Brett Dennen Steals from Dylan (But then Again, Who Hasn't?)

I know that calling Bob Dylan an influential singer-songwriter may get me nominated for understatement of the young century. This is, of course, stating the obvious. However, if you're an up-and-coming songwriter, at least try to disguise the songs you're lovingly ripping from the Bard. Otherwise, it just comes off a bit pathetic. Case and point: Brett Dennen's "She's Mine." I had been hearing this song every other day or so on XM satellite radio, and it took me about three listens to make the connection that it sounds exactly like Dylan's classic "I Want You," off of the 1966 masterpiece (and my favorite record of all time) Blonde on Blonde. Not that Brett Dennen is the first musician to cop Bob's style, but for whatever reason, to me at least, he just might be most irritating. On "She's Mine," Dennen uses the exact same music and lyrical structure as Dylan's take, only he axes the warm, competent country-rock stylings that Dylan referred to as the "thin, wild mercury sound" of Blonde on Blonde as well as the complex fabric of colorful characters in Bob's lyrics. He replaces these elements with cheesy, white-boy, faux-reggae and lyrics to match. The chorus refrain of "she's mine, she's mine" is in the exact same vain as Dylan's refrain of "I want you, I want you," only when Dylan did it it seemed clever and even ironic because of the complexity of the rest of the song (and pretty much all of his other songs), whereas when Dennen does it it just comes off as lazy. Now I may be being a bit harsh on Brett Dennen, and I'm sure he's probably a very nice fellow, but personally I think if he would have been better off doing a direct cover of "I Want You" than writing his own inferior, watered-down take of the tune. After all, there is certainly no shame in covering Dylan. In fact, for a while it seemed as though nearly everybody and their mother had covered at least one Dylan number while climbing the ladder of musical success. However, since young Dennen has apparently decided to attempt to pull a fast one instead, my only hope is that people begin to point out to him his musical misappropriation and as a result, he'll be as embarrassed to play the song live as I am to hear it on the radio. And I suppose you could make the argument that Bob Dylan blatantly borrowed a great deal from his hero Woody Guthrie on his way up, and this is the same thing. That's a valid point, so as soon as Brett Dennen becomes the voice of a generation and one of the most influential artists in the world, I'll have to remember to cut him some slack.
Judge for yourself:
Brett Dennen - "She's Mine" mp3
Bob Dylan - "I Want You" mp3

Random Video of the Day

Today I've decided to post a video for a song made by a couple of household names: Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip. I'm being sarcastic of course. I had never heard of either one of these guys until I managed to catch this song, "Thou Shalt Always Kill," on WXPN one day and thought it was very interesting and well-written. Later I checked out the video and thought it was even better than the song itself. The guy featured in the video dropping the lyrics (who I'm guessing is Dan Le Sac) looks a bit like Matisyahu, which makes for an interesting focal point. He's got that Hassidic/Amish/Menonite look down. But the song lyrics are strong and the video is very minimalist but at the same time brilliantly filmed. Check it out.

Jeff Tweedy Pimps Jettas

While watching TV earlier this week, I was struck by a certain advertisement promoting a certain car company while featuring a certain song performed by a certain lead singer of Wilco. To be slightly less obtuse, it was Jeff Tweedy's "Is That the Thanks I Get?" playing in the background of a Volkswagon commercial. In said advertisement, a tow-truck driver is attempting to tow a VW which apparently is parked illegally, but when he gets into the car to put it in neutral he looks around and realizes how sweet the car actually is and he decides to simply drive away in the car and leave his tow-truck behind. Besides being somewhat clever in getting the message across that VW makes a desirable set of wheels, this ad also reminded me how shady the towing business really is (why do they always make you pay cash to get your car back? Why is there this avoidance of a paper-trail? And why do all tow-truck drivers look like they possibly could have just been released from prison? Not to generalize or anything). Anyway, I was very surprised to hear that specific song used in a commercial. I can't remember ever coming across any other Tweedy-penned tunes used for ads in the past. Plus, to me, Wilco doesn't seem like the type of band whose music lends itself to advertising, nor would I be particularly inclined to think of them as a band who would be seeking out products to promote with their songs to make an extra buck or two, while simultaneously promoting themselves in the process (I'm looking in your direction Jet). Moreover, the song choice itself is a bit surprising as well. I first heard this song when Tweedy played it live during a set featured on his Sunken Treasure DVD. I was eagerly anticipating the release of Sky Blue Sky, thinking that a full-band, studio version of the song would surface on the disc. It didn't. I eventually found an mp3 of the live version recorded at Foellinger Auditorium at the University of Illinois on October 27, 2006 (posted below), but have yet to track down any kind of studio rendition, even though the version playing in the Vee-Dub commercial sounds too clean to be live. I suppose I'll just have to keep my eyes peeled.
Jeff Tweedy - "Is That the Thanks I Get?" mp3

Jam on the River Recap

So I spent my entire day yesterday at Jam on the River at Penn's Landing. Good times were had by many if not all. My personal highlights included sets by the John Butler Trio, the Wailers, and Dark Star Orchestra, as well as a rousing game of hacky-sack I played with an eight-year-old and his older sister, and the two chicken burritos I ate shortly before leaving. The music was good and the atmosphere was even better. Not to mention, I couldn't have asked for a nicer day for the event. Of course, I am now exhausted. Much love for the three-day-weekend.

