One-sided mixtape #2

Wooohah, I managed to pick songs this week that all had audio only, so they can all be listened to straight from the blip.fm jobbie on the top right. Now if only I can figure out how to just do a new player every week within the blog post, and be able to upload songs I already have instead hoping I can find them on blip.

edit: BALLS! the Green Day and the Ray LaMontagne don't seem to be working, you have to click on the link to go to my blip page and then they will play. One day... one day.

1. Peacemaker - GREEN DAY: 21st Century Breakdown

2. Moth's Wings - PASSION PIT: Manners

3. Aha! - IMOGEN HEAP: Ellipse

4. Sick Sad Little World - INCUBUS: A Crow Left of the Murder

5. You Are the Best Thing - RAY LaMONTAGNE: Gossip in the Grain

ONE-SIDED MIXTAPE #1!

So along with album reviews, I wanted to post a short playlist each week, without really any description or review of the tracks, just a sampling of what's coming out of my speakers and headphones for the week.

Ideally I would like you to be able to play the whole playlist right from my blog page, and then people can procure the songs they enjoyed in whatever way they like (I will only post stuff that has been officially released by the band in some fashion, so it should be fairly easy to find). In my short search so far for something that would allow me to do that, I haven't been able to do quite what I want.

Right now, there should be a blip.fm thing in the top right corner of the page. It actually works pretty well for the songs that are just audio, but some of the songs I wanted to post only had video posts of the song available, in which case I think you have to click on the link to go to my blip page or something. Let me know how it works, and if you know of an easier way to do this.

This week's mixtape:

1. It's My Day - THE MATCHES: Album 4, unreleased; graphics? title? or not needed?

2. Satellite Radio - STEVE EARLE: Washington Square Park

3. Airstream Driver - GOMEZ: A New Tide

4. Wood and Wire - THRICE: Beggars

5. Satellite - LONGWAVE: Secrets are Sinister

Mute Math - Armistice

I discovered Mute Math at the 2006 Warped Tour in Vancouver. I was wandering around in between sets by bands I wanted to see, and there was these four guys on the shittiest little stage there playing to about 15 people. I'm not sure whether I heard or saw it first, but either way, all four band members were in the middle of a Stomp-style jam, none really playing their instrument, the drummer was on top of the keyboard, playing a miked piano stool, the bassist was using a cymbal mallet to play an extra bass drum raised behind the drum kit, the guitar player held his pedalboard in the air, 'playing' the knobs, and the singer/keyboard player was stood beside the drums hitting cymbals and anything else he could find with a pair of drumsticks. At one point they even handed a homemade, theremin-like instrument to an audience member to play. Now, a lot of bands go into a noise jam, gradually destroying the song they were playing, and then kicking back in for one more chorus or something. It can be good if done tastefully. Mute Math took this to a whole new level though; their 'noise' jam actually sounded great too, it was just the chords and melody were forgone in favor of solely rhythm. Anyway, that was what drew me over to the stage, but then they came out of the jam back into the song and they were awesome. Wicked singer, accessible but interesting melodies, INTENSE drummer, powerful but inventive rock bass, tasteful use of guitars and keys, not the usual thrash and chug you hear at warped tour, and most of all, a shitload of energy. I stayed for the rest of the set, and at the end asked them who the hell they were and where I could get some of their music, along with thanking them for a great show. I came home with their only album and eagerly showed it to my roomate, who was underwhelmed, and even I had to admit the recording was missing a lot of what I had experienced that day. I don't think I have ever seen a better example of a band being better live than recorded. I have since seen them a couple other times, brought friends, told friends in other cities to see their shows, and every single one of these people, no matter their taste in music, was amazed. One fellow music nerd who was not blown away when I showed him the record spent most of the show with a big grin on his face, and after the show he bought their cd, now understanding how my brain managed to change what I heard when I played the record. I was always hoping that it was a small recording budget that robbed the album of the live show's intensity and energy. With their new album, I felt that Mute Math had the chance to somehow capture all of that on tape.

Overview

This album is not what I had hoped for. The drums and bass mostly get drowned by the vocals and keys, and songs that could rock your socks off are subdued and almost end up sounding like mediocre adult-alternative. I think as a whole, it is significantly more tame and reserved than the last album.

