ALIEN CORPSE

Pfriends on Pfilm Update and Video...

2008-01-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

Well, the driving portion of Andy Zipf's Pfriends on Pfilm Tour came to an end yesterday. We had a great time playing out at some very diverse locations. A northeast mini-tour is in the works for late Spring. I'll keep you all posted.

Here's a little montage of our kick-off show at SOTA (my studio). Enjoy!

AC Collaborative Top 10, 2007

2008-01-17T16:18:00.001-08:00

Top 10 Albums 2007

Arcade Fire - "Neon Bible" [32 pts, 4 lists]
Kings of Leon - "Because of the Times" [21 pts, 3 lists]
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Some Loud Thunder" [21 pts, 3 lists]
Radiohead - "In Rainbows" [18 pts, 2 lists]
Animal Collective - "Strawberry Jam" [16 pts, 2 lists]
Panda Bear - "Person Pitch" [16 pts, 2 lists]
The National - "Boxer" [13 pts, 2 lists]
Phosphorescent - "Pride" [9 pts, 2 lists]
Shout Out Louds - "Our Ill Wills" [6 pts, 2 lists]
The Shins - "Wincing the Night Away" [3 pts, 2 lists]

Top 10 Songs 2007

"Ruby" - Kaiser Chiefs [17 pts, 2 lists] youtube link
"Fans" - Kings of Leon [12 pts, 2 lists] youtube link
"Rag & Bone" - The White Stripes [6 pts, 2 lists] bad youtube link
"No I in Threesome" - Interpol [5 pts, 2 lists] youtube link
"Drums of Glass" - Menomen [10 pts, 1 list]
"All My Friends" - LCD Soundsystem [10 pts, 1 list] youtube link
"Antichrist Television Blues" - Arcade Fire [10 pts, 1 list] youtube link
"Satan Said Dance" - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah [9 pts, 1 list] youtube link
"What's a Girl to Do?" - Bat for Lashes [9 pts, 1 list] youtube link
"Bros" - Panda Bear [9 pts, 1 list] youtube link

2007 list

2008-01-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

I think that it is fair to say that the selection this year was so great that getting your name on any of these lists is a big deal. I've left out great albums (i.e. panda bear, band of horses, yeasayer, monomen, midlake, etc.)

here goes:

Albums (js)
1. "Because of the Times" Kings of Leon
2. "Some Loud Thunder" Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
3. "Boxer" The National
4. "The Stage Names" Okkervil River
5. "The Shepherd's Dog" Iron and Wine
6. "Neon Bible" Arcade Fire
7. "Pride" Phosphorescent
8. "Our Love to Admire" Interpol
9. "Our Ill Wills" Shout Out Louds
10. "Wincing the Night Away" The Shins

Songs (js)
1. "Drums of Glass" Monomen
2. "Fans" Kings of Leon
3. "Green Gloves" The National
4. "Roscoe" Midlake
5. "Tonight I Have to Leave It" Shout Out Louds
6. "Rest My Chemistry" Interpol
7. "Wolves" Phosphorescent
8. "John Allyn Smith Sails" Okkervil River
9. "Peace Beneath The City" Iron and Wine
10. "Rag and Bone" The White Stripes

jason shrontz

(p.s. this definitely wasn't a year for album covers was it?)

ANDY ZIPF: PFRIENDS ON PFILM TOUR

2008-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow Corpsers and the like. It's been a minute or two since I posted. I apologize for being M.I.A. It's been a crazy time around here to say the least.

Back to the post at hand. I will be traveling with Andy Zipf on his upcoming tour, starting on the Jan. 18th-27th. Then playin at the Apple store in Vienna, VA on Feb, 2nd.

Some who know me might be saying, "Brad? He's the most musically uninclined person I know? What could he be doing on a band tour?" Well, funny you should ask. The tour is actually a collaboration between Andy Zipf, Pete Lim and myself. It's a visual tour, as well as an audible. That's really all I am at liberty to say. I promise you, it'll be a show not to miss.

We will be staying night with a Mr. Dave Hodge in our travels between the Iowa show and Indiana. Hope to see some of you out there at some of the different dates!

For tour info and the likes, please visit:

www.myspace.com/andyzipf

2007 - Top 10 Albums

2008-01-03T19:20:00.000-08:00

CORPSE-ers, now is the time to make those lists...We need numbers 1-10, and then I will tally/compile the lists into one all-powerful ALIEN CORPSE top 10 of 2007. Add your lists to this post with initials.

For those of you not with us last year, a #1 album will be given 10 points and a #10 album will be given 1 point, etc...the album with the highest # of points will be ranked #1 on our compiled list (I'm looking at you, Neon Bible). So, Jason, that means you will have to rank your list 1-10...we appreciate our art ordinately around here, dammit.

ALBUMS(TH)
1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "Some Loud Thunder"
2. Animal Collective - "Strawberry Jam"
3. Arcade Fire - "Neon Bible"
4. Modest Mouse - "We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank"
5. The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
6. Arctic Monkeys - "Favorite Worst Nightmare"
7. The New Pornographers - "Challengers"
8. Handsome Furs - "Plague Park"
9. The Shins - "Wincing the Night Away"
10. Kings of Leon - "Because of the Times"

EPs (TH)
1. Tokyo Police Club - "Smith"
2. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Is Is"

Songs (TH)
1. Ruby – Kaiser Chiefs
2. Satan Said Dance – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
3. For Reverend Green – Animal Collective
4. Thou Shalt Always Kill – Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip
5. Brianstorm – Arctic Monkeys
6. Rag and Bone – The White Stripes
7. Sleeping Lessons – The Shins
8. Fans – Kings of Leon
9. White Dove - John Vanderslice
10. Holiday – Albert Hammond Jr.

Heron's Favorite Songs 2007

2008-01-03T06:58:00.000-08:00

We didn't do this last year. I think it's a good idea, as a couple of tracks made it onto my song list that weren't on albums in my album list.
I think these are in order as well.

1. "(Antichrist Television Blues)" - Arcade Fire
2. "Bros" - Panda Bear
3. "Crystal Cat" - Dan Deacon
4. "At Death, A Proclomation" - Phosphorescent
5. "Ed is a Portal" - Akron/Family
6. "House of Cards" - Radiohead
7. "Up Against the Wall" - Peter, Bjorn & John
8. "No I in Threesome" - Interpol
9. "Just As You Are" - Robert Wyatt
10. "Change of Heart" - Teddy Thompson

Heron's Favorite Albums 2007

2008-01-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, so I thought a 2007 retrospective would be a good way to jump back in. I thought about doing a top 10, but then thought that top 10s really don't do justice to the listening that goes on throughout a year. Instead, I've simply ordered the list of what I bought/really listened to in 2007. This will reveal any limitations in my listening, and this way I won't have to come back, after someone else has posted, and say, "Well, yeah, I listened to that too, but it was number 11 on my list." I hope 23 albums isn't too long of a list - this might be an obnoxious way to do it. On the other hand, I'd love to see what each of you listened to all year long. I had thought of making a top 10 of 2007, no matter what the release date of the album, but thought better of it.
I hope I didn't forget anything.

1. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
2. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
3. Radiohead - In Rainbows
4. Stars of the Lid - And Their Refinement of the Decline
5. Akron/Family - Love is Simple
6. Phosphorescent - Pride
7. Caribou - Andorra
8. Peter, Bjorn & John - Writer's Block
9. Kings of Leon - Because of the Times
10. Robert Wyatt - Comicopera
11. Interpol - Our Love to Admire
12. The National - Boxer
13. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
14. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
15. Feist - The Reminder
16. Most Serene Republic - Population
17. Low - Drums and Guns
18. Okkervil River - The Stage Names
19. Air - Pocket Symphony
20. Elliott Smith - New Moon
21. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
22. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
23. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
24. Rilo Kiley - Under the Blacklight

17 is Prime - Oh, Canada!

2007-11-09T17:56:00.000-08:00

What you are about to hear are 17 ear-splitting tracks by Canadian artists. Most of the artists are "indie" but some have gained a fair bit of notoriety in the last few years. Matthew Good's new album, "Hospital Music" (while it isn't great) was featured on the front page of iTunes for its release this summer. The Tragically Hip have been selling out arenas in Canada (meaning, hockey arenas) since the early 90s. I gotta say that Sloan is the biggest thing to come out of The Maritimes (where I'm from, Atlantic Canada) since Donald (Keifer's dad) Sutherland.

In researching bands for this post, I came across The Weakerthans. If "Pamphleteer" isn't one of your favorite tracks on this comp., something is wrong with you. I paid more attention to Tokyo Police Club when I discovered they were Canadian, and I quickly became a fan. There are so many bands that I either hadn't heard or didn't know were Canadian before I went to Wikipedia with this idea.

However, there does seem to be a fair bit of bastardization in the Canadian indie rock scene. This goes with the territory for indie rock...but listen. Feist plays with Broken Social Scene - Stars is made up of BSS members - Jason Tait of The Weakerthans has recorded and toured with BSS. Unrelated, A.C. Newman is the front man of The New Pornographers which includes member Neko Case (hate her alt-country solo stuff, try though I might) and Dan Bejar who also belongs to Swan Lake with Spencer Krug who is a member of Wolf Parade with Dan Boeckner who also heads up the side project Handsome Furs.

Did I lose you? Good! That's Canada baby!

Here's the tracklist: (DL Link In Comments)
1. Canada vs. America - Broken Social Scene "EP To Be You And Me"
2. Who Taught You to Live Like That - Sloan "Never Hear The End Of It"
3. Blood On Our Hands - Death From Above 1979 "You're A Woman, I'm A Machine"
4. You Are a Runner and I am My Father's Son - Wolf Parade "Apologies To The Queen Mary"
5. Homemade Bombs in the Afternoon - A.C. Newman "Homemade Bombs In The Afternoon EP"
6. Fire Eye'd Boy - Broken Social Scene "Broken Social Scene"
7. Ahead By A Century - The Tragically Hip "Live Between Us"
8. Mushaboom - Feist "Let It Die"
9. Allisson Krausse - The Stills "Logic Will Break Your Heart"
10. Cannot Get, Started - Handsome Furs "Plague Park"
11. Your English Is Good - Tokyo Police Club "Your English Is Good"
12. Intervention - Arcade Fire "Neon Bible"
13. Hotline Operator - Constantines "Tournament of Hearts"
14. Pamphleteer - The Weakerthans "Left and Leaving"
15. Black Helicopter - Matthew Good "Hospital Music"
16. Ageless Beauty - Stars "Set Yourself On Fire"
17. All the Things that Go to Make Heaven and Earth - The New Pornographers "Challengers"

17 is Prime - Szombathy

2007-09-03T07:12:00.000-07:00

It's time - 17 is Prime Szombathy is finally here. Tracklist as follows:

1. Gimmie Indie Rock - Sebadoh (III)
2. Venus (Remastered LP Version) - Television (Marquee Moon)
3. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (Demo) - The Ramones (Ramones)
4. Left Of The Dial - The Replacements (Tim)
5. 7 Chinese Bros. - R.E.M. (And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987)
6. History Lesson Part 2 - Minutemen (Double Nickels On the Dime)
7. Date With Ikea - Pavement (Brighten The Corners)
8. Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr. (Bug)
9. Violet Execution (Remix '04) - Sebadoh (III)
10. Rain On Tin - Sonic Youth (Murray Street)
11. Grounded - Pavement (Wowee Zowee - Sordid Sentinels Edition (Disc 1))
12. Sons Of Apollo - Guided By Voices (Half Smiles Of The Decomposed)
13. Disorder - Gary Young's Hospital (The Grey Album)
14. Solid Jackson - Bright Eyes (A Collection Of Songs Written & Recorded 1995-1997)
15. Miss Misery (Early Version) - Elliott Smith (New Moon)
16. Unsatisfied - The Replacements (Let It Be)
17. Two-Headed Boy Part 2 - Neutral Milk Hotel (In The Aeroplane Over The Sea)

DL LINK IN COMMENTS - Let me know if there are any problems.

Ryan Adams' Easy Tiger

2007-08-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Boooooooooooorrrrrrrrrrring.

Halfway through '07 List

2007-07-31T22:50:00.000-07:00

Alright, since we're a little past the halfway point of 2007, i'm a little curious to find out out people's top 5 albums of the year thus far:

My list (in order):

1. Kings of Leon--Because of the Times
2. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!--Some Loud Thunder
3. Arcade Fire--Neon Bible
4. The White Stripes--Icky Thump
5. Wilco--Sky Blue Sky

Biggest Disappointments (in order):
1. Interpol--Our Love to Admire
2. Bright Eyes--Cassadega
3. Wilco--Sky Blue Sky (great album, but I expected something better than a great album. The back half is what kept it on the top five).

Most Anticipated for 2nd half:
1. Iron and Wine
2. Kanye West
3. Band of Horses
4. Stephen Malkmus (if it gets out in 2007)
5. Sigur Ros

Still undecided on:
1. Modest Mouse--We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
2. Ryan Adams--Easy Tiger

j.s.

Album or Mixtape culture?

2007-07-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today about the change that I see happening in music listening. It seems like a band has to work even more hard these days to hook a listener into an entire album.

Radio musicians and "artists" (or non-writing pretty faces, for long) know all about this from back in the day of us taping their stuff off the radio, but for the "indie" or even the "rock" genre (anything not considered pop), this is somewhat of a iTunes-created phenomenon.

Since we are now in the habit of celebrating SONGS rather than ALBUMS, this is probably something we need to discuss.

The first question that comes to mind is, "Is the music industry changing or are we?" I look back at my music collection (mentally) over the years and the things I remember are the great ALBUMS (Pedro's Winners Never Quit, Jawbreaker's Dear You, Nevermind, Weezer's Blue Album, The White Stripes' Elephant, etc). These are the albums where the Gestalt stands out - These albums in particular have the feel of being crafted when listened to, rather than sounding like an assortment of songs by a band. Not that we couldn't pick songs or hits off of these albums, but something is lost along the way. With recent subpar released from great bands (Stripes Satan, Killers Sam's Town, Interpol's new one) it seems like things may be changing to a more song focused culture.

The second thing I think about in respect to this topic is, "What is the purpose of the single?" In pop music, the single sells the album, and oftentimes is the only song listened to before the album is shelved. In the new iTunes culture, a "rock" band's hit will be downloaded exponentially more than the other songs on the album, depending on how "popular" the song becomes, especially if this song is featured on a TV or movie soundtrack (I'm thinking of The Fray's How to Save a Life which shot up iTunes' most downloaded chart after being featured on Grey's Anatomy, and many others). Music is becoming more pop culture influenced.

