Issues with Mediamax

I've been having a little trouble posting mp3's lately, and since that's pretty much the bread-and-butter of my website, the situation poses a bit of a problem. I normally upload my own mp3's and host them using Mediamax, which usually works out great, but for the past four days or so the site has been under construction, and hence rendered useless. To tell the truth, it's really beginning to cramp my style a bit. And since I'm apparently not bright enough to quite figure out some of the other media-hosting avenues, it looks like I'll be playing the waiting game until Mediamax gets their act together. In the meantime, I'll try to post some cool videos I guess. For instance, here's a video segment that appears to be lifted from Wilco's bonus documentary disc which accompanied their latest album Sky Blue Sky. It contains a private performance of "Impossible Germany," a song which, after hearing it about a billion times (slight exaggeration), amazingly I have yet to tire of. Make sure to pay close attention to Nils Cline absolutely shredding during the Santana-meets-Television extended guitar outro. It's pretty much the rockinest thing I've ever seen a fifty-five year old do. I think you'll agree.

Getting Cozy with The Cribs

The Cribs are a ragtag UK band specializing in songs about drinking, pubs, girls, and drinking in pubs with girls. Sound familiar? It might. That's also the forte of several other UK bands that are hot right now, namely The Arctic Monkeys and The Fratellis. However, The Cribs actually predate both of these bands. In fact, there new album Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever is there third effort. If you are unfamiliar with their previous material, now is a good time to get on board because they certainly seem to be hitting their collective stride. Check out the mp3's posted below, courtesy of indiecristoph. The first, "Girls Like Mystery," should be right up your alley if you're a fan of either of the two other previously mentioned UK groups. The second, "Men's Needs," actually sounds like it could be a long, lost Strokes B-side, from the crisp, symmetrical guitar riffing in the mold of Albert Hammond Jr. to the staticky howled vocals that recall Julian Casablancas on his best day.
"Girls Like Mystery" mp3
"Men's Needs" mp3

More Overrated Artists

This post is a follow-up to yesterday's rant about Dave White's article where he identifies some of rock and rolls most hallowed icons as being overrated. After rolling that situation around my head for about twenty-four hours, I actually came up with some of my own additions that I might make if I was constructing a list of overrated acts. Keep in mind, these are not necessarily artists which I dislike or feel do not possess talent. Most of them I simply think are over-exposed, and anyone who knows me well knows that over-exposure is probably my biggest pop-culture pet-peeve. My additions are as follows:

Johnny Cash. It appears for Mr. Cash that no career move he could have possibly made while he was alive would have been nearly as effective as his own death would prove to be. When he dies a few years ago, he all of a sudden he became a guitar slinging, bad-ass musical legend (again), who not only inspired a very successful biopic, with a blockbuster soundtrack that he didn't even sing on (why people would buy a disc with Juaquin Phoenix vocals instead of a regular Johnny Cash album is beyond me), but he also released several posthumous cover albums (which are actually pretty damn good), and had some of his classic tunes appearing in commercials and advertisements ad nauseam. Don't get me wrong, I think dude was a genius, but how he could have possibly surpassed his peer and fellow Sun Records alum Elvis Presley in the public consciousness I cannot understand. Before Elvis imploded, he had thirty #1 singles. That's not a typo. Thirty #1 singles! I guess if he would have lived a little longer and withered away more slowly, like his old buddy Johhny, we'd be seeing his songs in Levi's jeans commercials and watching Reese Witherspoon playing Priscilla Presley, instead of June Carter Cash, on HBO every night.

The Police. The Police are everyone's favorite classic rock band. Well this month they are anyway. They haven't cut any new material in decades, yet as soon as rumors of their recent reunion tour surfaced, people couldn't jump on their bandwagon fast enough. I love the Police (I have for a long time) and I even own some police albums, but I'm willing to bet my life's fortune that if you polled all of these newly-minted Police fanatics, that 85% of them couldn't name one of the band's albums beyond Synchronicity, and probably half of them wouldn't know that one. These guys are a tremendous, original band, but right now they are the vintage flavor-of-the-month, and to me, that's a precarious position for them to be in.

