Friday News Round-Up: Joy Division Vs. Disney, Miles Davis & The Post Office, Fiona Apple

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Matt Satterfield
  • Perhaps by now you’ve seen the infamous Disney t-shirts which have “been inspired” by the Joy Division classic Unknown Pleasures.  At first, I thought the idea was awful and insulting to the legacy of the band.  Now, I find the concept extremely hilarious. Surely, Disney hasn’t heard the lyrics: “I’ve seen the nights, filled with bloodsport and pain, and the bodies obtained, the bodies obtained” from Day of the Lords from that album?  Or have they?  At any rate, two days after Disney put up the images of the shirts, the company said they were pulling them. The best reaction came from Joy Division bassist Peter Hook  (who is also suing New Order the band formed in the wake of Joy Division’s demise) who said this to Rolling Stone: “You never know, this might be just the thing that brings me, Bernard and Stephen together to have a laugh and a drink. And maybe Walt can achieve what no amount of people seem to be able to do in the world, and bring Joy Division back together.”  Personally, I think that if the dead Walt Disney himself  can bring back Ian Curtis who is also dead that would be more newsworthy than Joy Division getting back together.
  • The US Postal Service has announced that they will be issuing a commemorative Miles Davis stamp sometime in 2012. I love Miles, but damn, don’t you have more important things to worry about than a stamp Post Office?
  • Roxy Music’s 40th anniversary is coming up, so in celebration the band is prepping a massive career-spanning box-set which includes all 8 of their albums re-mastered as well as b-sides, remixes and out-takes.  Check out the full track-listing here.
  • LMFAO will apparently appear with Madonna at the Superbowl according to will.i.am.  I’m not a huge Madonna fan (though some of her songs in the 80s were good), but when you’re Madonna do you really need the current trends to back you up?
  • And finally, looks like Fiona Apple will be releasing a new album this year.  Her first since 2005′s Extraordinary Machine.
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New Music Thursdays: The Elkcloner, Torgny

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Matt Satterfield

The Elkcloner – “Crossfire”

The first few seconds of Elkcloner’s “Crossfire” sounds like you’re being led into the world’s most horrifying carnival. Luckily, “Crossfire” doesn’t turn into campy shock (especially if you hate clowns like I do), but ends up becoming catchy and memorable through its dark underbelly, due in part to the haunting female vocals.  Elkcloner  is the  of new musical project of composer Filip Mitrovic, whose previous credits include co-scoring the movies Resident Evil: Afterlife and Echo.

Click for more info on The Elkcloner.

Torgny – “Big Day”

Torgny’s “Big Day” is the first track from the Norwegian electronic artist’s newest EP entitled Trilogy EP.  Even if you don’t like electronic music, “Big Day” offers subtle layers of real instrumentation evoking the icy work of some of Radiohead’s more experimental detours.  If only all electronic music were this interesting.

Click for more info on Torgny

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Wednesday Lists: 10 Songs that Should Be Played on a Jukebox at a Bar

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Matt Satterfield

Following last week’s list “10 Songs that Should Absolutely Not Be Played on a Jukebox at a Bar”, at the suggestion of a friend I’ve decided to list the songs that should be played on a jukebox.

1.) “Jump” – Van Halen

“You got to ro-ooo-oooo-ll with the punches,” David Lee Roth declares in the first verse of this Van Halen classic.  And really, who are you to argue with Diamond Dave? Especially when this mantra is backed by the catchiest keyboard hook in rock and a ridiculous guitar solo that does not fit the rest of the song at all.  What to do?  Might as well jump.

2.) “Tiny Dancer” – Elton John

Personally, I prefer “Bennie and the Jets” and “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)”, but “Tiny Dancer” has this magical quality that makes everyone sing along to its chorus.  It achieves the same effect as Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” except this song is far superior.

3.) “Hey Ya!” – Outkast

Another case where the biggest song of the year also happened to be the best.  It’s downright silly (the infamous “shake it like a polaroid picture” line, “what’s cooler than being cool?”), serious (“separate is always better when there’s feeling involved”) and most of all fun.

