use yr. words

being retrospective

2006-04-20T02:33:00.000-05:00

Songs that I couldn't get over when I was a freshman in university:

1. Dismemberment Plan - The City
2. Mekons - Last Dance
3. Rainer Maria - Artificial Light
4. Bright Eyes - Nothing Get Crossed Off
5. Spoon - The Way We Get By
6. Zog Bogbean - John Fisher Ford
7. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead - Another Morning Stoner
8. Flaming Lips - Fight Test
9. Wilco - Ashes of American Flags
10. Interpol - Roland
11. Beck - Guess I'm Doing Fine
12. Minus the Bear - Monkey!! Knife!! Fight!!
13. Modest Mouse - Dramamine
14. Russian Futurists - Let's Get Ready to Crumble
15. Simon Joyner - Only Living Boy in Omaha

It is strange to say, but music sounded, felt, rolled around different. I jumped into a warm pool -- you sink quickly and gently rise to the top. You are met by chill. You gasp for air. There you are.
I tried something different. We are seeing how it goes.

too strong for fantasy

2005-12-16T10:47:00.000-06:00

Here's the list I put together for Tiny Mix Tapes. I left off 21-25 because they really don't do that much for me. Bright Eyes is in there. If you disagree with any of my picks, that's fine. Odds are I coudn't think less of you anyway.

20. Dead Medow- Flowers
19. Vitallic – OK Cowboy
18. m83 – Before the Dawn Heals US
17. Iron and Wine – Woman King (EP)
16. Andrew Bird – Andrew Bird's Mysterious Production of Eggs
15. Caribou - The Milk of Human Kindness
14. (Smog) – A River Ain’t Too Much to Love
13. Okkervil River – Black Sheep Boy
12. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
11. The Robot Ate Me – Carousel Waltz
10. Common - Be
9. Ryan Adams - Jacksonville City Nights
8. Akron/Family & Angels of Light - Akron/Family & Angels of Light
7. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
6. Deerhoof - Runners Four
5. King Khan and the BBQ Show - King Khan and the BBQ Show
4. M. Ward - Transistor Radio
3. Antony and the Johnsons - I am a Bird Now
2. STNNNG - Dignified Sissy
1. Animal Collective - Feels

Bands Names (All Names of Characters in 'Little Big Man') And You Can Use Them:
- Walks on the Ground
- Hawk's Visit
- Hairy
- Pile of Bones

days of our years

2005-10-03T16:18:00.000-05:00

It seems that what we have here are some Neural Milk rarities: some liveliness, some demogrification. Amoebic versions of "Aeroplane" favorites, covers of NMH by Mountain Goats, Magic Robot and more.

Band names (that are totally not taken yet):
- Yahoo.com
- Pamida
- Paris Hilton

city of god against the pagans

2005-09-27T21:39:00.000-05:00

Dear Bob Dylan:

Hi. Sorry the press bummed you out back in the Sixties. Sorry that you were a popular entertainer and one of the most newsworthy people of the day. Sorry people who had connected with your music didn't like it when you went rock. Sorry they were total douche chills.

That said, c'mon. Must you continue to present an aura of disdain for any person who attempts to recognize you as a great musician (poet, dancer)? There must have been point where you wanted fame, wished for it.

I drew you a picture of a duck. I hope that when or if I meet you someday and, in that event, I inevitably try to talk to you because I think you are neat, that you will remember the duck. And hopefully that will atone for the horrendous crime of being one of your fans.

Yo.

Band names for all! (But not Bob Dylan because he already has one.)
- Peep Hole's Republic
- Wisdom Teeth
- Library Party

l.q.c. lamar: pragmatic patriot

2005-09-11T14:23:00.000-05:00

A friend said that The Ramrods took the best moments from the Stooges' "Search and Destroy" and made a whole band out of it. And that's what we all wish the Stooges themselves had done, isn't it? High fives.

Band names for you:
- Bike Tour
- Laverne and Ruth Bader Ginsburg

i'll come back in the springtime

2005-09-08T22:12:00.000-05:00

King Khan and the BBQ Show rock it equal-opportunity. Sure, one of them dons black-face on the cover of their self-titled album, but there's also a guy in white-face. How could anyone possibly find that offensive?

The story goes: the two members were in a garage rock oufit in Canada at some point. The band split and Khan and Q launched separate projects, both one-man shows. Finally, they decided to get it together again. The combination of their solo work has yielded a decidely raunchy take on white soul. Bring the krunk.

the bastard war

2005-08-19T01:25:00.000-05:00

Welllllllll. Here I am.

