The Playlist: Five Songs You Need to Hear Now!

ONE DAY AS A LION: "Wild International"

This, kids, is BIG. Not just because it's a collaboration between Rage Against the Machine's Zack de la Rocha and former Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore. And not just because it's a Morelloesque effects laden solo away from being a Rage track. It's mostly because this project has been kept so quiet, you probably didn't even know it existed.

"Wild International" is taken from One Day as a Lion's self titled EP, in stores this week.

THE BRONX: "Knifeman"

The Bronx's manic noise rock has garnered them plenty of attention over the last few years; Year in Rock recipients in 2006 may recall the utter insanity of "History's Stranglers". Well, they're back with a new, self titled album (third in a row; this, at least, they have in common with Peter Gabriel) in September. To tide us over, they've offered up "Knifeman", a strikingly normal track as compared to "History's Stranglers", as a free download on their myspace page. Listen to it and snag a copy for yourself here.

As a bonus, the video for "History's Stranglers", because it really is a phenomenal work of art.









MATT MAYS & EL TORPEDO: "Rock Ranger Record"

Upon listening to Matt Mays' previous studio efforts, one got the sense that there was a great rock singer/songwriter hidden somewhere inside the Haligonian, waiting to be unleashed. With "Terminal Romance", his second record with El Torpedo, those expectations are not only realized, but obliterated. Considering the laid back vibes that permeated all of Mays' prior work, it's shocking that "Terminal Romance" rocks with such urgency and consistency. Sure, there are a few more subtle moments to be had, but most of this record finds Mays in overdrive. This is the best example...











THE HOLD STEADY: "Constructive Summer"

While "Stay Positive" might not be the band's creative apex, it's certainly still one of the year's finest records. A little less conceptual, a little further reaching musically, many tracks are off-putting more for their stylistic detours than for their unwillingness to tie up loose ends in the narrative. "Both Crosses", in particular, is unlike anything in the band's canon. I, for one, applaud the Hold Steady's courage in changing things up. Granted, that applause is easier to give when they balance out the experimentation with a rip-roaring throwback to their earlier work like "Constructive Summer". (That's a link to their myspace, it should start playing directly.)






AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE: "Get to the Choppa"

Austrian Death Machine is a side project courtesy of As I Lay Dying's Tim Lambesis. The album is out this week. But that's not why you need to hear it. The entire album is a "tribute" to Arnold Schwarzenegger, right down to the song titles (also contains the hits "Come With Me if You Want to Live", "It's Not a Tumor", and "If it Bleeds, We Can Kill It").

What more do you need to know?







Served.

WillieTV
(it's like a TV show, but it really isn't)

Don't get excited, this is just a playlist of ten videos that I like at this moment for some reason or another. Basically, I figured out that I could pull this together in one window (as opposed to a bunch of separate ones) and thought, "Shit, you guys! I can make a video show like they used to have on the TV!".

Bear with me, I'm new at the web gadgetry. As such, this may not work at all. However, if it does, you're in for 48 minutes of random jank (music) video goodness. Go ahead; take a load off, kick back, rock out.

The videos:

1. The Dillinger Escape Plan: Milk Lizard
From last year's incredible "Ire Works"
2. My Morning Jacket: Evil Urges EPK
From this year's incredible "Evil Urges". This is an Electronic Press Kit, designed to give you a taste of the album, and the band as people. It's well done, and has clips from the record that might make you start to fathom its awesomeness.
3. Sons of Freedom: The Criminal
From 1988. Matt Wallace produced the Vancouver based band's self titled album right before doing "The Real Thing" with Faith No More.
4. Wintersleep: Oblivion
New single from the Haligonians' Polaris-prize nominated "Welcome to the Night Sky". I'm still serious when I say this is the best Canadian album released in the last five years.
5. The Gutter Twins: Idle Hands
From "Saturnalia". The Gutter Twins are ex-Screaming Tree Mark Lanegan and ex-Afghan Whig Greg Dulli. And this video has kids blowing shit up.
6. Carcass: No Love Lost
From the '94 metal masterpiece "Heartwork". Carcass' discography is currently being re-released with bonus DVDs and assorted other extra goodies. Get 'em before they decompose... huh-huh... get it?
7. Kyuss: Demon Cleaner
No matter how hard you try, you can't not love it. If, somehow, you actually do manage to not love it, I'm gonna have to check your papers.
8. The Mars Volta: Televators
One of the Volta's early videos, and easily their best.
9. The Black Keys: I Got Mine (Live on Letterman)
Catch 'em at Citadel Hill (along with Wintersleep and others) July 20, and you can get your ass kicked just like Dave did!
10. Tool: Parabola
Painfully long? Check. Pretentious? Check. Awesome? Double check.

On with the show...

Willie's Ginormous Canada Day Playlist!

Seeing as it's our nation's 141st birthday today, I thought it'd be fun to cull together a massive 141-song playlist, drawing from Canada's vast array of talent past and present.

You have no idea how difficult it was to think of 141 Canadian artists while ignoring Nickelback and its bastard inbred clones.

Naturally, a bunch of them are completely devoid of any web presence in the form of mp3's available for inclusion on this site (although I was blown away by some of the ones I was able to find; Sons of Freedom?!). And, with the new rules, I'm not bloody likely ripping and posting from my own collection.

Missing in Action:
Lee Aaron, Age of Electric, Barstool Prophets, Art Bergmann, Breach of Trust, BucketTruck, Change of Heart, Choke, Eric's Trip, Furnaceface, Glueleg, Grand Theft Bus, Haywire, Jet Set Satellite, Junkhouse, The Killjoys, Sass Jordan, Mudmen, Pluto, Slik Toxik, Stabilo, Staggered Crossing, Sunfish, Sven Gali, Tariq, 13 Engines, Wide Mouth Mason.

Oh well, the intentions were good, and all that. Enjoy this (still massive) 114 song playlist (minus any files that stubbornly won't play; not my fault, not my files). It's an eclectic, exhaustive, mercifully Nickelback-free mix.


SeeqPod - Playable Search

George Carlin: 1937-2008

The world just became a lot less funny. Details here.

