If all goes well, I will check into Memphis tomorrow night and begin a one week residency for a work-related-assignment. This will be my second ever visit to Memphis… however I hope to squeeze in a number of sights (Graceland, Loraine Motel, Sun Studios) and sample some tasty BBQ.
Be on the look out for a series of Micro-Blog entries I plan to hashtag as #memphismemos
Caught the Front Bottoms nearly a year ago at the Karova and I never shared the video I took from the event…. Enjoy.
With roughly 2 months still left in the calendar year… I can’t believe how rewarding 2013 has been in respect to music.
Woke up last Tuesday and immediately checked Spotify to see if Kevin Devine’s two new efforts were available to stream.
Albums that were funded through Kickstarter… its great to see that Kevin has created a groundswell of support to let him artistically express himself over 2 full lengths.
But I digress… both albums were online so I decided to listen to Bubblegum based solely on the cover sleeve art.
"Bubblegum" was what I had thought it would be… a noisier effort than "Bulldozer" with a number of poignant topics within the first three tracks.
Private First Class - addresses Private First Class Manning and his conviction for violating the Espionage Act. Kevin smartly (in my opinion) points out that it would be easier to be born both a liar and coward than do what he did…
Fiscal Cliff - is another interesting track and it happened to come on the heels the US Government (Congress) having their head stuck up their ass.
"If you’re angry, well, I’m angry, too
And I talk to myself like I know you do
And I’ve been hiding in my laptop, too
But in my mirror, I see you
In my mirror, I see a movement” - Kevin Devine
The album has a number of stand out tracks on the second half of the album - Bloodhound, Bubblegum and She Can See Me are all going to be tracks that I’m going to look forward to hearing live in a few weeks.
His other effort “Bulldozer” is my favorite of the two… and this surprised me a little bit because I usually gravitate to more of Kevin’s noisier numbers. I don’t want to imply that Bulldozer is softer or more “acoustic” than Bubblegum. It’s a little more Use Your Illusion II than Use Your Illusion I I guess.
Actually that’s a shitty analogy… but I’m leaving it up because it just felt right as I do this write up.
Where was I? Oh yea, I think the reason I like Bulldozer a little more is because the album seems to sonically know its boundaries a little better than Bubblegum. It breathes a little better in some respects… the track Little Bulldozer I think is a good example of that.
I don’t exactly know who (or what… his car?) his little bulldozer is but it’s the kinda track you want to put on a mix for that special someone in your life.
Kevin’s finest moment comes in the track - Couldn’t Be Happier. A tender track that I look forward most to listening to live.
Bulldozer also has a number of deep cuts - such as Matter of Time, For Eugene (sounds like a Cat Stevens tune) and the floor tappy - She Can See Me - that in my opinion make this album to elevate a little more than Bubblegum.
I can’t really say enough about these records… both of these albums will likely soundtrack my upcoming trip to Memphis.
An album that I can’t seem to stop listening to in recent months is Tullycrafts - Lost in Light Rotation.
The album is their first release in 6 years and it reminds me of someone I know in nYc. So much so that I’ve actually thought about reaching out to her just to talk about the record, catch up and possibly make plans to meet when I visit New York in early December….
Anyhoo… while sorta half listening to the album a few weeks ago, I overheard a number of Ramones lyrics in a song called From Wichita With Love.
The tags aren’t particularly relevant to the primary lyrical arc… but it’s shit like this that makes Tullycraft so much better than anything you’re listening to.
Grand Budapest Hotel - Trailer
Just ran across this by accident… had to share.
In observance of PJ’s 10th studio album, I’ve put together quick playlist of favorite tracks from each of their respective albums….
1.) Sometimes - NO CODE: I’ll never forget the first time I heard this album… I was a freshmen in college and my g/f at the time stopped by a local record store while I was in class and picked this up for me as a little gift. When I think of all the Side 1 / Track 1’s that Pearl Jam has put out - this one sorta sticks out like a sore thumb. There’s a lot going on “sonically” in the track, but it really sets the tone correctly for the adventure that is No Code.
2.) Grievance - BINAURAL: I don’t know why, but I’ve always felt a connection between the tracks : Corduroy / Grievance / Green Disease - one may lazily say they sound similar but I can’t shake the feeling that there may be something more there… I’m undoubtedly wrong about this observation tho’.
3.) Unthought Known - BACKSPACER: If I were ever given an opportunity to work with PJ in a studio or possibly be allowed to remix a track - it would be Unthought Known. There are parts in this song that swell and crash but not at appropriate maximums. I find it hard to not think about the song - Marker in the Sand - when I hear this song and vice versa… I think this is the high water mark of Backspacer.
4.) Leash - Vs.: If you asked any of my friends what song off of VS I would most likely select for sampling - they would all tell you - W.M.A. - this track however captures the sound of Vs. better than W.M.A. tho’…
5.) Immortality - VITALOGY: This song instantly transports me to the Summer of 1996… I spent a few months living in Chicago and this was one of the few albums I had on me during that residency. I would listen to this song over and over - because it seem to fill the room nicely though some shitty CD player my uncle had at his apartment. The afternoon daylight and shadows in the room seem to fit that time and space in my life perfectly. There’s a live version where the lyrics are completely different and I love that version… if you happen to read this and know what I’m talking about - let me know!
6.) Green Disease - RIOT ACT: I selected this track because there’s parts that remind me of the Clash.
7.) Marker in the Sand - PEARL JAM: This may be my favorite PJ course in their entire catalogue.
8.) Faithful - YIELD: I can’t believe how much YIELD has grown on me over the years… Low Light was a close second.
9.) Pendulum - LIGHTNING BOLT: This is hands down my favorite track on LB. I learned today that it’s an outtake from Backspacer… go figure.
10.) Black - TEN: …
Pearl Jam released their 10th studio effort on the 15th of October and after spinning it a number of times - i’m ready to quickly weigh in with my first impressions.
All in all… Lightning Bolt is an enjoyable listen but it feels like a step back from Backspacer. There are a number of tracks that I think will really transcend well to a live setting - but the recording itself is to manicured for my liking.
The band reportedly took a few years and 2 sessions to work on this record… yet we have another studio effort where it doesn’t capture the sound/energy/space of what PJ sounds live.
One of the bright spots on the new record is Jeff’s work on bass. There are a number of songs where you can really tell that he was in the studio - getting into his fucking grove.
One strange observation… the song - My Fathers Son - sounds dangerously similar (in signature) to a Soundgarden song called - Dusty.
Anyhoo - if you’re a PJ fan - you’ve purchased the album. I’m a little surprised by how hard they’re pressing on the web with the new record. I’m also not quite sure why they took the Vector Art Direction either… but I can’t really think of a Pearl Jam album sleeve that I really love.
I’ll be the first person to admit that my work persona is nothing like my out of work persona… Hellie was kind enough to provide this illustration of what Work Ro Ro is like.
It’s pretty spot on actually. The radio dial in the middle and my love for all things 1977 really made me smile.
Steve Hyden - wrote up a great little piece on Pearl Jam albums, where he’s retroactively rated albums as : Overrated, Underrated or Properly Rated.
I completely agree with his take on Lighting Bolt… it’s an album that really only matters to people who like Pearl Jam. I’m going to give it another spin this morning… before penning a review later today.