The Fiend 10 (plus or minus a few) - Top Albums of 2011

In a year of the good, the bad, the ugly, and the really, really, insanely ugly, some artists managed to release some pretty damn good albums.  Here are the fortunate few that made it to the Fiend's Fave List.

The Top 10 (in no particular order)

1.  The Joy Formidable - The Big Roar:  Wales' finest took classic 90's shoegaze and dream pop influences like Lush, My Bloody Valentine, etc and turned on the blast acceleration. 
2.  TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light:  Brooklyn's finest take a left turn from their new millenium style prog-rock and produce a mellower feeling but by no means less substantial work.
3.  The Roots - undun: Questlove and the coolest band on Earth make one of the most equisite sounding hip-hop albums ever. 
4.  Office of Future Plans - Office of Future Plans:  J Robbins comes out with another monster power pop album with a brand new secret weapon - cellist Gordon Withers.
5.  Anthrax - Worship Music: Apparently the thrash legends jumped back into the time machine to make this album because it sounds like it came straight out of 1989. 
6.  Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee - Part 2: It's always comforting to know that Mike D, Ad Rock, and MCA haven't embraced that concept of growing up yet.  This is just a fun record to listen to.
7.  Real Estate - Days:  Just a great, dreamy yet totally substantial pop album chock full of hooks.
8.  Machine Head - Unto the Locust:  The Bay Area thrash legends follow-up to their epic The Blackening is a brutal, uncompromsing metal epic.  Oh The Pain...
9.  Wugazi - 13 Chambers:  Minnesota mash-up artists Swiss Andy and Cecil Otter do the ultimate - mix Ian MacKaye and Old Dirty Bastard on the same album.  Download immediately.
10:  Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Experience Version):  The 2011 re-release features a number of previously unreleased live and studio tracks that are amazing.  Check out the original version of the title track with jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli.

The Best of the Rest:
The Kills - Blood Pressures
Battles - Gloss Drop
The Twilight Singers - Dynamite Steps
Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact
Phantogram - Nightlife
Liturgy - Aesthethica
Das Racist - Relax
Oneohtrix Point Never - Replica
Le Butcherettes - Sin Sin Sin
The Sweet Ones - Big Mistakes

A big thumbs up to "Love Goes To Buildings on Fire", Will Hermes' document of the music scene in NYC between 1973 and 1978 and "Beats, Rhymes, and Life - The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest",  Michael Rapaport's documenatary. 

 That's it for 2011.  Hope you had as much fun listening as I did and we'll see you next year. 

Lets have a party - Metallica's 30th Birthday

When many bands hit their 30th anniversary, the conventional wisdom is to commence prepping for the retirement/retread circuit.  Metallica, as is their M.O., opted to do otherwise.  The Big 4 tour, featuring the Bay Area legends plus fellow thrash pioneers Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth, had a successful second run this year including a grand finale at Yankee Stadium.  Conversely, their collaboration with Lou Reed, Lulu, managed to offend everyone on the planet along with a few neighboring galaxies (although I still insist there was a redeeming moment or two).

As a grand finale to their 30th year, the Godfathers of Thrash announced a series of intimate, fan-club only shows at the Fillmore in their native San Francisco.  The minute the shows were announced the speculation started as to what they'd play, who would show up, would Dave be there, how about Jason, etc??  As shown over the past week, these were shows that won't soon be forgotten.  While the shows were a celebration of Metallica's storied career,  the band, in many ways, took a step back and put the spotlight on their influences, friends, and bands that they cut their teeth with back in the day.

Here's a breakdown of who was there each night:

December 5th: Apocolyptica, Jason Newsted, Biff Byford (Saxon), John Marshall, Brian Tatler/Sean Harris (Diamond Head) -

December 7th: Armored Saint (opening band), Marianne Faithful, Ray Haller (Sweet Savage), John Bush (Armored Saint), Kid Rock, Lou Reed, Jason Newsted, Mercyful Fate

December 9th: Laaz Rockit (opening band), Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains), Animal (Anti-Nowhere League), Gary Rossingon (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Pepper Keenan (COC, Down), Jim Martin (Faith No More), Glenn Danzig (Misfits/Samhain/Danzig), Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Jason Newsted

December 10: Death Angel (opening band), Bob Rock, Jason Newsted, Ozzy Osbourne (who this guy), Geezer Butler (Ozzy's partner in crime), Hugh Tanner (James' original bandmate), The original Metallica (Hetfield, Ulrich, Dave Mustaine, Ron McGovney + Lloyd Grant).  

As you can tell by the participants, these were shows transcended even the host band.  This became a living, breathing history of heavy metal going back to those ominous rain drops and church bells on side 1, song 1 of Black Sabbath to current day metal.  For 30 years,  Metallica has always worn their influences proudly on their sleeves and for these four shows, they offered up their stage to them.

"We never stop, we never quit, cuz we're Metallica"

For Dime and John

Today marks the unfortunate anniversary of tragic deaths of two rock icons.  31 years ago, John Lennon was gunned down just outside of his New York City apartment building.  Nearly a quarter of a century later, former Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was shot on stage just as his band Damage Plan was starting a show in Columbus, Ohio.  Two legendary figures, representing different ends of the musical spectrum, forever linked by a date that may be the darkest in Rock and Roll history.  It has, does, and will always suck.

Rest In Peace Dime and John.  Here's hoping you're throwing down a BlackTooth Grin on the other side. For the rest of us - here's a couple of songs to remember these legends by:

Getting Whiggy With It....