4.) “Superstition” – Stevie Wonder

What an opening drum beat, that if you’re into playing air drums is a definite must.  And that clarinet riff and Moog synthesizer still sound as wild today as it did 40 years ago. Anybody who thinks Stevie Wonder is cheesy (and I’ve met a few of those people) need to check this song out stat.

5.) “99 Problems” – Jay-Z

I listen to a fair amount of hip-hop, but this is one of the few hip-hop songs where I know all the words. And judging by the reaction the song usually gets, I’m guessing that I’m not the only one.  With its rocking beat and one of Jay-Z’s best performances, “99 Problems” is essential Jukebox listening.

6.) “I Want You To Want Me” – Cheap Trick

This song can be a bit precarious. Putting it up on too early can backfire and everybody will question your jukebox ability. However, putting it on about an hour after you’ve thought it was a good idea is a much wiser.  Then everyone will praise you for your selection and gloriously sing the chorus with you.

7.) “Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen

The Boss is the only artist with the distinction of being included on both lists!  ”Born to Run” achieves this honor in part because of Springsteen’s famous non-verbal yelps. And you who can’t resist jumping up and shouting: “One, two, three four….the highway is jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive!”

8.) “Body of an American” – The Pogues

Knowing the words to this song is akin to being in a secret society like the Masons or Illuminati.  If the guy next to you is singing with you in unison, a pact has been created.  There are few things better in the world than seeing a group shout out “I’m a free born man of the USA!”.  If you don’t believe me, watch The Wire and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

9.) “Beast of Burden” – The Rolling Stones

A funny thing about this song: if you’re listening to it on your stereo at home it’s an average Rolling Stones song but at a bar at midnight it sounds like one of the greatest songs ever written.  I’m guessing it’s because of the groove which is neither slow or overbearing.

10.) “Push It” – Salt-N-Pepa

No, I’m not kidding on this one. I’m including this one because every time it comes on everybody will at first assume you’re crazy but then change their minds half-way through the song. Is it nostalgia?  Probably, but who cares?

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Album of the Week: “Purple Rain” – Prince & The Revolution

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Matt Satterfield

“Matt, when you grow up I hope you don’t end up liking Prince.”  This was something my older brother mentioned to me randomly one night. I had no idea who or what he was talking about. I couldn’t have been older than 10, and I just assumed that he meant a prince.  Who that prince was, I had no clue.

When I finally did discover Price the musician, that statement suddenly made a whole lot of sense. By this time, it was the 90s and Prince was no longer Prince, but an unpronounceable symbol with the words “slave” written across his face with a sharpie.  My only knowledge of Prince’s music was from the soundtrack to Tim Burton’s Batman, and that was awful.

For years, I was convinced that Prince was a joke. It didn’t help that in 1999, everybody in my high school was singing that damn song. Who cares if it was 1999? I might have been one of the few who was happy that the new Millennium came – if nothing else it meant that I didn’t have to hear “1999″ played repeatedly.

It wasn’t until I read Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of all Time in 2003. As I scoured the list for familiar names, I was surprised at how many Prince albums there were.  Ranking at Number 72, was Purple Rain which caught my attention.  Immediately, I decided that I would give Prince another chance.

I sheepishly entered Borders with the thought that everybody else probably had this album, and wondered if the cashier would call me out on it. (I say this, because if I were a cashier at a record store or a place that sold CDs, I totally would comment on what someone was buying.)  Once in my car, I waited in anticipation for what was about to come through the stereo.

The sound of a distorted church organ was the last thing I expected to hear.  Then came Prince’s voice:

Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
To get through this thing called life
Electric word life
It means forever and that’s a mighty long time
But I’m here to tell you
There’s something else
The afterworld
A world of never ending happiness
You can always see the sun, day or night

I knew right then, that this was going to be a listening experience unlike other.  Every single song caught my attention whether it was the dueling vocals on “Take Me With U” or the atmospheric pop of “I Would Die For You”.  Then there is of course, “When Doves Cry” which can easily rank as one of the greatest songs ever recorded.

