliner last night. They played last, played more songs than any of the other acts, and even did an encore. But if you ask me, The New Pornographers stole the show last night. Of course, if you were to ask me who I showed up to see, I wouldn't tell you I was there to see Spoon. Hell, I don't even like Spoon that much. But November 1, 2007 was a great night even if The New Pornographers weren't the headliners.
The evening began with the real opening act, Emma Pollock. This Scottish singer used to front the band Delgados, but she has since become a rather decent solo artist. This was my first time hearing her material, and I have to admit that I was very impressed with what I heard. She has a thick Scottish accent when in conversation, but it doesn't come through at all when she's singing (and her voice is just great!). Her new album is entitled Watch the Fireworks, and is available now. Last night was also her first encounter with Shiner Bock, and in her words, "It gets a thumbs up from me and the guy in the front row." Good for her!
After about 25 minutes of waiting, The New Pornographers hit the stage (yay!). They opened with "All of the Things That Go to Make Heaven and Earth," a perfect selection. The band played with such energy, that it was absolutely impossible to not get into it. Carl Newman and Neko Case sounded absolutely perfect together, and Katheryn Caler held her own with equally impressive vocals.
I was surprised to see every member of the band there, since the word on the street is that they don't often all tour together. Dan Bejar even made an appearance, though he only came on stage for the songs in which he lends his vocals ("Myriad Harbor," "Jackie Dressed In Cobras," and "Spirit of Giving"). On that note, I was really surprised to find that the song that moved me the most was not "Challengers" but "Spirit of Giving." Say what you want about Bejar's voice and style, but he totally nailed the song, and hearing Neko, Carl, and Katheryn singing harmony to Bejar's voice was absolutely breathtaking! All but two of the band's songs were from Twin Cinema or Challengers, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
And then I was ready to go. But alas, I was right against the stage and there was a sea of people behind me. Plus, I kinda wanted to hear a few of the better Spoon songs. So I stuck it out. I'm proud of me.
The band played with a lot of energy and Britt Daniel's voice is just as perfect as it is on the band's albums. The band was kind enough to set up a keyboard directly in front of me, really obstructing my view and ruining my chances of getting some decent pictures. My favorite song of the night was "Don't Make Me a Target," as the band just completely let loose. At one point Britt was screaming into the mic, "No don't make me a target!" and I was just blown away by how effective it was.
The show was not without it's share of surprises, however. "The Ghost of You Lingers" was surprisingly cool despite the fact that it's a terrible song in a non-live setting. All of the cool effects that are all over the song sounded 5x as cool live. At one point, a thumping, vibrating bass crescendoed and shook the entire building. It was awesome. Also awesome and unexpected was Dan Bejar joining the band to sing one of his songs. Britt requested that someone put a video of it on YouTube so that he could watch it today, but I haven't found it yet. Keep an eye out for it though, because it was a sweet surprise.
Overall, it was a fantastic night. Emma Pollock was terrific, The New Pornographers were everything I would hope they would be, and Spoon was surprisingly entertaining for most of their set. If you happen to be in the Dallas area tonight, you better have tickets, as it's the only other time these two huge bands will be together (possibly ev0rz!). For more pictures from this show (I believe I have around 80). Check back a little later and I'll post a link to where you can get some full sized pictures. Peace out!
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Video of the Week - Week 43
Of Montreal - "Gronlandic Edit" from the album Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Guitar Hero III Review (Xbox 360)
What do you get when you take a series that is virtually flawless and endlessly addicting and combine it with a developer who is known for ruining a virtually flawless and endlessly addicting series? You get a recipe for disaster. Fortunately, Neversoft, the studio responsible for the rise and fall of the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater series, has decided to take that recipe and throw it out the window. Since acquiring the rights to the Guitar Hero name, Activision has seen to it that Neversoft be in charge of creating all future games in the franchise. And for a built-from-scratch first effort, they succeeded beyond my wildest expectations! Guitar Hero III not only continues the tradition of great music rhythm games, but it adds in some much needed features and game modes that really make it a must-own for any Xbox 360 owner!
First off, let's discuss the changes that Neversoft made to the game. The art direction in general takes a much more "hardcore" approach, as characters like Judy Nails go from being sweet little rocker chick to big-breasted, pierced alt rocker. Most of the other characters have undergone similar changes, most of which are for the worse. The original games had a very cartoony type of image to it, and Neversoft tries to recreate that with more edge, but they end up looking like they're trying too hard to make the game hardcore. Fortunately, this is a music game so graphics will ultimately take a back seat to the gameplay and music.
Gameplay-wise, Guitar Hero III picks up where II left off. New game modes have been introduced into the series, including Co-Op Career (a long-needed mode that features songs you can only unlock through it) and Battle Mode, which allows you to gain attacks (rather than star power) which you can then launch at your opponent to make them fail a song. The last person standing wins! The first time through this mode can be daunting, but after a while it quickly becomes a welcomed addition to the franchise! Also included this time around is full Xbox Live support for Face Off, Pro Face Off, Co-Op, and Battle Mode (unfortunately Co-Op career is not available for online play at this time). The system works great too, and in my dozens of matches online, I've only experienced brief lag once. There's something thrilling about going to battle with someone you've never met and throroughly embarassing them! This feature was well worth the wait, and will undoubtedly add hours upon hours of play to an already addicting game.