Apologize for the cheesy title but the news came out today that the mighty Afghan Whigs are reuniting next year to headline the All Tomorrow's Parties fests in both London and New Jersey.  Somewhat overlooked in the bum-rush of bands that came out during the alternative boom of the early 90's, the Cincinnati-based band churned out a series of monster albums between 1990 until they broke up in 1998.  Lead singer/songwriter Greg Dulli's angst filled lyrics were complimented perfectly by the bands soul infused garage rock.  Their soul influence become much more prominent over time, especially on their 1998 swan song, 1965.

Also known for being the first band on Sub Pop records not from Seattle,  The Whigs' crowning moment is probably 1993's Gentlemen.  Dulli's angst and frustration were at fever pitch on this record.  The album is very similar to a movie - lots twists and turns, highs and lows, and then slowly fading out when you can't take anymore of the intensity.   

After the band broke up in 1998, lead singer Dulli formed the Twilight Singers and released a number of great records over the past 10+ years including this years Dynamite Steps.

So if you see Santa Claus this year, thank him for the early Christmas present.  And, if you guys get the chance, try making it to Chicago this year too.  Until then, here's the classic song Debonair for your listening pleasure.  

Revisited: "Probot" - Dave Grohl's underground metal all star album

There is only one person in the storied 50 + year history of rock and roll who could get away with playing with both Sir Paul McCartney and Cronus from black metal pioneers Venom and make it seem as natural as breathing.  That, of course, is Dave Grohl - the Kevin Bacon of Rock and Roll.  

While he cut his teeth back in the 80's with the legendary DC Hardcore band Scream, Grohl was one of the many legions of teenagers (Blogmaster General included) who were equally entranced by both punk and the burgeoning underground metal scene that was happening across the globe.  Metal or crossover bands like Metallica, Corrosion of Conformity, and Napalm Death had no problems acknowledging the equal influence of punk bands like Discharge and GBH along with their traditional idols.  Conversely, many a punk could be seen wearing Motorhead shirts or showing up at their concerts.  

Set the clock ahead to the early 2000's and Grohl, now a full blown rock star with the Foo Fighters, starts working on some metal songs in his spare time.  As the story goes, many of these songs were designed with specific vocalists in mind but the wasn't supposed to go beyond the garage.  Somehow, this little garage project took on a life of it's own and over time, Grohl started to reach out to many of these singers such as Mercyful Fate's King Diamond and St Vitus' Wino.  The songs came together and by 2003 Probot was ready to go.  With little interest from the majors, Grohl released Probot on Sunn - 0)))'s Southern Lord Records in 2004.  

Probot explodes out of the gates with "Centuries Of Sin" - a collaboration with Venom's Cronus.  Starting with an eerie, hellish intro reminiscent of their landmark song "Black Metal", it quickly becomes the best Venom song they never made.  Sepultura's Max Cavalera throws down one of his patented screams on "Red War"- a track featuring the same quick time changes prominent on their classic "Chaos AD"album.  What homage to the world of underground metal would be complete without Motorhead's ageless Lemmy who appears on "Shake Your Blood" - a song that even makes it into the occasional Foo Fighter's set. 

The one amazing thing about this album is that, in most cases, how spot on Grohl was in matching the singer to the song.  The Emerald Law with Wino, is a perfect showcase for his feedback drenched guitar. While lacking Voivod's instrumental prowess, "Dictatorsaurus" featuring Snake has a quirky sci-fi-like but is strangely pop-like. 

Of the many great tracks on this album, "My Tortured Soul" featuring Eric Wagner of Chicago's very own Trouble is the standout song.  Similar to their classic album "The Skull" it's that perfect mix of dark, doom style metal but has a very sticky melody.   

The closing track "Sweet Dreams" is a horror movie set to music with vocals from King Diamond and punctuated with an apocalyptic guitar solo from Soundgarden's Kim Thayill.   If you like this solo, check out Thayill's spine tingling guitar work on Sunn-o)))'s and Boris' track "Blood Swamp" - not for the faint of heart.  Rumor has it, that if you keep listening to the album after the end of "Sweet Dreams" that guy from Tenacious D makes an appearance. 

While it's not a perfect album - there are moments where Grohl could have used some instrumental support - Probot places the spotlight on a era of heavy metal that, while wildly influential, never quite the recognition it so richly deserved.  Bravo to Dave Grohl to pulling this project together. Rumor has it that a second Probot album may appear one of these years.  

Just as an FYI  - here are the vocalists that appear on Probot.  Listen to them if you dare.  

Cronos - Venom

Max Cavalera - Sepultura, Soulfly

Lemmy - Motorhead

Mike Dean - Corrosion of Conformity

Kurt - DRI

Lee Dorian - Cathedral, Napalm Death

Wino - St. Vitus, The Obsessed

Tom Warrior - Celtic Frost

Snake - Voivod

Eric Wagner - Trouble

King Diamond - Mercyful Fate

Here it comes...the Rock Fiend's fave songs of 2011 (or thereabouts)

It's that time of year again - the monthlong food coma between Thanksgiving and New Years, full contact holiday shopping and, most importantly, the obligatory best-of lists.  As I am, if anything, a staunch traditionalist, here are some of my favorite songs of 2011 (or thereabouts).

