As I mentioned yesterday, I hit up a flea market this past weekend and bought a few records. Jane's Addiction's debut album wasn't exactly a must-have on vinyl - I have the mp3s and don't listen to them all that much - but it caught my eye, and, apparently, my wallet. This version of "Jane Says" from the album is a little rougher than that on Nothing's Shocking; Perry Farrel's voice sounds more strained, and most notably is that a steel drum later replaced the bongos heard on this live version.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Song of the Day: Frank Zappa - Peaches en Regalia
You could probably spend years listening to the Frank Zappa catalog, and that's only if you literally listened without pause. The guy released a ton of albums while alive and possibly even more posthumously, and throwing in live albums and bootlegs, his catalog is daunting.
I started with Strictly Commercial, a greatest-hits compilation for a guy who had no hits. But it's a pretty good overview of his songs and probably a good starting point for deciding on whether to dig deeper. I then gave We're Only in It for the Money (technically credited to the Mothers of Invention) a spin, and while I enjoyed it, it didn't kickstart a desire to hear more.
This weekend, however, I was at the Pasadena City College flea market and saw a couple of his records. For some reason (probably the cash burning a hole in my pocket), I plunked down 40 bucks for Hot Rats and Apostrophe, each of which contained songs from Strictly Commercial that I liked. One of those songs, "Peaches en Regalia," is an instrumental with a lot of interesting instrumentation. Check it out:
I started with Strictly Commercial, a greatest-hits compilation for a guy who had no hits. But it's a pretty good overview of his songs and probably a good starting point for deciding on whether to dig deeper. I then gave We're Only in It for the Money (technically credited to the Mothers of Invention) a spin, and while I enjoyed it, it didn't kickstart a desire to hear more.
This weekend, however, I was at the Pasadena City College flea market and saw a couple of his records. For some reason (probably the cash burning a hole in my pocket), I plunked down 40 bucks for Hot Rats and Apostrophe, each of which contained songs from Strictly Commercial that I liked. One of those songs, "Peaches en Regalia," is an instrumental with a lot of interesting instrumentation. Check it out:
Monday, June 6, 2011
Song of the Day: Spoon - Lines in the Suit
It's hard to say whether Spoon are underrated or overrated. To make the former argument, I could note that their albums are consistently good, yet they don't get the kind of hype that many other less-deserving bands receive. To say they're overrated, I'd point out that they don't have many songs that Wow me. Furthermore, I've seen them live a few times, from small clubs to the Hollywood Bowl, and I find their live show to be snoozers.
One day, I'm sure I'll look back and say that even though I really like Spoon, I probably never gave them enough credit. But for my money, at this time, I would say (to quote Bill Simmons) they are properly rated. That said, they have a few songs that do Wow me, and I still think Girls Can Tell (which spawned today's SOTD) is an amazing LP.
One day, I'm sure I'll look back and say that even though I really like Spoon, I probably never gave them enough credit. But for my money, at this time, I would say (to quote Bill Simmons) they are properly rated. That said, they have a few songs that do Wow me, and I still think Girls Can Tell (which spawned today's SOTD) is an amazing LP.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Song of the Day: Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank
I remember going to a party the summer after college ended where this album was playing, and though I had never heard it before, this song was stuck in my head for days. Just maybe the repetitive lyrics are to blame (there are fewer than 10 words in the almost 7-minute song), but the changing tempos and beats keep it from getting stale.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Song of the Day: The Shins - Girl Inform Me
I recently read that The Shins are working on a new album, which I think I'm excited about. There was a time around when their second album came out that they were one of my favorite bands, and I still think the first two albums are the shit. But I didn't find the third LP all that fascinating, and I didn't care much for lead singer James Mercer's Broken Bells, so I'm hesitant to get my hopes up too much.
But still...the first album especially...it's just so good (here I find it necessary to validate my fandom by repeating that I was listening to them pre-Garden State and was lucky to see them play to about 100 people back then). While "New Slang" is probably the best song, it was so overplayed that I feel the need to share something else, and there are so many great songs to choose from, this isn't exactly a chore. So here's "Girl Inform Me," one of many perfect pop songs from Oh, Inverted World.
But still...the first album especially...it's just so good (here I find it necessary to validate my fandom by repeating that I was listening to them pre-Garden State and was lucky to see them play to about 100 people back then). While "New Slang" is probably the best song, it was so overplayed that I feel the need to share something else, and there are so many great songs to choose from, this isn't exactly a chore. So here's "Girl Inform Me," one of many perfect pop songs from Oh, Inverted World.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Song of the Day: The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Song of the Day: Sam Roberts - Bridge to Nowhere
Sam Roberts is a lot like Sloan, and I don't just mean because they're both Canadian. Both play catchy, rock songs that sound ready for the arena, and for whatever reason, neither band has anything more than a cult following in the U.S. I'm going to see Sam Roberts Band tonight at the Troubadour, and I'm hoping they put on as good a live show as their counterparts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)