Popstrology: What song was #1 when you were born?

Sooo, this chap has written a book called Popstrology... "Popstrology" doesn't sound gimmicky or silly at all, does it? He claims he can help "reveal your personality traits, guide your relationships and discover your true destiny." All this merely by taking a look at what song was #1 on the day you were born. My problem with that (one of them anyway) is that few newborns spend their time listening to top 40 radio. I also doubt that everyone born during the same week has the same or even very similar personality traits and "true destiny." Never even heard your birth song? "Then you've probably never even met a little thing called your true self." Oh, what bunk. I think it's more likely that the songs of our adolescence may say something about the times in which we live, and in that sense, say something about every generation.

It's also hard to take this guy seriously when he says things like "If you are an Olivia Newton-John who keeps on falling for Rod Stewarts, or if you are experiencing certain feelings that go along with being a Double George Michael, then the roots of your troubles may be straightforward and obvious." Well, sure! We don't need a book to tell us an Olivia Newton-John shouldn't fall for a Rod Stewart. He prefers much, much younger women.

Plucking just the #1 song and picking your birthday as the significant time rather than, say, your 14th birthday, seem like choices made for the sake of convenience rather than any attempt at real accuracy. Probably a waste of time to criticize this, as few people are likely to take it seriously anyway. Plus, those who want to take something like this seriously will do so anyway.

You can look up your song and birth year profile and other such silliness at Popstrology.com. That's all well and good and free. There's a short interview with the author here. He refers to popstrology as an "art and science."

mp3:Teenage Fanclub - Star Sign

People are buying this book. Noooo! Not that I don't believe in the power of choice -- I do. There are books I'd rather people buy, though.

I'm about to buy this book; I'll take this excuse to talk it up: Yes Man by Danny Wallace. It's an autobiographical account of a guy who decides to say "yes" to everything for a year. Jack Black has bought the film rights. I quite liked Wallace's book Join Me (though I didn't join him). He also co-wrote Are You Dave Gorman? with Dave Gorman after Dave bet him he could prove there were other Dave Gormans out there. It's pretty funny, and led to a very funny stage show.

Musically-speaking, there's the rather cool Songbook by Nick Hornby, containing essays about some songs he loves. There's a version that comes with a CD, but it only includes 11 songs. All of the proceeds from Songbook go to TreeHouse, a U.K. charity benefitting children with autism, and 826 Valencia, a nonprofit center in the San Francisco area that helps students improve their writing skills. (Has everyone already read Songbook? I know it's not exactly a new or original recommendation, but it's a good one nonetheless). I still haven't read Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, but I want to, and will, well before I'd ever consider adding Popstrology to my To Be Read list.

Uncut: The REM Collection: Disc 1 (Mike Mills)

Last Uncut REM CD post. It's been such a journey... I've laughed, I've cried... it's almost as though these songs have become a part of me. Or at least a part of my CD collection, close enough.

The REM Collection: Disc 1: Mike Mills Presents... Track Listing:

1. Green on Red - The Drifter
2. Big Star - Thirteen
3. The Blasters - American Music
4. The Jayhawks - Two Angels

5. mp3:Dream Syndicate - Medicine Show (live)

Nearly as long as a medicine show, and likely to provoke similarly mixed reactions. The liner notes in the magazine mention the Medicine Show album's 1984 release date -- it sounds very 70s -- and that although Dream Syndicate initially "mined Velvets and Stooges influences," the album Medicine Show "owed more to the spirit of Crazy Horse in its fusion of college rock and American roots music." The liner notes call this track "an incendiary live version" and nore that it's taken from The Complete Live At Raji's. It was recorded in 1988. The back of the CD doesn't indicate that it's a live track, which is a bit annoying.

The screechy guitars got to me after, oh, about 4 minutes... this is too feedback-laden and meandering for my tastes, mayhaps. The first time I listened to it, I found it pleasant enough, but likely because I was concentrating on something else and had tuned it out. The second time, I decided it's not my thing.

6. mp3:The Replacements - I Will Dare

One of the best 'Mats songs. I love it. Yet... should it be disturbing? Westerberg was born on the last day of 1959, which puts him at 23 when Let It Be was released. Wow, cigarettes can age a voice.

How young are you?
How old am I?
Let's count the rings around my eyes

How young is she anyway? 18 or 19, right? Okay, then. Great song.

7. The Embarrassment - Death Travels West
8. Soul Asylum - Closer to the Stars

9. mp3:Pylon - Crazy

In the liner notes, Peter Buck says he heard this song on the radio the day REM's EP Chronic Town was released and he was "depressed by how much better it was than our record." R.E.M. then covered it on Dead Letter Office. Here's the REM version: mp3:REM - Crazy I like both a lot. It doesn't have to be about who's "better."

10. The Long Ryders - And She Rides

11. mp3:Miracle Legion - You're My Blessing

The presence of a Miracle Legion song was one of the main reasons I was drawn to this CD's track listing. I have a bit of a soft spot for them. This is a really sweet song, mushy, even. It's not perfect, but I quite like it. The liner notes refer to the "complex, baroque suite that is "You're My Blessing." Hmm. I admitted it isn't perfect. Apparently, it's out-and-out baroque. Should it be fixed? (Sorry). Singer Mark Mulcahy has been a solo artist since the late 90s and is currently opening for the Pixies.

12. mp3:Love Tractor - Til Morning Comes

I had never heard of Love Tractor. The liner notes reveal that they were an early 80s Athens, Georgia band. Like Pylon and REM... except I like their tracks on this CD. I know they're going for humour rather than sex appeal -- I hope so anyway. The effect is still awfully anti-alluring. The lead singer is the only remaining Love Tractorite for a 2005 album that according to the liner notes boasts a "heavier sound."

13. Jason & the Scorchers - Absolutely Sweet Marie

14. mp3:REM - Boy In The Well (live)

Good song! Nice way to end this REM Uncut disc madness.

I said I'd talk about the singer's disc, and whether it's really "better". It's an easy call that I like Michael Stipe's disc the least. My favourite songs on his compilation are by Karen Elson, Papercranes, and Vic Chesnutt. I like some Now It's Overhead and Magnapop songs, but not the live tracks he chose by them. The audio on the Leona Naess and Angela McCluskey songs seems a bit off. I don't like Tilly & the Wall and the track by his sister's band, Flash To Bang Time assaulted my ears and my WinAmp.

I like both Peter Buck's CD and Mike Mills' CD. Peter Buck's CD is more likeable overall, nicer to listen to all the way through. One highlight is a John Doe song I love and had never heard. I also really like the Turn-Ons song and I think that's new-to-me as well.

Mike Mills' compilation has more songs I don't like, but he also picked some bands I'm a sucker for and some classic tracks I love ("Thirteen," "I Will Dare"). Not sure why his CD has 14 songs, 1 less than his bandmates managed. Maybe there was a last-minute clearance problem with one of his songs. Mills' CD is less consistent than Buck's, though it's cool that he chose some fairly obscure songs.

On the other hand, I also said Buck's CD is more likeable. Eh, both are good. It doesn't have to be about who's "better." I don't think it's Stipe though. I'm not entirely over the WinAmp thing yet.

Uncut: The REM Collection: Disc 2 (Michael Stipe)

I wouldn't do so just to be a completist, but I did pick up the other two Uncut REM mags & CDs. By "pick up" I hasten to add that I mean "paid for" -- I didn't just walk off with them. There was only one copy of the Uncut with Stipe's CD left. Is his CD really better or does this reveal some knee-jerk bias for the lead singer? Possibly the latter, but I'll revisit that question after listening to the remaining CD, Mike Mills', which is actually numbered first in the series. So why am I posting Stipe's first? Bias for the singer? Nah, I just grabbed one at random. Good question, though.

