Articles from Berkeley Place-A lil' bit of BK from VA |
8 REASONS TO READ . . .
2007-09-12 04:50:30
Go check out these bloggers, for these reasons, in their own words (mostly):
1. . . . Three Pints: “I don’t advertise or buy into corporate hype. I don’t allow myself to
be pressured into posting something I don’t like, or that I can’t recommend. Nothing but the truth, so help me.”
2. . . . Ryan’s Smashing Life: “The way I write, the thoughts I type into my blog, the effort I put into my page - are all accurate examples of who I am. I work hard, I’m a bright dude and I care about the people in my life and the mark I leave on the world.”
3. . . . Palms Out: “palms out is
party music for couch potatoes/hamburgers for vegetarians/slow dancing for maniacs.”
4. . . . Passion of the Weiss. “If by some chance you want to tell your readers that my blog no longer looks hackey and amateurish, it would also be much much appreciated (now if I can only do something about the hackey and amateurish writing, I’d ...
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EARWIG-Center of the Earth
2007-09-12 04:02:27
Earwig have been on my iPod for almost two weeks now, getting repeated listens because I just can’t figure out how to write about them but I also can’t stop listening to them. On the one hand, they don’t sound all that different from a lot of what I used to hear on ’90s alternative rock radio. But on the other hand, the lead single “Used Kids” seems to be about a rock star who wants to kill everyone in the audience and then off himself, too. The lyrics are fascinating. And the same is true for most of this album. “Japanese Girlfriend” cries, “It’s so hard to watch you fade away,” and the title track shows similar depth of heartbreak. So why am I struggling with this review? Maybe it’s because even though I feel like I’ve heard this stuff before, some of the songs don’t fit neatly into any “type” of music. And the hooks, while not novel, still somehow feel fresh. And ditto the drums ...
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THE REAL TUESDAY WELD - The London Book Of The Dead
2007-09-11 16:11:09
Tuesday is the perfect day to post on The Real Tuesday Weld!
I’m not sure what to make of this band, but I’m writing them up because “The London Book Of The Dead,” is oddly compelling. Or perhaps I should say odd and compelling. British singer-songwriter Stephen Coates melds old wax LP swing samples with modern loops and electronic beeps and burps to form
what he calls “antique beat.” The Six Degrees label should be commended for this kind of radical atmospheric experimentation. Check it out.
Last Words
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50 CENT-“Curtis” vs. KANYE WEST-“Graduation”
2007-09-11 03:53:36
So it’s the day of the big showdown. I’ve heard both releases, thanks to iTunes and the ability to preorder, and here’s where I weigh in.
I became a Kanye fan after his first album, became somewhat less of a fan after his second, and became even less of a fan after his string of singles/cameos that followed. There was little to nothing redeeming on his mixtapes, too. It wasn’t that I disliked his second album, it just wasn’t revelatory. It still had quite a few good singles.
I became a 50 fan after hearing “How to Rob.” I became a less of a fan after his first album, when Game completely stole “Hate It Or Love It.” But the power of 21 Questions and In Da Club was undeniable. I became even less of a fan after “The Massacre,” but there were still tracks there to admire. Then his posse projects ruined him for all but a few mixtape cuts. But then he had a few hot bars with Eminem on the The Reup album.
So, both Kanye and 50 find themselves fac ...
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GOIN’ HOME-A TRIBUTE TO FATS DOMINO
2007-09-10 16:28:41
The Tipitina’s Foundation recently released a nice little charity album to raise funds to rebuild Fats Domino’s home and create a community center in the Crescent City’s still ravaged Lower 9th Ward. (You may remember that he was the most famous person devastated by Katrina.) It’s a grand double-disk that includes: Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers doing a great swinging version of I’m Walkin’; Willie Nelson’s down-home blues cover of I Hear You Knockin’; Robert Plant with Lil’ Band Of Gold on It Keeps Rainin’; and B.B. King on Goin’ Home. There’s also tunes that have an apostrophe, like Be My Guest by Ben Harper and I Want To Walk You Home by Paul McCartney. Other stars studding the CD include Herbie Hancock, Elton John, Neil Young, and more.
Buy it and help support the victims of Katrina.
