Listen to Kooky Tunes

It seems that I am constantly reminiscing better days and first albums, like when I think of 2006's "Inside In/Inside Out" album by The Kooks that I started listening around 2010. This album's gems such as "Seaside", "Ooh La", and "She Moves in Her Own Way" really resonated with something and I've been a fan ever since. I seriously doubt that musical nostalgia is a unique phenomenon, even if it's semi-recent work. I haven't been too impressed with too many of their outputs in between (especially not the previous album, Junk of the Heart), but wanted to see what they had on their new album.

So I decided to give the Sept 2014 album "Listen" a spin. On many songs they eschewed more simple semi-untuned power chords and went into the 2nd decade of the 21st century with a stronger dance/electronic/funky soul influence, at least at first. And I'm not complaining. They've still got the upbeat rhythm and poppy lone-hearted pep to them, and the British voice that sometimes works and sometimes sounds a bit whiny.

With a strong start in "Around Town" that features some new-age beats and choral "oh yeahs" along with a nice guitar twang, singing they 'Need someone to love/Love me when the chips are down'. Definitely gets your feet moving a bit. Following with "Forgive & Forget" that starts as  chords and then gets more into danceable . Reasonable song in the "Westside", though I probably wouldn't play it much. With "See Me Now", they go into a slower ballad. Slightly picking up with "Bad Habit", and then the middle is quite middling until "Are We Electric", and the "Sweet Emotion" ending. Overall, this album is alright if you like the Kooks, and definitely gives a couple songs to play when people are around.

Say NO to Mondays

Well, it's Monday again. Wanted to share a great track for that getting back into work when it's cloudy outside mood.

With a baritone somewhat reminiscent of Matt Berninger, Bradley Hanan Carter and the band that was formerly known as NO has changed their name to Black English. I had found this band on Spotify before, but now they're easier to find because they're no longer called NO.

Anyways, they have pretty catchy riffs and some songs that stick to your ear. I really dig them. Under a different name, but with only one released album from 2010 that now states 2014 with the new name. Sounds like they're currently touring through France. Anyways, the whole reason for this post was to share this very Monday-esque track called Monday.

Cheers!

Angus and Julia at the Independent - 10/8/2014

Live shows have been a big part of my life since the age of like... 12. So I plan on adding show reviews to this.

I had discovered this band through Pandora and the song "Mango Tree" around 2009, my junior year of college. During that cold February in Columbus, I definitely wished I had a mango tree, in my backyard. Since then, I had swallowed all I could of the Stone siblings from Australia and what Wikipedia describes as their "folk-blues" stylings. I was never too much into folk until this band and always shy away from sappy songs about love. However, I found some spiritual closeness with the honesty and emotion that comes through their music. And their voices! Somehow, they are always honest from great tunes like "Horse and Cart", riproaring through the darkness on "Draw Your Swords" to slightly more poppy anthem "Big Jet Plane" to introspective about Disney's lies to young women in the song "Hollywood" . Since 2009, I have almost always had them on while I travel in an airplane. Relaxing soothing, colorful, nice music that also helps me fall asleep.

But sleep is the last thing I did last night! I had completely forgotten that they were visiting San Francisco, and paid out the butt for the originally 20$ tickets that were sold out at the Independent, a quite small venue. This venue allowed for a closeness and personality that is unrivaled by the stadium and festival stage throngs of most big acts. I got there alone, grabbed a beer at the bar and headed up front (away from the bass guitar sitting lonely on the unoccupied right side of the stage), and was able to get a spot leaning on the stage by all the guitars. Unwilling to give up such a primo location, I was happy to find out that a lady with glowsticks went around as a server and delivered beer right to my mouth!

After chatting a little with my neighbors in the crowd, the opening act came on. Conner Youngblood is a young dude with an absolutely angelic voice. He is one man band with lots of pedals, however, and his instrumentals and setting them up took a lot away from the general aura. I think he needs another member or two to get some more stage presence, but otherwise he's got some raw talent. A couple years and he will be melting your ears off for sure.

Then came the main act, with me at first mistaking the hairy guitarist right across from me as Angus. However, it all soon got sorted out and I really enjoyed the show. They played a little too much new music, but that's expected when they just came out with a new album and are on the tour for it. The new album is great, and I really love a couple of the songs, but I wanted more off of my favorite, 2007's A Book Like This. They left me wanting more because I can't get enough, but everything was absolutely wonderfully done. I love when a band is better live than on their album, and that was definitely the case. Seeing Julia live made me fall in love with her and her voice again - at once so ethereal and dreamy and yet completely salt of the earth in a real Outback woman kind of way. Couldn't hear Angus that much though.

And then for the encore. I don't think I could be more surprised and ecstatic and overjoyed and overflowing by one song. But covering The National's "Bloodbuzz Ohio" (a song that I also discovered on a wintry Ohio night), it was absolutely magical. I remember Julia recording her own version of the song on her latest album By The Horns, but goddamn! It was so fucking good with the whole band, the energy and sounds all amalgamating into one melody and set of lyrics which I love and know so well. I didn't want to yell them out too much since I was 3 feet away from the band, but it was hard. Absolutely marvelous and uplifting. Then they ended with the Santa Monica Dream, 15 kids in the backyard drinking wine. Angus and Julia took us on a journey through memory lane, heartbreak and desire, pain and joy. Painting this picture with soundwaves so full of color and depth, the catharsis left me absolutely breathless. Cleansed and revitalized, I ran off into the night to catch Bus 21 back down Hayes, back into the bowels of the city to catch the train home.

Weezer's Latest Release - Everything Will Be Alright In the End

This is my first attempt ever at a slightly cohesive and concise music review, so have at me and tear it to shreds!

Though I’m a fan of Weezer from way back and grew up on the Blue and Green albums, loved half of Pinkerton, and enjoyed some tracks off of Red, I really didn't like this one at first listen but grew a bit on me after more listens.

Maybe my music tastes have changed and I just can’t do new content any more from a band that I’ve known for a while (much like the latest 2012 Offspring album). However, it does seem like they’re done with the B.o.B. appearances and back to trying to make magic with just the essentials. I did like the instrumental noodling in the trilogy at the end of the album (Wasteland, Anonymous, Return to Ithaka) and can tolerate and rock to “Back to the Shack”. Yet most of the album still sounded like a forced attempt to return back to the the ‘94-’01 era with less originality and authenticity. Solid riffs, some very nice solos, but regular typical songwriting where nothing that jumps out at you and makes you more prone to turn it off. Nothing that would scream “yes! I wanna rock out to this on a roadtrip!”.

I don’t really get why “The British are Coming” is a song - a history lesson concept song? Or maybe that’s just because I’m extremely partial to The National’s “Mr. November” verse. Also, "Cleopatra" is intensely annoying song, whoever thought that would be a good chorus? I doubt I’ll be including any song off this album in my playlist anytime, but it’s still reasonable I guess if they want to keep making music. It’s always hard to hear new material from bands that you grew up with; it never matches up. Perhaps they tried to come back to their sound with a couple extra things here and there, but why would I listen to this when I can rock out to Blue along with all its sweet sweet nostalgic memories? The ending to their song off this album, “Eulogy for a Rock Band,” is pretty much how I feel about it: “we will sing the melodies that you did long ago.” Because I know I will still be blasting El Scorcho, Buddy Holly, and Undone for years to come. But this one, eh.