A few weeks ago my friend Steve decided to put together a pretty thorough blog post regarding his list of the best MC's of All Time. You can read it right c'here...go ahead I will wait.
I noticed Young MC wasn't on the list so I wanted to give him some love...In all seriousness though I LOVE that song (its in the Holy Trinity) but Young MC probably wasn't close to Steve's best of list (A Shame Really).
After reading Steve's list I find it hard to argue with any of his choices. His "almost made" section at the bottom covers most of the people that sprung to mind who weren't on his top 16. I would personally make some small changes....
I would remove Common and put Eminem on the list of top 16, because while I don't particularly care for him it is hard to argue he is pretty ridiculous with his style and importance in the world of hip-hop. I think this is a fantastic hip-hop tune and his best:
I would move up the list KRS-One and Jay-Z probably sliding down the likes of Posdnuous (who I personally love) and Tupac (who I personally do not love).
A few people who I would throw on the "just missed" side of things would be Eric Sermon, Parrish SmithRedman, and Slick Rick. The one person omitted that I want to bring up (and I know he discusses him in Andre's blurb) is Big Boi. While I agree most of Outkast's recent offerings have been dud's Big Boi has been surprisingly solid and when you go back to the groups heyday an argument can be made to his greatness and certainly equal status with Andre3000.
Anyway, lists were made for arguing, so feel free to comment, jeer or congratulate. Enjoy yer weekend.
So Vans is putting on a free show tomorrow for the skaters and hoodrat chicks at their House of Vans in Brooklyn Friday night July 29th.
They are calling it a house party but this house may be in tatters after the Cro-Mags and Screaming Females get done with it. Sure Fucked Up and Pissed Jeans are playing too but I would be lying if I said I was going for those two.
The Cro-Mags are one of the quintessential hardcore bands and helped to define a generation with their masterpiece Age Of Quarrel. The group has gone through mega lineup changes, infighting and religious conversion, but anytime I can catch a formation of them I am excited.
This review is part of the "Over Flow" Review Series. For various reasons these past reviews were not published anywhere else. I am tagging them as "Overflow Reviews" and may add some extra information after if needed but I will keep the ratings and reviews just as I originally wrote them. Enjoy:
The Gateway District
Perfect's Gonna Fail
**** out of *****
Various parts of underground punk outfits (all with roots in Minnesota) join forces to form a bright spot amongst the frozen North's music scene calling themselves The Gateway District. The piecing together of members from The Soviettes, Rivethead and Banner Pilot has produced an anthemic punk record that is exhilarating, raw and vital; exactly what proper punk rock should be.
The group splits the sexes with two females (Mauren "Sturgeon" Macosko on guitar/vocals Carrie Bleser on bass/vocals) and two males (Nate Gangeloff on bass and Brad Lokkesmoe on drums). This is their second full length release following 2009's strong Some Days You Get The Thunder. With the band members all having other musical interests it is tempting to call this a side project but the music that rumbles out elevates things to higher level then that term calls to mind. Perfect's Gonna Fail never becomes hyper aggressive but doesn't fall into the "sap-trap" either; this is focused, tight, engaging power/pop punk in the vein of The Exploding Hearts or The Buzzcocks.
The first three songs are fist pumpers and worth the price of admission alone. "Run Away" with it's "1,2,3,4" count off could slide in just as easily to 1982 as 2011 (probably easier), "Macy" is an urgent cry to lost friends and "Leaving Me Behind" is a 2 minute burner that deserves to be blasted out of windows on repeat during road-trips and beach excursions this summer. Other highlights are the break up angst of "Waves and Cars" the lyrical disembodiment and speedy "New Hands" and "Sirens" ringing reality backed by ringing guitars. "Cairo's" heavy breaks add some bottom and the odd "Fisherman's Story" adds a weird but personable vibe.
Ending briskly with a running time of just around 25 minutes the band leaves you wanting more...much more as Perfect's Gonna Fail is not failing in the slightest, it is a perfect slice of power punk.
