I hate the words “soft rock.” Its like, if you identify with that kind of music, I don’t want to be your friend. It reminds me of being 19 or 20 years old and working at QMFM in Vancouver and not getting it.
Turns out they do (QMFM crushes in Vancouver radio ratings)… but the whole idea of “soft” and “rock” being two words, though maybe accurate, together to brand something seems weird and not right. On a fundamental level!
So what is up Destroyer? You’re new record Kaputt is getting a ton of positive hype and is described as soft rock. And yeah, honest moment, I didn’t buy the hype at all based on that description alone.
Pitchfork“Best New Music” ‘d the record. That is something right? PopMatters was a little more critical giving it a strong 6 out of 10.
My man Simon was talking about how good the record was last week at Veneto Lounge. Its funny, not until after a trusted friend says, “yeah, for real,” did I even think to check it out.
I began by downloading the free download offered up at Pitchfork.
First listen… while doing other internet trolling… it was pleasant. You know, like soft rock.
Second listen… this is too much, too much.
Third listen, OK I like the album cover (I’m a sucker) so I bought the record Kaputt.
Admittedly, it was a hard for me to get into right away. It wasn’t till I hit the middle-ish and songs like “Savage Night…,” “Suicide Note…,” “Poor In Love,” and “Kaputt,” that i started to gel on the record a bit.
The disc is crazy pleasant… and can be too much for some (it was for me at times… saxophone fills? c’mon man!). This record reminds of eating too much Koala Kandy Kones at work. So yummy, so upset belly.
The final cut is an older song that he had released then included on Kaputt, “Bay of Pigs.” There are some interesting tones and audio-weirdness that feel like a massage on all the little hairs that grow in my ears.
If I had to give it a score, I might split the difference between Pitchfork’s glowing 9 and PopMatter’s ho-hum 6. Like a 7 or 7.5. Its a cool record, but it won’t be for everyone.
I am not too sad in that… well the band hasn’t been functioning lately. It was like a married couple that gets separated. We’ve seen this coming… and now the paper just got served and its official. Sad, but we’re glad they’re both happy now.
I like that they ended it, because it helps preserve the great amount of art they have created before. They can’t become a parody of themselves. PLUS, now we have a future “Oh My GAWD!” reunion show for Coachella to think about.
The White Stripes – “Fell In Love With a Girl”
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I need to cut my nails. I hate, HATE, H A T E typing with nails. gross.
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So I am pretty much obsessed with both the desert and the arctic.
If there is a documentary on my holy trinity of HD channels of Discovery World, Nation Geographic or Oasis on either hot or cold climates… I HAVE to watch it.
Saharan Africa… well I have my night planned out. I know pathetic, I also have four channels of porn, but I’d rather hear about Timbuktu or Berber peoples.
The other day, there was a show about Hammerfest, Norway. The northern most “city” in the world.
Such an adorable city. If Canadian northern communities looked more like this and less like … uh, well less… I’d be living in Nunavut.
To be fair, there is a $10 BILLION dollar natural gas plant pumping $90 million dollars into the local economy every year… so, yeah, they can afford to pave a few streets and open a few pubs.
But I keep reading about all the potential of the Canadian North and how there *could* be riches buried beneath the ice or sea bed, but it sure ain’t no Hammerfest.
I may never make it to Hammerfest, but I do hope to one day get a chance to explore the Canadian Arctic. There is a radio station in Iqaluit. neat.
I don’t have too much of a story to relate to you about Fleet Foxes. Their music is pretty.
I was a little late to the game when their self-titled 2008 record came out. they were an example of me reading too much hype before actually hitting play. So then I get all, “meh… I don’t even care.” and put off listening to the record for a bit.
But then I really liked the medieval cover art and wanted the record for my collection.
Occasionally my cute wife does super-duper sweet things for me and she bought me the record!
The album grew on me heavy and now I love Fleet Foxes. Happy music.
They will be in Vancouver to perform at the Vogue Theatre on April 30th. I can tell that their live show will be one where you get wrapped up in the beautiful harmonies and ambiance. Maybe not too different from Band of Horses.
Their new record is out May 3rd (my brother’s birthday!) and I found an MP3 for you if you care to listen.
Its been a few days since I’ve been back from Vancouver. I had a 24 hour adventure in the Terminal City to check out one of my all-time favourite bands, Interpol.
The show was pretty magical because I love their music… but especially the first two records (like everyone, I guess). The set was heavy on most of the best from Turn on… and Antics. The show also featured lots off the critically underwhelming Interpol. And was exceptionally light on Our Love to Admire. In fact, I think they just jammed out “Rest My Chemistry.” Which is cool as I personally think that song is the stand out from the record.
