Mikey Shanley – GAga Night

Miami resident, beach bum, DJ, and all around good guy Mikey Shanley is at it again with his new EP, GAga Night. It’s been strange to see Shanley go from eyeliner-ed emo rocker to happy hardcore to house and everything in between, but house music seems to be where Shanley finds home. Maybe it’s the Miami nights, the clubs, the sand and the heat that makes beats like this. They’re rough, they’re rich, they’re sexy, and goddamn are they dance-able. From the press release:

“It’s 80 degrees in Miami Beach right now, and while most would kill for a South Florida beach in late November Mikey, just across the street from the sandy salvation, is in his recording studio putting the finishing touches on his EP entitled “Gaga Night”; which will be available for free via mikeyshanley.com in late December. Mikey’s EP has a funky futuristic house sound with a banging techno groove and psy-trance, electro bass lines. This EP is packed with enough glow stick power and thumping warehouse beats to keep party people going as the sun comes up.”

That is absolutely correct. While this EP is definitely made for DJs by a DJ, it’s shockingly listener-friendly. When you find an album with such technical prowess, you also find all those long, naked gaps. I know, they’re for mixing, but I don’t wanna hear the same beat 64 times. Shanley finds that happy medium, and it carries throughout the entire five track EP.

While every track on this album is fantastic, “GAga Night” and “My Soul” are the gems. They ARE house music. From electro to deep soul, this album has a little bit of something for every house head. Filled with luxuriously rich beats…it’s like taking a hot bath in house music.  Buildups are spectacular, drops are well placed, this album is…awesome. It’s just awesome, dammit. So get check it out at Mikey Shanley’s MySpace, streaming for free RIGHT NOW! A!

Top (and Bottom) Five Albums of 2009

Okay, so I know I’m jumping the gun a little here, but honestly, the rest of 2009 isn’t looking all that promising, folks.

So here they are, my top five favorite albums of 2009:

5. Mike Doughty – Sad Man Happy Man
This album has grown on me so much more since the first listen and I think that “Lorna Zauberberg” just might be my favorite Mike Doughty song, ever. Seeing him live promoting this album I’m sure has something to do with the way I feel about it now. Mike Doughty, guitar, small club, little to no security…I’m surprised I didn’t get myself in trouble.






4. Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You
That’s so not true Lily, this year’s been all about you. The gap-toothed Brit certainly made a years worth of singles on this album. After the past few years, she deserves to have a good one. It’s such a shame that as of right now, Allen has “no plans” on releasing another album and will be taking the next two years to start her own record label. I’ll miss you Lily, come back soon!






3. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
Current TV‘s Embedded totally did a special on these guys and the hazards of turning this album into a live show (tee-hee, bad joke, I know). I’ll tell you what…I think that made me love this album even more. It’s just so damn good and I really think that I am going to have to see it live. Shara Worden makes me weak in the lady parts. Damn.






2. Pet Shop Boys – Yes
Such a fantastic album! Twenty five years of making music and they’ve still got it. I am still convinced that they are the only band who could ever even attempt to sample Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker Suite”. This whole album is so damn good. We also bought our hard copy of it in Miami, so this will now forever be an incredibly happy album for me.






1. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
This album was the most revolutionary album of the year, hands down. The French quartet is still storming the airwaves with this album and has actually been nominated for their first Grammy (Best Alternative Music Album). I really hope they win, they deserve it. The best part about Phoenix this year is when people I know discover them and tell me that I “HAVE TO HEAR” this AMAZING new band Phoenix. They have really rocked my world this year. Check ‘em out.

You know, that was actually a whole lot harder than I thought. Some honorable mentions are Flyleaf’s Memento Mori and David Guetta’s One Love.

Now for the fun part…
The WORST five albums of 2009:

5. Depeche Mode – Sounds of the Universe
You figure after being around for approximately 1, 010 years, Depeche Mode would either a.) have this musical situation down pat or b.) have made everything good that they will ever make and have run out of ideas. Looks like they went with Plan B. If you have run out of anything good to contribute to the music industry, WHY KEEP MAKING MUSIC!? This is my open letter, begging Depeche Mode to please stop making music.





4. 311 – Uplifter
God, this is such a terrible album. And as far as I know, I’m not the only one who appears to feel this way. I mean, have you heard ANYTHING out of this album this year? Did they even have a single? This album was simply shameful and I can’t believe they even released it. I swear, now that I listen to this album again, it’s even worse that I thought it was.






3. Dashboard Confessional – Alter the Ending
Oh Dashboard, how I used to love you and how you’ve failed me. This album is wretched. And you know what’s even worse? That I’m their Myspace friend and get to see all their ridiculous updates and all the gushy heart-filled replies of 13 year old girls who love Chris Carraba. This album is a wicked disappointment.







2. Weezer – Raditude
Oh Weezer. How I wanted to love this album. I wanted to love Rivers again. I wanted to love thick glasses and argyle. This album has let me know that unless something drastically changes, I think my relationship with Weezer is over. Yes, Weezer, I am breaking up with you. We had some great times, unraveling sweaters and hanging out in the garage. Oh, those were the times. Good bye, Weezer. Also, this Snuggie situation? It’s gotta go.




1. Butch Walker – Sycamore Meadows
So, technically, this album was released in 2008, but it sucked so hard it kept on sucking right through 2009, plus, I didn’t review it until this year. Also, bringing him up to first place is the fact that he produced TWO of the other four albums on this worst of portion. Oh Butch…not only are you ruining your own albums, now you’re ruining the entire future of music by churning out this garbage. This mass produced crap is getting out of control and Walker is certainly not making the situation any better.

Honorable mentions for the worst album of the year include Marilyn Manson’s The High End of Low and Ben Lee’s The Rebirth of Venus.
Well, that’s it for the year in review folks. What was YOUR favorite album this year?

Tori Amos – Midwinter Graces

Holy shit, Tori remembered that she can play the harpsichord. Who ever would have thought that Amos’ best album in years would be her recently released holiday album, Midwinter Graces? (I decline to say Christmas for Tori’s sake, all those years of unraveling Christianity shouldn’t be wasted.)

This album is really downright gorgeous. At first listen, I have to say that I was skeptical, with the over-production and Auto Tune catastrophes of her last few albums, but really, it’s quite good. I mean, for the mass media. I personally kind of enjoyed Abnormally Attracted to Sin. This might be because I’m abnormally attracted to Tori Amos.

While not Christian per se…there’s nothing that could be misconstrued as offensive, either. When an already established artist releases a holiday album, it can go either way…will they keep the integrity of their music through the holidays or will they come off sounding alien and evangelistic? Tori certainly keeps her integrity. This album focuses more on the changing of the seasons and holiday spirit rather than religious or historical events.
While it does borrow from some traditional carols, Amos takes them in stride and often mixes them together for a better effect as seen in tracks like the opening, “What Child, Nowell”, a mash up of the Christmas classics “What Child Is This?” and “The First Noel”. It’s the comfort of the known, but at the same time, something completely different. At the same time, there’s tracks like “Pink and Glitter”, a swing-y, big band number with just a touch of holiday cheer.

“Winter’s Carol” is the true gem of this album. A Tori original, the opening piano reminds me of seeing her live and all the things that woman can do to a piano. Dear god, the things that woman can do to a piano. Tori sounds more like Tori than she has in years…incredibly powerful vocals, impeccable piano, and deliciously poetic lyrics are just…Tori. That’s just kinda what she does.