'Course there could be another explanation for the scarcity of the Stipe editions of Uncut, like people made their selection randomly, or fewer copies with Stipe's CD were sent to some places.

You can have a listen to 30-second snippets from the songs of each compilation at the Uncut website. I previously wrote about Peter Buck's CD, and Mike Mills' CD will get the Kofi's hat treatment too, but not tonight. There's a veggie sandwich out there with my name on it, and some sort of world-class entertainment awaits me as well.



The REM Collection: Disc 2: Michael Stipe Presents... Track Listing:

1. Now It's Overhead - Reverse (live)

2. mp3:Karen Elson - Coming Down

Gosh, Jack White's wife, the model can sing?! Well, I mean! Is that why she looks so incredibly smug in her photo in the liner notes? Y'know, Karen, just because I like this song doesn't mean I have to like you. Someone's going to tell me she's really a very nice person, aren't they?

3. mp3:Papercranes - Knew You When

Pretty tune. No snark here.

4. Tilly & the Wall - Nights of the Living Dead
5. The Citizens Band - Je T'Aime Scumbag

6. mp3: Flash To Bang Time - H The President (live) link removed

This group, the liner notes inform us, is "led by Lynda Stipe, Michael's little sister." I hate to be cruel, but this song gave me a bit of a headache. I am posting it purely because it's by a band led by Michael Stipe's sister, the same reason it's on the CD Stipe compiled. Thought y'all might be curious about what Stipey's sister's band sounds like if you're not familiar with them. If you're not curious about that, have a listen anyway, if you harbour slight massochistic tendencies. Actually, before you download it, I must provide a warning: I couldn't make it all the way through this song. I stopped it, then desperately clicked on another song at random... it was "Paint It Black" by Vanessa Carlton. In addition to being fond of covers in general, I'll nab any "Paint It Black" in sight... er, sound. My precious little WinAmp window was blank... no artist name, no song name. WinAmp hated that Flash To Bang Time song, too. I'm just sayin'. My WinAmp never acts up... this was absolutely the exception that proves the rule. I swear it's not the Vanessa Carlton tune that did it. I closed WinAmp and re-opened it. It seems okay now, but I think it will be happier once I delete "H The President." Download this song at your own risk!

7. The Checks - Mercedes Children

8. mp3:Vic Chesnutt - Aunt Avis

9. Magnapop - Favorite Writer (live)
10. Angela McCluskey - Hidden Song

11. mp3:Leona Naess - No Boys (live)

I don't love the audio quality on this. The audio on a few of the tracks leaves something to be desired, that "something" being better quality.

12. mp3:Joseph Arthur - In the Sun (live)

13. Patti Smith - Wing (live)
14. Bright Eyes - We Are Nowhere And It Is Now (live)
15. REM - Boy In The Well (live)

New Minus the Bear -- some older songs too

Minus the Bear generally title their songs with a heavy dose of humour and weirdness. In doing so, they encourage people to not take them seriously, and probably discourage some people from even checking them out. A song like "I'm Totally Not Down With Rob's Alien" has much more depth and -- dare I say beauty? Yes. Yes I do. -- beauty than one might expect given the irreverant title. In the past, Minus the Bear has served up solid songs, though people disagree on whether they're punk-pop, pop-rock, indie, rock, or what-have-you. I'm not that familiar with the "what-have-you" subgenre, so I won't even go there. The label doesn't much matter and perhaps the lack of consensus is an indication of the music's complexity. The music will sometimes suddenly shift, from driving to pretty and sort of sweet (but not wimpy). A guy won't be embarrassed to own a CD with a track list featuring "Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister" right at the top; no one will know some of the songs are sort of lovely. Minus the Bear lyrics have traditionally featured plenty of smoking and drinking along with the sex, love, and angst common to much alt-music. Still... it's not emo, but there's an emo influence.

If you haven't heard them before, will you like Minus the Bear? Music-Map thinks you're more likely to if you like Elefant, 360s, Unbunny, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, Built to Spill, Mars Volta, Simple Plan, Magnetic Fields, Mest, New Found Glory, Peaches, Turin Brakes, Neutral Milk Hotel, or... various other groups. Hmm. Don't know how helpful that may be.

Their forthcoming album Menos el Oso (Minus the Bear) will be released Aug. 23 in North America and should allegedly be filed under "indie party rock," which at least in this case is mostly a good thing according to this MSNBC review. It contains fewer songs about drinking and girls. I don't think the change of direction has hurt them (and they haven't lost all the references to drinking, but there are a lot fewer of them. This isn't a bad thing). I've heard almost all of the album -- still listening to it -- and I think it's quite strong. Sharing some of my favourite tracks. I also quite like "Drilling" and "The Fix." "Memphis & 53rd" is pretty good. "This Ain't a Surfin' Movie" didn't grab me as much as the others. At first I wondered if it was because it was slower than the others. Thought maybe it was at a bit of a disadvantage, because I got impatient for it to get going. Then it got going, then slowed down again... I liked a small part of it but it seems mish-mashed together, and not in a cool mash-up way. The whole doesn't work for me. Still diggin' the album though.

You can listen to three streaming tracks from Menos el Oso here. The songs are first single "Hooray," "The Fix," and "The Pig War." Streaming audio of "Pachuca Sunrise," "Hooray," and "Let's Play Clowns" is also available at PureVolume.com (only the first two are from the forthcoming album; Let's Play Clowns is from They Make Beer Commercials Like This).

From Menos el Oso:

mp3:Minus the Bear - El Torrente

Earlier Minus the Bear Tunes:

mp3:Minus the Bear - We Are Not A Football Team (from Highly Refined Pirates)

mp3:Minus the Bear - Hey Wanna Throw Up, Get Me Naked (ditto)

mp3:Minus the Bear - Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo (ditto)

mp3:Minus the Bear - I'm Totally Not Down With Rob's Alien (from They Make Beer Commercials Like This)

Linkage: Flickr photos from Minus the Bear

Tour Info:Minus the Bear's tour schedule

Hard-Fi Arrives in the States

Fresh off their Mercury nomination, Hard-Fi has arrived in the States for the North American portion of their tour. It's mostly an American tour, but they do make a quick stop in Toronto for one show.

The nomination for Stars Of CCTV surprised the band -- a lot -- if they are to be believed... singer Richard Archer claims "We thought, 'What, they give you an award for just playing the Mercury Lounge?' Then the penny dropped. 'Oh that Mercury Prize.'"

Archer's rather pleased with the nomination, particularly as it was not recorded in "the poshest studios around" unlike Coldplay's album, also on the Mercury shortlist. "It was all DIY," says Archer, "and here we are with a Mercury nomination, it's kind of crazy."

Odds are, the Hard-Fi boys will not take home the Mercury. The nomination is a nice career boost, though.

mp3:Hard-Fi - Stronger

mp3:Hard-Fi - Living For the Weekend

mp3:Hard-Fi - Hard To Beat (I'm not on board with this one. Maybe it will grow on me, but it feels like there's some sort of boy band factor that I'm not down with. Also, the "Ooooh!"... I think there was a squealed "Ooooh!" at some point. And... no. Just please no. They don't need to do that)

Linkage:Tied Up Too Tight video at Virgin.net (in black & white... mainly the lads singing... interspersed with shots of cars zooming around. Lots of lights. That's about it. Nothing fancy. I like this song...).

