Wrappin' up

One last post for '07 is in order before I take off for the holidays.

First, the last couple of pieces of music writing of mine that have run:

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West Coast Performer ran my review of the debut album by L.A. "slamgrass" band Old Bull. Viva la medical marijuana!

And Bullz Eye wraps up '07 with their year-end overview of the best music we surveyed since January. Each music writer submitted his own list, and as it happened, we all had a different number one entry (number one on my list is Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters). A few albums appeared on more than one list, like Radiohead's In Rainbows, the White Stripes' Icky Thump and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss' Raising Sand. But for the most part, these lists are all over the place, and fun to read.

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The big rock show to close out '07 for me happened on December 7 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, when Live 105's annual "Not So Silent Night" concert took place. I generally have avoided these big alt-rock package events in recent years, but as a friend had an extra ticket he needed to sell off and the headliner was a band I had wanted to see for at least the past three years, I went for it.

I arrived when Spoon was playing. The quick and dirty lowdown: Spoon put on a good set. Songs didn't stick to the brain, but their sound was excellent, more idiosyncratic (which equals GOOD) than what followed.

And what followed was Angels and Airwaves, the band Blink 182's Tom DeLonge now fronts. I was never a Blink fan. First time I heard them was when I received a promo copy of Dude Ranch when I was in college. My preference for punk then (and now) was the raw, unpolished and often political sound of the genre's first wave. Blink, to me, was always a teenybopper brat band with loud guitars and too much business sense to ever truly carry a punk aesthetic in a credible way. They just sounded too much to me like "product," and not very good product at that. But hey, they made lots of people happy, so more power to 'em. Better them than, say, Savage Garden. Anyway, Angels and Airwaves seemed to elicit the strongest crowd response of all the bands that played that evening. DeLonge was really into the Jesus Christ pose, and his tone of voice really put me off for some reason. He also liked to talk a lot, and referenced Blink a few times but never by name, as here in this clip from youtube:

His intention of creating music that expressed feelings and ideas that everyone else was feeling was a grand one, and he seems really sincere in what he's doing... but it wasn't for me. His band is often compared to U2. They've got the big guitars and righteous attitude, but I'm not tossing my copy of Zooropa any time soon.

Jimmy Eat World was next. They were also crowd favorites, and happened to be the only band on the bill that was recognizable to the French couple I hosted at my apartment the following weekend. So it seems they've achieved some reach, even though their star has faded a little. I honestly don't remember much of their set, as I was half nodding off in exhaustion. But it was necessary, so that I would be fully cognizant for the closing set by Modest Mouse.

Modest Mouse's headlining status was entirely deserved, just as it was last year. Their latest album, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 upon release this past March. And after something like 13 years together, the band has achieved a sonic identity unlike any other band out there. I've said this numerous times, and now I must put it in print: there's something truly beautiful about seeing a mass of people crowd surfing and moshing to the music of a band that employs the services of a banjo, accordion, stand-up bass, trumpet, two drum sets, and various other percussion instruments, not to mention the obligatory rock guitars, bass and keyboard. Amazingly, the mix of instruments never comes off as hokey or novel, or even excessive. And Isaac Brock's vocals are as unhinged live as they are on record. The only complaint I had was that two of the new songs, "Dashboard" and "Fire It Up," were lacking the fire and excitement of the studio recordings. Something wasn't translating well to the stage with those two. But everything else was pumped up and wild, and holy shit, what a way to open a headlining set with a banjo-driven tune like "Satin in a Coffin" - talk about off the beaten path! They even played "Float On" early in the set, saving an epic-length new song for the closing slot. They confound and delight, and that's my kind of band.

Here's a youtube video of Isaac Brock playing a typically nutty guitar solo during the song "Spitting Venom" at the NSSN show. Nothing fancy, just bent sound from a guy who dresses in a rather plain, not-too-rock n' roll way (kind of like myself):


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Web class ended last month. Where to take the skills now? How to retain them? It's a question I'll be dealing with in the coming weeks.

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2008 will see more writing coming out of me for Performer and Bullz Eye, not to mention the second coming of jefitoblog, now called PopDose and due to launch on January 1.