Of course, the real strength of a music rhythm game will always rest in its soundtrack. Fortunately for us, Guitar Hero III rocks one of the most comprehensive and diverse soundtracks ever put in a video game. Neversoft has finally figured out what Harmonix never could; you can have difficult songs on the game that aren't metal (i.e. Muse's "Knights of Cydonia" or QotSA's "3s and 7s")! Add in the fact that a large portion of these songs are master recordings, and the game's music just sky-rockets to a whole new level! And while Gutar Hero III's soundtrack is clearly the best in the series, it is not without it's missteps either. For example, "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys is a great song, but it really doesn't belong here as there's very little guitaring going on in the song. Overall though, the diverse collection of songs in the game almost assures it's acceptance by those who may have been hesitant in the past, as there's definitely something for everyone!
My complaints with the game are few. My largest gripe is the new Red Octane wireless controller which is very pretty, but has given myself and other gamers some problems. For me specifically, some of the fret buttons will occasionally stop working during a song and you'll need to stop playing, disconnect the controller, and reconnect it for it to work again. This is a huge drawback, but hopefully they can get the bugs worked out in later models. Another small complaint is the lack of a matchmaking system for online play. I play on expert, but I'm more of a low-mid range expert who doesn't stand a chance versus someone who's been playing the game for a few years now. In the end, however, these complaints really overshadow what is a phenomenal game and a great first effort for Neversoft. I highly recommend it to anyone who may be on the fence about it. $99 for a video game is steep, but the hours and hours of enjoyment you'll undoubtedly get out of Guitar Hero III are well worth the price. Buy it now!
8 out of 10 Stars
Monday, October 29, 2007
Britney Spears: "Blackout"
Don't call it a comeback. Call it a cash-in. Call it expected. Call it absurd. Just don't call it a comeback. When Britney first arrived on the scene nearly a decade ago, she had two main audiences: the prepubescent girl and the creepy old guy. But now Britney's much too raunchy for the younger audience and she's already given the old guys more than a glimpse of pretty much everything imaginable. Those who were fans have largely grown up or grown out of her. So you have to ask yourself, why does this album even exist? "Blackout" is the kind of album that exists for two purposes; to line the wallets of record executives and to boost the ego of Ms. Spears. The point of this album is not to give fans of Britney some new material, but to capitalize on the recent explosion of Britney in the tabloids and celebrity news media. Anyone who can't see that is probably the type of person that would buy this garbage.
"It's Britney, Bitch!" That's how she chooses to start the album, and my immediate response is, "I wish it wasn't." "Gimme More" has been a pretty big success for Britney, getting her the highest on the charts that she's been since "Hit Me Baby, One More Time" believe it or not. For what it's worth, it is the strongest song on "Blackout" and probably the only one that should actually exist. The production here is great, as it is through most of the album. Unfortunately for Britney, however, is the fact that the coolest part of the song are the pitch-shifted "mores" that follow her redundant "Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimmes."
Despite the production being through the roof, it's also the album's biggest flaw. Britney's voice (which has never been her strong point) doesn't even sound like itself half the time. Every trick that you could possibly come up with to disguise the fact that Britney can't carry a tune is employed here in the hopes that we won't actually notice. According to one critic, "In terms of studio trickery, Paris Hilton's album was practically 'unplugged' compared to this." Never is this more evident than on the song "Radar" where Britney sounds more like a robot than a human being. It's absolutely ridiculous!
Also ridiculous is Britney's insistence that she's still America's sweet, little seductress rather than America's punchline. She spends the majority of the album trying to sound sexy and convince us that she's so with such lines as: "If I get on top, you're gonna lose your mind," "Coming back looking delicious, yes I know they wanna kiss me," "I'm just a girl with the ability to drive a man crazy, Make him call me "mama," make him my new baby" "I can feel you on my lips, I can feel you deep inside," or my personal favorite, "Baby I’m just hot for taking, don’t you wanna see my body naked?" (Chances are, he probably already has Brit Brit). All this stuff might have been sexy 4 or 5 years ago, but after seeing Britney in every bad scenario possible, these lyrics are a joke! Every time I start to think that she sounds sexy, I have an image of a coked-out bald woman beating the hell out of a car with an umbrella, or a mentally unstable girl who can't keep her kids in her custody for more than a few hours and whose idea of a comeback is casually walking around on a stage lip-syncing in underwear on national television. Granted, Britney doesn't do much on this album besides provide vocals (she's only credited on two songs for co-writing), but you'd think someone who's been in the business as long as she has would have the good sense to know that the majority of the lyrics on "Blackout" are laughable. At one point, Britney's singing "I fall off the edge of my mind..." over and over again. What the hell does this even mean? Does anyone know?
In the end, "Blackout" is a misguided, rushed, and ultimately botched attempt at a comeback from an artist that desperately need to take her time making an album that wouldn't be added to her growing list of bad decisions. After all her time in the spotlight, what I wanted to hear most from Britney was something real, something personal that goes deeper than the stupid and overused "bump 'n' grind" lyrics that fill this album. "Blackout" just screams of a rushed job and in the ends, it fails as anything other than a mindless collection of songs with maybe one or two songs that you could dance to in a club. The production is incredible, and if they ever release an instrumental version of "Blackout," I might recommend it to someone. But as it stands, "Blackout" is nothing more than a blip on my radar that I'll forget about tomorrow. If the RIAA wonders why people download music illegally these days, look no further than this album. The American public is smart, and we know what good music sounds like. This ain't it! "Blackout" is a collection of mediocre songs, shoveled onto a CD in the hopes of making a quick buck on the tabloid adventures of Britney Spears. No more, no less.
Recommended for the mindless, and anyone who wants to give Britney the resources needed to continue her depraved lifestyle.
Key Tracks:
1. "Gimme More"
2. "Hot as Ice"
3 out of 10 Stars
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