Let's keep it simple and get this out of the way before everyone else does. I didn't hear much more than twenty albums this year so only the truly worthy survive. I think I'll actually write something about the top singles and Smile (have about a page in the tank already) a little later, but finals week is approaching so maybe not. Brian Wilson, The Streets, Kanye West, and Junior Boys are going to be the hip critics' picks this year. All of them are quite good (especially the first), so I will not complain.
Boring Standard 2004 Album List With No Rock Albums Because Every Rock Album I Heard This Year Did Nothing For Me (Kings Of Leon Suck) But That's Ok Because Pure Pop ALBUMS Were Actually Good For Once Although Wait I Guess You Could Kind Of Classify Smile As A Rock Album Though That's Kind Of Missing The Point Anyway Buy All These Albums Because The Quality Control Filter I Used Is Insanely Strict And These Are All Wonderful
1. Brian Wilson - Smile (You haven't lived until you've seen Brian Wilson scurry around on stage live. "Surf's Up" made me cry.)
2. Ghostface Killah - The Pretty Toney Album (I haven't heard a hip-hop album as consistently great as this since Kaleidoscope.)
3. Annie - Anniemal (Everything about this album is adorable. Fuzzy little animal power cheers are the shit.)
4. Girls Aloud - What Will The Neighbours Say? (*sigh* You know those four tracks that hadn't yet leaked a few weeks ago? They let me down a bit. There are still five killer singles on here. "Grafitti My Soul" is the best non-single of the year.)
5. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free (Affecting.)
And because I can...
2004 Tracks That Really Pissed Me Off
1. William Shatner - "Common People" (Ok, this is totally reactionary, but...Is this really how you want "Common People", an utterly transcendent, unimpeachable pop epic, to be remembered? As a piss take? Look, I know you guys like Ben Folds, but seriously, come on! This song is a travesty. Many people over here have never heard the greatness that is "Common People" and the more attention THIS, this monstrosity garners, the closer it comes to becoming the definitive version on this side of the Atlantic. And who is that jackass who "sings" besides Shatner? (channeling Murdock)People need to realize!) 2. Amy Winehouse - "Fuck Me Pumps"
3. Usher - "Confessions Part II"
4. Usher - "Burn" (Burn in hell Usher.)
- posted by Shane @ 7:36 PM |
Monday, November 29, 2004
An e-mail dated today has confirmed that it is here.
Brett likes Moon Safari and Grandaddy? Not surprising considering we always knew that Bernard was the power of the team. (just kidding)
- posted by Shane @ 1:04 PM |
Monday, November 22, 2004
Ok, now it's time for some mindless fun...
So the best music resource in the world (where I typically lurk), recently had a series of polls regarding people's favorite albums and singles from 1990-1999 and 2000-2004. Yeah yeah, I know...lists ARE kind of stupid and this really is the ultimate geek project, but it's fun to see where other people's tastes lie. And besides, the discussions on this board cover the entire spectrum of popular artists and genres, so the results are bound to be a bit less homogenized than the ones you'll find in most rock publications. There is a distinct pop/indie/hip-hop/electronic lean here, so you won't be seeing any contemporary jazz, world music or anything like that, but you know...something for almost everyone. I think these lists could actually serve as pretty decent buyer's guides. Well anyway, here are a bunch of links. Hope you have A LOT of free time at work...
(If this is too pop for you, you might want to try here. Too much indie and hip-hop? This site might be more up your alley.)
Top 100 albums and tracks of the decade so far (2000-2004) I've probably listened extensively to about 80% of the first fifty, so the album list definitely falls in line with what's on my radar. It isn't, however, really indicative of my own personal favorites, of which only about a dozen place through the entire hundred. Though I like them all, the R&B/hip-hop selections at the top of the singles one are kind of off aside from "Bombs Over Baghdad" and "Ignition (remix)". All the indie rock takes a back seat to dance/pop and hip-hop/pop crossover stuff on both lists, so that's pretty slick I think. I like both of these. Be sure to click on the links in these lists, as some of the individual blurbs are really well written. (I voted Daft Punk for #1 album and single BTW.)
1990's Poll Results - Singles (songs) (this thread is humungous, beware of incessant bickering)
I feel partially responsible for the Pulp/Saint Etienne brouhaha that develops here, as I nominated both "This Is Hardcore" and "Nothing Can Stop Us". Plus, my ballot top 6 out of 30 looked like this:
1. Saint Etienne – "Avenue" (30 pts)
2. Pulp - "Common People" (29 pts)
3. Saint Etienne – "Nothing Can Stop Us" (28 pts)
4. Saint Etienne - "He's on the Phone" (27 pts)
5. My Bloody Valentine - "To Here Knows When" (26 pts)
6. Pulp – "This Is Hardcore" (25 pts)
Yes, I am a sad slavish fan boy, but the insane overlap here is in part due to a lot of my favorite tracks not showing up on the nominations list. Eh, who am I kidding, Saint Etienne is the best band ever and I FEEL NO SHAME. The soft spoken Saint Etienne contingent must band together and fight for the greater good!