With 17 is Prime, the single (or chosen song) represents a band someone hasn't been exposed to, in order to give them something new to listen to. I think this represents the mixtape culture of yore as well. Instead of having a nauseating 30 minute conversation that consists of only questions ("Have you heard x?" "No...have you heard y?") like you're on freakin' "Whose Line." You hand them a mix CD, they listen, and they buy (or steal, or burn your copy like that's something different) what they like.

I'm beginning to ramble but I wanted to start the conversation of where you guys (and our reader) think the music scene is heading - especially in relation to iTunes and other song-centric downloading services.

I'm taking the side and defending the album. This is because not only do I want to listen to an entire album of a band, but I also want the bands that I listen to to record and compile more thoughtful albums.

Discuss.

7 is also Prime. 17 is Prime vol. 7

2007-07-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

Number 7 has been spotted over several cities world-wide! It's almost as powerful as the almighty Allspark! Although, Megatron has nothing on this mix!

*Warning*
Sector 7 is watching. Beware while downloading.

Tracklist and contributors:

DL link in comments.

HOLLA! 17 is Prime vol 6

2007-07-05T13:04:00.000-07:00

Volume 6 is flashin' and shinin'!

Track listing and contributors:

01. Friday Night-Girl Talk-BW
02. Objects of My Obsession-Peter, Bjorn, and John-JH
03. Three MC's and One DJ (Live Video Version)-Beastie Boys-TH
04. Like Gold-Erlend Øye-JH
05. Fix Up, Look Sharp-Dizzee Rascal-TH
06. Diamond-Low-JH
07. Benzie Box (Featuring Cee-Lo)-Danger Doom-TH
08. Greed-Fugazi-DS
09. COOL KID'S (KLEVER'S MOON WALK RMXXX)-COOL KIDS+KLEVER-BW
10. Mansion in The Sky-The Brian Jonestown Massacre-DS
11. You Can Look But You Better Not Touch-Monawing-JH
12. Cold Gold Diamond-Blitzen Trapper-BW
13. Pile of Gold-The Blow-BW
14. Destination Diamonds-Diamond Nights-BW
15. Shining Escalade-Hot Chip-BW
16. Jesus Gonna Build Me a Home-John Davis-DS
17. Stunna Glasses-N/A-BW

Link in Comments.

ROAR! 17 is Prime vol 5

2007-06-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

Vol 5 is here with a bite bigger than it's bark!
The animal kingdom has descended upon the Corpse to devour it to the bone!

17 teeth-sinking tunes! From Bands like:

01. Def Leppard-Animal-JD
02. The Lovely Feathers-Lion Eats the Wildebeast-BW
03. The Stooges-I Wanna Be Your Dog-DS
04. Tom Waits-Dog Door-JS
05. The Walkmen-The Rat-JH
06. Brian Eno-Mother Whale Eyeless-JH
07. Pink Floyd-Sheep-JD
08. The Hidden Cameras-Animals of Prey-JH
09. modest mouse-Wild Pack of Family Dogs-JS
10. Damien Jurado-Purple Anteater-DS
11. Jets to Brazil-Sea Anemone-TH
12. Syd Barrett-Octopus-JH
13. John Vanderslice-White Dove-BW
14. mewithoutyou-O, Porcupine-DS
15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Tick-TH
16. Cheeseburger-Tiger-BW
17. Of Montreal-Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider-BW

Link in comments

Neil Young

2007-06-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to Live at Massey Hall 1971, the third installment of the Neil Young Archives Performance Series, and I think it's pretty great.
Previously, I'd thought there were two Youngs - the razor thin troubador and itinerant piano tinkler, and the sludge-flinging axe wielder of guitar righteousness. If you're looking for the latter, don't get this album. This is an acoustic and piano performance, intimate, and young sounding, and I haven't not-heard an audience this quiet since Dylan's '64 Halloween Concert bootleg. And I think it's a soundboard recording, so those of you averse to live recordings are in luck - this is pristine and completely enjoyable.
But further...
I don't think there are two Youngs. Rather, there is only one, and he is the servant of his music. The reason he can fling the sludge and serenade the loneliness away is that he has the unique ability to lose himself in his performance. When I saw him play with Crostby, Stills, & Nash, he was clearly the only musician on that stage who conceived of himself as somehow under the music, a slave to it, a lover waiting for it. (Those other fat cats did their best to not appear too closely aligned with a Jimmy Buffet-ish retirment ethos). That said, on this '71 recording, the same seems to be true: his guitar, his piano, his guitar's licks and progressions, his alpine voice, his odd sense of rhythm and chunk-a-chunk strumming all meld together in some beautiful, northern parody of the one-man band.
Case in point: when he moves into "A Man Needs a Maid" (here suited with "Heart of God"), though he is one man on a piano, I cannot help hearing a philharmonic just waiting behind the curtains - that they are not, and I still hear them, is a testimony to his melodic sensibilities and his ability to be present and fully available to his music. In other words, this performance is not a reductive re-tooling of some good ol' songs, but a brand new performance of them, fresh, and enlivened, rather than regurgitated, by his solo performance. He has given himself to them as though they were the same labored constructions of studio work, and he has likewise freighted them with all of the anxiety, hope, and loneliness of Young's early songwriting.

Key tracks:
"Tell Me Why"
"Cowgirl in the Sand"
"Don't Let it Bring You Down"
"Down by the River"
and of course, "Helpless"

Enjoy it, if you want to.

JH

THAT THING IS HUGE! 17 is Prime vol 4

2007-06-20T21:16:00.000-07:00

BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!BIG!

Yup, it's big. Bigger than you know! If it were a whale, it would be blue. If it were a planet, it would be Jupiter. If it were a sandwich, it would be the Triple Thickburger. We're talking massive! How you say could one group compile such a larger mix tape on such a small world wide web? Download and see for yourself.

Track listing and contributors:

01. Colossal-Wolfmother-BW
02. Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)-Neil Young-JD
03. Heaven and Hell-The Who-JS
04. Filipino Box Spring Hog-Tom Waits-JS
05. Little Cream Soda-The White Stripes-BW
06. Journey in Satchidananda-Alice Coltrane-JH
07. Mister Kingdom-Electric Light Orchestra-JH
08. Better Bring Your Friends-The Secret Machines-JS
09. Devastation-The Besnard Lakes-JH
10. Like a Hurricane-Neil Young-JS
11. Snow Noise Assemblage-Cosmicdust-JH
12. New Noise-Refused-DS
13. Peacebone-Animal Collective-BW
14. The Crystal Cat-Dan Deacon-DS
15. The Prayer-Bloc Party-BW
16. Go Home, Get Down-DFA 1979-BW
17. Thou Shalt Always Kill-Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip-BW

DL link in comments.

17 is Prime vol 3

2007-06-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

Vol 3 is so little! From small bands, to small titles, this week's mix is full of all things small! Watch out, though! It's definitely got a serious case of the Napoleon Complex!

Just because it's small, doesn't mean it's not a grower!

Track list and contributors:

01. Midtown-Japanther-BW
o2. Since You Went Away-Dear Nora-JH
03. Atlantic City-Bruce Springsteen-JD
04. A Minor Place-Bonnie "Prince" Billy-JH
05. chelsea hotel #2-Leonard Cohen-JS
06. One Too Many Mornings-Bob Dylan-JS
07. Eyes for Windows-Damien Jurado-TH
08. State Trooper-Bruce Springsteen-JS
09. Funkier than a Mosquito's Tweeter-Nina Simone-JH
10. Yea Yeah-Matt and Kim-BW
11. Little Room-The White Stripes-TH
12. A Duel Will Settle This-Mates of State-BW
13. True Affection-The Blow-BW
14. Oh Comely-Neutral Milk Hotel-JS
15. 6am Morningside-The Clientele-JH
16. Carrion-Fiona Apple-TH
17. My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)-Neil Young-JD

Dl link in comments

The White Stripes - Icky Thump

2007-06-10T02:35:00.001-07:00

This is a good indication that the new album will be excellent...I am heavy with anticipation. This riff sorta melts my face off.
~T

The CORPSE has the CLAP!

2007-06-06T20:43:00.001-07:00

That's right! It's time for 17 is Prime vol. 2! And it's all claps all the time! 17 tracks of hand slappin' happiness! You'll have the clap by song 2! I guarantee!

Track listing and contributors:

01 Clap Your Hands!-CYHSY!-JS
02 Kissing the Lipless-The Shins-TH
03 Da Doo Ron Ron-The Crystals-JH
04 Where are the chains now-broken clock-JS
05 Clap Hands-Tom Waits-JS
06 Let the Devil In-TV On The Radio-BW
07 Jimmy Mack-Martha Reeves & The Vandellas-JH
08 I Want To Hold Your Hand-JS
09 Disco Sheets-Wolf Parade-BW
10 Every Party (w_Prefuse 73)-JH
11 Close To Me-The Cure-DS
12 This Sentence Will Ruin/Save Your Life-Born Ruffians-BW
13 Epic Problem-Fugazi-TH
14 No Fun-The Stooges-DS
15 Death At the Chapel-The Horrors-BW
16 Citizens of Tomorrow-Tokyo Police Club-BW
17 Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)-The Hombres-JH

DL link in comments.

17 is Prime vol 1

2007-05-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

Alien Corpse has embarked on it's first mixtape voyage, 17 is Prime. Every Thursday, the contributors will be giving a taste of what has been gracing their ears for the last week. Expect 17 unexpected tracks. Listen, enjoy, and support the artists.

Vol. 1 Track listing and contributors:

01 Panda Bear-Take Pills-JH
02 Master of None-Beach house-BW
03 Sailor's Tale-King Crimson-JD
04 Mikado(Spydeburg Demo)-Jaga Jazzist-BW
05 Fans-Kings of Leon-JS
06 Black Grease-The Black Angels-JH
07 The Return of Evil Bill-Clinic-BW
08 Roll With It-Oasis-JD
09 Hot Knives-Bright Eyes-JS
10 Mama, Won't You Keep Those Castles in the Air & Burning?-CYHSY!-JS
11 Hang Me Up To Dry-Cold War Kids-BW
12 Finer Feelings-Spoon-BW
13 TV Torso-Sound Team-BW
14 Sick, Sick, Sick-Queens of the Stone Age-BW
15 Apocalypso-Mew-BW
16 Innocence-Bjork-BW
17 Crazy-Andy Zipf-Bw

Find download link in comments.

Person Pitch

2007-05-20T10:38:00.000-07:00

Listening to Panda Bear's Person Pitch is sort of like deciding to go to a far off place, where Charlie Kauffman is hosting a carnival week, and on the carnival's last night in town, the Beach Boys are going to come out and perform some D- or even Z-sides from Pet Sounds. In other words, there's no reason not to go out and get it.
If I'm right, and I am, then this is the summer album of 2007.
I don't even really know what to say about it. The instrumentation is at once meditative and swirling. The lyrics are often indecipherable, but those Beach Boys harmonies are unmistakable, and you might really discover that you're listening to Brian Wilson's nephew - you know, the one who went to culinary school and got kicked out because he kept stealing Crayons to draw pictures of what his sound would look like if he were just able to get the right friendships in order to form his super group. That guy.
I was going to write that "Take Pills" is a journey to what happens when you're underwater with lots of people you love, but that doesn't make sense.
And "Bros," by far the masterpiece of the album, does the most toward wrapping you completely in the same sonic package as "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times."
To be sure, Person Pitch is nowhere near as straighforward as anything the Beach Boys put out. It's given a healthy dose of that 21st century self-referentiality. Maybe this would be a place to talk about irony, but I'm not sure how to, or what it would mean even if I did.
It's almost as if Noah Lennox thought, You know, I'll never be able to get away from a comparison to the Beach Boys, so I might as well go all the way with it. And it's true - this isn't one of those albums where the comparison to another band is questionable. This is deliberate tribute, but without sycophancy. I love it, and I think it'll go down as one of the top ten of 2007.
*JH

The Heinrich Maneuver

2007-05-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

The new Interpol single is available on iTunes now. Or you can stream it here. Go listen to it now. It's okay; I'll wait.

Okay...what do you think? What are you expecting from the new album? It's due July 10th and will be their first on Capital Records. Tell me, corpsers, how do you feel about that?

Dan S.

A Few Found Gems

2007-04-23T09:38:00.001-07:00

Here's a list of a few recent discoveries and similar artists as reference:

The Kissaway Trail
Recommended if you like: Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket, Wolf Parade, Arcade Fire
Myspace:
www.myspace.com/thekissawaytrail

Parts & Labor
Recommended if you like: Russian Futurists, Erase Errata, Maps & Atlases, Onieda
Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/partsandlabor

Handsome Furs
Recommended if you like: Frog Eyes, Wolf Parade, Swan Lake
Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/handsomefurs

The Pigeon Detectives
Recommended if you like: Bloc Party, The Maccabees, Eight Legs, The Rakes
Myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/thepigeondetectives

Anal List

2007-04-13T14:07:00.000-07:00

I've been toying with this list for a bit, thinking it over, wondering whether or not anyone else would be interested in thinking of lists like this.
I'll say right off that the first rule is, No superlatives. There is no possible way this could be a "top" list or a "best" list, and so again, I'm sort of wary, because if a music fan can't say, "This is the best, no question, and you're wrong if you disagree," then what can he say?

Anyhow, the list is of great moments, not lasting longer than half a minute or so, in some great songs. Of course, a song need not be a member of any of your top 5 lists in order to contain a moment that'd fit this list nicely.

I was listening to Doves' "Pounding" the other day, and toward the end, when the Edge-esque chack-a-chack-a-chack-a-chackachackachacka-chack-a-chack-a-chack-a-chackachackachacka part comes in, I thought, This always gets me, no matter how many times I hear this song. So I started thinking of other great, brief, titillating moments in songs, and I thought maybe this would be a good list for a bunch of geeks.

Mine:

5. Aforementioned "Pounding" moment
4. The guitar lick after the solo after the bridge in Weezer's "Buddy Holly"
3. First verse of Kings of Leon's "Spiral Staircase," when Followill sings, "Get your ass together, You better walk, walk, walk, a by walking, we cannot run!" or something like that. (This was the lyric I found when I Googled the song - I just thought he was singing, "A wop-boba-lop-bop" etc.)
2. The drum entrance on George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" - the most unassuming entrance in rock'n'roll history.
1. Interpol's "Leif Erikson" - line in second verse: "Well then hook me up and throw me, baby cakes, cuz I like to get hooked."

Bands That Used to Not Suck

2007-03-30T12:11:00.000-07:00

Recently (ok, 5 minutes ago) I had an idea for a post (ok, Dan had an idea for a post) regarding bands that used to not suck (as hard as they do now). In this discussion (see comments on previous excellent post) bands like U2 and Joy Division were mentioned, but my wheels are turning and I can already think of several additions. This doesn't necessarily have to be just bands but songwriters, musicians, music guys, and others related to the biz -- anyone who used to rock harder (or more skillfully) in a time gone by. This isn't a top 5, but rather an extensive and expansive list.

