Beck and Justin...Oh My

How long has Beck been around/making his quirky music? What seems like forever, nowadays in the age of one hit wonders, singles being more important than albums, and artists being pigeon-holed any way they can. The real answer is that Beck put out "Mellow Gold" - his amazing debut album - in 1994. I'm not a big adult or anything and will show my age by telling you that album came out when I was in 4th grade. Was Beck even on my radar back then? Hell no. Transformers and Voltron were. I barely knew what pop music was, and I certainly wouldn't have understood why a musician would only go by their first name. I had a few great cassette tapes and a sweet yellow Sony walkman.

Listening to Beck at his best is like taking an album from any and all of your favorite genres and putting them into a blender. The byproduct may look gross, but it actually tastes great most of the time. If no one knows what to say about Beck 'eclectic' is the word they most often reach for. How else can you explain "folk, psychedelia, hip-hop, country, blues, R&B, funk, indie rock, noise rock, experimental rock, jazz, lounge, [and] Brazilian music" all being incorporated into songs and albums? There is really no denying he's the master hybrid maker (the king of musical broccoflower). Guitars being picked simply, layer on electric beat, another layer of bells and possibly a whistle played as the backbeat, start rap-speaking with little hints of sung melody, and near the end of song stop singing and add whacked out fuzz sounds. BAM! You've got a Beck tune. I could continue with this, but really, I'm just making something that is quite difficult seem easy. This isn't easy otherwise there would be more people trying to do it. Beck is always near the line of Genius and Crazy. Most of the time he's closer to the Genius side, but others I just don't get it, or don't find it enjoyable.

Here on his newest LP (his 9th...n.b. name another GOOD working musician with 9 albums, I don't think you can) You can find Beck kinda going back to his "roots" if you catch my drift. It's not as hip-hoppy as Guero and but doesn't have as much guitar strumming as Mellow Gold. This album has a little bit of everything. Cheesy 80's synth atmosphere on 'Movie Theme,' funky bass line on 'I think I'm in Love,' bells, the borrowed theme from Maynard Ferguson's "Chameleon" on 'Cellphone's Dead' (I really had to dig through my music library for this one), and static sounds on '1000 bpm.' One of the genre elements that is most lacking is that tinge of blues slide guitar that Beck has used often.

Overall though, this is a solid record. It doesn't have as much "outside the box" thinking as Guero did, but that was a surprise hit. So, instead of taking things even further Beck went back to the things he knows he does best. Except he still does it better than everyone. How much longer can Beck go on? I don't know. These albums have become his norm, and to consistantly step outside yourself and reinvent what you do is tough even for the best. This album isn't crazy or genius. It's Beck being Beck.§


I can't admit to liking Justin Timberlake, can I? Is that considered cool yet? Has he lost all of the boy-band stigma? If yes, can I say I rolled down all my windows and kept turning up my stereo when I put this on the iPod in my car? Well, whatever the answers I did. I listened to this as if I had a $5000 stereo. I have no subs, no amps, no nothing. Stock Bose stereo with 4 speakers. And it was great.

The beginning of this album has really great bass and if you listen enough to tracks or albums produced by Timbaland (think the newest Nelly Furtado) you know he has a particular "sound" and it's all over this album. There are colaborations with will.i.am, Rick Rubin, T.I., and 3 Six Mafia. The title of the album does a great job describing what Justin is enamored with: Girls, Love and Sex. Every song on the album can be related to these aspects.

This album leaves 'Justified' in the dust and brings together elements of hip-hop, funk, pop, club synths, and melodic string fills. It bounces, rocks, bumps, and hooks you. It's impossible not to get into this record. The hooks are infectious. The strings on 'LoveStoned/I Think She Knows (Interlude)' sound reminiscent of what Jon Brion did for Kanye West's 'Late Registration.' The strings make the song warmer, and different from the typical pop/hip-hop song. Justin also is able to show off his incredible vocal range at the end of this song with additional layers as he sings. Again the stringed element comes in on the folowing track, this time reminiscent of Ravi Shankar.

The album begins with the hard-hitting R&B and Hip-Hop bass but slowly shifts to soulful singing on 'What Goes Around'. It shifts back to rougher hip-hop on the 3 Six Mafia track 'Chop Me Up.' Justin puts on his best immitation of a tough guy act. It's hard to take this seriously when the track has a pulsing piano, and string fills. The bass is there especially when the members of 3 Six take their turns on verses.

