OK, the next five. HERE:
20) Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Blink 182 - OK, I'll say it: I love blink 182 more than any artist that will appear on this list. So why 20 and not higher? This isn't their best. But it's still a very, very fine album, full of great songs, each one good in its own right. This is the album where blink started realizing that they wanted to be serious - they were growing up, for real this time. Their personal lives were changing, they were settling down with significant others, kids were on the way - it all finds its way into the songs. Which is fine, because they still manage to convey humor and stay young at heart. In fact, some lyrics are damned childish - "Pick you up for our very first date," "the girl at the rock show" that kind of stuff - and that's part of the charm. There are going to be hundreds of serious albums released every year by serious artists, you know, carefully orchestrated somber chamber pop music - I'm looking at you Grizzly Bear - all striving to be meaningful and to be taken seriously, but none of them will be serious as TOYPAJ WHILE ALSO BEING as happy, infectious, childlike, and, of course, as funny, as blink is on this record.
19) Weezer (Green Album), Weezer - A pop gem. Weezer's third album is so simple and straightfoward which is why it's so fucking great. The lyrics: guy loses girl, some variations on this theme. The melodies: catchy. Hummable. There's a whole lot of major chords, and, when there is a minor change, the resolution back to a major makes the whole damn thing seem even more joyous. The arrangements: nothing more than what's essential. The biggest extravegances are handclaps and the solos very rarely stray from the vocal melody line. This is my kind of album: short, simple and sweet.
I don't think people understand Rivers Cuomo. He's a pop songwriter. That's all he's ever been. He's doing the same thing now that he was doing with the Blue Album except that the times have changed. Everything needs weight nowadays to be taken seriously; some sort of indie cred that will make people feel better about listening to something silly or simple. And it can't be delivered straight. The Green Album is incredibly straight, and that's what makes it such a breath of fresh air every time I hear it. It doesn't need anything else - no story, no scene, no nothing. It's a band playing Rivers' songs, each one a gem.
18) Microcastle/Weird Era Cont., Deerhunter - This album reminds me of cold sunshine. Or maybe sunshine on a cold day. I remember I bought it from Soundgarden in Syracuse, NY, went home and pumped it in my house ASAP, where the first blast of "Cover Me (Slowly)" made me turn my head.
What an introduction, what a start! What a sound! Everything seems to be coated in that cold sunshine - most often reverb, sometimes distortion, sometimes the lack of an effect - seemingly seeping out of the disc itself. There may be unifying lyrical themes on the album (sacrifice, suicide) but I only know that cuz I read about it. Both of these albums have a feeling about them - I guess Weird Era Cont. is a, well, continuation of the weird feelings from Microcastle - that unifies all of the tracks. The sound is whole, the feeling's there, the melodies pop and the hooks hook but it's all about that sound, pumping from speakers at full blast. It's music your mind shuts off too and absorbs; you bob your head and jam and turn your head to the speakers, but it's only later, after a few listens, that you can piece it all together. But even then, it's better to lose yourself to that feeling, that weird, visceral feeling, and ignore reason. The music exits like cold sunlight streaming into your head! LET IT IN!
18) Liars, Liars - "I wanna run away, I wanna bring you, too/I wanna run away, I wanna bring you, too!" starts "Plaster Casts of Everything," the lead track on Liars' eponymous LP, the follow up to their stunning mind-fuck, Drum's Not Dead. In a sense, it feels like those opening lines are the band saying, "Hey, we spent a lot of time in crafting a sonically rich, dense, difficult record in Drums - which was awesome! - but now we just wanna get away and rock out - and you can come, too!" And we do. Weird, listenable, hard, and they're still totally true to themselves, 100 percent. It feels like all of their stylistic variations (from punk to drone) really come together here coupled with a desire to just fuck you up cuz Liars hates you.
17) Plague Park, Handsome Furs - There's been a lot of talk this decade, especially in the latter half, of folk music. Free folk, freak folk, folk folk folk. Folk's folking everywhere. Devendra Banhart, the Dodos, Akron/Family, the earlier work of Animal Collective. These are just a few of the bands that have been called, in some way, folk artists. A name that does not get mentioned? Handsome Furs.