We'll call this the "They were cooler before..." list -- The ultimate indy kid list.

U2
Weezer
Smashing Pumpkins/Zwan/Billy Corgan

Please Add.

It Really Was the Best of Those Years

2007-03-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

R.E.M. were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 12 of this year. And as if to provide a resume to sway the HOF voters, R.E.M. released And I Feel Fine...The Best of the I.R.S. Years (1982-1987) September 12 of last year. What I discovered on And I Feel Fine is a very different R.E.M. then the one I knew growing up.

I remember watching that Saturday morning videos show on NBC (no, my family did not have cable or satellite, thus no MTV) and being shocked and attracted to the images and sounds of their video for "Losing My Religion" (even though I didn't understand what it was about at that age). The picture of R.E.M. I have (which is a pretty accurate picture, I think) is of a rock band that writes really catchy anthems that used vaguely alternative colorings in their pop songs (see: "Shiny Happy People", "Man on the Moon," "Everybody Hurts" and the already mentioned "Losing My Religion").

But the band I found on And I Feel Fine is quite different than that R.E.M. The band that you will find on And I Feel Fine is the band that inspired Jawbreaker to cover "Pretty Persuasion" and the band that inspired Pavement to cover "7 Chinese Bros." and the band that inspired countless collegiate recordphiles to start radio shows and start bands and start scenes! Is there a more exciting time in the American indie underground than the early 80s?

This is the sound of a time when only true outsiders listened to alternative music. This is the sound of a time when punks really were beat up in small, southern towns for the way they dresssed (so they had to create little safe havens like Athens, GA). Yes, R.E.M. has gone on to great fame with those anthemic radio-ready tunes (and you will find some of those songs on And I Feel Fine, too: "The End of the World..." and "The One I Love"), but And I Feel Fine is the story of the band before mainstream radio came sniffing for them.

The whole batch of 42 songs is great (yes, all 42), but if you are unsure about diving into the whole thing, some of the even brighter gems are "Radio Free Europe (Original Hib-Tone Single)", "Pretty Persuasion", "7 Chinese Bros." and "So. Central Train". My personal favorites include the lo-fi "Gardening at Night" (from the 2nd disc) and Michael Stipe's parable-like intro to the live "Life and How to Live It".

Michael Stipe recently said in Rolling Stone that R.E.M.'s goal is to write one of the best albums of all-time. I think that they can do it. They just need to sit down and listen to And I Feel Fine a few times before they head back into the studio.

And maybe invite Bill Berry back into the studio, too.

-Dan S.

Kings of Leon

2007-03-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

just wanted everyone to know that, as of now--3.27.2007, 9:11pm EST--the new kings of leon album is available for a listen in its entirety on their myspace page. the album come out officially next tuesday. maybe nobody else cares. this guy does.

j.s.

The Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible"

2007-03-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

While recording a live Arcade Fire show for NPR’s “All Songs Considered,” Bob Boilen remarks (paraphrased) that the members of Arcade Fire are not celebrities or rock stars, they are just incredible musicians. This statement is confirmed in Arcade Fire’s “Neon Bible.” The songs are dark and somewhat mysterious and seem to come from a nervous cavity inside of songwriter, Win Butler. Nervous of what? Well, from their first album, “Funeral,” it seemed to be of growing up, of losing one’s innocence and of being ignored until one is considered an adult. The honest portrayal of childhood and loss of innocence on “Funeral” seem to question the Western World’s idea of "maturity" and "the real world.” However, in “Neon Bible,” the fear has become more concentrated. The images of war, dishonest religion and escape seems to be much more concentrated on the America we live in today, the darker side of our America. Personally, I had some trouble, at first, with this. I had trouble with the lyrics, “I don’t wanna live in America no more,” especially since the band is from Canada. And my judgment was corrupted after listening to their live broadcast on NPR. Don’t misunderstand me, the music was phenomenal. And not in the cliché way that things are phenomenal; their live show was phenomenal in the way that it didn’t seem likely. It did not seem real, of this world. Listening to the beginning of the show, I was reminded of Jason Heron’s comment about going to a show and asking yourself, “Is this next moment going to be the best thing I’ve ever heard?” The Arcade Fire opened the show by walking off the stage and directly into the crowd of the small theater, and with only acoustic instruments—one drum, a tambourine, an accordion, an acoustic bass, an acoustic guitar (no amplification or microphones)—began playing “Wake Up,” from their first album. The voices of the entire crowd singing the Ahhs and Ohhs, and then Win Butler’s first lines: “Something filled up my heart with nothing. Someone told me not to cry,” like a giant choir was, yeah, phenomenal. Were I there, very possibly the best thing I’ve ever heard. And once the band got onstage they started shuffling through much of their new stuff, which, on a first listen, was very compelling. However, during a break, the thing I’ve always feared at any live show—especially the ones that I have such anticipation for—Win Butler had to go into politics. “Are you guys really gonna vote for Rudi Guiliani?” and blah, blah, blah. He returned to this issue a few times through the show. My heart was broken. Honestly, I was only kinda excited when I went to a Target store in Tucson, AZ last Tuesday and found the album on sale for 7 bucks. I bought it; that is what I went there for. But, like I mentioned earlier, was very biased at my first listen. Why are these guys using their platform to TALK about an American election that probably will not have major effects on Canada. At least, not any drastic effects that could be saved by electing Hillary Clinton or Barrack Obama. Why is he bring this up 2 years before the election? Will he be part of the same group that complains when the “my-opponent-sucks” campaigns start 8 months before the actual vote? [side question: is it alright to talk politics onstage? if not, are there exceptions? who would you rather listen to ramble about politics? eddie vedder? bono? willie nelson? bob dylan? win butler? –mind you, we’re discussing TALKING politics, not singing about them]

Anyways, all this to say, eventually, the album had the power to transcend my bias. The songs, they have this power to them that I’m going to try to write about. First off, their sound is uniquely theirs. A long time ago, Bono was asked how U2 achieved such a unique sound, and his response was that when they began playing, none of them knew how to play their instruments. Thus, it would follow that what came out was something nobody has heard before. The Arcade Fire has achieved this moreso with “Neon Bible” than with “Funeral,” though not because they don’t know how to play their instruments. The songs move forward like city transport, waiting for nobody, constant, taking you where you expect them to, but in a good way, like for the same reason that you got on the bus in the first place. At times, the lyrics become vague and dreamlike, but are redeemed in such songs as “Keep the Car Running,” and the eerie closer, “My Body is a Cage.” The organ in “Intervention,” is haunting and appropriate. And one of my favorites, "Ocean of Noise," is driven darkly with the sounds of thunder, a poppy bass lick and the low bass clef notes of the piano. The cure-esque sound of "(antichrist television blues)" lends soulful, honest words to the fear that this album is so concentrated around: the fear of living in a country in war, the post-9/11 America, the feeling that the "new" thing we crave, will never come, and the desire to escape.

"Neon Fire" is a great second album, but may be an album that is heavily listened to at first, and then becomes a situational album. The dark, quivering tones of the album may become a bit too much when you're trying to eat dinner or clean the bathroom. However, if it is dark, and you, too, are feeling dark and overwhelmed and scared, this album is right at home in the speakers of your vehicle, like friends over the phone, coffee, or good tobacco. It is music that will accompany you when you, too, do not want to be alone.

-j.s.

a new list

2007-03-12T19:42:00.000-07:00

ready for a new list? well i hope so cause i got 2 t-w-o of them. consider the first as the cd you bought at your favorite indie store, and the 2nd as the bumper sticker of some local heavy metal band that the clerk gave you for making the purchase (he's probably in the band...wink). what i really want to know is, if you wrote five songs, which five would they be? i've been thinking a lot about this lately as i'm coming into some new music. the criteria is almost without limits. the main stipulation is money can not be a factor (dont base your songs on the amount of money you'd make, obviously). for example, my list can not be "right now" by van halen, "paradise city" by guns'n'roses, "i would do anything for love (but i won't do that)" by meatloaf, etc... because 1) i dont own a black leather jacket, and 2) i'd be lying.
so, here is my five songs that i wish i would've written:
1. "desolation row," bob dylan
2. "16, maybe less," calexico and iron and wine
3. "staralfur," sigur ros
4. "red hill mining town," U2
5. "california waiting," kings of leon

2nd list: Top 5 things you do while listening to music
guidelines: the idea of this is to explain what you're doing/where you are when you are really, really listening to music. As in, the listening is what you are there for, the 5 things in the list are the non-distracting things you do--and where you do them--that allow you to really listen. hopefully my list will make this clearer:

1. wait till stacey goes to bed, lie on my office floor with my head underneath my desk, with headphones, and listen--for a new album
2. play Internet backgammon, chew tobacco, music through speakers, loud--for a familiar album that's been calling me from the album rack
3. drive in my ford ranger through dark, Marquette roads--for an album to unwind with (usually the kings of leon "aha shake heartbreak")
4. walk through the woods in presque isle park with headphones--an album that reminds me of home
5. vacuuming locker rooms at work--i save all my NPR "All Songs Considered" for this

honorary 6th (since NPR is talking and music clips): nobody home, in my office, sitting in my old, brown leather chair, all lights out, beer in my hand, eyes closed, music loud enough to drown out complaining apartment tenants--any bob dylan or tom waits.

-jason shrontz

Loney, Dear

2007-02-27T08:59:00.000-08:00

In probably the last five or six months I have been considering myself a lover of Americana music, listening to great bands like Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, M. Ward, Midlake, My Morning Jacket, and Band of Horses. I figured that maybe at the age of 26 I have found my distinct genre of music. Bands that sing about God, heartache, and the United States are not bad at all. And I can deal with going straight to the Americana section at CD Central in Lexington and feel just fine.

But life and music are not that simple. Music is not like picking out a sports team that you live and die by. Our ears allow us to be bipolar. We can love one thing a lot at one point and then the next minute we fall in love with a new band, but our ears will always come back to what we love unless it is DMB or some other absurd band that came out of the 90s.

So my point is that I fell in love with a man from Sweden three weeks ago. Americana, move over, because this guy is good and the album he put together flows brilliantly. The band is Loney, Dear (Emil Svanängen), and this album released in the United States by SubPop is called Loney, Noir. This album was originally recorded and released in August 2005, and now it gets to grace our beloved country as of January 2007.

Svanängen is multi-instrumentalist and on this album he records everything by himself, and does a good job of it. One of the songs that stand out on this album is “I am John,” which is the heralded track off the album and a featured video on YouTube. The next track on the album is “Saturday Waits.” I love this track. The final song is “And I Won’t Cause Anything At All”—a great song to end a good album. This was the first record I think I bought on its release date in a long time. I forgot how special it is to buy an album without the certainty that you will like it. Fortunately, I do. And even though the last two days I listened to Midlake and BOH, today I am listening to Loney, Dear. My bipolar ears are being good to me.

El Perro del Mar

2007-02-14T03:45:00.000-08:00

When Alex and I used to go to shows in college, we were hopeful. We'd look at each other, before the music started, and would say, "What if this is the best thing we've ever heard?" Usually it wasn't, though we did make it to Elliott Smith in Chicago, Wilco in Detroit and Columbus, Damien Jurado in Bloomington, and of course, Appleseed Cast came to our measly campus and tore my ears off. So sure, we were setting ourselves up for disappointment by asking the question, but we were also opening ourselves up to possibility, which isn't a bad thing at all.
Now, Alex and I have kids, and we don't really go to shows much. (I saw Of Montreal in Lexington and the Strokes in Minneapolis [sorry, Dan], but Alex couldn't make it - maybe that makes him a better father, I'm not sure). And the closest thing either of us has to that pre-show experience is going to the Jessamine County Public Library. And we can't really do that together any more. He goes with Elliott, and I go with Margot.
On Sunday last, Margot and I went to get some movies and see about some music, and I saw this stunning cover in the popular section. The last time I judged an album by its cover was Jenny Lews and the Watson Twins, and I'm glad I did. This time, however, was El Perro del Mar's self-titled 2006 album.
The first time I played it, my mind was out of control with geek-music-lover thoughts: I wish I had a time machine, and I would go back to 2006, and I would re-write my top-ten list on Alex's blog's comment section, and I would add El Perro del Mar at about the #5 slot, or maybe, no, maybe the #4 slot, or, well...It is really good...it could be #2. And then, on the second listen, I checked myself and realized I had begun a thought sentence with, "I wish I had a time machine..." and I felt embarrassed, though I was home alone at the time.
The album is, for lack of better terms, nearly perfect to me. Not as stripped down as Beach House, but not as lush as Air can sometimes be. Not as dour as CocoRosie or Chan Marshall, but not unlike all of these acts either. And what's more: El Perro del Mar has smartly employed that little southern-soul-60's-pop tool that Cat Power and Jenny Lewis found so useful in 2006 as well.
The first track, "Candy," makes me think of the Velvet Underground, not so much through its sound, but through its sensibility: this is "candy" no one is sure about: "candy" on a Saturday night, "candy" that must be bought. In short, "candy" that makes me a little uncomfortable, being from the Mid-West and all. That said, the track is an extremely strong opener, and the background vocals, the shoo-be-doo-wah-bahs, slide you right into the sonic space you need to occupy for the rest of the album.
The second track, "God Knows (You Gotta Give to Get)," sounds like The Crystals, or maybe even Dusty Springfield, on [insert anti-depressant/mood adjuster joke here]. El Perro del Mar runs into Cat Power's The Greatest here as well. The sentiment of the song, stripped of all sentimentality, is suitably contemporary - dark, unsure, ambiguous, and anxious.
"Party" sounds like the sort of party I wouldn't want to go to, or the sort of party I would leave quickly. But again, the hooks grab you: "Be-bah...Bee-bop-a-lulah," and things become sad and pretty at the same time.
Other highlights:
"I Can't Talk About It" - not dissimilar to something Arcade Fire might shoot for, at least in part, and just as catchy as anything.
"Here Comes that Feeling," which employs a horn section that'll draw you back to a strange and synthetic soul - a soul heard through bad memories, a sound that has survived the 80's, the 90's, war, famine, and translation by a Swedish singer.

Go to her myspace. See if you agree. If you're at all interested in well-crafted pop, a little jingle-jangle, tapping your feet or clapping your hands, then this might be your album. As it happens now, when we put it on, Margot stops crawling, rocks back and forth "to the beat," and seems to get very attentive. This is the litmus test in our house. If you can't come with a beat, come not at all.

Indie Rock For A New Millenium

2007-02-09T08:42:00.000-08:00

"Some Loud Thunder" is the much anticipated follow-up album to Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's internet phenomenon debut. CYHSY gained immense popularity through MySpace and word-of-mouth promotion, instead of relying on a record company promoting through traditional means. The unsigned (truly) indie rockers relied on good songs -- instead of image -- to sell records (take that Julian Casablancas). The self-titled debut made most Top 5 lists in 2005.