Plus:Hard To Beat video at Virgin.net (warning: the colour, action, and plot of this one may be dizzying if you watch this video immediately after the previous video)

Also:Hard-Fi XFM Radio Session (They played Cash Machine, Middle Eastern Holiday, and Unnecessary Trouble)

Random Tuneage

Good morning, all! It's still morning here, anyway... Good afternoon/evening as applicable. It might be an entirely different day by the time you read this. A morning theme seems almost offensive now. Random tuneage follows. (Damn, I'm smooth)

mp3:The Coral - In the Morning

mp3:The Promise Ring - Emergency! Emergency!

mp3:God Lives Underwater - Rearrange

Yeh Yeh Oh Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeahs Yes And So On...

In 1965, Georgie Fame & the Blue Flame's "Yeh Yeh" reached #1 on the British charts. It just missed the top 20 in the States. The song was recorded by Latin jazz artist Mongo Santamaria with lyrics by Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Subsequent versions have been recorded, with varying degrees of success, in the opinion of... well, me. There are more versions of it out there... but I'm surprised it isn't covered more often. Maybe it's because it isn't an easy song to get right, but since when has that stopped anyone from covering a song?

mp3:Georgie Fame & the Blue Flames - Yeh Yeh (From On The Right Track: Beat, Ballad And Blues 1964-1971)

mp3:Juliana Hatfield - Yeh Yeh (From the soundtrack for Fathers and Sons, a 1992 Jeff Goldblum film that has a 4.8 rating at IMDB. The tagline sounds like pure gold though: "A serial killer. A prophet of death. And one family caught between them." -- so sorry I missed that one! If you think this is the worst song Juliana Hatfield has ever recorded, you're not alone. I love it though).

mp3:They Might Be Giants - Yeh Yeh (However, I do not like They Might Be Giants' version, from Mink Car. I love a lot of TMBG songs. This song is not one of them. Reasonable minds may differ)

mp3:Matt Bianco - Yeh Yeh (From the import album The Best of Matt Bianco: 1983-1990 I think they -- Matt Bianco is a group, not a person -- did a better job than the Giants)

Basically, the world could still use more versions of "Yeh Yeh." How to fill the void while we wait? If you don't love Hatfield's version, as I do, you probably can't and might just be stuck with a little empty space. Oh well, life goes on! In any event, here are some sort-of related songs to distract you from the emptiness within (oops, sorry for reminding you about it):

mp3:Ash - Oh Yeah (From 1977)

mp3:Paul Weller - Uh-Huh Oh Yeh (From Modern Classics: The Greatest Hits )

mp3:Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Mystery Girl (From the Yeah Yeah Yeahs EP)

mp3:Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart (From 90125, and other albums)

mp3:Mongo Santamaria - Fever (From Feelin' Alright)

mp3:Mongo Santamaria - Day Tripper (From Instant Party)

Corgan Storms Off Stage When (Non-Edible) Pumpkins Requested

Depending on who you believe, Billy Corgan either "threw a strop and then stormed off stage" or threw "a wobbly" and "stormed off stage" during his Melbourne concert Tuesday night. Whether a strop and/or a wobbly was thrown, Corgan's displeasure and that "storming off" business doesn't seem to be in dispute.

According to someone who attended the show, at one point, someone yelled, "play some Pumpkins." Corgan's response: "Can I live my life for today?" Corgan reportedly told another audience member, who yelled, "We want rock," to ask for his money back. Toward the end of the show, another person -- let's call them "Jerk" -- called out a request for Pumpkins. Corgan said, "Fuck this," put down his mike and left. The audience called for him to return, to no avail. No word on whether Jerk or anyone else "tried" to lure him back by yelling a catchy chant containing the word "Pumpkins." 'Cause if so, it sounds like they really would have been on the wrong track with that. Billy Corgan doesn't seem like the greatest guy in the world, but heckling sucks. Yeah, that's my very insightful commentary. Off to sleep, perchance to dream.

MP3:Radiohead (with Billy Corgan) - If There Is A God

MP3:The Smashing Pumpkins - Luna

MP3:The Smashing Pumpkins - Tear

CMJ Magazine and CD: Issue 133

Much goodness on the latest CMJ CD.

Four Tet's on the cover. Inside is an interview wherein he talks about his new album, because it would be silly to put the interview on the outside of the magazine. For one thing, back cover ads generate a lot of revenue. CMJ would hate to give that up, and Embrace would be ever so sad to lose the ad for their album "Out of Nothing" -- or as the ad calls it, "OUT OF NOTHING". It's "Epic" and "Monumental," or so I hear...

Also interviewed in this issue o' CMJ:

- Stephen Malkmus: "I've developed into one of those thirtysomething jock guys that plays basketball -- with indie guys, though." Poor Stephen, so trying to hang on to his indie cred. If anyone ever sees him playing basketball, try to see whether he's wearing Dockers.

- Frank Black: only a one-page Q&A, grr... They asked what other bands he'd like to see reunite. His answer: "Maybe the Jam? They've got a nice repertoire. I think a lot of people, in the States anyway, became fans a little bit after the fact. By the time I got around to listening to them, they had already broken uo, It's pretty high-energy music. I'd go see that."

- Sleater-Kinney: another one-page Q&A. Drummer Janet Weiss said it's "hilarious" that journalists read the band's blog, which contains, among other things, complaining about journalists asking the same questions. Weiss can't get over the blog-reading: "That's so funny that you guys read the blog. You know that we're just gonna lie like crazy on that thing."

Why put something on her band's website, and then be surprised that music journalists read it? She even mocks them for it. I doubt she's naïve or foolish enough to have thought her blog was safe from journalists' prying eyes. So she's likely being disingenuous and nasty in saying she thinks it's hilarious that they read the blog. Either that, or she thinks she knows how they should do their job, and it shouldn't entail research? Either way, this annoyed me.

However, I appreciate the fair warning that they're "just gonna lie like crazy on that thing." The Sleater-Kinney blog can be found at their website here. It hasn't been updated since June 30.

From the Sleater-Kinney blog: "Here we are in Knoxville, TN. Nice people abound. While getting coffee I inquired as to where a certain part of town was and a cute boy actually escorted me all the way there."

Corrected-for-truth-version?: "Here we are in Cookeville, TN. Rude people everywhere! While getting iced tea I demanded to know where the nearest airport was, so I could get the hell out of there as soon as possible and some ugly old woman offered to drive me there herself, if it meant getting rid of me.

The latest CMJ also includes write-ups on Be Your Own Pet, Feist, Youth Group, Hal and others, lots of reviews and much more.

CMJ CD Track Listing:

1. mp3:Four Tet - Smile Around The Face
2. Sleater-Kinney - Entertain
3. Embrace - Ashes (Oh, poor Embrace. This track has a scratch on my CD. I wonder how widespread the problem is... all those back issue ads... and they get flawed tracks on the CDs?).
4. mp3:Shout Out Louds - Very Loud
5. mp3:Dredg - Bug Eyes
6. Youth Group - Skeleton Jar
7. Idiot Pilot - To Buy A Gun
9. mp3:Marjorie Fair - Empty Room
10. mp3:Jim Boggia - Live The Proof
11. Jamison Parker - Best Mistake
12. mp3:Matisyahu - King Without A Crown
13. Gabby La La - Be Careful What You Wish For 'Cause It Might Come True
14. Meshuggah - Shed
15. Nile - Lashed To The Slave Stick
16. Pepper - Give It Up
17. An Angle - A Way With Words
18. Pine*am - Gymnopedie 0.1

Comes With a Smile Mag CD: Words Worn Down to Nothing

The latest issue of Comes With a Smile magazine, as always, includes a CD with plenty of exclusive tracks... I do encourage you to buy this fine UK mag if it seems like your thing. It's a nifty read, the likes of which should be encouraged, especially in a marketplace where quality mags don't necessarily sell the most copies. My position on CDs-with-mags remains "pro" and Comes With a Smile CDs have been an automatic purchase ever since they became easily available in the U.S. *cough* which was as of issue 17.

