To Do List

1. Wake up

2. Get dressed

3. Get into your car

4. Drive to your local record store (Here are 17 great ones)

5. Purchase the new Hold Steady album Stay Positive

6. Take the rest of the day off to enjoy its sweet sweet melodies

Jim James can do whatever the fuck he wants

What I’m listening to right now: Lake Shore Drive by Alliota, Haynes & Jeremiah

A lot of great My Morning Jacket tidbits coming out lately, mostly about lead singer Jim James, and all of which make me love this band even more than I already do.

Lets start with this little excerpt from The Smoking Section from this month’s Rolling Stone. Since I can’t seem to find the link, I’ll just type out this gem:

“Ament (bassist for Pearl Jam) also informed us about an upcoming battle of the bands, on a basketball court. ‘Jeff, you better bring your A-game, Gramps, ‘cuz the Jacket’s gonna be ballin’ on all y’all’ Ament read from an e-mail he received from My Morning Jacket’s Jim James. ‘We’re gonna put the hurt on you dawg!’ The showdown was supposed to take place at last years Lollapalooza, but the Jacket backed out. ‘We couldn’t make it,’ says James. Why not? ‘Um, we had to rehearse with an orchestra.’”

I laughed hysterically when i read that line from the e-mail, “The Jacket’s gonna be ballin’ on all y’all!” Haha, ‘The Jacket’. I love it.

Yes, there is real news associated with Jim James. According to multiple sources (here’s the Stereogum article) James will be teaming up with Conor Oberst and M. Ward to do an album. Not many other details there, though we can only hope it will be indie rock’s version of The Traveling Wilburys.

Also hilarious is James’ apparently serious idea of recording under an alter-ego named Sec Walkin, who is an Asian country star. While Asian country music isn’t exactly my cup of tea, I can’t wait to see what comes out of this.

Right now you could be asking, “Hey Jim, how bout instead of doing all this weird crap, why don’t you work on another album?”

Which brings me to the title of this post. Musicians can do all this wierd side project stuff when they’re this good at their main job, which is rocking your socks off (Note: That video is from their 4-HOUR set at Bonnaroo this year, a set which Austin Skaggs of Rolling Stone called “career defining”).

Jesus, does anyone else get chills listening to the beginning of One Big Holiday live?

Why has no one thought of this?

What I’m listening to right now: I’m Mikey by The Cool Kids

My brother was reading my book yesterday for the first time, and he says to me, “Dude, I love all the music in here. Its like your book has a soundtrack.” Suddenly the light bulb flickered on, and since then I’ve been wondering why no one in the publishing industry has thought of simultaneously releasing a book with a soundtrack for the book. I have always felt music and books can intertwine so well together thats its a travesty that they haven’t already. Lyrics are basically poetry put to music anyway, so where’s the disconnect?

And then I read this post from Nathan Bransford’s blog, and realized I’m not alone. In fact, the very first comment is about releasing a soundtrack simultaneously with the book. I’m very excited (course now I hope no one beats me to it) that others think this is a good idea.

But now I’m suspicious. Clearly I’m not the first to think of this idea, so why hasn’t it been done yet? I know its easier said than done, as I’m sure you would have to get permission from the artists to use their songs, and maybe that is the central reason why it hasn’t happened yet, but the internet and digital music makes the idea so much easier to implement. All you would have to do is create a passcode or something to put in the book, and then when people buy it, they can go to a website that has been set up, enter the code, and download the soundtrack for free. Radiohead did it, Nine Inch Nails did it (both minus the passcode of course), so why cant the publishing industry do this to market books?

I think it would garner a lot of attention from the media (as it would be a first), but most importantly you would be able to get the attention of millions and millions of music fans who seem to increasingly enjoy their music more when its free. This could amplify depending on how diverse the playlist is. Think of being able to attract fans of Led Zeppelin AND Britney Spears to your book! Ok, thats a little extreme, but you get the idea.

I know this can be done. Someone just needs to work out the details. Hopefully that someone can be me someday, for my book.

OBVIOUSLY its about the music

What I’m listening to right now: Paper Planes by M.I.A.

One of the funniest interviews I’ve ever seen with one of my favorite bands. They just completely ignore this poor girl and go on about Insane Clown Posse and what Oprah people would match up to what McDonald’s characters and whatever they seem to feel like talking about while sitting in bed. Whether you even know who these guys are or not, its still hilarious (and if you don’t, then where the fuck have you been?).