So, will they suffer the same fate as many unsigned artists who gain popularity...Would they be a "flash in the pan?" The release of Some Loud Thunder surprised many inattentive fans, but was quickly brought to light by being featured on the front page of the iTunes Store. The band has stayed true to form by self-releasing this album as well.

What about the music? "Sophomore slump" is a term we often use to let bands off the hook for releasing a sub-par album that doesn't live up to their potential (or for something that is different, and therefore scary, from a debut). This is not a sophomore slump. CYHSY has demonstrated again their urge to be unique -- Some Loud Thunder is quite different from the self-titled debut. The production is decidedly more "experimental" with the "blown speaker" production on the title track. (If you've heard the album, I bet you, like everyone else, checked your stereo/iPod/computer speakers/headphones)

There is that distinctive sound that we've come to expect from the vocal delivery of Alec Ounsworth. On "Emily Jean Stock" he sounds deliberately out of control, forcing his voice to bend and contort in a way that mysteriously sounds...well...good.

The album flows nicely -- one of those that could repeat in your car for a few days without sounding repetitious.

Overall, as a follow up, this album is very good -- though it definitely borders on being too experimental at times, "Five Easy Pieces" drones on for 6:49 with no payoff. Another negative is that the most catchy track is questionable in terms of lyrical content. I can't listen to "Satan Said Dance" without running the hook (satan, satan, satan...) in my head for a couple hours...also don't really want my son to sing along with that song as he is wont to do in certain car situations.

"Love Song No. 7" (listen) and "Yankee Go Home" (listen) are the stand out tracks.

4 out of 5

Jock Jams

2007-01-25T14:10:00.000-08:00

It is a common misconception that music lovers (particularly the indie rock type) hate sports. That is simply not true, faithful Alien Corpse reader!

Not only does Alien Corpse love the sensitive musing of Elliot Smith and The Shins, we also love to see Brian Urlacher lay a hit on an unsuspecting running back.

So this week Alien Corpse has decided to write about that wonderful and scary place where music and sport collide: the Jock Jam. Here is a list of Alien Corpse's Top Five Jock Jams.

5. "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses

4. "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by Smashing Pumpkins

3. "Desire" by U2

2. "Song 2" by Blur

And the number one Jock Jam of all time:

1. "We Are The Champions" by Queen

Honorable Mentions: "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor, "Get Free" by The Vines, "Time is Running Out" by Muse, "Boom" by P.O.D., "Another One Bites the Dust" by Queen, "We Will Rock You" by Queen, and "Rock You Like a Hurricane" by The Scorpions

P.S. Go Bears!

2006 - A Retrospecticon (Part 2, Songs)

2007-01-11T22:02:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Songs
1. "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley (17pts)
2. "Funeral" by Band of Horses (14pts)
3. "Cold Beer and Cigarettes" by David Bazan (12pts)
4. “White & Nerdy” by "Weird Al" Yankovic (10 pts)
5. “Phenomena” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs (9 pts)
6. "Teaspoon" by The Long Winters (8 pts)
7. “O Valencia!” by The Decemberists (7 pts)
8. "Read My Mind" by The Killers (7 pts)
9. "Been Here Before" by Jeremy Enigk (5 pts)
10. Steady As She Goes by The Raconteurs (5 pts)

2006 - A Retrospecticon (Part 1)

2007-01-03T12:06:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Albums

Grandaddy, Just Like the Fambly Cat (17 pts)
Band of Horses, Everything All the Time (10 pts)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Show Your Bones (10 pts)
Joanna Newsom, Ys (10 pts)
Mew, And the Glass Handed Kites (9 pts)
Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere (9 pts)
The Strokes, First Impressions on Earth (9 pts)
The Decemberists, The Crane Wife (8 pts)
Built to Spill, You in Reverse (8 pts)
TV On The Radio, Return to Cookie Mountain (7 pts)

Individual Lists

2007-01-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Several of the contributors to ALIEN CORPSE have submitted a list of the "Top Ten Albums of the Year" for 2006 -- Sadly, two of these lists don't have ten items. Either these contributors are REALLY devoted to their choices or have nothing good to say about 2006. Here they are.

CPM
1. Joanna Newsom, Ys

JLD
1. Grandaddy, Just Like the Fambly Cat
2. The Strokes, First Impresssions of Earth

TH
1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Show Your Bones
2. Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere
3. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife
4. TV On The Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
5. Beck – The Information
6. The Raconteurs – Broken Boy Soldiers
7. The Streets – The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
8. David Bazan – Fewer Moving Parts
9. Regina Spektor – Begin to Hope
10. Razorlight – Razorlight

DS
1. Band of Horses, Everything All the Time
2. Mew, And the Glass Handed Kites
3. Built to Spill, You in Reverse
4. Grandaddy, Just Like the Fambly Cat
5. mewithoutYou, Brother, Sister
6. Sonic Youth, Rather Ripped
7. Silver Jews, Tangewood Numbers
8. The Long Winters, Putting the Days to Bed
9. The Violet Burning, Drop Dead
10. Norma Jean, Redeemer

Spotlight: Sufjan Stevens, "Hark! Songs for Christmas"

2006-12-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually into Christmas albums, least of all because we aliens don't celebrate Christmas. Although the occasional Christmas single by a rock musicison is a fun alternative expression of one's style, recording whole Christmas albums is usually an exercise in speedy cash cow production. But this cannot be said for Sufjan Stevens' new multi-volume Christmas album, which has a genuine originality in style and substance. It is characteristically Sufjan, which of course implies a certain unpredictability. The bottom line: get this album. It will not only make a conversation-starting soundtrack for your next Christmas party, but you will likely be able to listen to it out of season because of the richly textured arragnements of a number of classic hymns. Check out.

Review: The Mars Volta, "Amputechture" (2006)

2006-11-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

This fall The Mars Volta released their third full-length studio album, Amputechture. Not only has this band become a significant force in progressive music in both mainstream and underground contexts, but also their music has a certain self-commending power that transcends even their current cultural hipness. Whatever one thinks about The Mars Volta, listening to their songs is anything but a forgettable experience.

Amputechture takes the band to new heights of creativity precisely by seamlessly melding structure and improvisation. So much improvised rock music merely drags out a repetitive structure upon which it builds improvised instrumentation. Not The Mars Volta. Songs vary in length according to sensible song structures. In other words, the songs have parts, not just verse-chorus-solo plodding.

Of course, all this could be said of all the best representatives of the progressive rock genre. The difference with The Mars Volta is that they have a groove and drive that is often absent from the expansive sound-scapes of their genre-predecessors. Only King Crimson is comparable in sheer force of sound and deep sense of groove. And this grove is borne out of more than just Jazz and Latin instrumentation. Even the guitar has an earthiness to it that prevents The Mars Volta from merely being an eclectic experiment. They actually have a sound: angular yet groovy, driving yet smooth.

A significant aspect of any band's sound is its vocals. And this will be the make or break factor for many listeners. For those who have been schooled in any high-pitched vocal style and understand its juxtaposition with low-end rhythm instrumentation will find nothing objectionable in this department. But any new listener must be forewarned of the abrasiveness of the vocals.

Lastly, a general comment is in order. Does The Mars Volta signal a new era in progressive rock? Although I would welcome such a revival, I do not see any such development on the horizon. Yes, there will be a flock of bands working in this genre in the next few years. But there will be no new era of progressive rock. The co-existence of The Mars Volta alongside The White Stripes on the one side and The Killers on the other shows that rock music has the potential to sustain fragmentary and apparently contradictory genre-movements. All three bands are working within a distinct genre-revival. But these "revivals" do not work successively but simultaneously.

The point of this observation is that just fragmentation is nothing new to rock. There will be no second era of progressive rock precisely because there was no first era of progressive rock. The time of early Yes, Genesis and King Crimson was also the Singer-Songwriter revolution. There are no "periods" except those created by music critics. Genres co-exist and co-mingle with a freedom that often confuses the self-proclaimed sophisticated listener. What we need to learn is that there is no law requiring genre-loyalty. Perhaps the emergence of The Mars Volta in the midst of this decade's garage and pop revival will serve to free us from such narrowness.

Advance Review - The Shins: Wincing the Night Away

2006-10-31T23:49:00.000-08:00

The Shins are back...or I should say, they will be back when the new album, "Wincing the Night Away" hits stores on January 23rd.

The Shins captured everyone's heart in 2004 by virtue of Natalie Portman saying, "You gotta hear this one song, it'll change your life, I swear," in Zach Braff's film Garden State. The perfect placement of Shins tracks in key portions of this film inspired many new fans to check out the band's 2003 album, "Chutes too Narrow."

Following a rigorous touring schedule with an elongated break for writing and recording the new record, The Shins latest album will come 39 months after the release of "Chutes."

"Wincing" was leaked to the internet this past weekend, and this tech savvy reporter/Shins fan quickly obtained the illegal files for early review purposes. (It's not stealing if you intend to buy the album on release day, is it? Let's see if good intentions hold up.)

In regard to sound, this album is far more diverse than Chutes or the previous full-length "Oh! Inverted World" which relied fairly heavily on vocal driven tracks that drew comparisons to Coldplay (what?) from such reputable mags as Rolling Stone and Spin. "Wincing" is more diverse in that it allows the complex instrumentation to drive songs forward and allows the voice of lead Shin James Mercer to fill in the gaps.

For any Shins fan, this record will more than satiate a new album desire, and it avoids any of the third album (though they've recorded several EPs and an album under the name Flake Music prior to becoming The Shins) pitfalls, such as falling into a rut or dismantling
completely in an effort to "stay fresh."

Key Tracks: Sleeping Lessons (listen), Sea Legs

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Though the album does have Top 5-2007 possibility, unless they rush the release after the leak, then 2006)

Top 5 Soundtracks

2006-10-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

Following through on last week's post, I thought I might suggest a Top 5 Soundtracks. This list is not based on their integration into the film (which is of course key in the initial evaluation of a soundtrack), but rather on their continued function as collections of great songs:

5. Philadelphia

Although the Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young tracks alone makes this a worthy album for regular rotation, the remaining cuts flow perfectly from one to the other to form a great evening-at-home soundtrack.

4. Pulp Fiction

A number of Tarrantino soundtracks contend for placement on this list. Pulp Fiction stands out not just for its cultural impact but also its breadth in terms of genre and era, which can be contrasted with the more stickly 70's material of "Reservoir Dogs" and "Jackie Brown."

3. Saturday Night Fever

You might hate disco, but if you want some in your rotation (even if for strictly historical reasons), here is the one-stop shop for all your disco needs. Of course, the dancers among us have further reason to enjoy a little Fever.

2. Forrest Gump

There is no album out there that better tells the story of rock music from its beginnings in Elvis to its fragmentation in the early 80's. Although The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are conspicuously absent (for copywrite reasons no less), in some way it is better that the general movement of the periods is not overshadowed by its genre- and period-busting giants. Note that "Dazed and Confused" and "Almost Famous" are great introductions to classic rock, but are too narrowly 70's in content to compete with the narrative breadth of Forrest Gump.

1. Trainspotting

Trainspotting not only enshrines the best of Brit Pop during its heydey, it also includes selections from earlier artists with even wider influence such as Lou Reed, New Order, and Iggy Pop. More importantly, its just an excellent collection of songs compiled in the perfect order for a late night drive.

Note: I have excluded from this list soundtracks to Concert Films, as these are more approriately categorized as Live Albums. I have also left out the Single-Artist Soundtrack, where one artist supplies original music for the entire soundtrack. This sub-category is deserving of its own list. But since I may never get to it, I will mention Tom Petty's "She's the One" and Aimee Mann's "Magnolia" as conteders for placement on this list.

Thank You for Singing

2006-10-05T01:30:00.000-07:00

First, please ignore the silly "Warning" label on this product and buy it...or at least rent it.

Second, this post really IS about music.

As I watched this film I was interested in the story, I laughed at the comedy (Adam Brody brings "Seth Cohen" to the big screen with hilarious results), I smirked at the satire, and I was entranced by the acting (save for the vapid Katie Holmes) -- BUT -- It was the soundtrack that did me in.

There are things that a soundtrack should do -- it should be able to go unnoticed for 85 minutes of a 90 minute film and make emphatic statements in the five minutes it is noticed -- but most importantly a soundtrack should punctuate the sentence of the film. The "Thank You for Smoking" soundtrack does all of the above with style.

If you have had the opportunity to see this film, you will understand. Anyone who recognizes one song from this film without google is a musical Rainman (definitely, definitely Patsy Cline...Three...Three Cigarettes in an, an Ashtray) -- but look at the tracklist from the CD. Not only do all but three of the titles refer to smoking or cigarettes, but these songs invoke the memory of a time when the world held an entirely different view of cigarettes. This is the job of our protagonist (Aaron Eckhart) -- to bring us back to that feeling. If only big tobacco could pipe (unintentional pun, I assure you) The Mills Brothers "Smoke Rings" into every convenience store and magazine stand, we'd all be smoking right now.

Thank you Rolfe Kent and Jason Reitman for this lesson in score and sountrack...

From the Wall Safe: Minus the Bear - "Menos el Oso"

2006-10-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

This album was released in August of 2005, over a year ago, but I'm dusting off the disc and giving it a fresh review.

Actually, Minus the Bear is in the "new to me" category -- they're one of those bands that you say, "I've heard OF them" so as to not look completely dweebish while speaking with a fellow rock snob. For me, this album came as a result of a foiled attempt at free eMusic downloads that locked me into a 40 download with $9.99 fee, I followed some RIYL links and ended up listening to one track online..."Good enough for a cheap download," I thought.

Then I imported into iTunes, burned a CD and plunked it in the car on my way to the beach. The first track "The Game Needed Me" (listen) sounded so different from anything I had heard...

Once I got over the initial thrill of listening to something different -- I ran the checklist. Music - solid, lyrics - amusing (and not trite), voice - style AND sincerity, and something I'm always secretly hoping to hear - a little bit of yelling.

I think I'm in love.

Every time the CD would run through I'd reach for the visor CD holder and think..."nah, one more time through." It's been a month...

Here is a sampling of the lyrics that cause either an ironic chuckle or conjure an unmistakable image:

"Would you ever miss your desk's caress?"

"The wind on the boat's deck is a cold hand on the neck."

"That night we laid on the floor of the desert, but I could barely sleep, I had this dream, there was a man in a black car, with a man in the backseat, and I woke up in a cold sweat with her lying next to me."

"I drive too fast at night, because accidents happen to other men and not me."

I just realized that I've written all of this and not given the reader much of an indication as to what they should expect to hear. I guess this sounds like the superior offspring of a loveless marriage between papa The Appleseed Cast and mama Fugazi...but the kid really looks an awful lot like uncle Rush (if you know what I'm sayin').

