I should start a site about how I hate critics.

This ass monkey from cokemachineglow.com (think wannabe pitchfork with half the taste and twice the pretention) reviewed Good Charlotte's new album just so he could slam it (20% out of 100%) and actually formed this sentence:

This cruise ship siphoning of “Lust for Life” is a gross piss take as it is, all adenoidal rapaciousness and enfeebled amp sterility.

I'll take pedantic dumbshit for 1000, Alex.

Hey buddy, thanks for letting us know that Good Charlotte blows...I needed you, and not a 12 year old girl who can recognize how bad they are, to tell me that.

Soon to be known: Foreign Born

I was sneaking through Myspace when I found this band. By the number of hits on their website, it looks like they are virtually new and unknown, but very good. "Union Hall" is has a great droning vocal melody that will run on a wheel in your head. As far as influences I hear Interpol (guitar) and The Walkmen (vocals). Tell me what you think.

Here is a link to their Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/foreignborn

Is it official this time?

Supposedly this is THE LINE-UP for Bonaroo 2007. I bolded the ones I am looking forward to (if I can make it). Thanks to livemusicblog.com for the info!

Lineup:

The Police (i'm skeptical about how good they will be)
Tool
Widespread Panic
The White Stripes
Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals
Wilco
The Flaming Lips
Manu Chao
The String Cheese Incident
Franz Ferdinand
Bob Weir & Ratdog
Damien Rice
Ween (if I could double bold this, I would)
Gov’t Mule
Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers
The Decemberists
Kings of Leon
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Wolfmother
Regina Spektor
Galactic
The Black Keys
DJ Shadow
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
Spoon
Keller Williams (WMD’s)
Sasha & John Digweed
STS9
Old Crow Medicine Show
The Hold Steady
North Mississippi Allstars
Fountains Of Wayne
Hot Tuna
Feist
Hot Chip
Lily Allen
John Butler Trio
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys
Aesop Rock
The Richard Thompson Band
Dierks Bentley
Xavier Rudd
Gogol Bordelo (Supposedly they are AMAZING live)
Junior Brown
Tortoise
T-Bone Burnett
Mavis Staples
Clutch
Cold War Kids
Dr. Dog
Paolo Nutini
Brazilian Girls
RX Bandits (Are these guys still together?)
The Nightwatchman
The Slip
Girl Talk
Railroad Earth
Martha Wainwright
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Annuals
Tea Leaf Green
Sam Roberts Band
Elvis Perkins in Dearland
Charlie Louvin
Sonya Kitchell
Mute Math
Apollo Sunshine
Uncle Earl
James Blood Ulmer
The National
The Little Ones
Ryan Shaw

Comedians:

Lewis Black & Friends
Dave Attell
David Cross

#14 Andrew Morgan (interview)

Location: Somerville, MA/Chicago
Genre: Indie/Pop
Label: Broken Horse (UK), Sonic Boom Recordings (US)
Track to hear: Morpheus Calls
Status: Working on Three Months In Cook County, no release date at this time
link: http://www.myspace.com/morganandrew

On the road to success there are always speed bumps slowing us down. Unfortunately for Andrew Morgan, he is driving through a mall parking lot. What started with an epic debut album that was grossly underappreciated led to a slew of setbacks and struggles to release a follow up, causing Morgan to be the poster child for Murphy’s Law.

A large reason why his first record, entitled Misadventures in Radiology, did not get the attention it deserved is because Morgan was unable to support it fully by playing live after his vocal chords started to swell shut. When the pain persisted, he soon realized that the problem was not his roommate’s cat; rather, it was the artificial sweetener he was adding to his coffee every morning that was causing the reaction.

“Bizarrly, Splenda was the culprit,” Morgan told me via Myspace, “(I) nearly had to have surgery on my vocal cords after losing my voice for three months.” It is a shame, too, considering that his voice is the perfect compliment to his music. You see, Morgan does not write songs. He composes them. Clearly capable of arranging lofty string arrangements and ambitious build-ups, he keeps his voice at a hush; keeping the focus on the journey his music takes you with his understated vocals as firm support. Morgan hints at his influences such as Brian Wilson and Elliott Smith (who helped him record Misadventures) without imitating them, riding a thin line of appreciation without bastardizing their works; as so many bands nowadays do. His seamless execution leaves his music comforting at moments and chilling at others.

