Amazing Drumming

Here are a few videos containing two of the greatest drummers probably ever, Buddy Rich and Neil Peart.


The first video is a "face off" between Buddy Rich and Ed Shaughnessy of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. These guys are just going off. Watch the speed of Buddy Rich and the over arm/under arm move he does.




This next video is Buddy Rich playing with his band and taking a solo break. It's probably one of the best drum solos I've ever seen, and yes, I have seen the Stevie Wonder video.




This last video is Neil Peart at a Buddy Rich Memorial concert. It's a great video of Neil playing a solo that doesn't involve a 360 degree drum kit.

Review - Field Music

Field Music
Tones of Town
Memphis Industries
2007


Grade: C

The first time I listened to this album in its entirety I was tired to the point of passing out, it came on in iTunes, and I loved it. I listened to it again a couple of weeks after that when I was wide awake, even though it was around 4:30 in the morning, and I thought it was alright. I think I’m just way more likely to love an album that’s decent if I’m falling asleep while I listen to it. For this exact reason I will never try and review an album when I’m falling asleep. Who am I kidding? I often don’t review things at certain times because I don’t feel like putting too much thought into anything at the moment.

So, about this album; it’s a decent Brit-pop album with a few sweet melodies. It just doesn’t have that special something that’s bringing me back to it, or making me want to remember it for future listening opportunities.

Klaxons and Dredg

I kind of like these songs. They are a couple of those songs where I kind of feel like maybe I shouldn't like them, but I do.


Klaxons "Golden Skans"



Dredg "Bug Eyes"

Peter, Bjorn, & John

This is a pretty good song from Swedish band Peter, Bjorn, & John featuring Victoria Bergsman of The Concretes. I personally think she makes the song what it is. This song is off of their album Writer's Block. The album is pretty good, but I think this is definitely the stand-out track.

"Young Folks"



oh yeah...the drummer in the hulk shirt, super creepy.

Flight of the Conchords

Here are some live jams by New Zealand's 4th most popular folk parody duo. I got the first episode to their new HBO show for free outside of the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club show and at first I kind of wrote it off. Then, I watched it and it's hilarious. I'll be posting the first episode at Yeah, I Heard About That.
More on music matters though, they've just been signed to Sub Pop and should be releasing an EP soon.


this song titled "The Humans are Dead" is featured a little differently in the episode of the show.



This song is called "Business Time" and is listed as the first song that will be appearing on their EP.

Review - Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age
Era Vulgaris
Interscope
2007


Grade: A -


It's hard to review a band that you like a lot before you decide to review their album, as is the case with me and QOTSA. So, my girlfriend suggested that I should make it more about a comparison between what they've done when I rate it versus just how good I think the songs are. I took this advice and i thought about their other material and how this new album stacks up as I was listening to it. I have to say it's not their best album, but it's still really good. I just think years from now when I want to throw on a Queens of the Stone Age album I'll probably look for Lullabies to Paralyze.

Also, people are STILL talking about the absence of Nick Oliveri. Give it a rest people. The band has 5 full length albums and he’s only on two of them. Yeah, the two he was on are really good, but I think their best was without him.

If you're a Queens of the Stone Age fan you NEED to buy Over the Years and Through the Woods. It's a live CD/DVD and it's really really good.

Review - LSD and the Search for God

LSD and the Search for God
LSD and the Search for God
Mind Expansion
2006


Grade: C


Hmm, 5 song EP $11? This has some nice tunes on it, but for the money I don‘t think it‘s really worth it. The only beef I have with this band as far as the music goes is they’re kind of a My Bloody Valentine rip-off fest. As was the case with Darker My Love it makes for good yet unoriginal songs. So, I lowered this by a grade for that. Nevertheless, I enjoy listening to this album.