Yeah, upon first listen Plague Park doesn't sound terribly folky, what with the electronic drum beats and ringing electric guitars, but this is folk music. All of the songs could be performed with just voice and acoustic guitar. If you listen closely, you'll hear Dan Boeckner's acoustic underneath it all, I'm assuming the track overwhich everything was built on. This is an album made up of folk tunes. Lyrically, the album works like a folk album. "We hate this city, we hate it's drone," Boekner sings. That's a tenent of folk music, hatin' something and getting out. The subject matter may have changed with the changing times, but the attitude's still the same. Maybe you'd call it this, maybe you'd call it that, I think it's folk, an album of bare, emotionally resonant tunes crafted by a husband and wife duo where, in the end, all you really need are the words, voice, and acoustic guitar to convey a feeling that is very large.
And: Dan Boeckner is a personal favorite artist of mine. I love the way he sings, plays guitar, and writes. I like the attitude and the subject matter. I think we'd get along if we met. I hope we'd get smashed.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE OF THIS SHIT.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
ALBUMS OF THE 2000s
Yo everyone, DG here, and I'm gonna be doing a countdown of my top 25 Favorite Albums of the 2000s, or the naughties, or whatever you wanna call 'em, since I must copy everything Pitchfork does in some way, shape or form (it's not like they invented the list! God did when he gave the tablets to Moses!).
These are simply the albums I think are best from this decade. No reasons other than I prefer them, me, Dan Grgas, no one else, just me, no one is paying me to say any of this. I mean, sometimes a certain album also happens to be an important album, you know, in the history of music, so that's a factor - but that's still just how it effects me, really, when you come to think of it, because I'm part of the history of music, too! Everyone is!
Two rules: 1) The album had to be released from 2000 to THIS second, and 2) an artist can only appear once. I know, then is it really a true list of the albums I thought are best if I may be omitting some that may be fucking awesome just because of some stupid rule? Yes. But this way the list is more varied and it makes it - for the most part - easier for me to pick and choose. If an artist appears on here there's a good chance I really like a lot of their other work and some of that work might have been on this list instead of other works but, due to rule numero 2, they ain't.
OK, here's the first five. Enjoy, and let me know what you think of these albums and what I have to say about them and whether they're worth it, etc. etc. etc.
25) Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards, Tom Waits - Some may consider this a compilation and not an album proper and, yes, there are tracks on here that have been available before, but Tom Waits also rerecorded many old tracks and put them on here, along with rarities, covers, B-sides and the like, most of which have never, EVER been released. The result? A coherent ALBUM - or TRIPLE DISC ALBUM - made up of great Tom Waits songs, most written by, all performed by Tom Waits, split into three categories based on the nature of the beast. No more needs to be said. This is Waits at his eclectic best.
Here's a heartbreaker:
24) Post-Nothing, Japandroids - I think this is a dude's album and that's why I dig it. Take the cover: two bros, lookin like bros do. And it's all about girls - well, girls, and being young and getting thinking about getting old when all you wanna do is "think about sunshine girls". That's Post-Nothing in a nutshell. Great melodies. "Young Hearts Spark Fire" into "Wet Hair" is an epic one-two punch. Possible alternate title: Post-Graduation, eh, recent grads?
23) Grinderman, Grinderman - Killer, grungey rock n roll. Nick Cave is a great lyricist, one of my favorites of all time. His words have character, they are unique, and, though he can seem kinda scary and intense, the man has a great sense of humor, as can be seen in the hilarious - though poignant - lead single, "No Pussy Blues". The sound and style of this project is illustrated perfectly in this track, drums pounding, bass throbing, and electric mandolin - courtesy of Warren Ellis - screaming away. Great stuff. BTW, make sure you check out the B-side to "NPB," "Chain of Flowers," the perfect counterpoint to "NPB."