Jam on the River

I'll be at Jam on the River all day today. For those of you who don't know, it's an annual Memorial Day weekend music festival at Penn's Landing in Philly. The lineup today looks like this:

• Hoots and Hellmouth
• The Brakes
• Dr. Dog
• Dark Star Orchestra
• The Wailers
• Jon Butler Trio
• Sound Tribe Sector Nine

Not a bad list, even though I've seen about half of these acts before. I'll be sure to give my impressions tomorrow. Happy Memorial Day.

28 Weeks Later

I went to see 28 Weeks Later last night. Having thoroughly enjoyed the franchise's initial installment 28 Days Later, I was very much looking forward to seeing this sequel. However, leading up to the actual viewing, it seemed every review I read of the film talked about how the movie was well done, but a bit overwrought with political undertones. Watching with those notions in mind, I was definitely able to identify what these reviews were speaking of. Unlike the first film, which had subtle, if any, political insinuations, the sequel played out as an allegory for the US occupation of Iraq, painting the US Military as ignorant, arrogant would-be do-gooder's, who end up getting in a little over their head while rebuilding a post-Rage Virus Great Britain. Now, whether you're for or against US involvement in Iraq, that is a whole other conversation, one which I won't begin to get into in this forum. The point is, on a metaphorical level, the film worked to some degree. The problem is that the political backdrop gets overshadowed by the intensity of the chase-and-attack scenes after the virus has broken out again. New director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo's cinematography stays wonderfully consistent with this sequel's predecessor in capturing the same sense of raw, frenetic guerilla-carnage that captivates audiences far more effectively than most movies in the horror/thriller genre. Overall all, it was a good watch. Not as good as the first, but good in its own right, nonetheless.

P.S. Please don't talk to your friends and relatives while you're in a movie theater and the movie you just payed $10 to see is playing. You people know who you are. And also, try not to laugh loudly and obnoxiously at moments that aren't meant to be funny. That's just annoying. You're like school in summertime: no class. That's right, that was a Fat Albert insult. You earned it.

Hip-Hop Friday: Rhymefest

As far as I'm concerned, there isn't much that goes over better on a Friday afternoon (especially the Friday before a holiday weekend) than an ice-cold cerveza and a little laid-back, feel-good hip-hop. Today, I've posted a track by Rhymefest called "Build Me Up." It contains a killer sample of, you-guessed-it, "Build Me Up Buttercup" by the Foundations, and ample support from the late, great Ol' Dirty Bastard. I've heard reports that Rhymefest once schooled a young, up-and-coming Eminem in a rap battle at Scribble Jam '97. Just some food for thought.
Rhymefest featuring O.D.B. - "Build Me Up" mp3

Warped Cover of an Already Warped Song

Peter, Bjorn and John's "Young Folks," to me, is one of the most original breakout tunes of the year so far. It's also one of my favorites. However, like it or not, you've got to admit that it doesn't really sound that similar to a whole lot else out there right now. From the male/female, call-and-response vocals to one of the great whistling hooks you'll ever hear, this song has a style all its own. Nevertheless, it didn't take long for a cover version to start making the rounds on the net. The surprising thing, though, is that when Dawn Landes decided to take on the song, she put a bluegrass spin on it, changing the texture and feel of the song altogether. However, what may be most surprising is how well it works. I've posted the mp3 and corresponding video for Landes' rendition, as well as those of P,B and J's original take. Enjoy.


Peter, Bjorn & John - "Young Folks" (mp3)
Dawn Landes - "Young Folks" (mp3)