For fans of My Bloody Valentine, Ride, and Serena Maneesh

B-sides

I've never been too big on B-sides from bands, they're usually that for a reason. On the other hand these two songs are B-sides are they are phenomenal. One of them is a B-side on purpose, the other by accident (someone stole the tapes of "Fun machine" I guess, so they had to re-record it)

So here is Queens of the Stone Age's "The Fun Machine Took a Shit and Died" off of their live DVD Over the Years and Through the Woods.




And here is Black Rebel Motorcycle Club's "High/Low" a fan made 'tribute video' containing the song. The video doesn't really sync up because it's not all from that song, but the audio is what's important.

Review - Deerhoof

Deerhoof
Friend Opportunity
Kill Rock Stars
2007


Grade: D -


I’m kind of at a loss for much to say about this album. It’s pretty weird but not over the top weird. I listened to it a few times to see if it would grow on me, but that proved to be quite painful. I’m just not feeling it I guess. The vocals are rather annoying and some of the lyrics are really stupid. A perfect example of this is “If I were a man and you a dog, I’d throw a stick for you”. Maybe I just don’t ‘get it’ I don’t know. Also, one of their songs titles is “Kidz Are So Small” (just so happens to be the song with those wonderful lyrics), and no, that ‘Z’ on the end of kid is not a typo. That’s how they decided it should be written. I’m not normally a big fan of bands who think it’s cool to purposely misspell words. This band is no exception.

Review - Rocky Votolato

Rocky Votolato
The Brag & Cuss
Barsuk
2007



Grade: C -


This is a very mediocre album. I kind of feel bad that I don’t like this more because I read somewhere that this guy just started making enough money from music to quit his shitty day job. I do like some of his other songs, but I don’t really like too many on this album. It’s all very ‘eh’. I liked his music much better when it was just him and a guitar. On this one there’s much more variation in the instruments. He’s definitely gone more country too, adding a lot of harmonica and some banjo and a definitive country sound.

If you’re looking for a melancholic indie-country-folk album that has a decent amount of lyrics referring to drinking, than this is for you.

The Black Keys

In my quest to give more exposure and information to and about my favorite albums of 2006 here is a video by the Black Keys. The video is for their song "Your Touch", the video's decent, but the song is great.

Review - Handsome Furs

Handsome Furs
Plague Park
Sub Pop
2007


Grade: D +


Handsome Furs are a male/female duo who are actually a couple this time, they’re engaged. The male half of the duo is Dan Boeckner, one of the two singers of Wolf Parade, so if that music isn’t really your bag you probably won’t dig this either as it is similar. They use mostly drum machine, keyboard, and guitar to capture their sound. It’s different while it at the same time reminding me of The Fiery Furnaces music. Toward the beginning of the album I embraced their difference and thought it’d be a good thing. I liked the minimalist approach some of the songs took, but throughout the album the music started to bore me. A lot of the songs are hit or miss, and unfortunately the majority of them were misses for me.

Review - Darker My Love

Darker My Love
Darker My Love
Dangerbird
2006


Grade: C -

This band is most certainly proud of its influences. These guys love the Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, The Stooges, Oasis, and Ride and boy does it show. It makes for an ok album, but it all kind of sounds like a cover band and it gets boring after a little while. I’ll give them credit though, a lot of bands try to blatantly rip off other bands and completely fail at it. So congratulations to Darker My Love, you succeed at ripping off your favorite bands.

If you’re familiar with any of the bands I mentioned you’ll already have an idea of what this alum sounds like. Fuzzy guitars and vocals that sound like the singer doesn’t want to really try to sing.

This album would be a lot better if there was a bit of originality to it. From listening to it I can’t help but think that someone’s been robbed. They may be stealing from the rich, but it’s stealing nonetheless.

For fans of any of the bands mentioned in the review. Or should I say for fans of bands that rip-off any of the bands mentioned in the review.

This is there video for "Summer is Here" if you want to check it out and see if you agree or disagree with me.