They do point out something important though: Great record sales DO NOT necessarily equal great music. Sometimes it just means there are millions of retards out there with $12.99 in their pocket.

And if you’re curious, here’s that Insane Clown Posse website.

And the reason I’m listening to Paper Planes is that the trailers for the movies Pineapple Express have been using the song to perfection. I really wanna see that movie. And Batman of course.

Rock God? Really?

What I’m listening to right now: A Day in the Life by The Beatles

Since when did Chris Martin become a “Rock God”? Who voted on this? Why was he even on the ballot? If I had known about this, I would have walked into that room and smacked every single person in there. This flamboyant marching band attire-wearing singer has in no way, shape or form achieved what is necessary to be considered a Rock God.

But that does bring up an interesting discussion. At what point does an artist or band earn the title of Rock God? Is it massive record sales? Legendary offstage antics? An iconic sound? Jaw dropping live performances? Probably a combination of all of them, which makes the title understandably hard to attain.

So lets compare: Here’s Jimi Hendrix, and here’s Coldplay. Here’s Led Zeppelin, and here’s Coldplay. Here’s The Beatles, and… ok you get the point.

I’m sorry, but when I think of Rock Gods, I think of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Jim Morrison. Not Chris Martin. I think of Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Beatles. Not Coldplay.

However, this is not to say Coldplay CAN’T someday earn the title. While I’m not a huge fan, they’re pretty decent, and are already one of the biggest bands in the world right now, becoming one of the first UK bands to top the charts in the US in a decade.

So I’m not anti- Coldplay, I just think Rolling Stone is using the term a bit loosely here, and MUCH too soon…

Oh no! He’s gonna break his Mac Book Air!

What I’m Listening to: Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket

So apparently Kanye responded to all the “hating” on his Bonnaroo performance on his blog.

Best Line: “I’m typing so fucking hard I might break my fucking Mac book Air!!!!!!!!” I wonder if he got paid for that name drop…

“Call me any name you want…. arrogant, conceited, narcissistic, racist, metro, fag whatever you can think of….” That’s a good start. I’ve already beat ya to it though.

“BUT NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL! NEVER SAY I DIDN’T GIVE MY ALL!” Apparently you’re “all” wasn’t good enough, especially not good enough to make those fans forget that they waited 2 hours for you. There are just some things in life where “doing your best” doesn’t cut it. If a plastic surgeon get sued for doing a shit nose job, he can’t stand up in court and say, “But I did my best!” Whether he did or not, he still gets sued. Sorry, welcome to real life, not the fantasy world you live in where your Jesus. People do not love you unconditionally, and if they pay money to see you perform, they expect to get their money’s worth, or else you get booed and get light sticks and bottles thrown at you.

And through all this, he still hasn’t come close to apologizing to his fans. All he’s done is bitch bitch bitch. I’m already sick of this douche thrower…

You Like This Artist, You Just Don’t Know It Yet: Sufjan Stevens

“Its a Muslim name. I was sort of born into a Subud cult that has ties to Islam and Indonesia and Middle Eastern spiritualism. My parents were kind of trial-and-error when it came to religion.”
-Sufjan Stevens (AV Club)
Sufjan Stevens is one of the leading musicians in the resurgence of indie and folk music. His extremely versatile style and seemingly unlimited songwriting imagination has vaulted his music to international acclaim, though his announced intent to release an album in all 50 states hasn’t been ignored either. His soft, melodic voice brings about similarities to Elliott Smith, but with a dozen more instruments behind him, all of which Sufjan plays himself when he records albums, using multi-tracking techniques to put them all together. This gives the music a different sound than most folk music or any music really, as guitars, banjos, pianos, trumpets, violins, and sometimes oboes (yes, oboes) flow together with lyrics combining elements of places such as Flint, Michigan with his own religious and personal experiences

Sufjan was born on July 1, 1975 in Petoskey, Michigan. His name is Armenian and means “comes with a sword.” He supposedly was named by the leader of Subud, a nonreligious, interfaith community where he was born. This environment growing up along with many different religious and family experiences has greatly impacted his own religious thinking and more importantly, his music. “The religious environment I grew up in was so varied, so inconsistent, and had so many faces. (Soft Revolution)” He considers himself a Christian, and while a lot of his music has to do with his spirituality, he has trouble expressing it, and usually tries to stay away from talking about it “I don’t like talking about that stuff in the public forum because, I think, certain themes and convictions are meant for personal conversation. (Comes with a Smile)” He lets his music speak for him, sometimes even doubtingly about the subject:

All the glory that the Lord has made
And the complications you could do without
When I kissed you on the mouth

Tuesday night at the Bible study
We lift our hands and pray over your body
But nothing ever happens

What makes his lyrics so diverse and interesting are how he mixes his deep religious base with the events, people, and places. He has done this primarily in his first two albums of his 50 state recording goal, Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State (also known as Michigan) and Come on, Feel the Illinoise! (also known as Illinois). In the lines above from the song “Casimir Pulaski Day” he uses the odd Illinois holiday as the date in a deeply emotional and religious story about the death of a loved one. Its this kind of deep and thought-provoking music that has won him numerous awards, such as the 2006 PLUG Independent Music Award for Album Of The Year (Illinois), Best Album Art/Packaging (Illinois), and Male Artist Of The Year. Paste Magazine named Illinois as the editors’ choice for best album of 2005, and also received the 2005 Pantheon Award for albums selling 500,000 copies or more.

What further makes his music so unique is his multi instrumental talents. Most of his songs include a variety of odd instruments not normally used in popular music. He is most known for his banjo playing, but his musical repertoire also includes guitar, piano, drums, etc., the most unique being the English horn and oboe. He uses all these instruments in many of his songs, giving them an eclectic, “symphony-like” effect, setting him apart from other folk artists.

Sufjan is a truly gifted musician and songwriter, and it comes through in every single song he creates. His songs are so relaxing and soothing, yet your ears are so awakened by all the different sounds and melodies that it doesn’t put you to sleep. The lyrics delve into the crevices of our innermost thoughts and feelings on death, family, and religion, with the possibility to keep you up all night trying to understand it. Illinois is a must have for any fan of music. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Albums:
A Sun Came – 2000
Enjoy Your Rabbit – 2001
Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State – 2003
Seven Swans – 2004
C’mon, Feel The Illinois! – 2005
The Avalanche – 2006
Songs For Christmas – 2006

Cited Sources:
AV Club Interview

Soft Revolution

Comes with a Smile

This May Be Love: Arctic Monkeys- Favourite Worst Nightmare

One of the biggest challenges for a band is trying to follow a great first album with an even better second album. The expectations are so high that when the band doesn’t live up to those expectations, the fallout is immense. The risks are great, but the rewards are even greater, for if they succeed in pleasing the masses, the sky is the limit for their popularity.

This is the crossroads that the UK sensation The Arctic Monkeys faced with the release of their sophomore album Favourite Worst Nightmare. The band burst on to the scene with their first album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not with hits like “I Bet That You Look Good On The Dance Floor” and “A Certain Romance” and received numerous Best Album of the Year Awards including the prestigious ranking of 5^th Greatest British Album of All Time in the January 2006 edition of NME magazine. With all the hype and accolades that their first album racked up, the band had to come up big for their second album.

Unfortunately, this new album doesn’t come close to measuring up to the first. The first album was hard-rocking, head-banging, good ole’ fashioned anarchy. The songs were catchy, they made you want to get up and create havoc. The lyrics were easy to catch on to and about everything we love about rock music songs: bouncers, booze, and broads.

Nightmare lacks the good beats and fun lyrics of Whatever People Say I Am. Instead of heavy and fast guitar distortion with thick British lyrics, you get awkwardly clean guitar with light, haunting singing and complicated lyrics, resulting in no clear cut great radio single or any song to really get excited about. The song that more closely resembles their original sound is “D is for Dangerous” which may be the best song on the album, but not many others really do it for me.

However there is plenty to get excited about here in the evolutionary sense of the band. The lyrics give the most evidence of the growth the band underwent in between albums, as here they are more poetic and dark, while the first album’s lyrics are much simpler. They also seem to be experimenting much more here, as their songs change speeds and styles frequently.

Considering this, the best of the Arctic Monkeys might still be on the horizon, as they get older and wiser and fine-tune their skills. It still will be difficult to beat the popularity of their first album, and they may never beat it, but like most humans, sometimes you have to go through an ugly transition before the best in you comes out.

Overall, i give it 3 guitars. Its worth the buy if your a fan already, but plan on listening to it a lot before you start to like it.