During my younger days, I looked up to many different people, and for a variety of reasons. However, of all those I admired, none shaped my life quite like George Carlin. See, here's the thing; incredibly funny as he was, he also made a lot of sense. It's not often that a comedian makes you think as much (sometimes more) as laugh. It made Carlin one of the best, and makes me value comedy and intelligence equally. It's why whenever I do a PV, or make a snarky remark about whatever's pissing me off, I try to make you think and laugh simultaneously.

However, if you need irrevocable proof of Carlin's influence, one needs look no further than virtually any Pissing Vinegar, and all the naughty language contained within them. While Dennis Miller's famous rants were no doubt an inspiration, I can't deny that my work (and Miller's, for that matter) wouldn't be the same if not for this:



That, kids, is a motherfucking legend.

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The News You Already Knew
(aka Copping Knowledge From Other People's Blogs)

- The Hold Steady's new album isn't out until July 15th, but the interweb (and its countless impatient ears) waits for no summer smash hit; it's downloadable now through the normal channels. In what I'd like to coin "the admission of defeat strategy", the band has offered the entire album up for your streaming pleasure. Click the cool ass logo to jet over to their myspace page and get your Hold Steady on.



- Speaking of bands streaming their whole albums, Coldplay are streaming their new album (the Brian Eno produced "Viva la Vida", here... unless you live in one of the six countries listed, which I shall proclaim "Coldplay's Six Nations of Shame" (US exclusion I can see, but what the fuck did Holland do?!). Assuming you pass the nationality screening profile, feel free to listen to "Viva la Vida" in its entirety... as long as you sign up or log in to your Myspace account. I'd say this arduous process was worth it, but I'm too lazy to sign in. Besides, it's Coldplay; how good could it be?

- Deepest apologies to My Morning Jacket. In the hubbub of all the past weekend's activities, I mistakenly awarded Album of the Week honours to Sloan. At the time of writing, I was unaware of the muscular majesty of "Evil Urges", an early contender for Album of the Year. If you can get past Jim James' helium falsetto (which only appears front and center on a couple of tracks; hardly the overpowering force of nature it was made out to be), and the band at their most adventurous and schizophrenic, there's plenty to enjoy on the disc. But, try as you might, one of those helium tunes (the blazing retro dance party/rockalicious space jam "Highly Suspicious") will be embedded into your head to the point of distraction. I refuse to compare this song to Prince, as every review ever does so. Suffice to say, no matter what you've read, it will surprise you the first time you hear it.

- Finally, AC/DC's new album is coming out this fall. And, in an act of gross betrayal to all rock music fans and/or an admittance of their core fan base, they've partnered with the Evil Empire. I've linked to the Rolling Stone article because there are a lot of great comments after the story, including one very long tirade by yours truly (that the staff at RS must have really liked, because they yanked it from the comments section, probably to use and attribute to another one of their writers). All I can say about this subject is this; the Pissing Vinegar is coming. It will be long. It will be angry. There will be an abundance of profanities. You will hate the world when you read it. Satan will stop buying AC/DC records when I am through with them. A PV the likes of this may destroy us all.

You've been warned.

Random Jank Video: Dinosaur Technology Covers Radiohead

This video actually isn't jank at all. In fact, it's quite amazing because:

a) It's a Radiohead song being performed entirely by outdated electtronics.
b) It's utterly fascinating.
c) Someone took the time to do this.

It's not going to win a Grammy, but it just might win your heart. I've always loved you, dot matrix!


Big Ideas (Don't get any) from 1030 on Vimeo.

Album of the Week

Sloan: Parallel Play

When a band you love starts to wear out their welcome, it's a sad thing. Take Weezer, who've released an album that's raking in more pity than positivity. As disheartening as it is, sometimes your favourite bands... well, for lack of better terms, go bad. And, it almost happened to Sloan.

When A-Sides Win, their 2005 best-of was released, it couldn't have come at a better time. Sloan hadn't released a great effort in seven years, with three passable-to-mediocre albums in a row (Between the Bridges, Pretty Together and Action Pact) threatening to thrust them headlong into the dump bins of our hearts. Sure, those albums weren't outright bad, but they just lacked something. Soul, drive, determination. Maybe they knew it, maybe they didn't, but on record the band didn't really seem fully into it anymore. It happens to the best of us.

That best-of seemed to reignite their creativity, resulting in the staggering 30-song set Never Hear the End of It in 2006. It wasn't a bad album at all; to be fair, some of their finer moments are on that album. The problem was, there was such a reckless abandon to the disc's musical direction that it was difficult to find any semblance of flow. After a while, it just became a disjointed, massive orgy of sound that made the experience kind of the audio equivalent of trying to have a conversation with someone across a crowded bar.

Thankfully, they've toned that aspect down on Parallel Play. It's still diverse, but it's stripped down to 13 tracks, making for a more concisely constructed listening experience. The band is still very much versed by classic rock, but it seems as though they've abandoned the practice of previous albums' decade-specific sound (i.e., One Chord to Another was the 60's, Navy Blues the 70's). It's a rich pallet of songs this time around, encompassing all the tasty riffs and soaring hooks of rock's history. Highlights include lead single "Believe in Me", which carries a T. Rex swagger and those awesome Sloan harmonies. "Emergency 911" is a meaty, punk-inspired head-bobber. "Burn for It" is a surprising throwback to early-90's fuzz rock. Then, there's "Living the Dream", an astonishingly catchy acoustic number. "The Other Side" is arena-sized and psychadelic simultaneously. And, if that wasn't enough, Bob Dylan's evoked in "Down in the Basement". At all points in between, there are lots of fun detours through other styles and time periods. However, as far-reaching musically as it is, the old Sloan trademarks are fully intact, especially their impeccable sense of harmony. They're still equal members as a band, too; all four members get at least three songs here (helping influence the album's title), and all four members knock one or two of them out of the park.

It might not have the bombast of Navy Blues, the raw power of Twice Removed or the master songcraft of One Chord to Another, but it's consistence is astounding considering how wildly inconsistent the sound is. Suffice to say, if you're a fan of this band who's been yearning for them to get their shit together, stop meandering and rediscover their passion for music, Parallel Play is a colossal success.

You can stream Parallel Play in its entirety here. Or, check my little friend for a brief career overview.