I don't get Deee-lite's "Groove Is In The Heart" at all.
1990's Poll Results - Albums (this thread is also humungous + ongoing)
This list (and where it's going) is so representative of me it's almost sad. I think twenty five of my thirty album ballot is going to place, though it'll certainly all be out of order. I'm kind of sad that I didn't nominate Dog Man Star, but I felt bad that there were two Underworld albums nominated and the best one (Beaucoup Fish) wasn't there. Ah well. Heh, and again, voted three Saint Etienne albums top 8. Don't tell anyone there.
Someone needs to help me get Transformers: The Movie Soundtrack in the mix with all the Smiths/Pixies/New Order/Prince albums when they fire up the 80's poll. Weeeee!
- posted by Shane @ 10:15 PM |
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Ok, I can't believe I'm still able to get so excited about this, but I guess old habits die hard. The return of Kuma, Bruce (!), Roger Jr. (??!!), and WANG (!!!) = potential best fighting game ever. Tekken lives again!
- posted by Shane @ 1:26 AM |
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Of course the song is god awful, but OMG Dizzee Rascal on the new version of "Do They Know It's Christmas" is just wrong! His performance consists solely of a few hushed rap lines, totally in his style, against this non-descript choked guitar backdrop. It almost sounds like he ran in, delivered his lines, and then immediately bolted out the back door, never to be heard from again. Being sandwiched between the two lines sung by that guy from the Darkness is what really drives it home for me. Just a really strange contrasting moment. Sure it's hip-hop tokenism, but it's funny as hell, so I fully endorse it.
And what would "Do They Know It's Christmas" be without Bono? I won't rail against him too bad here, because well, it's Bono, and everyone just needs to accept that the dude NEVER STOPS.
Big thumbs down to all the tired uptight alt rockers. I don't ever hope for people to die or anything, but I wish Chris Martin would just get sucked into some inter-dimensional vortex or get shot into space or something.
- posted by Shane @ 1:36 PM |
Monday, November 08, 2004
I was actually planning on buying this tomorrow, but then I realized that "Born To Make You Happy" isn't on it. So really, what's the point? Maybe I'll just wait and get the U.K. version used in a few months.
- posted by Shane @ 11:55 PM |
Saturday, November 06, 2004
"That's not mace. It's pepper spray. Sold to civilians... Once you get used to it..."
(dude sprays some in his mouth!) "...it just clears the sinuses."
CLASSIC MOVIE LINE. Nothing breaks up the tedium of a day long study session better than the millionth cable airing of Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. And trust me, it's a hell of a lot funnier on screen than it reads.
- posted by Shane @ 11:27 PM |
Here's the deal. I will bombard you with Girls Aloud information until you properly succumb by worshiping the ground they walk on and buying everything they've ever released. First up, an article just posted today mentioning the genius of a few of the new songs and Xenomania's indie roots.
Next up, some "Good Lord Praise The Heavens!" type news, there's some info on a possible U.S. release. Straight from the rumor mill.
The group's 2005 plans will begin with a 3 month promo blitz in the US. The group will release their debut US single, 'Wake Me Up,' which is featured on their upcoming album, 'What Will The Neighbors Say?.' 'Wake Me Up,' has yet to be released in their native UK but it has quickly become a fan favorite. The girls will come to promote it in March, and tour talk shows and radio stations until the albums May release. The US version of, 'What Will The Neighbors Say?,' will be a bit different then the UK's. This album version will be a mix of songs from their debut album, and their new one. The album is released May 10th, and the tracklisting is below.
'What Will The Neighbors Say?' (US Edition) Girls Aloud
1.Wake Me Up 2.Life Got Cold 3.White Lies 4.Big Brother 5.100 Different Ways 6.Jump 7.Graffiti My Soul 8.Sound of the Underground 9.I'll Stand By You 10.No Good Advice 11.The Show 12.Here We Go 13.Love Machine 14.Some Kind of Miracle
Girls Aloud touring America is pretty much the first and totally necessary step in their road to world domination. No "Hear Me Out", "Love/Hate", or "Boogie Down Love" on this track list but there are greater injustices I suppose. Of course this could just be a bunch of bull like those rumors of a Sound of the Underground release last year. I refuse to believe that though.