The Top 10:

1. "Whirring" - The Joy Formidable:  Who'd ever thought that a band could mix early 90's shoegaze with metal style blast beats and get away with it.  Not only did The Joy Formidable accomplish it, but they managed to make one of the most infectious songs this year.  A six minute joy ride.

2.  "Killer Crane" - TV on the Radio:  On their latest album, Nine Types of Light, Brooklyn's finest took a decidedly mellower approach in comparison to their past efforts - and this new style suits them very, very well.  Killer Crane is the lush, hypnotic centerpiece of the album that adds a new wrinkle to their arsenal - a banjo.

3.  "Monster" - Kanye West:  OK, so came out at the end of 2010 but I didn't buy it until January so it makes my list.   Pound for pound this may be Kanye's wildest record and this track is the wildest of them all.  A bruising track where the star power of Jay-Z and Rick Ross are eclipsed by Nicki Minaj who gets uber-nasty on this one.

4.   "Fight Em' Till They Can't" - Anthrax:  Thrash legends Anthrax have had a very interesting 8 years since their last studio album, the most excellent We've Come For You All.  Despite the long wait, their latest album,  Worship Music captures the band at peak form.  "Fight Em' Till They Can't is a throwback to the classic albums of the early 90's.  Here's one against growing old gracefully.

5.  "No Blues" - The Miles Davis Quintet:  While it's been 20 years since the trailblazing jazz musician passed away and over 40 since his classic quintet went their separate ways, it's shocking that they still find archival material that has any value.  This track from this year's Live in Europe 1967 is a roller-coaster of a song that gives each member the opportunity to stretch out.

6.  "It's Real" - Real Estate:  Just a great, dreamy little tune from Brooklyn's Real Estate.  The perfect mix of a light but driving beat, loose guitars, and harmonies that just seem to drift throughout the song.  All this and a monster hook to pull you in.

7.  "Carburetor" - The Sweet Ones:  Sometimes you come by really cool bands when you least expect it.  In the case of the Sweet Ones they were one of my first Twitter followers.  Carburetor is a down and dirty little rocker that features, of all things, a Morphine-style sax part.

8.  "Abandon" - Office of Future Plans:  Indie legend J Robbins came back in a major way with his latest project.  While OFP does feature a number of Robbin's trademarks, it also ventures into new territory and the soft, rolling Abandon is one of those songs.  Featuring lush harmonies and exotic rhythms, the MVP on this song is OFP's secret weapon - cellist Gordon Withers.

9. "Pay for the Piano" - The Dismemberment Plan:  While I realize this song is over 10 years old but, for some reason, I found myself listening to this album daily all summer long - especially after I wasn't able to see them at Pitchfork.   "Pay For The Piano" is a  super quirky power pop tune from the DC area bands swan song Change.

10.  "I Am Hell" - Machine Head:  When your last album is regarded by many as a classic, the follow-up is always bound to disappoint.  Fortunately, Bay Area thrashers Machine Head held their own with their latest Unto The Locust.  The kick-off track on the album, I Am Hell picks you up, throws you against the wall, and continues to do so for the next 8 minutes and you keep asking for more.  In short, everything you could ask for from a thrash metal song.

And now for the honorable mentions:

"Don't Move" - Phantogram
"Shine On You My Crazy Diamond (Live at Wembley 1974)" - Pink Floyd
"Andro"  - Oneohtrix Point Never
"Foresaken at the Gates" - Forbidden
"Nowhere To Wait" - Wugazi
 "Glass Jar" - Gang Gang Dance
"Generation" - Liturgy
"Midnight City" - M83
"My Machines" - Battles
"Yonkers" - Tyler The Creator
"Tadlock's Glasses" - Beastie Boys
"She Was Stolen" - Twilight Singers

Sneak preview: as find I like myself liking what I've heard so far from the new albums by the Roots and Black Keys, don't be shocked if you see posts on both soon. Also, just heard a great new song by the New York band Chairlift that I'll probably talking about next year.

Office of Future Plans - J Robbins Strikes Gold Again

J Robbins, while maybe not a household name, has produced some of the most compelling power pop albums of the past 20 + years.  Like Fugazi's Ian MacKaye, Bad Religion's Brian Baker and the Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl - Robbins' roots are in the legendary DC Hardcore scene as a member of Government Issue.

After GI ground to a halt, Robbins took a different, less punkier path forming the band Jawbox.  During their 8 year run,  Jawbox produced one of the great albums of the "Alternative" Era with 1994's "For Your Own Special Sweetheart".  Post Jawbox,  Robbins formed another Burning Airlines whose debut "Mission Control" which is one of the finest power pop records ever.  Burning Airlines lasted for one more album before breaking up in 2002.  J then formed Channels with his wife Janet Morgan producing one solid album "Waiting for the Next End of the World".   All of these bands specialize in left - of - center, quirky power pop songs driven by Robbins' angular playing most notably in songs such as Jawbox's "Savory" and Burning Airline's "Pacific 231.

Set the clock forward to 2011 and Robbins has done it once again.  His latest band Office of Future Plans features a number of Robbins' trademarks but with a more layered sound and a few new quirks.  The lead track on their self titled debut, "Salamander" is actually more of a rock tune ala Channels with a couple of cool twist and turns.  The album's lead-off single "Harden Your Heart" shows Robbins' ever growing maturity as a song writer and features some great atmospherics from their new secret weapon, cello (yes I said cello) player Gordon Withers.  "Your Several Selves" is another one of those classic, quirky power pop tunes ala Pacific 231.  