Morgan is still in the process of working on his second album, titled Three Months In Cook County. The project has been halted twice due to lack of funds, as well as other challenges.

“I parted ways with my longtime pianist and violinist,” he added, “Making this record has been really hard.” On top of everything he has had to endure, getting his masters completed from Harvard Divinity School does not speed the record-making process up.

“It's been enlightening, but then half the time I regret (getting my masters).”

No matter how long the wait could be, I am sure I'm not the only one who is willing to be patient for this one.

#13 Mystery Jets (interview)

From: United Kingdom
Genre: Fast, energetic Brit Pop
# of members- 5
Fun fact- Members Henry and Blaine are actually father and son. He must be the coolest dad ever.
track to hear- You Can't Fool Me Dennis
Link. www.myspace.com/mysteryjets

Let’s face it; it takes more than talent to make it in music these days. The Internet Generation has the attention span of a goldfish, with more than a million bands worldwide offering free music streams at the touch of a button. This serves as both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, the possibility for exposure is limitless. A band from the Western Hemisphere could build a solid fan base with a country from the East without ever touring or even getting an album distributed there. On the other, how does a band not only gain a following but also maintain it, when the open borders of music causes a brutal mess of artists vying for your attention?
The answer seems simple enough, but few bands are willing or conscientious enough to bring it back to the good ole’ grassroots motto: win one fan at a time. Luckily for this guy (located in Iowa, mind you), the Mystery Jets have perfected this philosophy and are ready to get to know you on a more personal level.
“I’d say our attitude to fans and the non-exclusivity between us and people who are into us, is really just a form of respect for the people who’ve allowed us to get to where we are,” William Rees (lead guitarist) told me via Myspace. This is heavily apparent through their Myspace page, where they have held video and Christmas card contests, ask for people’s opinion on their favorite books and offer enough ring tones and banners to help spread the Mystery Jets gospel. With enough content to keep one interested and coming back, it is no wonder that a band without a big radio song or a top ten hit has had their profile viewed nearly 200,000 times.
However, don’t think they are just glued to their laptops. It is more of a two-pronged attack, having estimated touring the width and length of England a dozen times in the last four years. “It’s a great change, suddenly having an audience and feeling like every song you write will be listened to and considered.”
One of their more prominent fans has taken notice. Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke named the band’s debut album, Making Dens, his favorite of 2006. So, just like the engine they are using to fuel their success, the possibilities are limitless. Having already toured Japan and planning a U.S. tour for early May, I would be less than floored if they eclipsed America’s favorite exports such as Bloc Party and Franz Ferdinand and became our new favorite foreign fixation.

Bonaroo list leaked??

I know it is coming out in February, but this is an alleged leaked list of the bands playing at BONAROO. If this is true, is anyone up for a road trip to tennessee?

The Police (headline)
Bob Dylan (headline)
Pearl Jam (headline)
Tom Waits
Willie Nelson
Umphrey's McGee
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Modest Mouse
The Black Crowes
Ryan Adams
My Morning Jacket
Arcade Fire
Keller WilliamsBand
Hot Chip
America
TV on the Radio
Fountains of Wayne
Les Claypool
The Shins
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Toots and the Maytals
The Roots
The Decemberists
Of Montreal
Cat Power
Ozomatli
Perpetual Groove
Band of Horses
John Butler Trio
Nickel Creek
Medeski Martin and Wood
Lily Allen
Neko Case
Keiren Hedben (Four Tet) & Steve Reid
The Hold Steady
Earl Scuggs
Charlie Louvin
Man Man
Grizzly Bear
Konono #1
The Slip
Rodrigo y Gabriela
Uncle Earl
Annuals
Beirut
M. Ward
Cold War Kids
Girl Talk

New Album Update: January 22

Arcade Fire




If your favorite albums from 2006 are getting a bit stale, here are a few newbies that will spice up your Ipod.