This album greatly reduces the amount of shameful guilt instilled by the majority of Christmas albums. It’s full of light and joy and family. Amos even brought in her own daughter, Natasha, and her niece Kelsey, but only for short moments. Instead of feeling like it’s just another parent parading their kid around in a Santa hat for the world to see, it’s really pretty cute.

The only real let down on this album is “Harps of Gold”, a clunky, over-produced track that I’m pretty sure was meant for the holiday season on adult lite-rock radio. Other than that, this is an utterly unexpected and delightful holiday album. This album has put her in the ranks of Over the Rhine and Lorena KcKennitt as far as magical holiday albums go. A!

Tori Amos’ Site

Christmas, Jools Holland, Iris Murdoch, and other unrelated things…

Happy belated Turkey Day everyone!

This may be the most discombobulated post ever.

It’s been CRAZY busy around here, with the holidays in full swing and all. I swear, the older I get, the more I hate Christmas. Can’t a girl just let out some inner Grinch!? Damn!
Anyway…Jools Holland owns my life. Seriously. This is a recent discovery and so far I’ve seen approximately one bajillion bands who I already love and discovered a few new ones as well. Just in the few episodes watched, I’ve seen Thom Yorke groove right the fuck out to Mary J. Blige, decided that Jamiroquai is now a dirty old man, and discovered that Cat Power is indeed better live than she is on recordings. Her cover of “New York New York” is fucking amazing.

Last night, after Jools (with JAMIROQUAI!), Ovation played Iris, the film portrayal of Iris Murdoch’s life, her writing, her battle with Alzheimer’s, and ultimately, her death. It’s a fantastic movie. And it has Judy Dench in it, who I love.
Check it out sometime.

Random thought of the day: Why are there so many songs about sweaters? Cake, the infamous Weezer, every goddamn Jack’s Mannequin song…? I love sweaters and all, but are they really that musically inspiring? Perhaps it’s the dramas of winter and what they represent. What makes you so important, sweater!?

Riding public transportation will do things like this to you.
Well, stay tuned folks. In the next few weeks there will be a review of Tori Amos‘ Midwinter’s Graces as well as an interview with Mikey Shanley, beach bum, DJ, and very good friend.

Jack’s Mannequin – Daily Show 11/19/09

So I actually stayed up to watch Jack’s Mannequin on the Daily Show last night, which is amazing for me because I’m prematurely elderly and go to sleep at 9:30 most nights. It was absolutely worth the lack of sleep.

Andrew McMahon’s voice is better than ever. The change from the album version to this live version are absolutely astounding. Both are amazing, but this version is just so… incredible.

I have a shameful emo girl crush on Andrew McMahon. And his goddamn hipster beard. I’m not even that into facial hair (unless it’s a soul patch) and for some reason, I just can’t get enough of the hipster beard. WTF is wrong with me!?

Alright, once again, I can’t get this video to embed for the life of me, so go check it out here.

You can check out the info on his documentary here and stalk him here and here. Seriously, go watch that video though, it will rock your socks clean off.

Them Crooked Vultures – Self Titled

Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age have come together to have a very musically talented, if not a little deranged, love-baby. Compromised of Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, Nirvana), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), this band is…

Well, it’s three badass musicians rocking out. Three generations of rock and roll pumping directly into your brain. This album is a blend of both Zeppelin and QotSA inspired tunes, but with some decidedly original tracks thrown in there. This album is FULL of music. Every inch of space is filled with rich and expert sound. Every beat from Dave Grohl’s hands is perfectly placed. Every note from Jones’ reverberating bass is perfect. Every strum and lyric of Homme’s is wholly amazing, lilting in and out of incredibly composed pieces of music…

As for the album, self-titled and just released yesterday, it’s an ebb and flow of music. Rising and ebbing in unmatched waves, bringing you up and down just enough to keep you riveted until the very end. The bi-product of three genius minds, all equally obsessed with music.

That being said: I don’t like it.

I’ve been waiting for this album for weeks? Months? Ever since I first heard of this collaboration of hard rock glory. It was supposed to be the album of the year. The defining moment of 2009′s musical history…and I just don’t get it.

I understand where they’re trying to go with it, but I just don’t like it. I do find myself more drawn to the Zeppelin inspired tunes, “New Fang”, “Elephants”, “Reptiles”, the more trippy, 70′s inspired tracks. Some tracks on here are just plain fucking weird, though. “Caligulove”? Really?

Alright, look. I really want to like this album. I want to like all music, it just doesn’t work out that way. I’m still giving this album a B, because it IS original and it is musically superior to so much of the utter shit that the music industry churns out anymore. It’s just not my cup of tea.They look like tons of fun live though…Dave Grohl is an animal on the drums.

The Them Crooked Vultures Site

Andrew McMahon and Jack's Mannequin

From Something Corporate to his new outfit, Jack’s Mannequin, I’m pretty sure Andrew McMahon is one of my favorite people of all time.

He’s an animal on the piano, an amazing vocalist, a leukemia survivor, and a down-right emo kid through and through.

As Jack’s Mannequin, McMahon and his band have released two albums, Everything In Transit and The Glass Passenger. I would say they’re a bit more raucous and personal than McMahon’s prior efforts with Something Corporate, not that I didn’t love them as well.

It makes me insanely happy that he’s making music again and he’s one of those vocalists that brings me awesome memories.

Funny story: One night, while wandering around Oakland, the big college town here in Pittsburgh, myself and two friends find ourselves outside of…god, where were we…AJ Palumbo? Anyway, we come across this janitor with a DUMPSTER full of belts. Really. So apparently, they were taking studded belts off of all the emo kids attending the Good Charlotte/Something Corporate/Mest show that evening. Well, since we’re so awesome, we procure ourselves some free belts and sneak into said show. I never really realized how easy it was to get into that place. Seriously, we opened the door, walked in, and sat down.

Anyway, we made it in right as Mest finished their set, then Something Corporate comes on. They were absolutely amazing. Come to think of it, I don’t even remember if he lit his piano on fire at the end that time (Mikey, help me on this one!), but I just remember them being awesome. Anyway, I would say that it was well worth it if I had paid to get in.

It was one way to spend a cheap night with friends, and you know what? I totally still have that belt. So, dear Andrew McMahon, sorry for stiffing you out of $15 or whatever your show cost that night. My soul could not rest soundly had I purchased my way into a show that Good Charlotte was playing. I hope you understand.

Dashboard Confessional - Alter the Ending

So Dashboard Confessional released their sixth album, Alter the Ending this week and goddamn is it terrible.

The only thing good about this album is that it’s shamefully emo and great comic relief. That, and the track “I Know About You” is a blatant rip-off of the Gin Blossoms. I like the Gin Blossoms, but c’mon now. This album is a novelty produced by Butch Walker, which after his last album, I’m really not surprised (he’s also to blame for the new Weezer album, Raditude).

There’s only so many broken hearts and tramps you can sing about, Chris Carrabba. Either give up dating or stop making music about it. Pick one. Obviously, you’re terrible at both.

This album is full of weak vocals, unspirited guitar, and I’m pretty sure someone dug out a 1989 Casio keyboard from their parent’s basement. The kind that took DDD batteries. Honestly, on the first track, I thought that it wasn’t even Carrabba. I was wondering who the fuck the new frontman was. God, it’s comically terrible. When I listen to this album, I feel embarrassed for everyone involved. Who let this record be released?