As the album progresses, Robbins' maturity as a songwriter and the power of this new ensemble really hits it's stride.  "Abandon" is driven by drummer Darren Zentek's rolling rhythm with some great harmonies and Robbin's piano piano giving Wither's the opportunity to soar on this song.  "You're Not Alone" is a sinister little tune that is completely driven by Withers' cello (doesn't that violate some chapter of the Loud Fast Rules employee manual??).  Not to forget that he is a rocker extraordinaire, FEMA Coffins is blistering little tune that shows J's political side.  

While dedicating the better part of the past of the last 5 years to his other job as a producer and tending to family concerns, Robbins has proven to become even a better songwriter.  Additionally, Office Of Future Plans may be the best sounding album Robbin's has ever made  It's very well produced and incorporates the new elements very organically.  While I'm only on my second listen, this has become my favorite album of the year.  

For my compadres in and around Chicago - Office Of Future Plans is playing at the Beat Kitchen on Dec 3.  I'm going to try to make it - you should too.  

Gone Fishin' - in the East River

Well it's that time of year again - your fearless Blogmaster General and his crew are off on our "Hide In Plain Sight" tour of NYC.  In my absence - here are some great NYC style tunes.

OK, I realize this is not a rock song but is there another song that is so definitively New York?



Moving into the ballpark now, this song came up on my iPod just as I made the turn into Central Park when I finished the NYC marathon.



Shouldn't they just rename The Bowery to Ramomes Way



Mos Def and Talib's classic with Chicago's very own Common. How about that second album??



Required listening on West End Avenue.



One of Brooklyn's finest new bands.

Hopefully this keeps you entertained until I get back.  See ya next week.

Cheers,

The Blogmaster General

My Twitter Followers - Vol 1: The Sweet Ones

In the short time since I've started this little blog thing, the focus has been on bands  I really like and stuff that is currently dominating my iPod, iPhone, computer, or other readily available music player.  To see if this thing had any appeal beyond my compadres, family members, and handsomely bribed co-workers, I started up a Twitter account @rockfiend.  Much to my surprise, a few followers suddenly appeared after my first few posts and, even cooler, a couple of them were in bands.  Since I'm always game to hear new tunes, I decided that I'd write a post on one of these bands from time to time.   First up, Brooklyn NY's the Sweet Ones.

A self described "junk rock trio", the Sweet Ones bring a nice mix of influences - some punkier than others.  I had a chance to listen to their newest album Mistakes and there's some cool tunes on there.  Most of the songs are raw, lo-fi-ish garage rockers with big hooks with a few surprises.  "Rutley" has a soul feel to it and, my favorite song on the album, "Carburetor", is a jazzy, swinging number complimented by a Morphine-style sax line.

Mistakes is a cool album with solid tunes, nice little surprises, and some really funny lyrics.  Thinking this one will become part of the active rotation.  One question - when are you going to play Chicago?  For more info on The Sweet Ones, check them out at:

http://thesweetones.net

R.E.M. - The Part Not Covered

Sometimes it's not always the best thing to be so amazing so early in your career.  R.E.M. is a perfect case in point.  Coming out of the gates with Chronic Town,  Murmur, and Reckoning set such a high water mark that everything else, no matter how good, will always pale by comparison.  Even releases such as Out of Time and Monster that made them superstars are regarded as relatively lesser pieces of work compared to their early 80's output.

To commemorate their move into the Del Webb Sun City community for retired post-punk/early alt bands, they have just released a super size compilation called Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982 - 2011. While this collection is a solid cross sections of the hits, there are a some gaps in this hearty collection.  For those wanting to delve deeper in to the work of Athens' finest, here are few nuggets to help expand your R.E.M. horizons:

1.  "Wolves Lower" -  The song that started it all - side one, song one from Chronic Town.  A snappy, pop punk tune that served as the introduction of the R.E.M. trademark sound.

2.  "Toys In The Attic" - Yes,  I went there.  R.E.M. covers the legendary Aerosmith song on Dead Letter Office.  It's a total B-side  but to hear Peter Buck play Joe Perry's part on a 12 string is worth the price of admission.  I'd have loved to hear Michael Stipe sing "Walk This Way" myself

3. "Pilgrimage" -  While everyone knows "Radio Free Europe", the song that follows it on Murmur is probably the best on their legendary debut.  A slowish, pop song that features a xylophone and just some great harmonies from Stipe and Mike Mills

4. " 7 Chinese Bros" - A little slower paced than the songs on Murmur, this song from Reckoning has a great combination of a soft melody with some sharp guitar and drum parts.

5.  "Can't Get There From Here" - While generally regarded as the lower point of the bands early years, Fables Of The Reconstruction had some classic songs.  This mid-tempo rocker breaks from the mold of their first couple of albums with a great horn part near the end.

6. "I Believe" - Life's Rich Pageant was the album that saw the band change the more subtle sounds of their first few albums to a full blown rock band.  But they did within the context of their core talents.   Buck's jangly 12 string guitar has never sounded more powerful and the harmonies of Mills and Stipe absolutely soar on this barn burner.

7.  "Disturbance At The Heron House" - Packing now alternative rock classics "The One That I Love" and "It's the End of the World", Document was the album that made R.E.M. into rock stars.  However, this album also had some quirkier songs and this was one of them.

8.  "World Leader Pretend" - The great thing about REM is that, after two big sounding albums, what do they do when they sign to a major label - go back to basics.  Mind you Green did have some mega hits but there were a number of lower key songs like this one driven by Bill Berry's off-beat drums and the pedal steel guitar present throughout the song.  Think of this as the prequel to "Country Feedback" on Out of Time.

