Janes Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual

Señores y señoras 
Nosotros tenemos mas influencia
Con sus hijos, que tu tienes
Pero los queremos

Creado y areglado
De Los Angeles
Juana's Adiccion 

That my friends, is the introduction to Jane's Addiction's - Ritual De Lo Habitual.  An album I picked up after watching "been caught stealing" on MTV.  I haven't seen the video in ages, but I could provide a police sketch for about half of the people in the video.  

It was, visually one of the most stunning things I had ever seen.  My favorite part may actually be the line dancing that breaks out in the middle of the song during the guitar solo.

An oral history titled "Whores" came out several years ago about the band but I never got around to reading it.  I often wonder how well regarded they are in Los Angeles.  In my mind, they're possibly one of the most important bands of the late 80's...  rivaling the Pixies in many respects because they sorta led the charge into the early 90's before splintering into many pieces.

Artwork done by Perry Farrel

I haven't listened to this album in years and forgot how lopsided it was...  the first half (5 songs) of the album have a very distinctive sound.  The second half of the album is especially interesting to listen to.  There's a lot going on lyrically and if you pay close attention - it sorta explains the album cover.  

Stand out tracks:

• Jane's Addiction – Stop
• Jane's Addiction – Ain't No Right - slow build, but then it pops off.
• Jane's Addiction – Been Caught Stealing
• Jane's Addiction – Three Days  at the 3:20 mark - the song will become familiar if you've seen the movie SINGLES.

Artist: Janes Addiction
Album: Ritual De Lo Habitual 
Producer: Dave Jerden, Perry Farrell
Label: Warner Bros.
Recorded: Track Record

Deeper than a Bromance, its a Bropocalypse and all things Week 9 of Reality Fantasy Real World Ex-Plosions

Every now and again... I'll see an episode of the Real World and instead of just going straight to bed after my viewing.  I hop over to the laptop, calculate scores quickly and do the recap minutes after my viewing.

That glance is deeper than a "bromance"

Tonight's episode was one of the better ones in recent memory and its sorta laying the groundwork for having the ex's leave the house before the "OG" roomies say goodbye to one another.

Which I must say couldn't happen soon enough, the show was 100% better when we saw the roomies interact and awkwardly sex each other up before the exes arrived.  For the second consecutive week... I don't really have 3 true "ballerz" to lay praise on.  What's even more sad... the person who put up the most points isn't on anyone's ROSTER.

And while we didn't see a lot of scoring, we got to see and hear more out of Brian and his bizarreness.  Oh.  We also got to see a trailer for THE CHALLENGE - Free Agents (April 10th).  That deserves its own post tho'...   Onto Hailey's performance in week 9

To View Updated Scores and Rules Click HERE

Top Baller of the Week
Hailey - 110 points
So I don't quite understand the ballad of Tom and Hailey...   I mean, I can see why the two would date each other.  I can also see why the two don't want to date one another anymore...  but I'm really torn between which of the two I dislike more.   I'm pretty sure I dislike Thomas more, but I don't understand why Hailey is sticking around for the mental/emotional abuse.  Hailey (who did not get drafted by anyone in the Reality Fantasy League) picked up 25 points for being shit-faced-rolling around the floor in a blanket-hammered.  I know a little bit about getting shit-faced and I've never rolled around the floor in a blanket.  I'm seriously considering this over the weekend in Houston.   Hailey picked up an additional 25 points for physically fighting.  25 points for being restrained by security.  25 points for decisively winning the fight...  5 points for verbal fighting and another 5 spot for crying. That boys and girls is what we call "beasting".

Eduardo Davidson - Le Chien (El Perro/The Dog)

Let it be known that on March 11th, I received in the mail, a sealed copy of Eduardo Davidson's "Le Chien (El Perro/The Dog)" on vinyl!

I learned about Eduardo and this amazing album through a blog that appears to not really be updated any more called "Mexicovers" in 2007.   The links to the MP3s no longer work... 

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I downloaded the record simply after starring at the cover for like 10 seconds.  Much to my amazement, the music that fead thru my stereo speakers that evening amazed me even more.

I shared the album that afternoon with just about everyone who's email I had in my Macbook.  Instantly, I got a lot of freakish feedback that read to the effect of "um...  what the fuck is this?  and, why the fuck do I LOVE THIS?"

The downloaded album is a staple amongst my dearest friends and we've been known to get roaring DRUNK and listening to this incredibly loud.   Never in my wildest dreams, did I ever think I would run into a copy of the record.

The few times I did see it online - it always seemed to in really shitty condition and I hate really worn vinyl from the 1960's.   There's a smell to them that I really dislike... 