This cracked me the fuck up yesterday. From Megan Ritt over at Consequence of Sound:

“‘Get Me Right’, the first track, starts out with a promisingly interesting guitar line, but descends quickly into sad and non-complex lyrics. This is exactly the kind of song that non-emo fans tease emo fans about, and the sad thing is, with this track, there’s really nothing the poor emo kid can say in his defense.”

I feel the same way…only about the entire album. Epic fail, Dashboard. D

Dashboard Confessional’s Site

Flyleaf – Memento Mori

As of yesterday, Flyleaf has a sophomore album, Memento Mori, or in Latin, “Remember, you will die”. Fair enough.

This album will rock your socks clean off. It will fuck you in the ears until you’re begging Lacey Mosley for more. Compromised of fourteen (-ish) songs of previously written material, this album is reminiscent of their first, self-titled album, but oh-so-much better.

Cleanly polished, Mosley’s cultivated voice really takes center stage. Not that her voice was by any means of less quality on their first album, but this time she’s really perfected it.

The album begins with “Beautiful Bride”, honestly, one of the harder tracks on the album, which was surprising. Vocally, Mosley’s got this alt-metal-ish early Alanis Morissette thing goin’ on, which makes me a little weak in the knees. After this song, however, they really went for less metal, more pop. It’s kind of odd. It’s not done in an in-your-face sort of way, though…it’s merely a minor undercurrent.

On their first album, it was easy to forget that they’re somewhat of a Christian band, but this time around, not so much. They’re very blatant about their faith, which while it may not be mine, really works for them. Think about it, religion is never an easy thing. No matter what it is or who you are, there will always be struggles. What better topic to make hauntingly complicated music to?

Two of the more overtly religious tracks on this album are two of the best, including “Swept Away” and “The Kind”. Other gems include “Again”, “Chasm”, “This Close”, “Missing”, and my personal favorite, “Tiny Heart”. As you can see by that list, the majority of this album is fucking fantastic. It does peter out with the last three tracks, “Treasure”, “Circle”, and “Arise”, but other than those three, I love every single track on this album.

All in all, this album is darkly melodic and just catchy enough to keep your attention almost all the way through. Well done, Flyleaf, well done. A

Flyleaf’s Site

Go Periscope

Holla…where my ravers at? Meet Go Periscope…

Even their name just kinda makes me happy. This young, energetic Seattle, WA duo is preparing to release their first, self-produced, self-titled album.

While Florin Mehedinti and Joshua Frazier began experimenting with music and production at an early age, they didn’t begin work on their first album until the summer of 2008. I’ll tell you what though, these guys have really stormed onto the music scene…already in the process of releasing an album and on not one, but two radio stations, Fusion Radio Chicago and C89.5 Seattle.

They’ve also gone all Lily Allen on us…seriously, what the hell did bands do before the internets? Not matter where you are…Go Periscope is there with you on Myspace, Facebook, Last.fm, Vimeo, Twitter, AND PureVolume. I can hardly keep up with a Myspace and a blog, shit!

These guys are fresh-faced enough that they could really go either way. Currently, they’re releasing soul-pounding beats with catchy, pop-tastic vocals in a neatly wrapped, radio-ready package. What’s a label not to love? They’re definitely marketable. With their years of experience though, they could easily dive into really making this their own music and really reach the outskirts of experimentation with their beats. Use that mass-media marketability to really bring a new light to the current electronic music scene. Right now, I hear heavy influences of David Guetta and the later years of Daft Punk, as well as 80′s new-wave like New Order and early Pet Shop Boys. (Read: fun!)

They’ve got a few tracks available on all those various sites, from the infectious “Crush Me” (above), to the shamelessly sexy “Breathe Deception”, to the stompy “No Chaser”. Go check ‘em out.

Faceoff: Owl City vs. The Postal Service

The time has come for the…wow, what the fuck would you even call this? Emo/Electronica Faceoff? So, one of these albums is far, far older than the other, but with all the recent comparison, I thought this faceoff would be appropriate. Owl City vs. The Postal Service. Minnesota vs. Washington. (That doesn’t sound nearly as exciting as Paris vs. Chicago, but we’ll work with it.)

Let’s start off with The Postal Service. They’re older, they get first dibs.

Even though this album came out in 2003, it’s still in heavy rotation for fans of this emo/EDM subculture and I really have to hand it to these guys…they brought EDM back to the mainstream. Back to radio and MTV. The collective works of electronic artist Jimmy Tamborello and Death Cab For Cutie frontman, Ben Gibbard, Give Up was and is really a revolutionary album for music. Combining elements of 80′s New Wave with futuristic intent makes this album something else entirely. It’s no wonder why their debut album at a total of ten tracks has three major hits including “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”, “Such Great Heights”, and “We Will Become Silhouettes”. There is talk of a second album for these guys, but they admit it won’t be released any time during this decade. C’mon, they both have other projects. It really seems like this album was just some sort of…accident. A really, really well received accident. The Postal Service has this delightful mix of downtempo and upbeat tracks, but they have such a great buildup. Like the video below for “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”…starts off incredibly slow and quiet and before you know it you’re bobbing and singing along. And obviously, Ben Gibbard’s voice is simply heavenly. Dear god. And I love the backing vocals of Jenny Lewis and Jen Wood on this album (Mike Doughty would have a field day with that one). They add meaningful, relevant lyrics to electronic music. No longer is it all about ecstasy and bright lights.

Onto Owl City. With three albums in the last four years, Adam Young (no relation, I promise) has certainly taken that previously mentioned emo/EDM subculture by force. He’s already peaked to #1 on the Billboard Top 100 with his massive hit “Fireflies”. Owl City’s got a far more upbeat sound. I mean, shit, it gets up to borderline happy hardcore/gabber on a few tracks there. While still influenced by 80′s synthpop, Owl City also delves into parts of disco, J-Pop, and early European EDM. After releasing two independent, unsigned albums, Owl City finally hit it big with Ocean Eyes, released in July. Young’s lyrics are a little…juvenile…from time to time though. There’s really not a whole lot of substance. He likes talking about the ocean (PUGET SOUND, holla!) and sea creatures (and apparently oral hygiene), which is cool, but it doesn’t quite fill and entire album.



Where you can really see the difference between the two is live performance. I really dug Owl City (and still do enjoy the album) until I heard him without all that vocal distortion.


He sounds like he’s thirteen. It’s amazing what all those electronics can really do to a voice. On the other hand, the guy uses KORG, so I gotta show some respect for that.

I think Owl City will have their fifteen minutes of fame and perhaps a cult following of thirteen year old girls from what I’ve seen around these intertubes, but The Postal Service has real staying power. (See: Death Cab For Cutie.) Ben Gibbard sure knows what he’s doing. I mean, if Adam Young gets a little more substance, he may have a fighting chance, but I think it’s safe to say that he’s lost this battle. If he steps it up, he may win the war.

Weezer – Raditude

Oh noes! Who are you people and what have you done with Weezer!? You go back to your home on alien whore island!!!

In case you couldn’t tell, I think this album is no good but I have been tainted by Pinkerton, folks. Don’t listen to a word I say.

The album starts off with the single-worthy “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To” then quickly goes downhill from there. Oh Rivers, what have you done!? The next track, “I’m Your Daddy” falls somewhere between lust filled 13-year-old boy and pedophile. It’s really an uncomfortable situation all around. I’d say that the only other absolutely terrible tracks would be “Love Is the Answer”, an odd turn for Weezer with a decidedly ethnic sound and “I Don’t Want To Let You Go”, and overly dramatic high school ode to heartbreak.