9.  "Radio Song" - R.E.M. starts their biggest album ever with  their funkiest song ever.  Driven by Mike Mills organ, Buck's guitar bursts, and a great driving rhythm from Bill Berry, it's a funky new world for the band.  And KRS-One guests too.

10.  "Find The River" - Hands down R.E.M's  finest moment.  After the international success of Out of Time came Automatic for the People - a very subdued, somber record that, in many ways, rivals their first classic early releases. "Find The River" is a gorgeous song driven by Stipe's very reflective vocals and, not shockingly, some simply stunning background harmonies from Mills and Stipe.

As I could write forever on this, here are a few more from the later days that are highly recommended:

"Let Me In"
"How The West Was Won and Where It Got Us"
"Diminished"
"Parakeet"

If there are some that I've missed that you think should be part of my "best of the rest" list, share away!!  

Beats, Rhymes, and Life - A fans eye view of a Tribe Called Quest

The thing about rock documentaries, especially when it's about about a band you really, really, like, is that it can completely change your perspective about that artist - sometimes good, sometimes not so much.  Rattle and Hum made U2 look like such meglomaniacs I never thought of them the same way again - even though they would follow up this self indulgent sludge with the finest record of their career.  Meanwhile, Anvil - The Story of Anvil, the account of a low-tier 80's metal band trying for that one last comeback, was as inspiring a movie as I've seen in eons.

So when I first started reading about Beats, Rhymes, and Life and the so-so reviews and the fact that Q-Tip and Ali were boycotting it, I intentionally passed on seeing it in the theaters.  I've been such a huge fan for so long (I listen to Midnight Marauders at least once a week) that I didn't want to re-experience the bad taste that I had walking out of Rattle and Hum a million years ago.  However, my curiosity was getting the best of me so I finally rented it when it came out on home video last week.

And the verdict is.....I liked it.....a lot.  It's not perfect, and director Michael Rapaport probably dwells a bit too much on life post the break-up, it is a fans eye view of a band loved and admired by millions the world over.

Despite the fact that Tribe was a quartet, and while the importance of Ali and Jarobi cannot be denied, the essence of the band were it's two frontmen Q-Tip and Phife Dawg.  The volatile relationship between these two lifelong friends serves as the centerpiece of the movie.  This tension peaked in the opening scene of the movie when Q-Tip breaks up the band again at the end of their 2008 reunion tour.  It was a very bleak moment that most friendships never recover from.

The movie reinforces the fact that Tribe as a collective was definitely far greater than the sum of it's parts.  There was Q-Tip, the quirky, driving force who was always in search of the perfect sound and the perfect set of beats.  The story about how the A & R rep had to literally steal the tapes for their iconic album "The Low End Theory" underlies Tip's quest for perfection.  Phife was the perfect yin to Tip's yang, the gregarious, light hearted partner in crime who, while needing to be prodded from time to time,  was the source of many great rhymes throughout the life of the band.  Jarobi, in his on-again, off-again, time in the band was critical in pulling things together and Ali served as the glue that held everything together.

The first half of the movie, save for that ominous first scene, focuses on how they came together really focuses on the band coming together and the salad days between 1990 and 1994.  There's a great scene when Q-Tip and Ali go back to their old high school in Manhattan and talk about how they would use their desks for beats.  Phife had some great stories about how he'd sneak out of all day church services to watch Soul Train and listen to old-school hip hop stations.  The history of how their legendary first three albums came together was really cool also - especially the story of how Phife came up with the great lines from "Buggin Out" on the subway en route to the studio.   Another great scene was the story of how Q-Tip took one of Minnie Ripperton's high pitched vocal pieces and made that part of the backbeat for "Midnight Marauders'" Lyrics To Go.  Having listened to that song hundreds, if not thousands of times, I never realized that was a vocal part.

The remainder of Beats  focuses on the ups and downs of the members of the band after their 1998 break-up.  While the other members, particularly Q-Tip, seemed to do well, it was difficult to watch Phife wrestle with the effects of Type 1 Diabetes that led to his kidney transplant.  This led to the most poignant moments in the movie between Phife finding out that his wife was a match to Jarobi's emotions getting the best of him to the text the Q-Tip sent just before the operation despite their estranged relationship.  It also served as the transition to the final part that lead up to their 2010 reunion.  Unlike their ill-fated 2008 tour, this seemed much more natural and something was done because they wanted to - not because they had to.

As I said before, while it's not perfect, Beats, Rhyme, and Life is the tale of one of the greatest hip-hop bands in history through the eyes of fan with the help of many other fans.   And unlike other, more ill-fated documentaries,  it reaffirmed why I will always love A Tribe Called Quest and, much to the chagrin of those around me, while I listen to them even more now.  Up for an Award Tour anyone??
  

Sneak Preview - ATCQ

Here's a sneak preview of my next blog will be about...enjoy

Have hooks, will travel: Phantogram and Real Estate

Pop Music has always had a shapeshifter like quality to it. There's the timeless, insanely awesome harmonies of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds or Big Star's Radio City. Punk, generally associated with the uber-snotty side of rock, has proven to have a knack for hook-filled tunes starting at almost at day 1 with the Buzzcocks and continuing to this day with bands like Bad Religion and Green Day. As with all things, you must take good with the bad. That's no different with Pop as proven with over-produced sludge like Katy Perry that has all the depth of a piece of notebook paper. On the really good side, a couple of recent releases have stoked the pop flames in a huge way.