Click the listen link and enjoy...my new favorite band.

RIYL: My Morning Jacket (read - Band of Horses), The Mars Volta, Broken Social Scene...etc

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Music

2006-09-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

It seems inappropriate to review a post-modern autobiography in a discursive, analytical style. So I will riff off Chuck's story about music culture by offering a glimpse of my own.

The last few years I have noticed my musical snobbery begin to wane a bit. Yet my love of music has grown in inverse proportion to my snobbery. I still seek out progressive new acts and obscure influential back-catalogue artists. But my attitude has become considerably more open to mainstream tastes of the great bulge in the middle of the bell-curve of the North American music culture.

How did I go from a sarcastic-categorizer to a charitable appreciator of music? There are at least four things that have had a direct impact on my attitude toward music.

(1) Buying an iPod. Why? Becuase my iPod re-introduced me to my own collection of classic rock and mainstream 90's rock which I grew up on. My iPod has reminded me that an artist doesn't have to be unknown to be worth listeing to.

(2) Playing in bands. Feeling the brunt of others' snobbery during and after performing has made me second guess the value of a folded-arm approach to music.

(3) Getting away from NY. As Klosterman points out, people only go to shows in New York City to be seen there, to say they saw a bad before they were big, or to say that a band everyone likes actually sucks. Moving from a NY orbit to a Philly orbit - where they are considerably less snobby and considerably more fun - has shaped my approach to music.

(4) Reading Killing Yourself to Live by Church Klosterman. This meandering narrative indictment of NY hipster culture was the straw that broke the camel's back. The book is full of telling lines ("I have more CDs that 90% of Americans, but less CDs that 60% of my friends"). By telling the story of his visit to all the famous rock death sites, Klosterman helped me re-discover a love for music. For anyone with enough musical sophistication to visit ALIEN CORPSE, Killing Yourself to Live is a must-read.

These are four clear steps that led toward my de-snobbification. If I come up with eight more I could start a self-help group. But in the meantime these experiences have softened my snobbery without undermining my active engagement in music culture. Is it inevitable that such a softening will usher in a deadening of my musical sophistry and wit? Maybe. Although I hope not, that may be a risk worth taking...

iTunes vs. eMusic

2006-09-09T01:13:00.000-07:00

If you own an iPod and buy digital music, iTunes is the place to go, right? Well, that may no longer be the case.

eMusic, a subscription download service catering to individuals with an "independent" bent, is closing that gap. Members of eMusic pay a monthly fee in exchange for a set amount of downloads -- the site offers three plans: $9.99/month for 40 downloads (works out to $.25/song), $14.99/mo for 65 downloads ($.23/song), $19.99/mo for 90 downloads ($.22/song). If you use your allotment before the end of the month, you have two options: wait until the 1st of the next month, or purchase a "booster pack" for various prices--$15 for 50 songs is best value.

Compare those numbers to a flat rate of $.99/song from iTunes. Correct, there is the occasional album that has 15 tracks and sells for $9.99, or in the case of Razorlight's (very satisfying) new album--10 tracks for $7.99, but typically one will be paying a dollar for every song downloaded from iTunes.

Another benefit to eMusic is the portability, that is, the fact that there is no encryption on the files downloaded from the site, compared to the rather strict guidelines that iTunes places on their files. (ie, don't even think about putting an iTunes track on a MP3 player that is NOT an iPod).

If you look solely at the numbers, it makes sense to join eMusic and scrap iTunes altogether. 40 tracks a month is (about) 4 albums, and I rarely download more than 2 (ok, 3... please don't tell my wife)...so I could pay $9.99 a month instead of $40 for the same tracks.

Or, I would be paying less for the same tracks IF eMusic had a decent catalogue. If you are eagerly anticipating the release of (insert fav artist here)'s new album, don't expect to find it in eMusic on Tuesday. Unlike iTunes, eMusic does not have the entire music industry waiting with baited breath to do their bidding. When looking for music to download with my free trial (which accidentally turned into a month paid subscription), I was having trouble finding music that I wanted. I resorted to downloading (shudder) Pavement's "Slanted and Enchanted" (granted, I haven't listened to it yet, and I hope I like it so Dan shuts up about it being the "best and most influential album ever" or whatever he says, I usually stop listening).

So, maybe it's not about the money. Maybe it's about the convenience of not having to drive to the record store (read: Best Buy) to try and buy the album that came out today, but rather sitting down and with two clicks and a minute and a half listening to the album (complete with album art) on my iPod...and maybe the thought of being FORCED to pay $10 a month when I just may not want to buy any music (let alone if I can't find any music I want) puts me in a bad mood.

Here is what eMusic is good for. Back-cataloguing. Say you get on to an artist after he has released several albums (Sufjan Stevens is the perfect example), and you want to own his earlier stuff but don't want to pay $.99 per for it. Join up with eMusic, take your 25 free trial tracks and 40 for $9.99 tracks and take 65 Sufjan Stevens songs home in the morning. Round out your collection, look really hip when you say "I prefer his older stuff," and be satisfied that reading this post did you some good.

CONCERT DVD REVIEW #1

2006-08-31T23:00:00.000-07:00

Review: "Awesome! I F___'in Shot That!"

The Beastie Boys release a new concert DVD that involves the audience...so much so that the "3 MCs" actually have their audience shoot the DVD.

The premise is that 50 Hi8 camcorders were given to 50 audience members spread throughout Madison Square Garden, and the recruited camera men and women were instructed not to turn the cameras off. The idea is brilliant -- not only because the viewer is bombarded by a fresh take on the show every few seconds, but also because of the "uncut" rawness of the footage (one scene takes us on an extended tour of the MSG restroom facilities).

Some reviewers have criticized the camerawork and editing of the film, calling it too choppy, even disorienting. This is an apt criticism (APT!), but this viewer felt it made the DVD more immersive. This "home movie-esque" technique allows the DVD viewer to feel almost
voyeuristic in watching someone else watch the show.

In the opening scene, the director titles the DVD while addressing the cameramen, "This is going to be great -- in 20 years you will watch the DVD and say, 'Awesome. I fuckin' shot that.'"

Regarding the performance, the Beastie Boys are still at the top of their game, getting better with middle age. The transitions are smooth, the banter is fun, and the teamwork is flawless. For everyone that hasn't seen the Beastie Boys live, this will serve as the appetizer --enticing the viewer to track them down. Mix Master Mike provides the Boys standard tracks with more than a little flair, making the old seem new and fresh.

Watch for a certain fellow New-Yorker former Rabbi, male-model, and dodgeball loser rapping along to "3 MC's and one DJ."

Special Feature Report: "A Day in the Life of Nathaniel Hornblower" showcases David Cross as the liederhosen-wearing Nathaniel Hornblower, director of the DVD and most of the Beastie's videos. Cross' career has had some moments of brilliant comedic timing, impeccable writing, and mind-blowing awkwardness, and this video short is spot-on the latter.

Even if you have no interest in the Beastie Boys as artists, rappers,New York City icons, trendsetters, contagiously fun individuals, or musicians (they play several of their tracks as a live band, such as "Gratitude" from "Check Your Head"), this DVD is still worth a Netflix simply for its innovative appearance.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Track Review: "When You Were Young" by The Killers

2006-08-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

The Killers were everybody's favorite retro-rock band of 2004. Their debut album, Hot Fuss, was adored by both the corporate music world (the radio played them, Rolling Stone and Spin sung their praise, and U2 took them on tour) and the indie music world (their obvious Smiths influence as well as their exuberant anthem "Glamorous Indie Rock & Roll" won them some credibility). Band leader Brandon Flowers has even become something of a heart-throb.

Hot Fuss was a near perfect debut; every song sounded like a single. The first song we probably all heard was "Somebody Told Me." A very fun tune, but I worried that they were just a New Order novelty band. And then the heart-on-his-sleeves lyrics of "Mr. Brightside" hit the airwaves and every emo kid and TRL viewer fell in love. But it really wasn't until "All These Things That I've Done" that I realized that this band has some real soul.

So how should an alternative rock band like the Killers follow up a top-selling, perfect debut like Hot Fuss? Should they go back to the basement like Nirvana did with In Utero? Or should they create a commerically-disastrous cult classic like Weezer did with Pinkerton? Or perhaps they should just cave in to the pressure and realize that you can only save rock and roll once, like the Strokes did with Room on Fire?

Or maybe the Killers should just try to take over the world. That's what "When You Were Young" sounds like. First off, it's better than anything on Hot Fuss. The guitars soar higher than "Beautiful Day." Yes, this is a guitar band just as much as it is a keyboard band. Now, the vocal melody might throw you a bit. The Boss? Yep, the Boss. Reportedly, American rock, like Springsteen and Tom Petty, is a great influence on the new album. This doesn't mean we won't hear that British influence anymore. It just means that the Killers might be the biggest band in America in 2007. How great would it be to have an American band (they hail from Las Vegas) be the biggest band in America again? Aw, shucks! I'm getting all patriotic!

Flag-waving aside, what is truly impressive about "When You Were Young" is the lyrical content. Hot Fuss had some fun and sometimes clever lyrics. But this single is definitely a step up. Brandon Flowers must have become a student of Bono's school of songwriting: the best songs are the songs about the search for God. "When You Were Young" is about a not-so-young woman who is waiting for "some beautiful boy" to come along and save her from "her old ways." (Regret seems to be a recurring theme in Flowers writing already.) Flowers writes that this beautiful boy "doesn't look a thing like Jesus, but he talks like a gentlemen, just like you imagined when you were young."

Youth lost? Love lost? Salvation found? "When You Were Young" is available for download on Itunes now (or you can stream it for free on the Killer's official site, you tightwad!) Watch for the Killer's new album, Sam's Town, on October 3rd.

Wolfmother

2006-08-23T13:21:00.000-07:00

Much of the roots rock revolution of the past five years has made way for the re-emergence of a power trio with sounds unheard for a generation enhanced by indie developement that pre-empt the usual pretentious pitfalls of such bands. If this sounds unbelievable, then make your way to www.wothermother.com

From the Vault: 40th Anniversary of The Beatles' Revolver

2006-08-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Forty years ago this past weekend The Beatles' released their transition studio album Revolver. The Beatles recorded this album in early 1966 during their last stint of touring. Within a month of its late summer release, The Beatles quit touring and became a exclusively studio band. Revolver is their first of many song books to never be performed live by the band. And although this served to weaken the authenticity of some of their later material, at this point the integrity of The Beatles as a band remained in tack.

Although the album is great, it often confuses non-fans of the Beatles why this album so often tops list of best all-time albums. Why not Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road, or even Rubber Soul? What makes Revolver stand out?

In congruence with a prevalent Alien Corpse theme, the prominence and permanence of Revolver is that, at least on this album, all the instrumentation, experimentation, studio-trickery and stylization seemlessly serve the songs themselves. There are a number of Beatles' albums that contain greater songs, and a number of albums where the experimentation is even more groundbreaking and creative. But Revolver more than any other combines songwriting with musical progressivism. The result is that Revolver is not only interesting, but also enjoyable to listen to.

It is this combination of experimentation and good-old-fashioned songwriting that leads to Revolver being the most diverse Beatles' album. Many of their albums suffer from conceptual fancies or idiomatic narrowness that limit genuine musical diversity. Because Revolver is about songs, each song is molded organically into a style most fitting for the song. So Revolver contains everything from rock classics employing some the Beatles' best guitar work in both playing and sound ("Taxman," "She Said, She Said," "And Your Bird Can Sing," "Doctor Robert") to beautiful ballads using strings, harmonies, baroque arrangment, and even horns ("Eleanor Rigby," "Here, There and Everywhere," "For No One"). Both ends of the spectrum are held together by strong songwriting and musical arrangment that perfectly fits the songs as they were meant to be expressed. Even John Lennon's psycholedic exploits ("I'm Only Sleeping" and "Tomorrow Never Knows") have aged well because the songs are so memorable in-and-of-themselves. And Paul McCartney's goofy pop songs ("Good Day Sunshine," "Got to Get You into My Life"
"Yellow Submarine") are still inherently enjoyable and surprisingly not distracting despite being nestled between progressive rock pieces.

The point is that all this diversity results in a cohesive album because the Beatles' songwriting is in the foreground. Bottom line: don't buy Revolver because it is influential (which it is), significant (which it is) or interesting (which it is). Buy Revolver because there you will find songs and music in perfect harmony.

RIP - Pedro the Lion

2006-08-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

David Bazan officially laid to rest the Pedro the Lion name in January, but the spirit lives on with his newly released (June 13th) solo EP, titled, "Fewer Moving Parts."

The record doesn't break any new ground for those die-hard fans of Bazan's work with PTL and Headphones. But the listener gets the sense that Bazan feels a great deal of freedom in being out from under the Pedro the Lion moniker.

A recent article in Sojourners online magazine (thanks Erik Fisher) describes a Bazan who has grown into his faith and seems to understand/accept his role, though he still "bristles when others...casually place the Christian label on him." This is not a new statement, but the explanation is new to me --

“People who use it to describe me are generally using it to be reductive of what I do or to imply that it’s invalid simply because [of my faith], and that makes me pretty angry.”

The EP is 5 tracks recorded twice -- once acoustic and once fully instrumented. This sounds uninteresting, but it works often like listening to Iron & Wine's cover of The Postal Service's "Such Great Heights" (my favorite cover ever - new list idea); only Bazan is covering himself. The recording of "How I Remember" in the fully instrumented version is frustrating to me, because the vocals are too much in the background - almost sounding muted...

Jade Tree is set to release a full-length solo Bazan record in 2007.

Favorite Songwriters

2006-08-03T23:56:00.000-07:00

This week I've been thinking a great deal about songwriting and the skill that is necessary in this process. There are two types of songwriters in my mind -- those that use powerful imagery in lyrics to get their point/story across, and those that ilicit the same response with music.

Many times the best songwriters are strong on one skill only, mixing subpar or not that exciting music with punchy lyrics (or vice versa). Though certainly we have seen the rare songwriter who consistently blows our mind with both lyrics and music.

The quickest way to identify into which camp a songwriter falls is to mentally scan the artists catalogue and identify whether you are remembering words/stories or guitar riffs/chord progressions.

It's interesting to think whether this is the songwriter's ability or the listeners paradigm...When I listen to music I more often than not hear lyrics, and only when a song is GREAT musically I take notice. This is definitely because I couldn't identify chord progressions or discuss music theory much beyond Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (and couldn't describe that at gunpoint either).

What do you hear? List your 5 favorite songwriters and why. Here are mine.
1. Blake Schwarzenbach - Jawbreaker/Jets to Brazil -- My first taste of indie music was the lyric "I'm just a question knowing my answer, hope I'm wrong" Smart, punchy lyrics with tons of double entendre.