 

-Kid Zeppelin

www.arcticmonkeys.com

Album List:

1. Brainstorm– 2:50
2. Teddy Picker – 2:43
3. D Is for Dangerous – 2:16
4. Balaclava – 2:49
5. Fluorescent Adolescent – 2:57
6. Only Ones Who Know – 3:02
7. Do Me a Favour – 3:27
8. This House Is a Circus – 3:09
9. If You Were There, Beware – 4:34
10. The Bad Thing – 2:23
11. Old Yellow Bricks – 3:11
12. 505 – 4:13

You Like This Band, You Just Don’t Know It Yet: My Morning Jacket

Jim James arrived at the smoldering wreckage of his favorite neighborhood bar. He refused to believe it until he saw it himself, and there it was, a scene found only in nightmares. He lets out a sigh, then steps out of the car. Trying to conjure up good times and maybe a souvenir, he sifts through the dirt and debris, and suddenly something catches his eye. He bends down to pick up an old leather jacket, slightly charred and ashy, though that’s not what he’s looking at. He stares at the embroidering, MMJ, smiles to himself, then walks back to his car.

My Morning Jacket is one of the hottest new bands in the rock music scene, and with their new album Z, they seem to only be getting better. Their eclectic style, mixing psychedelic rhythms and hard rock riffs with jam band style live shows is attracting all kinds of fans, from frat boys to hipsters to stoners, which they like, “It’s always been what we’ve wanted to do – appeal to so many people all over the place. You don’t get far that way. We never wanted to make one sound.”

The band formed in 1998 in Louisville, Kentucky around singer and guitarist Jim James. James, the leader of band, looks like Jeffrey Lebowski but is one of the brightest young songwriters this generation’s music scene has to offer. James has actually already been recognized for his skills, winning an “Esky” for best songwriter in Esquire’s 2006 Esky Music Awards in the April issue.

The band also won an Esky for Best Live Band, an award the band has shown over and over again it deserves. The band was a very popular fixture at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, playing from 2003- 2006, being the only band to play four times in a row. In 2006 they played an unbelievable three-and-half-hour set, which Bonnaroo made available via webcast later that evening. Their live DVD, Okonokos, is a two hour music explosion, where the band goes from bearded bums to rock gods, thrashing their guitars and head-banging to the flawless chaos that is their forte. Their upcoming shows in Colorado, feature them opening for another music legend, Bob Dylan, which may be the best combo of musicians from the past and present playing together in decades, although depending on your preference, MMJ and Pearl Jam, who played together earlier this year, may be better.

The development of the emerging rock band almost skidded to a sudden halt in 2004, as two of the original members, Johhny Quaid (guitar) and Danny Cash (keyboard) quit due to the stress of constant touring. “We were talking about the touring that was coming,” says Hallahan, “and Johnny’s eyes started tearing up. He was like, ‘Guys, I gotta tell you something…’ And then Danny was like, ‘Fuck it. I quit too.’ ” With the original drummer having already left after their second album At Dawn in 2001, the band faced the intimidating prospect of integrating three new members into the group. Luckily for the fans, the transition went smoothly, with James asking his longtime friend Patrick Hallahan to play drums, and adding new members Carl Broemel (guitar/saxophone) and Bo Koster (keyboard).

After settling the upheaval that happened after their third album It Still Moves, the band came out with arguably their best album yet, simply entitled Z, in 2005. The album is being hailed as their Kid A, showing their evolution from their past work and their growth as a band. They seem to be getting better every year, and if the development that has been evident in every one of their albums continues, it would be safe to say that their best is yet to come.

Anyone who has not heard of this band yet needs to run out to their local record store and buy Z and It Still Moves, believe me, you will not regret it. This is a band on the verge of greatness, and Jim James is on the verge of rock legend status. These guys have all the right ingredients, a great songwriter in James, fantastic stage presence, and an ability to understand each other musically like only the greats can. Get into these guys before they hit super-stardom.

-Kid Zeppelin

Line-up:

• Jim James – vocals, lead & rhythm guitars
• “Two Tone” Tommy – bass
• Patrick Hallahan – drums
• Bo Koster – keyboards & layout
• Carl Broemel – guitar

Albums:

• The Tennessee Fire – May, 1999
• At Dawn – March/April, 2001
• It Still Moves – September 9, 2003
• Z – October, 2005
• Okonokos (Live) – September 26, 2006

Mymorningjacket.com

Heres some samples in WMP format:

Off The Record
Wordless Chorus