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john . cusack
Sep. 9th, 2006 | 11:24 pm
music: the vandals - go
say anything | "...is a real boy"
the selection at the local music shop has grown unlikely diverse, especially considering the small contents of the city where I live. the racks have grown to spread the length of the building, offering a comfortable browsing area, since there is never more living creatures than one can count on a single hand. I go in looking for two or three specific albums, and as usual, end up leaving with none of them. I don't blame the store, as my tastes have grown more peculiar lately, but I still dream of a day when a section has been segregated in my honor. I choose four albums that are deemed worthy of my ownership and pay what is owed. the clerk says "thank you" without an ounce of appreciation. I leave through the front door.
say anything isn't so much a band as it is max bemis and a group of men living out his thoughts. an introduction to the liner notes reveals that the concept of the album revolves around a fictitious max, who gains the bizarre power of blurting out his thoughts in song at extreme points of emotion, with full musical backing. this explanation seems to offer more of an excuse for the sexual and teen angst based lyrics that follow, rather than explain them. nevertheless, the strong point of the albums is those lyrics. the music is good, but seems more like he read through the encyclopedia of popular music, ripping out all the pages that he liked and turned them in as his senior thesis paper. the songs work well together, offering a steady and approachable base for the unfolding storyline to present itself. the raw and honest lyrics are a refreshing treat, especially in a world of foggy metaphors and unconvincing emotion.
this album is definitely worth a purchase, because it is a far cry from many of the albums out there. it has it's weaknesses, mainly in the music, but it doesn't take away from any part of the album. the song structures are solid, not groundbreaking, but ease the listener into the onslaught of uncensored lyricism that takes place thereafter. it's a treat to here an amazing album like this from a promising young group, giving hope that some day we can focus on the music again.
|||||||||| (8 of 10)
the selection at the local music shop has grown unlikely diverse, especially considering the small contents of the city where I live. the racks have grown to spread the length of the building, offering a comfortable browsing area, since there is never more living creatures than one can count on a single hand. I go in looking for two or three specific albums, and as usual, end up leaving with none of them. I don't blame the store, as my tastes have grown more peculiar lately, but I still dream of a day when a section has been segregated in my honor. I choose four albums that are deemed worthy of my ownership and pay what is owed. the clerk says "thank you" without an ounce of appreciation. I leave through the front door.
say anything isn't so much a band as it is max bemis and a group of men living out his thoughts. an introduction to the liner notes reveals that the concept of the album revolves around a fictitious max, who gains the bizarre power of blurting out his thoughts in song at extreme points of emotion, with full musical backing. this explanation seems to offer more of an excuse for the sexual and teen angst based lyrics that follow, rather than explain them. nevertheless, the strong point of the albums is those lyrics. the music is good, but seems more like he read through the encyclopedia of popular music, ripping out all the pages that he liked and turned them in as his senior thesis paper. the songs work well together, offering a steady and approachable base for the unfolding storyline to present itself. the raw and honest lyrics are a refreshing treat, especially in a world of foggy metaphors and unconvincing emotion.
this album is definitely worth a purchase, because it is a far cry from many of the albums out there. it has it's weaknesses, mainly in the music, but it doesn't take away from any part of the album. the song structures are solid, not groundbreaking, but ease the listener into the onslaught of uncensored lyricism that takes place thereafter. it's a treat to here an amazing album like this from a promising young group, giving hope that some day we can focus on the music again.
|||||||||| (8 of 10)
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world . of . dead
Oct. 16th, 2005 | 10:01 pm
music: weezer - only in dreams
...and you will know us by the trail of dead | "worlds apart"
so i went down to my local cd shop and was browsing through the CD section, as i normally do, while Rod Stewart was on the radio, like he always is in that place. i wasn't looking for anything particular, just checked to see if they got any pinback or wintersleep cd's in, and then hung my head in disappointment (not that i shouldn't have known better). i stumbled down to the beginning of the cd section because their floor is warped from an overflowed toilet in the loft above, and i began to run my fingers through the rack with that familiar click. i picked out this album and flipped it over to make sure that there was in fact a back to the case and proceeded to the cash register. i bartered with the clerk, exchanging a pre-cut of paper promising monetary reimbursement for the album, he gave me a hand written receipt. i walked out throught the back.