My view is certainly biased by my extremely high hopes. Mute Math does makes pop music with an inventiveness and originality rarely seen, and even when they ape current top 40 styles, dance, or disco, it is surprisingly good.

Other than the visual energy of their performance, I felt Mute Math's live show was better because it sounded like every instrument could be heard more clearly than on the album (except for some of the electric piano and keyboard bits), while feeling well balanced at the same time. Also, the quiet sections were quieter and had more space to them, and the loud sections were louder and more bombastic. Maybe there are just too many overdubs or too much compression on the album, or maybe it's just not possible to cram that much awesomeness into every track of a recording.

I was very disappointed with a lot of the lyrics on this album. Simple love and/or lust songs can be alright once in awhile. I actually really like a lot of sappy stuff. I just feel that a writer who is capable of speaking to our humanity or commenting on society has much more valuable things to say regarding love than in "Electrify" or "Lost Year".Very one-dimensional and uninspiring for a guy who wrote "Break the Same" (from the previous album) and "the Nerve".

I still can't wait to hear this album live, I have yet to be disappointed in any way by a Mute Math show.

Highlights

The Nerve - probably one of the rockin'est songs on the album, with some sweet changes in dynamics. The chorus really reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on it right now. If I remember, I'll edit the post.

Pins and Needles - I know I complained about the lack of rock on this album, but this quiet song is quite good. I think the in-between elevator stuff like "No Response" or "Lost Year" should be ousted in favor of more stuff like this. I really respect a band that can keep a song low key the whole way through, yet still have it go somewhere. So many bands have these pretty acoustic or atmospheric songs that end with a big, loud version of the chorus at the end, so instead of sounding different, the song ends up sounding like all their other ones, but with a quiet bit tacked onto the start.

Armistice - Upbeat song with some cool horns. I'm starting to think I have a thing for horns. Maybe it's because they add an orchestra-like feel to a song, but unlike strings, we haven't heard them on a bajillion recordings in the last two decades. I wonder how this one will translate live, seeing as they tend to play on pretty cramped stages already, I don't think they'll be able to squeeze in a horn section.

Burden - This is more like Mute Math is live. A long song that is long because there are different things happening, and each instrumental break is short enough that you don't lose interest a la the Mars Volta and their six minute latin jams mid-song. Music Nerdery

I saw a video of the band recording some loops for the album in the bathroom of the house they were using as a studio. They were mostly percussion but also included some xylophone, and at least a few times in the video, some of the samples were played backwards. I thought these were cool and was a little sad that they seemed to get buried in the mix, but I think that's what you can hear at the start of "Armistice" and "Burden".

Recommendations

Download and listen to the whole thing, the songs are far from boring, and you might hear something I missed due to being pissed off with the lack of Rawk. Don't buy it. GO TO A LIVE SHOW IF THEY PLAY ANYWHERE NEAR YOU. Bring friends. Say thanks and buy a t-shirt or something if they impress you.

Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major

For a band that writes seemingly simple pop songs, these guys take forever to work on their albums. This is only their fourth full-length over their 12 year recording career. I've always found Stephen Jenkins' (lead singer and songwriter, rhythm guitar) work to either be brilliant, or pleasant but mediocre. He is a very wordy singer, and when all those words are not wrapped up in a decent melody with some energetic instrumentation, I find the songs really tend to drag. For example, on their previous album, Out of the Vein, "Blinded" is a wicked song with one of the best pop lifts into the bridge that I have ever heard, whereas "Self Righteous" is driven by a single guitar, with other instruments sneaking in here and there, six minutes long, and it gets quite repetitive with no changes in the dynamics.

Overview

Ursa Major is pretty much exactly what I would have expected out of a new Third Eye Blind album, wordy, sometimes half talked/rapped lyrics, motorcycle references, thoughts during the perceived slow motion of a crash etc. Same basic sound as the previous albums with a few new pieces; they threw in a little more piano(certainly there before but now on rockin' songs too), keyboard, horns, and some bigger/louder/weirder guitar sounds (like the Smashing Pumpkins or White Stripes-esque leads on About to Break, Summer Town, and Dao of St. Paul).