Arcade Fire- Neon Bible March 6, 2007
Sondre Lerche- Phantom Punch February 6, 2007
Piebald- Accidental Gentlemen January 23, 2007

Happy Listening!

#12 The Hold Steady

Location: Brooklyn
Genre: Rock
# of Members: 5
Label: Vagrant
Fun Fact: The Hold Steady is the first rock band in 15 years to grace the cover of The Village Voice.
Track to hear: Chillout Tent
Status: Supporting the critically-acclaimed Boys and Girls in America, released in 2006.


I interviewed Craig Finn, The Hold Steady's frontman (and Twin Cities native) in the summer of 2005. I never published the interview, and most of it is irrelevant now since they have come out with Boys and Girls in America, but I find this little bit entertaining (when I asked him this question there was absolutely no hesitation. It was as if he had actually thought about it before I asked him).

The Top 5 most annoying things about the Mall of America.

1. There used to be this cereal bar and the cool thing is you could get your picture taken and put on a Wheaties box. Les Savy Fav did one and a couple other bands I know. And they closed it down. So that was annoying; that The Hold Steady never got to get a Wheaties box.
2. There’s a radio ad for this restaurant, and they never said it is in the Mall of America, they just say its on the upper east side, not the upper east side of the Mall of America.
3. Glamour Shots. My wife had never seen it before and said “What is this place? They dress you up like a hooker and take your picture?”
4. The roller coast in Camp Snoopy is pretty weak. A kid died in Camp Snoopy in a gang fight. Thugged out Minnesotian gangsters hanging out at the Mall of America.
5. The smell of Cinnabon and those Carmel Corn places. I can smell it on me a day after I leave the mall.

#11 We Are Scientists

Location: Southern California
Genre: rock/pop
# of members: 3
Label: Virgin
Fun Fact: The Video for Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt is directed by an SNL writer and member of the comedy group The Lonely Island.
Status: Supporting For Love and Squalor, released in 2006.
link: www.wearescientists.com

Complexity, I think, is one of the most overrated aspects of music. Sure, groundbreaking and experimental sounds are important in helping music progress into a “better” direction, but many times it just falls flat. Sometimes I find myself awed by someone who is particularly proficient with his instrument, but won’t give it a second listen because it does not catch my ear and, therefore, has no staying power.

Adversely, simple music can be underrated. We seem to have become caught up with the emergence of pro-tools layering together umpteen tracks to remember how it used to be before all of that was available. In fact, I seem to recall a time when music was—dare I say—fun.

Enter We Are Scientists.

Will this 3-piece “wow” you with their musicianship? Probably not.

Can I honestly say that they don’t resemble the likes of The Strokes, Block Party and Hot Hot Heat? Again, I can’t.

Will this disc, upon playing, probably make you tap your foot after the shittiest day and not force you, when asked to describe it, with mundane words like “challenging” and “heartfelt”? Your damn right.

The first two tracks, “Nobody Moves, Nobody Gets Hurt” and “The Scene is Dead” are probably the catchiest back to back opening songs on any album I have ever heard since Weezer’s “My Name is Jonas” and “No One Else”. Every song is full of catchy hooks, angular guitars, and a stop/go style to keep you interested until the forty-odd minutes are done. “Textbook” allows the album to wind down into a smooth lament about a relationship gone awry; a hint of seriousness for an otherwise tongue-in-cheek album.

So, just this once, let’s replace our obsession with over-analyzing every note and lyric a band creates with an appreciation for a band writing songs for the sake of a good time. Then, if we are lucky, we won’t fall victim to the never-ending plague of pretentious and elitist criticisms.

#10 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Hurry! Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are streaming their entire new album, Some Loud Thunder, on their myspace page! Go to www.myspace.com/clapyourhandssayyeah

If that doesn't excite you, I don't know what will.

Coming up next week:

Interviews with Mystery Jets, The Sterns and Andrew Morgan.

Stay tuned...