On the surface, Purple Rain is a fusion of genres with the final product defying all expectations and categories. It’s a dance record, but it’s also pop.  There are elements of hints of hard-rock, and power ballads. Every single song on Purple Rain takes a detour (small or large) which keeps it from being conventional.  The guitars are layered like a Phil Spector production, but there are also drum machines and synthesizers, which at the time made it a completely modern record.

If Purple Rain is a masterpiece of the 1980s, it is because Prince made sure it was.  There’s not a single note on the album that doesn’t belong.  Even the title song would not be the same without the extended ending and some great guitar work by the Purple One himself.  But most of all, Purple Rain remains one of the best albums of all time, because it was another moment in time when the most popular artist in the world was also the best and most innovative.

 

 

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Song of the Week: “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” – Tom Waits

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Matt Satterfield

“I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” was the first Tom Waits song I ever heard. And I’m guessing that most people remember the first time they hear Tom Waits. That growl of a voice, that sounds like a disturbed Muppet sticks in your brain.  My older brother was picking me up from karate class (something I hate admitting and hated even more at the time), and was playing Waits’ Bone Machine in his car.

Usually I was excited when he picked me up, but not this time.  Even before I got in the car, I could hear the barrage of sounds and spooky singing coming from the car.  I was already embarrassed to be there, and this racket was not making it any easier.

As we pulled out of the parking lot, “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” came on.  It sounded like it was something that belonged on Sesame Street – the very epitome of being of a kid. And like most teenagers, I couldn’t wait to grow up and not take this stupid karate class.  Here Who could take this dude seriously? Sounding like a monster and bitching about growing up just seemed moronic. “Augh,” I complained to my brother.  ”Can we turn this crap off?” Usually, I liked the music he listened to, but I was not in the mood this particular night.

“I don’t wanna be a good Boy Scout,” Waits sang through the speakers.  That particular line pissed me off.  I was also in the Boy Scouts at the time, and would have rather been in that in a second than the karate class.  (Looking back, it’s hilarious that I was involved in both of these activities and favored one over the other.)

It would take me years to truly appreciate Tom Waits.  On the recommendations of some friends I purchased The Heart of Saturday Night, Frank’s Wild Years and Closing Time. I as surprised by how much I actually enjoyed them considering my disdain for Bone Machine, which I avoided purchasing for a long time.

And I also avoided “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”.  I wasn’t sure what it was – but that song annoyed the shit out of me. Surely it wasn’t Waits’ voice – I had gotten used to that over the years. I could never put my finger on it, but “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” hit a nerve every time I thought about the song.

One night I randomly decided to give it a listen. As the lone guitar kicked in, I found myself slowly liking it.  After several repeated listens, I found myself singing along:

When I’m lyin’ in my bed at night
I don’t wanna grow up
Nothin’ ever seems to turn out right
I don’t wanna grow up
How do you move in a world of fog
That’s always changing things
Makes me wish that I could be a dog
When I see the price that you pay
I don’t wanna grow up
I don’t ever wanna be that way
I don’t wanna grow up

Suddenly the whole song made sense. All those years of not hearing it, I had convinced myself that the song was sincere.  Of course I should have known better, but this is what years of hating a song will do to you.  Waits’ singing in cigarette/whiskey/Grover howl bitching about growing up was entirely the point, and hilariously ironic.

Maybe if I discovered that earlier on, my teenager years would have been easier.

 

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RIP Etta James

Posted on January 21, 2012 by Matt Satterfield

Sorry I didn’t get around to this yesterday.  The music world lost one of the greats yesterday. RIP Etta James.