Their latest issue, issue 18, features interviews with Teenage Fanclub, Rogue Wave, J Mascis, and the Pernice Brothers, as well as several of the artists on the CD. Plenty of reviews too.

"Words Worn Down To Nothing" Track Listing (exclusive except when noted otherwise):

1. Scout Niblett - Ruler of My Heart
2. mp3:Rogue Wave - March
3. Sam Prekop - North South (Previously released in Japan)
4. Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies - Let's Get Going (YMSS Arbitrary Mix)
5. mp3:Don's Mobile Barbers - He's Heading Back Into Town
6. Currituck Family - The Boys Sing the Song of Jodi the Blue Jew of Aramanth (Hills of Isle Au Haut)
7. Panda Bear - Search for Delicious
8. mp3:Six Organs of Admittance - Sun Has Set
9. Stuart A. Staples - Say Something Now
10. mp3:Richmond Fontaine - Blur Out
11. Josh Rouse - My Love Has Gone
12. Mary Lorson & Saint Low - Born Knowing
13. Monade - At Last I'm Free (From the tour single Sensible Et Extensible)
14. Hood - Winter Politics (demo)
15. Arco - Dry
16. Electrelane - Today
17. Anamude - Over There An Angel

Jon Auer Talks to Billboard; They Run Pic of Dreamy Alex Chilton

Also not Jon Auer... but run a Google image search for "Jon Auer" and this will be one of your results

Big Star's Jon Auer talks to Billboard.com... but they used a photo of Alex Chilton to accompany the interview. Classy!

Auer points out that he and Ken Stringfellow, both of the Posies, have "been in the band longer than the original lineup was together." He says, "Ken and I consider ourselves hired guns, but Alex and Jody clearly think of us as equal members at this point." Someone's a little defensive... maybe if he saw his own picture in an interview every once in a while it would help.

Auer wants fans to judge the album on its own merits. "You can't compete with a myth."


Oh, fine. Here's Jon Auer. Maybe they couldn't find a picture of him with his eyes open.

mp3:Big Star - I'm In Love With a Girl

Song Meanings.Net - "Factual Song Meanings"

Wonder what it means...

Tipped off by the L.A. Times, I checked out SongMeanings.net this afternoon. Fairly straightforward concept -- they combine song lyrics (221,770 lyrics, to be exact) and users' comments interpreting the songs. Other sites do something similar, but the twist here is (supposedly) the goal to get at the meaning of the songs. From my (admittedly limited) wandering about the site, I'm not terribly impressed. C'mon, guys, Edwin Starr's "War"? How hard should that be to interpret?

War (Huh, good god)
What is it good for?
Absolutely Nothing

"Obviously protesting the vietnam war!" - this according to the sixth person to comment. They were also the first person to mention it.

Some people don't talk about a song's meaning at all. Many comments are along the lines of "i love that song!!" There's a fair amount of gushing along those lines and plenty of chitchat. Think a singer's sexy? Have their autograph from when you met them a couple of years ago? Do tell!

The site's creator, Michael Schiano told the Times that users are encouraged to post "factual song meanings, personal experiences through the song, or even just their dismay for a song." Giving users wide latitude to post what they like saves the folks at his site from having to play Post Police, which would only alienate users anyway. I'm not thrilled with that term "factual song meanings." Users can't necessarily provide "factual song meanings" because most of them didn't write any of the songs they're discussing. They can hypothesize.

Sometimes even the person who writes a song gives multiple explanations of its meaning. So the term "factual song meaning" may not even be accurate as applied to songwriters, let alone "civilian" analysts. I think there's something rather cool about that. It's fun to ponder and theorize about song meanings, but there's beauty in the mysterious. Heck, look at what Einstein once said:

"The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mystical. It is the power of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead. To know that what is inpenetrable to us really exists, manifesting itself as the highest wisdom and the most radiant beauty, which our dull faculties can comprehend only in their most primitive forms—this knowledge, this feeling, is at the center of true religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I belong to the rank of devoutly religious men." - Albert Einstein

Well, then, if Einstein thinks this Schiano fellow is way off with that "factual song meaning" business, I'm certainly not going to argue with him! A song I can't figure out the meaning of is all highest-wisdom-y and radiant beauty-ish. In your face, Schiano.

Plus, some songs lack any comments. How am I supposed to figure out anything about The Replacements' "Fuck School" without help?!

mp3:The Replacements - Fuck School (From Stink, and brought to you with the public service announcement to stay in school! Not forever, but for a while. And study!)

mp3:Rilo Kiley - Don't Deconstruct (From Take-Offs & Landings) -- I know, too much Rilo lately, but c'mon, "Don't Deconstruct"... it's amusing! The exclamation point surely proves it, doesn't it?)

Linkage: "Don't Deconstruct" deconstructed at SongMeanings.net

The Decemberists/Big Star (Again)/Teenage Fanclub

Nice article about The Decemberists in The Guardian today. A few tidbits:

- Singer Colin Melloy says of Robyn Hitchcock, "I feel I've kind of modelled my approach on what he has done." (Members of the Decemberists have participated in Robyn Hitchcock tribute CD and Meloy often discusses Hitchcock in interviews).

- Melloy's uncle used to send him tapes of US college rock from Oregon, so he would sit in his bedroom listening to bands like REM, Husker Dü, and Guadalcanal Diary.

- As evidence of fans' devotion: they raised more than $8,000 within a month when the group's equipment was stolen earlier this year.

mp3:The Decemberists - Shiny (From the 5 Songs EP)

And in our ongoing Big Star watch, the band have rather belatedly confirmed the track listing of their album In Space, which will be released Aug. 30 in the U.S. and Sep. 26 in the U.K.

Belatedly, because as glendaplatypus discovered, one lucky person already has the album, and wrote about it on a Teenage Fanclub message board. I choose to interpret a comment like "Chilton's guitar is out of tune for the whole thing" as "Chilton, refusing to rest on his laurels, plays the guitar in ways so new they may seem wrong at first listen." No, really, I won't be heartbroken if I don't like the album, but I'll keep an open mind until I hear it for myself.

Spilling the track listing to the media does seem a little late at this point, but give the guys a break. They're older and slower now. On a semi-related note, I love Teenage Fanclub.

The tracklisting for "In Space" is:

mp3:Dony
Lady Sweet
Best Chance We've Ever Had
Turn My Back On The Sun
Love Revolution
February's Quiet
Mine Exclusively
A Whole New Thing
Aria Largo
Hung Up With Summer
Do You Wanna Make It
Makeover

Gratuitous Teenage Fanclub:

mp3:Teenage Fanclub - Free Again (Big Star cover... not sure everyone's in tune the whole time here. Maybe they inspired Chilton, in a nifty circle of inspiration)

mp3:Teenage Fanclub - It's All In My Mind (From Man-Made)

Killers to Headline Download Fest

The Killers will headline the first U.S. Download Fest, which will be held Oct. 8 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA. Modest Mouse, the Arcade Fire, Doves, H.I.M. and Mindless Self Indulgence will also perform. Tickets go on sale Sunday, July 31.

The U.K.'s Download Fest attracted a crowd of 150,000 people to London's Donnington Park this year. Like the U.K. Fest, the American version promises "cutting-edge technology and media experiences" which I'm guessing will offer plenty of opportunities for corporate sponsorships. Yay!