- posted by Shane @ 1:18 PM |
Lots of other great stuff seeing release around this time too. The three disc DFA Compilation #2, which I have not yet purchased but know for a fact is amazing, came out on Tuesday. The new Low and Mercury Rev albums have also leaked. Hot action!
- posted by Shane @ 1:48 AM |
I was just so pumped about this that I had to post something. I've already preordered the album online, but I really wish this was getting a domestic release so I could be a good little fanboy and have it in my grubby hands on the 30th. For now, just a few EXTREMELY brief preliminary opinions on the tracks that have leaked up to this point. I of course reserve the right to completely change my mind about these at a later time.
02. Love Machine I believe I was pretty clear with my thoughts on this one as well. RCQS 9
03. I'll Stand By You
The first of four covers on this album. On the bright side, most people won't be familiar with at least two of them. Definitely far and away the worst Girls Aloud single to date. Not altogether horrible though and it is slowly growing on me. Besides, it's for charity. RCQS 6
04. Jump
I don't get it. First of all, it's another cover. Second of all, it was released as a single way back in 2003. Third, they already included it on the rerelease of Sound of the Underground. What gives? Still... RCQS 7
05. Wake Me Up
This was supposed to be one of the more amazing tracks on the album, but I'm not feeling it to quite that extent at this point. Nasty (in a pop way) guitar scorcher not too far off from the kind of screeching electro punk that modern day Primal Scream's been aiming for. I think this one is pretty much all about the joy of noise and the "margaritas" line. My thoughts of this may improve once a higher quality version leaks. RCQS 7
06. Deadlines & Diets
Another cover. For the full story, see my previous posted explanation of "Here We Go". I'm quite liking this. They do these sweet, light-hearted laments as well as anyone. Bonus points for the mischievous, derisive "wah-wah" solo in the middle. Paced just right and the sentiment is certainly on the mark as always. RCQS 8
07. Big Brother
Current speculation is that this is the song written by Cheryl. I'm a little saddened by this as she's one of my favorites. While similar in spirit and agenda to "Androgynous Girls", it lacks the same sort of driving big bass that kept that song on track. The worst part though is the clumsy Manics style lyrics. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, trying to cram those unwieldly, somewhat nonsensical lines into an otherwise perfectly natural melody, the song writer's equivalent of square peg, round hole. Oh well. RCQS 5
08. Hear Me Out
This is lovely. It's the first original big ballad on this album and it's surprisingly really, really great. Everyone who's heard this says it sounds like "Never Be The Same Again" and you know what? All those people are right. Eerily similar. "Never Be The Same Again", however, was just this big emotional road to nowhere, a decent song at best. "Hear Me Out" is massive. I can't get over that impassioned, pleading chorus, or just the general sense of pretty All Saints style melancholy that permeates the song. That shivering "oooo-oooo-oooo" preceding the first chorus is wonderful as well. And fuck, Sarah wrote this? In a clean 4 minutes, she's validated her entire existance in this band. RCQS 9
09. Graffiti My Soul
HAHAHAHA! One of those deranged pop experiments that end up getting your band critically lauded to the moon or slammed so hard they're calling out for volunteers to help scrape your brains off the pavement. According to an article in the Guardian a few months back, this track was originally offered to Britney Spears for In The Zone, but her people were too gutless to accept. I'm really going to need more time to evaluate this properly but in the meantime... RCQS 9
10. Real Life
Not yet available. B-side to "I'll Stand By You" if that means anything.
11. Here We Go I've probably heard the other various incarnations of this song at least a hundred times by now. The problem with that kind of familiarity is that it's hard to determine exactly where a slightly tweaked version like this stands. I'm going to have to get to used to all the new vocal nuances in this, as well as the fact that it's five singing it rather than one. This is probably amazing live. RCQS 8
12. Thank Me Daddy
Not yet available. Interesting title. I'll guess that this is Nicola's.
13. I Say A Prayer For You
Not yet avaialable. Maybe Kimberley's?
14. 100 Different Ways
Not yet available. Popjustice loves this. And Nadine supposedly wrote this so I'll probably love it too.
Bonus Track?: Androgynous Girls
This was the b-side to "Love Machine", but it may turn up on the final album if the first album is any indicator. Probably too good to be a b-side. Kind of saucy and irreverent, though it's that slinky bass line that really sends this home. RCQS 8
- posted by Shane @ 1:38 AM |
Monday, November 01, 2004
What I really don't need right now is another time sink, but I just couldn't help myself. Just got this in the mail...it's seriously the size of a phone book! How does one even go about reading something like this? It's like one of those giant multi pattied hamburgers that force you to bust out a fork and a knife in order to eat properly.
- posted by Shane @ 11:02 PM |