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Friday News Round-Up: Megaupload, Johnny Ramone, Johnny Otis

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Matt Satterfield
  • Damn, it has been a bad week for Megaupload. First, the site felt the wrath of Universal Music Group who objected to a promotional video which starred Kanye West, Diddy, and Will.i.am and even the likes of Kim Kardashian.  Universal demanded that the ad be pulled from Youtube because none of their artists were authorized or given permission.  In the midst of all of this, it was revealed that Swizz Beatz was the company’s CEO (which helps explains the celebrities in the video).  Since then, Beatz role in the company has been debated – so who knows for sure? And yesterday, the Feds came cracking down on the site, officially shutting it down.  (Update 1/21/12: Swizz Beatz was actually not the CEO contrary to reports.)
  • Eight years after his death, Johnny Ramone’s widow is releasing a memoir of the famed punk rocker.  Pretty cool stuff, though I’m not sure about the title: Commando: The Autobiography of Johnny Ramone.
  • Johnny Otis, the “Godfather or R&B” died Tuesday at the age of 90.  Otis was a pioneer in jazz, blues and Gospel.  He was also a talent scout as well, discovering Etta James and Jackie Wilson among others.
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New Music Thursdays: Bruce Springsteen: “We Take Care of Our Own”

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Matt Satterfield

A lot has been already been written about Bruce Springsteen’s newest album, Wrecking Ball due out March 6th.  According to some reports, the album will have unexpected textures – loops, electronic percussion… influences and rhythms from hip-hop to Irish folk rhythms.”  Springsteen’s manager told Rolling Stone that Wrecking Ball is a “big-picture piece of work. It’s a rock record that combines elements of both Bruce’s classic sound and his Seeger Sessions experience, with new textures and styles.” Other sources have described it as Springsteen’s “angriest album yet”.  I have to admit I’m skeptical about that claim, since Darkness on the Edge of Town and Nebraska were both pretty angry.

So today we have our first official offering off of Wrecking Ball, “We Take Care of Our Own”.  Upon first listen, the up-beat rocker is an improvement over most of the work that was found on Working on a Dream.

“We Take Care of Our Own” has a majestic and sweeping introduction very reminiscent of “Born to Run” and “Badlands” – complete with hand claps, piano and naturally, guitar. For such an upbeat song, Springsteen does sound fairly agitated (something that was missing from Working on a Dream) at the state of the country. He stumbles on “good hearts turned to stone” and later wonders “where is the love that has not forsaken me?” The sing-along chorus of “we take our of own, wherever this flag is flown” is also reminiscent of “Born in the USA” – upbeat but laced with irony and bitterness.

If “We Take Care Of Our Own” is any indication, Wrecking Ball could easily be Springsteen’s best since The Rising.  (I don’t count the Seeger Sessions, since those weren’t Springsteen originals.)

 

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Wednesday Lists: Ten Songs Not To Be Played on a Jukebox at a Bar

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Matt Satterfield

For today’s list, I thought I would have a little bit of fun and list songs that should absolutely not be played at a bar.  And since most bars have a jukebox with a web search for songs, things can get a little dicey. Most of these songs are great songs in their own right, but are the complete opposite of a song designed to “get the people going”.

1.) “Sister Ray” – The Velvet Underground

“Sister Ray” happens to one of the Velvet Underground’s most groundbreaking songs.  That says a lot for a band that is considered to be one of the most innovative bands of all time.  But “Sister Ray” also happens to be 17 minutes long of pure noise. In an act of sheer stupidity, I once tried to play this song at a bar and after about 10 minutes, someone finally changed the song.

2.) “Bridge Over Troubled Water” – Simon & Garfunkel

Any fun you’re having will automatically be zapped away if this song comes on. People go out to get away from their problems, and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is sure to bring people back to reality.  If you do dare to put this song on, expect at least one person to shout out: “Who the fuck put on ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water?’”

3.) “Desolation Row” – Bob Dylan

Unless your drinking friends are a bunch of college English professors, who like to argue over what Ezra Pound and TS Elliot are fighting about, or why Einstein is disguised as Robin Hood (and what are his memories doing in a trunk?), then this 11 minute song is probably not for you.