SeeqPod - Playable Search

Seeqpod is Awesome... and Probably Illegal in Some Way

Apologies if I'm late to this party, but Seeqpod is an application that... well, basically, it allows you to whore a bunch of songs from the internet, put 'em in a playlist, and do pretty much anything you want with it. Like oh, I don't know, embed it in your blog.


SeeqPod - Playable Search

Enjoy the tunes, y'all. More to come.

Album of the Week

I'll be honest; there isn't anything remotely interesting out this week. The biggest CD release of the week is Usher, and there's no way I'm willing to spend more than this sentence talking about that. Cyndi Lauper has a new one, and I'll listen to that right after I forgive Oasis, Creed and Nickelback for their contributions to music. It's pretty much a sad sight across the board; at least, there isn't anything I'd even consider as an "album of the week". So... why bother posting at all? I dunno, just seemed like something to do, so I'm doing it. But, while we're on a roll, how about a look into the future, where there are actual half-interesting albums being released.

Coming Up for June 3:

WEEZER: The Red Album
Song: Pork and Beans

We've already discussed this, so I'm not wasting any more energy on it. I must admit, however, that this is a pretty neat video. How many horribly overexposed YouTube stars can you spot?



OPETH: Watershed
Song: Porcelain Heart

This is a very mellow song by Opeth standards, but their trademark melodic prog-metal is still awe inspiring. Some may call it pretentious. It is. But, it's also ridiculously good.



DISTURBED: Indestructible
Song: Inside the Fire

To be honest, I stopped caring about this band on album #2, where ProTools might as well have written the fucking songs. I will admit, however, that "Inside the Fire" is a good song, even if they'll never pull it off live.



There's more, but I got shit to do. Maybe later this week we'll take another peek forward.

A Pissing Vinegar Update

So, it's 12:39 am as I start typing, and I'm going yard saleing in the morning, then working at 10. I shouldn't even be awake at this point, let alone posting on my blog. But, here I am, proving my undying devotion to you, the reader (not a general statement; I know there's only one of you left, but it was kind of you to vote on my poll 3 times).

I was skimming through some old posts, and came across last summer's PV in which I announced the boycott of Empire Theatres. Those of you who remember that may recall that gears turned, stuff was said, and I got to see "Halloween" (albeit a week late). The boycott was very short indeed, and if you haven't discussed the subject with me, you may be under the impression that everything is hunky dory between myself and Empire.

You're not stupid; you know I wouldn't be telling you this if that were true. And, having been reminded by my own boycott advice (which includes an update if developments happen), I decided it best to let you know that the boycott is alive and well.

After the "Halloween" incident, I thought that things might change for the better here in town. However, that's not the case. In fact, it may have gotten worse. I suspect that, because attendance numbers were low for "Halloween" (probably due to the fact that everyone had gone out of town to see it or downloaded it out of frustration), head office determined that genuinely horrific horror movies don't do good business. They must have determined a lot of things, because since then there hasn't been much of anything remotely edgy playing in that theatre. The last movie I saw while eating that wonderful, heart stopping popcorn was... "Halloween".

Now, going almost nine months without a visit to the theatre might seem like the kind of thing someone who refuses to pay for a movie ticket would do. Don't get me wrong, I hate Hollywood to death, but there are movies I want to watch. It just seems like my taste in movies isn't shared by Empire Theatres. And, I can understand not being able to watch something as twisted as, say, "Rec" on the big screen. But, when you can't watch "Cloverfield" on opening night, there's a fucking problem here.

That's right. Us, the supposed big city, didn't get "Cloverfield" on opening night. Think about that, and keep in mind the hype that movie got. I wanted so badly to see that movie opening night, and those chump ass fuckwads couldn't deliver, despite the fact that it was a PG-13 flick (they're usually all over non-violent horror). That's when I rekindled the hate.

So, I've been actively boycotting Empire Theatres (again) since January 18th. Since then, the theatre has not gotten a lot of other movies that a lot of other people wanted to see. "Diary of the Dead" wasn't that big of a shock to not get; "Harold & Kumar" was. It's to the point where they're so fluff-centric, we're not even getting edgy comedies. It seems as though if it's not a bonafide blockbuster or for kids or couples, it doesn't exist. As of this writing, there are 5 movies playing at Studio 5; two blockbuster adventures (Indiana Jones & Iron Man), a kids movie (Narnia) and two romantic comedies (Made of Honor & What Happens in Vegas). No sign of "Harold & Kumar" (playing in Moncton). No "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" (playing in Moncton). Admittedly, there isn't much out at the moment that's edgy; makes it a little difficult to prove my point. But, when you consider that every single movie playing in Miramichi is rated PG, you begin to understand what I'm talking about. This is made a little clearer when you dig a little deeper on what isn't playing.

"Harold & Kumar" is an R-rated flick. It's a "crude" comedy. Kind of like "Superbad", "Knocked Up", etc. We had those two movies. However, sometime in recent months, some wires must have gotten crossed, because crude has been ousted by cuddly around here. But why? You may have heard the same excuse I have; there are only so many reels to go around. Makes sense, I suppose. Except that there are currently 48 Empire locations (that aren't specialty or single movie theatres). "Harold & Kumar" is playing in 22 of them. Nearly half. And, nearly half of those are in Nova Scotia theatres. In fact, it's playing in four different theatres in the HRM (Halifax Regional Municipality, for those unfamiliar). FOUR. No spares to go around, I guess. And, just so I'm super clear on this, Miramichi (population 18,129) doesn't get the flick, but Amherst (9,505) and Bridgewater (7,944) do. Two copies of the flick being shown to a smaller population than my town.

It's so obvious now; when it's all spelled out, I completely understand. If you want quality R-rated entertainment, Empire Theatres has a seat waiting for you. That is, as long as you live in a major urban area and/or Nova Scotia. If not, you can go fuck yourself, because we could give two shits about what you dirty, smelly, backwards hicks want to see. Do the world a favour and either kill yourself or move to nicer area... like Amherst!

The next movie I watch in theatre will be "The Dark Knight". When it opens on July 18th, it will mark the six month anniversary of the reopening of my boycott. And, you know what? Six months is a pretty good run. I'll be sure to reflect on it all as I watch the credits roll... at the Apollo, a nice, independent theatre in Bathurst, just 45 minutes away that has a better track record for edgy movies than the fuckhole corporate monopoly. Even if it's playing here (which it will; it's a blockbuster), it'll be worth the extra gas money. I get the pleasure of knowing I'm no longer supporting a theatre that doesn't support me, and I get to eat at Wendy's.