this is an album album, which is a rare occasion. from the beginning to the end runs a stream of craftsmanship that binds each song to the prior and to the later. it's not just three songs that you can tell they really really tried on, and then just ordered the rest from the chinese restaurant on the corner. instead, the arrangements add a steady consistency through each song. leading in and out of one another, mixed with shots of thumping drums and countered with slow arpeggios. and right when you think that they have lost their friendly ghost and further listening is not needed, they hit you with their almost patented songwriting, drowning you once more.
as you can tell, i like this. and since i'm an american and live by numbers and ratings, this album easily reserves a spot in the top five of 2005. if you are familiar with any of their previous works (such as source codes and tags) then you can expect another excellent album, that continues to exaggerate their musical theories, which is a good thing.
|||||||||| (9 of 10)
so i went down to my local cd shop and was browsing through the CD section, as i normally do, while Rod Stewart was on the radio, like he always is in that place. i wasn't looking for anything particular, just checked to see if they got any pinback or wintersleep cd's in, and then hung my head in disappointment (not that i shouldn't have known better). i stumbled down to the beginning of the cd section because their floor is warped from an overflowed toilet in the loft above, and i began to run my fingers through the rack with that familiar click. i picked out this album and flipped it over to make sure that there was in fact a back to the case and proceeded to the cash register. i bartered with the clerk, exchanging a pre-cut of paper promising monetary reimbursement for the album, he gave me a hand written receipt. i walked out throught the back.
this is an album album, which is a rare occasion. from the beginning to the end runs a stream of craftsmanship that binds each song to the prior and to the later. it's not just three songs that you can tell they really really tried on, and then just ordered the rest from the chinese restaurant on the corner. instead, the arrangements add a steady consistency through each song. leading in and out of one another, mixed with shots of thumping drums and countered with slow arpeggios. and right when you think that they have lost their friendly ghost and further listening is not needed, they hit you with their almost patented songwriting, drowning you once more.
as you can tell, i like this. and since i'm an american and live by numbers and ratings, this album easily reserves a spot in the top five of 2005. if you are familiar with any of their previous works (such as source codes and tags) then you can expect another excellent album, that continues to exaggerate their musical theories, which is a good thing.
|||||||||| (9 of 10)
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back . ground
Oct. 15th, 2005 | 07:58 pm
since i plan to review music on this page, and since these are my
opinions, it struck me that it would make sense to give readers a
background of my tastes. i'm going to list a few of my favorite
albums and why they are my favorites. one thing that you will not
see on this site is any country albums, as i do not and will not listen
to country music. the other thing that you will see very, very
little of is rap/hip hop music as much of it is unlistenable to my
ears. there are some poets out there that strike my fancy and a
few of the beats are interesting, but all in all, there will be very
little rap on this page.
so on to the albums (these are in no particular order, as i have no "favorite"):
nirvana "in utero" - this album is the apex of nirvana to me. it sums up everything that they were in 12 songs. great songwriting with classic cobain juxtaposing of lyrics. also this album has the best noise experimentation of all of thier albums, with amazing squeals and feedback coming out of every direction.
weezer "blue album" and "pinkerton" - i am unable to choose between these albums. the blue album has unquestionably great songwriting with monstrous guitar riffs, while pinkerton jumps deeper into more philosophical lyrics but has that great raw sound to the whole album.
dandy warhols "thirteen tales from an urban bohemia" - talk about a psychedelic rock album. great song writing with a charm for writing catchy pop rock riffs. it is one of those "just push play" albums that i love so much.
miles davis "kind of blue" - if you like jazz at all, then this album explains itself. if you want to try jazz at all, then this album is the one for you. its miles with a trumpet and that always equals goodness.
toad the wet sprocket "dulcinea" - this is one of those albums that you never admit is one of your favorites. i believe that toad was one of the 50 worst bands in a rolling stone article that i read, but i'm not sure. i love all of the songs on this album and i would put this at the top spot of their catalog.