New York's Phantogram just released a new EP called Nightlife that runs the spectrum of electro-pop. It's lead-off track "16 Years" reminds me a bit of School of Seven Bells with it's swirling style guitar and processed beats with Sarah Barthel's dreamy vocals pulling it all together. Don't Move - the lead off single, has a Portishead feel to it with a variety of little sounds coming in and out. The second half of the EP also features vocals from guitarist Josh Carter. This one - two punch culminates in the final track "A Dark Tunnel" that intertwines a harder head section driven by his vocals with a dreamy bridge and chorus from Barthel whose vocals sound just a bit like the Cocteau Twin's Elizabeth Fraser on this one.

The flip side of Phantogram, Brooklyn's Real Estate taken a much more low key approach with their second, very addictive album "Days". It's a mix of loose, very dreamy guitars that occasionally bring back memories of REM's "Reckoning" with soft, airy vocals that drift along with the song. Two out of the first three songs "Easy" and "It's Real" are pop classics in the making. "It's Real" in particular has a slightly up-tempo power pop with great loose sounding guitar parts and a simple but addictive chorus. The rest of the album features really solid, totally dreamy pop that brings back memories of Luna, the Posies, and tons of other great dream pop bands.

Despite their different approaches, both of these albums are doing quite the job fulfilling my pop fix. Who knows what's next on Norwegian Black Metal maybe?? It's anyone's guess but for now - Viva Le Pop

Seattle 20 years later - All Rules Still Need Not Apply

Musically, 1991 was a year that defied conventional wisdom. It was the endgame for hair metal, having long gone past its "sell by" date. It was bands such as REM and Metallica who had spent the 80's slowly percolating up from the underground becoming megastars. It was the summer of Perry Farrell and his idea for a traveling freak show called Lollapalooza that served as a prolonged farewell for Jane's Addiction. It was “Loveless”, "Achtung Baby", "The Low End Theory", and "International Pop Overthrow". And late in 1991, it was a 5 minute bomb from the Pacific Northwest called "Smells Like Team Spirit" that wound up turning the world on it's ear.

While the world saw the sudden rise of Nirvana and, a couple of months later, Pearl Jam as if they were singular events, that could be no further from the truth. The success of these two bands along with other bands such as Soundgarden and Alice In Chains were culmination of a scene that had grown very organically over the course of the past decade and by it's own rules. It's also a scene that has continued to reinvent itself and thrives to this day.

Unlike many of the regional scenes that popped up in the post punk era such as Minneapolis, Washington DC, or Orange County, there was no central standard that the Seattle bands adhered to. Many of these bands were inspired equally by the music that they listened to in their basements such as the Who and Led Zeppelin as they were by the punk bands that came through town such as Big Black, the Minutemen, and the Replacements. This mix of influences led to a scene whose only rule was that there was no rules. That ethos was apparent in the variety of bands that appeared from the toxic sludge of the Melvins to the sorrowful soul of Screaming Trees to the sweet pop of Beat Happening.

With this background, it's not too shocking that bands as different as Nirvana and Pearl Jam were able to co-exist. Nirvana, despite the intensity of "Smell's Like Team Spirit" was really a masterful power-pop band fueled by equal parts of the Pixies, the Raincoats, and the Vaselines. This becomes glaringly apparent as you listen to songs such as "Drain You" or "On a Plain" from "Nevermind" along with the treasure cove of singles that were included on the criminally under-appreciated collection "Incesticide".

Along with the bands that they were in beforehand such Green River and Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam, were completely and totally fueled by classic rock. While their punk sides occasionally reared it's head, particularly on Vs and Vitalogy, songs like "Alive" and the epic "Release" were completely based on in classic, old-school FM rock of the seventies and early eighties.

The changes that were happening in 1991 provided the perfect opportunity for both bands and the almost immediate mass acceptance proved that. And while many of the bands from that magic era of the early 90's have come and gone, the Seattle scene continues to crank out compelling musical acts such as Death Cab for Cutie, Sunn-O, and Band of Horses.

Still alive the Seattle scene very much is....

Let's go ghouling....some tips for your Halloween playlist

There's nothing like halloween weekend. Ghosts, goblins, graveyards, kids on such a sugar buzz that their energy could keep the lights blazing in NYC for a month - it's a beautiful thing. To help with your creepy exploits this weekend - here are a few ghastly tunes to add to your playlist.

1. "Black Sabbath": Black Sabbath - Not only the song that started it all in regards to that wonderful genre called Heavy Metal but one of the scariest songs ever. That slow tension leading to young Ozzy screaming "Oh No" still freaks me out to this day.

2. "(everyday is) Halloween": Ministry OK, it's more of a dance tune and there are many other Ministry songs that pack a freakier punch but you gotta have a theme song and this seems fitting works. A tribute to that like all things black all day, every day.

3. "Tubular Bells": Mike Oldfield - The first part of this song is included the theme song to the Exorcist. Freaks me out to this day

4. "At Dawn They Sleep": Slayer - "Blood-sucking creatures of the night" - Slayer's little tribute to the vampire breed from their classic '84 Album "Hell Awaits". Don't know what they haven't added this to one of the "Twilight" soundtracks yet?

5. "Come To Daddy": Aphex Twin - Horror film music for the Saw/Red Bull generation.

