Iggy & the Stooges - Raw Power

Today's album of the day was fully influenced by the passing of Phillip Seymour Hoffman...   The moment I heard of his passing - all I could think about was him playing the part of Lester Bangs in the movie Almost Famous.

I'm strongly of the opinion that Fun House and their Self Titled debut are better albums... but it's really hard to gather thoughts on why when heroine has claimed another artist I admire.

If you're unfamiliar with the work of Iggy & the Stooges - you're pretty fortunate to have your head caved in by the opening track - Search and Destroy.   I envy you in a weird way...   

Play any of these suggested tracks LOUDLY:

• Iggy & The Stooges – Search and Destroy - Iggy Pop Mix
  
• Iggy & The Stooges – Gimme Danger - Iggy Pop Mix
  
• Iggy & The Stooges – Raw Power - Iggy Pop Mix
  
• Iggy & The Stooges – Shake Appeal - Iggy Pop Mix
  

Artist: Iggy & the Stooges
Album: Raw Power
Producer: Iggy Pop, David Bowie
Label: Columbia
Recorded: CBS Studios, Whitfield Street

Rhye - Woman

After spending a good part of the week away from home, it was nice to wake up and slip on a record to make breakfast to.

Today's album of the day has received a couple of mentions in passing... most notably in one of my top five - most read blog posts - The Newsroom outed my 2013 fuck tape & reactions to Episode 6: One Step Too Many.

the sleeve art on this album is sexy also

The idea of a "fuck tape" was explained to me by my dear friend and terrible mentor of my 20's - Donald Deluxx.  He once asked me point blankly what my fuck tape was and I didn't answer back quickly enough... so he pounced on that moment to instill another terrible lesson.   His "go-to" fuck tape was "Nothings Shocking" by Jane's Addiction...  an album I was familiar with the time, but didn't quite understand how it was a panty dropper.  The album sleeve has a naked pair of conjoined twins/flaming hair/cow hide...  so who was I to argue? 

At the time, my go-to fuck tape was Enigma – McMxc A.D. - an album that was purely influenced by program that used to air on MTV all the time called "SEX in the 90's".  If memory serves me correctly, the song Principles Of Lust: Sadeness/Find Love/Sadeness - is heard in the beginning of the episode so I naturally thought it was spanish fly.

I recall only playing it once in college during a drunken hook-up...  I was immediately embarrassed by it, but ended up leaving it on because the girl recognized it and didn't find it corny. 

Anyhoo...  I supplanted that fuck tape with "Violator" by Depeche Mode and then supplanted that with Shuggie Otis's "Inspiration Information" in my mid 20's. Shuggie Otis will undoubtedly continue being an album to slip on for night caps... but the album "Woman" by Rhye is officially my new musical spanish fly and it should become yours too.

I forget how I stumbled across the album...  I think it got mentioned in passing while reading up on something completely unrelated.   Listened to it at work and I immediately knew that it was an album I needed to revisit at home...  

In all seriousness - the album is a beautiful Soul album that is great to slip on when not having sex.  It just happens to have a higher calling.   

Stand out tracks: 

• Rhye – Open
• Rhye – The Fall
• Rhye – Last Dance
• Rhye – Shed Some Blood
• Rhye – 3 Days
• Rhye – Major Minor Love
• Rhye – Hunger

Artist: Rhye
Album: Woman
Producer: Rhye
Label: Polydor
Recorded: Hannibal Studios, Rummet

Erotic Dinners and all things Week 4: Real World Reality Fantasy League

Full disclosure... I didn't get to see this episode the night it aired.   I ended up watching it on my laptop while weathering a snow storm in Southern Denver from the Inverness Hotel.

Click Here to See Scores and Rules for our Reality Fantasy League

I wonder if one can book one of these Eyes-Wide-Shut dinners outside of San Francisco...

The episode was a little bit of a let down in my opinion, but it still had a number of interesting things to talk about.   The second half of the new roommates arrived at the real world house and I kinda fear the new roommate Loren.  

I personally have had a rough go with people named Loren (from Michigan no less) in my lifetime so I'm already on hyper-watch-out mode.  She arrives in San Francisco, knowing that her ex-Corey is already "talking" (a.k.a. fucking) his roommate Jenny.  My biggest fear is that she's aware that she's playing with house money... fucks new roommate Brian (Jenny's ex) and causes an all-out war in the Real World house - leaving me vulnerable to other teams cleaning up on points.

The thing that disappointed me most in the episode was the announcement made by Jaime (my Fantasy Reality Player) that she has promised her father that she will *not* have on camera sex on the real world.  She's totally ok with talking about waking up next to Thomas and feeling his morning boner tho'...  

I can only imagine how proud her father is feeling on Wednesday nights. 

Want to also give a shout out to my girl Arielle...  big ups to her for booking an erotic dinner to completely set the house off for sexual healing.  Someone please fucking wife her up!

