Jawbox performing a cover of Tori Amos' Cornflake Girl.
Burning Airlines performing Mission Control.
Friday, September 19, 2008
J. Robbins Roundup
J. Robbins is one of the few influential and innovative artists in Rock today. Here are a few of his highlights:
Monday, August 11, 2008
Joel's Introduction to Voivod, Part One: The Pre-"Angel Rat" Years
I've been listening to a lot of Voivod lately. Voivod, if you are not aware, is Canada's greatest export since Rush, and Quebec's greatest export ever.
Voivod's 11 proper studio albums range from cacophonous, thrashing "nuclear metal" to Pink Floyd and Rush-inspired progressive metal to totally spaced-out psychedelic hard rock (which is a sore subject among many of the band's long-time fans) to industrial/death metal (which is another sore subject among many of the band's long-time fans) to (relatively) straightforward hard rock/metal, and I love each and every one of them (some more than others, naturally), and I'm very excited to have the opportunity to share this band with anyone who cares to look and listen.
The first 5 albums will be the focus of this entry, for two reasons. All five were recorded with the original lineup - Denis Belanger, a.k.a. "Snake," vocals; Denis D'Amour, a.k.a. "Piggy," guitars; Jean-Yves Theriault, a.k.a. "Blacky," bass; and Michel Langevin, a.k.a. "Away," drums - and all five fit within the band's original concept, first imagined by Away several years before the band even formed. The concept is pretty convoluted, but here are the basics as they pertain to the first five albums: On War and Pain (1984), the Voivod, a "nuclear vampire," awakens after nuclear war to reclaim his place as ruler of Morgoth. On RRROOOAAARRR (1986), the Voivod reawakens after several more nuclear wars, this time as Korgull the Exterminator, an unstoppable killing machine of unimaginable destruction.
By the time Killing Technology arrived in 1987, the Voivod had destroyed its world and escaped to outer space in search of new worlds to conquer. In 1988, the Voivod created Dimension Hatröss in a laboratory experiment, then traveled there to observe its inhabitants, extract their knowledge, and destroy them all and their dimension. Finally, the Voivod destroyed its own personality and tried to assimilate the personalities of others, but to no avail, and became the Nothingface (1989).
Dimension Hatröss is the only one of the five that could accurately be called a "concept album," and it's a mind-bending one at that. The other four really just fit the general theme of the Voivod's adventures, and the first three in particular reflect the nuclear paranoia of the Cold War era in which they debuted. Did I say "reflect?" Sorry, I meant "reek of." But in a good way. But enough talk - on to the evidence!
Exhibit A: the video for the song "Voivod" from the seminal War and Pain, which was remastered and re-released by Metal Blade Records with lots of extras in 2004).
This is "Ripping Headaches," from RRROOOAAARRR, which is both awesome and out of print (and which sounds like it was recorded directly into a li'l old school hand-held tape recorder inside a 50-gallon drum).
"Ravenous Medicine" from Killing Technology, also out of print. This is when Voivod really started to show what they were capable of, both musically and lyrically.
"Tribal Convictions" from Dimension Hatröss, which is one of the few Voivod albums still in print. You should own it. I'll have to review it separately another time, because I have too many things to say about it...it's absolutely epic.
And here's "Psychic Vacuum," also from Dimension Hatröss.
This is a clip from the "Pepsi Power Hour" on MuchMusic (which is now Fuse) from like '89 or '90 - two tracks from Nothingface, which is considered by many (most?) to be their masterpiece. Out of print? You bet!
And finally, even though I don't care for "videos" like this, "Missing Sequences" (also from Nothingface) is too great a song for you to not hear.
This concludes "Joel's Introduction to Voivod, Part One: The Pre-Angel Rat Years." I hope you'll join me for the thrilling conclusion, "Joel's Introduction to Voivod, Part Two: Angel Rat, The Outer Limits, and Beyond," where I'll discuss those two "sore subjects" I mentioned above and more.