Interpol – “Rest My Chemistry”
There was not much of any “show” in the sense of lasers, devil worship, girls flashing their tits. Just four guys on stage in suits sounded great. The Orpheum Theater made the sound of their songs sparkle. A great audio environment. It didn’t hurt that @Nucksgrl got us 6th row! It definitely was a fan’s show.
I loved the song selection. I am weakest on their new music so it was great that they paced the new songs in with so many great “hits” from the beloved first two albums.
Interpol has been a favourite band of mine for a number of years and this show helped build on the sonic lust. Good times.
I was up late reading about the ancient Christian philosopher St. Augustine.
Augustine of Hippo grew up in North Africa where Algeria is now and lived during the actual last days of the Western Roman Empire.
Like many people of the Dark Ages (or Early Middle Ages), he believed that they were in fact living in the time of Apocalypse.
And like college kids today, he also went off to college where he got up to (or lied about) all sorts of sex. And he’s the patron Saint of Brewers… of course you are Augustine.
Since the times of antiquity, young gentlemen have gone off to college, had sex and believed that their generation would be it. The end.
Fast forward a whole bunch college toga parties (some actual toga parties, others ironic) to the 60s and whole other generation believing that this will be it. War, civil unrest, Woodstock.
Mick Jagger told Rolling Stone magazine in 1995 that their 60s jam, “Gimme Shelter” wrapped all these ideas up in a song. “It’s Apocalypse.”
I am not too down with whole dubstep phenomenon so I wouldn’t be able to tell you if low bass warble is any better or worse then the next glitched out production… but I did enjoy the Stone’s hooks thrown into the mix.
I check out some comments on the youtube view and not surprisingly, many people thought the remix was an abomination. You can check it out for yourself… if you dare! muhahahahahaha
Rolling Stones – “Gimmie Shelter” (Zed’s Dead Remix)
I am pretty liberal on my view of a remix or cover. Remixes or covers don’t go back in time and erase the old classic. They always have the ability to generate excitement for the original and enable discussion and reflection.
I enjoy this song for what it is… dubstep but with the Stones. In fact, that is why I like. If I had to be at a dubstep party, I might as well get some Stones in there. I could also imagine this cut being a real banger on the dancefloor.
Mick says the song was created in a time of unrest and uncertainty. Nothing amplifies that feeling of dred more than the post-industrial noise of dubstep.
I an appreciate the challenge of trying to merge the two conflicting styles into a cohesive song. For the most part I think it works alright. It does feel a bit like the Rolling Stones vocal track floats over a dubstep base. The “gun click” sound was a little heavy fisted for my personal taste as well.
One of the best parts of Gimmie Shelter is the end when Mick sings, “Love sister… its just a kiss away, its just a kiss away.” But I don’t recall hearing that in the Zed’s Dead version. Maybe that was intentional in their reinterpretation or maybe they didn’t fully appreciate the context of the original? I’ll hope for the first.
Either way… if “Gimmie Shelter” was Apocalypse before, its Armageddon now.
Generally when I read or hear about some hipster jam and its not reviewed or mentioned on Pitchfork, my bullshit meter goes off.
One of two things must be true about this song:
01) Its a corporate construct like Paramore or Taco Bell “Beef”
02) Its too enjoyable and accessible for the “Dictators of Taste” in Chicago.
The story is bizarre and wonderful and strange.
LA scenesters record one ice-cool song. Share it for free on their website. One friend tells another down the grapevine and presto-bingo-bango, internet phenoms.
Foster the People‘s “Pumped Up Kicks” reverberated around the internet tubes this past summer and with a discography that includes… uhh, “Pumped Up Kicks” they are now off to do a little tour of Australia and will be at this year’s Coachella.
What’s going on? Is the song really that good? I dunno… lets have a listen.
The LA Times had all sorts of positives to say about the song, I mean, if you think sounding like Phoenix or Empire of the Sun is a positive.
I’ve listened to the song a half-dozen times at my desk today. I like it. Is it changing me world? not really… so maybe I don’t fully appreciate or understand why this particular track got touched by the fickle hand of the viral internet. But I will download the the free MP3 and include it in my set at Veneto for sure.
Go with yourself.
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Years ago now… maybe 2004 or 2005 or 2006? Wow, James Sutton (the Zone’s music director) came across a song from a Vancouver band called Northern Alliance or NA.
The song was called “Take Me Higher” and we played it a bit on the radio here and like tons of feature songs before and after, it was played and drifted away into obscurity.
The funny thing about this song is that it still gets requested from time to time on the radio despite the fact the band was a story of never was.
What happened to Northern Alliance?
Searching the internet and there is a smattering of circa 2005 websites that are big on promises. A band full of bravado and breaking the status quo and how we’re all Sheeple but they have the answer to break the cycle and blah blah. One website, their shtick is to end every paragraph with “f*** Northern Alliance.”
I always find it adorable when counter-culture types edit themselves.
Its really too bad, they had an awesome song that I still remember and listen to and is still remembered by some Zoners to this day.