The other tracks just…miss. “Let It All Hang Out”, “Put Me Back Together” and “Tripping Down the Freeway”, are not bad for being just more radio-friendly hits. This is an album for the mass media. This is worse than Make Believe.

Gone are the days of Pinkerton, Blue, and even Green. Rivers Cuomo doesn’t care about you, he cares about his wallet and a big house in Beverly Hills. (I know, I know, bad joke…) Where’s the truth? The sarcasm? The hidden pop-culture Easter eggs? That was the thing about Weezer…no matter if you liked them or not, you could RELATE to them. They had something for everyone.

This album is utterly void of Weezer-ness and just plain forgettable. You will not see my index fingers and thumbs poised in the air as a sign of my fan-dom. I’m going to go listen to Blue to make myself feel better now.

Weezer, you make me sad. D

Weezer’s Site

Why I Now Need A Nintendo DS

One word: Scribblenauts.

No, let me rephrase that in two words: Fucking. Scribblenauts.

Have you seen this game yet? It’s utterly amazing and absolutely revolutionary in every sense of the word. Scribblenauts is an emergent puzzle game (AND SIDESCROLLER!!11!!!!one!) developed by 5th Cell for the Nintendo DS released last month. It’s real life vs. mad lib according to creator, Jeremiah Slacza. Organized around the Objectnaut database engine, ingeniously created by Marius Fahlbusch, Scribblenauts allows you to conjure up just about anything to help you solve the puzzle at hand. Really.

You’re playing as Maxwell, a cute, round-headed little boy (the rooster hat doesn’t help), who needs to rescue “Starites” to complete each level. These Starites really seem to get themselves into some compromising positions. You find them in trees, on top of buildings, all over the damn place really, and you need to find a way to get to them.

You dip into your dictionary to find whatever you could possibly think could help you in this endeavor…pogo stick, ladder,  trampoline, kite, ham sandwich, Cthulhu, whatever! You have almost limitless (more than 22,800) possibilities here! The dictionary of objects ranges from animals to weapons to forces of nature to people to vehicles to household objects and more. The only things that you WON’T find in Scribblenauts are the trademarked and the profane (which is still up for debate, considering the sambo/watermelon issue).

Check this shit out:


Seriously, this game is amazing and just so…innovative. I haven’t bought a new console specifically for a certain game since the PS2 and Kingdom Hearts. I think that may change very, very shortly, folks. Even though I, personally, have not played this (yet), it still get’s an A!

My Top 10 Favorite Albums of All Time

So, I was listening to a particular album on this list yesterday and realized that it’s one of those albums that never gets old. So, in homage, here are my top favorite albums of all time. Now that it’s done, it’s weird how difficult this post became. I have a lot of favorite albums in a lot of favorite genres, so I tried to keep it simple. Most of these albums are ones that I heard that drastically changed my views on music and introduced me to that certain genre. I’ll always be thankful for that, so here are those albums.

Brand New – Your Favorite Weapon
I know…I am a ridiculous, hopeless emo kid. This album is seriously awesome though. I believe I’ve said before, “It remains the sound track to summer teenage love and broken hearts.” Jesse Lacey’s vocals and awkward yet relevant, angsty lyrics get me every time. I really do hope that the next boy that you kiss has something terribly contagious on his lips. At least I did when I was eighteen. A lot of the lyrics and themes of this album are juvenile and downright silly, but it comes off far more endearing than annoying. And hell, haven’t we all been there before? The heart-on-the-sleeve trick really works for these guys, and this album. It makes me all warm on the insides when I hear it.



Everclear – So Much for the Afterglow
Oh 90′s alternative rock, how I love thee. And this album truly epitomizes it. This power-pop, radio ready album still gets played from time to time, despite being over a decade old. Once again, the lyrics are so poignant and catchy on this album. For any kid, holed up in their bedroom, listening to this album and dreaming of far away places, Art Alexakis is just so right.







Green Day – Dookie
This was the very first CD that I ever bought with my own money. I went down to Sun Electronics (remember them!?) with my brother, and he helped me make my first music purchase. I still throw on this album from time to time just for shits and giggles. It’s so funny to see what Green Day has become and the situations that lead them there. This was before the eyeliner and glitter, before the arena shows and thousands of screaming fans. Before they made that song that’s played at every graduation or talked about boulevards and broken dreams. This was pure, unadulterated Green Day.




Less Than Jake – Hello Rockview
This album makes me get all nostalgic just thinking about it. So many times I wanted to take the west bound signs and just leave town. This is the soundtrack to running away, to escapism and beginning a new life, even it it’s right where you are. This is an album of growing up, decision making, and yet a drunken, punk rock mentality all at the same time. It’s also another one of those albums that I simply adore Every. Single. Track. It was also one of the first albums that got me into the punk/ska scene and it really peaked my interest, which lead to me diving headfirst into that scene for a few years. Sometimes it’s amazing how you can look at times of your life and the music that you were listening to and just be like, “Ah, that makes sense”. This is one of those albums.


Morcheeba – Big Calm
This album is what made me love trip-hop, and Skye Edwards. It is the epitome of all that is trip-hop, even if they’re old, dirty men. It seamlessly blends electronic music with the lush female vocals of Edwards. It spurned a great love for trip-hop for me, which has only grown since then. It an endless sea of ambient beats and I love it. It’s funny, this is probably one of the very few albums that compromise this list that I don’t have some silly memory to, yet it still make it on here. Props to Morcheeba.






Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Thank you Jim Platania, wherever you are, for introducing me to these guys in high school art class. They opened my eyes to what is now known to my friends as “Amanda’s Weird Hippie Music“. They spurned a love for odd, experimental indie…rock? Is that what you would call it? They veered me the way of Modest Mouse and The Decemberists. They gave me a whole new genre to explore, and that’s always a good thing. This album reminds me of the ocean and hallucinogens. Also, always a good thing.





Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine
Any time you see Nine Inch Nails on a list like this, it’s always Downward Spiral. Yes, that was a magnificent album, as well, but I’ll always have a soft spot for Pretty Hate Machine. Recorded almost entirely by Trent Reznor, it’s a rip-off of so many other things yet almost something entirely new. I have to admit that Nine Inch Nails has lost their luster for me. I got out of that stage somewhere briefly after the “Perfect Drug” days, but oh, how I yearn for ’89 Trent Reznor with the dreads and the leather and all that baby powder. And Cheerios and enemas. This album was another one to introduce me to a whole new genre of music. After this I dived headfirst into this goth subculture…which honestly kind of sucks when you’re 12. There’s really not a lot of goth kids to share your eyeliner or black clothes with. Meh, perhaps I was just a revolutionary.

Soul Coughing – Ruby Vroom
Who needs heroin when you have this album? It just kinda does it for you. I wonder if Mike Doughty ever knew that would be said? This was the first Soul Coughing album I heard and its lead to my incredible fascination with Mike Doughty and all that he does. They were just plain weird, experimental, trippy guys. They were doing something totally unheard of the in the 90′s. They weren’t grunge, thank god. They were such and eclectic mix of fantastic musicians doing something out of the ordinary. And you know, they’re the only ones that I can classify in a category of their own. They didn’t turn me on to anything, they didn’t alter my perception of music. They just were. And I loved them for it.



Sublime – 40 Oz. to Freedom
Yes, I started smoking a lot of pot around that time. This album still does it for me every time, though. Especially, after a long hard Pittsburgh winter, when the thermostat hits 40, I put on this album in celebration of summer. In celebration of being able to hang out outside and be in the sunshine. In celebration of no more pollution ridden snow lining the sidewalks and making the bottom of my pants gross. This was another one that didn’t turn me on to anything. It just was, and is, a fantastic album.