- Destroyer's Gnarls in Charge.
- I am becoming increasingly frustrated by the fact
- Hey, you don't have to pay $90 to hear Goodbye, Babylon!
- that I can't just upload songs that I want you to hear
- Or Where Will You Be Chirstmas Morning? either, for that matter.
- cause it costs money.
- New Devendra!
- If anybody knows how I can turn this blog into a real live boy for free, I'd love to know.

No band names, just a sandwich:
- 2 large slices crusty sourdough bread
- 3 slices honey-cured ham
- 3 slices smoked turkey
- colby jack to taste
- chipotle mustard to taste
- four to six rings white onion
(grill it, of course)

the shepherd of the ocean

2005-07-28T13:03:00.000-05:00

Just spent nine days on the great American roadtrip 2k5. That's a lot of towns, a lot of white bread and turkey, about $1 mil. on gas, and countless hours of music listening. Here's some nuggets/MVPs from the trip:

1. "The Message," Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. C'mon!
2. M. Ward's entire catalog. "Brother you know you're gonna get burned/If you don't know where your love is at." C'mon!
3. Charles Mingus' live version of "Fables of Faubus."
4. Old Disney musical numbers: "I Wanna Be Like You," oodelolly song from Robin Hood. You know it!
5. "Wait (The Whisper Song)," but only the first line of the chorus, and only when people least expect it. Honestly!
6. The work of Robert Zimmerman, esp. the bootleg "Santa Fe."
7. Gipsy Kings' cover of "Hotel California."
8. Sufjan Stevens, "Great God Bird." NPR 4Eva!
9. Benji Cossa. I have no idea what we listened to, but sweet Jesus, it was good.

dare call it treason

2005-07-13T02:20:00.000-05:00

I enjoy strange music as much as the next. But this - all of this - is too wierd. Most of it is downright fri-unn-ing. Current 93, Nurse with Wound, Vas Deferens, Volcano the Bear all throb and shift like the soundtrack to an old suspense movie. It makes me want to curl up and eat cookies and listen the 'Taxi' theme song until I feel better. It's the type of music I would have liked to have listened to at bedtime when I was all high school cracked-up. You know what this really reminds me of? The time I watched 'Akira' all alone really late at night from start to finish uneditted on cable when I was 13. It's just like that.

Band names up for grabs:
- Fast Doors
- Herofunkle

trafalgar

2005-07-08T04:12:00.000-05:00

More indie rock commercials! Shit's going crazy! And it's even a cover. You know it was used because some advert exec's intern was litening to the Garden State Sountrack instead of inputting data or whatever. Anyway, congrats Iron and Wine.

And hey, Salon held a contest where people presented a mix of songs that could all be found for free on the inernet. Sassy. That's kinda like what I do for ya'alls except I don't get a free iPod out of it. You should give me an iPod.

With that, I encourage you all to dig into Sonic Youth's MP3 archive. If you haven't heard "Little Trouble Girl," you are a crimal, a charlatan, and a namby pamby. Change that, sir or madam, today.

I leave you with band names that you can use, all inpsired by Mystery Science Theater 3000:
- Vaguely Sexual Wallpaper
- The Ambidextrous Amputees
- The White Trash Cans

the story of the jewish legion

2005-07-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Common's dad is all warm-fuzzy.

Let's try for a band name:
- Locker Combo

the life of nelson

2005-07-01T01:01:00.000-05:00

Go here for a FREE Flaming Lips live rarities album. It's recommended.

The STNNNG are for fans of Slint or Big Black, but lite. It's recommended.

Band names for the taking:
- Away Game
- Happy Purim Baby

elizabeth's admiral

2005-06-27T12:50:00.000-05:00

Do me a solid: name all the songs you can think of where the artist sings the words "so good." I only came up with four, which is problematic because I thought that would be a cherry idea for a mix. Interpol, "Stella was a Diver." Jesus and Mary Chain, "Just Like Honey." The one Limbeck song. And, um, Madonna, "Holiday." I think I'm off to a good start.

I forgot what made me like Wolf Parade. I'm officially fed up.

Sometimes the New Pornographers remind me of the the band in "That Thing You Do." In a bad way.

Why wasn't I on board with the Robot Ate Me a long time ago? I am now fully with the program.

morning without noon

2005-06-25T03:14:00.000-05:00

Look at this, will ya? Freak folk berr commercials!