Voivod's 11 proper studio albums range from cacophonous, thrashing "nuclear metal" to Pink Floyd and Rush-inspired progressive metal to totally spaced-out psychedelic hard rock (which is a sore subject among many of the band's long-time fans) to industrial/death metal (which is another sore subject among many of the band's long-time fans) to (relatively) straightforward hard rock/metal, and I love each and every one of them (some more than others, naturally), and I'm very excited to have the opportunity to share this band with anyone who cares to look and listen.
The first 5 albums will be the focus of this entry, for two reasons. All five were recorded with the original lineup - Denis Belanger, a.k.a. "Snake," vocals; Denis D'Amour, a.k.a. "Piggy," guitars; Jean-Yves Theriault, a.k.a. "Blacky," bass; and Michel Langevin, a.k.a. "Away," drums - and all five fit within the band's original concept, first imagined by Away several years before the band even formed. The concept is pretty convoluted, but here are the basics as they pertain to the first five albums: On War and Pain (1984), the Voivod, a "nuclear vampire," awakens after nuclear war to reclaim his place as ruler of Morgoth. On RRROOOAAARRR (1986), the Voivod reawakens after several more nuclear wars, this time as Korgull the Exterminator, an unstoppable killing machine of unimaginable destruction.
By the time Killing Technology arrived in 1987, the Voivod had destroyed its world and escaped to outer space in search of new worlds to conquer. In 1988, the Voivod created Dimension Hatröss in a laboratory experiment, then traveled there to observe its inhabitants, extract their knowledge, and destroy them all and their dimension. Finally, the Voivod destroyed its own personality and tried to assimilate the personalities of others, but to no avail, and became the Nothingface (1989).
Dimension Hatröss is the only one of the five that could accurately be called a "concept album," and it's a mind-bending one at that. The other four really just fit the general theme of the Voivod's adventures, and the first three in particular reflect the nuclear paranoia of the Cold War era in which they debuted. Did I say "reflect?" Sorry, I meant "reek of." But in a good way. But enough talk - on to the evidence!
Exhibit A: the video for the song "Voivod" from the seminal War and Pain, which was remastered and re-released by Metal Blade Records with lots of extras in 2004).
This is "Ripping Headaches," from RRROOOAAARRR, which is both awesome and out of print (and which sounds like it was recorded directly into a li'l old school hand-held tape recorder inside a 50-gallon drum).
"Ravenous Medicine" from Killing Technology, also out of print. This is when Voivod really started to show what they were capable of, both musically and lyrically.
"Tribal Convictions" from Dimension Hatröss, which is one of the few Voivod albums still in print. You should own it. I'll have to review it separately another time, because I have too many things to say about it...it's absolutely epic.
And here's "Psychic Vacuum," also from Dimension Hatröss.
This is a clip from the "Pepsi Power Hour" on MuchMusic (which is now Fuse) from like '89 or '90 - two tracks from Nothingface, which is considered by many (most?) to be their masterpiece. Out of print? You bet!
And finally, even though I don't care for "videos" like this, "Missing Sequences" (also from Nothingface) is too great a song for you to not hear.
This concludes "Joel's Introduction to Voivod, Part One: The Pre-Angel Rat Years." I hope you'll join me for the thrilling conclusion, "Joel's Introduction to Voivod, Part Two: Angel Rat, The Outer Limits, and Beyond," where I'll discuss those two "sore subjects" I mentioned above and more.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
GBV
For whatever reason, I have currently been listening to Guided by Voices. This is one of the indie-rock icons of a past age, however, some how I missed out on them during their prime. Oh well, better late than never.
They are were the masters of the lo-fi sound as this video demostrates.
But they were not limited to that sound as you can see from this video.
This tine is one of those pop songs that will get stuck in your head, be careful.
They are were the masters of the lo-fi sound as this video demostrates.
But they were not limited to that sound as you can see from this video.
This tine is one of those pop songs that will get stuck in your head, be careful.