With all that satisfaction to look forward to, why in the hell didn't I boycott you from the start?

Pissing Vinegar? What's That?

You can't just come back after, what, two years? Has it been that long? I'm too lazy to check. Anyway, you can't just have all of a sudden some striking return to the profanity-oozing vitriol that got people to visit the Webhole in the long, long ago when it was known as the Emporium. But, if I've learned one thing in my 32 years, it's that your fiancee is not one to be arguing with. When she said she wanted more Pissing Vinegar, I don't know if it was for her, or for the rest of you. However, I know when I must do what I must.

But, you don't get a new PV just like that. Like I said, it's not an old pair of shoes you grab out of the closet and strap onto your feet, then run a marathon. It takes time to get back into game shape; maybe more time than I care to put in. Besides, like I've said before, I'm just not as angry as I used to be. I consider this a good thing, but apparently the majority would rather see me seethe than breathe. So, I'll do what I can. Don't expect me to fake it, though; I'm not going to rail against something unless I firmly believe railing is in order. With that in mind, don't expect that every other week stuff I spoiled you kids with all those years ago. When it's time to vent, I'll vent, not before. It's going to take time.

You need to be patient.

When it's time, you'll know.





Okay, here's the situation...

My job is fucking awesome. Working in a record store is a wonderful, beautiful dream. The store is my happy place, my utopia and my all-star rock show all in one. When I think back to all of my other jobs, none of them come close. Granted, my choices are bored-to-tears tourism centre lackey, overworked and under-appreciated radio announcer and call centre verification worker. So, I suppose it's kind of saying having sex with a human is better than having sex with a pine tree, a bottle of barbicide or a cheese grater. Suffice to say, as a music lover since 1984, I can think of no better job on earth.

Unfortunately, it's probably back to the cheese grater before too long.

There's truly something disheartening about the modern music scene. It's sad to say, but looking back on the arrival of Napster and the horrified cries from the rich guys in fancy suits warning of the death of the industry... they could have been right, you know? I don't want to admit it; I was always a believer that if the music was good enough, people would buy it. We, the consumers, would continue to support the art form, no matter what. The landscape would change, but at the end of the day, the trees would still sprout fruit for the harvest.

But, take a look; the orchard looks like a scene from a Tim Burton movie. Album sales continue to plummet. Digital sales are skyrocketing; a buck a piece for severely reduced sound quality songs, consumed happily by millions of apathetic souls who don't know bit rates from bison shit. Those who do care about sound are taking full advantage of today's faster internet by downloading lossless torrent files in about the same time it took to download one song ten years ago. The technology has gotten too good, and the industry has handled the situation so poorly that no one even cares if it dies anymore. The greedy record companies deserve to falter, let music go back to the people. They're all valid opinions to have; I certainly can't blame anyone who hates on the industry that frantically threw lawyers at the problem, rather than learning the digital ropes and trying to find a sensible solution.

Some argue that the music industry signed its own death warrant by releasing a shitty product and charging too much for it. I actually agree with this; $20 for a CD with one good song on it is not performance. But, with the internet the way it is, you don't have to pay sight unseen anymore; check something out and buy it if you like it. It only makes sense. Sadly, far too few people use this philosophy. I have a regular visitor at the store who is first in line when one of her two favourite artists puts out a new CD. She often stops in to ask what we recommend. That's one of the greatest things about being a music buff working at the record store; other music buffs want to talk to you about what's out there. Problem is, nowadays most of the people who ask me what's good (the aforementioned customer among them) are taking that advice directly to their torrent search engine. On a daily basis, a conversation takes place in the store where one person is interested in buying a CD, but doesn't because their friend offers to burn them a copy. It happens right under my nose that often; people don't even feel bad about walking into my store and announcing that they're doing their part to put it out of business.

The future is just as bleak; the kids don't even consider buying music unless it's cheap. If it's easier to shell out ten bucks for it than to use up the time and bandwidth downloading a burning it, most kids will go for it. But, finding a regular customer under the age of 25 is more and more rare.

So, what do we do about it? In my case, nothing. If our store is going to be closed, the damage is done. Whether or not it happens sooner or later is no matter; even if we have a really busy summer, we'll still be looking over our shoulders all fall. The big bad Wal-Mart up the street doesn't help; I've learned that 95% of the population is more than willing to spend an extra $2 on gas as long as they can save $1 on a CD or DVD. It's the same with every other product, too; that's a lot of the reason why a good dozen stores have gotten out of our mall in the three years since Wal-Mart opened. It's looking grim in that mall, and things aren't getting better. When the mall is owned by an outside company in a large city, I guess they could give a rat's ass whether the spaces are filled as long as they make more than they spend on the place. I could go on for pages and pages more, but I've got to end this rant before I smash the keyboard in frustration.

So, to summarize, Wal-Mart is an evil, fiery pit of despair, and the music industry is a sinking ship. Looks like I'm swimming to hell.

Here endeth the ePISSle.

Album of the Week

Foxboro Hot Tubs: Stop Drop and Roll!!!

It's one of the worst kept secrets in rock history, this band is. But, if you really and truly don't know, Foxboro Hot Tubs are Green Day. Can we just get that out of the way and move on to the music, people?

"Stop Drop and Roll!!!" comes as an expanded version of the 6-track EP given away on the net last December. These tracks serve as "Side A" of this album, except here the obscure sound bites are absent (they were rather annoying before every track, but I kind of miss the count in followed by "You're doing it fucking wrong!" at the beginning of "Highway 1").

Now, another of rock's worst kept secrets has, for quite some time, been Green Day's love of sixties rock music. One of their first recordings was a cover of The Who's "My Generation". They later gave a faithful rendition of the Kinks' "Tired of Waiting for You". It shouldn't come as a shock, then, that these two bands are paid highest respects on this, a sixties inspired effort all around (right down to the barebones vinyl-themed packaging). The Kinks are more prominently featured in the sound, especially in "Alligator", the virtual sequel to "You Really Got Me". "Red Tide" bears close resemblance to "Tired of Waiting for You". The Who's moment comes in "27th Avenue Shuffle", first cousin (if not twin brother) to "My Generation".

