April 21st, 2008
The LA Weekly let me ramble at-length and with messianic zeal about My Morning Jacket in advance of their Coachella performance next weekend. I think it came out well, though ideally I would’ve loved to have had the chance to conduct in-person interviews with the band. That said, Jim James, bassist Two-Tone Tommy and Bo Koster spoke graciously and candidly to me over the phone and I got to the bottom of how high they were when they decided to do an Oregon Trail skit on their New Year’s Eve show 2007 (answer: not very). The performance in question is posted below, along with the lead single leaked from Evil Urges, their new and very-good album. And if you’re going to Coachella, it goes without saying…
LA Weekly: Morning in America-Why My Morning Jacket Are the Best Live Band In the World
Download:
MP3: My Morning Jacket-”Evil Urges”
ZIP: My Morning Jacket-Live 12/31/06 @ The Fillmore, San Francisco (left-click)
Posted in LA Weekly | 6 Comments »
April 18th, 2008
1. Who made the decision to have an Asian Bjork clone perform a feather dance for one of the video’s main plot threads? Okay fine, we all know the answer was Rza, but really, was Erykah Badu that busy taking trips to Israel with Jay Electronica that Bobby couldn’t convince her to show up for a couple hours to lip-sync the hook? In other news, there is an 82 percent shot of Baduian/Black Israelite influence yielding an Electronica song entitled “Shalom Bitches and Drugs.”
2. Why is Gza listening to wire-taps for the duration of the video? Isn’t he supposed to be doing all sorts of crazy liquid sword-type killings or at least playing chess? Did someone brain-wash him into believing that he’s a War II Navajo from the film, Windtalkers. And by someone, I naturally mean the Rza.
3. Wu videos have side-stepped having nothing to do with the song itself. Shit, the “Triumph” video plot line barely extended past “New York City is Getting Invaded by Wu Killa Bees,” but it remains the most awesomest video in the history of awesomeness. Yet “The Heart Gently Weeps” is a hackneyed re-hash of Kill Bill. I know Tarantino and Rza are really really into double-dating (no, Quentin, you drive this time, I drove last time), but this just as predictable and infinitely less entertaining than Rick Ross jumping off a bridge for getting a speeding infraction.
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Posted in 10 Questions Raised | 19 Comments »
April 17th, 2008
The Parson Redheads make sunny day music. I noted this in my Stylus review for last year’s King Giraffe. It is now springtime in Los Angeles and everything is 85 degrees and radiant and glowing and even dedicated cranks such as myself have trouble being unhappy in these moments. This is when the Parson Redheads make sense. The group have a new EP coming out called Owl and Timber. I assume this is an homage to their Oregon upbringing, because as a life-long Angeleno I can safely say that I have never seen any owls nor any timber (though I did once see Tiny Tim). If you live in LA, or really any place with sunshine, downloading “Got It All” and putting it on your iPod while walking around someplace nice is strongly endorsed. Carry on.
MP3: The Parson Redheads-”Got It All”
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 1 Comment »
April 17th, 2008
Let’s be real for a moment–I don’t know much about the sound of the underground Lagos Dance Floor during the years 1974-1979. The truth is those years were a blur for me, what with the fall-out from Watergate, the quaalude abuse and my unseemly fixation with disco, Suzanne Somers, and Farah Fawcet. It was terrible. The definition of insanity is watching hundreds of episodes of Three’s Company and expecting them to turn out differently. Dammit Jack Tripper, why won’t you just tell Mr. Roper you’re not gay! He seems swinging and open-minded. He’s wearing a leisure suit for chrissakes! But I digress.
So Nigerian disco-funk. Right. Totally passed me by. However, I have been developing a nasty addiction to this stuff these days. It might not be as good as ludes but it’s close. And you can drive while listening to Nigerian disco-funk, which is always a plus. According to Dusty Groove, these tunes are the “kind of upbeat jamming funk performed in Lagos clubs and bars at the time…a distillation of the longer grooves of Fela, pushed a bit towards an American funk sound too.” If the music is any indication, Lagos clubs and bars must have been a good time between 1974-1979. Call me crazy, but I’d rather hear this stuff than Flo Rida’s “Low” played ad infinitum. Then again, there was that whole Nigerian civil war going on, which I imagine probably put a damper on the festivities.
Some of the political instability weaves its way into the fabric of the record, with T-Fire (presumably, T-Pain’s more talented African cousin) dropping the triumphalist, “Will of the People,” and Bongos Ikwue & The Groovies’ “message of uplift in “You’ve Got to Help Yourself.” The latter is a pretty awesome song, but I would’ve expected a man named Bongos to have included more bongos. I highly recommend this record if you like funk music, dancing, or Three’s Company. This is the sort of stuff they were bumping at the Regal Beagle after-hours. Shit, give Larry Dallas an 8-ball and some African disco-funk and clear your dance floor.