Eric Clapton. Simply put, Clapton is the Robert Horry of rock and roll. For those of you non-basketball fans, let me explain. He's a stupendously successful role player but he is not nearly as effective front-and-center. Is it a coincidence that all of Clapton's most impressive material has been the result of him essentially being just one of several talented people in a number strong ensembles? The best music he ever made was made came while he was playing with Cream (featuring Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker), John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, and Derek and the Dominoes (with Duane Allman at his side). Eric Clapton can make a very good band into a great band, but his solo career has been less than stunning and he is most certainly not God.

Jay-Z. I had to throw in someone a little more current and Jay-Z is the latest example of why, in the modern music machine, good marketing is more important than actual substance. I like some of Jay-Z's music (although I view that primarily as a testament to good production from Kanye West, Just Blaze, Rick Rubin, etc.), but the guy is an admitted sell-out. He has admitted on numerous occasions to dumbing down his music to increase his cash-flow, and dude will pimp seemingly any product from computers to soft drinks (I'm still trying to make sense of that recent ad where he's joy-riding shotgun with Dale Earnheart Jr. behind the wheel and Danica Patrick cruising next to them. Call me crazy, but I think Jay-Z and Nascar make for an awkward mix). Not only that, but he's got the most contrived public image that I've seen in a long time. He carries more self-dubbed nicknames and overzealous, cocksure personal assertions (no Jay, you're not "rap's Grateful Dead," whatever that means) than most rappers have bling, and I don't even want to get into the phony retirement thing. I know everybody does it, but at least wait a couple of months before you start making music again. You have to let it marinade a little. Not to mention he looks like a fraggle. There, I said it.

That's the list for now. I'll probably have my own "Underrated" list to follow at some point this week. I know that this stuff might be beginning to border on overkill, but these are things I think about all the time. Just bear with me if you can.

"Overrated" Rock and Roll Giants

I came across an article by MSNBC contributor Dave White, wherein he gives his takes on the abundance of overrated acts throughout the canals of rock and roll history. His list of unjustly deified, over-haled artists looks like this:

U2
Metallica
Nirvana
The Doors
The Clash
Bob Dylan
The Beatles
Sonic Youth

A pretty bold list, no? I actually do agree with White on a couple of those bands, namely U2 and Nirvana. Both great bands, but both are treated with way too much reverence. U2 carries a swagger like it's their birthright to be the "greatest band in the world." Meanwhile, Bono trots the globe making bids to become the paitron saint of sunglasses. Not to mention that damn "Vertigo" song from that inescapable ipod ad with its half-baked spanglish lyrics ("uno, does, tres, catorse" translates to "one, two, three, fourteen"). These guys were far more likable before they got all smug and preachy, but that was a long time ago. Nirvana, on the other hand, has justifiably reserved its place in rock history by almost singlehandedly plunging the knife into the bloated gut of the hair-metal scene. However, does the class of generic crap-rock which they spawned produce music which is any less irritating? After all, they are the ones responsible for bands like Nickelback and Puddle of Mudd. Besides, with the benefit of hindsight, maybe Pearl Jam was a better band than Nirvana anyway.

With those things being said, I do take exception to some Dave White's other assertions. Specifically, his statements about The Beatles, The Clash, and Bob Dylan. Sure, it's exciting trying to take to task cultural icons, but if that's the territory where you ant to go, you had better make some sound arguments to back up your points. Dave White fails in this regard. All he does when discussing these three artists is talk about how much love they get. He doesn't once attempt to explain why so much respect is undue. A memo to Mr. White: being highly-rated is not synonymous with being overrated. There has to be an underlying downside which is often overlooked and obscured by popular opinion for something to be called overrated. The fact is, The Beatles, The Clash and Bob Dylan not only pioneered their respective genres (Pop-Rock, Punk, and Singer-Songwriter), but they are still the best examples within those genres today. The Beatles were pop geniuses, incapable of making a bad record. The Clash were called "the only band that matters" with good reason; they made angsty, political music that was more than just fun tunes to rock out to, it was truth. And of course, with apologies to Bruce Springsteen and Bright Eyes, a hundred-thousand singer-songwriters later and there still is no one who can justly carry the moniker of the "Next Dylan." These three artists define the phrase "often imitated, never duplicated." That is why they get so much respect and that is why so much respect is due.

Hip-Hop Friday: "Rehab" Remix

Today's tune is a bit of a hip-hop hybrid. It's a remix of the Amy Winehouse hit "Rehab" featuring Jay-Z (it's safe to say his "retirement" didn't exactly stick). It's not the best remix I've ever heard. In fact, it doesn't really sound like a remix at all until about two-thirds of the way through the song when Jay-Z's verses finally take flight. Like I said, to be honest, I find the track less than inspiring, but it's tough to go wrong with the support Mark Ronson's blazing production. It's worth a listen or two.

