Marry Me, Sabrina Lloyd!

June 15th, 2003

Marry me, Sabrina Lloyd, and we can celebrate our shared birthday together

So ends another weekend. I’m watching the Dilbert cartoon right now on Comedy Central. They’re like K-Mart for expired TV shows which have only six episodes: The Critic, the aforementioned Dilbert, Clerks, Undergrads. Plus, Sports Night is on later tonight. As we all should know, Sports Night features the fabulously pretty Sabrina Lloyd as Natalie. Coincidentally, the actress has the same birthday as me — November 20. That show was really, really good; I think it’s the only comedy ever to not have a laugh track. Too bad it got canned.


I went to K-Mart to get my Father’s Day present today: a 50-pack of CD-R’s. I also picked up the deal of the century. It was a greatest hits compilation from Little Richard. Only $5.00! “Keep a Knockin'” is an awesome song, as is “Rip It Up” — a tune The Queers cover. I also got some CD-R’s for myself, since I ran out last month. The final purchase I made was a new portable CD player for the car. For those readers who do not know, here is a history of music and my driving:


November 1999 I get my license. For my birthday my parents give me a personal CD player.

March 2000 I hook my CD player up to a device which broadcasts to the radio in the car. The sound is okay, but crummy — Nellie’s speakers are tinny at best. This almost exactly coincides with my purchase of No Substance by Bad Religion.

October 2000 I hook up a power amp to the line output of the CD player and the radio broadcast thingie to the headphone output. I connect a speaker box to the power amp.

Current Listening:
Screeching Weasel: “Falling Apart”
If I smile outside and roll back my eyes
And shake hands do you know what?
I can’t even tell that I’m
Not even welcome in the town where I grew up
‘Cause I’m in my own world
And you’re not a part of it
I’m in my own world
And it’s falling apart

The system sounds better, but is jury-rigged and prone to falling apart.

July 2001 In a freak accident, I put a guy’s trailer hitch through my radiator grille (but not the radiator) on Main Street in Hamilton. This happened, by the way, because I was fidgiting with the sound system and the brakes in Nellie suck.

November 2001 My parents give me an in-dash CD player for my birthday, as well as new speakers for Nellie. For the first time, music in the car is easy and sounds good.

November 2002 The CD player starts going on the fritz.

May 2003 I hook up the previous portable Discman to the line input on my dashboard CD player. It sounds good, but my music listening is once again battery powered.

May 25 2003 Tiny Gremlins or demons infiltrate the CD player and it refuses to play CD-R’s.

June 5 2003 All CDs, regardless of their origin, stop working in the portable player except The Queers’ Pleasant Screams.


So I got a new one for $25. It plays CD-R’s!

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Top Ten Albums of 2002: No Use For a Name – Hard Rock Bottom

June 13th, 2003

The Top Ten Albums of 2002

#9 No Use For A Name – Hard Rock Bottom

Hard Rock Bottom is a poppy CD with a fresh aftertaste, kind of like Colgate compared to Western Family brand toothpaste. Sure, the Western Family cleans your teeth, but it also makes your mouth feel like you’ve been sucking on an eighty-year old mint from grandma’s candy dish. NUFAN does the pop-punk thing, but they do it right.


I have their last album, Making Friends, but I wasn’t really too impressed with it. The drumming was monotonous (it was waaaay too fast; the bass drum sounded like the ticking of a hyperactive clock) and none of the songs really stuck in my head, except for the Celtic ballad “Fields of Athenry.” I pretty much gave up on NUFAN until I heard their song on Fat Music 5, “Let Me Down.” That song was awesome: the hooks, the harmonies, everything. Seeing them live at the Warped Tour this year convinced me to give NUFAN another go.


So when I heard about their new disc I decided to give it a whirl. Pleasantly, Hard Rock Bottom more than made up for the shortcomings of Making Friends. Yes, there are still some songs that have super-fast kick drum parts, but they share time with slower, more thoughtful songs, like the opening track, ‘Feels Like Home,’ which lacks percussio althogether. That first track is bare minimalism: just frontman Tony Sly’s voice and a clean electric guitar. It seagues into ‘International You Day,’ a somewhat cheesy song with poppy lyrics: “Without you my life is incomplete / My thoughs are absolutely gray.” Right, Tony Sly.


