Oddsville and Ween

I don't know if anyone remembers the short-lived MTV show, Oddsville. It was a sort of forum for the best of cable access freakshows, and featured "weird" bands such as, in this clip, Ween. I saw Ween play at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem. They played for 3 1/2 hours, took about an hour of requests (and even played my request for LMLYP) and were just fantastic. This song, "Mutilated Lips," comes from their nautical themed concept album, The Mollusk. I highly recommend it.

Ryan Adams - Let it Ride

What blows me away about Ryan Adams is that he has the ability to write amazing songs and he has the vocal ability to make them great. Yet, he has no filter. He's not afraid to put out three albums in a year with one of them being a double album. That's like 50 songs and even if half of them are awesome, that leaves half that are mediocre of down right bad. What to do? I have given in and even embraced the ridiculousness of it all. He is definitely worth seeing live because you know it is going to be an entertaining show. He's either going to impress you with his ability to play live or he'll amuse you with his awesome level of pretentiousness. Either way, you get your money's worth. "Let it Ride" comes off one of his most consistent albums, Cold Roses, and offers an upbeat tempo. I figured since the last few songs were a little depressing, I would not pull out a melancholic Adam's song.

Bob Dylan - Love Minus Zero / No Limit

I am not sure if this selection stems from my obsession with The Concert for Bangladesh or the song itself. In some ways this appears to be a somewhat straightforward song about unconditional love. However, there are some lines that remain pretty cryptic. I think I am drawn to the line "She knows there's no success like failure / And that failure's no success at all." Is it just a contradiction or something else?
On a side note, this song did not appear during the "official" concert, but was performed during the afternoon show. It is a special feature on the DVD.

Townes Van Zandt - Waiting around to Die

Are musicians prophetic or do they create self-fulfilling prophecies? It seems that so many musicians poor their souls into their music and there is not much left over. It can destroy them and those around them. Such is the case with Townes Van Zandt. His life was captured in all its heartbreaking beauty in Be Here to Love Me. Check it out if you get a chance. "Waiting Around to Die" is one of the many songs that Townes' soul was poured into.

M Ward - Chinese Translation

M. Ward's records sound like they'd be right at home on late-night AM radio in just about any decade since the 50's. His last full-length, Post-War, was supposedly influenced by Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises; and a lot of the lyrics seem to tap that transitional period between tragedy and monotony. My favorite moments of this song are when there are no lyrics. It starts around the three-minute mark with just oohs and aahs, the perfect mix of guitar and percussion, and a whole lot of reverb.

Centro-matic - Rat Patrol and DJs

I've already gone on and on about the talents of Will Johnson in an earlier post (South San Gabriel - Emma Jane). Here he is fronting the more rockin' of his bands in his hometown of Denton, TX.

Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene

I played drums in a cover band called Cindy Crawford's Looking Better Every Day when I was a sophmore in high school. I think we called ourselves that because most of our "shows" were for an all-girl poetry club and we figured the name would be a funny way to poke fun at the whole situation (you know the type--Erasure fans). One of my favorite covers to play on drums was Freak Scene, mostly due to the awesome break between the first two verses. Then there's those classic lines after the guitar solo. J. Mascis's tired whine makes those lyrics that much better.

Rollins Band - Low Self Opinion

Another from 1992's 120 Minutes Top 20 countdown. I was sort of a Black Flag fan at the time, but the only tape I had was a mix with Keith Morris on vocals. I think the only Rollins song I had was "Black Coffee." Anyway, this was the first Rollins Band song I ever saw, and I kept thinking, "is this guy trying to be helpful, or should I cover my head while he pummels me?" I think this video is hilarious--with touches of awesome like the 2-string bass--and the song, well, it has moments. I do think the nation would benefit from Henry Rollins as self-esteem coach for elementary and middle school children. Say No to Low S.O.