Review - Explosions in the Sky

Explosions in the Sky
All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
Temporary Residence
2007


Grade: A

Lyrics aren’t as important as some people would like you to believe. Many people think songs true emotions come from lyrics. I don’t agree with that idea. For one example, how many metaphorical ways do you want to hear about the same broken relationship or someone else’s social shortcomings? There is a much greater catalyst of feeling in music, the instrumentation. Take a movie for instance, a movie might make you feel a certain emotion in certain scenes. Is it the dialogue of the movie that usually makes you feel that way? No, the scene doesn’t necessarily even have to contain dialogue to move you. Something there does move you though. I think it’s the music that brings you to that point. The music in the background along with an image that you’re now tying to it is what moves you while watching a film.

Explosions in the Sky’s songs are like that movie score. They move you without lyrics or dialogue behind it, they don’t need them. The music itself evokes an image or feeling that allows you to feel closer to it. It has a great sense of drama and depth without a single uttered lyric.

A live video for "The Birth and Death of the Day"

Review - Pelican

Pelican
City of Echoes
Hydrahead
2007



Grade: B -


In the beginning of reviewing this I started to think maybe I don’t like Pelican as much as I thought I did. I’d felt like they’d done this before and had done it better. I remember thinking City of Echoes lacks the great dueling guitar parts that made Pelican’s previous two albums great. Then came the acoustic song in the middle of the album (track 4) it greatly helped in the efforts to save the album for me. Sure, Pelican has done acoustic before, but this is easily the best song on the 'A' side of this album.

As the album progresses it gets better. Opposite to the way most other albums are set up this one comes on weak and finishes strong. Just when you think this is a dud it comes back to show you what it’s really made of. The first couple tracks on this one had me scared for a bit, but the last few reeled me back in. This still isn’t as good in comparison to their first two albums, because of how great they were, but it’s definitely worth a listen.

Review - Brightblack Morning Light

Brightblack Morning Light
Brightblack Morning Light
Matador
2006

Grade: A

I just wanted to take some time out to maybe sway some more peoples attention towards this great band. I tried to find a video of them, but all the live videos are short clips and the only music video I found is one that I think a fan made.

Brightblack Morning Light are a male/female duo that aren't a couple or brother and sister, they're friends. They used to be in a cover band that did My Bloody Valentine and Ride covers together. Their music is very laid back, with almost a lazy feel to it. A lot of people would probably go as far as to say its psych- folk. I guess you could call it that, but when i think psych-folk I think Devendra Banhart and this is a bit different. Definitely a good album to just throw on and hang out or to listen to while driving( as long as you're not driving after you've been awake a really long time).




Here is the first track off of this album. I snatched it straight from the Matador site so hopefully they don't get pissed.


Brightblack Morning Light - "Everybody Daylight"

Funny Stuff....is no more?

So, i decided to relocate that post about Derek and Simon: The Show. I know it's a very good clip, but it had nothing to do with music, and I want to keep this solely about music. I have relocated it to my everything else to do with media blog Yeah, I Heard About That.

I'm 6 Months Late On This, So What

This doesn't by any means I have run out of ideas to write about. I'm still reviewing albums as usual and will have a few more up within the next few days. Just thought I'd throw a bit of a curve ball here.

So this is something that's usually reserved for December or January, but just in case anyone was curious here are my 25 favorite albums of 2006. (In alphabetical order)

12 Twelve - L’Univers
Apse - Spirit
Black Keys - Magic Potion
Booka Shade - Movements
Brightblack Morning Light - Brightblack Morning Light
Stephen Brodsky - Octave Museum
Camera Obscura - Lets Get Out of This Country
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Converge - No Heroes
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Eagles of Death Metal - Death by Sexy
Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
Isis - In the Absence of Truth
Isis & Aerogramme - In the Fishtank
Mars Volta - Amputechture
The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers
The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love
Red Sparowes - Every Red Heart Shines Towards the Red Sun
Russian Circles - Enter *
Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Squarepusher - Hello Everything
The Sword - Age of Winters
Tapes n’ Tapes - The Loon *
These Arms are Snakes - Easter *
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

I think I'm going to try and find more live videos and music videos from artists on this list. The one's that are starred I have already posted about before.