2. David Bazan - Pedro the Lion/Headphones/Solo -- If the first time you listened to the "Whole EP" alone didn't come close to crying you are heartless. Genuine storyteller. Also, wins award for "most likely to send letter bomb" with this pic.

3. Jack White - The White Stripes/The Raconteurs -- One of the only songwriters who makes me hear music first.

4. Gord Downie - The Tragically Hip -- More of a poet than a songwriter and the imagery he uses makes me wish I could write like that.

5. Pending further development -- Regina Spektor and Sufjan Stevens. Both have a keen understanding of music and lyrics that make me feel stupid, but write songs that have heart so I feel better after.

Top 10 Double Albums

2006-07-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

This summer’s release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium has brought up the perennial issue of the prudence of double albums. Are double-albums a good idea? Are they a sign of the sheer volume of genius? Or are they just the bloated expression of artistic hubris? Or are they simply the result of a lazy production not willing to shave a record down to its best elements?

As with so much in music criticism, the wise approach to this inquiry is not to evaluate the double-album as a medium in general. Rather, one ought to evaluate each double-album on its own merits. Although there are many terrible double-albums, there are also many great ones. I have provided a list of the Top 10 Double Albums (according to my humble yet impeccable opinion). Note: I am excluding all compilations and live albums.

Top 10 Double Albums:

10 – Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland (1968)
9 – Sonic Youth, Dirty (1992)
8 – Bruce Springsteen, The River (1980)
7 – Wilco, Being There (1996)
6 – Derek & the Dominoes, Layla and other Assorted Love Songs (1970)
5 – Bob Dylan, Blonde on Blonde (1966)
4 – The Beatles, White Album (1968)
3 – The Clash, London Calling (1979)
2 – Rolling Stones, Exile on Main Street (1972)
1 – Led Zeppelin, Physical Graffiti (1975)

The interesting thing about this list is that a number of these albums could also be placed in the Top 100 albums of all-time. Also, about half of these records are considered by some to be the best albums produced by the respective artist. So, despite the dangers of the double album, sometimes the risk pays off.

Unfortunately for the Chili Peppers, Stadium Arcadium will likely be categorized among the many double-albums that would have been great albums if they just would have been cut in half. Albums such as Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) Pink Floyd, The Wall (1979), Prince’s 1999 (1982), Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I & II (1991), Smashing Pumpkins’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995) and Outkast’s Speakerboxxx/Love Below (2003) were all good records boasting great songs, but they lack what the albums above had: solidness. If you find yourself skipping through the filler to get to the next “real” track, the hubris of bigness has trumped musical integrity. Despite its size, a great double album should feel like any other great album: you love every song on it.

What double-albums would you add to and subtract from the above Top Ten list?
What double-albums should also be place in the “should have been cut in half” category?
What generalizations (if any) could be made about double-albums as a medium?

Cornerstone Diary, Day Five

2006-07-09T13:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

I'm in love! John Davis, John Davis, John Davis! The former lead singer of Superdrag (Remember "Sucked Out" from '96? Me neither.) was saved a few years ago and started writing songs about his faith. Good songs. Really good songs.

The bold faith and the humility of his song writing and stage presence was unlike anything else at Cornerstone. John played two sets (Yes!) on the last day of Cornerstone, one on the Gallery Stage and the other at the Jesus Village stage. His Gallery Stage performance was very rocking, including some new jams (he's headed back to the studio in a couple of weeks). Then John broke it down on the keyboard at the Jesus Village to play some of his gospel-ish burners including, "I Hear Your Voice" and "Jesus Gonna Build Me a Home".

John's music and his show were all about his testimony: Jesus gave him hope when we didn't have any. John made no bones about it: He was there to testify to what Jesus did for him. The spotlight of his performance was Jesus, not himself. That, I guess, is what true humility is all about. It was the best church service I'd been to in a while.

So, C-stone is now over. My top five C-stone performers are as follows:

5. Relient K

4. Underoath

3. The Violet Burning

2. mewithoutYou

1. John Davis

A good year. Although I was puzzled as to why Danielson, Pedro the Lion or Damien Jurado were not there. Maybe next year, Cornerstone?

The amazing John Davis.

Cornerstone Diary, Day Four

2006-07-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

Day Four at main stage was filled with family-fun from MxPx and Relient K, although both bands played slightly subversive cover songs. MxPx covered "I Would Walk" by the Proclaimers and "Surrender" by Cheap Trick. Relient K covered Kenny Logins' "Flight into the Dangerzone" from Top Gun. It had all the 30-ish somethings smiling. (What can I say? Alien Corpse had two older sisters who loved pop music in the 80s!)

But the real entertainment of the evening was all about the metal. Here now is an interview with the original Metal Freak, Neil Beard.

Which band totally melted your brain last night?
The Showdown! They stole it!

What songs did they play?
Some new songs: "The Snake Pit" and "Give Us This Day."

How did the new songs sound?
Excellent and a lot heavier!

Did they turn the crowd into a pile of skulls?
Yes!

Does liking the Showdown make us hillbillies, too?
Yes!

Good interview, Neil, ur...um, the Metal Freak.

Dave from The Showdown. Yes, he is wearing his own band's shirt. Yes, those are snakes coming out of the skull, and yes, the back of the shirt does say, "High Voltage Heavy Metal."

The Metal Freak hanging out with the number one heavy metal band, The Showdown.

Cornerstone Diary, Day Three

2006-07-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

How lucky am I to be able to see mewithoutYou TWICE at Cornerstone this year! mewithoutYou opened main stage (!) on Thursday night with "Tie Me Up! Untie Me!" Hearing lead singer Aaron shout out, "Did you untie me, Lord? I haven't even thought about killing myself in almost 3 years!" rather than the 5 months testified to on mewithoutYou's brilliant record, Catch for Us the Foxes was an awesome testimony indeed. (If you are interested in checking out mewithoutYou, start with "January 1979" and "Paper Hanger" from Catch for Us the Foxes.)

mewithoutYou on Cornerstone Main Stage. Photo by Neil Beard.

The highlight of mewithoutYou's set was a new song they played last. They invited all of their friends to come out and dance with them on the last song, which included a ton of tribal drummers, a girl dressed in sackcloth, and man in a Native American-ish bird suit. I wasn't sure about the bird suit (hiding in the shadow of His wings?), but it was dramatic. The new song really demonstrated mewithoutYou's musical growth, adding much quieter elements to their songs, and much more melody as well. The song ended with Aaron shouting, "I do not exist!" over and over, a testimony to how a Christian can lose themselves in Christ completely.

mewithoutYou's set was awesome, but the best part of the day came as a surprise to me. I happened to wander over to the indoor stage and caught a set by the seminal, alt-Christian band, the Violet Burning.

First of all, the Violet Burning were a great break from all of the emo and metal acts that dominate Cornerstone. It was very cool to hear some British influenced rock for a change. My Bloody Valentine, Depeche Mode, U2 and the Cure could all be heard in the Violet Burning's set.

But what was most impressive about their set were a few short words by singer Michael Pritzl. Michael talked about how God loves all of us just as we are, which is a message you could hear at just about any evangelical church this Sunday morning. But Pritzl took it one set further and told the crowd that God loved the church just as it is. Yes, the church has its problem, and we should all want to change those, but God loves his church as it is.

In this age when so many intelligent young believers (David Bazan anyone?) are being turned off by the sins of the church, it was refreshing to hear someone stand up and say, "I need the church! God loves the church and so do I!"

Cornerstone Diary, Day Two

2006-07-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

The Cornerstone Festival has always been the Christian music festival that was more open to alternative music. They always had the underground stage that featured all the newest punk, hardcore and indie rock bands. And there are always dozens of bands set up at generator stages throughout the festival campgrounds. But main stage at Cornerstone was always about the mainstream rock acts. You know, like DC Talk and Third Day.

But this year all that changed. Main Stage at C-stone day two was invaded by a bunch of hardcore, screamo and heavy metal bands.

The evening started with the beauty and blister of As Cities Burn. These guys define screamo. It sounds like these screamo bands have been listening to U2 or something, because their spacey, melodic riffs were more than enough to fill the whole arena. Well, their intro song was a Sigur Ros song(!), so what should I expect?

The Chariot was up next with their destructive, spastic hardcore. I actually feared for the welfare of the band during their set. But it didn't compare to the brutality of Norma Jean.

Norma Jean. Photo by Neil Beard.

The highlight of their set (and maybe of the whole evening) was when the lead singers of The Chariot and mewithoutYou came out to sing "Memphis Will Be Laid to Waste." What a scary and inspiring song!

Next up was Ozzfest regular As I Lay Dying. Straight up metal with some melodic vocals. Not bad. But something could compare to the set Underoath put on. Underoath is definitely the biggest emo/screamo/Warped Tour-ish band in the whole world right now, and deservingly so. They played several songs from their new album, Define the Great Line, which sounded perfectly constructed for arenas and mass consumption. And I do not mean that in a bad way. Also, it was way cool to see all of the cell phones out when Underoath played their OC-hit, "A Boy Brushed Red Living in Black and White."

But what was most exciting about this whole main stage spectacle was a man named Chad Johnson. Johnson is the A&R man for Tooth and Nail/Solid State Records (he used to own Takehold Records before it went under). He came out just before the Underoath set and...well...preached a sermon.

It was shocking and wonderful. Tooth and Nail was one of the first to preach the "We're Christians in a band, not a Christian band," thing. And I understand that position. Not everyone has the spiritual gift of preaching, and we shouldn't always expect our art, including music, to be a tool for ministry.

But Johnson and Underoath showed the crowd that music can be a way of sharing the most important thing in the world, the gospel of Jesus Christ, with lost people. (Whoops, I hope you don't accuse Alien Corpse of being a Christian site now! :) ) Johnson's message was short and about how we sin when we turn rock artists into idols. Convicting.

Underoath was unashamed about their faith, as well, and the fact of them being a Christian band, not Christians in a band. "We are here to represent Jesus Christ," said vocalist Spencer Chamberlain. Now, I don't now if they say things like that when their on tour with Killswitch Engage, but they said it last night, and it was amazing.

What do you think, Alien Corpse readers? Is it OK to use art as a tool for the gospel. I think my feelings on the subject are pretty clear. But I am interesting in discussing this hot topic.

Posthumous Music -- Cashing in or Remembering Our Heroes?

2006-07-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

With this week's release of the first American Recordings posthumous release from Johnny Cash, ALIEN CORPSE has been pondering the cash cow of life after death in the recording industry.

Is this practice simply the record company giving the fans what we want; giving us a way to connect with our fallen/tortured/misunderstood heroes? Or are we being taken advantage of, manipulated into spending money on typically subpar releases because our beloved is no longer with us?

There is certainly a great amount of attention received after a musician passes away that encourages a record company (or the surviving members of the band) to polish and then push a release of a "not quite finished" record. There is also the "dead artist" mentality that maintains an artist's work is more valuable after the artist passes on.

Also, many times the artist was in process or nearing completion of a project when they die, and it just takes their producer adding finishing touches to release the record, sometimes (especially in the case of Elliott Smith) giving the listener insight into their state of mind prior to their death (suicide).

As one being that has tasted death, ALIEN CORPSE has decided to take this stance: Immediate releases of unfinished work are acceptable especially in the case of suicide, greatest hits are acceptale, whereas remixes/"from the vault"/B-sides/other crap are offensive to fans and should be treated as such.

Here are some posthumous examples:

Elliott Smith - From A Basement on a Hill(2004), Smith passed on October 22, 2003.

Johnny Cash - Unearthed (11/03) (!), My Mother's Hymn Book (4/04), The Legend of Johnny Cash (10/05) American V: A Hundred Highways(7/4/06), Cash passed September 12, 2003.

Elvis Presley - Too many to mention, the most notable is the FRIGHTENING 2002 remix of "A Little Less Conversation," Elvis passed August, 1977.

Russell Jones (aka ODB, Dirt McGirt) - A Son Unique (expected 06), ODB passed November 2004.

2Pac - Greatest Hits (1998), Until the End of Time (2001), All Eyez on Me (2001), Better Dayz (2002), Ressurection (11/03), Loyal to the Game (12/04), 2Pac passed in 1996.

Nirvana - Nirvana (10/02), With the Lights Out (11/04), Sliver: The Best of the Box (11/05), Kurt Cobain passed April 5th, 1994.

What are we missing? What's your favorite or (even better) your most hated posthumous release?

Cornerstone Diary, Day One

2006-07-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

Well, Cornerstone Day One is officially over. Today was Tooth and Nail Day, with just bands that Tooth and Nail Records invited to play. There was actually a great variety of music to hear today, from the arena anthem rock of The Honour Recital to the goth-core of The Becoming. Even good old Project 86 was there (8 Cornerstones in a row?). Hearing the crowd sing along with Andrew Schwab, "I do not need anymore truthless heroes!" was truly one of the highlights of the night.

But two bands really stood out to me today: Becoming the Archetype and mewithoutYou.

Becoming the Archetype is straight up death metal. That's right, not metal-core, not some metal-emo hybrid, but straight-up finger tapping metal.

Here is the Jason of Becoming the Archetype. Yes, at times he did raise his hand as if he were holding a mystical energy orb to help him hit those really low notes. Photo by Neil Beard.

Alex of Becoming the Archetype. Photo by Neil Beard.

mewithoutYou definitely stole the show on the first day of Cornerstone 2006. What is so exciting about mewithoutYou is their creativity. NOBODY (secular or inspirational market) sounds like mewithoutYou. They started out as an art damaged hardcore band, but they have let the art damage finally take over. At this show, they used keyboards, maracas, djembes, acoustic guitars and a harp alongside their normal instrumentation to create a truly psychedelic experience.

mewithoutYou, of course, has always been a very visual band, as well. Lead singer Aaron is one of the most expressive and theatrical artists at Cornerstone, and he was in full form at this show, twirling and shaking out his vocals. I can't wait to catch their main stage performance on Friday night!

Road Trip

2006-06-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

I, the great and mighty Alien Corpse, am going on vacation next week. Yes, even all-knowing, transdimensional beings like myself need a vacation every once in a while. I will be vacationing at (where else?) the Cornerstone music festival in the middle-of-nowhere, IL.

In preparation for the big trip, I've been putting together a few playlists for the road trip. Here's what I've got so far:

1."Birthday" by the Beatles. It's got a driving beat and is probably the catchiest guitar riff George Harrison ever wrote. "Gonna have a good time," is the best sentiment for the beginning of a road trip.

2. "Party Hard" by Andrew W.K. A totally underrated songwriter in my opinion. Nobody writes songs that are as fun as Andrew W.K. I wanna go on vacation with him!

3. "7/4 (Shoreline) by Broken Social Scene. Anarchist Canadians create a great driving beat that will just push you down the road.

