Big Wreck: The Pleasure And The Greed

Well, I didn't get the second Big Wreck album until I found it on clearance in the failing Wherehouse Music in Hillcrest. I wonder, sometimes, what it is about certain bands, specifically the "one hit wonders", as they say. In retrospect, and listening to this album today, it's as good and in many ways better than the first record, but when it came out, even as I knew about it, I waited to get it. I guess this is what other fans of theirs did too, as shortly after this disc released, Big Wreck wrecked. Sometimes, I think there is something like mass-hypnosis at work. Or, just bad marketing...

Ian Thornley went on to solo work under the name Thornley (clever) and has done studio work with a number of good bands. The other guys never went on to anything else of note. Too bad. Two great albums is nothing to scoff at though. Just a shame most folks haven't heard them.

And you thought I was just slacking these past couple days!

Big Mike: Heavens to Betsy
Big Time Operator: High Altitude Swing
Big Wreck: In Loving Memory Of...

The Thanksgiving break seemed to take a lot outta me. Maybe it was all the turkey, or mashed potatoes, or whatever. Maybe it was the rest which beckoned me to gather moss. No matter. These three titles represent the last three, silent days. It starts with a whimper and ends with a bang, so dig in...

I wouldn't still have the Big Mike CD if not for the special place it holds in my heart as the first "professional" piece of writing I've ever done. After winning a contest in a local magazine, I was given the chance to write a CD review for one of the discs I won: Specifically, this one. I think I got paid $25 or something, but I never pursued further reviews. Maybe because it was so hard for me to like this one. At the time, I had a hard time saying things that weren't glowing, so I mentioned the muppet-like vocals as reminiscent of They Might be Giants, the ska-centric songs as "poppy" instead of "derivative", and the whole as "pleasing to certain tastes" as opposed to "annoyingly unpalatable". Maybe I'll throw it out now...

Big Time Operator was making swing music during the heyday of swing's resurgence in the late 90's, so enjoyed a measure of success that kept them working and more popular than even I thought, until I saw this CD in the "import" rack at the Tower Records at King's Cross, London. I was pleased to see them once at Croce's downtown, and even more pleased to see that their guitarist was the father of a good friend from High School.

I saw Big Wreck play live with Dream Theater before I heard this, their debut CD. While their audio-balance was a problem (The bass player needed to turn down) and they, being a Bluesy Hard Rock band, didn't mesh well with Dream Theater's epic Prog-Metal leanings (Who booked THAT show?!) I came away impressed enough to find the album, and I'm glad I did. This is a corker, with probably one of my favorite Hard-Rock songs EVER on it. Interestingly enough, it's called "That Song" and is about getting lost in a tune, which is what I do every time I hear it. I've purchased this for people, but I think the similarity of singer Ian Thornley's voice to Soundgarden's Chris Cornell (When the latter isn't screaming) distracted folks. Don't be distracted. This is a great, hidden gem.

Bleach: Bleach

Shan got this for me one of our first years together. She surprised me, because I'd never heard of the band before, but I liked it immediately on first listen. With a sound like early Weezer and Switchfoot, Bleach is accessible pop, which I can't seem to get enough of.

They're also a "Christian" band, which means they sing songs about Christ. I used to blush at the concept, and shy away from "Christian bands", thinking they just served a subculture while failing to have value in mainstream circles for lack of artistic viability. I don't agree with that anymore, really. Certainly, there was a time when artistic integrity seemed to be sacrificed by bands of Christians, but I think that was more due to problematic views of art than lack of talent in the Christian world. Bleach, Switchfoot, Black Eyed Sceva, even P.O.D.; They're no slouches when it comes to viable artistic expression and production. To shy away from the label "Christian band" to please or appease a world offended by Christ...well, why sing about Him if you don't want anyone to know you're singing about Him?

orthopodoxy: the right way to put your foot into something; often your mouth.

jealicious: food envy

friendiculous behaviour you accept from those you are fond of, which would otherwise breed rage and aggravation.

envilicular inordiante or unwarranted in regards to jealousy; often humorous. ex. "Angelina Jolie's desire to have Courtney Love's old nose is rather envilicular.

pleastation put down the controller and take out the trash

plaustation i put down the controller and took it out already. You just didn't see it happen.

plastinamity 1. in love with false things; toys 2. false love

frusticrabby a feeling of duress that causes coarse behaviour. see also:crabstrated

nintendoxology a song in praise of a japanese video game company

Better Than Ezra: How Does Your Garden Grow?