Buy Nigeria Disco Funk Special
Download:
MP3: Jay U Experience-”Some More”
MP3: S Job Movement-”Love Affair”
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 4 Comments »
April 16th, 2008
If you thought I was going to let a Ghostface release pass by with nary a mention, then clearly you haven’t been paying much attention. Not like I blame you. That said, The Wallabee Champ, Starks’ new odds-n-sods collection is strictly for completists (linx?). Certainly no one needs that “Run” remix with Jada and Weezy, nor the remix of “Charlie Brown,” a non-blockheaded cut excised from Fishscale. But if like Martin Prince, you know the score, it’s worth getting your hands on this for a few typical bananas Tony moments, and stellar guest spots from Rae, Meth and PRODIGY (WHO STARTS LIKE FOUR TRENDS IN FOUR BARS. DAMN HE’S MOST CONSCIOUS . WHAT.)
Buy The Wallabee Champ
Download:
MP3: Ghostface Killah (ft. Raekwon & Trife)-”Roosevelts”
MP3: Ghostface Killah (ft. Prodigy)-”Trials of Life”
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 3 Comments »
April 16th, 2008
I’ve resisted the Muxtape meme that’s been spreading across the blogosphere over the past month, but when Goathair of the very excellent Blowtorch blog, asked me why I hadn’t made one to entertain him at work, I didn’t really have much of an answer other than mumbling a few asides about the site being lamely named. After laboring in a light-less laboratory for the last week, I now can unveil the first Passion of the Weiss muxtape. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll hear Ghost declare that “Tony went raw on plenty.” And yes, I even included a Lil Wayne song for the kiddies. Everyone wins. I’m hoping to make muxtapes a regular feature on the Passion, so please let me know what you think of this first hip-hop themed installment. It might not top the Catbird Seat’s tape, which clearly wins the Montgomery Burns Award for Excellence in the Field of Excellence, but hey, one can always try.
The Passion of the Weiss Muxtape
Posted in Muxtape | 7 Comments »
April 15th, 2008
Zilla Rocca also does a mean cover of “Play That Funky Music, White Boy”
I started my day here at “work” as I do any other day: keeping the lights off, drinking some Bolthouse Farms Mocha Cappuccino, and cruising the internet until my eyes open and I can be “productive.” I go to AllHipHop.com first thing every morning to find out what’s the latest on Fat Joe getting clowned by G-Unit, who got shot/arrested the night before, and more info on “albums” I have no intention of ever purchasing (Flo Rida didn’t get a good review!?!? I’m calling Pitchfork right now!). It’s a great site and I’m sure you’re all familiar with it.
However, this morning, the top news headline was:
“Vanilla Ice Charged with Domestic Battery .”
That headline got me thinking: has there been a bigger douchebag than V-Ice the past 15 years in the world of entertainment? Seriously, outside of probably the funniest moment in TV history when he was on that one-off special on MTV (Chris Kattan yelling “VANILLA NO!” as Rob Van Winkle went batshit on the VHS copy of “Ice Ice Baby” with a tiny Louisville Slugger is still the funniest thing he’s ever done), this guy has been nothing but a canker sore in almost all facets of existence. I’m not sure if he’s the Britney Spears of hip hop, or if Britney is the Vanilla Ice of pop music. That question has been pestering zen monks for hundreds of years. Either way, they’re both white trash living off that 90s compact disc money.
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Posted in The Beat Generation | 12 Comments »
April 13th, 2008
Like Beavis & Butthead, Scott Towler enjoys using the word, erection.
Whatever happened to Beavis and Butthead? It’s not like Mike Judge went anywhere. If anything, he’s only become more prolific in the past 10 years since the show has gone off the air. He penned Idiocracy and Office Space. King of the Hill is still on the air, 228 episodes and counting! Is anyone else as shocked by this as I am? He’s even got a new animated series in pre-production, entitled, The Goode Family, which promises to be another precious gem in his already jewel encrusted crown. But with all this success, with all these projects being so well received, it’s time for MTV should consider resurrecting the already iconic 90s program.
America is a Bunghole
With all the press that celebutards get these days, there’s more than enough fodder for writers to work with. After all, half the series was spent sitting on the couch, watching the absurdity that was pop culture. Sure, most of that was music videos, and yes, I agree that music videos aren’t what they were 10 years ago, but there’s still plenty to work with. Between R. Kelly sitting in a hotel room singing “Real Talk” to all of the carefully orchestrated videos of Gondry, Cunningham, and Jonze, Beavis would have a field day. Not to mention the fact that humor (epsecially on television these days) is more basic than ever. Fart, piss and sex jokes have never gone further in our culture, and it’s hyperbolic examples like Idiocracy that remind us why things are the way they are.