Anyhoo... Eduardo Davidson came up in conversation last week, I did a random search on ebay and I found a person who was selling a SEALED copy of the record.   I instantly ordered it and I've never been happier in my life.

This album is a holy grail of sorts.  I'll still can't quite believe that I actually have it in my collection.  You have no idea, how rewarding it is to come home and listen to this record on vinyl.

Stand Out Tracks: ALL OF THEM.

Artist: Eduardo Davidson
Album: Le Chien (Mi Perro/The Dog)
Producer: Leroy Holmes
Label: United Artists Records
Recorded: ?

Camera Obscura - Underachivers Please Try Harder

The weather has taken a turn for the "grey and nasty" this morning...   March has arrived and its hard to enjoy Spring in central Texas because we're possibly 20 days away from temperatures reaching the 90's.   

Grey mornings like today remind me a lot of Detroit.  When I lived in the motor city, you could pretty much count on 120 days of 'sunny and nice'.   Sometimes its "sunny" out and it happens to be 10 degrees outside.   The sun is clearly fucking outside and its beaming rays onto the Motor City, but it's not warming a thing around you.

Actively trying to date english major chicks who look like this  has led to me receiving a lot of headaches & really well-written-letters about how I'm an asshole.   My advice to you, is to date Math majors...   

Instead... you go about your morning commute wondering "why does everything seem different around me?"  When in actuality, its nothing in particular.  It just happens to be a little more colorful on account of the sun being out.

This is a very long introduction into an album I selected because I wanted to listen to something that fit my mood in the morning.   Camera Obscura's - Underachievers Please Try Harder - is the perfect thing to listen to on "headache grey" days.  The kinda days where it's cold enough to merit wearing a jacket and you kinda thought you put that fucking thing away for the Winter.

I discovered this band thru Belle & Sebastian...  Stuart Murdoch had produced their first album and at the time, I was all about collecting music that fell into the "quiet core" genre.  While I'm not one to exactly judge a book by its cover... it's kinda hard to look at the artwork of this album and not pass judgement on what you think its going to sound like.

It sounds just like the kinda record that the girls on the cover likely listen to at home.  Bookish gals who have an overseas accent I can't place but that doesn't matter because I've convinced myself that I want that from a better half.

That's not entirely true...  it's not entirely false either tho'.   

Anyhoo, the album is filled with a number of incredible songs.  Most of which are tender and penned by girls who provided me a glimpse into what its like to feel devastating heartache from their side of the fence.

Example: I Don't Want to See You

Stand Out Tracks:

• Camera Obscura – Keep It Clean
• Camera Obscura – Before You Cry
• Camera Obscura – Number One Son
• Camera Obscura – I Don't Want to See You

Artists: Camera Obscura
Album: Underachievers Please Try Harder
Producer: Geoff Allen, Camera Obscura
Label: Merge Records
Recorded: Cava Studios

Girls that throw roundhouse kicks are straight up sexy and all things Reality Fantasy Real World Episode 8

Can you believe that we're only 4 or so weeks from this season of the Real World coming to an end?   I sorta can... because I'm already burning on watching and scoring this thing.

Actually, that's not entirely true... a friend sent me a text the other day showcasing her duvet cover - which happens to match the ones on the Real World and you too can get them at IKEA.

Somehow Jaime is involved in wearing a wolf suit, mounting a passed out boyfriend and I got zero points for this.  Rules need amending.

To View Updated Scores and Rules Click HERE

Sole Baller of the week:

Jenny 90 Points
I'm pretty sure that Jenny helped my co-worker Ashley win the Reality Fantasy league after posting 90 points in the last episode.  How did she drop 90 points you ask?  10 points for verbally fighting with Brian.  5 points for making out with the German at the bar...  we should have given her points for also stealing the German away from a roommate.  25 points for physically fighting. 25 points for decisively winning the fight and another 25 for being held back by security/production staff.  Boys and Girls that's what we call "beast mode".

2nd and 3rd place scored 25 and 20 points respectively...  not going to put them in the Ballerz club.  Not gonna do it.

Tullycraft - Lost in Light Rotation

Boys and Girls... It's FINALLY HERE.  After spending months in numerous record stores throughout the country, I found someone willing to sell this album stateside under 20 bucks!

I can't even begin to describe the amount of joy I experienced when I ran my fingers across the record.  One of the nice things about vinyl is getting to hold the record up against your chest to hug it.

The album was in my top 10 releases of 2013 so I won't really spend too much time writing about it again.   I'm so glad to have this in my collection tho'.   All is truly right with the world.