Friday, May 23, 2008
The Walter Schreifels Roundup
One of my favorite artists is Walter Schreifels. He has done many things throughout his career. He is a pioneer and an innovator. Bottom line, few musicians are as influential as this guy. Whether it is...
Youth of Today...
Gorilla Biscuits...
Moondog...
Quicksand...
Rival Schools...
Walking Concert...
or even his acoustic music...
he remains on the cutting edge of music.
Youth of Today...
Gorilla Biscuits...
Moondog...
Quicksand...
Rival Schools...
Walking Concert...
or even his acoustic music...
he remains on the cutting edge of music.
Because You Said Something
This post is related to a comment left from a previous post. John Stainer is my all time favorite rock drummer, I like jazz too so I have to say it that way. His snare drum has the tightest sound I have ever heard, he knows when to start and stop, he can fill but he does not always, etc., etc., etc. I have never been able to find videos of him showing off his chops but I have come across others attempting to play his songs.
Listed below is a video from some cat named Nick. He plays along with Helmet's song "FBLA II" and he pulls it off very nicely. I was rather impressed.
Listed below is a video from some cat named Nick. He plays along with Helmet's song "FBLA II" and he pulls it off very nicely. I was rather impressed.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Bands To Listen To This Summer
Certain bands have a real "summer feel" to their music. That is, some groups make the type of music that makes you want to shut off the A/C, roll down the windows, and turn up the tunes. Here are my picks for this summer...
Fu Manchu
Nebula
Queens of the Stone Age
Monster Magnet
Fu Manchu
Nebula
Queens of the Stone Age
Monster Magnet
Thursday, May 1, 2008
They Don't Make Like They Used To
There are some bands you can't help tapping yo' foot to. For instance...
Helmet
Karen, this is how you do rock drumming!
Fugazi
I wish I was there singing with the boys!
Hum
If this song sounds familiar, it is the background music to a Cadillac commercial now.
Failure
Now you have to excuse me, I need to go and dry my eye!
Helmet
Karen, this is how you do rock drumming!
Fugazi
I wish I was there singing with the boys!
Hum
If this song sounds familiar, it is the background music to a Cadillac commercial now.
Failure
Now you have to excuse me, I need to go and dry my eye!
Monday, March 17, 2008
On Music Reviews
I am not a professional writer nor the son of one. However, I have read a large amount of words in my days. Much of the material I have read has been about music. I enjoy picking up some magazine and reading their reviews of the latest albums on the market. I attempt to read the reviews, not to determine whether I will purchase an album, but what to except out of a record. Currently, I sample music on-line or on iTunes. Although I think is it a great thing that many blogs, sites, etc. enable anyone to review an album, I do not typically find the reviews helpful.
I write on a blog. This is self-publishing. I do not have the writing abilities to work for a magazine doing what I am doing now. Yet, I think that this is a wonderful thing about the Internet, America, and all that jazz. Hear me out: I think it is great that people can freely post their opinions about music at any time and place.
Nevertheless, what I have found are typically unhelpful reviews. I am not typically motivated to buy a record with a review like this: This album changed my life! That's great. I am happy for you. Now if you don't mind me asking, what about the record made such a difference in your life? Another review that I typically find is like this: Greatest album of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After I read a review like that I think to myself, "Wow! That was helpful. I wasn't planning on buying the album at first, but after the 13th exclaimation point, I thought that I would be a fool not to check it out." I am also very fond of this one: Buy It Now! Well, if you were a terrorist standing behind me in a music store with an A-K 47 pointed in my back, that might be a helpful review. On the other hand, your probably not, so please tell me something about the album.