Top 3 Ballerz of the Week

75 points: Jenny
Now that Ashley has official left the show, I think I have to worry about Jenny cementing her claim for Reality Fantasy Real World Ex-plosion MVP.   Thru four weeks, she's averaging a respectable 50 points per episode.  She picked that up this week by having sex with Corey twice in the episode, and collecting an additional 25 points in kisses.   

70 points: Corey
With Ashley completely out of the Real World house, Corey has a clear path to becoming the Points Per Episode scoring champion.  Thru 4 weeks - Corey is averaging 70 points per episode and while I worry about him not having a lot of sex with Brian living in the house, he will undoubtedly pick up points for verbal arguments and breaking random things.  He is also the #1 Challenge Rookie on my Fantasy Draft Board.   Corey picked up 50 points for having sex twice on the show and 20 points in kisses.

35 points: Jaime
Normally, I would be pretty enthusiastic about having both of my Reality Fantasy players featured in the top 3 ballerz of the week... but I just can't get behind her relationship with Thomas.  I don't know if she's suffering from getting a 'bad edit' - but she's kinda coming across (to me at least) as a terrible girlfriend.  Her behavior in previous episodes have highlighted her jealously and insecurities... but now that's getting bookended with comments about wanting to mold Thomas into something.  What upsets me most is that I fucking hate Thomas...  he's puddle deep and a drunken bore.   *25 Points for sex...  I'm putting an asterisk next to it because I don't know if she had sex.  I'm pretty sure she did tho'...    5 points for verbal and 5 points for unintentional nudity. 

Brand New - Deja Entendu

So I just got back from an incredible dinner with my mom in the city and had intended to write up a review about the new Dum Dum Girls album...  we listened to it as we drove round downtown and while it was OK to have on while driving at night, I didn't really care for it too much.

I got home and decided to listen to Brand New's - Deja Enendu - a band I discovered after reading Andy Greenwald's - Nothing Feels Good.

It's been a while since I've thrown this album on, but I saw a friend online make a reference to the song: Ok I believe you, But my Tommy Gun Don't.  So I've decided to give it another spin while I lay around in the dark before falling asleep.

I still can't get over how good Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades is after all these years...  think I listened to it 3 times over on repeat before realizing that I needed to listen to the album completely before midnight to make the deadline.

Anyhoo... I heard a rumor that this album may get a vinyl repressing and that's actually something I'm pretty stoked about, seeing that I've seen first pressings go north of 300 dollars on ebay.

Stand out tracks:

• Brand New – Sic Transit Gloria ... Glory Fades
• Brand New – Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't
• Brand New – Okay I Believe You, But My Tommy Gun Don't
• Brand New – The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot
• Brand New – Me vs. Maradona vs. Elvis
• Brand New – Guernica

Artist: Brand New
Album: Deja Entendu
Producer: Steven Haigler, Mike Sapone
Label: Triple Crown Records 
Recorded: Reflection Sound Studios

Drowners - Drowners

Every now and again, I'll hear about a band that proudly wears their musical influences on their sleeves.  Drowners are a fine example of this... the name is reportedly take from the debut SUEDE single and their sound has a Johnny Marr (Smiths) feel to it.   

They kinda remind me of the Strokes/the Vaccines/the Libertines...  all bands that have released debut albums I instantly took a liking to.

There's something incredibly easy about having this record on in the background because its like crawling in bed with a familiar lover.

Stand out tracks:

• Drowners – Ways to Phrase a Rejection
  
• Drowners – Long Hair
  
• Drowners – Luv, Hold Me Down
  
• Drowners – Watch You Change
  
• Drowners – You've Got It Wrong
  
• Drowners – Bar Chat
  
• Drowners – A Button on Your Blouse
  
• Drowners – Let Me Finish
  
• Drowners – Well, People Will Talk
  

Artist: Drowners
Album: Drowners
Producer: ?
Label: Frenchkiss Records
Recorded: ?

The Lawrence Arms - Metropole

Took almost an entire month, but it finally happened!   Tonight is the first time I post a tipsy An Album A Day review in 2014...

The work day was unusually hellish, so I made it a point to enjoy several pints of Colorado's micro-brews at dinner time.

Want to quickly thank/dedicate this drunken entry to Jackie - who tipped me off the the Lawrence Arms about a week or so ago.  When she told me that a band from Chicago was putting out their first album in 8 years, I assumed it would be one I knew.

Turns out I didn't and I've been totally sleeping on this band.  I would describe the sound on this album as a very well produced Jawbreaker album...  

I just listened to "Seventeener (17th and 37th)" and all I can think of was Blake Schwarzenbach...  that and there's a lot to relate to as I'm dangerously closer to 37 - every second that slips by.