Tom Petty-I’m Walkin’ (From the collection.)
Heard Em Say-Kanye West and Mike Meyers (Katrina Mix). (For Katri ...
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SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS-100 Days, 100 Nights
2007-09-09 09:20:18
They don’t make music like this anymore. Even Amy Winehouse doesn’t, frankly, and I’m a huge fan of her retro “Back in Black” album on which The Dap Kings play backup to Amy’s sultry old jack swing. Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings are straight out of the 1960s, with a sound so authentic it’s hard to believe it was created this year. That’s because “100 Days, 100 Nights,” in addition to musically sounding like something from Aretha Franklin or Gladys Knight’s classic periods, features lyrical old school content. “Something’s changed in your eyes, I can see it when you walk through that door . . . I can tell you and I ain’t right no more,” she cries on Something’s Changed. Then on Nobody Baby, she begins an “ooo-wee,” a laugh, and then several James Brown guttural “uhs.” Jay-Z (over)used the uh-on-the-beat at the beginning of (too)many of his cuts, but it takes a soul singer like Ms. Jones to really make you feel the beat.
Yeah, the soul sing ...
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THE COATHANGERS-Self Titled
2007-09-08 03:18:52
Fans of the Brooklyn hip hop scene may remember Luscious Jackson. Their first album, an old-school hip hop joint, was hailed by many as the girl version of the Beastie Boys. After that they got much more pop (and scored a minor hit–”Naked Eye”) before disappearing and, I’m told, recently reforming. But other than the personal connections between some of the band members, I never really got the comparison between the two bands. As a matter of fact, if there were to be a Beastie Girlz, I’d think it would sound much closer to what we hear on The Coathangers‘ self-titled debut album. Hailing from Atlanta, the Coathangers tread the area between jokey punk, sloppy punk, and party music. There’s a glut of chick semi-punks around right now, so how do the Coathangers distinguish themselves? By having a good sense of humor. Squeezed into this album between fairly standard DIY tunes like “Wreckless Boy” are gems like “Nestle In ...
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10 REASONS MY MAILBAG IS FUN
2007-09-07 15:02:52
I know the vast majority of my readers are folks who are looking for unreleased Clash, Ryan Adams, or whatever, but I also regularly hear from about 100 of you who truly come just for the indie artists. So I know you’re out there. This post is for you, the few the proud. Ten artists who came to me through the mailbag. (It’s so damn full I just can’t post on all these, but I dig ‘em so I’m sharing them.)
1. KT Tunstall, the female singer/songwriter behind the brilliant “Eye of the Telescope” album, is releasing her next record later this year. It’s on a major label, so we won’t formally review it here, but I got a “hold” of “Hold On” off a bootleg, which will be the first single, and I must say it’s hot. So is her recent Bloc Party cover . . .
The Prayer (Bloc Party cover).
2. Owen Roberts is an artist who submitted his own work, which already gets him the special treatment of being jumped in the ...
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JASON ISBELL WEEK, POST 4: THE COVERS
2007-09-07 04:25:12
Covers by Jason and by the DBTs. This will be the final post of Jason Isbell week. Hope you enjoyed it.
Play it all night long (Warren Zevon)-Drive By Truckers
American Girl (Tom Petty)-Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Let Me Roll It (Wings)-Drive By Truckers
Hey Ya (Outkast)-Drive By Truckers
State Trooper (Springsteen)-Drive By Truckers
Mama Bake a Pie (Tom T. Hall)-Drive By Truckers
Ain’t Talkin’ Bout Love (Van Halen)-Drive By Truckers
Moonlight Mile (Rolling Stones)-Drive By Truckers
Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy)-Jason Isbell
Only Daddy That’ll Walk the Line (Waylon Jennings cover)-Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s Mike Dillon on vocals
Psycho Killer (Talking Heads)-Jason Isbell. A live show favorite.
Rebels (Tom Petty)-Drive By Truckers
Whipping Post (Allmans)-Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s Mike Dillon on vocals.
...
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10 REASONS 2007 MUSIC NEEDS LOVE BUT REACHES GREAT HEIGHTS ON THE SOUTHSIDE
2007-09-06 04:43:52
1. Southside-Kanye West and Common. From the “Prelude to Graduation” mixtape. And with this, I eagerly await the 9/11 release of Graduation.