The Russian Futurists have always brightened my day (Just click on "songs/lyrics" after the flash reludicrisness ends. Esp. click on the album with the tiger and hit up "Let's Get Ready to Crumble."). Led by Matthew Hart, you'll probably find them akin to his buds Caribou and Junior Boys, but warmer. Literally fitting the term "bedroom pop," Hart records in his childhood home. There's something genuine and encouraging about that. Nick Drake.

Proposed band names (emo edition):
- Books for Stumm
- The People Problem
- The Feeling Feelies

fear god and dread nought

2005-06-24T04:51:00.000-05:00

The story goes that Lawrence, Kansas' Zoom were touring and that one night after a show in Pheonix, a man approached them. He introduced himself as Greg Sage. Of course, there were a lot of things they should have known at this point. For instance, that Greg Sage had been the frontman of The Wipers. They should also have known about his well-publicized eccentricities. They did not. But this Greg Sage fellow liked their brand of raw roots punk (ala Wipers). He offfered to produce some tracks for them. Zoom had nothing better to do. Upon entering Greg Sage's recording studio they noticed that his spread of recording equipment was impressive and singular. Sage told enthusiastically them that THE ALIENS who had obducted him (eccentricities!) had taught him to make all of the equipment. Perhaps out of charity, they decided to let this guy take a crack at it.

The material Sage recorded for them turned out great. You should listen to both Zoom and the Wipers.

saint-just, apostle of the terror

2005-06-22T04:44:00.000-05:00

Hey? Let's play WHAT DOES THIS REMIND YOU OF? It's the hottest music critic game! Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is the one they'll be playing it on next (see Stylus, P'Furk, etc.). My votes: Pixies, Decemberists, the Mekons, the Talking Heads (I'm thinking specifically of "In This Home on Ice" [the best one] ).

Band names (I made these for thou):
- String Bean Festival
- Jobber's Canyon

day by day, the forties

2005-06-20T01:38:00.000-05:00

Allegedly. Reportedly. Assuming people do what they say. If all goes to plan:

Simon Joyner's magnum opus, Room Temperature is remastered and slated for release on vinyl this November. At the same time, a comp of rare Joyner material should be available to order from Unread Records. We should all celebrate this. This calls for some Home Team pizza.

Band names (pilferable):
- TTTTtriangles
- Space for Stitching
- First Person

mirabeau

2005-06-18T16:05:00.000-05:00

Sight seen: lady horse-drawn carriage driver driving horse-drawn carriage and talking on cell phone. I don't care who you are, that's not safe.

Taste tasted: Spicy black bean patty on wheat bread with hummus.

Band names (up for grabs):
- Honest Alamo
- Old and Busted New Hotness
- Hoofhalter

Isn't it a crime that you can't find "99 Tears" [and by that, I mean "96 Tears. Jesus] anywhere except on lame comps and slsk? Yes. It is. ? and the Mysterians were ahead of the game because they were an all-latino band from Michigan who were fronted by a man with a punctuation mark for a name. And the song is the balls.

the only reason to go to Disneyland in 1983

2005-06-18T15:20:00.000-05:00

Some people I just can't handle. This dude is one of them. Michael Iceberg and the Amazing Iceberg Machine wowed theme park audiences for years. He was as big as Space Mountain. With just his gigantic mirror pyramid and and a few hundred thousand dollars worth of electronics, he lunged toward what he believed was the future of music. Evidently, the future of music at times bore a strong resemblance to Elton John fronting Europe. He's so into being Michael Iceberg and the Amazing Iceberg Machine that it's insane. He is an earnest man. Hunter S. Thompson once referred to Iceberg as "crazier than me." For years his recorded output was limited to Disney-inspired pieces (if you want your gear wrecked, go straight to "Robot Revolt"): "It's a Small World After All" and the like. In his later years it seems that Iceberg devoted his energies to the works of classical composers. What do you say about a man who thought of himself as an innovator, but whose musical style has not changed in 25 years?

In case you need a good attraction for your next block party, Michael and his Machine are a road act. A few years ago, he blew the top off McFarland, CA and made someone's life. I want to hold a kickass house party, invite Iceberg, and call it "Iceberg as fuck!" At least that's what all the flyers would say.

enthusiast in wit

2005-06-16T01:58:00.000-05:00

The Books' song "Tokyo" is being used in HIV/AIDS PSAs. Obiviously a good cause but not one that I'll totally enjoy associating with what is perhaps their best song. But whatcha gonna do (go AWOL?)? J.S. Mills, right?