This could have become a problem on the record, as most of the 12 songs bring to mind another song from rock's storied history. But I, for one, let it slide for two reasons.

Firstly, the record's finest moments sound more like Green Day than any other band. And it's not just Billie Joe's voice that gives them away; it might feature psychadelic keyboards, but just try to listen to "Ruby Vroom" without "Hitchin' a Ride" coming to mind. Then again, that song reminds me of "Stray Cat Strut", so I guess it all reaches backwards.

Which brings me to the second point. Yes, this album might play like a classic rock mixtape, but it's not like this is the true follow up to "American Idiot"; let's not take it so seriously. Face it; Green Day are under enormous pressure to follow up that album. That they took some time out to record these songs speaks to an urgent need to blow off some steam and just rock out. Truthfully, they should be applauded for dusting off their record collections and stepping away from the soapbox for a minute.

Not to say that it's all sunshine and lollipops. The lyrical content on "Stop Drop and Roll!!!", for the most part, counteracts the shimmery grooves and jangly rhythms. There's an ample dosage of live fast / die young litanies, while other common lyrical threads are escape, loss of control and hopelessness. It's a record that oozes as much frustration as it does fun. But, that's always been Green Day's main strength; the ability to make you feel good with the music, even as Billie Joe tells you that he's miserable. And, a good chunk of the album finds him miserable. About precisely what, we can only hazard to guess, but Green Day's proper follow up to "American Idiot" has been penciled in for the fall and, with it, one can't help but think that a lot of eyes and ears at Warner Music Group are intensely focused in Green Day's direction, hoping for another smash record that could potentially save the music industry (a little far fetched... but just a little).

Can they really be blamed for sidestepping the crushing weight of expectation and having a little fun? At the end of the day, isn't that what music is supposed to be all about? Isn't it possible that, by looking to the past and digging through its treasures, Green Day has shown us all why we fell in love with music in the first place? Call me an overexcited, blithering fanboy if you will, but "Stop Drop and Roll!!!" just might be a more powerful statement from this band than even "American Idiot". At the very least, it's a hell of a lot more fun to listen to.

"Stop Drop and Roll!!!" is out (and reasonably priced) now.

The New Weezer Album (Probably) Sucks Balls, and They (Definitely) Know It

Business first; after a few measly weeks, I've already decided to kill my chart again. Two reasons, actually...

1. I thought to myself, "what does a chart represent in the grand scheme of things but popularity?" Upon further reflection, I determined that a chart is kind of an odd way to recommend music these days. After all, it doesn't really promote you to check anything out as much as it screams out, "I like the new Sam Roberts single more than I like the new Weezer single, so you should like it too!" Of course, this is a bad example, since everyone knows how horrendous the new Weezer single is, but you get my point ;)

2. Nobody looks at the damn thing anyway. When I make a post, I'm guessing most of you read it through my Facebook feed anyway, without bothering to actually visit the blog. I know this because I posted a poll a couple of weeks back that pretty much said, "I'll do a podcast if you want me to", and no one's gone for that option as of this writing. So, with that in mind, fancy stuff on my sidebar is essentially useless, because no one's there to see it.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not bitter or anything; I'd also be inclined to just snag the article from Facebook rather than go through links and new tabs and shit. I'm just saying, I thought it would be a cool thing to do, then had a change of heart on it, and didn't see any indication it was worth the effort anyway. So it's gone.

Onto the article. Feel free to comment, correct or threaten at will.

The interweb was all aflutter a month or so back, when it was announced that the new Weezer album would be, like the Blue Album and Green Album before it, self titled (aka the Red Album). Visions of "The Sweater Song", or even "Island in the Sun" started floating above our heads; with the exception of "Pinkerton", the only Weezer records that have been truly great were the self titled records. It had seemed the mighty Weez were on a slippery slope, after the metallic, clumsy "Maladroit" and the self-help infused, synth pop inspired mess of "Make Believe". But, lo and behold, we were being graced with a self titled Weezer record; surely, they'd regained their senses and were set to unleash the beast.

Well, the single "Pork and Beans" popped that balloon in a hurry. It's the kind of quirky/sludgy rocker Rivers Cuomo could write (and sounds as though he sung) in his sleep. Nevertheless, rock radio was all over it, since it was a new Weezer single. Now, Interscope had originally delayed the release of the record a week from its intended date of June 17. Then, last week, it was announced that the record would actually be out on June 3, a full three weeks before what was given as an official release date. As an excuse for the move, they cited "popular demand and the intense reaction to the Pork and Beans single". Now, I know that the popular demand part comes from Weezer's dedicated fan base, who are on the brink of orgasm this close to release date. What's unclear is the "intense reaction" to the single; are they referring to the spins at rock radio, or the hundreds of not-so-glowing reviews on blogs the web over?

More tracks have surfaced in the last week; "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived" is a 6 minute boast rap/prog rock/epic singalong combo that's easily the strangest thing Weezer have ever recorded. It hearkens back to the Who's "A Quick One While He's Away" in that it sounds like nine songs in one. That was awesome when the Who did it; I accepted it when Green Day did it. Whether or not Weezer deserves props for it is more of a head scratcher; it's oddly charming, but more keeled toward "odd" than "charming".

Then, there's "Heart Songs". I don't even want to talk about it; it's just sad. Not in the "affects you emotionally" way, but rather the "Rivers, who did what to you to deserve a song this fucking awful" way.

All could be forgiven by "Troublemaker", a rollicking headbobber that's all but guaranteed to be the second single (and probably should have been the first). It's tight, it's catchy, it's classic Weezer, despite and/or because of the trite lyrics. "Everybody Get Dangerous" is rocking too, but with more of a nighttime, "Maladroit" vibe. It's passable, but it's no "Don't Let Go".

And those five songs constitute the first half of the album. So, unless the latter half is a rare beast of the B-side trumping the A-side (see "Back in Black"), the Red Album is shaping up to be somewhat of a dud. Which, as lukewarm reactions pour in, tracks continue to leak and (most importantly) word gets around, pleads a pretty good case for rush release. Because if you give the internet a month to kill something, you better believe it's gonna die a horrible, horrible death.