36 crazyfists "bitterness the star" - wow, alaska rocks! these four gentlemen from anchorage show everything that is great about metal today. hard hitting but melodic with interesting lyrics and a singing style that shows a lot of emotion.
bad religion "stranger than fiction" - this album is usually towards the middle of the pack when talking about the best bad religion albums. this is, however, my favorite album of them all because it is a transition album that succeeds in every way, unlike most transition albums.
failure "fantastic planet" - ken andrews is masterful, and this album is the best example of his magic. another album that you just hit play and listen the whole way through. it's easy to see why maynard james keenan (of tool) is a huge fan of this band.
fiona apple "tidal" - besides the scandalous music videos and legal battlings that make up the headlines surrounding ms. apple, she definetly has it right where it counts: in the music. her unraveling lyrics and soulful vocal style makes a great listen for anybody looking for an interesting listen.
so these are just a few of the top albums that i have. hopefully they will give you and idea of my preference and just where i am coming from in my reviews. everyone has a preference, no matter how much they deny it, it is going to show through a little. i try to be open-minded but i too have a personal preference in music, and that is why i'm making this list. i'm not trying to hide anything.
so on to the albums (these are in no particular order, as i have no "favorite"):
nirvana "in utero" - this album is the apex of nirvana to me. it sums up everything that they were in 12 songs. great songwriting with classic cobain juxtaposing of lyrics. also this album has the best noise experimentation of all of thier albums, with amazing squeals and feedback coming out of every direction.
weezer "blue album" and "pinkerton" - i am unable to choose between these albums. the blue album has unquestionably great songwriting with monstrous guitar riffs, while pinkerton jumps deeper into more philosophical lyrics but has that great raw sound to the whole album.
dandy warhols "thirteen tales from an urban bohemia" - talk about a psychedelic rock album. great song writing with a charm for writing catchy pop rock riffs. it is one of those "just push play" albums that i love so much.
miles davis "kind of blue" - if you like jazz at all, then this album explains itself. if you want to try jazz at all, then this album is the one for you. its miles with a trumpet and that always equals goodness.
toad the wet sprocket "dulcinea" - this is one of those albums that you never admit is one of your favorites. i believe that toad was one of the 50 worst bands in a rolling stone article that i read, but i'm not sure. i love all of the songs on this album and i would put this at the top spot of their catalog.
36 crazyfists "bitterness the star" - wow, alaska rocks! these four gentlemen from anchorage show everything that is great about metal today. hard hitting but melodic with interesting lyrics and a singing style that shows a lot of emotion.
bad religion "stranger than fiction" - this album is usually towards the middle of the pack when talking about the best bad religion albums. this is, however, my favorite album of them all because it is a transition album that succeeds in every way, unlike most transition albums.
failure "fantastic planet" - ken andrews is masterful, and this album is the best example of his magic. another album that you just hit play and listen the whole way through. it's easy to see why maynard james keenan (of tool) is a huge fan of this band.
fiona apple "tidal" - besides the scandalous music videos and legal battlings that make up the headlines surrounding ms. apple, she definetly has it right where it counts: in the music. her unraveling lyrics and soulful vocal style makes a great listen for anybody looking for an interesting listen.
so these are just a few of the top albums that i have. hopefully they will give you and idea of my preference and just where i am coming from in my reviews. everyone has a preference, no matter how much they deny it, it is going to show through a little. i try to be open-minded but i too have a personal preference in music, and that is why i'm making this list. i'm not trying to hide anything.
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what . is . this
Oct. 15th, 2005 | 02:01 am
greetings. if you have delved through the depths that is livejournal and have landed here, then you are here. this is nothing. nothing is done yet.
what will be done (sounds like your in church, right) is a page of my opinions, just like every other "page" on this site. it will feature my opinions on music (mainly), movies, graphic design, and misc. events that i see fit to make coversation about. the music that will be discussed (or REVIEWED, if you will) is all music that i own, unless otherwise noted. i may talk about some that i have recieved from a friend for a listen, but the majority of it will be music that i purchase or have purchased.
i welcome opinions about any comments that i make, otherwise this is all just like a cigarette, fun for awhile, but in the end just makes you cough. be honest, be cruel, be yourself. but try to make accurated statements, as i will do myself (to the best of my abilities).
i look foward to posting.
salutations.
acefu
what will be done (sounds like your in church, right) is a page of my opinions, just like every other "page" on this site. it will feature my opinions on music (mainly), movies, graphic design, and misc. events that i see fit to make coversation about. the music that will be discussed (or REVIEWED, if you will) is all music that i own, unless otherwise noted. i may talk about some that i have recieved from a friend for a listen, but the majority of it will be music that i purchase or have purchased.
i welcome opinions about any comments that i make, otherwise this is all just like a cigarette, fun for awhile, but in the end just makes you cough. be honest, be cruel, be yourself. but try to make accurated statements, as i will do myself (to the best of my abilities).
i look foward to posting.
salutations.
acefu