And therin lies my only real complaint about the album: the lyrics. Usually, NUFAN has some awesome lyrical lines behind their music, but there were some real stinkers on this album. For example, in ‘International You Day:’ “Nothing that I’ve tried is as simple as this line.” C’mon, a meta-reference in a love song? Another example, in “Pre-Medicated Murder”: “More times than five, I’ve been right here by your side.” Yuck. What does the number five have to do with anything? I have no extreme problem with the poppy songs, which dominate on this release, but some of those lines make me want to bang my head against a wall, and not in that ‘fuck society’ type of way.


But, aside from that minor quibble, this album rocks. The band was even brave enough to include an orchestra on the introduction to the aforementioned ‘Pre-Medicated Murder’, and an organ on the intro to ‘Any Number Can Play.’ That song seems to be a thinly-veiled attack on Top Forty Radio, which I’m all for. I could seriously see No Use next to Sum-41 or Blink 182, and I mean nothing bad by that. These guys have talent. They’d have to add a number to their name, though (maybe “No Use For A 412?”).

The standout track is definately the duet ‘This is a Rebel Song”, which is a cover of a Sinead O’Connor tune. Why didn’t Tony have the guts to sing this himself, though? Too shy to croon ‘I love you my hard Englishman,’ Mr. Sly? I’m being facetious, though. It’s a lovely number, replete with awesome harmonies.

Then there is ‘Insecurity Alert,’ one of those songs that reeks of post-9/11 sympathy. Those songs suck; I think America needs to get over what happened to those planes, instead of wallowing in musical sympathy. I actually like this song, though. It’s not whiny, nor is it filled with accusations of conspiracy. It asks us to question what happened — in a good way — and to question America’s reaction, especially toward the Islamic: “Set up the guillotine and televise the execution, we have to ask ourselves, ‘Can we feel safe?'”. That song is the only overtly political tune on the disc, and I’m glad for it. If I want a number of political songs, I’ll put in my copy of Underground Network.


This disc could definately become one of my favorites. Sure, some of the lyrics could have been written in a high-school creative-writing class, but others are purely brilliant (“And all the happy pills make her look like a cardboard cutout of someone I used to learn from”). The musicianship, although at times a little too fast, is interesting and a nice alternative to the all-too-happy sounding pop-punk camp. The harmones rival those of Bad Religion or Reel Big Fish, and the CD is exactly the right length: a little over half an hour. Just enough time to ride my bike around the neighborhood and harmonize with all the songs, to the bewilderment of passersby. And to me that’s the ultimate test of a band: do their songs make me want to sing along?

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Review: Tracy Chapman – s/t

June 12th, 2003

Classic Albums Revisited:Tracy Chapman: s/t


I remember that I hated this music back in sixth grade. My Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Lewis, had one of those Scholastic Kids News magazines, and she was featured for her political stance. I didn’t care about politics back then; hell, I didn’t even care about girls. All I cared about was playing with dinosaur toys in the mud. Needless to say, I pretty much ignored that day’s lessons. Oh, how I’ve regretted that. It’s taken me six years to re-descover Tracy Chapman’s music.


I was familiar with it, even then. My dad bought this record (it was his first purchase on Compact Disc) because it was a fully digital recording. You know that tiny box on the back of a CD that usually says “AAD”? It means that the album was recorded on analog equpiment, mastered on analog equipment, and released digitally. This record was DDD. I can’t say if its sound quality is ‘better’ than other discs (because I tend to like the sound of vinyl), but it sounds fine to me. I honestly can’t tell the difference between anything digital: 128 kbps MP3’s and CD’s sound the same to me.


But enough of these history and technology lessons. What about the actual record? It is one of the best folk/Americana CDs I’ve heard. Most of this album is Ms. Chapman and acoustic guitar, occasionally joined by a backup band. The songwriting is strong. It’s not only political, it’s personal. There are plenty of political songs, from the opener, “Talkin’ ’bout a Revolution”, to the world music tinged-“Mountains ‘o Things.” But there are also some deeply personal songs, too: “Fast Car” and the closer, “For You”, are deeply touching, if not somewhat melancholy, tunes. Chapman manages to forge politics and matters of the heart, and accompany it with brilliant melodies and simple, but effective, acostic guitar.


Perhaps the song that best forges personal and political themes is the chilling a capella “Behind the Wall.” This song is crushing and terrifying. It’s about hearing domestic abuse through the wall of your apartment. The refrain “It won’t do no good to call the police / they always come late / if they come at all” is a sadly true indictment of slow police response times, especially to less affluent neighborhooods. If you can listen to this song and not feel tears welling in your eyes (or at least a deep sadness in your heart) then you’re probably an Evil Assault Android and not a human being.