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And it's also looking like I'll be picking up one of my instruments again for another band workshop in the new year.

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So with that, to shut the door on the overwhelming feeling that's sweeping over me, I will say goodbye to 2007, wish you all a happy Xma$ and a merry goo year, and may we all find some kind of salvation for ourselves, collectively and individually, in the face of increasing demands and desires.

The "prostitute mix": a belly laugh with Chris Robley!

I'm probably the only one who was laughing at such a high volume when I read Chris Robley's comment on antiMusic's Inside Track report today, but who knows, maybe this will make someone else laugh too.

Talking about his song "The Love I Fake," Robley said:

This song inspired a music journalist in San Francisco to start a whole iTunes mix for songs about prostitutes. I think The Love I Fake and Roxanne are the only ones in there so far. Feel free to leave your suggestions in the box.

Of course, I was laughing so hard because the "music journalist" (I like the sound of that!) in question was yours truly, and the exchange we had about the prostitute mix during our interview was a great laugh at the time as well.

For the record, here's what I have for that mix so far:

1. "The Love I Fake" by Chris Robley
2. "Roxanne" by the Police
3. "What Do You Do For Money Honey" by AC/DC
4. "Love For Sale" by Ella Fitzgerald
5. "He's A Whore" by Cheap Trick
6. "Rider" by Juliana Hatfield
7. "XXX" by Helium
8. "The Kids" by Lou Reed
   
9. "Midnight Caller" by Badfinger
10. "Just A Gigolo" by Louis Prima (or David Lee Roth)
11. "Bitter Suite" by Marillion [EDIT - added 12/10 per isorski comment]
12. "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" by Tom Waits [EDIT - added 12/10 per anonymous comment]
13. "The Whores Hustle and the Hustlers Whore" by PJ Harvey [EDIT - added 12/10 per anonymous comment]
14. "The Prostitute Song" by Chef of South Park [EDIT - added 12/10 per anonymous comment]
15. "Bad Girls" by Donna Summer [EDIT - added 12/10 per anonymous comment]

Some of these are questionable... such as the AC/DC song, which could just as easily be about your run of the mill gold digger. And "Rider" is really just about a promiscuous groupie, but since Juliana repeats the word "whore" seven times at the end of the song, I figured, what the heck, it counts. And I'm definitely counting songs about men -- all is fair in love and the sex trade. This could call for some serious song-by-song analysis later on...

What else should I add? If you know of any other songs about or alluding to prostitutes or gigolos, please point me in their direction so I can add 'em to the list!

Bullz Eye updates

As promised, my latest up on Bullz Eye:

The title of this new Oasis DVD is all too apt: Lord Don't Slow Me Down. I think the Gallagher brothers are due for a break.


And back on the CD front... yet another Van Morrison compilation. If you forget the fact that Van (and really, nearly everyone of importance from his generation) has been and continues to be anthologized to no end, and if your collection contains nothing from the man at all, then it's not a bad place to start.


I've also got a brief entry in Bullz Eye's annual holiday gift guide. It's the one on the Frank Sinatra box set.

All the music writers were also asked to survey their top ten albums for 2007, as well as their picks for the 90 best albums of the '90s. The 90 of the '90s are being tabulated... when the final list is posted, I'll share my own list here. The tastes and opinions over at Bullz Eye are fairly diverse, so it's safe to say that what gets published will have more than a few eyebrow raisers. Then again, I'm sure my own list has its fair share. But we shall see soon enough!

I'm not there (anymore)

Back from a 6-day getaway out in Rhode Island, which is usually frigid and otherwise inhospitable this time of year. But, thank goodness for global warming, it was actually not that much cooler over there than it has been in the Bay area. And no snow! There was a touch of rain towards the end of my stay, but it was nothing to crow about.

The only really jarring thing about the trip was that, again, I felt like I was stepping into a new world. I swear, every time I fly there, new businesses open, new buildings go up, old businesses disappear... the amount of change that has happened there over the course of four years is pretty amazing. Don't know if it's good or bad, but something tells me that a huge high-rise luxury condo building in the middle of Providence that's failing to attract buyers can't be a good thing.