The song “Take Me Higher” is a pretty impressive Nu-metal rap/rock dealio. remind me of Linkin Park if I took them seriously (maybe how Linkin Park sounded when they were hungry).
Its a song about cogging your way through the day, through life. A great anthem for the people out there maintaining life but wanting a little more.
Musically, its not changing your world. Rap verse, soaring chorus, huge hooks… back to rap and repeat. But where I like this song compared to say something from most early 2000 nu-metal bands is that I believe the hardship from the singer. Its just hard to take the angst from millionaire douche-bags. But from Vancouver skids, its real.
Time and reflection add to the drama of the song. We now know they had designs on rock stardom to escape the deary madness of life… and it failed ( that I know of, perhaps their lives are in good places, and I hope they are).
This song is full of bravado and optimism. Their website screams the same. But we, the world of 2005-ish… weren’t buying it. And so fade to black on the chapter of music that was NA (METAPHORS!).
Who knows, maybe the band will google themselves and find my blog and smile that someone remembers their music. They’ll drop me line, let me know they’re still grinding and rhyming. Until then, download this old song that I think me and James ripped off MySpace many moons ago.
She talked about how when she was young, her life maybe wasn’t so much different, or better… but uncertain. The uncertainty is what made it all bearable I guess? I don’t want to put words in her mouth, but that was the vibe I took from it.
Funny, though… you can’t go back in time… and kids take your uncertainty from you, but at the same time, they also give you back a lot of that wonder. Mine does for me at least.
I love watching cartoon movies with Madelyn and the cartoons blow her mind. I watch way more cartoons now than I ever did when I smoked pot. So that has to be something right?
We watched Astro Boy last night (and its on again this morning with our breakfast while I blog). The film is a silly computer animation based on the original Japanese Anime from the 50s. Nothing too special for a grown up but as a music nerd my ears perked up during the only scene where there is an actual pop song. The rest of the movie is a score, but the scene where they paint the ZOG features an old song that I so recognize.
I thought maybe David Eleanor punched it up on the Modern Rock Inbox… but it turns out that I probably heard it during a TV commercial.
Supergrass – “Alright”
What a cool song. About being 13 or 14 and discovering girls and beer for the first time. Hey Supergrass, I like girls and beer too.
I can’t believe I didn’t remember this song from 1995. It apparently was a number 1 hit in both the UK and North America. Supergrass’ only one. Neat.
The boys don’t like it being called an anthem… but uh… its pretty anthemic? I’ll be singing it all day hoping for a little uncertainty.
I vaguely remember when my old man bought our first CD player.
I think it was a Boxing day maybe? or around Boxing Day… part of me feels like it was winter.
We drove out to the A&B sound in Burnaby. This was before there an A&B Sound everywhere and obviously before the chain closed down.
If I remember, he bought the player and then needed a CD so he bought an Elton John Box-set that had four discs of hits. I listened to a lot of “Crocodile Rock” as a young’n. I don’t know what it cost, but I think it was pretty expensive for the late 80s or early 90s. I can’t really remember, its a bit of hazzy remembrance.
I read today that Sony is closing one of their last two CD plants in America. Its a warehouse in New Jersey that employs about 300 people. It seems most the people that work there know whats up. They stopped making Blu-Ray discs last year and one worker said his own daughter steals music off the internet despite the fact the roof over head and food in her belly comes from him pressing CDs.
Then I read some facts about the CD.
Invented in 1979. Which makes it older than me… which means… I’ll be discontinued soon. sad face. Do not disassemble.
The first test pressing happened in Germany. It was Richard Strauss‘ “Eine Alpinsinfonie.”
The first public demonstration happened on BBC television and featured the Bee Gees 1981 record Living Eyes.
The first record to be pressed in the manufacturing plant in 1982 was ABBA’sThe Visitors. The first CD album to be released for sale was Billy Joel’s52nd Street.
By 1983 you could buy a CD player in America and there were 16 titles (all from CBS Records) you could buy to play in it.
The first record to sell 1-million compact discs was Dire Straight‘s 1985 classic Brothers In Arms. Wait a minute, that song “Money For Nothing” says “faggot” a bunch, maybe I need to edit history to make a more politically correct record the 1st ever?
First artist to release their entire catalog on Cd was Mr. David Bowie when he took all 15 of his albums and 4 best of’s… and pressed them also in 1985.
First CDs I bougth with my own money were… Metallica’s…And Justice for All, Alice in Chains s/t and Seven Mary Three. I think it cost me close to $80 and was almost all of one of my first paycheques from the job I got that summer. making sandwiches at Subway in the summer of ’96.
Then I bought a lot of CDs. I do remember my Dad getting mad at me for wasting my paycheques on CDs. What did I need so many for? So I need to find an excuse for having so many… so I became a DJ.
The Morning After 