A "Download Fest" also presents opportunities for goofy jokes about celebrating it by downloading music by the artists performing there, but I'm not goin' there. Nope. Too easy.

mp3:The Killers - Indie Rock & Roll (From the U.K. edition of Hot Fuss (link removed)

mp3: String Quartet Tribute to The Killers - Change Your Mind (From String Quartet Tribute to The Killers (link removed)

mp3: Modest Mouse - World at Large (From Good News For People Who Love Bad News) (link removed)

mp3: The Arcade Fire - I'm Sleeping In A Submarine (From the Arcade Fire EP) (link removed)

mp3: Doves - One of These Days (From Some Cities) (link removed)

Sunset Junction Street Fair (Jason Falkner, The Walkmen, Rilo Kiley...)

Hey kids, who doesn't love a fair? Oh yeah? Even if they have frozen, chocolate-covered bananas? Alright, I have no idea if they'll have bananas. They would pretty much de-thaw instantly anyway, if not liquify, if this hideous heatwave we're enduring in Southern Cal. doesn't let up.

That "Southern California" part makes this event geographically-difficult for most of you. So if you don't want to read about the fair or my theoretically-entertaining thoughts about it, by all means, scroll on down to the mp3s. I understand.

This year's Sunset Junction Street Fair takes place August 27 and 28 in Silver Lake. The fair starts at 10 AM both days. Saturday's shenanigans end at 11 PM; Sunday's hootenany ends at 10 PM.

This year's fair will has much to offer: over 200 craft, artisan, and food booths, a dance pavillion (not sure exactly what that is, but how can a "pavillion" be bad?), and a carnival midway. I really feel for all those poor souls who don't live anywhere near Southern California, don't you? An L.A. carnival midway will probably be dripping in glamour. If there is a way to make frozen chocolate-covered bananas stay frozen in 105 degree weather, they'll think of it, and spear those 'nanas on rhinestone-encrusted sticks for us.

Naturally, music awaits us too, on three stages. The performance schedule has mostly been announced for both days, with August 27's lineup appealing the most to me. Among those performing then: Jason Falkner, The Walkman, John Cale, and Rilo Kiley. The Willowz, The Leaving Trains, and The New York Dolls are among those playing the next day.

Tickets are a mere $10 (not counting the pesky transaction fee if you buy them online, i.e. $4.50)

mp3:Jason Falkner - Photograph (Def Leppard cover, from the Japanese 2-CD set Everyone Says It's On)

mp3:Jason Falkner - My Home Is Not a House (From Necessity: The 4-Track Years)

mp3:The Walkmen - We've Been Had (From The Walkmen EP)

mp3:The Walkmen - What's In It For Me (From Bows + Arrows)

mp3:John Cale & Chris Spedding - Love Me Two Times (live Doors cover)

mp3:Rilo Kiley - August (From Take-Offs & Landings)

mp3:Rilo Kiley - Papillon (From The Initial Friend EP)

mp3:New York Dolls - Lookin for a Kiss (From New York Dolls)

A-Ha! CD Prices Have to Be High to Fund Record Label Payola

Sony BMG Music Entertainment today agreed to pay $10 million, to be distributed to charities aimed at music education and appreciation, to end an investigation by New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer into their pay-for-play practices. Sony also agreed stop providing contest prizes and other gifts to radio stations and to stop paying stations operational expenses.

However, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein has called for a separate FCC investigation. "It's unfair to listeners if they hear songs on the radio because someone was paid off, not because it's good music," Adelstein said. "We need an immediate investigation to determine whether these practices violate federal payola laws." Spitzer has agreed to share all of his evidence with the FCC.

Spitzer's look into the payola practices in the record industry isn't over either. He said his investigation continues into Universal Music Group, EMI Group, Warner Music Group, and the country's largest radio companies. He said, "We are far along with the other three labels."

Meanwhile, Sony BMG has agreed to acknowledge their "improper conduct" and pledge higher standards in the future. To that end, they have also agreed, to hire a companywide "compliance officer" who will monitor promotion practices.

Spitzer said this investigation revealed that air time "is often determined by undisclosed payoffs to radio stations and their employees." He called the settlement "a model for breaking the pervasive influence of bribes in the industry."

E-mails at Sony showed top officials knew of the payments. A rather enthusiastic employee at Sony's Epic label wrote in one e-mail, "WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET AUDIOSLAVE ON WKSS THIS WEEK?!!? Whatever you can dream up, I can make it happen." Another employee, unhappy that Celine Dion's "I Drove All Night" was being played very late at night at some stations, threatened to take away a trip to a Dion show in Las Vegas unless play times improved. That's almost the greatest threat ever on so many levels. I wish someone would give me a trip to a Celine Dion show, then threaten to take it away.

Any radio station found to have taken an illegal payment could theoretically lose their license for failing to disclose it. Promoters involved in this activity could face civil and criminal sanctions.

So... at least finally know that all that money made from bloated CD prices hasn't just been going toward diamond-encrusted backscratchers for spoiled execs. It's also been used for bribes! We probably already all very strongly suspected it, but now we know. Oh, the fun the folks in accounting must have had creatively accounting (so to speak) for different sorts of bribes. Plus, they probably sometimes got stuck with a trip to a Celine Dion concert someone else had taken away as a "punishment."

Thank goodness for the possibility of FCC sanctions or Sony would be getting off way too lightly. Although if Sony was engaging in this behaviour in New York, it seems likely they were doing it in other states too. Any state could launch their own investigation...

mp3:Spinal Tap - Gimme Some Money

mp3:Stan Freburg - The Old Payola Roll Blues (Parts One and Two) (From 1960, about another payola scandal. Sadly, this copy is not perfect quality; it has a few little "bloops" in it. Sorry about that. It's just too on-point to not share anyway, if anyone's interested, given that disclaimer)

mp3:Ronny Jordan - No Pay, No Play (jazz, instrumental)

mp3:Liz Phair - Shitloads of Money

New Rilo Kiley: "Patiently"

The B side of their UK "It's a Hit" single... the vinyl version, that is.

mp3:Rilo Kiley - Patiently

Former Doors Members Barred From Using Doors Name

Former Doors drummer John Densmoore has won a permanent injunction preventing his former bandmates from using the "Doors" name while touring with a revamped version of the group.

Since 2003, former Doors members Ray Manzarek (keyboards) and Robby Krieger (guitar) have been touring with former Cult singer Ian Astbury as The Doors of the 21st Century. They can now no longer use the name, and have been ordered to turn over all the profits made using it to be shared by the original Doors partnership, with Morrison's share going to his estate.

After Doors singer Jim Morrison died, the surviving bandmates agreed that they each must sign off on any use of the Doors name and logo.

Densmore told Reuters, "They're playing Doors songs and calling themselves the Doors of the 21st Century. I kinda think it's the 19th century, it's looking back."

In early 2003, Morrison's parents, the parents of Morrison's late common-law wife, and Densmore sued Manzarek and Krieger, accusing them of having "maliciously misappropriated" the Doors name and logo, and having used Morrison's image and poetry without permission.

The complaint also suggests that their sound doesn't exactly match up to that of the original Doors, as they "attempted to play songs written and made popular by the original Doors band in a manner which attempts to copy the original distinctive sound of The Doors."

"I'm very pleased that, in my opinion, the legacy is preserved," Densmore told Reuters. "I never intended for Ray and Robby to stop playing -- they're great musicians. I hope Doors fans keep going to see them -- it's just the name is owned by me and them and the estate of Jim Morrison, and they kinda ran off with stolen property." He estimates that the Doors of the 21st Century have made more money than the original band ever did. No comment yet from Manzarek or Krieger.

These days Densmore plays original music with his own band Tribal Jazz, which has "an eclectic jazz sound blending World and African rhythms."

If only INXS -- at any point! -- had made an agreement like the one made by the surviving Doors bandmates.