Also in the bad news department... I knew it was coming, but it was sad to hear nonetheless. Tom's Tracks, one of my favorite record stores, will be closing by year's end. Unfortunately, I couldn't even say goodbye to Tom because he's not well enough to tend to his store anymore, after having suffered several strokes. Oh, and he has MS too. Not fun. Tom was infamous for being cranky and grumpy with customers at times, but if he liked you and if you made a connection with him, you had every reason to keep going back. He was a fountain of knowledge, had great taste, and would hire similarly knowledgeable staff to help him out over the years. It was through some of those staff (one in particular I'm thinking of was also named Mike) that I got hooked on Black Cat Music, doves, the Hives, and others. As far as record stores go, Tom's was the last one standing on Thayer Street, after 23 years -- he outlasted them all. He even outlasted the Gap! With Tom closing up shop, I now have one less reason (and a HUGE one at that) to cruise by Thayer Street.

Ah, but the Avon is still there, my favorite single screen independent movie theatre! It was there that I saw Todd Haynes' new film, I'm Not There, not once but twice. And I have plans to see it again next week. Yes, it's that good, and it may unseat Bugsy as my all-time favorite movie. The music is, of course, fantastic. You can't really go wrong with Bob Dylan. A couple of the performances that sounded only so-so on the soundtrack double CD actually came off much better on-screen. In particular, I wasn't all that impressed with Richie Havens' take on "Tombstone Blues," which surprised me as he's generally a dynamic performer. But once that song was paired with the image of Havens himself strumming on a porch alongside the young Marcus Carl Franklin (as the "Woody" character), it became much better than just so-so. The other tune that benefited was Stephen Malkmus' version of "Ballad Of A Thin Man" -- this sequence was essentially turned into what amounted to a music video, with Cate Blanchett's "Jude Quinn" miming the song between images of the relentless BBC reporter who drew so much ire from him/her (there's a reason I used both pronouns, and not just because a woman is playing the role of a male here -- you'll have to see the movie to find out why).

Beyond the great soundtrack lies a real film, a real mind-bending non-linear narrative that weaves together the stories of six characters who were inspired by the real life (or lives, as it were) of Bob Dylan. All the actors who portray these characters -- Franklin, Blanchett, Christian Bale (who plays both "Jack Rollins" and "Pastor John"), Heath Ledger ("Robbie Clark"), Ben Whinshaw ("Arthur Rimbaud," as in the poet, not literally, of course), and Richard Gere ("Billy The Kid," "William," "Mr. B," or whatever you choose to call him) are excellent. But it's Blanchett who gets all the best parts and the lion's share of the zingers in the dialogue. Her resemblance to Dylan circa 1965-66 is uncanny, and being that this period was the height of his cultural impact, she had arguably the most challenging role to play. I wouldn't say she became Dylan the way Val Kilmer became Jim Morrison in The Doors or the way Jamie Foxx became Ray Charles in Ray, but she came awfully close, as close as anyone could. And that's sort of the point of the whole film -- as soon as you think you have Dylan figured out, he's on to something else. He might as well be somebody different every day. And here we have it on film -- six characters who are, but are not, Dylan. "I'm not there, I'm gone," Dylan sings in the old Basement Tapes song that lent the film its title. And yes, it's true. But it's not. It's a put-on. But it's not.

Go see it!

(...and learn for yourself just how far you can go in life when you master the arts of the con, thievery, and being an asshole... oops, did I just say that?)

Beyond that... I'm overdue for some Bullz-Eye updates. Look for those tomorrow.

Till then... take a cue from my parents' 15-pound cheetoh cat and go find something to toss around for fun:

Chris Robley interview at Bullz Eye (and an AC/DC DVD review too)

The interview I conducted last month with Portland singer/songwriter (and fellow East Greenwich High School graduate) Chris Robley made its way up on the Bullz Eye site today. Read and enjoy!

Also just posted: a review of AC/DC's Plug Me In DVD set. Two DVDs. Four hours. That's a lot of AC/DC. But you know, Bon Scott and Angus Young at their best really did put on a hell of a show.