I plan to post a 25 best of 2007 with commentary on why I think each album belongs on the list at the end of this year.

In the name of posting more videos of artists on that list here are two videos. The first is a music video for Grizzly Bear's song "Knife"( a very strange video). The second is a live video of Squarepusher playing "Hello Meow". The tracks from each band can be found on their album that is mentioned above. Both Grizzly Bear and Squarepusher happen to be label mates of Battles on Warp. So, support Warp, they release good stuff.



Grizzly Bear "Knife"





Squarepusher "Hello Meow"

Here We Go Again

So, in my seemingly endless promotion for Battles (why isn't Warp paying me for this?) I found and wanted to post this video made by Warp. It's supposed to be an introduction to Battles for people who aren't too familiar with them. It even includes segments of them talking about the band and how they got together.

Review - Amy Winehouse

Amy Winehouse
Back to Black
Republic
2007




Grade: C -




Apparently the deal with her song “Rehab” is she drank way too much so her label suggested she go to rehab for her drinking problem. In response to this she found a new label. I guess that was her way to say ‘no no no’.

A funny thing about Amy Winehouse is she reminds me of Shirley Bassey and she’s been rumored to be doing (a) song/s for the next bond film (she also mentions Roger Moore in “You Know I‘m No Good“).

I like the production of this album, the instrumentation is done well and it has some good beats. Her voice is a bit win some/ lose some for me. In some songs it really adds to it, in others it seems to take away from it. A perfect example of this is in the single “Rehab” where that line ‘they tried to make me go to rehab’ just sounds like it’s in a forced fake tone. In the second track “You Know I’m No Good” it all really comes together for her, it’s a really solid track with great vocals. A few of the tracks have a cool 50’s/60’s vibe. This album also contains lyrics that are quite intriguing such as “ …kept his dick wet with his same old safe bet” and “what kind of fuckery is this”. If you ‘re not a fan of the song “Rehab” don’t be put off of this album, it’s easily the weakest track on the album. Oh, and if you’re not a fan of ska stay away from the song “Just Friends”, it has a horn part that has a definite ska feel to it. I’m not going to hold it against her that the song has a ska feel, I just can’t get into it because of it.

This album has good production and lyrics(most of the time), but it seems like something is missing. Also, whoever chose “Rehab” as a single is insane. This album is really nothing to rave about, I like some songs, but I doubt I’ll be listening to this whole album all the way through ever again.




If you want to see something Amy Winehouse related that is both funny and horrifying check this video out.

Live Review - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Avalon Boston, MA
Tuesday May 29th, 2007


Grade: A

Let me just start by saying I fucking Love BRMC. I listen to them more often than any other band. I've been to a lot of shows and they're still probably the best band I have ever seen live. It might have something to do with how they have an album that's mostly acoustic so they throw in a few acoustic songs in the middle of their set to switch things up a bit. The two front men Peter and Robert also switch instruments during their set now, as on their latest album Baby 81 Robert plays guitar (instead of his usual bass) on a few songs.

I was "interviewed" by some girl who said she was from BRMC's label. She told me to talk about the band and say what I thought about them, my favorite song on their new album, and a song I'd like to hear them play. She put a camera on me and I went into complete fan mode and said how they're probably my favorite band that's out right now, how I love the song "American X" on Baby 81, and how I really hoped they'd play "High/Low" (a B-side from the "Stop" single). I don't really remember if I said anything else but that's not really important.

Some Boston band called Wild Light opened the show. They looked like one of those bands where when you see them you can't help but wonder if there's a minimum hair length required to be in the band. It also seemed like they had the idea to all wear black shirts, but all the drummer had for a black shirt was a black polo with his work logo on it or something. Not many people were there when they went on, and to be honest they didn't miss much. They weren't a bad band. They just weren't very good, and extremely forgettable. They also tried to use vocal harmony among the three vocalists, but their attempts at that consisted of such staggeringly beautiful lyrics like 'Na Na na' or 'whoa-o-o' or whatever the hell it was. I was trying to think of who they sounded like after the show and I couldn't even remember what they sounded like in general.