Headline watch: Variety has a "Doors slam shut" headline. Jam! opted for "Ray Manzarek opening new Doors", which doesn't really make sense. Also spotted: "The Doors are closed" and "Door closed on 60s' rockers." I prefer the latter, though I'm not wild about that apostrophe. Still... no "Judge tells Doors the Music's Over"? C'mon, people, if you're going to get creative, let's dip into the lyrics. (Preferably, with a better effort than that one, but I guess I don't know that a story like this needs a "wacky" headline).

mp3:The Doors - Love Me Two Times

mp3:The Doors - People Are Strange

mp3:The Doors - Who Do You Love

Meet Meg: Art Brut + Pavement + Weezer x the Pixies?

Meg is an English band -- for the moment, an unsigned one. Meg is also the "beautiful, loyal(ish) black cat" of Rob Geraghty, Meg's guitarist and singer, and the inspiration for the band's name.

You can get an idea of their sound -- well, by downloading the mp3s below -- but also by checking out who the guys name as their favourite bands. For Rob, it's Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Mr Bungle, Weezer, The Flaming Lips, Grandaddy, Super Furry Animals, Green Day, The Divine Comedy, Pavement, and a-ha. Allan Thombs, who plays bass and adds vocals, mentions the Pixies, among others.

Their songs immediately struck me as a bit Pavementesque. I hear dashes of Pixies and Weezer in there too. They also remind me a lot of Art Brut. Meg has been together for four years now, playing gigs in their hometown of Kidderminster and in other parts of England. Art Brut has only been together for slightly over two years, and they have an album in the UK top 40, and they's promising "Some US news soon." Where's the love for the Kidderminster boys?

I'm Gorky's-ignorant, other than being aware of their existence, so I don't know how much they may sound like Gorky's Zygotic Mynci. I do know there may not have been a Meg without a Gorky's. Rob met Matt Pimm (keyboards, guitar) while chatting on a Gorky's site, and that's how they came to form the group, with Tom Games (drums) and Allan Thombs joining a bit later. Yet another thing to praise or curse the Internet for: bringing people together to form bands.

It may have been their big break when producer Gavin Monaghan (John Peel Sessions/The Clash/Jesus & Mary Chain/Mercury Rev/Idlewild/The Smiths) of Magic Garden Studios heard Meg, and liked them well enough to offer to produce a couple songs for them. He produced "A Song For" and "Patch." They are both available "for a limited time" on their website and are being sold at gigs. Monaghan has also reportedly given them props on Radio WM. Time will tell whether all this will lead to a record deal. My guess is it will. Next up for Meg is a show August 5th at the Boundry Hotel's Wharf Bar in Walsall with The Fake Tracies, Joe Allen, & David Garside.



mp3:Meg - A Song For (I love this song. File under: Layered, fuzzy, quirky, power-pop)

mp3:Meg - Patch (Also good. Reminded me of Travis' "Flowers in the Window" at the beginning, but then it went in another direction. I like that it behaves unexpectedly)

mp3:Art Brut - Good Weekend (from Bang Bang Rock & Roll)

Her Space Holiday Gets "More Hopeful"

Her Space Holiday's upcoming album, The Past Presents The Future, will be released on Sept. 27, and will contain a "more hopeful and expansive take on life" than previous albums. Marc Bianchi (recording under the Her Space Holiday moniker) has put "both woodwinds and the occasional moment of distortion" to work to convey this new (comparatively) happy-go-lucky outlook of his. Why so chipper? Her Space Holiday will be playing at the CMJ Music Marathon in September... maybe he was already looking forward to that sort of thing when he wrote and recorded The Past Presents The Future... nah, that's flimsy. Well, Monika Brodka recently won the Polish equivalent of a Grammy for debut single of the year for her cover of the Her Space Holiday song My Girlfriend's Boyfriend, which is pretty cool. But I don't think the timing fits with the writing of the Her Space Holiday album.

Well, perhaps... no, definitely, his last full-length album, The Young Machines, was "a purging of sorts... a way" for Marc "to confront some of the darkest sides" of his personality. He probably wound up, circa October 8, 2004, deciding that "in the end, I would think that the hope outweighs everything else." Not all rainbows and sunshine, then. Just not quite as bleak. The change in direction doesn't depress me, though I could understand someone who really prefers their HSH music sad finding the change in direction a bit depressing. I'd like the guy to be happy, and think he'll likely make some great music whatever its tone. His music is generally quite heartfelt and emotional, and that can be maintained without his music feeling somber. I've been neglecting that part about the more "expansive take on life" which was also mentioned; that's vague but intriguing.

I rather like that darkness-purging The Young Machines, though, sure it doesn't provide a model of healthy, happy human behaviour. Wouldn't hand it to someone and say "live your life like this." Good music, though.

MP3:Her Space Holiday - My Girlfriend's Boyfriend (from The Young Machines)

mp3:Her Space Holiday - Japanese Gum (also from The Young Machines)

mp3:Her Space Holiday - Tech Romance (also from The Young Machines)

mp3:Her Space Holiday - Our First Date (originally from the Something Blue EP)

Copycat Bands -- That Song Again

The Guardian Unlimited explores the apparently always-timely issue of the "surrogate band", that is, so-called soundalike bands. Writer Dave Simpson accuses Keane, Snow Patrol, and Athlete of sounding like Coldplay... and himself sounds a somewhat familiar note there. Hasn't this been said before? Yes, at least some of it has, but it's an interesting, thought-provoking article.

Simpson allows that soundalikes are nothing new... which also has been noted elsewhere, but I'm being harsh again. Shakespeare got there first with everything. Even the Coldplay criticism. Somehow. Oh, it's in the oeuvre somewhere. Prescient guy, Shakespeare.

The article addresses more than alleged Coldplay copying. Artists are accused of being "morose, David Gray-type songwriters" -- a "type" I thought as old as time itself. The Libertines, Franz Ferdinand, the Strokes, and the Killers are singled out as each having spawned numerous similar bands.

Paul Weighell, who used to work in A&R, told Simpson, "Sometimes I think the industry wants - and perhaps, financially, needs - a situation where a massive audience are buying exactly the same records."

A scary thought, at least to anyone who's reading this sort of blog.

The article delves into attempts to water down the sound of bands to make them more commercially successful, as well as the potential for successful artists to later grow artistically.

Surely, the Coldplay backlash will lead to a boomerang effect at some point... It seems like Chris Martin may be toning down the "WE ARE U2, BOW DOWN TO US, MORTALS!" routine. That may make it more difficult to sustain the hate, unless one goes the "Oh, look at him, thinking he can manipulate us into liking him!" route.

Martin told NME that Coldplay will be playing smaller venues during their next tour. He said they're "not BON JOVI quite yet." Quite clever, this... and a Bon Jovi comparison looks playful, rather than arrogant. Spin control might have played a role in this announcement -- why announce this now, for one thing? -- but that need not be sinister. Martin, for his part, attributed the decision to "very geeky and technological" concerns, saying they don't think they can "make the most of" outdoor stadium spaces "yet."

NME asked whether Coldplay would like to "become" like Bon Jovi, and Martin replied, "I would love to have hair of that volume." Cute. Was Bono ever that silly? I'm weakening... I'm... Wait... giant lemon. Keep trying, Martin!

mp3:Keane - Walnut Tree (Keane stands accused of being a Coldplay clone)

mp3:Jonathan Rice - So Sweet (Rice, alleged "morose, David Gray-type songwriter")

Both songs are from the same Music From the OC album. Masses of people buy those albums, but I can't work up a lot of righteous indignation about people buying albums with tracks by Beulah, Death Cab, The Futureheads, and sure, Keane. I like some of the Coldplay "clones" and I think such labels may be fun to play with, but they're silly and often unfair.