The standout track is the short, bluesy number called “Why?”. “Why do the babies starve when there’s enough food to feed the world?” It opens. The song is almost a confrontation to world leaders who would rather count money and wage war than help people. The song switches modes (minor to major) in its interludes to convey the Orwellian theme: “Love is hate, war is peace, wrong is yes, we’re all free,” a very effective way to point out the ignorant bliss of most Americans. The song is quite a downer, really, but it gets the blood hot and makes me say, “Yeah! Why?”


But these tracks are really the only downers on an otherwise uplifting record. Despite a palpable sense of helplessness conveyed in her lyrics, there is also a sense of hope, as the opener makes clear. Yes we live in a shitty world, but it can, and will, improve. This record is punk without the sneering and the volume: political, heartfelt, and so honest it can, as with “Behind the Wall”, almost hurt.

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Update

June 12th, 2003
Current Listening:
NOFX: “The Separation of Church and Skate”
When did punk rock become so tame?
These fucking bands all sound the same

Killing the Hare came over to practice; I joined them to jam out on “The Jungle Song” and an acoustic/electric version of “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Then I went up to Lake Como for Brooke’s “Bye Bye in Germany” thingie. She’s going to Germany for a month.. I wish I could leave the country. But I hate foreign people! (joke). They burned her homework. John Springer was up there; I hadn’t seen him since January during our coinciding Winter Breaks. He goes to MSU, not UM, but I forgive him for that.


This is from my “I was gonna write it in the Blog but blew it off” Archive:

5/10/03

The Science Complex is an ominous building. Huge, menacing, it resembles a miniature Death Star perched below Mount Jumbo. When you factor the dark windows (it was 9:00 PM when I visited it) and the strange whirring fans, it became something otherworldly, like some building from a third-rate Sci-Fi Horror movie (like Gremlins II). But I journeyed within despite the acute terror which had accumulated within me. I did, after all, have to get science credits or I would fail the course.


The interior of the building was much more inviting. There was a Coke machine and a couch in the lobby. What sort of maniacal genius would furnish his hellish anteroom so hospitably? It took a while, but I found the room in which the experiment was being conducted. It wasn’t much of an experiment: no electrodes, no test tubes, no monkeys in cages. Just a form and a questionnaire sheet. They weren’t even terrifying questions: “Have you ever believed you could fly?” No, I am not Superman. I finished the questionnaire, exited the building, and left the once terrifying Science Complex behind.

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2002 Top 10 Albums #10: Ben Weasel – Fidatevi

June 11th, 2003

The Top Ten Albums of 2002

#10Ben Weasel – Fidatevi

Ben Weasel has always been known for being, well, a dick. He has a certain way with words in his lyrics that really pushes the snot out. His exploits on his own message board, deriding his fans, are legendary. So when I picked up this record, I expected a lot of snot. Instead what I found was a lot of heart.

It’s hard to imagine, but Ben has always been at least a little grown up. Screeching Weasel’s second-to-last album, Emo was filled with introspection. Some people say it’s their best record (I disagree, I think the more-upbeat Anthem For A New Tomorrow deserves that honor). Think of Fidatevi as its sequel, and this is one of the few rare instances when the sequel is better than the original. “Fidatevi” is apparently (I’m guessing here) Italian, it means “trust in yourself” and “trust in others.” Very uplifting words, but does this record manage to live up to its message?


This record has a confessional feel. The first words out of Ben’s mouth are, “I’ve got six guitars I can barely play and a questionable singing voice as well.” If anything were emo, this album would be it. Ben really has grown a lot since writing songs about Jeannie’s uterus. Perhaps unrestricted by having bandmates to satisfy, he delivers an honesty that you can feel. I get the impression that he’s put on airs in his previous records (sample: Television City Dream‘s “Count to Three”: “I’ve been styling since you wore short pants / Now I’m taking names and kicking ass”). All that is gone: there is no tough-guy posing, real or implied.


The music itself is at the same time punky and laid-back,. Perhaps the standout track, musically, is an acoustic guitar and piano cover of the Kinks’ “Strangers.” The guitars sound more clean than anything else bearing the Weasel brand. Matt from the Teen Idols supplies drums, and Danny Vapid plays guitar and bass and even sings a little bit of lead (“Indecision”). It’s kind of a family affair, but Ben’s touch can be felt all over the record.