Only three more web development classes left for me, the last of which I will miss as I will be airborne at that time, heading East for the Thanksgiving holiday. That's one flight I'll surely want to zonk out on...

Here, there and everywhere

Scattered thoughts from a scattered mind...

LAST WEEK: More adventures with food

I think it was last week anyway. After checking out a band called the Feeders with my drummer friend from the east bay, we stopped for some Chinese food at a real Chinese restaurant nearby. No Americanized dishes at this place. How Chinese was it? Take a look at the leftovers I had for lunch the next day:

Those are pig livers in ginger and onion sauce. My friend pointed them out on the menu and jokingly said, "you should try that!" Being that a) I had quite a lot to drink that night, and b) I'm always up for trying unusual foods at least once, I went for it. They weren't bad! My previous experience with liver was when I was a young child, and as they crumbled in my mouth, they grossed me out so I never went back. But I think that was beef liver. These pig livers could actually be chewed, and mostly just took on the flavor of the ginger and green onions in the sauce. Get too close and it smells a tinge like pet food, but other than that, they get my seal of approval. As in, I'd eat them again.


EARLY THIS WEEK: Thinkin' 'bout Peter Green & Aerosmith one morning

When I walk to work, I fire up the iRiver and sometimes listen to something specific, other times go for shuffle play. Sometimes I shuffle till I land on something I'm in the mood for and then listen to just that artist till I get to work. Earlier this week, I specifically went for Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac, specifically the album Then Play On. I had forgotten about the song "Rattlesnake Shake," and when it came on, I got a good chuckle. It's THE single guy's song. I've been back in singledom for the past few months, and I didn't ever think that single guys needed an anthem until this week. "Rattlesnake Shake" is that anthem:

Now, I know this guy
His name is Mick
Now, he don't care when he ain't got no chick
He do the shake
The rattlesnake shake
Yes, he do the shake
And jerks away the blues

There were these kids in school I knew who used to make fun of people they didn't like (or just tease each other for fun) by saying they jerked off, as if it was the kind of thing that made you un-male. This was before puberty started to kick in for us. Once that whole scene started, the jerk-off taunts disappeared really quickly. Nobody ever said anything about it either.

Here's Peter Green, all scraggly looking, leading Fleetwood Mac through "Rattlesnake Shake" circa 1970:


Aerosmith latched onto this one too, and it served as a building block for the sound they created. It fits their sleazy image perfectly. Here they are in '77, all drugged up, jammin' on the shake. It's only a so-so performance, might require some reefer, but hey, it's history:



NEXT WEEK: "The McCartney Years" DVD

I'm excited about it. That's all. I don't get excited about DVDs, but this one, yes.


NOW:

Thursday's appointment in Berkeley was a start towards clarity, I'll need at least one more, but till then... gotta get some singin' in over at the Mint. Karaoke is my addiction now. My poor guitars are suffering from abandonment. When will they be picked up again?

New reviews and a follow-up to "other crap"

Alright, time for another update on my review activities... two more at Bullz Eye.

I write these things and I sometimes forget that I'm at liberty to let my imagination run a little wild. But this one I wrote up on Radiohead's In Rainbows I'm particularly proud of, precisely because I got a little nutty with it.



And then, something completely different: a box set distilling the early years of Frank Sinatra's recording career into an easily digestible, manageable chunk of 4 discs called A Voice In Time: 1939-1952. These recordings are so old, many of the masters predate the standard use of magnetic tape! We're talkin' glass and aluminum discs and metal 78 rpm pressing plates here. And yet, all things considered, the reproduction quality is so good you may not even notice the occasional clicks and pops.



And back to "other crap" from two weeks back... as the painful headaches and occasional nightmares continue, an important first step towards a resolution to my creative mind block starts on Thursday, when I see a career counselor at UC Berkeley. I'm hoping this will be the beginning of deciding which of my various "irons in the fire" are going to be most worth seeing through to completion, which ones to just toss aside or put on hold, and how best to get from point A to point B. That "sustainable, harmonious union" of interests I'm trying to achieve will soon be one step closer to my grasp...