Tori Amos – Boys for Pele
This album was the first to alert me to the driving, vocal force that is Tori Amos. This also started a life-long love affair with female vocalists. Oh that piano. I never knew that a piano could do that! Or that a voice so large could come from someone so tiny! Many years, albums, and shows later, I still love me some Tori. She’s just such a genuine artist. She goes some weird fucking places in her music sometimes, but then you just come to realize that that’s Tori. You can’t expect any different.

As you can see, a lot of these albums are older, and that’s a great thing. Perhaps in a few years, I can do another one of these with more albums that have withstood time and still haunt my music collection from now. Who knows!?

CJ’s Bistro – Carnegie, PA

So another new business has opened in Carnegie! That’s always such an exciting time. In the lot that used to be Pizza Hut on Washington Avenue, now sits CJ’s Bistro.
Honestly, this place is so new and so small, I have no pictures for you, no website, no anything!
From the outside, it looks much the same, and even on the inside as well. It looks just like the dilapidated Pizza Hut that once was, down to the very same recycled, mismatched booths, tables, and chairs on the inside. It’s not uncomfortable really, it’s just…odd. The layout is just so strange and for the lack of a better term, lame. This place really has nothing to draw you in aesthetically…
…but the food is fucking spectacular!!!
Holy shit. We went there last night with Casey. They have a rather large menu actually, but it’s specifically broken down into breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with the times that those choices are available. It was a bummer that they didn’t have the full menu (there’s a scrumptious looking Italian press sandwich on the lunch menu), but I got the chicken parm, a salad, and roasted red potatoes. Adam got the pork chops, a salad, and the mixed vegetables. And Casey got the pistachio encrusted bass, a salad and roasted red potatoes. We also got the quesadillas for an appetizer and the creme brulee for dessert.
Everything was spectacular! The quesadillas were simple, just cheese but it came with fresh pico, sour cream, and lettuce. The boys dinners looked great, but my chicken parm kicked some serious ass. Just the right amount of seasonings and fantastic sauce. Not too thin, either! Usually, I’m rather wary of other people’s sauce. The roasted red potatoes were perfect, and slathered in some sort of cheesy sauce. I’m totally not that into cheese, but these were spectacular!
This place just adds something special to everything and it’s all just so fresh. The guys had their homemade honey lime dressing (while I copped out and had ranch), apparently it was delicious. Their mixed vegetables include green and red peppers, onions, and zucchini. A far cry from the carrots, corn, and green beans that you find in most standard mixed vegetables. And even the salads…just your basic dinner salads, but when they’re that fresh, it really makes a difference.
The creme brulee was magnificent, and plenty enough to split with three people! The custard part was the perfect consistency…just sturdy enough, not too runny. And so, so very rich.
The service was great. It’s also not like they were busy, but our waitress was attentive without hovering over us, drinks were filled promptly, and the price! Perfect! For three people, including an appetizer and dessert, it was just over $40! You really can’t beat that, especially considering everything else.
This is one place that I can seriously say that I’m excited about. It’s always nice to see new businesses in the neighborhood, especially ones that you can see thriving. My only reccomendations for them would be the spruce the place up a little. And perhaps, allow BYOB. For the brief time that Carnegie had a Nicaraguan restaurant, they were BYOB, so perhaps CJ’s could, too. And hell, at least it’s easier than getting a liquor license. On the other hand, I kinda want to have the place all to myself, you know? Another little hidden gem of Carnegie. Some place that looks like a complete shit hole outside, but you know the secret of all the delicious goodness waiting for you inside.
Through the past few years, Talotta’s has been my not-so-hidden gem of Carnegie, but the quality has dropped and the prices have risen. I could easily see CJ’s becoming my new, local, good food staple.
And you know what? I did decide that I don’t give a shit what the place looks like. A!

Boycott Ticketmaster!

So it’s been quite a while since I’ve actually purchased concert tickets…or tickets to anything for that matter, online. I always just got them at the door. What the fuck did I miss!? When we went to see Mike Doughty last Thursday, I went to the Ticketmaster website to see how much they were. Only $16! How affordable! Especially for a concert that I want to see so badly! Wrong. Oh so very, very wrong. $9 of charges per ticket. That’s more than half the fucking ticket price!
This is beyond ridiculous. Thankfully, I’ve found some other resources for concert tickets in the Pittsburgh area:


Dave’s Music Mine
Mr. Small’s Funhouse
Club Cafe
Garfield Artworks
The Rex
31st St. Pub
…and possibly more, those are just the one’s currently listed on their website.

The Exchange
Has tickets to most of the venues listed above, plus possibly more.

The Benedum
I know you =can buy tickets directly through their box office, as I did when we saw Tori Amos last year. I think you can do this with Heinz Hall as well.

The shame of it is, it’s not Ticketmaster’s fault that they’re a monopoly…it’s the fault of the venues and their exclusive contracts. Ticketmaster also gets no part of ticket sales, so here come the charges!

Service Charge – For the general service they provide.
Building Facility Charge – Determined by the venue, still raked in by Ticketmaster.
Processing Charge – ‘Cause we all know how expensive it is to send an email.
Shipping/E-Ticket/Will Call – Just because they can!

Often these fees are 30% to even 50% of the actual ticket price. What the fuck, Ticketmaster? And they get away with this by giving away million dollar sign-on bonuses to large venues. And it’s not even just music! Ticketmaster is the primary ticket seller for TWENTY SEVEN of thirty NHL teams and TWENTY EIGHT of thirty NBA teams. At least the MLB has gone with competitor, Tickets.com. From now on, I’m going to try my best to not support this monopoly any longer, or their subsidiaries:

Ticketmaster Ventures, Inc.
Ticketmaster Corp.
TMC Realty Holdings, Inc.
Ticketmaster Publications, Inc.
Ticketmaster Travel Corp.
TM/Video International, Inc.
Ticketmaster Advertising, Inc.
TMC Consultants, Inc.
Ticketmaster Tell Ltd.
Ticketmaster-Direct, Inc.
Cinema Acquisition Corp.
Ticketmaster Cinema Group, Ltd.
TM Movie Tix Holdings, Inc.
TM Marketing, Inc.
Ticketmaster Merchandising Corp.
Ticketmaster-Golf, Inc.
MFG Management Corp.
TM Flowers
TM National Flora LLC.
Instead, I’ll be going with the competitors:
LM Loyalty Management
Neighborhood Box Office
NEXT Ticketing
Prologue Systems
Tickets.com, Inc.

Further steps can also be taken. Urge your favorite artists/sports teams to not use Ticketmaster, along with your local venues. The less people who use them, the less power they’ll have to overcharge the masses.
In addition to monopolizing the ticket market and charging these ridiculous fees, Ticketmaster also has no regard for customer privacy. Directly from their website:

“By completing this registration form you indicate that you consent to Ticketmaster sharing your email address and other information with those who provide the event, and that you consent to those who provide the event using your information to contact you by email or other means to send you marketing or other messages or using or disclosing your information in other ways. By completing this registration form, you also indicate that you consent to Ticketmaster contacting you by email or other means to send you marketing or other messages and using and disclosing the information you submit, as described in the Ticketmaster Privacy.”

Why do we let them get away with shit like this!? Fuck Ticketmaster. I’m going with Tickets.com!