Also, it seems that Thunderbirds Are Now! were less than impressed with Omaha when they rolled through, even dissing the bar they played at - note the abhorrent reaction to the bar's (gasp) television set. Apparently they would have preferred a more pretensious venue than O'Leaver's. They do, however go on to devote a healthy amount of space to Lawrence Fucking Kansas (it has an Urban Outifitters and a Vietnamese restaurant!). On behalf of all of us, I'd like to say snap, Thunderbirds are Now!

Band Names:
- Kissyface
- Congratulations! It's a Viking!

Edit: Just wanted to make sure we were also all aware of this.

the politics of naval supremacy

2005-06-15T04:16:00.000-05:00

Proposed band names:

- Surprise Party
- Two Rivers
- Chance T-Storms

Pepys' memoires

2005-06-13T21:07:00.000-05:00

Is there any end in sight for my irrational love for Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl" or Coldplay's "Speed of Sound"? If so, could it please meet me in the record store near the Superconductor section so I can reclaim some of my self-respect? In my neck of the woods, and probably in your's as well, there is almost universal acclaim for Gwen's latest - and why not? It's a great summer dance song and the vaguely VICE-esque Asian back-up dancers in the videos are a lovely touch. However, it seems like everyone and their aunt are coming out in opposition to "Speed of Sound." And why? I don't see how people can sit around lamenting about the lost glory of singles like "Yellow" or "Clocks," (which, if a little saccharine at first, bore their way into the pantheon of just-fucking-too-good-to-hate Britpop). I'm saying that this new track is just as good as those two. It makes me want to run like a little Montessori child in a macrame vest, arms akimbo, through a fertile arborarium under the lax supervision of a lebian couple named Lynn/Robyn. And that's a good thing, right?

FTP to debab

2005-06-12T01:27:00.000-05:00

If you're a human, this should make you cry. Not exactly sure how I feel about adding to the future hype for this band, but it seems worth it.

Proposed band names:

- Grandpa Gang
- Since 1956

the grand tour

2005-06-10T02:27:00.000-05:00

The new issue of the Believer arrived today, complete with jumbocoversmixcomp as promised. There are some initial surprises on the disc; the Cocorosie track is inordinately excellent, the Mount Eerie doing Thanksgiving is overly disappointing. Some of the tracks that I had anticipated the most turned out to amusing but stopped short of anything else: Decemberists taking on Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart as Antony. The Shins cover of the Postal Service sounded pretty much exactly the way we all expected it would, and I want to throw up even thinking about those two forces co-mingling their made-for-soundtrack forces -- palatable apart, together they are as deadly as any B. Willy/P. Diddy joint.

Also, the Paleface quandry is solved.

Here's some more proposed band names -- Art/Noise Edition:

- Preggers?!
- Cow Town
- Mifune

f'real?

2005-06-09T03:19:00.000-05:00

Band names (use at your discretion) -- Emo Edition:

-Little Johnny's Antipsychotics (mental illness reference! Cred!)
-The Happy Delusion of the Imaginary I-am-I (Kierkegaard reference! Cred!)
-Dermatographia (to write on skin!)

dangerous thing to wait for

2005-06-08T06:15:00.000-05:00

Paleface? Self-titled? Polygram Records? 1991? Strange burned copy? Smog? Sebadoh? Better than both? Lyrics about women and boozedrugs? Who are you? I want more.

bag clips studio for hair

2005-06-06T20:45:00.000-05:00

Proposed Band Names (use at your discretion):

-Pap Smear
-Secret Admirer
-Lake Airport

eleven small roaches

2005-06-05T15:29:00.000-05:00

Ran into fabled drifter Lawrence last night. Offered to buy him a beer but they were carding at the bar and Lawrence doesn't own an ID. Instead gave him a ride to 25th and Farnam. Decided not to ask him were he was going because he seemed like the proud type, though he did talk about living homeless in midtown Manhattan until he was taken in by New Yorker contributor Alex Ross. Though short-spoken and attentive, he talked a lot during the ride. Among a few other things, he recommended (a) travelling, (b) the Bowery and the photography of Weegee, (c) Bob Dylan copy Leo Kottke, (d) new age crystal musician Michael Hedges, and (e) reading Marquez.

I had heard that Lawrence liked to give people who help him out something in return for the favor: a strange postcard that he found, a guttered-up Dylan Thomas book, etc. When I recognized him he was hassling some high school chilluns who were waiting in line for a midnight showing of Napoleon Dynamite. He seemed somewhat perplexed that someone knew who he was. But then I said that I knew Brian Bird. "Oh, does he ride the bus?" Brian does indeed ride the bus. "I like Brian."

oh god, where are you now?

