Paul and I were saying this is what I describe int he title. This refers to the end of Basking Ridge, the End of Hoboken, and much else. Also, I have been on the same computer for eight years until today and that is a pretty big deal. So, in tribute to that I thought I would list my top 50 most played songs on itunes on that old horse. This is since, I believe, March 31, 2011 when my hard drive was replaced. Of course, a lot of music was listened to on vinyl and CD, but here is one thing to look at...
47. "War & Wedding" - Tobin Sprout
47. "Wondering Boy Poet" - Guided by Voices
47. "You Tore Me Down" - Flamin' Groovies
45. "Map Ref. 41˚N 93˚W" - Wire
45. "Because I Love You" - Masters Apprentices
41. "Paper Girl" - Guided By Voices
41. Draft Morning - The Byrds
41. #1 - Animal Collective
41. "Fireworks" - Animal Collective
41. "Brother Sport" - Animal Collective
38. "Sitting By The Window" - Moby Grape
38. "Living In A Child's Dream" - Masters Apprentices
38. "Interest Position" - Guided By Voices
37. "Derek" - Animal Collective
35. "Indian Fables" - Guided By Voices
35. "Winters Love" - Animal Collective
32. "You're Everything on Earth" - The Outsiders
32. "I've Loved You" - the Music Machine
32. "Before We Begin" - Broadcast
31. "Swim" - Surfer Blood
29. "Hardcore UFO's" - Guided by Voices
29. "Babes In The Sky" - Flamin' Groovies
27. "Girl, You're Blowin' My Mind" - Jan & Dean
27. "Bluish" - Animal Collective
25. "Cardinal Rules" - Speed the Plough
25. "The Letter" - Arthur Russell
23. "Phenomenons" - Twin Sister
23. "(From the) Morning Glories" - The Trypes
22. "Gene Ciampi" - Twin Sister
18. "Outdoor Miner" - Wire
18. "Falling and Laughing" - Orange Juice
18. "The Key Losers" - Guided By Voices
18. "On The Tundra" - Guided By Voices
16. "Pop Zues" - Robert Pollard With Doug Gillard
16. ""Unbroken Chain" - The Grateful Dead
15. "A Plan, Revised (Demo_" - The Trypes
14. "The Glorious Land" - PJ Harvey
13. "To Be Over" - Yes
12. "I Remember Learning How To Dive" - Animal Collective
11. "Easy" - Real Estate
10. "Seeing" - Moby Grape
9. "Here Without You" - The Byrds
8. "Sinmply Thrilled Honey" - Orange Juice
7. "What Would I Want? Sky" - Animal Collective
6. "Is She Ever?" - Guided By Voices
5. "How Loft I Am?" - Guided By Voices
4. "What You Want" - My Bloody Valentine
1. "The 15th" - Wire
1. "The Last Living Rose" - PJ Harvey
1. "Huffman Prairie Flying Field" - Guided By Voices
Wow, was not expecting a three-way tie for #1! Listening to the new Surfer Blood. It rules!
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The Bats and Wild Carnation - Maxwell's June 3, 2013
So, I am sure anyone reading this knows that Maxwell's announced that it is closing at the end of July yesterday. I had heard that it was happening, but it was pretty hard to believe. Appropriately, I was already planning to be there that night for New Zealand's finest with one of the many great Feelies-related Jersey groups.
It started on the early side, which was great. After a couple drinks at Helmer's, we arrived even earlier to find Robert Scott decked out in Amoeba gear in front of the venue. A while later Wild Carnation took the stage and the usually quiet Brenda Sauter mentioned the closing of the historic venue and they began with their song about Maxwell's "Wednesday night at 8 PM" or something like that (she wasn't sure at first either). Their set was pretty phenomenal, particularly the second song, "The Rising Tide." Their guitarist was especially impressive, playing a Gretsch and having some of the best tone I had ever heard, evoking all the best of the American Underground in one, plus a good amount of Fripp in there.
The Bats were even better, as they should have been and they played a perfect blend of material from their whole career. With so much great material, you can't get everything you want, even with a long set, and there was definitely a lack of material from The Law of Things, but they did play "Smoking Her Wings," a definite highlight. Some others were "Mir" and the batch of Daddy's Highway material at the end such as "North By North," "Block of Wood," and most importantly "Treason." Everyone was pretty much on and their accents were as usual, adorable, though more vocals for Kaye Woodward would have been nice. Paul Kean was very entertaining and as someone who had never seen the band before I had no idea he was such a key part in stage presence. MalcolmGrant is a whole lot of fun top watch too, and his role in the band is always under-appreciated, but not after seeing them live.