I was thrown for a loop on tracks 10-12. Justin's got a great album going, and then all of a sudden throws the switch for the Sap. I like loving songs, but they seem out of place on the album. They go along with the theme, and I know you can't have all the songs be radio-ready summer hits, but something just didn't feel right with these tracks. Don't get me wrong they're good, but maybe the first 9 tracks had me in a certain groove, and when these came on it killed that edge. The bonus track (from the Japanese Import version) 'Pose' features Snoop Dog and is really entertaining. Singing about wanting a girl to pose for a private sexy photoshoot. Snoop's verse is totally non-chalant and stays on topic of getting this girl to pose, and put it on the wall with all his other masterpieces. At the beginning of the song Justin quotes his own music with the guitar strum from 'Like I Love You' and sings "with your girlfriends dancin' to my shit (quote) like this, shakin' hips." I get a kick out of that type of stuff.

As much as I was afraid to like this album, I'll be strong and admit I really liked listening to this. If Justin didn't crush the N'SYNC stigma with this album you're crazy. I also admire him for letting the music dictate how long the tracks would be, not a record label. Nine of the tracks are more than 5 minutes. Having a studio album that's 71 minutes is actually getting your money's worth. He's is a viable solo artist who has a distinctive and fun style. I wonder how he'll take it to the "next level" from here...now that Sexy is back.§

Cold War Kids...Again

This album comes out today. Back in July I wrote a short blurb about how these guys could bring it, and to look out for their debut LP...and here it is in all its glory. A lot of the songs appeared on their EPs, but these are remixed and mastered. Some of the early "professional" reviews are saying:

"Imagine the rawness of the White Stripes on Day 1. Or what Spoon would sound like at a church camp making music with found objects." - LA Times

"Who they are: the best new band in the world. What they're about: the sound of community." - NME

If you didn't believe me a few months ago, please go buy their cd and renew your faith in great indie rock.

To Be Reviewed Soon

Coming Soon...

O-VER RA-TED

I listened to these albums mostly because of the hype surrounding them...and when I finished I didn't know what "they" were talking about.



This band, for all intents and purposes, is Coldplay Light. They try to survive with sentimental lyrics and large arrangements. Their debut album was listenable about 4.5 times through and then I'd heard enough. With this release I can't remember if I got through more than 75%. I grabbed it (along with 5,000 others) off Oink, listened a bit, and promptly got that filth off of my computer and iPod. Haven't missed it at all. The single from it appears on the radio as great but it's like finding a small diamond in a mound of dog crap. Why bother getting dirty? Save your time, your money, and most importantly you ears.



Sam's Town was supposed to be the record of the year. Shucks. The Killers went from unsung indie heroes, to super pop-indie (a la Franz Ferdinand), to over-hyped saviors in the span of about a year and a half. I admire them for shooting for the stars on this album, but the old addage of trying too hard definately comes into play on this album. It has some bright spots but they can't mask the other mediocre songs surrounding them. The reviewer on Pitchfork writes about how Brandon Flowers tries too hard to become Bruce Springsteen. If he was trying to capture The Boss' storytelling Flowers totally missed like a 5 yr. old shooting basketball to a 10 foot hoop...not even hitting the bottom of the net. They also try to embody the arena-rock stylings of U2. This too fails in many regards. As I kept listening to this album I kept waiting, and waiting, track to track for those stand-out singles and lost gems like Hot Fuss. Alas, they popped up a couple times but the filler lacked any bite. At best this album can be considered average. Hot Fuss has been so overplayed that I can't recall how good the singles sounded before I'd heard them 300 times. The lead single from Sam's Town has Flowers singing, "you don't look a thing like Jesus" but then again this album isn't the savior record of the year everyone's saying it was to become.



I'd heard about Ray LaMontagne from a live segment on Indie 103 (L.A. radio station "specializing in Indie music"). I liked what I heard and then I heard him again on NPR promoting his new record Till The Sun Turns Black. I listened to this album on the way into work (much like I did with The Weepies) since it was supposed to mellow and easy to listen to. This was supposed to be LaMontagne's break-out record. I know it will be a big seller, and people will praise his song-writing and arrangements, but again I was expecting more. When music get's hpyed to the point it's supposed to change the music landscape and make people listen I want it to backed up. This is a much stronger effort than the albums listed about but still...I found myself leaning into my car stereo trying to hear what Ray was singing to me. Many of the tracks are sung in a whisper. I understand this as a technique to draw the listener into the singer's world and make you a more aware listener, but after a while I became frustrated with trying so hard to get into LaMontagne's head. Ray LaMontagne certainly is a tallented musician and would look forward to what he'll produce next over the coming years, but don't be shocked when you don't find Magnetic Pole-reversing music hyped about here.

New iPod listening

I first heard of The Weepies from Jessie's mom Terri after she asked about them form hearing them in her Yoga/Spinning class. So, I looked them up, got their album sight un-heard and gave them a test run on a my 50min. drive into work. Luckily for me the entire album clocks in at around 40 minutes with 13 tracks. The duo is comprised of Steve Tannen and Deb Talan and this is their major-label debut. They stick to what they produce best which is sentimental, folky-pop. This also includes vocal and guitar melodies that are harmonically simple, yet pleasant. They take turns singing from track to track, and often create beautiful harmonies together. In doing some background reading, the title "Say I Am You" is a quote from a 13th century writer named Jelaluddin Rumi, who was known for intensely passionate poems. So, the title fits the love-song laced album. It was a great way to start an early morning with crappy L.A. traffic. Not jaring, interesting and poingant lyrics that spoke about love presented in some news ways. Highly enjoyable listening.