I enjoy turkey, and when the lighted star on the hill behind my parents house comes on the evening of Thanksgiving, the holidays feel like they are fully underway. Shopping isn't high on my list of things to do, however, and I'm afraid that the month until Christmas will slip by, as has the month before.

This CD is subtitled "a series of nocturnes". It would be more enjoyable in the fall; An October album. But it fell on this day. Worth listening to, but not necessarily while you eat turkey and green-bean casserole. Maybe while you drive to visit relatives, as the sun sets under the desert sky.

Good drums, good songs. Good night.

So, after an amazing introduction to the series, GoLion hits the ground running. The mythical robot is active, sending Galra into a spin. This is to prove a war of attrition, of course. HEAVY METAL ATTRITION!

I would be remiss in my duty as a cultural ambassador if I didn't present the brilliance that is the opening theme song from GoLion! You may know the songwriter...




Did you know that one (ah!) plus one (ah!) plus one (ah!) plus one (ah!) plus one (ah!) equals GO! (ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!) Neither did I.

So, Galra regroups, and the witch Honerva suggests they hold a contest among Deathblack Beastmen, and whoever wins will be promoted to ...Deathhell!. This, I guess, is a title of prestige among Beastmen. (also of note: their best bus drivers are promoted to Slaygravelpit. Their best janitors: Annihilationcompostpile. I sense a theme.)

So, the winner is granted "life through Occult Science!" Which, apparently, means blasting him with ice and fire until he doesn't die. Makes sense to me...

Galra attacks, and the lions launch to intercept. Princess Fala and Raible watch from the control room of the ruined castle. Fala yells to the team "Get 'em!" and the leader in red, Chief, tells her to shut up! "Well, I was only cheering for you, but whatever!" she says in a huff. This is the beginning of a recurring theme in GoLion, and that theme is this: Women are either dumb or evil or need a man. Good times.

So, GoLion forms and does his best Mr. Bill impression. Basically, he gets pounded for a while. The castle is under heavy fire, so Raible entreats the ghost of the Ramen King to help them. "Touch the crest on my coffin" he says, which isn't a euphemism, as when he does, the castle rumbles and a new, shinier, more invincible castle rises in it's place.

Which, of course, begs the real question of this episode. Not "Will GoLion win?" but "Where the hell was this invincible castle when Galra attacked 15 years ago? C'mon, Ramen King. You thought far enough ahead to build an invincible castle that is activated by your coffin, but didn't think to press the button until you were dead. Never mind...you deserved to die.

So, Altea's new Castle Gradam rules, the Galra empire is given a sound thrashing, and everyone is stoked. Things are looking up...But not for long, kids! In the next episode, the fate of Sven!...er, Shirogane! That is, Quiet! No, not you, that's his nickname. Even the Japanese have a hard time saying some of their own names, I guess...

Episodes!
5. Fortress for the New Struggle!

Better Than Ezra: Friction, Baby

As I said in my last post, I love this album. Of the three BTE albums I own, this is by far the best and my favorite. It was introduced to me by Jay, who picked up the cassette at a roadside convenience store on a whim while taking a cross-country trip with some friends. A happy accident.

The production on this CD is great. I love the songs "R3wind", "Speeding Up to Slow Down" and "Long Lost". Just good pop. They'd just installed a new drummer, and I had the chance to meet him when I saw BTE at the late great 'Canes when they were touring for this album. I got in for free, because when I went down to buy the tix at the El Cajon Tower Records (RIP), the teller told me he had some that he wasn't going to use, and hooked me up, no charge. I don't remember the guy's name, but I was a frequent customer in those days. It was a good show, and one of my favorites at the time. Which is why I went back and bought Deluxe. Which was a mistake.