Domestic Violence Awareness Month – October 2009

Not only is October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, but it’s also the unfortunately lesser known Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Silence hides violence and it needs to end now. Below are some statistics of just how rampant this problem really is. Granted, through the hard work of the people spearheading this campaign, the amount of domestic violence related homicides have decreased in number in the past few years, but until that number is zero, we haven’t done enough to raise awareness and stop the cycle of domestic violence.
From Barack Obama:

“Domestic violence touches the lives of Americans of all ages, leaving a devastating impact on women, men, and children of every background and circumstance. A family’s home becomes a place of fear, hopelessness, and desperation when a woman is battered by her partner, a child witnesses the abuse of a loved one, or a senior is victimized by family members. Since the 1994 passage of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, championed by then Senator Joe Biden, our Nation has strengthened its response to this crime and increased services for victims. Still, far too many women and families in this country and around the world are affected by domestic violence. During National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we recommit ourselves to ending violence within our homes, our communities, and our country.
To effectively respond to domestic violence, we must provide assistance and support that meets the immediate needs of victims. Facing social isolation, victims can find it difficult to protect themselves and their children. They require safe shelter and housing, medical care, access to justice, culturally specific services, and economic opportunity. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act supports emergency shelters, crisis intervention programs, and community education about domestic violence.
In the best of economic times, victims worry about finding a job and housing, and providing for their children; these problems only intensify during periods of financial stress. That is why the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $325 million for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). This funding will supplement the Federal VAWA and VOCA dollars that flow to communities every year, and enable States, local governments, tribes, and victim service providers to retain and hire personnel that can serve victims and hold offenders accountable. These funds will also bring relief to victims seeking a safe place to live for themselves and their children.
Victims of violence often suffer in silence, not knowing where to turn, with little or no guidance and support. Sadly, this tragedy does not just affect adults. Even when children are not directly injured by violence, exposure to violence in the home can contribute to behavioral, social, and emotional problems. High school students who report having experienced physical violence in a dating relationship are more likely to use drugs and alcohol, are at greater risk of suicide, and may carry patterns of abuse into future relationships. Our efforts to address domestic violence must include these young victims.
During this month, we rededicate ourselves to breaking the cycle of violence. By providing young people with education about healthy relationships, and by changing attitudes that support violence, we recognize that domestic violence can be prevented. We must build the capacity of our Nation’s victim service providers to reach and serve those in need. We urge community leaders to raise awareness and bring attention to this quiet crisis. And across America, we encourage victims and their families to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE. Together, we must ensure that, in America, no victim of domestic violence ever struggles alone.”

Some of the shocking statistics:

- One quarter of women nationally have been victims of domestic violence. (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and The National Institute of Justice, Extent, Nature, and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence, July     2000. The Commonwealth Fund, Health Concerns Across a Woman’s Lifespan: 1998 Survey of Women’s Health, 1999)

- Between 600,000 and 6 million women are victims of domestic violence each year, and between 100,000 and 6 million men, depending on the type of survey used to obtain the data. (Rennison, C. (2003, Feb).  Intimate partner violence.  Us. Dpt. of Justice/Office of Justice Programs.  NXJ 197838. Straus, M. & Gelles, R. (1990).  Physical violence in American families.  New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers. Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2000).  Extent, nature, and consequences of intimate partner violence.  National Institute of Justice, NCJ 181867.)

- Nearly 2.2 million people called a domestic violence crisis or hot line in 2004 to escape crisis situations, seek advice, or assist someone they thought might be victims (National Network to End Domestic Violence)

- Studies show that access to shelter services leads to a 60-70% reduction in incidence and severity of re-assault during the 3-12 months’ follow up period compared to women who did not access shelter. Shelter services led to greater reduction in severe re-assault than did seeking court or law enforcement protection, or moving to a new location. (Campbell, JC, PhD, RN, FAAN. Anna D. Wolf, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Protective Action and Re-assault: Findings from the RAVE study.)

- Nearly three out of four (74%) of Americans personally know someone who is or has been a victim of domestic violence. 30% of Americans say they know a woman who has been physically abused by her husband or boyfriend in the past year. (Allstate Foundation National Poll on Domestic Violence, 2006. Lieberman Research Inc., Tracking Survey conducted for The Advertising Council and the Family Violence Prevention Fund, July – October 1996)

- Studies suggest that between 3.3 – 10 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually. (Carlson, Bonnie E. (1984). Children’s observations of interpersonal violence. Pp. 147-167 in A.R. Roberts (Ed.) Battered women and their families (pp. 147-167). NY: Springer. Straus, M.A. (1992). Children as witnesses to marital violence: A risk factor for lifelong problems among a nationally representative sample of American men and women. Report of the Twenty-Third Ross Roundtable. Columbus, OH: Ross Laboratories.)

These statistics are simply ridiculous and it’s time to stop the cycle of domestic violence.

Here’s what you can do to help:

- Join the Women’s Resource Center. They provide assistance to women and children in the way of counseling, career placement, legal aide, and more.
- Demonstrate your support of victims by joining the Purple Ribbon Project.
- Become acquainted with the Silent Witness Initiative in your state. They promote hope, help, and healing for victims of domestic violence.
- Start a Clothesline Project or find one in your neighborhood. Give every woman the chance to be heard.

Also, you can visit these sites for more resources:
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
National Domestic Violence Hot Line

Mike Doughty – Live at Club Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA – 10/8/09

I DID get to see Mike Doughty on Thursday and as always, it was a spectacularly fabulous show. This was my first time attending a question jar show and I’ll tell you what, Mike Doughty is one funny man.

And I don’t know what it is…whether it’s just Pittsburgh that makes him tell people to “shove it up their cunts” or if this is just a favorite phrase of Doughty’s, but it makes me laugh every time.

At this show, they also did a live recording that was available afterwards, it’s super fun! At the beginning of the first video, you get to hear the answer to one of our (read: Adam’s) questions, which was, “Why is well liquor always Banker’s Club? Who are these bankers and why do they drink such shitty liquor?” This was probably one of my favorite answers…here, watch!



Sorry for the poor quality BTW…

And…Mike Doughty has never fucked a Republican. Who knew?



“Tremendous Brunettes” I love how when he says that he will never perform naked you can hear me say an audible, “Damn…” haha. A girl can wish, I suppose.



Aaaaand…”Ossining”.



It was a really fantastic show, in case you couldn’t tell. He even played two Soul Coughing tracks! “Circles” and “True Dreams of Wichita”. My goddamn batteries died in the middle of it, of course, so that video’s not included. He did play a few songs from each solo album, including “Real Love” which I thought was badass. And man, I’ll tell you what…Andrew Howard “Scrap” Livingston is a goddamn animal on the cello. Absolutely phenomenal.

Club Cafe was a super sweet venue for this show, as well. I mean, it’s very dark and small, but it’s incredibly intimate and the sound was amazing. It was a huge change from Mr. Small’s Funhouse, where I’ve seen him twice before. No, I didn’t get to hear “King of Carrot Flowers”, but this was still an amazing fucking show. If you ever get a chance to see this man live, plugged or acoustic, you will not be disappointed. Make sure to check out his new album, Sad Man Happy Man, out now!

Karen O. and the Kids – Where the Wild Things Are OST

This one’s for Paul.

Forty-five years later, Where The Wild Things Are, the 1964 Calcott winning children’s book by Maurice Sendak is still making headlines, which is incredible. It was one of my favorite stories as a child and it’s one of those tales that withstands the tests of time. It’s a classic, relevant story for all ages…now it just happens to be a visually stunning motion picture, created by Spike Jonze.