4.) “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” – Death Cab For Cutie

Really any Death Cab song is questionable for jukebox consumption, but a title like that sounds down right creepy late at night.

5.) “This Radio Clash” – The Clash

Ironically, this song was supposed to be a dance song with its funky rhythms and early hip-hop beats. Time has not been kind to this song, and its 4 minutes seem just about as long as “Sister Ray”.

6.) “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” – Pink Floyd

I know some people love to put on Floyd at bars, but I prefer not to think about my own mortality and worry about the educational establishment when I’m drinking. But “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” has got to be the worse: it takes about 4 minutes for the guitars to come in and another 5 before there is any singing.

7.) “Shiny Happy People” – R.E.M.

This song isn’t quite as bad as people make it out to be, but almost everyone around will bitch about its very existence turning almost everybody into very angry people.  Also, the song sounds like a B52s song, and if you want the B52 just put them on and that way everyone will be happy.

8.) “My Hometown” – Bruce Springsteen

Springsteen has so many great songs meant for a jukebox.  This song is not one of them.

9.) “Day of the Lords” – Joy Division

Much like Death Cab, any Joy Division song is kind of off limits here (with the possible exception of “Love Will Tear Us Apart”), but “Day of the Lords” stands out with its icy production and crawling pace.

10.) “Well Well Well” – John Lennon

The entire Plastic Ono Band album should not be played under any circumstances, but this song especially. If you dislike Yoko Ono, the references to sex might put you off, but not as much as Lennon screaming for two minutes before finally tearing his voice near the end of the song.

 

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Album of the Week: “Empty Glass” – Pete Townshend

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Matt Satterfield

Pete Townshend has never been one to run away from the big questions. The early Who albums and singles dealt with a sense of teenage identity. Even the loudest and fiercest Who songs sought out a spirituality and longing that was absent from much of the band’s contemporaries.

For his first “proper” solo album Empty Glass released in 1980 (an album of demos entitled Who Came First came out in 1972), Townshend doesn’t shy away from anything. Whether it’s the press (“Anyone can have an opinion, anyone can join in and jump” from “Jools and Jim”), his battles with sobriety (“My life’s a mess, I wait for you to pass, I stand here at the bar, I hold an empty glass”) or divine intervention – the generally misunderstood “Let My Love Open the Door.”  Freed from churning out a specific type of song for The Who (and to an extent the band’s audience), Townshend is at his most personal and wounded.

“Why was I born to today?” he asks on the title song.  Answering his own question, Townshend cites the Bible as the source of his misery: “Life is useless like Ecclesiastes say.”  To say that Townshend was at a low point in life around 1980, would be a bit of an understatement. Keith Moon, his partner in crime died less than two years before, and the following year, 9 people were trampled to death during a Who concert in Cincinnati. And this isn’t even mentioning his marital and substance abuse problems.

To Townshend’s credit, the music on the album is hardly depressing given the subject matter. As a matter of fact, it’s probably the most aggressive music he recorded since Quadrophenia which was released seven years later.  ”Rough Boys”, “Jools and Jim”, “Cat’s in the Cupboard” and “Gonna Get Ya” all rock as hard as anything the Who recorded.  Ironically, it’s Moon’s replacement Kenney Jones who gives these songs the burst of energy which pushes the songs.

Townshend was one of the few “classic rockers” invigorated by new-wave and punk movement (the album is dedicated to the Sex Pistols as well as his wife and kids), and it certainly shows.  Only “Cats in the Cupboard” meanders slightly (though it does show that Townshend is still the master of the power chord), but the rest of the songs are punchy and direct. “Rough Boys” contains some of his fastest playing, while “I Am Animal” showcases how good of an acoustic player he is.

Empty Glass is probably best known for “Let My Love Open the Door”, but if you’re a fan of an album where an artist has an inward gaze than it’s as good as Plastic Ono Band or In Utero.

 

 

 

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