Opening Acts: Pay to Play and Still No Doughnuts?

Interesting UK article about the assorted challenges opening acts often face on tour, from hostile crowds to the denial of doughnuts from the backstage crew. Yet some bands pay headliners for the privilege of touring with them, even if though it means risking such abuse. It may seem shady and it's definitely expensive -- as much as £30,000 (the equivalent of $52,123.85 in the US, or $63,426.11 in Canada), to buy your way into two weeks touring mid-sized venues with 2,000-3,000 capacities). There's also extra costs for crew, travel, and such. However, it's paid for by a record company advance against "possible future royalties." Extra incentive for the tour to go well, then. There's a definite ick factor about this pay-to-play business... But however a band gets on stage, the crew should have to at least fake some respect, or at least share the doughnuts. Artists deserve treats. They will also perform better when fed. At least when fed sugar-laden stuff; it may make them hyper.

Another dirty little secret-to-some: bands who select an opening act they hope will make them sound better in comparison. The article suggests that this practice is likely not very common, as awful opening acts would reflect badly on the headliners.

Interesting article, disheartening in some ways, but much sweetness and light shines through. An opening slot presents a band or artist with the opportunity to have their music heard by people who (hopefully) love music. Heckling and unreceptive crowds suck, but learning to deal with them is necessary. A grueling thing, this touring business. When there's some camaraderie between bands, it must make a huge difference. The White Stripes are singled out as especially friendly, and U2 praised for paying their support bands "a fortune" and giving them no sound restrictions.

mp3:The White Stripes - We're Going to Be Friends (have posted this before, but it fits the article...)

mp3:U2 - Electrical Storm (I wish it said "no light restrictions, but you can't have everything. It has been "hot as hell" here and I've been listening to this song lately)

Spiritualized's Jason Pierce Heading Home After Long Hospital Stay

Spiritualized's Juliette Lewis confirmed today that bandmate and husband Jason Pierce has recently been critically ill. In a post on the band's website, Juliette wrote that Jason had "advanced periorbital cellulitis with bilateral pnuemonia with rapid deterioration requiring intensive care and c-pap for type 1 respiratory failure." Although he spent a long time in intensive care and nearly died twice in the last two and a half weeks, she says he has "fantastically made an alarming and brilliant recovery and is due home today."

At the time he became ill, Pierce had been working on a new Spiritualized album. Juliette wrote that the songs seemed to predict the illness. She wrote, "Not that he's into ESP and stuff, just in the most beautiful way."

mp3:Spiritualized - Smiles

mp3:Spiritualized - Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space

More Big Star/Big Star Covers (The Posies, Jeff Buckley, Wilco)

"...although they didn't sell squat in their day, just about every self-respecting rocker with good taste -- from Michael Stipe to Paul Westerberg to Matthew Sweet to Greg Dulli to, hell, *everybody* -- has genuflected in front of Big Star's three studio albums, regarding them as the awe-inspiring Holy Grail of power-pop that they are." - Jonathan Perry, Rolling Stone, 1998

mp3:The Posies - Thirteen (Big Star Cover)

mp3:Wilco - Thirteen (Big Star Cover, with thanks to Glenda)

mp3:Big Star - Kanga Roo

mp3:Jeff Buckley - Kanga Roo (live) (Big Star Cover)

mp3:Honeychild - Kanga Roo (live) (Big Star Cover)

mp3:Big Star - You Get What You Deserve

A sort-of-quick-and-dirty introduction to Big Star:

A lot of people these days know Big Star, thanks to a song of theirs being used as the theme for That '70s Show. Before that, a lot of people first heard of Alex Chilton thanks to the Replacements. By "a lot of people" I mean "me." I don't know that this is how I first heard of Alex Chilton, but it seems likely; it was around the time I was given Pleased to Meet Me that Chilton seemed to gradually enter my consciousness (and I think we all know how painful that can be). So Westerberg & Co. are likely responsible for this part of my rock education. I realized Chilton was an icon, Someone Important... but I didn't know quite why he was important. I just had a vague idea that he was a rock god of some kind. So I had to find out...

mp3:The Replacements - Alex Chilton

When I was sixteen... oh, let's not go there. When Alex Chilton, was sixteen, he made hit records. Not Big Star records, not yet. Also, I said "hit" records. He sang for a group called the Box Tops, finding commercial success but no creative freedom.

mp3:The Box Tops - Cry Like a Baby

mp3:The Box Tops - The Letter (you know this one. That's Alex Chilton?! Yeah)

So Alex and his childhood friend Chris Bell formed a band, with both sharing singing duties and writing most of the group's songs. Joining them were Andy Hummel on bass and Jody Stephens on drums and adding some vocals. An earlier group called Ice Water (and before that, Rock City) had consisted of Bell on vocals and guitar, along with Steve Ray on guitar, Andy Hummel on bass and Jody Stephens on drums.

The group released their first album, #1 Record, in 1972. It didn't do nearly as well as it deserved to falling victim to distribution problems, due to a new ownership of the band's record label. Chilton and Bell reportedly disagreed over the direction of the band, with Bell preferring to record, and Chilton favouring performing live. Bell was allegedly despondent, even suicidal, over the album's "failure." He left Big Star in late '72, though he did some work on the follow-up. He embarked on a solo career, but eventually left music behind and took a management position in his family's fast food business. He died in a car crash in 1978. In 1992, much of his previously-unreleased work was released, to great acclaim.

Big Star, meanwhile had continued to experience massive distribution problems with their next album, Radio City. This greatly frustrated Chilton. His songs grew bleaker. Big Star seemed destined to be a "cult" band. Not that there's anything wrong with that. For one thing, those bands tend to be great. For another, they generally wind up with a lot of fans who form bands/become musicians, in Big Star's case bands and artists like The Replacements, REM, Teenage Fanclub, Nada Surf, The Church, Kristin Hersh, Wilco, garbage, and Elliott Smith, all of whom have covered at least one song by the group.

Big Star had a reunion in the early 90s with a half-Posies lineup -- Chilton and Stephens were joined by Jonathan Auer and Ken Stringfellow for concerts and a live album. The same lineup has now produced a new album, which is due out Aug. 30. Early word is that Chilton sings on six of the songs; Jonathan and Ken each sing on some of the others. Some songs are said to be reminiscent of the sound of each previous studio album.

I previously posted the track "Dony" which is from the new album, and at least "soundbites" from more songs should be available soon.

Thanks to Glenda for inspiring the post...

I'm working on something pretty cool for the hat (not that every post isn't cool!) so I may not post anything very wordy for a bit (Famous last words... but... I... mean... it!)

Update: Shaking My Fist at Amy for making me realize I should have included this in the first place... here is a cover of a song Alex Chilton first sang as a teen, with the Box Tops.

mp3:Big Star - The Letter (live)

Austin City Limits Compilation

On Aug. 30 Rhino will release a compilation of 16 tracks from last year's Austin City Limits festival. Featured artists include The Pixies, Broken Social Scene, Josh Rouse, My Morning Jacket, Cake, and Calexico.

This year's Austin City Limits festival is set for Sept. 23-25. Performers include Wilco, Kaiser Chiefs, Widespread Panic, and Oasis. And Coldplay! The entire schedule and lineup has been posted. Coldplay will take the SBC stage, 8:30-10:00 PM, Sunday, Aug. 25. No one has been given the unlucky task of going on opposite them. (Austin folks - kinder than I, probably less sarcastic too).