2. George Bush Don’t Like Black People-Kanye West and Legendary K.O. And with that, I even more eagerly await Kanye’s press tour.
3. You Never Even Call Me By My Name (David Allan Coe cover)-Band of Horses. Their second album drops soon, and it may be the most anticipated indie rock album of the year. (By me, at least.)
4. Funeral music (Cam’Ron dis)-50 Cent. Come on, admit you’re curious. There’s bound to be at least 2 good bangers on it.
5. All You Need is Love (Beatles cover)-Rogue Wave. They make solid pop, and I’m looking forward to the Asleep At Heaven’s Gate album.
6. Rilo, Feist, M.I.A., . . . They all let me down this year. All were capable of better. In particular, Rilo Kiley’s album was short and still felt like there wasn’t enough there. I mean, these ...
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EARLIMART-”Mentor Tormentor”
2007-09-06 04:15:56
Earlimart’s fifth record, Mentor Tormentor, is the first Earlimart record I’ve listened to in its entirety. No yelling at me, now! I know you are all much better music nerds than I am. Nevertheless, I’d rather arrive late than never. Mentor Tormentor contains 15 cuts of pure indie rock and pop bliss. There’s not a clunker on the album, from the sing-along joy of “Cold Cold Heaven” to upbeat acoustic strumming of “Nothing is True,” complete with a whistle solo straight out of Don McLean, and a carnival breakdown. Fakey Fake has just enough feedback to be cool, without descending into that least-of-all-accessible genres, noisepop, and with the breathy vocals the track could easily be a Luna outtake. But don’t be fooled by the glossy pop–their music is also serious and contemplative. “Don’t (You) Think About Me,” is heartbreaking, and “Answers and Questions” is a thought-provoking toe-tappe ...
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JASON ISBELL WEEK POST THREE: Tres Tangled Truckers
2007-09-05 04:05:04
Continuing in our week-long tribute to this great young artist, here are some acoustic tunes, recorded live.An awesome show from ‘05 by “Tres Tangled Truckers.” They are:
Caitlin Cary on violin (she has a few good solo albums out and used to be with Whiskeytown, and has the voice of an angel).
Dave Bartholomew, who I haven’t been able to confirm much about, on guitars.
Singer songwriter Kevn Kinney on guitar.
And, of course, Jason Isbell on Guitar. And they all sing.
December 18, 2005. Tastes and a zip, as usual.
1) Last christmas sucked..thanks for bringing it up. This sounds like an improv song, and the quality isn’t great.
2) Empty Rooms. The quality improves on this title track from one of Caitlan’s solo albums.
3) The Day That John Henry Died. The Drive-By Truckers cut, acoustic, with an “origin of the song” intro by Jason.
4) Stand Up and Fight For It.
5) Don’t Make it Better.
6) Razor Town. A track that wasn’t pu ...
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10 REASONS YOU COULD USE JUST A LITTLE BIT (OF 80S COVERS)
2007-09-04 17:48:46
I’m sure lots of bloggers have already covered this album, but just in case you haven’t heard about it yet, on September 4th, Engine Room Recordings will be releasing “Guilt By Association,” a compilation album of indie artists covering what they call their “Guilty Pleasure Mainstream Pop Hits.” No surprise that quite a few of the covered tunes are from the ’80s and late ’70s. Here’s the tracklist:
1. Petra Haden - Don’t Stop Believin (Journey)
2. Devendra Banhart - Don’t Look Back In Anger (Oasis)
3. Mark Mulcahy - From This Moment On (Shania Twain)
4. Luna - Straight Up (Paula Abdul)
5. The Concretes - Back For Good (Take That)
6. Jim O’Rourke - Viva Forever (Spice Girls)
7. Goat - Sugar We’re Going Down (Fall Out Boy)
8. Will Oldham - Can’t Take That Away (Mariah Carey)
9. Woody Jackson Orchestra ft Money Mark - Love’s Theme (Love Unlimited Orchestra)
10. Porter Block - Breaking Free (High S ...
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