Three years ago, I had called "Make Believe" Weezer's make or break record. Now, a couple of weeks away from what is likely going to be the band's third lackluster album in a row, I think I can safely say that they're broken. Despite owning all five Weezer records and the Rivers Cuomo demo disc, it looks like I'm finally done with the Weez.

Of course, it's not the first time a band has strung together disappointments; we lose bands to this kind of thing all the time. It just stings a little more with Weezer. If you think back to this time ten years ago, this band had been written off by fans and critics alike after the moody, slow sales performer "Pinkerton" which, in hindsight, is probably their best album. They were forgiven with the Green Album, which is extremely rare in the music biz. Forgiveness from anyone but the hardcore fans after this will be a miracle.

Things Not to Do List

So, last night was the QOTSA show in Halifax; cool venue, great set. Sound was fantastic, the band was tight, all the "hits" were played (although I would've like a couple more from the first album). Their live CDs/DVDs don't do this band's performance justice. It was a little short (Pearl Jam spoiled me; I now expect all bands to play for at least 2 1/2 hours), but overall well worth the price of admission. $40 is much less than most bands on QOTSA's level charge these days, and I'd wager that those bands don't put on as good a show.

The setlist:
Go with the Flow
Do it Again
Feel Good Hit of the Summer
The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
3's & 7's
Misfit Love
Burn the Witch
I Never Came
In the Fade
Monsters in the Parasol
Turnin' on the Screw
Make it Wit Chu
Little Sister
Battery Acid
You Can't Quit Me Baby
Sick, Sick, Sick
No One Knows
(encore)
You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire
Song for the Dead

I sadly missed most of Mugison's set, but was fortunate enough to snag a copy of "Mugiboogie" for $10... autographed and handed to me by the man himself. We didn't have much of a conversation (Me: Sorry I missed your set, I saw your videos on YouTube and you guys seem pretty awesome. Mugison: That's great, thank you for your support, etc.), but he seemed genuinely happy to be grinding it out at the merch table for the few of us who showed the common decency of giving some props to the opening band. For those of you curious about the band, Google them, then snag "Mugiboogie" for yourself when it's officially released (on Ipecac, no less) June 24.

Anyway, I am a little wiped out from the experience, so there will be no Album of the Week this week (it was only going to be the new Death Cab anyway, and I'll save you the suspense; it's just okay). The chart will be up later in the week, maybe on the weekend. Just throwing this up here to let you know I still think about you from time to time.

Off you go.

Album of the Week

Nine Inch Nails: The Slip

If I had a time machine, I'd transport back to 2004. Seems kind of an odd choice, I know; the world wasn't really all that different four years ago. George Bush was fucking the world over, gas prices were high, and the music industry was dying. One would think that, given the luxury of time traveling, a more important time would be at the top of the list. There have been, after all, many moments in history that would be truly awesome to relive (my birth) or experience for the first time (what happened after I blacked out from chugging all that Hermits wine). But, no; I stick with 2004. That way, I can look back on Nine Inch Nails' discography and, more specifically, Trent Reznor's torrid pace of one studio album every five years. Throw in all of the singles, remix albums, live sets, videos, etc., and at the end of 2004 we were given a grand total of seventeen "halos" in fifteen years.

If I had a time machine, I could go back to 2004, tell you that not only was "With Teeth" coming in May 2005, but that in the three years to follow there would be three more albums, one being a double-disc instrumental opus, one being a sprawling post-apocalyptic concept album, and the other being distributed free of charge through Trent's own website. And that "The Slip" was Halo 27, the tenth "halo" within the span of three years.

In 2004, you would have bet anything against that. Which would make me a very, very rich man today.

If you're not a NIN fan, you may not have been paying attention to Reznor's antics for a while. Suffice to say, there's bound to be a million articles circulating the web regarding Trent's chosen methods of business recently, and not nearly as many actually discussing "The Slip" in a purely musical context. For the benefit of the uninitiated, I'll provide a Coles Notes of the situation, and you can look into the details on Wikipedia or something.

Last year, Trent Reznor got really angry with his record label (and, come to think of it, the music industry in general) for being greedy little pricks. Late in the year, he left his label to a small amount of fanfare, and folks started to speculate about what NIN's future held. In March, "Ghosts I-IV", a 2-hour instrumental melting pot, was released for free (vol. I mp3's), cheap (I-IV mp3's), more expensive (2xCD), and holy shit (fancy box, bluray, vinyl, CDs, Trent's John Hancock). This initiative, it's safe to say, made Trent Reznor more money than any of his previous projects did (possibly all of them combined). Not bad for an experimental two-disc set that he didn't even have to write lyrics for. Much ballyhooing was heard regarding the revolutionary approach to releasing music. So, today, the coup de gras; "The Slip", Nine Inch Nails' second release in two months and the first example I can think of (by a major label artist) where the entire album is available in a variety of formats (mp3, FLAC, Apple lossless... basically as awesome sounding as you want) directly from the artist's website, is completely free of charge, and is totally okay to make copies for your friends, post on your website, or any other means of what is usually considered copyright infringement. Bottom line: an unprecedented and potentially industry saving/destroying tactic that could have only come from a forward-thinking artist like Trent Reznor.

So, then, now that you're caught up, is "The Slip" worth the price? Duh. It's hard to get ripped off by something that's free (unless she has the clap). See, that's the thing that makes this album so hard to review; can you really rip on something that you didn't have to pay for? Isn't the point of these reviews, at their essence, to convey to the reader whether or not I think he/she should shell out cash for it? In a rare case such as "The Slip", is it a good review if it's all dogshit except for one song that people would, theoretically speaking, pay money for? You can see the paradox.

Thankfully, these moral tightropes needn't be traversed, because "The Slip" is not shitty at all; far from it, actually. In fact, the first half of this album packs more punch than any of Reznor's recent body of work. Sliding in after a quiet, brief intro, "1,000,000" breaks down the door and starts gunning. Riding a distorted groove and stomp-worthy back beat, it expertly combines the tunefulness found on "With Teeth" with the jagged noisefests that inhabited "Year Zero". And oh yeah; it rocks really hard. It's followed by the crushing "Letting You", which can only be described as Reznor's twisted take on punk; it could be the noisiest, heaviest song in the NIN catalog (and no, I didn't forget about "Wish"). Of course, man cannot live on rock alone. "Discipline", the set's radio single (whatever that means these days), chugs along on a smooth groove that wouldn't have sounded out of place on "With Teeth".