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Props to Rob over at Jaded Scenester who had a post a few months back on this band which of course made me dig in and check them out. So very glad I did...they are the crispy fry in a batch of soggy ones. Pop/Power punk can be so diluted and paint-by-numbers that most of it just goes in one ear and out the other, but not The Gateway District. These Gals and Guys have produced a real winner with Perfect's Gonna Fail. It is tighter and more focused then their first release and endlessly listenable. Go get it here.
Here are a few tunes to wet the appetite (make sure to scroll to the bottom):
"Run Away" Not the most original video, but a really kick ass tune
"I'll Take The River":
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by Sheryl Crow tackling "Mississippi"
Thoughts on Dylan Original:
Here is a unique one for us, because Sheryl Crow actually released this song before Bob himself did. While she announces it as a Bob Dylan song before this 1999 performance Dylan himself wouldn't release this for 2 more years on his classic Love and Theft. He had recorded the tune for Time Out Of Mind, but decided to hold off releasing it for whatever reason and eventually offered the tune to Sheryl Crow to record herself.
As for Dylan's "official version" of the song, it is an all-time classic. I chose to talk about it this week because it had come up in conversation a few times over the weekend, as the alternate versions on The 8th Bootleg series, Tell Tale Signs, were discussed. It had slipped my mind just how amazing this tune is and it can be argued (by me included) that it is the high point of his post Blood on the Tracks career. Really a show-stopping jaw-dropper assuming of course the man ever plays it live....
Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
Sheryl Crow has always struck me as a fine artist, and never really a great one. She is talented and can sing a good pop/country song, but for some reason she never seemed to have enough oomph for me. Looking back over her catalog of tunes, there are some solid entries but nothing that perks me up all that much, "Leaving Las Vegas" is cool tune and I dug it when it came out. Maybe because of immense radio play, but "Everyday is a Winding Road" is pretty played out in my head, but I do still really enjoy her duet and performance with Kid Rock on "Picture" that right there is a hell of a tune. Overall I am pretty in the middle on her, totally fine, just not really great.
Thoughts on Cover:
Crow obviously sped up the tempo and added a pop gloss to things on this live version. She adds a quirky energy and new sense of motoring to the lyrics but is this really a good thing? It seems like she is just getting through the song without really giving it much thought. While the instrumentation is crisp, I like both the violins and piano fills, but unlike the last cover we discussed, which was too dramatic, Sheryl's version doesn't seem to be dramatic enough.
It is a fine line I know but I don't think this version carries the weight that it should, and a quick mention of "guitar solo" at 2:54 in this live version, pretty dam silly. Had there been a full on solo as opposed to a few strums, it may have bumped up my feelings, but as it is...
I didn't have no stinking Press Pass or VIP access, so this review comes straight from the people...
The people who were drinking $5 Miami Vice Cocktails that is! Quite a deal in that neck of the nape.
Anyway the show was stellar, I attended with a few good friends and had a blast, we hung out late post show at the Beekman Beer Garden and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The easy highlight for me was Titus Andronicus, but my friends Seamus and Kristen thought that The Black Angels were the bees knees.
Just proves there was lots of fun times and tunes to be consumed...until next year....Pic was from here
The Beasties have always been up on mutli-formatting their tunes, the were MTV staples back in the day with "Fight For Your Right" and were doing enhanced CD's back in the 90's. A few months back they released an extended video for "Make Some Noise" that was chock full of A-List stars and wild throwbacks to their youth.
That video was directed by MCA himself, looks like a few songs off the new album will be getting this treatment. This time they got back together with the uber-talented director Spike Jonze who (amongst a shit load of other hip stuff) constructed the B'Boys fantastic "Sabotage" video.
The song for this journey is "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win" with Santigold guesting and you can peep the full 11+ minute video here:
Grooms are a Brooklyn 3 piece that plays a mix of noise and pop tunes, making for a tangled web of sound and songs. One of the things I liked best about the album was that it wasn't easy to digest during the first few listens and I kept finding new layers of playing when I went back to the disk.
Not everything is perfect, the singing and lyrics to me could use some work. Travis Jackson tries hard to be Doug Martsch, but in complete confession it took me a looong time to warm up to Doug's singing style and not just think of him as a whiner. Like Built to Spill though the tunes contained here are engaging when you digest them.