6. "Careful with That Axe Eugene" : Pink Floyd - A classic freak out tune with a slow, creepy little tension that boils up culminating in one of the most insane screams ever in a rock song.

7. "Armenia" : Einsturzende Neubaten : Not generally thought of from a freaky perspective, but one of those songs that slowly builds up tension and then, out of the blue, lead singer Blixa Bargeld launches a scream for the ages. Shock value abounds.

8. "Dracula" : Rob Zombie - Nothing wrong with too many vampire songs on the list. Enjoy

9. "Witching Hour" Venom - The first song I ever heard by the godfathers of Black Metal and, by the way, now married into the Royal Family.

10. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" - Iron Maiden - As this is the song that closes the classic "Number of The Beast" Album, this too closes out my halloween mix. A horror story wrapped up in a metal song.

Not the most definitive list but a few thoughts. If you have any other ideas, let me know.

Happy Haunting.

The perils of good intentions: Metallica/Lou Reed Lulu

"F**k it all and f**king no regrets"

If a single lyric could ever serve as a band's mantra, this line from the classic Metallica tune "Damage Inc" does it.  It's given Metallica carte blanche to do whatever they want whenever they wanted to. Looking at their meteoric ascent from the underground to becoming the biggest band in the world, this philosophy has served them well. This gunslinger approach has also nuked on them - see the Napster fiasco or the image makeover that accompanied the "Load" album(although there were some decent tunes on there). Put that way, collaborating with Lou Reed, while a head scratcher, totally fits their M.O.

Ordinarily, a project like this would raise more than a few eyebrows. Unlike Kanye and Jay Z that fit like peas in a pod, this is a case of strange bedfellows. This project pairs a band that cut it's teeth touring with Venom, Raven, etc with an artist better associated with all things avant garde. To top it off, the project is based on an unfinished opera written in the 1920's about the life and loves of a dancer named Lulu.  Any other combination of artists and the level of intrigue would hit fever pitch. However, this was no ordinary union and  neither was was the hype which seemed to be unanimous.

Everyone expected it to suck - badly


Of course, releasing the one of the worst songs on the album, "The View", as the lead-off single did not help.  Contrary to the extraordinarily low expectations that came with the release, Lulu does not entirely suck, nor is it the worst album of all time.  If anything, it's a perfect example of what you find along the road to hell - lots of good intentions

Lulu actually starts off with a really nice, low key rocker called Brandenburg Gate that packs a Load era groove with a tale about Lulu's exposure to the big city.  Lou's vocals fit this song well and James Hetfield's support during the chorus provide a nice counterbalance.

The next couple of songs, the infamous "The View" and "Pumping Blood" both are both pretty horrible. Avoid at all costs.  Shockingly though, the album actually starts to improve from this point on.

"Mistress Dread" brings back a sorely missed component, good old fashioned, full throttle, speed metal countered with a quiet but ominous sounding organ tone that lingers throughout.  Reed uses his occasionally off key singing style to full effect with the twist and turns that are synonymous with classic Metallica thrash. "Cheat on Me" is another groove oriented rocker that benefits again from Hetfield's backing vocals.  Of the songs on Lulu, this seems to be the most complete of the 11 tracks.

The last four songs of the album, while not awful, suffer from being long winded.   "Frustration" kinds of plods along until about the mid-point where a creepy little break in the middle of the song segues into  a full blown barnstormer finish.  The rambling lyrics of "Little Dog" almost drown out the neat contrast of Hetfield's slow, lazy acoustic riffs and Kirk Hammett's droning electric leads that weave in and out throughout.   Clocking in at 30 minutes the last two songs "Dragon" and "Junior Dad" are forgettable.

Lulu is a combination of the good, the bad, and the ugly.  There actually some pretty decent moments on this record but they are drowned out by the bad and really bad. The chances of me actually listening to it again are nil. When you've been around as long as these two artists, guess you can afford to throw caution to the wind and say "What the F**K, make your move" and not worry much.

For those who need an old school fix, here's one for you..."enjoy"

Lou Reed and Metallica's - Lulu - First Listen

Having taken in the first half of Metallica and Lou Reed's Lulu, two things immediately come to mind.   Lou Reed should probably become a spoken word artist.  As a lifetime Metallica fan, was a bit skeptical about the match but, so far, they seem to hold their own and, in many cases, overshadow Reed. There are some monster riffs there that can hopefully be recycled for the next Metallica album.  Simply my first impressions, more to follow.....

The Rock Fiend's Current Playlist

While I'm working on the next post,  here's what's currently getting uber-heavy rotation on the iPod:

1.  Real Estate - "Days":  A brand new addiction.  Slow rolling, dream-pop that sucks you in from the first chord.   Their single, "It's Real", is available as free download from iTunes.  It is strongly, strongly recommended.  

2.  The Joy Formidable - "The Big Roar":  My favorite album of the year.  A combo of shoegaze and dream-pop delivered with the force of a bulldozer.  "Whirring" is the centerpiece of this amazing record.  Hopefully, we get hear many more albums from this English trio..

3.  Anthrax - "Worship Music":  With an 8 year gap between albums, NYC's finest won't be accused of being the most efficient band around but when they do deliver, there are no half measures.  Another blistering release marking the return of Joey Belladonna.  And if it wasn't cool enough, they add a cover of Refused's New Noise as the "hidden track".  