This CD also has a true hidden track, located in the negative space before the first track, "King of New Orleans". It's kinda jokey, and not really worth the effort to hold down the back button to find it if you've heard it once, but I like that it's there. Later pressings of the CD, I understand, just tacked the track onto the end of the disc. I guess the original placement was eventually too obtuse for even BTE's tastes.

Threw a fit
Like a glove
Showed your hand
To the house of cards
Played the suit
You were fit for;
Fits of rage
In a house of cards

Better Than Ezra: Deluxe

From Porcelain

Well I wish I could kill you,
savor the sight.
Get in to my car, drive into the night.
Then lie as I scream to the heavens above.
That I was the last one you ever loved.
Yes, your skin is like porcelain.

Oh. Kay. BTW, this is not a Heavy Metal band.

You know, I'm not really a fan of this CD. It has their hit "Good" on it, and the first song, "In the Blood" is pretty OK. But there's something about the sound that is too sparse, too basic and bland. The cover is terrible. It looks far from professional. Certainly not a deal breaker, but it just suits the contents, sadly. I'm a huge fan of their second disc, and bought this one, hoping for more of the magic. Didn't happen. Could be the old drummer. Could be the garage-band production on songs that need more depth-of-field, so to speak. Could be the psycho lyrics.

There is a hidden track at the very end, where the lyrics are screamed in a heavy German accent; "Pork unt beans mit sauer krauten!" What in the world?!

The Beta Band: The Three E.P.'s

It worked on me...years later.


Eu comprei-o usei-me na Amoeba quando RC excursionou até San Francisco, e eu estava tentando estar fresco. Isto lembra-me de algo como Slint ou Tortoise, com mais amostras e sensibilidades do musica pop. As canções são pouco umas demasiado longas e I' a VE saltou-os quando vêm acima no wife' s iPod. Escutando através do tudo isto outra vez reacendeu minha apreciação, mesmo que eu sentisse como um chump para ser introduzida a ela com esse filme.( (subtitles) )

Pat Benatar: Greatest Hits

When Patricia Mae Andrzejewski was born, she wandered out of the hospital and got lost until an old white man found her, put her on his knee and brushed her long, blond locks out of her face. He picked up his electric benatar and gently strummed the steel and stone strings, reciting the lyrics to "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" in Polish until she drifted to sleep. She ultimately woke up safe in her crib under a mobile made from spandex, hair dye and scissors. She never forgot that first day of her life, though it seemed just a rock & roll faerie tale until years later, when she learned that the old man was her long-lost rock-godfather, who no one had seen since he'd set out for the crossroads.

Patricia's story, like her music, reminds me of a film. Also a Rock & Roll Fable, Streets of Fire seems like art out of time or place, unaging and unchanging. (Plus, the soundtrack seems directly inspired by her.) The girl who changed her name to Pat Benatar has been an inspiration for a generation or more of female rockers, including the oft discussed (discusseded) Tori Amos, who once declared "I pledge allegiance to the microphone of the Pat Benatar wannabes of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one black teddy, under goddess, with lingerie and bodice for all" .(per the liner notes) Don't judge a legend by her fans...

Unlike the story above, I find Pat's best quality to be her honesty and straightforwardness. Her music is too clean and produced for my tastes, but some people like that, obviously. Hers was the second video ever shown on MTV, btw. I love Wikipedia...

Belly: King

Don, Fisher, Sofa, of Hearts, of Clubs, of Diamonds, of Spades, of the Hill. Follows: Roc-, Loo-, Ba-, Snac-, Frac-(Battle Star Galactica), Jo-, Smac-, Hac-, Bac-, Suc-, Jac-, Rac-, Wrac-.

See Also: Diamond, Larry, of Pop, of Fools, Rain, Sun, Lizard. Precedes: -ly, -dom.

Used in a sentence: I found this CD to be lac-.

Friends,

I am very pleased to announce that Shandree and I are going to have a baby. We are into week 10, and the reality of this is starting to hit full force, especially as we tell people and look into preparing the house and our lives to share with the new person enroute.

I'll likely not do too much writing about that here, though. I've started a new blog which will chronicle the road to our child's impending birth in June. It's called "Next Gen: From Son to Father". All interested parties are welcome to read more by clicking the title.