2005-06-02T20:39:00.000-05:00

Sufjan Stevens: John Wayne Gacy Jr.

This song should be hosted by NPR's quasi-stellar All Songs Considered, a short, weekly feature of All Things Considered, for a while. To say that the songs I've heard off of Sufjan's forthcoming album, Come On Feel the Illinoise, have been bad would not be entirely accurate. In fact, this song isn't bad. But still, with "John Wayne Gacy Jr." and the rest of his new material, there has been something vaguely dissatisfying. While pleasingly melodic and lushly instrumented, Stevens' new stuff lacks on another arena. The second product of the infamous plan to release an album for all 50 stars on the flag, Cum on Feel the IL-e finds us face to face with a facetious and slapdash artist. In the above song, Stevens results to a form of literal story-telling, practically singing from a newspaper story about Gacy's childhood and later crimes. It makes for a chilling chorus, but disappointing verses. On Greetings from Michigan and Seven Swans, the lovely duo of albums which seem guaranteed to be known as "the good ones," the songs came from a different place. Both dealt with topics - Stevens' home state and his religious faith - which provided for some of the most beautiful moments in current music. When writing autobiographically, Stevens has prooved fearless and infinitely interesting. Oh well, at least it's still better than this.

If TBS is very funny, then my life must be, like, fucking hilarious!

2005-05-21T01:53:00.000-05:00

Find that I found: Simon Joyner/Mountain Goats split 7 inch (Sing! Eunuchs, 1994). Carved into this plastic would be the Joyner classic "Burn Rubber," a track which houses within its lo-fi glory some of Joyner's best imagery and finest melodies (and also featuring [perhaps?][please?] a little Hebrew harp): "Mosquitoes are not vampires;" "Get behind the wheel, stay in front of the storm;" "The sugar bowl is full of ants." The track not only evokes childhood, but also comes from a younger, hapless, anxious-greater man. Contrast with the current Cohen-drone-Joyner and you can slap your face until you admit defeat to time. "Flouride" could be no longer than 2 minutes. It is a proper cool-down to its only slightly more satisfying predecessor.

Comparatively, the Goats side seems trite. Darnielle's voice, so accesible and clear, strumping around like a whore, oozes pop and catch. "Going to Tennessee" and "Pure Heat" are decent, certainly less offensive than "Best Ever Death Metal Band out of Denton," but they call for music that requires more of an investment - both from the artist and the listener. On a cuter note, the packaging for the 7 inch still directs all Mountain Goats mail to Shrimper. Sigh, dreamy.

Of course Sing! Eunuchs (ran by Joyner and Chris Deden) is now dormant, having handed the torch to Unread Records, a Chris Fischer joint. The only thing the 7 inch really needs is the trademark artwork of Fischer, which I place among the best of any album art. A pity.

Hip hop dichotomy finally complete

2005-05-11T02:44:00.000-05:00

Two things that have officially happened, under my watchful gaze, in Dundee:

1. A group of white school children, with intruments (clarinets, violins, gamelans) in tow, walking home from the busstop and yelling out the chorus to "Drop it Like it's Hott(t?)." And you know that shit was word-for-word.

And then seemingly balancing the strangeness of that, the other day I see:

2. A car full of young black men listening to one of Eminem's singles at high volume and definately feeling it.

Sometimes I just don't know. Do I just accept these small, seemingly meaningless but satisfying episodes as gifts? This is the type of thing I think about on nights like tonight, when the rain comes and makes the air cool again and drives everyone back in their homes. We are all little angels this eve. If you are my friend, I love you.

I swear the rest of these won't be so hippy.

hrm

2005-05-10T13:14:00.000-05:00

You know, it’s funny. Sometimes you log on to MySpace and find a friends invitation from some awful indie pop band from Portland who named themselves after a Decemberists lyrics. And then sometimes. Sometimes. Sometimes you surf through your friend’s profile and find out her little sister is some suburb-stranded hipster who spends all day on soulseek and ebay, buying vintage Blue Cheer t-shirts and limited edition copies of Marquee Moon.

I told my friend about how amazing her little sister’s profile was and she was all: “Oh yeah, she just has no friends and spends all day finding the sub-underground bands.” What?!?! She does this all by herself? And she’s 18? Holy shit. By age 24, this girl is going to make Lydia Lunch look like Katie Couric. And what does “sub-underground mean?” Blue Cheer isn’t underground enough? According to my friend, “Blue Cheer is the band everybody knows about but doesn’t think anybody else does.”