For those not familiar with the story (if there are any such people out there), Where the Wild Things Are is your timeless children’s adventure story. Little Max is sent to his room after rebelling against his mother, and his imagination transports him to land of the Wild Things where Max rules a kingdom of mischief. Max soon finds that being the almighty ruler is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

Jonze’s former girlfriend and front-woman of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Karen O. and the collective “Kids” have really captured the essence of this film on the original soundtrack. Of that raw, animalistic quality, but for children’s consumption…well, consumption for all ages, actually. On its own, honestly, this album is fucking weird. I could not imagine just hanging out, listening to this album. Let’s face it, it’s a weird book and Karen O. is one weird fucking chick.

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are one of those bands that I hear their name everywhere, yet I’ve never listened to them. Karen O. is one of those people who I would have to classify in the “Too Weird For Me” category. She now shares a home with Bjork, Yoko Ono, and Karen Dreijer-Andersson (and we all know how I feel about them). That might be a good thing for some people though, just not for me.

I will say that this album perfectly suits the film though. It opens with Karen O.’s innocent humming in “Igloo”, devolves into fur covered angst in “Animal” and comes to a head with the final track “Sailing Home”. It has the perfect swell and ebb needed to highlight this  impressive adaptation of Jonze’s.

The album is available as of yesterday and the film will premier nationwide on October 16, 2009. I can’t wait! B

Karen O. on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs site
Where the Wild Things Are official movie site.

Tiesto – Kaleidoscope

Let’s face it, Tiesto’s done everything. He’s gone from acid beats and new beat, to hardcore and gabber, to becoming the king of trance and DJ Magazine’s World’s #1 DJ prize winner THREE times.

In addition to dabbling in various genres, the man has also worked with everyone. From Ferry Corsten, Armin van Buuren and Junkie XL to David Bowie, Bloc Party, and Busta Rhymes, Tiesto is one of the most well rounded electronic musicians making music today.

His newest release, Kaleidoscope, stands up to all that hype. It’s got this classic trance vibe with progressive beats. Heart thumping, club filling tracks that make you wanna bust out your glow sticks, like “I Will Be Here” with Sneaky Sound System and “Fresh Fruit”, to down tempo, damn near chill out tracks like “Here on Earth” featuring the Cary Brothers and the breezy opener “Kaleidoscope” featuring Jonsi of Sigur Ros.

This album was absolutely, meticulously planned and thought out. From the beats to the tour to the deliberate workings of the album. Every track on here is perfectly placed and so cleanly produced. You can hear every note, every beat, every vocal. It’s fucking flawless. The only complaint I could possibly have is some of the vocalists. For god’s sake, people, please stop using Nelly Furtado. She sounds like a singing corpse.

In addition to releasing this album and doing 150 shows on five continents during his next tour, Tiesto has also been working with Benny Benassi on a track for the upcoming DJ Hero (Frequency rip-off anyone?) and working with Three 6 Mafia on a track for their next album.  A

Tiesto’s Site

YOU! Can Help Stop Violence Against Female Journalists

In light of the recent imprisonment and release of Euna Lee and Laura Ling, now is the time to stop violence against female journalists around the world.

These women who fight every day to have stories told are constantly berated and threatened just to get this information to you. It’s easy to think that this sort of thing happens only in developing countries, but it happens here, too! A recent survey found that a staggering 82% of female reporters worldwide have been threatened or attacked because of their work.

Everyday they write articles knowing that it can ultimately lead to their persecution, but they do it anyway to release the truth to the masses. It’s time to stop the silencing of female journalists.

Here’s what you can do to help:

- Ask your senators to support the Daniel Pearl Act, which helps monitor violations of press freedoms.
- Join The Committee to Protect Journalists, which helps reporters working within authoritarian governments get their voices heard.
- Visit imwf.org to petition for already imprisoned journalists.

Most importantly, remember our rights for a free press. We are all entitled to that. Whenever a reporter is silenced, so are we!

Mike Doughty – Sad Man Happy Man

Holy shit, you guys, Mike Doughty’s back. Like, for real back. His sophomore album, Sad Man Happy Man is much more Skittish/Rockity Roll than Golden Delicious (thank god!). Down to the DIY style with Doughty on the guitars, vocals, keyboards, and what he refers to as the “weird noise stuff.” There is no more “Bacon”. Look, I know, he was playing with his new toy, but that song became unbearable after hearing it live. He should save that stuff for Dubious Luxury, his upcoming electronic album (that I can’t wait for!).

This song is complete with Doughty styled witticism, his white boy rap (!!!), and basic acoustic jams to let those lyrics really take center stage. With just him and staple bassist, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston, this album is all bare bones and heart.
As per Doughty, “I really went for the ‘na-na-na’s’ and the simple choruses and stuff on Golden,” he says. “The songs on Sad Man are more arcane and convoluted songwriting-wise, though they’re sparer in terms of instrumentation. Although my choruses are still simple — I love taking phrases and repeating them ad infinitum.”

I think it’s kind of odd for Doughty to be so concerned about fan reaction, but apparently he is. Regarding this uneasiness, he says, “Every time I put out a record, the audience seems to like what I did two years ago better. You’d think I could shrug it off because that’s what always happens, but it always gets to me.” That makes me so sad! Don’t let it get to you, Mike! Golden wasn’t a masterpiece, but it wasn’t bad. It was Mike Doughty, genius lyricist and former Soul Coughing front man. This album is so much better than Golden, or even Haughty Melodic (that one win’s best title though – it’s an anagram for Michael Doughty, in case you didn’t catch that).

I’m just so glad to hear Mike Doughty sound like Mike Doughty again, and not just some other radio hit.
Besides releasing this album, working on Dubious Luxury, maintaining his widely-read blog, and touring, Doughty is also writing a memoir, working on a photo compilation of Eritrea’s Capital, Asmara, and has recently published a play, Ray Slape Is Dead. When the fuck does this guy sleep?!

Anyway, enough about Mike Doughty…

This album really is reminiscent of Skittish/Rockity Roll. There’s definitely a few recycled melodies in there, but after the last couple of albums, it’s refreshing. I hear some “F Train” in there, and possibly some “Real Love”. He also reverts to those delightfully nonsensical, yet oh so relevant lyrics. You would swear that he’s back on heroin, but apparently inspiration just keeps rolling for Doughty.

This album has everything from broken hearts to sly drug references to the American economy and politics (which he touched on in “Fort Hood” on Golden). Mike’s been talking about this album non-stop, which is awesome. It’s always nice to see an artist excited for an album, even if he did suffer through it to make the fans happy. “Basically I’m trying to make stuff I want to listen to, and I mean that in a literal sense, not like, ‘Were I a listener, I would like this,’ but rather something I can listen to on the subway on headphones and really dig. This is my life, this is what I do. That sounds matter-of-fact, but I really do look at it as a sort of calling — and being an artist at its best is selfless. I’m working for the language, I’m working for the music, I’m working for the songs. I’m a happier guy when I’m conscious of that,” says Doughty.

This album kicks ass, and I have to admit that I was a little concerned as to where he would go musically after Golden. Keep your fingers crossed that I get to see him in Pittsburgh this Thursday. If I do, you get another live show review and pics! A!

Mike Doughty’s Site

The Used – Artwork

Is it emo week or what? Did someone forget to notify me?