Highlights

"Sharp Knife" - sweet, airy, heartfelt verses, big catchy chorus with vocal breaks to let the rock shine through.

"One in Ten" - acoustic driven song, I was scared this one was gonna get all long, wordy and hand-drummy on me, (damn hippies and their hand drums). But, it is thankfully short at under three minutes, and I really like the accompanying instruments, the horns were a cool touch, and I think it's better to keep a song like this pretty much free of percussion, instead of putting in a quiet beat. I also might just like it because it is probably about Vanessa Carlton.

"Don't Believe a Word" - Who plays that pre-chorus? No, it's Third Eye Blind ripping off the Who, silly. Who cares? Maybe the Who, not me.

"Why Can't You Be" - but just because near the start of the song, the girlfriend character (again, probably Vanessa Carlton) in the song asks why the singer can't be a little more like her handheld water-jet massager, "a sweet, reliable machine". Unfortunately there is about three minutes in the middle of the song that adds next to nothing to it. Once any song starts approaching 5 minutes, I usually start to ask why, and often there is no good answer (see Metallica's "St. Anger")

Music Nerdery

There are a couple references to other artists I caught on this album, on the Who-ish "Don't Believe a Word", after some screams over big full band hits (a la "Won't Get Fooled Again"), Jenkins says "I hope we don't get fooled again". Also in "Summer Town" during the hip-hop/reggae/r&b-ish ending he says something along the lines of "wanna be hustles cool M.I.A., make a paper plane then you fly away" although his mumbly, speech impediment style of singing makes it hard to understand the line, the reference to M.I.A.'s song "Paper Planes" is obvious. I bet there are more in there, but with as many lyrics in a song as some people put on a whole album, it's a lot to sift through. If you find another one, write it in the comments. He seems to throw them in when the style of the song reminds him of another artist.

Recommendations

Download for background music if you wish. Don't pay for it. If you like to purchase single songs, the first three from the Highlights section would be worth it. Even if you are already a Third Eye Blind fan I'd download the album to check out what you like before throwing any money down. You might actually be more inclined to like this album if you don't already have any other Third Eye Blind albums, because it might sound fresher to your ears than it does to mine.

note - after writing this, I re-listened to Out of the Vein, and if you haven't heard that, check it out instead of this one, I think it is a much more solid album.

The Dudes - Blood Guts Bruises Cuts

First post! First album review! This is gonna be awkward like a first kiss, but a lot more wordy. The Dudes are from Calgary, and they've been around for awhile, but I've been hearing them on the radio in Vancouver recently, and I should hope they are also getting played all over the country. Any airplay they get is well deserved. I liked their previous album, Brain Heart Guitar, but I felt it was a little weak in the second half, and I thought this band had much more to offer. I tend to be a sucker for bands that have a very distinct sound, yet still manage to make songs and albums that sound significantly different from one another, so that I don't get bored of the sound. Most bands seem to have a difficult time doing this for more than two or three albums, and as this is the Dudes second album* we'll see if they can keep up the good work after this one (*widely released at least, and I haven't heard This Guy's the Limit or the Bee Puncher EP, so they have had no effect on my boredom or lack of it as it relates to this band). It is Dan Vacon's voice that seems to anchor the Dudes' sound. I think he would sound unique no matter how he placed his words, but he also has his own way of phrasing lines that is interesting, musical, clever and somehow very human.

Track 1 - Honest Mistake

I heard an acoustic version of this song a year ago while the Dudes were writing this album, and I was mildly disappointed. It really seemed to lack the punch and gusto I had come to love and expect from this band. I don't know if it is the addition of drums or the switch to electric guitars, or just how the song developed in recording, but I like this version much better. Right off the bat it sounds like the gritty sound of the previous album is still there, while Bob Quaschnick adds some clean guitar with dotted eighth note delays for some fresh sparkle.

Favorite seconds: 1:34-1:35 "Not, my, fault!" there are many talked lines on this album, and I will probably gush about all of them, because they are all awesome. Although, I generally find any talked vocals awesome. But I generally don't like Rap, Spoken Word, or that weird Baz Luhrmann song about wearing sunscreen. Go figure.