22) Nouns, No Age - I was tempted to put Weirdo Rippers on here instead of Nouns, but we're talkin' about albums here, man, and this is certainly an album. Weirdo Rippers works surprisingly well as an album considering it was made up of four EPs, and it does have my two favorite No Age tracks ("Every Artist Needs a Tragedy," "My Life's Alrite Without You") but I've found that Nouns is the more rewarding listen. Everything flows sonically; it's the kind of album that sounds as if it was recorded all at once, one take. Each track encompasses the entire album but you need to hear every track to understand the entire album as a whole. Great moments abound and - you know what I love? - I love that they're all brief. It's one quick guitar lick and that's it, you may not hear it again. Some artists find a hook and hit you over the head with it. No Age is content on doin it once, ON MAKING IT SPECIAL, which also ensures that you'll come back for more.
[No Lala available]
And there's the kick off, the first five albums. More to come tomorrow, I think, should be, can't see too many reasons why it wouldn't!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Part 2: Who Taught You How to Throw the Dick Down the Stairs!
It may sound weird to many when I say, "Blink 182 is probably the closest to the Beatles I'm gonna get." What? Did I hear you right, Grgas? Blink 182? Aren't you the guy who went through an avant garde jazz phase? Aren't you the guy who was into Glen Kotche's solo drum record? In fact, didn't you buy that?
Grgas, you're a straight up snob, man. This proclamation goes against everything you've ever said!
Ah, c'mon! I'd say. That's not true. I am quite frequently an asshole, true, and I like what I like and I will most definitely let you know that you don't know what you're talking about if you don't know what you're taking about, but my tastes are certainly not restricted to what is respected by the critics or to some idea of high art over fodder for the masses. If I like it, I like it. End of story.
So it makes perfect sense that I feel as if Blink 182 are my Beatles. The Beatles are my Beatles, too, but they were gone long, long before I was even a glint in my father's eyes. Blink's what I grew up on. They've informed me during a time when they were still forming themselves, growing as I grew. They aren't like The Beatles where I discovered their music and it's like opening up a time capsule - a timeless one - but still a capsule.
And so it began. The "What's My Age Again?" video really reeled me in, right at the same time I was digging "All Star" by Smash Mouth. Why do I mention this? Because, much to my shame, I decided to buy the Smash Mouth CD over Blink's "Enema of the State"! Yes, I knew it was a poor decision as soon as I made it, but I made it for some fucking reason, what's done is done, what -
Whatever. That video was hilarious and I was the perfect age for it, I think seventh grade, so like 13, probably closer to 14 because I remember getting into Blink in the summer between seventh and eighth grades.
And since then I've loved them. I have consistently returned to each one of their albums. Cheshire Cat for the exuberance and pure joy and hate in the songs; Dude Ranch for the perfect craftsmanship of emotionally pitch perfect tunes of such character; Enema for the catchy tunes that you gotta sing along with; Take Off Your Pants and Jacket for the evolution, the maturity; and the self-titled has a few good tracks on it, but it's OK.
I could wax rhapsodic on each of these albums, but here are three main things that have kept Blink as my second favorite band of all-time:
1) Humor. Every song is funny in some way, or at least 85 percent of them. They don't take themselves seriously but they still manage to convey so much emotion - Blink 182 has a catalogue that, song by song, hits closest to my heart, consistently. They bring me back to an earlier me, but that younger me is still a part of me, now, and the songs have only increased in meaning as I have grown to understand what it is about those songs that made me feel as I did when I was younger.
2) Mark and Tom. Both in the songwriting and their singing and playing. Simple but affective lyrics, infectious melodies and little pretension. They remind me of a Lennon/McCartney duo, Tom more Lennon, Mark more McCartney. The chemistry between them is dynamite - it's what drives the band. Their voices and sensibilities clash and adhere perfectly. It's luck - or fate - that made this band as great, the meeting of two musical soul mates.