Touché, little lady suburban hipsters of America. You have shown me something today.

Rock and roll hedonism reaches new heights

2005-05-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

It was announced last week that a team of lawyers representing the band KISS had successfully earned damages amounting to $7 million for their clients. The now much poorer defendants were bootleggers who had been selling unauthorized merchandise related the classic rock greats.

In honor of KISS’ flawless victory over these communist bootleggers, I have assembled an admittedly rudimentary compendium of the band’s greatest poetry. Enjoy:

I don't usually say things like this to girls your age,
But when I saw you coming out of the school that day,
That day I knew, I knew, I've got to have you,
I've got to have you
– from "Christine Sixteen, Christine Sixteen"

Last August, the attorneys for KISS obtained an injunction against the sale of counterfeit KISS merchandise and seized bootleg videos of KISS concerts that were being offered for sale at a KISS Expo in North Carolina.
– from an April 26 press release

Shock me, make me feel better
Shock me, put on your black leather
Shock me, we can come together
– from "Shock Me"

Our attorneys (Ray Scott and William Randolph), following up on that seizure, obtained last week a permanent injunction against defendant Roy Damm and damages awarded to Kiss Catalog of $7,000,000, plus attorneys fees.
- from an April 26 press release

Baby, let's put the X in sex,
Love's like a muscle and you make me wanna flex
– from "Let’s Put the X in Sex"

We hope that this judgment sends a clear message that KISS will not tolerate being ripped off by counterfeiters and bootleggers.
- from an April 26 press release

Love's like a glove and it fits just right
– from "(You Make Me) Rock Hard"

This is also a rip-off of KISS fans who have a right to expect that when they spend their hard earned money for KISS merchandise and videos, they are getting high quality, authorized KISS products.
- from an April 26 press release

Time is today,
Girl, I can make you feel,
Okay
– from "Love Gun"

When you purchase bootleg videos, including bootleg DVD’s marketed under the KISSVISION label, we ALL lose.
- from an April 26 press release

The spell you're under,
Will slowly rob you of your virgin soul...
I'm the lord of the wastelands
– from "God of Thunder"

We have directed the KISS attorneys to continue protecting KISS’ rights as aggressively as allowed. No slaps on the wrist. We will find you and we will take you out.
- from an April 26 press release

Lyrics skillfully gleaned by David Bright.

Drive me to the park

2005-04-22T00:51:00.000-05:00

Nerds that played punk music in Wichita in the 70s were nerds that are awesome. The Embarrassment fall into this category. Sporting bedraggled hair and plastic rims before it was the Midwestern hipster standard, these gents were mos def ahead of the times. Some would make the case, me included, that they were the first motherfuckers who even did Midwestern indie rock. They did that basement intellectual shit before you were fucking born.

I am hooked on this. It's the advance-promo-14-track-sampler that touted their 1995 two-disc Bar None greatest hits, spanning 1979-1983. The brilliance of this sampler is that the band doesn't quite stand to an extended retrospective. Like most punk bands, they were visited by brief glimpses of brilliance, but usually they were, um, usual.

Truly remarkable is that you can track the band's influences over years. These were people who clearly spent too much money on their musics. As the music evolves and takes on new attributes,you can tell when each new wave of punk hit the plains states. The tracks become more sophisticated and thought-out as did the genre.

On tracks one and two, (“Sex Drive” and “(I'm a) Don Juan”) The Embarrassment do their best impression of dirty, slapdash punk that resembles any of the late 70s gobbers and grossers. But by track three, “Welville,” they’ve clearly heard The Smiths. From there the tracks tell the story of each new photocopied indie zine: the middle tracks smack of Joy Division and Husker Du rears its ugly head near the end. Their crowning achievment is "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," which sports the cathciest angular riff I've heard this side of The Minutemen.

But beyond my anthropological interests, these songs are fucking good. The only things getting me through this semester have been this CD and NPR. I’ve heard Jonathan Lethem telling some silly-named NPR voice about his writing schedule three times and learned more about punk than I ever could have from Aamer Haleem. Unfortunately, this music is one of those things you can only stumble across. Try to find it sometime on slsk and you might catch me.

Thank Fortuna

2005-04-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

Do we really need one more of these? No matter - I ALREADY WENT AND DID IT. You're either with with me or you're against me.