Both bands lived up to my lofty expectations and that really eased the pain of the CBGB of New Jersey going away and leaving Hoboken a completely barren yuppie hellhole. Being a musician from that state is a real privilege and the audience was filled with some of our best.
It started on the early side, which was great. After a couple drinks at Helmer's, we arrived even earlier to find Robert Scott decked out in Amoeba gear in front of the venue. A while later Wild Carnation took the stage and the usually quiet Brenda Sauter mentioned the closing of the historic venue and they began with their song about Maxwell's "Wednesday night at 8 PM" or something like that (she wasn't sure at first either). Their set was pretty phenomenal, particularly the second song, "The Rising Tide." Their guitarist was especially impressive, playing a Gretsch and having some of the best tone I had ever heard, evoking all the best of the American Underground in one, plus a good amount of Fripp in there.
The Bats were even better, as they should have been and they played a perfect blend of material from their whole career. With so much great material, you can't get everything you want, even with a long set, and there was definitely a lack of material from The Law of Things, but they did play "Smoking Her Wings," a definite highlight. Some others were "Mir" and the batch of Daddy's Highway material at the end such as "North By North," "Block of Wood," and most importantly "Treason." Everyone was pretty much on and their accents were as usual, adorable, though more vocals for Kaye Woodward would have been nice. Paul Kean was very entertaining and as someone who had never seen the band before I had no idea he was such a key part in stage presence. MalcolmGrant is a whole lot of fun top watch too, and his role in the band is always under-appreciated, but not after seeing them live.
Both bands lived up to my lofty expectations and that really eased the pain of the CBGB of New Jersey going away and leaving Hoboken a completely barren yuppie hellhole. Being a musician from that state is a real privilege and the audience was filled with some of our best.
Monday, June 3, 2013
A Conclusion to You
So this big portion of my life has come to an end, and I am more than ready to move on. This project took place over a very transitional point in my life and was written all over the country. I am glad that's all over. There are a few ways I wanted to end. First, this is not the last time I will do this. Already there is along list of album that should have made it, but did not. Second I would like to talk about some great artist that never made it. There is the Fall, who has made so many amazing album, but none of whom made it. Great band, check them out if you somehow have not. My favorites are Live At The Witch Trials and This nation's Saving Grace. Look at when those came out. I can be forgiven. Then there are great bands, mostly from the 60s that never released any LPs, like the Creation or the Action, but also in other decades like the Clean. Then there are artists like Arthur Russell who pretty much never released anything in their lifetimes. Third, there is this:
Top 3 albums of 2013 so far.
I have listened to more than three and liked more than three. I just started listening to the new Vampire Weekend and that's something. Also the new Deerhunter. That's something else and makes me glad I underlined bassist Josh Fauver so much in previous Deerhunter reviews. Also the Flaming Lips, still gotta catch up. These three, in no particular order are ones about which I feel comfortable writing now, in no particular order.
My Bloody Valentine - m b v
22 years later and it finally happened. I did not rush myself into hearing this and I'm glad I did not. Still, it is phenomenal, as pretty much everything the Irish group has made. My one complaint is it sounds less like a group effort. You will notice Kevin Shields' name over the credits more than usual and I don't think that's really a good thing. Still, he is capable of much more with the other three, obviously. It's definitely a bit of a grower and with Shields' diminishing ears the bass is lower than ever, but still the overall sound might be an improvement. It shows a progression from the last album and is much better than the disappointing Wire cover they recorded in between. Loveless it is not, and I mean that in a good way for a band whose reputation has soared for decades thanks to that masterpiece. It's a grower and I still can't say too much in certainty and surely that is part of the plan. It was worth the wait and I would dare to say it's better than Isn't Anything, at least for me. Another great sonic achievement.
Yo La Tengo - Fade
Twenty years in the classic lineup and the Hoboken trio still can't do wrong. As great as all of their albums are this one hit extra hard with it's quality. Perhaps it was a little extra energy on pop songs like "Well You Better." I sorely had not listened to many of YLT's 00s albums and they were left off the lists. I have heard them now and know that was one of the biggest omissions. In a way, that's good because they are hard to write about. Like this one they are one of the best bands ever just giving their fans even more proof.
Guided by Voices - English Little League
The Reuinited GbV continues to get better and better on their fourth album. Many saw this as the biggest improvement and I, after a few listens am inclined to believe. It is all solid and focused and even the skip-able songs prove their charm on repeated listens, as with all of GbV's best albums. Pollard is catching back up with Sprout on songs like "Flunky Minnows," but Sprout is still at a new peak with songs like "Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)" - easily the album's best. The quintet is playing more like a band than ever. It is obvious on every song that rather than Pollard with four buddies this is a band, and a band that by now has recorded more albums together than any other lineup of the band. This one also rocks harder than the last three overall with songs like "W/ Glass in Foot" and obviously, "Know Me As Heavy." If this continues, we may have another Alien Lanes on our hands very soon.