4. "Incinerate" by Sonic Youth. Their new album, Rather Ripped, is so good and this might be the best song on it.

5. "Conventional Wisdom" by Built to Spill. Ok, time to wake back up with this great piece of pop rock that becomes a great indie jam. This is how I wish Phish would have sounded.

6. "Good Vibrations" by Brian Wilson. Smile makes me smile. And you can't think about summer, vacations or road trips without the Beach Boys.

7. "Pretty Vacant" by the Sex Pistols. This is side two, track one. The opening guitar riff (which is really just Steve Jones picking through an A power chord; brilliant!) sounds like the notes are bouncing off great expanses of the American landscape.

8. "Tough as John Jacobs" by Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. How could you create a road trip playlist without some good old Southern rock and metal.

9. "Nature Anthem" by Grandaddy. This song will either make you stop at the next scenic overlook, or go buy a Honda.

10. "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. "Crazy" is Alien Corpse's Number One Summer Jam for 2006!

11. "Walk on the Wide Side" by Lou Reed. This works as a great driving song because of the crazy bass line. Plus, it makes you want to do crazy things on your vacation like...um...cross dress and stuff.

12. "Learning to Fly" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
13. "Into the Great Wide Open" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
Does anybody want to debate that Tom Petty is the best artist to drive to EVER?

So what are your favorite road trip songs or albums? Comment soon, because I can't wait to trash your taste!

Keane - Under the Iron Sea

2006-06-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

Keane's first project - Hopes and Fears - was a well-crafted bit of ear candy that got some significant buzz going in the discussion of a new wave of "brit -poppers" (Starsailor, Travis, et al.) but somehow recently became a guilty pleasure album that was seared into the popular conscience not least when one of its tracks was used in the trailer to Keanu Reeves's and Sandra Bullock's new flick "Lake House". This would be an example of when britpop seems in my impression to no longer "work" - that is when it is no longer ironic - sort of like when the Oasis track "All Around the World" was sold as the new theme song for AT&T. ugh

Keane's new project was released in the US this week. As sophomoric releases go "Under the Iron Sea" seems in my impression to be somewhat of an archetype. It boasts of a kind of pseudo maturity that shows the band's growth in budget, but seems to lack real reflection and resorts too often to cliches and self-involvement in the struggles of newly found success. However, as to not isolate their quickly growing fan base they also include a number of elements that are reminiscent of the first album (with added string section and impressive new sounds from the keys - keeping the guitarless guitar-band vibe going). So in other words - if you liked the first album as I did - chances are while you can criticize the second one you might just enjoy it as well.

The band touted the writing on this album as a little darker than the first - representative of their experiences over the last two years having seen the "darker" side of life living on the road as mega-rock stars who deal with disillusionment with home and relationships. They also propose, however, to tackle broader sorts of "dark" issues like disillusionement with government and feelings of helplessness over not being able to influence decisions that will directly effect this generation's future (this is a self-proclaimed theme from their PR release on the album).

Most haters are going after the album saying things like, "the album is lyrically unimpressive and far too reliant on cliches". On the one hand the criticism is valid - but on the other I think it misses the point of Keane - and the broader britpop project which they may be described as having adopted. It is pop music insofar as the lyrics are broad enough to appeal to emotions that have no well defined carrier - could be about betrayal of a girlfriend or could be about perceived betrayal by Tony Blair and the New Labour Party. Contemp Christian music is master of these generalities by singing to Jesus and someone you are crushing on at the same time. So I don't think criticizing the album oon this front is appropriate without taking to task the broader pop project - can it work? Britpop was the tool to bring a new generation on board to overthrow Thatcherism and replace it with a younger more visionary government (see docu. Live Forever). In the end there was a lot of disappointment when britpop was left just as it had always been a tool - but there was no big idea or "something more" behind it. So this raises interesting questions as to whether it is the best method to pick up when one is criticizing New Labour and others for having abandoned the vision and betrayed their contingency. Is it effective? Could be - I don't know.

Okay well all of this is important to understand the context of the album - but here I have probably not given fair mention to the album itself: A synopsis will have to do.

1) If you hated the first album stay away - this is Keane to the power of 10 - new approaches but same methods.

2) If you loved the first album - you will love this one too probably - they have expanded on the elements of the first album - it is more produced but not to the point that it gets in the way - there is still no guitar - and yes Chaplin's voice does soar oh so high

3) If you are not sure - I still would reccomend Hopes and Fears as an entry point - there is too much polish on this album to make the old school britpop elements come through.

From the Vault: Frampton Comes Alive! 30th Anniversary

2006-06-14T16:09:00.000-07:00

Thirty years ago, the album that ruled America's charts, AOR radio, and lava-lamp-lit bedrooms was Peter Frampton's live double record, Frampton Comes Alive! It topped the charts for sixteen non-consecutive weeks between April and September 1976. It was the album of the bicentennial summer. As Wayne Campbell puts it, "Of course I have Frampton Comes Alive! It was issued to suburban homes along with samples of Tide."

The question for this 30th anniversary retrospective is why Frampton Comes Alive! was such a big album and, more important but not unrelated, why is it still worth listening to today? It remains a mystery why the live versions of unknown material by this second-rate Humple Pie drop-out became standard AOR fare and endure as classics to this day. Live albums are usually used by established acts as time buffers after a long tour so they do not have to go back into the studio right away. I am not aware of any compiled live album to do for an artist what it did for Frampton. So what makes Comes Alive! different?

First, there's the gimmick. Frampton is credited for making significant use of the guitar voice box. He certainly was not the first to use it. But he was the first to make it a major part of his song writing and style. As can be heard on "Show Me The Way" and "Do You Feel Like We Do?" the audience goes nuts for his voice-box solos. It was a fresh gimmick then and so it created a buzz. However, now that the voice box has been relegated to Bon Jovi come-back singles, it is hard to get excited about the technique anymore. Some appeal remains for vault-listeners, as Frampton was one of the few who put the voice box to melodic use.

But the gimmick alone cannot explain its popularity then and classic status now. The 1970's where full of technical advances that do not necessarily result in great albums. Technique must accompany songs. And Comes Alive! does not lack great songs. Although it has been spoiled for many in my generation by a terrible 1990's cover version, "Baby I Love Your Way" was and is a perfectly simply love song worthy of its heavy airplay. In college I managed to loose track of the second CD on account of lending it out too many times to people wanting that song.

But more important than the love songs are the deep album cuts like "I Wanna Go To The Sun" and "Lines On My Face" that used to receive airplay on AOR stations before the Classic Rock format took over in the early 1980's. Ironically, now we can only hear singles from classic bands who made their names on an anti-single, anti-Top-Forty format. So every band between 1969 and 1978 (with the major exception of Led Zeppelin) are relegated to one-hit-wonder status, as we hear the same songs over and over, never realizing that these albums were full of songs much better than those on the air now. So Frampton Comes Alive! deserves a fresh hearing simply because it cannot be heard via radio the way it used to. Hopefully on-line digital music will help to resurrect a number of smaller acts that have become punchlines over the years.

So buy the CD, or at least a couple of songs on iTunes. Try to imagine what it would be like for a live rock record to be the number one album in the summer of 2006. Ponder what it would take to happen again. Better yet, get an old turn table and buy the vinyl for $1 at a used book store or yard sale, set it up next to your lava lamp and see if you can recapture the excitement of the first time someone heard the opening notes of the voice-box guitar solo on "Do You Feel Like We Do?" blare through a pair of over-sized earphones.

Worst album ever...

2006-06-07T10:38:00.000-07:00

What is the worst album on your iPod/iTunes Library/CD Holder?

This could be a/an:

Guilty pleasure
Newly released album that came with high expectations and disappointed
Recommended album that surpassed all levels of suckiness
Album that you used to LOVE but now realize its true undeniable lowliness

Or any of your own criteria...I just want to see the seemy underbelly of your record collection.

Let 'er rip.

Review: Gnarls Barkley, St. Elsewhere

2006-05-30T22:45:00.000-07:00

This is one thing that ALIEN CORPSE is thankful for: He is thankful that he lives outside of media saturation of music. This enables him to devour an album like Gnarls Barkley: St. Elsewhere, and not have to worry that he will hear about the album at every turn. That can really ruin an album. It is ALIEN’s sense that the general public of indie 20 somethings will have already found this album to be sequentially: exotic, vibrant, skillful, tired, and annoying. Thankfully, ALIEN just hears the groove.

This collaboration between King Midas himself, DJ Danger Mouse (reputed for his “Grey Album” mashup of The Beatles’ White Album and Jay-Z’s Black Album), and rapper/crooner deluxe, Cee-Lo Green, is a revelatory departure from everything else on the scene in 2006.

Blending Danger Mouse’s talent on the production side with Cee-Lo’s golden vocals was a match made in heaven. There is a nice combination between a hook-laden soul album with SOME genuine lyrics. Just when the listener has settled in for a long peaceful chill-out session, track 8, Transformer, rattles the cages and is a true Hip-hop song. Actually, the one-two punch of Just a Thought and Transformer is worth the price of the album alone.

Overall, this is a stellar release that embodies fun, uptempo music/lyrics and the skills of the greatest producer in the music scene today. Take that, Kanye!

Rating: 5 out of 5

RIYL: Gorillaz, DangerDoom, The Streets

List #2 - Top 5 Album Openers in the Last 15 Years

2006-05-24T02:16:00.000-07:00

I think this list has only one solution. This is not preference, but rather the best Track #1s... in the last 15 years (1991-2006). These are the songs that best set the pace for the album they are opening, the most memorable opening tracks, and the most influencial opening tracks.

Let's assemble this list together. Feel free to add names/tracks.

12 Openers for Your Consideration (in no particular order):

The Man Comes Around - Johnny Cash, American IV: The Man Comes Around (2002).
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana, Nevermind (1991).
Seven Nation Army - The White Stripes, Elephant (2003).
My Name Is Jonas - Weezer, S/T (1994).
Leave Me Alone - Razorlight, Up All Night (2005).
Everything In Its' Right Place - Radiohead, Kid A (2000).
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart - Wilco, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002).
Small Stakes - Spoon, Kill The Moonlight (2002).
Untitled - Interpol, Turn On The Bright Lights (2002).
Break - Fugazi, End Hits (1998).
One Angry Dwarf and 200 Solemn Faces - Ben Folds Five, Whatever and Ever Amen (1997).
Devil's Haircut - Beck, Odelay (1996).

Grandaddy, Just Like the Fambly Cat

2006-05-23T20:20:00.000-07:00

Just Like the Fambly Cat is Grandaddy’s fifth album in ten years. It is also their final album. Despite being on a major label for their last three releases, getting to tour with Pete Yorn, and having a song in a Honda commercial, (Nature Anthem, “I wanna walk up the side of the mountain.”), Grandaddy just can’t pay the bills. It must be pretty depressing to be in a critically acclaimed rock band, get four star reviews from everyone, and then come home from tour totally broke and unable to pay your rent.

So Grandaddy has called it quits and Just Like the Fambly Cat reveals the pathos of a rock band breaking up. The sweet and sad sample of a little girl asking the question, “What happened to the family cat?“ on the opening track seems to say it all. Where did we go wrong? How can Modest Mouse sell a million and we have to work stupid construction jobs when we get back from tour? “Elevate Myself” expresses disillusionment with the music industry and the loss of ambition to write the perfect pop song and be the biggest band in the world: “I don’t want to work all night and day on writing songs that make the young girls cry.” Ironically, “Elevate Myself” sounds like the perfect radio song that Grandaddy’s been shooting for. But the album ends with the disillusioned resolution, “I’ll never return…”

What is so sad about this being the last Grandaddy album is that it is their best. Just Like the Fambly Cat is on another level than the psychedelic pop being made by the Flaming Lips or the Dandy Warhols. You will still find all of the ELO-inspired synth swirls (space out to “Rearview Mirror“), crunching Cars-esque rhythm guitars (that the Strokes wish they could capture) and the quiet, innocent vocals that define the Grandaddy sound. But what really makes Just Like the Fambly Cat stand out is that it rocks. “Jeez Louise” uses some loud guitars and dissonance to create a psychedelic sound that is actually pretty heavy. The hardcore punk of “50%” is exactly what previous Grandaddy albums have needed to spice things up.

So Grandaddy has saved their best album for last. There is hope, though, that we‘ll be able to hear the Nature Anthem sound again. The magic of the Grandaddy sound was created by one man: Jason Lytle (Jason played all the instruments on Just Like the Fambly Cat except the drums). How can a band break up when it’s basically one dude?

Jason Lytle of Grandaddy getting his nature on.

You can stream “Jeez Louise” and “Rearview Mirror” from Grandaddy’s official site.

Neil Young - "Living with War"

2006-05-17T21:09:00.000-07:00

Release: May 8, 2006
Has anyone else noticed that mutual fund and prescription drug commercials have gone hippie? I am talking the spokesperson for Charles Schwab in bellbottoms and tie-dye throwing down the peace sign. Of course this is just a matter of knowing your target market. After all most of today's wealthy aged have one thing in common - they were all at Woodstock.

If you are one of these peace-loving flower grandparents you will love Neil Young's new album - in fact you will probably not think twice about shelling out 300 bucks to get in at one of the amphitheaters across the nation that are carrying the Crosby Stills Nash and Young “Free Speech” tour this summer.

Apparently, based on what else I have been reading regarding the reception of Neil Young’s newest album, I am one of only a few who is bothered by the “protest for old time’s sake” aura that this album seems in my impression to have been born out of (this is my way of saying – pardon my dissension). These songs are being touted for their raw authenticity – having been recorded and written in an apparently very short time – but to me this sense of saying the first thing that comes to your mind makes the album come across as little more than fluff. I simply could not swallow refrains like “let’s impeach the president for lyin’ and sendin’ our country to war” – Okay maybe not a bad idea, but can I have less Michael Moore in my monitor? This seems to me to be the double edge of Neil’s writing – his knack for stating things very explicitly seems to have worked in the past in songs like Four Dead in Ohio (for me that is an archetypal “protest song”) but at times this stating things in an explicit sort of way leaves one wanting for the deeper things. In my impression this album has the shelf life of a Nick Lachey album.

And now for a slightly more constructive conclusion – I liked the sound of Neil backed up by a hundred member choir. This comes through particularly in songs like “After the Garden”. “Roger and Out” is a well crafted song – unfortunately this makes it sound like it doesn’t fit on the album. Bonus points for fitting the names Obama and Colin Powell in the same song. Grace points for this album’s proximity to one of Neil’s all time best albums, Prairie Wind, which was released last year – there is enough brilliant songwriting in that album to make up for some duds – which is what I am classifying this ten-track Hollywoodesque soapboxing gem. I expect more from a Canadian.

