Eryk Davis Ester
Created from the Cosmic Legends of the Universe!
posted
Speaking of Tull, I'm kind of digging The Fancy Toys, featuring Ian Anderson's son, James Duncan.
From: Liberty City | Registered: Jul 2003
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cleome46
or you can do the confusion 'til your head falls off
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Red Heaven, the 1992 Throwing Muses masterpiece. Everything about it is perfect, so far as I'm concerned.
(And let the record state: TM was never "grunge" or "alternative." They've always done their own damn thing, though they flirted with the stereotypical "college sound" on 1989's hunkpapa. Which wasn't bad, but kind of diluted what I think of as their distinctive sound.)
-------------------- Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on flickr. Drop by and tell me that I sent you.
From: Vanity, OR | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Stalk-Forest Group -- ST. CECILIA
Registered: Aug 2003
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cleome46
or you can do the confusion 'til your head falls off
posted
Today it's Peter Case's second solo album: The Man With The Blue Postmodern Fragmented Neo-Traditionalist Guitar (1989).
Most reviewers just called it Blue Guitar.
Case was taking a break from the rawer, "power-pop" sounds of his work with The Plimsouls and going more into folk-rock mode, as with his previous solo record.
I guess to a lot of people, the arrangements are dated, but to me it holds up beautifully. I also remember people made fun of him for supposedly ripping off Springsteen, which just made me roll my eyes. I've always found Springsteen to be overrated, and the idea that nobody had the right to sing about the down-and-out without getting Bruce's permission first was pretty damn stupid.
-------------------- Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on flickr. Drop by and tell me that I sent you.
From: Vanity, OR | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
Anyone who really knows me knows what a huge fan of System of a Down I am. Well, they've been on "hiatus" since 2005, but I've loyally supported the interim projects of its lead singer Serj Tankian as a solo artist and its guitarist & drummer performing as Scars on Broadway. Both first albums were very good and helped fill the void SOAD has left pretty admirably.
Serj released his second solo album Imperfect Harmonies last month, and I'm enjoying it quite a bit despite (or perhaps because?) it's quite a departure from his solo debut and especially from anything SOAD ever did.
Serj has a really unusual voice to say the least. It's very rangy and he frequently explores his range with some pretty dissonant and unpredictable notes. I don't think his is a voice that everyone would automatically enjoy. It's kind of nasal at times, and he enjoys using it in unconventional manners. But to me it's haunting at times, often beautiful and just unique and exciting.
In Imperfect Harmonies, he moves pretty much completely away from electric guitar and instead heavily favors orchestration as his primary music. There's not a single one of its eleven tracks that doesn't feature a good deal of orchestral backup. Yet he uses it in such a way that it still feels like a rock album and most of the tracks are fairly up-tempo, so it's not a snoozefest full of sappy love songs. In fact maybe one or two of the tracks can be possibly classified as such.
If there's a downside to Serj's lyrics, it's that there's a tendency to at times to be overly verbose. Witness a sample of his lyrics to "Borders Are":
fear is the cause of separation backed with illicit conversations procured by constant condemnations national blood-painted persuasions
here's my song for the free no it's not about praise and publicity corporatocracy what a hypocrisy aristocracy versus democracy
fear is the cause of separation backed with illicit conversations procured by constant condemnations national blood-painted persuasions
If those read kinda verbose, you can see that the lyrics sound awkward and crowded at times. Also obvious, like with System, Serj tends to have a heapin' helping of politically-skewed songs which can turn some off. There's also a good share of relationship and otherwise non-political songs as well.
The more I listen to this album, the more and more I'm enjoying it. I was skeptical about buying it as the pub made it clear this was orchestra-heavy. Normally, I don't go for that sort of thing in large doses; I'm definitely a lover of the electric guitar. But if the execution can be this entertaining and multi-dimensional, then I'd definitely be game for more of the same. A solid effort through and through.
If you're curious at all, here's a link to two videos from the album:
If you decide to check them out or have already listened to the album yourself, please post some comments.
[ October 07, 2010, 07:10 PM: Message edited by: Chief Taylor ]
-------------------- "Suck it, depressos!"--M. Lash
From: The Underbelly of Society | Registered: Jul 2003
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cleome46
or you can do the confusion 'til your head falls off
posted
Today it's Marilyn Mazur's Future Song, from 1992. (Recorded in 1990.)
Mostly instrumental jazz-rock. Aina Kemanis provides some vocals, but they're usually abstract and meant to blend in with percussionist Mazur's soundscapes, rather than to draw attention to themselves.
It's a big sound for a small group (Most tracks are just Mazur and another drummer/percussionist, Kemanis' vocals, and alternating electric/acoustic bass and guitar. Occasionally there's a horn or two added.) I'm always freshly surprised to be reminded that the ensemble is so small.
The tone veers violently between sunny and stormy. So to me it's very Autumnal and appropriate to where I live. The first track in particular ("First Dream") has some nightmarish passages that seem right for the day, as well. A lot of Mazur's work veers more into New Agey or minimalist territory, but I find this side of her much more satisfying to listen to.
You can find her on youtube, if you feel so inclined.
-------------------- Hey, Kids! My "Cranky and Kitschy" collage art is now viewable on flickr. Drop by and tell me that I sent you.
From: Vanity, OR | Registered: Dec 2008
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posted
A compilation of bands labeled "Dream Pop". Sigur Ros, Cocteau Twins, Beach House, and others. Some of these seem to be to in thrall to their effects pedals, but there's some nice stuff here.
posted
Just got back from spending Halloween weekend down in Asheville, North Carolina for Moogfest 2010. Ostensibly a celebration of Robert Moog and his famed synthesizer, I only actually saw one band using one. That being said... awesome time!
It was really more my wife's genre of music than my own, but I still had a blast. We saw Mountain Man (sort of an acapella old-timey folk group), School of Seven Bells (fantastic guitar), my wife's favorite singer, Jonsi (the lead from Sigur Ros - billed solo, but backed up by the rest of Sigur Ros anyway ), Massive Attack, and my absolute favorite show of the weekend, Thievery Corporation.
Thievery Corporation was just sooooo good! I can't pin them down to a specific genre if you're not familiar with them, but it's sort of world beat meets trance. The energy at their show was just so positive, I'm an immediate convert.
The fact that almost everyone at the show was in costume made for a surreal experience... especially when, after having seen about my 20th girl dressed as Ramona Flowers, I did a double take when I saw a guy in the same costume in the men's room!
-------------------- See Here for the latest update on the 2013 Chicago Gathering (now including tentative attendance list)
Registered: Feb 2008
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), Massive Attack, and my absolute favorite show of the weekend, Thievery Corporation.