Oh more, craptastic emo music from my youth…The Used. The eyeliner covered quartet from Utah have released their fourth studio album, Artwork. And once again, I am ashamed to say that it’s not bad.
I was a pretty big fan of their self-titled, but kind of lost them for a few years…and two albums, apparently. Although not heavier, this album seems a lot darker and actually more thoughtfully put together than their prior efforts. They’ve really honed the sound that they already had. And no more screaming like you think Bert’s gonna vomit all over himself.

According to McCracken, this album is about “coming to grips with how much you really hate yourself”. Fair enough, they’re a post-hardcore emo band. It has a really promising start with “Blood On My Hands” which I’m sure will be the arena rocker of this album, it’s catchy as hell with a heart pounding beat. The next couple of tracks are your emo standards, filled with anger, sadness, and regret. Most memorably, “Kissing You Goodbye”, pretty fucking sad actually. Starts off pretty poppy but quickly delves into a sad, sappy love song.
The pace quickly picks up though, with the angst ridden “Come Undone”, “Watered Down”, and “On the Cross”, followed by “Meant to Die”, an introspective track for McCracken, rumored to be about both Heath Ledger’s death, as well as the overdose of McCracken’s pregnant girlfriend. It also hints at his own years of drug abuse with lyrics like, “…sure I lost my mind, but I never really meant to die”.

All in all, it’s okay. This album lacks balls. They lost that edgy, youthful sound that they had and surprisingly enough, the clever lyrics, for twenty-somethings in an emo band. After a few listens, you do come to appreciate the cohesive sound of the album, but it lacks actual content. C

The Used Site

Brand New – Daisy

This has taken a lot for me to admit, but Your Favorite Weapon is one of my favorite albums…ever. God, that sounds terrible. The lasting quality of that album for me has been amazing. Even though it was released in 2001, I didn’t discover this album until 2003, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was eighteen, it was summer time, I drank a lot. Yes, I was an emo bastard, but even now, in the wake of my less emo days, I still love this album. Perhaps it’s simply the feelings and memories it invokes. It remains the sound track to summer teenage love and broken hearts.

I remember being so excited about discovering these Long Island boys and realizing that they had already released another album, Deja Endendu. I put on my studded belt and sat in the back of the bus all the way down to the mall to get that album, put it on, and wondered, “Who the fuck IS this? What the fuck have they done with Brand New!?”. Oh, that was a sad day in the life of an eighteen year old emo girl.

I never did, and still don’t like that album. With that lukewarm reception, I wasn’t that excited for The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, and that album gave me nothing to change my mind. It’s gotta suck when your first album is well, perfect.

Now, I do admire Brand New for having an absolutely unique sound on every album. Not one of their albums sounds like the prior. Daisy, their new album released last month, is certainly nothing like they’ve ever done before, and it’s just not my thing. I think this might be the case for a lot of Brand New fans actually. That just kinda happens when you don’t provide a cohesive sound of any sort.

This album is polarizing. I don’t know if Jesse Lacey’s been hanging out with Thom Yorke or what, but this one just goes off the deep end. This album is a cacophony of inaudible screams, snarls, yelps, screeching guitars. It’s like an all boy, screamo cover band of Bjiork. It’s obnoxious. It’s terrible. And I’m really sad.

From what I gather, this album is being acclaimed as Brand New’s best, and I just don’t know why. It’s a hot mess. I guess they’re trying to be progressive and cutting edge, but god, it sounds like someone’s toasting a cat (like in a toaster, not with glasses of champagne). What happened to that sad, sad, Jesse Lacey that I knew and loved!?

As for the album, at least it’s well intentioned. The songs are laid out well and there’s a decent mix of rough, raw tracks like “Vices”, “Sink”, “Gasoline”, and “Bought A Bride” to more subtle ones to soften the blows like “Bed”, “You Stole”, and “Daisy”.

From me, this album get’s a big ol’ “…meh”. D

Brand New’s Site

Stimulus Funded Puget Sound Clean Up

So, last night I saw this on NBC Nightly News:

Actually, I cannot for the life of me get this shit to embed, so go watch it here. Dammit.

Rather than piecing together small grants which could have taken 15 years or longer, this cleanup effort, organized by the Northwest Straights Initiative and funded by Obama’s stimulus package, can do so much more at one time, saving thousands of dying creatures trapped in these nets, like the Puget Sound King Crab in the video above.

Help support the clean up of Lolita’s former home and keep our oceans clean:

Department of Ecology
People for Puget Sound
Puget Sound Partnership

For more information on Lolita:

Save Lolita
Orca Network
Miami Seaprison

Basement Jaxx – Scars

Ten years and half as many albums later, Basement Jaxx has released their fifth studio album, Scars. The UK house music duo of Felix Buxton and Simon Ratcliffe have once again assembled a mass of unique and eager cohorts to make this album pop, including Kelis, Santigold, Sam Sparro, Amp Fiddler, Yoko Ono and more. There’s no Lily Allen or Robyn (there she is again!) on this one, but it’s still pretty damn good.
The duo has released another album full of classic club hits and some no frills tracks for heavy mixing. It’s missing their classic interludes though! Where are the interludes, guys!? It seems like the lack of downtime makes the tracks run together far more than they should. The tracks are good, don’t get me wrong, but now they lack the right staging to truly make them remarkable. It’s like matting the Mona Lisa in neon pink and green polka dots.

The tracks themselves are fucking rad though. “What’s A Girl Got To Do”, featuring Paloma Faith, has got to be one of my favorite songs on this album. Very Rooty. Very “Romeo” and “Get Me Off”. It’s Basement Jaxx’ sexy party time. “Stay Close” featuring Lisa Kekaula and “D.I.S.tractionz” featuring Jose Hendrix have a really laid back vibe for Jaxx. Almost a Zero 7 ambient quality to them.

But then they go all out, balls to the wall, reckless abandon with funky ass tracks like, “Twerk” featuring Yo! Majesty and “Raindrops”. Also, they have this classic 50′s doo-wop vibe with a hip-hop twist goin’ on in tracks like, “She’s No Good” featuring Eli “Paperboy” Reed and “A Possibility” featuring Amp Fiddler. Deep, sexy male vocals with just that right amount of female backing that makes it harmonize so goddamn well.

This has become one of those albums that the more I listen to it, the more I like it. Like I said, there’s no interludes, and it is lacking some of the complexity of Rooty and Kish Kash, but it’s an all around good album with a few solid club hits. B

Basement Jaxx’ Site

Alone Together

So, a few weeks ago, I get this request on Myspace from this artist, Alone Together, asking me to come check out his music. Unfortunately, it was logged into the queue and forgotten about for a few weeks.
Today, while I had some spare time, I find this link again and go check it out. So what was it? Japanese gabber, mash up madness.

So, from what I can gather from Yuki Ota’s Myspace, this is a mash up, collaborative effort and he has his own Japanese radio show called Radio Alone Together or Radio Eigekai. That might mean the same thing in Japanese? Working with two MC’s, Osui and Take, they do this radio program as well as live shows.

Apparently there are a couple of albums out, The Beginning of Human, and Broken Piano. They’re also on a couple of compilations, it looks like.

They’re really interesting, actually! Feed Girl Talk a bunch of meth and make him Japanese and I bet this is what you’d get. Craziness!

They’re also all about the free download, so go check out their Myspace for some free, crazy, Japanese tunes.

Or, you can check out these videos:

Alone Together – Live at Gelman’s



The Beginning of Human



You can also find more videos on YouTube. I had one hell of a time finding them by name alone, so try Alone Together Broken Piano, or Alone Together Beginning of Human for better results. Enjoy!