Coke's White-wash

2006-05-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what the result would be if a global megacorp that stands accused of assassinating trade union leaders in developing countries hired a songwriter who once beat a rival bandleader's face into a bloody pulp to write a jingle about how nice love is, and how neat it would be if we all did nice things for each other? Wonder no more! Head on over here to sate your curiosity. The worst part is... I think that it's a great ad. Somebody check- do I still have a soul?

Dear Bruce Springsteen

2006-05-10T12:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Bruce Springsteen,

This is an open letter from Alien Corpse, intergalactic music snob and fellow prophet to the masses. I recently encountered an over-priced copy of your latest souped-up CD "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions" during a recent invasion of Starbucks (which must to my surprise is now posing as a music store and movie production company). I would like to share with you my initial reaction to your start-studded cover album of Pete Seeger classics.

First, thanks for introducing your listeners to the real roots of folksy protest music. In the wake of the latest war, 18-35 year-olds across the country have strummed their guitars in coffee houses singing whiny-though-intended-to-be-wise lyrics satirizing Bush. You have reminded us that Peter Seeger, Woody Guthrie and pre-electric Bob Dylan perfected this politically-charged genre as an actual art-form. May the corduroyed bards of our day take note. Perhaps your covers of Seeger will serve as a gateway drug to the classics of folk music.

Second, beware of turning backwards. Bruce, you are already established as a rock legend. Reaching back to pre-rock roots reminds us just how old you are. Yet you have so recently shown that your music can forge ahead. Cover-albums of classics are a common sign of decline for an established artist. As you enter the pantheon of rock, you have a choice before you. Do you want to go the way of Rod Stewart, who wastes his cock-rock chops on the "Great American Songbook"? Or do you want to go glory route of Johnny Cash, who under Rick Rubin's guidance covered contemporary songs in his third and final comeback? I suggest the latter as befiting your greatness, but this latest record runs the risk of ending up like the former.

Third, shame on you for allowing your CD to be processed in a composite DVD format that does not play on many CD players. This kind of packaging, which has little to do with offering a mutli-media product and more to do with preventing piracy, betrays everything that leftist folk music stands for. Thus the form of this record betrays the content to the disappointment of many who try to enjoy your music in a '91 Volvo.

Sincerely,
Alien Corpse

The Raconteurs

2006-05-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

Interested in hearing Jack White collaborate and produce some near-pop music? Download the Raconteurs single, "Steady, As She Goes" from iTunes...FREE this week.

here's a link to a rolling stone article about the band.

Review: The Streets, "The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living"

2006-04-29T23:02:00.000-07:00

This is the third album from Mike Skinner, a.k.a. The Streets. This British rapper’s first two albums (Original Pirate Material, 2002, and A Grand Don’t Come For Free, 2004) are among the highest quality in lyricism, beat composition, and overall sound production. Original Pirate Material is exactly what you would expect: guerilla samplings layered over stunning beats, with occasional bursts of lyrical genius. “A Grand” is a bit of a departure and represents the first-ever British hip-hopera, according to my infinite knowledge at least. The sound is relatively the same with production skill, lyrics, and songwriting all elevated.

Skinner has a lot to live up to with “Hardest Way…” and he doesn’t disappoint.

Released on 4/25/06, “The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living” finds Skinner in a different place. This album is not about the struggles of a poor London boy, but rather about the trappings of fame. With songs about cocaine use (Pranging Out), destroying hotel rooms (Hotel Expressionism), and extravagant spending (Memento Mori), he loses the common man appeal that worked for him “when you wasn’t famous.”

In an exclusive interview on the iTunes version of the disc, Skinner states, “I don’t think this album is as much about empathy... it is as honest, if not more honest than the previous albums…I don’t expect anyone to feel sorry for me, and I think you could have done that on the previous albums.” This is interesting because he sees the transition to fame and is aware of the dangers associated, but still writes an honest record that shows (at least a little bit) of what ego does to a man of humble roots.

Skinner stands on his head producing this record. Listen to the opening seconds of “Pranging Out,” and be blown away.

Though due to his fame we lose contact with Mike Skinner on this album, he manages to not alienate us completely by just writing good songs.

RIYL: Dizzee Rascal, Sway DaSafo, DANGERDOOM

Band of Horses, Everything All the Time

2006-04-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

The first thing you are going to think is this: “My Morning Jacket rip-off! They’re just jumping on the MMJ bandwagon!” Well, your first mistake would be in thinking there is a bandwagon behind MMJ. Ain’t gonna happen, my friends.

Your second mistake would be thinking that Band of Horses have co-opted the MMJ sound. Not so. I mean, there is the reverb thing. Everything All the Time is drenched in soggy reverb. In my intergalactic travels through the universe, I have never heard a record so wet (except on the last MMJ record). And certainly, the vocal style bares more than a resemblance to Jim James’ folk-y/Neil Young-ish warble. But once you swim past the reverb, you begin to see the wide variety of musical influences here.

Shoegaze-y guitars are featured prominently throughout the record, while most of the vocal melodies find their origin is the underground psychedelic rock of the 60s, a la the Shins. The jangly guitars of “Weed Party” make me think of R.E.M. and Tom Petty. The angular riffs on “Wicked Gil” could be found on any Strokes/Franz/etc. record today.

But by far the two stand-outs on this album are the majesty of “The Great Salt Lake” and the haunting riff and chord progression of “The Funeral.” Both songs feature incredible dynamics that make you forget all about MMJ. Lyrics like, “At every occasion I’ll be ready for the funeral,” hint at a deep sea of longing that could make Band of Horses great song-writers for a long time to come.

Download “The Funeral” from www.subpop.com or from Free Radio Sub Pop podcast on Itunes.

Band of Horse-sized Dogs

Lynchland: The Liam Lynch Podcast

2006-04-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Liam Lynch is the last guy I would have guessed to have the do-it-yourself spirit. I mean, he did a show for MTV (Sifl and Olly). He’s the guy responsible for that “United States of Whatever” song. He’s buddies with Jack Black. How could this guy possibly have an indie mindset?

But it’s true! Liam Lynch is a true blue spokesman for the independent media. He believes in the revolution, friends! Just check out his new podcast, Lynchland, which you can download from http://www.liamlynch.net/ or Itunes. Liam’s vision for the future of visual media is clear: 100% independent production, free from the touch of the corporate world, all thanks to the proliferation of technology! Why should the corporate world have so much to say about our entertainment choices? As one of Liam’s songs put so eloquently, “Internet killed the video star.”

Just think about part of Liam’s manifesto, which he’s been spewing on Lynchland: “Watching any TV show is becoming more and more frustrating and more and more a waste of time because you can’t access it at your own will…Podcasting is really to me cable access TV for the world except you can do it right out of your house. And to me that is so exciting: to just say, ‘Everybody jump on a surfboard that goes over and crushes every television station ever’….There’s going to be podcasts that are more popular than TV shows and these large companies are going to have to find a ways of getting their advertisement into some kid’s podcast that he’s making in his basement.”

It is an exciting vision for the future of entertainment. Will visual entertainment finally be freed from the shackles of the Clear Channel, Sony, Donald Trump, etc.? Liam’s passion for the independent media is inspiring, but what is really great about Lynchland is that it is so entertaining.

Lynchland is a variety show. Liam throws together his music videos, animations, absurdist comedy skits (a la Andy Milonakis) and spiel for a really creative mix. Sifl and Olly make some appearances, along with Chester. (Check out Chester’s recipe in episode two.) Liam is also a big tech head, so he talks about his animations, favorite video games and the future of robots in the home. I think the show will be worth following if for no other reason than to hear about Liam cloning his favorite cat, Frankie Forcefield (see episode five for more on cloning Frankie). Probably the best thing about Lynchland is that it is brimming with personality; the show is a representation of Liam and his friends, not an advertisement for zit cream. (That’s right! I’m calling you out, MTV!)

Apparently, Lynchland has over 90,000 viewers. Maybe Liam’s vision will come true sooner than later.

Review: Mates of State, "Bring it Back"

2006-04-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

Although it may fit as an embedded lyric, the title of Mates of State's newest release is a striking misnomer. This album does everything but "Bring it Back." Jason and Kori, the matrimonious keyboard-and-drums duo, have made major changes to their sound this time around. Usually a sign of break-out record, these changes will likely alienate the fan base without impressing new listeners. What went wrong?

Alien Corpse first saw Mates perform as an opening act for fellow-Lawrence-Kansas-based indie rockers Appleseed Cast at Chicago's Fireside Bowl. I chuckled in the back as I watched them set up an ancient keyboard and stripped down drum set which faced each other instead of the crowd. By the end of the first song I had moved up to the front row, mesmerized by their impossible combination of quirkiness and power.

Unfortunately, their studio albums have faltered in capturing the strength of their live sound. Mates of State always sounds small and unimpressive on record. For me, their albums are best used to recollect and anticipate their live shows. Every record, they have had to search for a new producer to take on the daunting task of increasing the space of their studio sound without losing the powerful simplicity of their two-voice, two-instrument live show. Although the previous producers have fallen short in the power department, none of them has succumbed to the temptation of sacrificing the simplicity of Mates' arrangement. Such a caveat cannot be said of the production of "Bring it Back."

"Bring it Back" is boiling over with overdubbed vocals, extra pianos, splashes of guitar, strings, effects, etc. In order enlarge the sound, much of the uniqueness of Mates of State has been lost. Furthermore, the vocals are all set in a lower register, so that Kori never belts out her signature wail. Now I am no purist fan, intolerant of artistic development. But in this case, the changes didn't work. Although the mix is somewhat improved, the sound of the record remains small. The additions did not create space; they created clutter. And the vocals can be heard better than ever, but they are no longer worth hearing because they don't reach their usual harmonic heights. Let's hope that the accompanying tour will release these songs from their over-produced chains.

Although I wholeheartedly recommend Mates of State as one of the most endearing and enduring indie pop bands, I would encourage new listeners to start with a more representative record such as "Our Constant Concern" or "Team Boo."

Pearl Jam on SNL

2006-04-16T02:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight was a historic night. Pearl Jam performed live for the first time since 1998, wow, I can't believe it's been 8 years...What? They've been performing all along, you say? Huh? They've released 2 studio albums (Binaural, 2000, Riot Act, 2002), a rarieties and B-sides album (Lost Dogs, 2003), a live "album" (Live On Two Legs, 1998), a greatest hits record (Rearviewmirror, 2004), and a string of 72 live concert CDs in the last 8 years? REALLY? Huh.

Anyway, I listened to this haggard quintet perform two new songs on tonight's episode of SNL, and I don't remember a single chord, growl, or harmonizing drummer's note. All I kept thinking was, "GEEZ, Vedder, you look O-L-D." I guess that's what happens when you've been in the spotlight for 15 years, well except for that 8 year stretch where we all forgot you existed.

I must admit, though, that after ripping Pearl Jam and sitting thinking about how this album will probably be their last, all I can hear is, "Don't call me daughter, not fit to, the picture kept will remi-i-i-nd me..." over and over and over.

Maybe these bands that do hold a place in our collective memory banks could get press every four or five years to remind people to pull out old albums, re-buy songs that skip from iTunes, or just put one solid album back into the rotation. That would at least keep us from listening to a new, SELF-TITLED, album from a band that's been around since before I could listen to "secular" music.

William Orbit - "Hello Waveforms"

2006-04-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

Release Date: Feb. 21, 2006
Okay so before a few weeks ago I had heard of William Orbit in the same way the rest of the non-undergroundelectronichip world had - through his collaboration with Madonna on her last album "Ray of Light". I was reasonably impressed by this album while listening to any Madonna album is confined to the guilty pleasure category. I guess I had also heard his remix of Electrical Storm (U2) and maybe vaguely remembered something about his electronic remaking of classical pieces on "Adagio for Strings". I was not among the hardcore Orbiters who waited six years for this anticipated solo project - and who were therefore mostly disappointed - I mean six years is a long time to wait. I suppose this gives me a certain innocence/ignorance in reviewing this album.
The first track I heard was "They Live in the Sky" (Listen) I happened on it on the radio and craved it for a week until I could figure out where it came from. The song typifies what is beautiful about Orbit's distinctive sound - the sweeping synth sounds that you could never find on your sister's casio, the simple bubbling melodies, the sense of dynamic direction without abusing mechanisms typical of electro-pop like bass breakdowns and stereo flange. The songs are eloquent and carry this kind of brooding sense of anticipation. This anticipation is what most people seem to critique about the album - It anticipates but does not deliver leaving you nowhere. I was rather fond of the insatiated anticipation - the lack of resolve into quarter notes on the kick and a blaring anthem. The album seems to me to have been a bit like going out for a walk and finally deciding that actually getting somewhere couldn't be near as fun as the adventure of just exploring around a bit.
Other favorite tracks were "Bubble Universe" "Sea Green" "Colours from Nowhere"
I will say that my least favorite track on the album is the first single "Spiral". The album also seems to me to be a bit overly song-oriented. If an album brings on the chill I prefer a bit more continuity between tracks.

2006-04-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Review #1: The Appleseed Cast - Peregrin (Militia)
Release Date: March, 21, 2006

The Appleseed Cast is back with their 7th full-length in 8 years ("The End of the Ring Wars" was released by Deep Elm in '98). Apleseed is best known for their two-volume release "Low Level Owl Vols. I & II" (2001), which sparked interest in their music across pop-culture. It was not bizarre to hear Appleseed Cast songs on MTV or Abercrombie ads. The band has become more obscure in the ensuing 4+years, though that may all change with March's release of "Peregrin." Peregrin has all the spit and sparkle of Low Level Owl, mixed with some of the rampaging energy the band displayed with 2000's "Mare Vitalis."

The danger and the beauty that has always existed with The Cast's work is how one song folds into the next. This is dangerous because it so easily becomes noise, and beautiful because it's so easy to get lost floating around in their ambiance. If you're looking for a record to sing along to, keep looking. However, if you are interested in losing yourself in some layered, beautifully complex sounds, this is the record. The Appleseed Cast is one of the few bands still capable of constructing an "album," rather than a collection of songs.

Longevity Rating: 3.5 UFOs out of 5.

2006-04-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

List #1: Top 5 songs.

Your iPod has malfunctioned and you can only manage to sqeeze 5 songs into its memory (but the battery just won't die), you are leaving to sail deep into the Pacific (who knows, maybe a deserted island is in your near future), and have no other way of hearing music until you return in 3 months. Which 5 songs occupy your pocket?

Here's a suggestion list to get you thinking.

Sufjan Stevens ~ John Wayne Gacy, Jr. (Illinoise!)
Weezer ~ Say It Ain't So (Weezer)
The Ramones ~ Blitzkrieg Bop (The Ramones)
Damien Jurado & Gathered in Song ~ Paper Wings (I Break Chairs)
Sluttering (May 4th) ~ Jawbreaker (Dear You)