Track 2 - Girl Police

I love how clever and humorous Dan's Lyrics are, without being too campy (like Mika) or ridiculous (like Tenacious D). I wish I could put words together that well. Listen closely to all the lyrics, or google them if lyrics tend to escape you. I really liked the Cheap Trick-ish guitars in the first half of the chorus, and the barbershop backup vocals in the second half. I don't think there are many bands that can pull off style changes mid-song, especially in the stuttery fashion that seems to be all over this album, but I think the Dudes do it well. I don't know if they do it as well as the Matches on Decomposer, but they certainly pull it off.

Favorite seconds: 1:22-1:39

"They want to hole us up in their lockdown, a year for every precious heart we knocked down, less a day for every night we rocked out, oh thank god we always rocked out." Haha, more talking, and clever lyrics, I sense a trend.

Track 3 - Ghosts We're Buried On

I read in an interview that this was a song that was written about Vacon's Grandfather, and that it was his favorite song he had ever written. I certainly think it is one of his best. I don't know why, but I really like the songs I write that come from tough emotional times too, there just always seems to be a little something extra that makes it sound better, like I could have used the same chords and the same melody and written it about something else, and it would have sucked. I wonder what exactly he means by "the ghosts that we're buried on"? I presumed the ghosts are our ancestors, but in what way are we buried on them? If I actually get anyone to read this, I encourage you to share your thoughts on this lyric. Also, I read another review of this album that described this song as being Sublime-ish, and I don't see the similarities, I get more of a Big Band vibe, but I would be interested to hear what other people have to say.

Favorite seconds: 0:30-0:44 both guitars and the bass seem to be playing things unrelated to each other, but they somehow sound really cool if you listen to it all together. Also the demonstration of how Grandad played guitar, and the vocal affirmation of it were nice touches.

Track 4 - Pretty Lies

When I first heard this song it was on my alarm clock radio one morning this summer, and while the voice told me it was the Dudes, I was surprised at the dirty heshin' rock style, with little to no indie modesty. It's like a really good Trews song, but with less polish and way better songwriting. (apologies if you are a Trews fan, there is just something about their songs that irritates me personally, not because they are bad, but because they could easily be so much better, if I could just point out to them what their weak points are. Maybe they should just talk to the Dudes instead)

Favorite seconds: 0:26 - 0:31 "My heart is pulsing and bloody, she beats for nobody specifically" I always get this bit stuck in my head, but the second half has this wonky timing, and I can never get it right, so it gets stuck even worse, but I still love it. Also, what is with the line "say that I'm needed, like the landlord on the 30th, I don't believe you" which line goes with which? Is the landlord needed on the 30th, or is he as skeptical as a landlord would be on the 30th? Discuss.

Track 5 - Terrified

This song sounds too much like the previous album to me. And it sounds like one of the songs I would have passed over on the previous album as well. It's not bad, it just doesn't grab me. I did like how the gang vocals were compiled from fan recordings sent in via the internet, a good way to get fans involved who might normally not get a chance to be on a record.

Track 6 - Mr. Someone Else

I think this is one of my three favorite songs on this album. A fresh take on the girl envy song (see Jessie's Girl, I Want Your Girlfriend to be my Girlfriend Too). I like the way the chorus lyrics are a little different each time, and equally slick every time.

Favorite seconds: 1:55 - 2:01 "Don't think it's indestructible, cus love can die, I've seen it die, and born again like 50 times man." I think the addition of the "man" at the end is my favorite part of my favorite part.

Track 7 - Turning All Red

See Track 5

Track 8 - Small Mercies

This is a cool track, and the chorus gets stuck in my head all the time. It kind of surprised me after all the rock, but I think it really strengthens the album, whereas I felt like the slower numbers on Brain Heart Guitar just bogged things down. I like the bit of the rhythm track that sounds like a bitcrushed shaker or something. That one sound almost makes the track sound a little electronic, even though it doesn't really have that programmed sound.