Above all, this record is peaceful. It’s nice to know that agorophobic Ben Weasel, not afraid to spew hate at anybody who deserves it, can find a little peace. That means there’s hope for the rest of us. Emo is usually though of as staid, whiny music. Although Fidatevi occasionally approaches whining, it never quite gets there. It is an emo record, then, for those of us who can’t stand it: calm, honest, and emotional without being sappy or whiny. Fidatevi? Absolutely.

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Update

May 12th, 2003

I haven’t updated in a while. Oh, well. :-)

It’s finals week. On Friday my first year of college ends. I have to find a job. Kind of hard in Hamilton, MT, unless you enjoy working in food service. 😛

We’ve got a show on Saturday, along with UDA and Horseshoes.

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Update

April 30th, 2003




Oh, this is comforting. Jesus will make sure you never cheat!

First of all, our show isn’t really a show; we only get three songs. Probably the new one, “Hate Bomb”, “MJ Parker”, and “Vinny is a Cretin.” I’m still looking forward to it, but it’s not a show, really.

So it’s time for a rant. Today I saw some rude signs that proclaim that we must be out of the dorms by Friday the 16th. Yes, there are still Finals going on that day. So not only do we have to take whatever finals we have on Friday (I have one), we also have to pack up and check out, all by 5:00 PM! God, can’t this friggin’ university ever cut me a break? Do this NOW or you will get a fee. Don’t breath right on the minute or you will get a fee. Piss off!

So I actually went to the library to do work on a paper. Guess who I saw? My former roommate, Tony. Long time, no see. And just today somebody called the room asking for him. He was a lot friendlier than my current bro. Tonight I’ve been working on drums for Shawn’s and my pop-punk record. It turns out that altering the pitch of the snare drum slightly on each hit makes the durms sound more real. Cool.

Well, it’s ni-night time. Peace.

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Update

April 29th, 2003

Wow, my band has a show this Saturday. I don’t know how it happened. It’s a battle of the bands; I doubt we’ll win. I mean, we’re good, but we’re out of practice and I just don’t have self-confidence! But at least we’ll play.

I finally signed up for some Psych research experiments. Two weeks left in the semester and I sign up for them now. I have to look into getting a dorm room next year and I have to sign up for my classes. I can’t believe we have a show…. WOW.

Oh… and THIS is comforting. Apparently, statistically I’m a woman. Big surprise, huh?



You are definitely a woman!

How do we know? Well, deep down, your gender affects everything about you, from your favorite number to your views on Canada. Many women who took the test think and act just like you, as you can see from the clusters above.

Statistically speaking, you are a chick.

http://www.thespark.com

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Update

April 22nd, 2003

Quote of the Update:

“Life is to be fortified by many friendships. To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence.”

— Sydney Smith

All is well. My tummy kind of hurts. My new solo record is almost complete; I just have a few more tracks to lay down.

Peace.

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Update

April 11th, 2003

Super-Long Special Small Font Movie Quote of the Update:

Frodo: I can’t do this Sam!

Sam: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back — only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding on to Sam?

Sam: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo and it’s worth fighting for.

— The Two Towers (Indirectly J.R.R. Tolkien)

Throughout the war, Iraqi Information Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf has been keeping me in stitches with his announcement about the advance of American troops (go to Something Awful to see what I mean). But this levity got me to thinking. Now, obviously, our government wouldn’t lie to us; and there’s no way that the media isn’t getting at some of the truth. But how do we know that what they’re telling us is the truth? After all, they’re still clinging to the pretense of ‘weapons of mass destruction.’ Anyway, something serious.

I got mega-drums done, including (finally) drums for “Knockout.” That song has some bar of 6/4 time! Wow! I should actually have some demos for the band by the end of the weekend.

I wrote a poem comparing somebody establishing in his or her niche to a Hobbit. It’s long, but not too long. I think Mom will like it; she’s a big Tolkien buff. I’m thinking of creating a ‘band’ to showcase my Poppier music (‘poppier’ is so close, keyboard-wise, to ‘poopier’):

  1. Eye Candy
  2. Knockout
  3. Old People Scare Me
  4. Not My World
  5. Laura
  6. Am I Immature?
  7. Mama Said Knock You Out
  8. Scene

And I could write more. I dunno. I’m still toying with the idea. Ideally, NWI would learn almost all of them.

Man, it’s damn nice here, weather-wise. Warm, light later. The Oval is, as someone on my floor said, like a resort. I’ve been out to play my guitar several times. I hope it lasts and we don’t get a friggin’ snowstorm.

OK. It’s bedtime. I’ve been oversleeping and missing waaay too many early-morning classes lately.

Peace.

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