After a set-up time that wasn't too long BRMC took the stage and went right into "Took out a Loan" followed by "Berlin". I thought it was a little weird that they played the first two songs off of their new album consecutively. I remember it making me wonder if they were going to play "Weapon of Choice" (third track on new album) next, and how I thought that could be a bit uncool. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club does not disappoint though, the next song they played was "Lien on Your Dreams", still from Baby 81, but I was glad they didn't keep going in order of the album. Next they played "In Like the Rose", one of my favorite songs from their second full length Take Them On, On Your Own. The first song they played from their third full length Howl was "Ain't No Easy Way", a great sing-along song on which Peter's harmonica didn't want to work. Next they went into fan favorite "Whatever Happened to My Rock & Roll" from their debut album B.R.M.C. I'm not going to keep saying which song they played next, that'd get really boring. When they played "666 Conducer" they turned it into an extended jam, very different from the album version. That was interesting to see. I wonder if it's going to be like "U.S. Government" was on the Howl tour, and they're just going to always play it that way and end up recording an alternate version of it sometime. Robert ending up standing on his cabinets by the time the song was finished, which made me really bummed out that I didn't bring a camera. Robert and Peter switched instruments for the next two songs. The first song they played after the switch was "Need Some Air", with the second being "American X". I said it was my favorite song on the album during that 'interview' and I almost added 'but I know they won't play it because most bands don't play 9 minute album tracks live'. So yeah, I was a little surprised that they played it. After "American X" the band walked off stage and Peter returned alone with an acoustic guitar to play "Fault Line", he then went into "Devil's Waitin". The rest of the band came back on stage at the end of it to provide backing vocals. Then everyone but Robert Left and he grabbed an acoustic guitar and played "Mercy" a song from the Howl Sessions EP (You're going to have to eBay that one). He said what the name of the song was before he played it, probably because he figured no one would know what it was....that, or he saw me writing at the beginning of every song. The rest of the band came out and they played "Love Burns" and "Rifles" from their first album. They played the intro to "All You Do is Talk" until Peter realized his guitar tech didn't tune his guitar properly for that song, so he re-tuned it and they started it over. That song ended their set.

When they came back out for an encore they said "You call it", a couple of guys towards the front of the stage yelled for "High/Low". Robert said he didn't remember it that well and that they hadn't played it in like 10 years, I think he then realized their first album came out in 2001 and changed it to something like 5 years (which still has to be wrong). He then asked if the lyrics he was thinking of were correct. Then he turned to the guys that yelled it out and asked them if they stole that song on the internet. Then Peter started playing the beginning riff. I was really surprised they actually played it, you don't usually get to see old b-sides live and even though I had previously said I hoped they'd play it I didn't expect them to at all. They tried the same thing for the next song, but people kept yelling out different songs so Peter just started playing "Six Barrel Shotgun". They followed it with another song they decided to play, "U.S. Government". Then for their last song they asked the crowd again and people were yelling "Stop" (I was trying to get them to play "Heart & Soul"), so they played "Stop" to end their encore.

It was another great show from Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. On the way to the car my girlfriend mentioned how good of a show it was a couple times and I couldn't have agreed more. If you have the opportunity to see them, you owe it to yourself. Also, buy all of their albums from them at their shows if you can, if not follow the links.

Set List

1. Took Out A Loan
2. Berlin
3. Lien on Your Dreams
4. In Like the Rose
5. Ain’t No Easy
6. Whatever Happened To My Rock & Roll
7. Weapon of Choice
8. Howl
9. Windows
10. Not What You Wanted
11. 666 Conducer
12. Need Some Air
13. American X
14. Fault Line
15. Devil’s Waitin
16. Mercy
17. Love Burns
18. Rifles
19. All You Do is Talk

Encore

1. High/Low
2. Six Barrel Shotgun
3. U.S. Government
4. Stop