This review is part of the "Over Flow" Review Series. For various reasons these past reviews were not published anywhere else. I am tagging them as "Overflow Reviews" and may add some extra information after if needed but I will keep the ratings and reviews just as I originally wrote them. Enjoy:
The Drive By Truckers
Go-Go Boots
***and1/2 out of *****
Do these guys ever stop putting out solid albums? 2010 saw the Truckers release The Big To-Do which continued their trend of on the fringe storytelling, meaty guitars and seedy character portraits, turns out Go-Go Boots was recorded at the same time only to be released in 2011. The pattern continues; murder, lowlife’s, humor and songs that just keep flowing into the night only this go around contains a gentler musical touch as the band tried to connect with their Muscle/Shoal roots more deliberately.
At this point in their career the Truckers have eased into this pattern with professional and satisfying results. The hard rocking is toned down from The Big To-Do, with more slow jams, but they could easily be considered a double album, and a great one at that. The title track is a slow burning tale of mixed up love that seems real enough that you can reach out and touch those boots through the speakers before "Assholes" discusses a touring band mentality and how being an asshole is sometimes part of the gig and life, yet the music keeps it sounding appealing instead of petty.
“Used To Be A Cop” puts you in a burnt out flat-foot’s shoes teetering on the edge of exasperation as Patterson Hood continues to expertly portray those desperate on-the-edge loners perfectly. What sounds a bit jarring at first is his album opener “I Do Believe” which is a simple loving rocker that Tom Petty would kill for.
While Hood’s tracks dominate the record the real eyeopeners come from Mike Cooley who continues to steal the thunder with his fantastic song writing. This time around “Cartoon Gold” is the shining star with its inventive lyrics, slide strumming and country ease making songwriting sound simple and joyful. “Pulaski” and “The Weakest Man” are two others that Cooley contributes with southern style reminiscent of Townes Van Zandt in their honesty and storytelling, a perfect foil to Hood’s rawer edge.
The workman like group does it again and will probably keep doing so until they’ve had enough. The only downside is that there are so many solid songs floating around the same tempo that it can become a bit overwhelming and drawn out. One needs to be ready to enter the world of the DBT’s; just prepare yourself, dig in, and enjoy a dusty Oldsmobile ride through the current American south, with some pretty fucking great tour guides.
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When I reviewed The Big To-Do last year I made a comparison to The Hold Steady, calling the bands kindred spirits, one Northern one Southern, and that is a pretty spot on and continues with their newest release. I think both bands would have been huge in the pre-internet "rock Radio" days, I mean what else can one want with great song writers huge guitars and craftsman touch?
This time around for the DBT's the guitars might not be as loud, yet the songs continue to conquer the ear. I was out of town the last time the band played NYC but I am hoping they swing back one more time before the year ends, I need to catch these guys and gal ASAP. Here are some tunes for you to check out:
"Cartoon Gold" Solo Acoustic from Mike Cooley:
"Assholes" Live 1/13/2011
In this ongoing Monday Series we will be exploring various artists versions of Bob Dylan song's. Today's tune is a live cover by the Parkin' Meters Band of the Dylan tune "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)"
Thoughts on Dylan Original:
A layered and moving song, the real highlight on a mixed up Dylan album (Street Legal), "Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)" is musically riveting and lyrically haunting. Acoustic plucking, rolling drums and a forlorn trumpet color the tune musically while some straight ahead lyrics mix with the surreal and backup singers add "Oooh and Aaaah" behind the nasal delivery of the Bard. Looking at the "Painted Wagon" and smelling the "Tail of the Dragon" are just two examples of bizarre lyrics that could pertain to nuclear war or something else entirely making it all even more enchanting. A gorgeous music background with perplexing lyrics and a strong vocal performance...yup, I dig this one a ton. Cover:
Thoughts on Cover Artist:
I don't have many thoughts on the Parkin' Meters Band as this is all that I know about them. Unfortunately their website is in German and I only know a little German....