Huh huh, we’re gonna score
Drawing a ton of influence from Heavy Metal, Beavis and Butthead were always surrounded by amply busted women, none of which would give them the time of day. This was always a soft spot for me, as I’m sure it was for most men (whether we’ll admit it or not), as our thoughts always seem to gravitate towards beautiful naked women. This was perhaps the most identifiable that Beavis and Butthead became in the series, as their quest for ‘curly’s gold,’ if you will, was always met with frustration and hardship. They never get the girl. Neither do I. And I’d wager dollars to donuts, most men don’t. We always want what we can’t have. In many ways, that’s what the American dream is all about: stuff and boobs.
They’ve already made a feature!
In many cases with animated shows, a feature is a way for a studio or network to say, you’ve had a good run, thanks for the memories. Beavis and Butthead was no exception, with their feature being more widely seen than their show ever was. Mike Judge knew that, and manipulated viewing audiences quite well by throwing ‘America’ in the title. But think about that potential in post-9/11 USA. America sells baby. And it’s marketability has only increased with time. Aside from it’s fiscal potential however, it’s interesting to note that Beavis and Butthead never really hit it’s mark. Sure it was hysterical at times, and more funny than not, but the show seemed to capsize before it really got its message across. That message, you wonder? To hold the mirror to society, to remind us that we’re losing our grasp on youth today. Some of you may agree or disagree, but kids today seem to need a swift kick in the head, much like Principal McVicker would do to Beavis and Butthead on a daily basis.
So I plead with you MTV, bring back the show that so many of us guided our lives by! Remind America what’s wrong with itself! Help Stuart find a new favorite band besides Winger!
Posted in Great Scott | 3 Comments »
April 10th, 2008
The best blues always sounds haunted. Which is probably why the Black Key’s last effort, Magic Potion seemed so disappointing.It was a little too secure, a little too safe. Sure, it was perfectly competent, even good at times, but it lacked the hell-hound on your trail desperation that their early material had so successfully channeled. They had lapsed into the sort of amiable sobriety fitting for someone like The Shins but not for a two-piece Delta Blues revival outfit. That’s the thing though, calling The Black Keys “revivalists,” isn’t giving them enough credit. At their best, they create wounded late-night lamentations with a vivid clarity worthy of any great dead blues-man. Indeed, The Chulahoma EP channeled Junior Kimbrough’s ghost better than any two long-haired white dudes from Akron should’ve ever had a prayer of doing. While Rubber Factory and Thickfreakness are great in their own right.
So maybe this is why it’s so pleasant to hear Attack and Release, a record that re-affirms The Keys’ place as one of the best young bands making rock music. By now you’ve probably heard the album’s backstory, how these songs were originally recorded for a Danger Mouse-produced Ike Turner “comeback” that never got off the ground because Ike Turner never got off the ground. And how, they enlisted Danger Mouse to produce their own album instead, an always hit-or miss proposition that thankfully worked out well, as the Keys were able to resist Brian Burton’s pleas to let Cee-Lo make a cameo. More important than the context though is the music, with its vibe all voodoo and venom, wrath and revenge wrapped in every note and lyric. It’s great stuff. If you’re going to buy one CD from an Odd Couple this spring, make it this one.
Buy The Black Keys-Attack & Release
Download:
MP3: The Black Keys-”Psychotic Girl” (removed by label request)
The Black Keys-”So He Won’t Break” (removed by label request)
From Chulahoma
MP3: The Black Keys-”Work Me”
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 4 Comments »
April 9th, 2008
At any given time, there are approximately seven tapes in my father’s car. They are as follows: Billy Joel’s, Stormfront, Bob Marley’s Legend, and greatest hits collections from Inner Circle, The Pointer Sisters, Taylor Dayne and ZZ Top. The final tape is a compilation of Israeli gypsy pop that he brought home from Israel when I was about 17. It is quite possibly the worst album ever made. It kind of sounds like a recording of the lead singer of Gogol Gordello yelling epithets at a group of feral cats, while trying to attack them with a guitar and a sack of hearty Ukrainian potatoes. On several different occasions, my dad tried to force my sister and I to listen to the Israeli music. That was the closest either of us ever came to requesting legal emancipation.
Thanks to Passion of the Weiss funk consigliere, The Aquarium Drunkard, I’ve spent a significant portion of my week listening to Soul Messages From Dimona, a collection of gospel/funk/soul songs that have managed to erase all negative connotations that I may have had of Israeli music. Granted, the musicians who made it were Black Hebrew musicians from Detroit who moved to Dimona, Israel from 1975-1981, but hey, you’ve got to start somewhere. Besides, this is great stuff, therein confirming my long-time suspicions that if black people and Jews came together like the shaolin and the Wu-Tang, we’d be dangerous. Or at least as good as Jordan Farmar.
Pre-Order Soul Messages From Dimona
See the Aquarium Drunkard’s Post for More Soul Messages MP3’s
Download:
MP3: Soul Messengers-”Savior in the East”
MP3: Soul Messengers-”Go to Proclaim”
Posted in Are You From the Lester Bangs School of Thought? | 2 Comments »