3) Friends. I have been very close to a few friends for my entire life and Blink is - if push came to shove - the soundtrack of our friendship (Weezer is damned close). It may just be the way I view it - I haven't really asked them if they agree - but that's enough. Blink really is the perfect soundtrack for us; the humor, the vibe, the speed, the personality - perfect. And even as more people came into this fold, as close as any other, of course they loved Blink as much as we did. This is the real reason I love Blink. It reminds me of great times with great people. Something truly shared.
OK, I'll end it there. Stop three on my magical journey. In summation: Blink is the best. Naysayers be damned, there isn't too much to say against this bad, I think. Immature? Maybe. But other than that, I think they're as close to perfection as I'm gonna get. Sometimes you can't choose what you like, you just like it. And that's fine by me.
Grgas, you're a straight up snob, man. This proclamation goes against everything you've ever said!
Ah, c'mon! I'd say. That's not true. I am quite frequently an asshole, true, and I like what I like and I will most definitely let you know that you don't know what you're talking about if you don't know what you're taking about, but my tastes are certainly not restricted to what is respected by the critics or to some idea of high art over fodder for the masses. If I like it, I like it. End of story.
So it makes perfect sense that I feel as if Blink 182 are my Beatles. The Beatles are my Beatles, too, but they were gone long, long before I was even a glint in my father's eyes. Blink's what I grew up on. They've informed me during a time when they were still forming themselves, growing as I grew. They aren't like The Beatles where I discovered their music and it's like opening up a time capsule - a timeless one - but still a capsule.
And so it began. The "What's My Age Again?" video really reeled me in, right at the same time I was digging "All Star" by Smash Mouth. Why do I mention this? Because, much to my shame, I decided to buy the Smash Mouth CD over Blink's "Enema of the State"! Yes, I knew it was a poor decision as soon as I made it, but I made it for some fucking reason, what's done is done, what -
Whatever. That video was hilarious and I was the perfect age for it, I think seventh grade, so like 13, probably closer to 14 because I remember getting into Blink in the summer between seventh and eighth grades.
And since then I've loved them. I have consistently returned to each one of their albums. Cheshire Cat for the exuberance and pure joy and hate in the songs; Dude Ranch for the perfect craftsmanship of emotionally pitch perfect tunes of such character; Enema for the catchy tunes that you gotta sing along with; Take Off Your Pants and Jacket for the evolution, the maturity; and the self-titled has a few good tracks on it, but it's OK.
I could wax rhapsodic on each of these albums, but here are three main things that have kept Blink as my second favorite band of all-time:
1) Humor. Every song is funny in some way, or at least 85 percent of them. They don't take themselves seriously but they still manage to convey so much emotion - Blink 182 has a catalogue that, song by song, hits closest to my heart, consistently. They bring me back to an earlier me, but that younger me is still a part of me, now, and the songs have only increased in meaning as I have grown to understand what it is about those songs that made me feel as I did when I was younger.
2) Mark and Tom. Both in the songwriting and their singing and playing. Simple but affective lyrics, infectious melodies and little pretension. They remind me of a Lennon/McCartney duo, Tom more Lennon, Mark more McCartney. The chemistry between them is dynamite - it's what drives the band. Their voices and sensibilities clash and adhere perfectly. It's luck - or fate - that made this band as great, the meeting of two musical soul mates.
3) Friends. I have been very close to a few friends for my entire life and Blink is - if push came to shove - the soundtrack of our friendship (Weezer is damned close). It may just be the way I view it - I haven't really asked them if they agree - but that's enough. Blink really is the perfect soundtrack for us; the humor, the vibe, the speed, the personality - perfect. And even as more people came into this fold, as close as any other, of course they loved Blink as much as we did. This is the real reason I love Blink. It reminds me of great times with great people. Something truly shared.
OK, I'll end it there. Stop three on my magical journey. In summation: Blink is the best. Naysayers be damned, there isn't too much to say against this bad, I think. Immature? Maybe. But other than that, I think they're as close to perfection as I'm gonna get. Sometimes you can't choose what you like, you just like it. And that's fine by me.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
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