ahhh any day I can make a Top Secret! reference I am in heaven. Thoughts on Cover:
When the tune started rolling out I enjoyed it as "Senor..." can play excellently as a deep and moving tune and that is what the Parkin' Meter Band is going for. Ms. Nina Widjaja doesn't overpower things with her excellent voice...at the start. As the song progressed my taste for it soured, it went from powerful to over the top Broadway in my opinion. The violins certainly added to this, as did Widjaja's increasingly dramatic vocals. While it doesn't drag on very long (a plus) it does seem to try too hard for my tastes musically pandering, taking the sting out of the original. If I had to guess I bet Wilson will dig this one...then again I thought he would like Tweedy's cover, so what do I know...
So for the Fourth of July I joined up with some amigos and decided to head out to the Hampton's to visit even more friends who grew up out there and use the holidays as a reason to all get back together and have bonfires on the beach, partying all night long...not a bad idea at all.
While that was cool and all Friday night started off pretty crazy, after we hit up Cyril's in East Hampton for some tasty cocktails we decided to check out a unique artistic performance. Jay who we traveled out with and stayed with had a friend who was dancing in a production called the "Trojan Women Redux".
It was an outdoor event and I had never seen an interpretive dance troop before...and certainly never one about ancient Rome. I am currently reading the Aeneid and even brought it on the trip so I figured why the hell not? It was a beautiful night and the performance would be outside:
Oh yeah and one other thing...it was BYOB:
I doubt the Neo Political Cowgirls who put on the show thought that we would bring a case of Miller High Life to the show in a Bud box all wrapped in a garbage bag, but somethings just need to get done, and we are nothing if not classy. The women we talked to post show were super cool though and all though we never met up for 80's night at Stephens Talkhouse, I am sure it was a fun romp.
I will post some pictures from the event, as I know ZERO about this kind of stuff I will withhold comments or critiques, I am in no position to judge this sort of thing. That said..I will comment briefly on the music, it was a touch confusing spazzing between genres and periods, but I am pretty sure that's the point to help tell the story. Here are some pics I took of the event: (Click them...they get bigger)
Anyway, if you make it out there while it is playing stop by and enjoy yourself. Thanks to Jay and family for hosting, the whole East Hampton Housing Crew for hanging and being such fun peoples.
Oh one more thing, the night we were at this performance they were playing Jaws on a huge blow up screen after the performance and in-between the dancing and the movie they played music from The Last Waltz...you just know that put me is a good mood. Hope this weekend puts you in one.
I can argue with their list, but I can't argue with their guitars...
I don't want to re-hash my issues from the last post, I just want to take a moment to go over a few snubs that I am not surprised this company missed. In thinking about this you need to take into account influence, longevity, popularity and a bunch of other stuff, but in the end it comes down to personal preference. Their list isn't horrible, it's also not great. I decided to focus this post on 5 bands who I think need to be in the conversation, and two that were ranked waaay to low for my tastes. Here are the 5 who should have been on the list or at least in the conversation, in no particular order:
I had a great time heading North with a good group of friends. We didn't camp onsite, and with all the weather issues, I am VERY happy we splurged and rented a house. This was my first time to MASS MoCA and I enjoyed it. I didn't get to see all the exhibits, but I did get to hear a ton of music and covered all of it in the review.
Personal highlight performances were Thurston and Levon, but there really wasn't a bad set to be found from my point of view. Wilco did a good job curating the event, and I will happily go back next year if I can fit it in my schedule.
Here are videos various people took, I should have pictures I personally took up later this week. Until next year....
Wilco "At Least That's What You Said"
Levon Helm and Company "The Weight" Festival Closer
Thurston Moore, "Space" (Cool artistic Fan video)
Pillow Wand Thurston Moore and Nels Cline doing the guitar noise thing...
JC Brooks and The UpTown Sound "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" with Jeff Tweedy, these guys are REALLY good hope to have more for you regarding them soon.
Wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe July Fourth weekend (USA! USA!)
To go the American route with music the fine folks over at Hidden Track, clued me into this list that Gibson Guitars put together about a question I have actually pondered in bars and on this blog before; who is the greatest American band?