The album's midsection packs a terrific one-two punch. "Echoplex" jumps out of the speakers like the older, smarter, more handsome brother of "Only". It's melodic, foot-tapping, and a prime example of Reznor pulling off awesomeness without the aid of smack. It's followed by "Head Down", front runner the highlight of the set. The riff is menacing, the beat dirty but funky, and Reznor's vocal style in the verses is reminiscent of "Meantime" era Page Hamilton. Its chorus ups the melody a touch, but on the whole, this is Nine Inch Helmet, and it is amazing.

Which makes it all the more disappointing when the tune sputters out and makes way for "Lights in the Sky", a brooding and introspective mood piece (granted, it wouldn't be a NIN record without it) that kills the buzz of the exhilarating first half of the album, and ushers in a lull that lasts until the album's last track; "Lights" is followed by two meandering instrumentals (after "Ghosts", didn't he get this out of his system?!) to make the trio of tracks a near 16-minute long crater in the album. By the time "Demon Seed" brings back the vocals and ups the tempo again, it's a welcome return, but you can't help but get the urge to move it higher in the track list next time you listen so that you don't have to sit through 15-plus minutes of mood music to hear it (I find it works best between "Letting You" and "Discipline").

Maybe, in this respect, "The Slip" works better as an EP than an album. At 43 minutes long, it's not much longer than "Broken" anyway (not to mention far shorter than any NIN album since "Pretty Hate Machine"). After all, the two instrumental tracks don't exactly feel at home here; they'd probably be better served cut out of your "Slip" folder and pasted onto the end of "Ghosts". What you're then left with is a short but solid batch of songs, right up there with the best of Reznor's post-"Downward Spiral" work.

But hey! Don't take my word for it; since it's totally free, you've got no excuse not to just pull it down for yourself and start listening!

Album of the Week

Mindless Self Indulgence: If

As hard as it may be to believe considering what usually gets covered here, I'm actually a pretty big MSI fan. Call it my guilty pleasure; my favourite band might be Pearl Jam and I may gravitate toward more organic rock and metal, but sometimes it's necessary to step outside the comfort zone, so to speak.

Back in 1999, while working in radio, I discovered MSI via "Bitches", which was an absurd attempt by Warner Music to earn the crass, far from mainstream band radio play. Nevertheless, I listened to the track and wasn't all that impressed... until a few days later, when I couldn't get that song out of my head with a crowbar. After picking up the 30 track rapid-fire masterpiece "Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy", I found myself oddly enamored with the spastic techno-metal stylings and utter lunacy of Little Jimmy Urine's lyrics and vocal delivery. At the time, I didn't even understand what the hell I was listening to; I just liked it, and that was that.

Their long-awaited follow up, 2005's "You'll Rebel to Anything", found them changing it up a bit; the songs were longer, it was sonically more diverse, and had their inexplicably entertaining cover of Rush's "Tom Sawyer". Altogether, though, its ten songs brought the proceedings to a close way too soon (at just over 26 minutes). It hardly seemed worth waiting six years for.

Now, back on a major label (Sony this time), MSI delivers "If", which turns out to be a fair split between the first two records. No one can help but to grow up at least a little over nine years, so "If" doesn't really have anything as amazingly immature and crass as some of "Frankenstein"'s choicest moments (though "On It" and "Issues" come close). Thankfully, MSI recognize that most fans aren't looking for world events, and nothing on "If" is dreary. Big, bad beats are everywhere on this album, from the Timbaland trumping club thumper "Bomb This Track" to the trip-hop freak-out anthem "Revenge". It's more adventurous musically than most DJs ever dream of. The fact that there's a band there to flesh out the sound is gravy.

All this said, it's worth noting that the most notable improvement on "If" is songwriting. The gift for hooks that first got me in 1999 is still ever-present on "If", especially on "Animal"; the track plays like 2-1/2 minutes of nothing but hooks. "Money" is probably the closest thing to a conventional song in the band's catalogue. Then, there's "Mark David Chapman", a song whose conception was remarkable (written with fans using weekly questions on the band's Myspace page). The only thing more remarkable is how it turned out; its scattershot progression recalls Mr. Bungle, except with more samples and synth.

If you're looking for solos and soaring epics, you're shit out of luck. If you're looking for social commentaries and causes to believe in, look somewhere else. "If" is pretty much impossible to categorize with confidence; it's like the audio equivalent of "Tim & Eric Awesome Show", except with more midi sounds. It's like a watching a mash up of "Tron", a Gwen Stefani video, and "Dawn of the Dead". Simply put, it's an awesome example of what happens when a band's focus is placed on having fun instead of having hits.

"If" is in stores Tuesday. This is their website.

Album of the Week

Cancer Bats: Hail Destroyer

Being in cahoots with the Alexisonfire camp has the tendency of making me not give a shit about your band. No offense to AOF or the kids who love them, screamo just isn't my bag. Which is why I was surprised by the Cancer Bats' debut, "Birthing the Giant". I avoided it for months, expecting it to be a clone of Alexisonfire's uninteresting At the Drive-In worship or, worse, a clone of Dallas Green's wretch-inducing sentimentalism. Finally, "French Immersion" made its way to my ears, a roaring hardcore throwback worthy of whiplash by headbanging. I was almost as astonished by that track's ferocity as I was by the fact that the rest of the album was just as good.

Of course, there's bound to be changes on album two. Thankfully, they're not so drastic as to completely alter your opinions on the band. Sure, there's a little more metallic screaming (see the title track), and a few more actual hooks (see "Deathsmarch"). And, in a case where change is definitely good, there's the staggering "Bastard's Waltz", a track that gets across a bevy of menace despite its slower tempo, thanks in large part to its "coughing up blood" refrain. It's only trumped by its cousin "Lucifer's Rocking Chair", complete with slide guitar riffage and sinister groove. They take it the other direction, too, especially on the absolutely crushing diatribe "Sorceress". It's like the song Hatebreed's been trying to write for ten years. And the 90 second scorcher "Pray for Darkness" hits you in the skull with such speed and fury that the half-time breakdown is necessary to catch your breath.

