1) Two albums rocked my shit: Wonderful Rainbow, Lightning Bolt and Akuma no Uta, Boris. Both are very hard rocking records. Rainbow's got a punk rock/free jazz vibe to it while Akuma's noise rock is earsplitting and tinged with the perfect amount of psychedelia, just enough so that I say "Whoa" but not enough to make me say "far out". Rainbow is the stranger record with more of a cohesive sonic statement - something along the lines of, say, a rainbow that is constantly struggling to break free, while also kinda always being there anyway, lurking within us even during our darker times. It is wonderful because it is human. Akuma is just more of a fucking jam, bro: the 12 minute track "Naki Kyoku" made me shit my pants at work. Pure majesty, no snobbery or pomposity, and all of it gathering at the center of your brain, man, all at the center of your head. Far out - Whoops!
2) John Zorn for president! For those who haven't had the pleasure, John Zorn is, at the basest level, a jazz musician, an alto saxophonist. Other than that, he dabbles in everything - I'd say if you called him a composer you'd be closest to the most accurate definition of the man as musician.
I've been liking harsh sounds lately, and I truly believe that when an alto sax runs wild in front of thundering hardcore drums and bass, there is nothing more bombastic. His music can be tough to listen to - the sheer volume and noise - but it is oftentimes quite playful. Start off with Naked City, Naked City, a band with Zorn as leader. They dip into tv themes, cartoons, spaghetti western, surf - pretty much everything all packed together. It might be the closest you can get to an all encompassing recording: Zorn is trying to play culture; to play society'ss subconscious. Far out - Whoops again!
3) Economy Of Words - As far as pop music goes, I've been zoning in on lyrics lately, trying to understand, as a songwriter, how to say everything with as few words as possible. How to get across an emotion - a very specific emotion - in a few words, a simple lyric. Written for Johnny Cash, Nick Lowe's "The Beast In Me" is a great example. "God save the beast in me" is the key line that contains all of humanity in it, and it bumps against other simple sentences which allow that larger overpowering unwieldy feeling to be caroled through a single person. In this way, it's specific to one man while staying universal. Using a lot of words effectively is easier than using very few effectively. My favorite album that showcases this is Plastic Ono Band, John Lennon. Currently active songwriter who showcases this: Bill Callahan.
4) "Dance The Night Away" - Van Halen - If you put this song on and it doesn't put a smile on your face, than I don't know what to tell you.
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