FINALLY. I've been telling friends (mostly of the male gender) that Mayer has some serious guitar chops. They never believe me, and now there is a studio album to back this claim up. Mayer has never unleashed his full guitar arsenal on his two previous major label releases aimed at the 12-22 female demographic. Until now. The 3rd studio effort comes packed with electric guitar lessons a la John Mayer. He's got skills, creativity, and passion. These tracks are still totally Mayer-esque with the unrequited love and loss, but adds a new element of global analysis expected more from Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen than 29-yr. old Mayer. There is the catchy single 'Waiting On The World To Change' and a cover of Jimi Hendrix 'Bold As Love' at the other end of the spectrum. I don't think anyone has successfully covered a Hendrix song better than what is presented here. Most artists try their hand at (the originally Dylan tune) 'All Along the Watchtower' with varied success. But here, Mayer pays homage to the guitar King and proves that not only can he write songs that make teenage girls swoon but can kick some serious ass with a guitar solo. The whole album exhibits Mayer's expertise, especially on the slower blues-inspired ballads where flaws can become transparent for lesser players. Not to be lost in the fray are Mayer's buddies Tino Palladino, and Steve Jordan in the rythm section. Both of whom run a tight ship that was initially heard on the John Mayer Trio effort "TRY." Mayer shines from top to bottom of this album. If you're a guy and somehow embarassed to buy this album, borrow it from your girlfriend, you may find yourself enjoying Mayer's guitar as much as I do.



I have to admit that this is the first I've listened to TV on the Radio extensively. I had a few songs from the Young Liars EP, and Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes album, but I never really dove into them like some other friends. So maybe I'm a little late to the bandwagon, but these guys are for real. This does NOT sound like a pop album. It's hard to figure out where the instruments start and stop and where the electronic elements come into play. The vocals are out of this world, even if you can't always understand what's being said. The multi-talented Tunde Adebimpe (vocalist) and David Andrew Sitek (producer) are also both visual artists as well so it's no wonder they create amazing textures of sound, mixing palettes from many different genres and places into one cohesive, unique canvas (sorry for the art analogies). Overall, this album will start off confusing you, then blow your mind, then you won't be able to get enough of it. I initially got a pirated pre-release rip of the yet-to-be-final track listing. I don't think it changed much from then to know, but either way, it's awesome. This could be one of the best records released this year.

Current iPod Listening

These few albums are what I'm currently enamored with.

I really hope these guys become more popular for the sake of real music fans. They sound amazing. This is their debut LP and is nothing short of a pleasure to listen to.

What hasn't been said about Lily Allen in the UK? She is, quite simply, THE SHIT. Every song on this album is smart, catchy, original, and great. She is basically a popier female version of The Streets with equally witty, funny, nasty lyrics. I've been listening to this album for almost a month now and can't get enough of it.

I found Jackie Greene after he killed on Conan O'Brien. I was immadiately drawn to his bluesy melodies and musicianship. The stand-out track (maybe the first single) is "So Hard To Find My Way." He did this tune on Conan and was great to hear a fresh young voice.

Glimmerglass Opera

Over last weekend August 3-6 I attended Glimmerglass Opera's Gala Weekend with the Miller-Marlowe clan. This group is comrised of my girlfriend Jessie, her parents, and her twin brother Lawson. Among others in attendance were Jessie's grandfather David and his girlfriend Maria. Jessie has been going to this festival for 10+ years, and I was lucky enough to join her and her family this summer. In doing so I saw "The Pirates of Penzance," "The Barber of Seville," "Jenûfa," and the world premiere of "The Greater Good or the Passion of Boule de Suif." All of these were wonderful productions with Barber standing head and shoulders above the rest.
The production of Barber was flawless. The performers excellent. The staging was exquisite. There really wasn't anything that could be picked on. On the other hand, the most difficult to grasp was Greater Good. Being a modern piece there was no shape of melody or tonal harmonies. Although I appreicate the difficult nature of singing and playing such parts it was just difficult to wrap my brain around. The performers were great. The whole scene was too dark and too lengthy. Jenûfa was incredibly well performed and quite moving. Opera Seria near its best. Lastly, Pirates was very fun but a little too hokie for its own good. It was great to see many young kids in the audience and would have been a great introduction to opera. This isn't really an opera but more a musical with great operatic singers since there is spoken-word in place of any recitative. It was all great fun and a wonderful cultural experience for a few days filled with great shows and even better company.