All in all, though, this is the same band with the same love for monstrous riffs and chaotic gang vocals. But they incorporate enough new elements to their sound to dissuade any naysayers who would accuse them of being a one trick pony. "Hail Destroyer" may not be as consistent as "Birthing the Giant", but it is most certainly more rewarding.

"Hail Destroyer" is in stores Tuesday. Check 'em out online here.

Rapid Fire Reviews!



THE RACONTEURS: Consolers of the Lonely
****
"Consolers of the Lonely" is pretty much an extension of last year's White Stripes triumph "Icky Thump"; also recorded in Nashville, all very loose sounding and fun. It's also notice served that what was kind of cool in the White Stripes' intimate setting absolutely shreds with the backing of a full band. Lyrically, there may not be any tracks as poetic as, say, 'You Don't Know What Love Is'. But, when the monster riffs of 'Five on the Five' and 'Attention' smack you in the skull, there simply isn't much need for fancy wordplay. There's also much more stretching out to be heard, as a veritable smorgasbord of instruments get their due (including fiddles, banjos, horns, etc.).

Throw in a good old fashioned murder ballad (album closer 'Carolina Drama'), a swampy country stomper ('Old Enough'), an obscure seventies rock cover ('Rich Kid Blues') and the freakishly electric dance rock inferno of lead single 'Salute Your Solution', and you've got something for everyone. The best part is that it doesn't sound like a half n' half mix of Jack White and Brendan Benson songs (as the previous album, "Broken Boy Soldiers", did); it's the sound of two songwriters in a room cranking out ideas and having a blast. And creating a damn fine record in the process.


REM: Accelerate
***1/2
Let's forget about "Around the Sun", and how awful it was. In fact, let's forget "Reveal" and how awful it was, too. Hell, let's just pretend that "Accelerate" is REM's first record in twelve years. When health concerns prompted the band to move on without original drummer Bill Berry, it's as though he drove his band mates out to the middle of nowhere, dropped them off, and sped off into the night, leaving them lost in a frozen tundra of keyboards and string sections. At first, they were weary but still excited to be in new, unfamiliar territory (the decidedly sombre "Up", my submission for Most Ironically Titled Album Ever Award). After a while, they started to become comfortable out on the tundra, and even tried by times to make it feel like home (the soundtrack submission 'The Great Beyond', "Reveal"'s first single 'Imitation of Life', the unearthed early-career throwaway 'Bad Day'). Problem was, no one was fooled by these mirages of a band that still rocked. They were, after all, still on the tundra and, try as they might, the blandness wasn't going anywhere. So slowly, they trudged onward, looking for escape from this deliriously boring place. The epic journey out of suckdom almost killed them; if "Around the Sun" didn't sound like a band sucking wind on one knee, I lost my ears in a horrible fire.

So here we are, twelve years later, and we answer the knock on the door to find REM, clothes tattered, egos bruised, asking for a place to crash. You'd be forgiven for slamming the door in their faces, but you'd also be a fool. Think about it; REM was stuck on the tundra for TWELVE FUCKING YEARS. It's no surprise that they're pissed off, looking for vengeance and rocking out like their lives depend on it. At a shade under 35 minutes, "Accelerate" is a rapid dose of vintage REM, from the punk overtones of 'Living Well is the Best Revenge' and 'Horse to Water' to the muscular new wave flashback of 'Man Sized Wreath' and 'Supernatural Superserious'. It's not all upbeat, but the slow tunes are much more reminiscent of "Automatic for the People" era tunes than those of the last three albums. In fact, the only real knock on "Accelerate" is that it's such a return to form it sometimes sounds too calculated to be genuine.

At the end of the day, I recommend that REM be forgiven even if "Accelerate" is a contrived effort to buy back the fans who left them in droves over the past twelve years. The way I see it, if I were stuck on the tundra for over a decade, I'd be rocking out too. Because, above all, I'd be really fucking glad to finally be home again. And if "Accelerate" is any indication of what's to come, then I'm really fucking glad to have REM finally come home again.


THE SWORD: Gods of the Earth
***
The Austin metal gods return with a more sloppily produced, less Sabbath-inspired disc. The result is still more thrilling than most modern metal, but I hoped for better. Don't get me wrong; I dig the faster tempos and the riffs are still monstrous. I just expected they'd be leaving all other metal bands bloodied in the killing fields and eating the innards of the genre itself by now.









BLACK TIDE: Light from Above
*1/2
If you've been waiting for the sign that power metal's triumphant return is jumping the shark, here it is. A band of teenagers with an unmoving devotion to both Dragonforce and Motley Crue and about as much songwriting talent as the security guy working either of those bands' concerts, "Light from Above" sounds like that album of early recordings and demos that gets unearthed about five years after a band makes it big. Where most bands grow and mature before getting their debut on shelves, Black Tide has been swept up, packaged ever so neatly and thrown into the spotlight far too soon.

But, that's the way fads go; remember the 90's, when grunge exploded and record labels snapped up every Nirvana prototype they could find? A group of teenagers with little actual talent were signed to a contract in 1995, releasing a trite, immature (but loud) album and becoming famous before evolving as a band, making better music, and losing their entire fan base. Congratulations, Black Tide. You are the new Silverchair.



MESHUGGAH: obZen
****
Meshuggah takes a lot of shit from "true" metalheads because they started out as a thrash band, evolved musically, surpassed most other metal bands in musicianship, and slowed down the tempo. For shame! On "obZen", some of the thrash elements are back without sacrificing the awesome prog-inspired riffage, shredding vocals or Tomas Haake's sheer lunacy on the kit. But, because it's not the first album and they've gained a high profile within the genre, the new album sucks. If that's the "true" metalhead's perspective, I'll be a "poser" and listen to this awesome new Meshuggah album while you stay stuck with your one dimensional metal. But just so you know, I'm a total music whore for life and that includes metal, so chances are I was listening to Slayer and Annihilator (hell, even Cannibal Corpse and Deicide) before you were born. Seniority rules, and so does this album.