"Rehab" (Remix feat. Jay-Z) mp3

New Spoon Tracks

I've come across a couple of tracks from Austin-based indie-rock band Spoon's new album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. I'm sure many of you Spoon have already heard these songs, but for those of you who haven't, check 'em out. The first is the instantly catchy "The Underdog," which features and unexpectedly infectious horn section. The second track took some time to grow on me, but I like it now. It's called "The Ghost of You Lingers." Not only do I believe it will be the album's first single, but I understand that the title of the album itself is taken from the song's piano intro. As a bonus, I've also posted Spoon covering Sam Cooke's "Bring it on Home to Me," courtesy of I Guess I'm Floating.

"The Underdog" mp3
"The Ghost of You Lingers" mp3
"Bring it on Home to Me" mp3

Random Video of the Day: Regina Spektor Live at Bonnaroo

As you may or may not have realized, this year's Bonnaroo Festival came and went this past weekend. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little bit disappointed I didn't make the trip this year. The line-up was pretty ridiculous; it read like who's-who of the best artists that you probably won't be hearing on the radio, which brings me to today's video. It's a live rendition of Regina Spektor's "On the Radio," recorded at Bonnaroo over the weekend. Spektor is one of the artists I would've loved to have seen for the first time at the festival, but I guess this video will have to due for now.

"Knocked Up" Follow-Up

While out of town on my mini-vacation over the past few days I managed to get to the theater to catch Judd Apatow's Knocked Up. I had high hopes for the film and it didn't disappoint. I mentioned in my last post before I left how impressed I was with the film's soundtrack featuring new music from Loudon Wainwright III. While Wainwright's tunes weren't featured as prominently in the movie as I had anticipated (although there was good use of one of my favorite Bright Eyes songs "We Are Nowhere and It's Now"), I still enjoyed it thoroughly and thought it was worthy of dedicating a post to. The movie is flat-out hilarious, due in no small part to a talented cast, which includes much of the personnel from Apatow's late '90's ill-fated, cult-favorite series Freaks and Geeks, as well as Jonah Hill (40 Year Old Virgin, Accepted) and of course comic side character extraordinaire Paul Rudd, who steals scenes just about every other scene he's in. I got the feeling, while watching the film, that many of the funnier parts of the dialog were ad-libbed, especially the scenes featuring only Rudd and star Seth Rogen. These scenes recalled the duo's previous moments of improvised hilarity such as the "You know how I know you're gay?" conversation in 40 Year Old Virgin. These two clearly have a great rapport, but the fact that so much of the funnier parts of the movie seemed like spur-the-moment ad-libs isn't a knock against Judd Apatow at all. If anything, it's a monument to smart casting. If you hire actors that are naturally funny, you're movie is probably going to be at least somewhat comedic. The best examples of that notion probably take place in Jim Carey's movies (well, the ones that are actually funny, at least). They say that the funniest parts of most Jim Carey films take place after the scripted dialog is already over and they just let the cameras run to see what he's going to do (my personal favorite instance is the line "No way! We landed on the moon!" from Dumb and Dumber, which was completely unscripted). Anyway, the point is that Knocked Up is by far the funniest film I've seen in quite a while, and the fact that it follows nearly none of the trends of this summer's movie offerings (low budget, no huge stars, not a crappy sequel), makes it all the more refreshing.

Loudon Wainwright III Gets "Knocked Up"

Loudon Wainwright III was making music back when his son Rufus was still nursing, as evidenced by the fact that this very scenario provided inspiration for Loudon's memorable 1975 tune cleverly titled "Rufus is a Tit Man." Fast-forward about thirty years and, as his son's star continues to rise in the music world, Dad is still making a pretty strong case for his own presence in the scope of popular culture. His latest project is the soundtrack to Judd Apatow's new flick Knocked Up. The collection has gotten seemingly unanimous rave reviews, and from what I've heard so far, those reactions are 100 percent justified. These songs sound amazingly fresh and heartfelt, with just the right amount of Wainwright's trademark humor, and in my own humble opinion, most of them are better than anything I've heard from Rufus in a while. And as if that weren't impressive enough, Wainwright also has an acting role in the movie itself, as a character called Dr. Howard. I suppose that shouldn't be terribly surprising though since he has a fair amount of acting experience (Elizabethtown, Big Fish, etc.) and he's even taken roles in a few of Apatow's previous endeavors (40 Year Old Virgin and the TV series Undeclared). Check out a couple of the new songs posted below.