Favorite seconds: 1:27-1:50 Cut everything, cue folky acoustic guitars, a little harmonica, bring the shaker in....now, annnnnnd full band back in. yes

Track 9 - Connected

This may not be the strongest song on the LP, but I think it sums up what the Dudes make me feel. I may not feel connected to the same things the lyrics refer to, but all the songs on this album make me feel like I'm part of a music community, a neighborhood, a city, or the human race. The instrumental chorus sort of thing is cool, reminds me of Feel the Pain by Dinosaur Jr. I'm looking forward to seeing this live, I'm gonna dance like this: sway, sway, head bob, sway, sway, head bob, sway, fist pump, kick it, head bob, kick it, head bob with extra enthusiasm on the stops, sway kicks.

Track 10 - Ever Been to Taiwan?

Haha, Taiwan on, tie one on, get it? "But the PA's fine, we turn it up louder" Good gang vocals, I think I'll like this one way better live. I think I have seen the band that he's talking about with the frontman who dresses like Stephen Tyler. It was at the Palomino, and I feel like it was either when I played a random one-off show with the Tetraktys, or a Lions and Tigers and Bears Show, but both of those don't seem to fit properly with the rest of the memory.

Favorite Seconds: 2:37-3:20 the slow-down

Track 11 - Had Enough of It

I can't quite decide if I like how the start of those song really sticks out from the rest of the album (except for Small Mercies maybe), but I do know I really like it on its own. I also know I really don't like the transition from the electronicky bit to the old time bit that kicks in at 2:20, I think it sounds sloppy, amateur and out of place. I think maybe the song would have benefitted to sticking closer to the style of the first minute and a half. Maybe that would have made it stick out even more from the rest of the album, which may or may not be a good thing. Discuss.

Favorite seconds: 0:01-1:34

Track 12 - Not S'pose to Call

This is my favorite song on the album. I saw them play this live at Sled Island last year, and I was disappointed by what I thought was the chorus, until the chorus kicked in, and it turned out I really liked how they took it down a notch just before busting out on the chorus. Love, love LOVE the stops in the chorus. Love the volume swell on the reverby backups. I hope the kids will understand what quarters would be used for other than the laundromat, although last time I checked, it was a quarter and a dime. Yes, more talk-singing! "And my friends say..."

Favorite seconds: 1:04-1:10 and again at 2:19-2:25

Track 13 - Find Out

See Tracks 5 and 7. Sluggish.

Track 14 - Bonus

I like short, simple bonus songs like this that finish an album, rather than full live songs or b-sides as bonuses that start when everything should be concluding. For example, Metric's new album, Fantasies came with a bonus song called Waves at the end that kinda messed up the flow of the album, felt like things were starting up again. Another cool short ending song is Proctor Rd. by the Matches at the end of A Band in Hope, although it might be even better as an intro song.

Final Thoughts

Well that was not like a first kiss in any way. More like an unsuccessful first attempt at having sex. Maybe if I keep writing, one day I will learn how to pleasure the lady that is your mind, and maybe if I'm lucky I'll even feel a little more satisfied.

The guitar sounds on this album are bigger and thicker than those on Brain Heart Guitar, suggesting Dan leaned more heavily on his ES-335 for this recording than the Jazzmaster that I believe was used previously. I liked how the Dudes used this big sound, some bands get lost in it, and end up with a song that rocks and has a decent hook, but doesn't go anywhere or say anything. When the songs did slow down or quiet down, they still had feeling and momentum, and this resulted in Blood Guts Bruises Cuts being a stronger album, with more depth than Brain Heart Guitar. I look forward to seeing the Dudes live again, and hearing what they will do with their next album.

In hindsight, most of my comments refer to guitar sounds, andDan Vacon's songwriting. I write songs and play guitar, so I suppose that's what I am going to notice, although I'll make an effort to listen for standout performances by other intstruments in future reviews. I tried to keep the technical stuff somewhat limited, especially because I probably don't know what the hell I am talking about half the time anyway, but I am still deciding if I will be writing this blog as if you are as much of a music dork as me, or if I want to be objective and generally informative, include personal thoughts or not, go into excessive detail or be concise etc. Who am I writing this blog for anyway? Discuss.