Why do I bring this up? Am I just a cynical jerk? That may be true. Do I not have anything better to do than let people be excited about their favorite bands? Maybe so. However, my primary intention about bringing this up has to do with this blog. My desire for this blog is that when an album is reviewed, we will be helpful to the reader about why we like or dislike the album. In essence, we will attempt to describe what about this album is noteworthy or not. Questions like these: What is the production like? How does this compare to a band's previous albums? Are their any apparent musical, philosophical, or literary influences on the album? Answering these types of questions help people determine if they might be interested in a band or a record. For instance, if the reviewer indicates that a band sounds like the Grateful Dead, then I am not going to waste my time. Why? I do not like the sounds that come from those musicians. Just as a side note, my theory is that all of Jerry Garcia's talent was lost when the edge of his finger got cut off :)
My point is simple: music reviews should help the reader determine as much as possible whether the album being reviewed is worth a listen or a purchase. This is what I intend on doing on this blog and this is also what I hope the readers of this blog will come to except of us.
I write on a blog. This is self-publishing. I do not have the writing abilities to work for a magazine doing what I am doing now. Yet, I think that this is a wonderful thing about the Internet, America, and all that jazz. Hear me out: I think it is great that people can freely post their opinions about music at any time and place.
Nevertheless, what I have found are typically unhelpful reviews. I am not typically motivated to buy a record with a review like this: This album changed my life! That's great. I am happy for you. Now if you don't mind me asking, what about the record made such a difference in your life? Another review that I typically find is like this: Greatest album of all time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After I read a review like that I think to myself, "Wow! That was helpful. I wasn't planning on buying the album at first, but after the 13th exclaimation point, I thought that I would be a fool not to check it out." I am also very fond of this one: Buy It Now! Well, if you were a terrorist standing behind me in a music store with an A-K 47 pointed in my back, that might be a helpful review. On the other hand, your probably not, so please tell me something about the album.
Why do I bring this up? Am I just a cynical jerk? That may be true. Do I not have anything better to do than let people be excited about their favorite bands? Maybe so. However, my primary intention about bringing this up has to do with this blog. My desire for this blog is that when an album is reviewed, we will be helpful to the reader about why we like or dislike the album. In essence, we will attempt to describe what about this album is noteworthy or not. Questions like these: What is the production like? How does this compare to a band's previous albums? Are their any apparent musical, philosophical, or literary influences on the album? Answering these types of questions help people determine if they might be interested in a band or a record. For instance, if the reviewer indicates that a band sounds like the Grateful Dead, then I am not going to waste my time. Why? I do not like the sounds that come from those musicians. Just as a side note, my theory is that all of Jerry Garcia's talent was lost when the edge of his finger got cut off :)
My point is simple: music reviews should help the reader determine as much as possible whether the album being reviewed is worth a listen or a purchase. This is what I intend on doing on this blog and this is also what I hope the readers of this blog will come to except of us.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
a few things
I intend to write a more complete entry in a day or two, but I wanted to at least stand up and be counted here, so I though I'd take a moment to list a few of the things that I've been listening to lately, in no particular order. So without further ado, I present:
A Few of the Things Joel Has Been Listening to Lately (in no particular order)
-Del the Funky Homosapien - Eleventh Hour, Both Sides of the Brain
-DeVotchKa - How it Ends, SuperMelodrama
-The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
-Clutch - all of it, but especially The Elephant Riders (which is my all-time favorite album by any band, ever)
-Pixies - all of it, but especially Trompe Le Monde
-X - Los Angeles, Wild Gift
That's all for now...more to come.
A Few of the Things Joel Has Been Listening to Lately (in no particular order)
-Del the Funky Homosapien - Eleventh Hour, Both Sides of the Brain
-DeVotchKa - How it Ends, SuperMelodrama
-The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
-Clutch - all of it, but especially The Elephant Riders (which is my all-time favorite album by any band, ever)
-Pixies - all of it, but especially Trompe Le Monde
-X - Los Angeles, Wild Gift
That's all for now...more to come.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
What Did We Do?
Not that I have any time to do so, but I am going to try my hand at blogging about music. I will do this with an old friend, Joel Hearth. We haven't kept up on music for years now, which hopefully, will give us some helpful insights into music. This is a work in progress and I don't know where it will go from here, but hopefully, it goes somewhere.
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