Here is the geographical report I was taking all this time, in order:
Top 3 albums of 2013 so far.
I have listened to more than three and liked more than three. I just started listening to the new Vampire Weekend and that's something. Also the new Deerhunter. That's something else and makes me glad I underlined bassist Josh Fauver so much in previous Deerhunter reviews. Also the Flaming Lips, still gotta catch up. These three, in no particular order are ones about which I feel comfortable writing now, in no particular order.
My Bloody Valentine - m b v
22 years later and it finally happened. I did not rush myself into hearing this and I'm glad I did not. Still, it is phenomenal, as pretty much everything the Irish group has made. My one complaint is it sounds less like a group effort. You will notice Kevin Shields' name over the credits more than usual and I don't think that's really a good thing. Still, he is capable of much more with the other three, obviously. It's definitely a bit of a grower and with Shields' diminishing ears the bass is lower than ever, but still the overall sound might be an improvement. It shows a progression from the last album and is much better than the disappointing Wire cover they recorded in between. Loveless it is not, and I mean that in a good way for a band whose reputation has soared for decades thanks to that masterpiece. It's a grower and I still can't say too much in certainty and surely that is part of the plan. It was worth the wait and I would dare to say it's better than Isn't Anything, at least for me. Another great sonic achievement.
Yo La Tengo - Fade
Twenty years in the classic lineup and the Hoboken trio still can't do wrong. As great as all of their albums are this one hit extra hard with it's quality. Perhaps it was a little extra energy on pop songs like "Well You Better." I sorely had not listened to many of YLT's 00s albums and they were left off the lists. I have heard them now and know that was one of the biggest omissions. In a way, that's good because they are hard to write about. Like this one they are one of the best bands ever just giving their fans even more proof.
Guided by Voices - English Little League
The Reuinited GbV continues to get better and better on their fourth album. Many saw this as the biggest improvement and I, after a few listens am inclined to believe. It is all solid and focused and even the skip-able songs prove their charm on repeated listens, as with all of GbV's best albums. Pollard is catching back up with Sprout on songs like "Flunky Minnows," but Sprout is still at a new peak with songs like "Islands (She Talks In Rainbows)" - easily the album's best. The quintet is playing more like a band than ever. It is obvious on every song that rather than Pollard with four buddies this is a band, and a band that by now has recorded more albums together than any other lineup of the band. This one also rocks harder than the last three overall with songs like "W/ Glass in Foot" and obviously, "Know Me As Heavy." If this continues, we may have another Alien Lanes on our hands very soon.
Here is the geographical report I was taking all this time, in order:
- United States: 306
- California: 62
- Los Angeles: 42
- SF Bay: 15
- San Diego: 3
- New York: 50
- New York City: 47
- New Jersey: 27
- Ohio: 21
- Dayton: 16
- Massachusetts: 15
- Boston: 7
- Georgia: 15
- Athens: 11
- Minnesota: 14
- Minneapolis: 9
- Texas: 14
- Austin: 6
- Illinois: 10
- Chicago: 8
- Washington: 9
- Seattle: 2
- Maryland: 9
- Colorado: 6
- Oklahoma: 6
- Tennessee: 5
- Memphis: 4
- Idaho: 5
- Michigan: 5
- Oregon: 5
- Arizona: 5
- Virginia: 4
- Pennsylvania: 4
- North Carolina: 2
- Wisconsin: 1
- Kentucky: 1
- Florida: 1
- Hawaii: 1
- Rhode Island: 1
- New Mexico: 1
- United Kingdom: 132
- England: 116
- London: 64
- Manchester: 8
- Cambridge: 7
- Liverpool: 6
- Birmingham: 4
- Oxfordshire: 4
- Sheffield: 2
- Scotland: 10
- Wales: 5
- Northern Ireland: 3
- Germany: 13
- Düsseldorf: 5
- New Zealand: 10
- Christchurch: 6
- Dunedin: 3
- Australia: 9
- Brisbane: 3
- Perth: 3
- Iceland: 7
- Canada: 6
- Vancouver: 2
- France: 6
- Ireland: 4
- Sweden: 4
- Japan: 3
- Brazil: 2
- Russia: 2
- Netherands: 1
Obviously, some places are overrepresented by one artist - particularly Dayton, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Idaho, or one time, in the case with Germany.
Finally done. Maybe I will talk about something else another time. Now, after almost three months, I can go back to listened to whatever I damn well feel like again.
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