Loudon Wainwright III - "Grey in L.A." mp3
Loudon Wainwright III - "Daughter" mp3

P.S. this is going to have to act as my Father's Day post (hence all the father-son references), since I'll be on vacation for the next few days. Rock on.

Throwback Video of the Day: Red Hot Chili Peppers

Today's throwback video is features what I consider to be probably the most under-appreciated song in the Red Hot Chili Peppers' catalog. The song is "Soul to Squeeze," and my theory for why it often flies under the radar is simple. It's mainly because the song never actually appeared on a studio album. Instead it was released on the Coneheads soundtrack, making it not only one of the better Chili Peppers songs, but also most likely the best song to ever appear on the soundtrack of a movie based on an SNL skit. That being said, there really isn't anything mind-blowing about this specific video; I just like the song and wanted to give it some dap. However, if you do watch the video, you'll notice that guitarist John Frusciante, who plays on the song, does not appear in the video, the reason being that he had quit the band, in order to focus on pursuing his heroin addiction, between recording the actual track and filming the video. He eventually got clean and rejoined the Chili Peppers for the Californication album and his been with them ever since. He now even orchestrates much of the band's material, and is probably the biggest contributor to what I consider by far the richest and most interesting era of the band's career.

Tom Morello Goes Springsteen

You may know Tom Morello best for his bone-crushing guitar riffs, which laid down the perfect sonic landscape for Zach De La Rocha's rhymes, back when the two headed political hard-rock outfit Rage Against the Machine (by the way, since going solo, De La Rocha still hasn't found a suitable replacement). Then again, you may know Morello for his later work as the guitar whiz for Audioslave which featured lead vocalist Chris Cornell (by the way, from what I've heard of Chris Cornell's new solo album, minus Morello and company, the sound could best be described as generic, ball-less bland-rock). The point is, when most people think of Tom Morello, they probably think of a hard-rock guitar guru, capable of summoning ingenius, imaginative sounds from his amplified ax. He wouldn't be the first name to pop into many people's minds when thinking about thoughtful, folky singer-songwriters. That all may change with the emergence of Morello's latest project The Nightwatchmen, which finds him waxing metaphorical (and as always, political) with acoustic guitar in tow. The title of the new Nightwatchman album, One Man Revolution, sums things up perfectly. Like Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, Morello has decided to ditch the the grandiose accompaniments of arena-rock stardom and make an album of deep, purposeful folk-rock. Check out the first single "The Road I Must Travel." The first time I heard it, I had trouble believing that it was really Morello who had made this understated, Irish folk tune. This is indeed another side of Tom Morello, and it may be the best one yet.

The Nightwatchman - "The Road I Must Travel" mp3

Hip-Hop Friday: New Talib Kweli

Talib Kweli has a new album called Ear Drum coming out in the not too distant future. I'm a huge, huge fan of his first post-Blackstar LP Reflection Eternal and I was also fond of the follow-up Quality. Since then, Kweli has gotten a lot more exposure and in my opinion, the consistency of his music has suffered a bit. However, I do like "In the Mood," a new, unreleased track featuring Kanye West that will most likely appear on Ear Drum. It's certainly not the best track he's ever made, but the production is decent and the lyrics are good. I'd go out on a limb and say that if the rest of the album is as strong as this track, then perhaps Talib Kweli may very well have rounded back into form.

Talib Kweli feat. Kanye West - "In the Mood" mp3

New, New Pornographers

The Vancouver-based New Pornographers collective may very well be the best indie-rock supergroup around right now. Featuring the combined talents of Zumpano's Carl Newman, the Evaporators' John Collins, Destroyer's Dan Bejar, cartoonist/filmmaker Blaine Thurier, drummer Fisher Rose, and vocalist Neko Case, these guys churn out record after record of sweet, catchy-ass indie-pop, yet somehow continue to maintain their subterranean stance in the spectrum of popular music. I just recently came across this new, unreleased tune that will supposedly appear on their upcoming album Challenger. It's very good. Check it yourself. I dare you.