I can't get over how much I love the sleeve work on this album...  the sound is also pretty rewarding.  In addition to it reminding me of Jawbreaker, it kinda also reminds me of Street Light Manifesto - but without the horns.

I'm only half way through the record, so maybe a bull fight breaks out and I get to hear some horns.

Ever listen to a record and kinda hope that it has a "Bleed American" ending to it?  By that I mean, you hear about a band who puts everything into an album and it turns out to be a monster release.   I'm kinda hoping the guys on this record get to have said ending with the release of this record.

Stand out tracks:

• The Lawrence Arms – You Are Here
• The Lawrence Arms – Seventeener (17th and 37th)
• The Lawrence Arms – Drunk Tweets
• The Lawrence Arms – The YMCA Down The Street From The Clinic
• The Lawrence Arms – Paradise Shitty
• The Lawrence Arms – October Blood
• The Lawrence Arms – These Pigs Seem To Be Getting The Best Of Me

Artist: The Lawrence Arms
Album: Metropole
Producer: Matt Allison, The Lawrence Arms
Label: Epitaph Records
Recorded: ?

Hospitality - Trouble

Currently aboard a flight to Denver, Colorado with my attention divided into 2 separate things:

1.) The new Hospitality album - TROUBLE
2.) My co-worker Patrick H.  who I just learned is paralyzed with the fear of flying... 

The latter in many ways is becoming a little distracting because it's hard to sit next to someone who is visibly disturbed when the plane experiences any form of turbulence.

I'm genuinely concerned about his fear...  but he could not have picked a person who is more ill-equip to comfort him on our voyage.

Prior to take off, I leaned over and asked if it was only the take off and landings that upset him.  He nodded and mumbled "I'm on a beach...  I'm on a beach..."

I lean over and try to make conversation in hopes of distracting him before take off.
"Pat.  Is there anything else that you're deathly afraid of, like Snakes?"
Pat's eyes opened in mid "I'm in a beach" prayer and says "I'm fucking terrified of snakes!"
I sank into my chair and forced myself to look forward...

I literally had to bite down on my own tongue to not burst out laughing as he gripped the arm rests in his chairs...

The plane steadied and he calmed down a little bit.  We both laughed about the take off and I told him that I would video tape him during sustained moments of turbulence...

The fear immediately returned to his eyes.   Pat looked directly at me and ask "You don't think there's going to be turbulence on the way to Denver do you?"

I thought the right thing to do was to tell the truth when put in a situation like this...  I informed Pat that there is always a chance for turbulence, but we would just have to climb above the clouds.  Pat sank into his chair and said "fuck that"...

He's calmed down considerably...  his phone is apparently loaded with songs from the Dropkick Murphy's, Rancid and Social Distortion.   Music I wouldn't normally associate with easing tension, but I'm trying my best to be supportive.  

Now that he's calmed down a bit - my attention has returned to Hospitality.  

I fucking love this record.   I've listened to it three times today and can safely say that it's the front runner for best album of the month.   

The first thing that really took a liking to was the attention spent on producing and capturing a beautiful sound on the record.  On the song "Going Out"...  the vocals tracks have just enough to room to breath over the beats. The instruments in juxtaposition feel appropriately contained - giving it a "Stones" kinda feeling.

I've really taking a liking to the song in the middle of the album called "Rockets & Jets".  It's one of those tracks that starts with the entire band on all cylinders, then slowly unravels to allow every band member to showcase their contributions evenly.  Kinda like the Cure, but without taking 8 minutes to do it.

The second half of the album has a really tender track called "It's not serious". I believe (lyrically) that it addresses the ups and downs of modern love... again, the production of this track leaves me wanting to hear this played live. 

Another deep track worth checking out is the song "Sunship", a simple track with a  horn tracking that kinda reminded me of American Football.   The song doesn't sound anything like American Football, it just reminded me of The One with the Wurlitzer...

I truly can't recommend this album enough.  If you find yourself hoping to avoid the late January weather conditions outside, stay under the blankets and listen to this record.

Stand Out Tracks:

• Hospitality – Going Out
• Hospitality – Rockets and Jets
• Hospitality – It's Not Serious
• Hospitality – Sunship

Artist: Hospitality
Album: Trouble
Producer: ?
Label: Merge Records
Recorded: ?

Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love

One of my favorite things to do in the dark is listen to Motley Crue's - Too Fast For Love album on cassette and sign along (badly) to every fucking song on this album.

What I should be doing this very moment...  is packing for a business trip I going on tomorrow afternoon.  Instead, I'm sitting on the couch and screeching out the lyrics to Public Enemy #1.

Do you know how it feels
to be under the gun
on the Run
Having Fun
when you're young
you're so young
When you're Young!