Hip-Hop Videos Mocking Hip-Hop Videos

This may sound like a bit of an odd statement, but I think the main reason why I do not embrace the country music genre isn't because of the music, it's the result of the same factors which made me hold out on liking hip-hop for so long. It's because of the homogeneous, pretentious image that, it seems, nearly every one of its artists seems to employ. I completely understand the importance of image in popular music, but for me personally, I appreciate it exponentially more when I see someone take a chance and attempt to be different, as opposed to simply playing it safe and leaching off of an already established mode of artist portrayal within a given genre. Perhaps it's a product of my own ignorance or perhaps my evaluation is right on, but when I think of country music and its artists, I don't see a lot of originality. I feel like all of these people are going for the same image and singing about the same things (the theme of every song seems to either be completely jovial and ridiculously laid-back or overly sappy, brokenhearted, crying-in-your-booze sad). Plus, I typically find country music to be way over-produced when compared to any other kind of other music involving real instruments (i.e. excluding sample-based music like bubblegum pop and hip-hop), but that's beside the point. I think when most people who don't enjoy hip-hop music take a similar view to the one I have of country music. When they look at the broad scope of the genre, all they see are young, black men, all dressing the same, wearing ridiculous jewelery, trying to act tough, posing themselves as thugs and gangters. To these people, I'd assume it also probably seems like all rap lyrics are about the same themes as well: money, women, bling, drugs, rims, laffytaffy (not necessarily in that order). To me, that point of view is partly true, but only of the majority of mainstream hip-hop, which is the reason that I really appreciate artists who are able to take a step back and openly mock the artificiality of their own genre. That's why I've decided to post these two videos. The first is by the Roots and the second by the Game featuring Kanye West. They're both very similar in that they both poke fun at how homogeneous and predictable hip-hop videos generally are. The best part simply is that they both maintain that rare sense of humor in a world where so many musicians seem to take themselves too seriously.

Better Late than Never: Catching up on The National

I'm almost embarrassed to admit this with the amount of attention I've seen this band receive recently, but up until about a month ago I had never heard of the National. I like to think I've got my finger on the indie-rock pulse, but this time I definitely did not get in on the ground floor. I'll tell you what though, since I've become aware of these guys, I have yet to hear a bad song and their new album Boxer is getting rave reviews. Think Leonard Cohen backed by Joy Division, only everyone is from Brooklyn. That's the best I way I can describe the National's sound. And like I said, from what I've heard, so-far-so-good, shockingly good.
The National - "Mr. November" (mp3)
The National - "Blank Slate" (mp3)
The National - "Fake Empire (mp3)

Random Video of the Day: Arcade Fire - "Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)"

This video isn't new. In fact, it's for the first song off of The Arcade Fire's first LP. Regardless, it's directed by the Neistat Brothers, and not only does it consistently blow me away, but it also gives a weird, creepy feeling too. That's how you know it's a good video.

Album Review: Wilco's Sky Blue Sky

I have to be honest. My first thoughts when anticipating the new Wilco album were laced with trepidation. Not because I don't like the band. In fact, the reason was quite the opposite; I love the band. More than anything, I think I was somewhat afraid I'd be let down because I had only lukewarm feelings towards their previous record A Ghost is Born (despite a few standout tracks, like "Theologians" and "The Late Greats," both of which have become personal Wilco favorites). Too my extreme advantage, I was able to get my first listen to Sky Blue Sky unexpectedly about two months before its official release. I came into work one morning and it just happened to be playing in the office (apparently a guy I work with knows people who know people who know Jeff Tweedy, or something like that). Anyhow, the reason I believe listening to the record in this fashion worked to my advantage is because I had no time to become fixated on my own expectations. Either way, I liked the album the first time I listened to it, and by about the third or fourth listen I loved it. The following is an attempt to be a bit more succinct in the form of an album review.

On Wilco's sixth studio album Sky Blue Sky, Jeff Tweedy and company continue their conscious evolution both in sound and in personnel. There aren't too many other bands today who truly embrace the album concept the way this one does, because, while many other acts seem to be content with producing individual, likeable tracks, all the while being ever so careful not to alienate their fans by straying too far from the sound which won them over in the first place, Wilco seem to have made a virtue of the opposite approach. They make albums that are so cohesive they should come with a warning. And it's not just the cohesion of each collection of songs being released that makes their albums work, but also the respective sound held therein and the fact that it always seems fresh yet familiar with each go-round. On Sky Blue Sky, the boys put away the quirky studio effects which were so prevalently baked into their previous two efforts, and focus on the organic sound of a band at the top of its game. Gone is the psychadelic-pop motif, which has been replaced with a sense of controlled jamming. The new songs have room for each musician to sprawl, which works as a beautifully effective vehicle for new axeman Nels Cline. That's not to say that minus Cline's guitar wizardry the album doesn't work, but I would argue that the result of not having him on board would be an album best described as somewhat bland, or perhaps even lazy. Luckily that isn't the case. Cline wails on certain tracks and noodles on others, but somehow makes his presence felt throughout the entire collection, most notably on "Impossible Germany," a track that sounds like vaguely Television covering the Band, and in my opinion, is a brand new classic. Other standouts include "Hate it Here," "Be Patient with Me," and "Side with the Seeds."
Sky Blue Sky finds Wilco feeding off of a mellow 70's soft rock vibe, but that doesn't mean that the band is not moving forward. In fact, this album may be their biggest step yet, because for a band that had always seemed like a skewed singer-songwriter outfit, with this album they finally sound like a real band. Not to say that Jeff Tweedy's musical monarchy is necessarily dead, but maybe he just figured a little flirting with democracy wouldn't hurt. In my opinion, the results speak for themselves.
Wilco - Impossible Germany (Mp3)
Wilco - Hate it Here (Mp3)