New Pornographers - "My Rights Versus Yours" mp3

New matt pond PA

Matt pond PA is one of my favorite bands that I've never seen live, which is surprising because the band formed in Philadelphia and that's the city in which I currently reside. However, it seems they're never in town when I'm in town. Regardless, they're a tremendous, original band that doesn't get nearly the credit they deserve. I've heard a lot of people refer to their sound as "adult emo," which to me is a bit of an oxymoron. However, I do see where people are coming from with that label. Frontman Matt Pond's lyrics often employ a similar type of dark, heartbroken, and sometimes even violent, imagery to that which is common in emo music. That being said, the guy is no Dashboard Confessional knock-off. Not even close. Musically, the band has a very unique chamber-pop type of sound that is both catchy and haunting, often at the same time. They also have a knack for combining an almost country-rock shuffle with the sound of cellos and violins. Most impressive of all, they make these devices work amazingly well.
The band has a new EP called If You Want Blood. Their last EP was a major highlight for me. It was called Winter Songs and the title was no joke. I'd be walking back from class in Syracuse in the dead of winter, listening to those songs over and over on my ipod. It was always one of those rare situations where the symmetry of music and real-life ambiance fit together eerily well. I've only heard the title track from this new release, but it sounds terrific. Very upbeat. Check it out, courtesy of Neile's Life.

matt pond PA - "If you Want Blood" mp3

Mark Ronson Shakes Things Up

Ok so this really isn't anything new I guess, but I still think it deserves some attention. It's Mark Ronson's most recent album Version. This is probably one of the best, and certainly the most interesting DJ CD I've ever heard. It consists entirely of reconstructions of popular tracks from well-established artists (I hesitate to call them covers, but I suppose you could if you were so inclined), featuring various other established artists used in in the updating process. I've decided to post below a couple of my own favorites from the collection. "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" is a Smiths tune remade with vocals from R&B vocalist Daniel Merriweather, the Jam's "Apply Some Pressure" gets a makeover featuring vocals from Paul Smith, and I would be remiss without mentioning Ronson's take on the Britney Spears hit "Toxic" with a little help from Ol' Dirty Bastard. Some of the other notable personnel contributing their respective talents on the album include Saucy Brits Amy Winehouse and Lilly Allen, among others.

"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" feat. Daniel Merriweather mp3
"Apply Some Pressure" feat. Paul Smith mp3
"Toxic" (Radio Edit) feat. Ol' Dirty Bastard mp3

Random Video of the Day: Cold War Kids

While "Hang Me Up to Dry" isn't my favorite Cold War Kids song (I'm partial to "Hospital Beds"), I'll give credit where credit is due for making an entertaining, original video. It's directed by the Malloy brothers, whom you may know from their many various surf movies, as well as the feature film Out Cold. That's it. It's just a cool video.

New Ryan Adams

I have to be at a wedding all day, so I don't have much time to post. As a result, I'll make this quick. I'm sure most Ryan Adams fans have heard these songs already, but I'm going to post them anyway for those of you who haven't. They're both supposedly going to appear on Adams' yet-to-be released album. Hopefully the album is solid and he'll be satisfied with enough with the results to wait at least six months to release another one, as opposed to the last three or four LP's that he released in the span of just one year. I love Ryan Adams and no one could argue that the guy isn't prolific, but there's a point where things border on overkill. Stick to one album per year Ryan, you'll be much better off. Here's the unreleased tracks. Sheryl Crow provides vocal support on "Two." To the best of my knowledge, Lance Armstrong does not appear on either song.
Ryan Adams - "Two" mp3
Ryan Adams - "Everybody Knows" mp3

Hip-Hop Friday: Common

I just got my hands on a new track off of Common's upcoming album, and from the sounds of it, the guy hasn't lost much of a step coming off of his last album, a tremendous effort simply titled Be. It's my understanding that the new album is going to contain tracks produced by Kanye West and Will.i.am, among others. This particular joint is pretty obviously a Kanye production. Personally, I think the song would benefit from a little more of a bridge somewhere near the end, just to spice things up. But then again, I'm not a Grammy award winning producer or anything (at least not yet). But anyway, the lyrics, like in most of commons songs, are tight, plus anytime a rapper manages to squeeze in a reference to Finding Nemo, I'm more than OK with that.
Common - "The People" mp3