I'll never forget the first time I listened to Motley Crue...  I was in Lubbock, Texas - visiting some extended family and ended up in a room with kids that were a little older than I was.  I don't know if they were cousins or friends of the family, but they were freakishly nice to me.  They were huge fans of Motley Crue and recall them owning a Sega Master System.  Between taking turns playing Space Harrier, I would stare at the walls that were filled with Motley Crue posters from the Theater of Pain and Shout at the Devil tours.

They played Too Fast For Love and Shout At the Devil on what seemed like a continuous loop...  I didn't really care because the music was kinda infectious and Space Harrier was the greatest video game I had ever seen in my childhood.

I ended up becoming a pretty big Motley Crue fan but really disliked everything they did from Girls, Girls, Girls - onward.   I think my music tastes shifted a little more to heavier acts as I got older and never quite understood why the band would spend so much energy transforming themselves with every release.

Stand Out Tracks:

• Mötley Crüe – Live Wire
  
• Mötley Crüe – Public Enemy #1
  
• Mötley Crüe – Merry-Go-Round
  
• Mötley Crüe – Starry Eyes
  
• Mötley Crüe – Too Fast For Love
  
• Mötley Crüe – On With The Show - this song inexplicably makes me tear up if I listen to it closely...
  

Artist: Motley Crue
Album: Too Fast For Love
Producer: Motley Crue, Roy Thomas Baker
Label: Elektra 
Recorded: Hit City West

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

Dilemma of the day - should I plunk down 60 bucks and watch the Royal Rumble because I have a faint interest in watching Wrestlemania 30 in April...   or pocket 60 bucks and hate watch the Grammys.

I'm leaning towards the latter one because everyone will be tweeting the awards ceremonies and I always have an interest in what wins the album of the year.

Sorta torn on who I want album of the year to go to...  Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D City - was my favorite album of 2012.  But because of the strange calendar year that the Grammy operates in, I always find it odd that they are recognizing something that was released in 2012 for 2014.

I believe that the logical pick for Album of Year is Daft Punk's - Random Access Memories.  It was arguably the first "must listen to" album of 2013 and it ended up having the song that co-ruled the summer last year - Get Lucky.  

There's a small part of me that wants to see it win for successfully aping the Michael Jackson -Thriller font...

In all serious though - I beg that you take 6 minutes out of your day, hole yourself into a dark fucking room and listen to the song Motherboard.  It will do your soul a world of good...

Stand out tracks:

• Daft Punk – Give Life Back to Music
• Daft Punk – Giorgio by Moroder
• Daft Punk – Within
• Daft Punk – Instant Crush
• Daft Punk – Lose Yourself to Dance
• Daft Punk – Get Lucky
• Daft Punk – Motherboard
• Daft Punk – Doin' it Right
• Daft Punk – Contact

Artist: Daft Punk
Album: Random Access Memories
Producer: Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo
Label: Columbia
Recorded: Gang Recording Studio, Electric Lady Studios, Henson Recording Studios, Capitol Studios, Conway Recording Studios

In Appreciation of: The Punk Singer

When I heard that a documentary about Kathleen Hannah was screening around the country, I assumed it was going to be 90 minute feature documenting her cultural contributions.

Riot Grrrl is approaching (has approached) its 20th Anniversary - so I presumed that the majority of the documentary would be about Bikini Kill circa 1990-1997.  This sorta checked out... as the documentary filled in a number of gaps about the band because they had a policy of not doing interviews in the early 90's.

The documentary then transitions over to life after Bikini Kill and a question is presented in the middle of the feature.   

"Do you know why Kathleen Hanna hasn't performed since 2005?"

Admittedly, I didn't know the answer...  I always figured that she happily married Adam Horovitz (Beastie Boy) and maybe she wanted to enjoy that privately/publicly in whatever capacity they saw fit.  The documentary politely covered how the two connected and they provide a glimpse in what their life is like together today...

The beginning of the third act - covers why Kathleen Hanna has not performed since 2005.  For roughly 5 years, she painfully went about her life with a undiagnosed case of Lyme disease.  She contracted it through a tick bite, while on tour with Le Tigre...  and stubbornly kept it to herself.  The documentary quickly turns into Kathleen struggling to overcome her illness and re-discover her favorite medium to express herself - music.  

I'm not exactly sure how Adam Horovitz handled the death of Adam Yauch (cancer) and the difficulties of Kathleen Hanna combating Lymes disease.   I can only imagine how fucking difficult this had to have been.

At the tail end of the documentary, Kathleen Hanna drives home a rather profound point.  She said something to the effect that when a Man decides to stand up and tell the truth and tell his story - we take him at his word.   When she (a woman) decides to do the same thing, she has to then weigh in on how those truths are perceived. 

She punctuates this by telling the viewer that she decided to put her arms around her entire story and make it public.   She doesn't care if men believe it.  She only cares that women get to hear the complete story and ultimately, it that audience who can holistically accept it all without question.