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.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
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"
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.....
Sunday, October 23, 2011
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"
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
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.
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??
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.
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??
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
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
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
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