My friend Jason (I call him "Jay") has begun to come into is own as a photographer and filmmaker. I've known him for years, and he's always had a detail oriented, precise manner that lends itself well to his endeavors in film. I used to play music with him in a band called The Blind Boxers, which will come up soon as a CD-a-Day entry, but I wanted to give a shout out and point you in his direction sooner than later. See his website here:
http://jasonpaulreimer.com/

As well, he has put out a solicitation for art aficionados to get in and help support an up and comer. Namely: Jason Reimer. Here's the skinny, from his Facebook page:

Those of you who know me know that not only do I not enjoy asking for help, but I don't actually ever ask for any. However, I'm giving you the opportunity to support a proverbial starving artist.( Read more )

Some of my personal favorites...

Belly: Star

Tanya Donelly did not count on Google when she named her band Belly. Look up "belly band" sometime. Welcome to America, circa 2009.

Circa 1993, I had just graduated from high-school, grunge was on top, hipsters emulated hippies, and "Feed the Tree" was on MTV's "120 Minutes". MTV still played music on their station then, not just on the website. Feed the Tree was a decoy, and much more "rockin'" than anything else on the album, which is mostly dreamy, slightly ethereal-folksy drivel. Except for "Slow Dog", which is kinda poppy, but has a riff that seems so contrived and overused as it transitions into the chorus, I can't give it a pass. Were it not for Shandree, this CD would have been gone long ago. But if the wife likes it, we keep it. I'm fine with that. It's kept me off the streets.

"Got a pen? Write this down..."

Our friends Jon and Teri Reeves are pretty much two of my favorite people. They live in LA where Jon makes guitar amps and Teri acts on stage and screen. Her most recent work will air tomorrow night. Here's the email I received tonight:

Hi friends, family, and colleagues,
Just wanted to let you all know that I'm going to be on "The
Forgotten" this Tuesday, 11/17 at 10pm on ABC in case you wanted to
have a watch. They find my character Jane Doe/Ashley Kemp dead and
'forgotten' at the beginning of the episode and as I narrate, the team
tries to unearth who I was. I appear in several flashback scenes
throughout.
It is a new show that you can check out at:
http://abc.go.com/shows/the-forgotten.
I hope you're all well!! Thank you for all your support!
:) Teri

Watch!

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: UFO Tofu

In Wes Anderson's premier film, Bottle Rocket, the character of Bob played by Robert Musgrave is a hapless rich kid, whose friendship with Owen Wilson's Dignan and Luke Wilson's Anthony leads him into shenanigans. Bob is a supporting character, but essential to the plot, as he is ultimately the guy who gets the most hosed by the inane caper Dignan leads them into. Bob has an older brother, who ridicules him relentlessly, even though they are well into their late twenties and maybe early thirties in the film. This brother, played to jack-ass perfection by Andrew Wilson, is named...Future Man.

The "drummer" for Bela Fleck is named Future Man, too. What a strange coincidence. Bottle Rocket's Future Man is an irate turd who thinks he's above childish enthusiasm, while Bela Fleck's Future Man is a pirate nerd who thinks he's above playing actual drums.

Definitely check it out, if you haven't. Bottle Rocket. Not Bela Fleck. (Victor Wooten on bass is amazing though, I'll concede...)

Future Man

Future Man

The Beatles: Live at the BBC

More like CD-A-WEEK AMIRITE?!

At nearly 70 tracks over two disks, this is my favorite - and last - Beatles entry for CD-a-Day, at least as far as my current collection goes. This is early stuff, the rock they played when they first started...the covers of rock classics and some of their own songs; Poppy, catchy, and danceable all the way. Interspersed are vignettes of the band chatting up the BBC host and making jokes like kids do. Really charming, actually.

Like many of the CDs I'm "reviewing", I've never listened all the way through this one until now. I missed out. These guys were amazing live...warm, clear, and solid. It's no wonder they "made it". I was taken back to a youth I never had, but reminded that there was a time when John, Paul, George and Ringo had the world in their hands and didn't realize it, still treating it with joy and playfulness. I heard these songs and felt like all the crap going on today will pass, or change, or whatever; Now is just a moment in history, in stereo. It might do well to listen.