The Austin City Limits Track Listing:

mp3:The Pixies - Debaser (album version, not Austin City limits version)
Dashboard Confessional - Hands Down
Franz Ferdinand - Darts of Pleasure
Rachael Yamagata - Be Be Your Love
Los Lonely Boys - Crazy Dream
Blind Boys Of Alabama - Walk in Jerusalem
Josh Rouse - It's the Nighttime
mp3:Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a 17 Year Old Girl (album version, not Austin City limits version)
The Neville Brothers - Streets Are Callin'
Shelby Lynne - Your Lies
Drive By Truckers - The Day John Henry Died
Cake - Wheels
My Morning Jacket - The Way That He Sings
mp3:Calexico - Alone Againe Or (Cover of the Love song - album version, not the Austin City Limits version)
Ben Harper - Brown Eyed Blues
Trey Anastasio - First Tube

Sufjan Stevens/Bunky/Liz Janes at the El Rey

L.A. took a bit of dissing Saturday night. Bunky's Emily Joyce pointed out that L.A. doesn't have quite as many trees as her own San Diego. Sufjan Stevens called L.A. -- he told us "I love abbreviations" -- "the city of Lost Angels... the city of smog and automobiles. The city of beautiful people." At this point one guy yelled, "Thank you." We're also the city of wiseasses! Other contributions yelled by members of the crowd (while Bunky was encouraging us to visit San Diego) included: "L.A. sucks!" and "San Diego rules!"

Oh, yeah? Well... at least our mayor doesn't take bribes from the owner of a strip club. Actually, we have a new guy, so it could be a matter of time. Plus, during our last mayoral race each candidate pretty much said, "No way, you're more corrupt than I am!" Oh, we have so much in common... San Diego, I can't stay mad at you!

Especially when you send us cool bands like Bunky for a visit. I thought their set would be fun. Yeah, fun, and at times silly, but Bunky are not just a fun band. They rock, yo. Emily Joyce took center stage, singing sweetly and drumming fiercely. As the other main half of Bunky, Rafter Roberts plays guitar -- intensely -- and also handles vocal duties, though Emily's predominated on Saturday.

Bunky's extended lineup has occasionally changed; they draw from musicians in the San Diego (because they live in San Diego and they called on people from other professions, they would be less likely to know how to play instruments). Filling out the group now are some amazing musicians: Jason Soares on bass, Robert Ackley on trumpet, Gabriel Sundy on saxophone, and Tucker Dulin on trompone. All played with loads of energy, talent, and joy, filling out Bunky's sound perfectly. The crowd particularly ate up the stop-start Funny Like The Moon, with its perfect pace changes. Other highlights included Cute Not Beautiful, Heartbunk, and BaBa.

At one point Rafter swiped Emily's cymbals to use as a prop. She paused for a moment, looked at him, and announced that she was thrown off. Then she tried to hit him with a drumstick (goodnaturedly. I think). After the song, Rafter explained that he needed the cymbals to help him pretend to ride a motorcycle. Emily said it would have been better if he took them for no reason, just to mess with her.

Another slightly controversial Rafter moment was when he claimed that hippos are "the most deadly mammals on the planet, besides humans." Someone yelled "Polar bears!" but I don't think Rafter heard him, which possibly is for the best; it might have averted an ugly debate.

Bunky sings about monkeys and hippos, but their lyrics are deeper than that. Think love and angst. They also rock. They put on a great show.

mp3:Bunky - BaBa

Sufjan Stevens introduced Liz Janes. She's on his label, and he has produced and arranged her work. If someone doesn't automatically respect every performer, maybe this would give her a bit of help in that department? Maybe not, which is especially unfortunate since Liz had hurdles from the get-go.

By the time she went on, it was late (Bunky went on late -- which isn't unusual). The theatre was very hot -- drink sales were likely high, which could have been another problem. There seemed to be a lot of people at the bar/restaurant area. Heat definitely wears people out, and makes them restless. Momentum-wise, perhaps the slower pace of Liz's set, right after Bunky's energetic set, did not play well. Liz played guitar for most of the set, and was accompanied by one person (a woman from Sufjan's band), who sang, and accompanied her (on keyboard and guitar). It was sort of a perfect storm for a rude crowd, which is what Liz got. That's not to say that I loved her music. During the third song, I thought Liz's guitar made sounds no guitar should be forced to make. It seemed to be suffering. Yet some people seemed enthralled with the performance. One guy said, "I love her voice." I couldn't tell whether there was a "but" left unsaid.

It was during that third song that the crowd's chatter grew quite loud, and it stayed loud throughout the next song. How hard can it be to have some patience and respect for a little while for a good cause? Other people wanted to watch the set. Liz handled the situation well. She seemed to take in the crowd's behaviour, process it for about two songs before responding. Then she asked how we were doing. Someone complained about the heat, and she laughed, expressed sympathy, and gave him a bottle of water. Some of the next songs held the audience's attention better than others, but the crowd did quiet down after that. She correctly predicted that we would like songs we could clap along to, but only gave us a couple of them. The set definitely ended on a high note with a very lively performance of one such song, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Toward the end of her set, Liz thanked the crowd for their "kindness and generosity" which seemed excessively gracious but perhaps she was grateful to have regained some momentum and goodwill.

mp3:Liz Janes - Proposition

Sufjan Stevens and his band took the stage dressed as cheerleaders, the women in traditional uniforms and carrying pom-poms, the men clad in bright orange sweatpants and "I" (for Illinois) shirts. The outfits weren't just for show; they performed actual choreographed cheers, because, as Sufjan explained, "we like to lift the spirits a little bit." The cheers introduced some of the songs, with a song about Metropolis preceding "The Man From Metropolis Steals Our Hearts." The crowd gave Sufjan a J, A, C, K, S, O, and N for the cheer before "Jacksonville." The cheers were a real crowd-pleaser, often provoking laughter.

He opened the set with "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL." The last song of the evening was his one encore, an achingly beautiful rendition of "Casimir Pulaski Day." In between: cheers, costume changes (okay, one costume change -- with the band donning Come on Feel the Illinoise t-shirts and ordinary pants), some banter, and most importantly, heartfelt performances of his lovely, well-crafted songs. The hodgepodge of elements and moods on the stage struck me as a perfectly imperfect match for the mishmash of Sufjan Stevens' songs.

Perfectly imperfect because I later decided that it made sense that it didn't feel quite right. Sufjan seemed introspective, fair enough, but also sometimes a bit awkward and maybe even sad. "So intense," someone called him. I agreed... and he was wonderful, but the awkwardness made me hope he enjoys performing. He could just be a subdued guy. The sad, awkward whimsy of his stage show fits his albums either way.

Late in the set, Sufjan closed his eyes as he sang, "I cried myself to sleep last night" and the girl next to me swayed, her hand to her heart, gently tapping it. It's an odd thing for one singer to both make us laugh and (sorry) touch our hearts. Perhaps the show felt a bit odd, awkward, and beautiful in the same kind of way that life is all of those things. Maybe some people appreciate Sufjan Stevens for capturing so many aspects of life in ways few people would ever think to.

Sufjan Stevens Setlist, 7/16:

(Illinois Cheer)
1. Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL.
2. Say Yes! To Michigan! (I think -- only one I'm not sure about!)
3. They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhhh!
4. The Seer's Tower
5. John Wayne Gacy Jr.
6. A Good Man is Hard to Find
(Cheer for Jacksonville, introduced thusly: "This is a cheer for Jacksonville." Sufjan had the crowd spell out "Jackson.")
7. mp3:Jacksonville
8. The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!
(Cheer for Metropolis)
9. mp3:The Man From Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
10. Come on! Feel the Illinoise! Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition/Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream
11. Chicago
12. Casimir Pulaski Day (encore)




Awful pic... great encore