Standout Tracks:

• Tullycraft – Agincourt
• Tullycraft – Queenie Co.
• Tullycraft – Lost in Light Rotation
• Tullycraft – Westchester Turnabouts
• Tullycraft – From Wichita with Love
• Tullycraft – No Tic, All Tac
• Tullycraft – Dig up the Graves
• Tullycraft – Anacortes

Artists: Tullycraft
Album: Lost in Light Rotation
Producer: Peter Remind (mixed by Phil Ek!!!! - now I know why I love it so much)
Label: Magic Marker Records
Recorded: Dubtrain Studios

The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site

My love affair with the Weakerthans is a very public one...  I discovered them thru an article I read on Punk Planet.  I listened to their first two albums Fallow and Left and Leaving one winter and rarely put anything else on by them.

When the album Reconstruction Site came out... I didn't quite understand the release.  Their sound had matured and I hadn't quite caught up to what the band was doing.  I actually recall listening to it a few times when I first got the album and remembered thinking that it was spuriously un-punky despite being released on Epitaph Records.

As the years passed... my affection for this album has grown leaps and bounds.  It's hands down my favorite Weakerthans album in my collection.   When workdays get rough, it's the first album I reach for to chase away the "blues".

Lyrically, speaking... John K. Samson is easily in my top 5.  I'm at a complete loss at how he can craft emotion, thought and dialogue in the confines of a 3 minute songs.   If I ever had an opportunity to meet him, I'd be curious to hear what his thoughts are on the sound of the record.  It has a number of songs on it that sorta border on alt-country...  

Standout tracks

• The Weakerthans – The Reasons
• The Weakerthans – Reconstruction Site
• The Weakerthans – Plea From A Cat Named Virtute
• The Weakerthans – Our Retired Explorer
• The Weakerthans – Time's Arrow
• The Weakerthans – A New Name For Everything - I LOVE this song.
• The Weakerthans – Benediction

Artists: The Weakerthans
Album: Reconstruction Site
Producer: Ian Blurton
Label: Epitaph
Recorded: Chemical Sound

The Hives - Veni Vidi Vicious

While combing over the stacks for something to listen to, I stumbled across Veni Vidi Vicious by the Hives.  I believe that the title is a play on the Julius Caesar quote... "I came.  I saw.  Conquered".

I forgot how much the punch the album packed in under 30 minutes.  I never got around to seeing this band live...  when they came out, I kinda fell into the camp that preferred International Noise Conspiracy.   The Hives however were just as good and I'm really glad I have this album in my collection.

For some reason, this album isn't on Spotify, but it's no matter.  You can find the full album on YouTube without really putting forth any effort to find it.

There's hardly a bad track on it. I especially love the song Die, All Right!.   While, it may be unpopular to say it, the track Hate To Say I Told You So - is fucking aces.   One of the biggest regrets I've had in my life is never following thru with dressing up as the bassist of the Hives for Halloween.

Artists: The Hives
Album: Veni Vidi Vicious
Producer: Pelle Gunnerfeldt
Label: Burning Heart Records
Recorded: Pelle Studios

The Men - Tomorrow's Hits

When I saw the cover of the Men' new album Tomorrow's Hits... I didn't know quite what to expect.  I really liked their last two albums and you could hear them slowly gravitate to new soundscapes.

Tomorrow's Hits - doesn't exactly have a "Big Star" sound to it, but it's from another time tho'.  The album has this indescribable authenticity to it.  It's their best recording... while still sounding low-fi.  I could totally see myself loving this album more than any other album in 2014.   

My favorite track on the album is called "Another Night"  mainly because of the incorporation of the saxophone.  An instrument that I think needs to come back in a "rock revival" capacity.

Another track that really pulled on my heart strings was - Sleepless.  It has this great little trot to it that makes me kinda wish that it was a little longer than the 3 or so minutes that it currently runs.

Artists: The Men
Album: Tomorrow's Hits
Producer:  ?
Label: Sacred Bones Records
Recorded: Strange Weather Studios

The Hippos - Forget the World

Much to my surprise, this Hippos album is not available on Spotify.  I wondered how many days I would possibly go before I selected in my collection that I wouldn't be able to share it.

Anyhoo... I picked this Hippos album up during the height of the third Ska wave.  If you give any of the songs a listen, you'll lazily label them as a Real Big Fish facsimile.  Which is equal parts unfair and pretty spot on.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't care for any of the stuff they released this album....  However this album brings the GOODS.   I've listened to the album all the way through twice tonight and I can't get over how fucking amazing this record is.   If you've never heard it, you should go out of your way to give it a listen.

Artists: The Hippos
Album: Forget the World
Producer:  The Hippos, Rich Zahniser
Label: Fueled by Ramen/Vagrant
Recorded: G-Son Studios