4.  Machine Head - "Unto the Locust":  When your last album is highly regarded as a masterpiece, anything you do afterwards is almost guaranteed to fall short of expectations.  Fortunately, Machine Head dodged conventional wisdom and delivered handsomely.  While not reaching the hallowed ground of "the Blackening",  this is a great, old school thrash album.

5.  TV on the Radio - "Nine Types of Light":  Cannot get this enough of this album.  A bit mellower than past releases but every song takes you on a different kind of trip.  Please come back to Chicago soon guys. 

And a few others that are also getting some love on the iPod:

Jah Wobble and the Modern Jazz Ensemble - "7"

Gang Gang Dance - "Eye Contact"

The Dismemberment Plan - "Change"

Kylesa - "Spiral Shadow

Steely Dan - "Aja"

Wugazi and the art of the Mash-Up

The great thing about mash-ups is it takes musical elements that have no problems being together in the same record store bin let alone the same song and, when done right, turns into something really cool.  Generally regarded as the work of underground producers, the most famous (infamous) work is Danger Mouse's Grey Album.

Released back in 2004, this mash-up took Jay - Z's a cappella version of The Black Album and mixed with music from, of all records, the Beatles White Album.  The end product was nothing short of amazing and, not shockingly, was a scorching success.  The high point of this mash-up had "99 Problems" paired with "Helter Skelter".  For what was to supposed to be Hova's farewell, Danger Mouse gave him one truly amazing going away present.  

Not shockingly, this good thing came to a quick and painful end.  Upon hearing of the mash-up, EMI Records, who owned the rights to the Beatles songs, ordered Danger Mouse to cease distribution and that was that.  The upside to this whole saga was the Grey Album introduced the world to Danger Mouse whose work with Gorillaz and Gnarls Barkley amongst others has proven that he has some serious skills.  

Fast forward to 2010 - two producers based in Minneapolis, Cecil Otter and Swiss Andy, began the process of creating a mash-up with two highly revered but very, very distinct.  This time, the unlikely brothers in arms are DC based indie rock legends Fugazi with Staten Island's hip hop powerhouse the Wu Tang Clan.  While both artists were loved equally among similar music fans it is still a very unusual pairing.  Just picture the late Old Dirty Bastard - known for collecting welfare checks while riding in a limo - rapping over music created by legendary purist Ian MacKaye. Pigs must be a flying somewhere  

The end result of the duo's endeavors is easily one of the finest albums of 2011.  13 Chambers takes the collective power of Wu Tang's seemingly endless roster of stud MC's and seamlessly intertwines it with Fugazi's almost pop-like approach to second generation DC punk.  While the title of the album is a mash up on both groups legendary debut albums (Fugazi's 13 Songs and Wu Tang's Enter the Wu Tang (36 Chambers)), the songs on 13 Chambers is a well crafted celebration of their collective works. 

With Wu Tang's generally intense, very high powered approach to hip-hop it would make sense that Cecil and Andy would have meshed them with Fugazi's louder, faster, more punk oriented songs such as Great Cop.  Surprisingly, the produces use Fugazi's quieter, more nuanced songs to compliment Wu Tang's intense rhymes

 "Sleep Rules Everything Around Me",which kicks off the album, pairs C.R.EA.M.  one of the Wu's most popular songs ever with "I'm So Tired" a very simple piano ballad which was one of the pleasant surprises of the Instrument soundtrack.  The desperation of life in the projects as expressed by Ghostface, GZA and crew is intertwined with Ian MacKaye's simple, downbeat piano piece and lyrics about the wear of the road to maximum effect.

When they do decide to include the faster, more punkish Fugazi tunes into the mix, they go all in.  "PLO Squared" combines Method Man's "PLO Style" with Fugazi's blistering "Facets Squared" from In On The Kill Taker Album.   The combination of  guitar beeps,  chord flashes, and the rolling bass/drum rhythm loops perfectly compliment Meth's rolling style rap throughout.

The highlight on an  album chock full of them is "Nowhere to Wait".  This short 3 minute bomb combines RZA's side project the Grave Diggaz track "Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide" and starts with a loop from the relatively low key "Close Captioned" with an insane rap by the RZA.  But the fun starts in the last minute where the song suddenly stops and then RZA lets loose over a sample from the classic "Waiting Room" eventually fading out with the chorus from the original.  

While mash-ups are generally few and far between and generally relegated to the underground, it's comforting to know that they are out there.  Who knows, maybe this could be the spark to get Fugazi to come out of retirement for a tour?   How about a Fugazi/Wu Tang tour?  Maybe, please, pretty please with sugar on it??

Welcome to the life of a rock fiend...

How does one spot a rock fiend in public??  Are they:

A:  The person who makes it to every noteworthy show within 150 miles of where they live?
B:  The observant fan with the knack to pick out the next hip thing even before Pitchfork even acknowledges their existence?
C:  Someone who can identify the Six Degrees of Dave Grohl whenever any song comes on the radio?
D:  All of the above
E:  None of the above

Conventional wisdom would say all of the above but regardless, the question serves as a nice segue into my first foray into the music blogosphere as I am, amongst other things, completely and unequivocally a rock fiend.  It all started started when I first heard Brown Sugar a million years ago and has not let up since.  While I probably do suffer from being a music snob, I'll try to give something a shot before completely giving up on it.

As I do have a fondness for everything from Miles Davis to Mayhem and all points in between, I'm likely to rant about anything at anytime so get ready for an interesting ride.

To get started - here's one of my favorite songs of this year.  Enjoy