John Waite - Change

Is there a more inspiring film than Vision Quest? If there is I am not aware of it. Loudon Swain is an everyman who is just trying to find a little purpose in his life and he knows he has to capture the moment before it slips away forever. The soundtrack offers a sentimental yet necessary emotional element to the movie, which was a common, but often badly, utilized technique in the 80s. However, it comes together in Vision Quest beautifully. While the Journey songs obviously standout on the soundtrack, John Waite's "Change" is the unsung hero of both the soundtrack and the movie. Give it a listen and a watch. I dare you not to go out and start training for something right now. (bonus points if you see Forest Whitaker)

Screaming Trees - Nearly Lost You

Screaming Trees were a Seattle band who benefited from exposure in "Singles"/"Reality Bites" and of course being from Seattle. But they really were different than other "grunge" bands. First off, there's Mark Lanegan, one of the best singers of that decade. The Vann brothers, big, beautiful, and prone to conniption fits. Barrett Martin, great drummer, greater hair. Screaming Trees was the first concert I ever went to by myself (I had seen Marshall Tucker Band and The Band-minus-Robbie Robertson with my parents as a kid). It was the MTV Alternative Nation Tour, with Spin Doctors, Soul Asylum (who didn't show up), and Screaming Trees. So I just saw two bands, but it was really, really great. (And I liked Spin Doctors too, and it doesn't mean I'm a hippie.)

Nina Simone - Feeling Good

I hope that we can take a moment to think about this moment in our country's history. We have been blessed with living in a place where we can be guided by ideals - that is pretty special. We have not always "lived up to the true meaning of its creed," but our country has shown resilience, growth, and hope. Being outside the United States at this time has really helped me gain perspective on our global influence. While many people I have met are not sure what President Obama will bring in terms of policy, they are extremely excited about what he represents - the American Dream. That's right, America's greatest gift to the world is the belief that anything is possible. Let's start living "up to the true meaning of its creed." "Feeling Good" really captures the moment.

Feeling Good, Nina Simone
Uploaded by mrfnk

Bad Religion--Change of Ideas

Sandy's PE post got me energetic. I remember when Apocalypse '91, The Enemy Strikes Black came out I was about as hardcore (posturing to a great degree, of course) a punk and hip hop activist as I could get. I didn't realize Senator McCain's participation in all this until the election. At the time I didn't know who McCain was, and by the time he got on my radar in 2000, I had forgotten. Forgetfulness is unacceptable. Chuck D would not be pleased, and so I apologize.

Here as a companion piece is Bad Religion live from 1996, doing their 1989 song "Change of Ideas." Took a while, but maybe we're heading that way yet....

Public Enemy - By the Time I get to Arizona

Inspired by Arizona's refusal to make Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday a holiday, Public Enemy called them out on it. It is nearly inconceivable that this was occurring in the early 1990s. We might remember a certain senator from Arizona voted against the creation of King's birthday as a national holiday and he supported then Governor Mecham's repeal of the day as a state holiday. Incorporating President elect (so soon to be President) Obama into the video seems about right. Let us reflect today upon our past and let us be bold enough to dream about our future tomorrow.

Can one have a favorite Pixies video?

Not only were the Pixies ahead of their time musically, but their videos ruled. It's hard to choose a favorite one, and even harder not to choose "Here Comes Your Man," but I've always loved "Head On," their Jesus & Mary Chain cover.

Pixies - Hey (live)

Okay Will, your posts have made me enter a period of nostalgia. I am sure we can all pull up memories from adolescence when we were listening to the Pixies. It has been said before, but they were certainly ahead of their time. Had they formed four years later, they might have been the biggest band on the planet. Nevertheless, they had a huge impact on 90s alternative music. Cobain even commented that when he was writing Nevermind that he was hoping to capture a bit of the Pixies pop style in it. They went their separate ways for but their respective solo projects never quite lived up to their collective greatness. Here is a link to "Where is my Mind" from the same concert (I could not embed it). http://hk.youtube.com/watch?v=gGXdXcpNsv4 Enjoy the videos and remember what it was like to be in the high school / college time of your life.

Turn on the Water

The first truly memorable--by that I mean more or less imprinted in my memory forever--episode of 120 Minutes was 1992's top 20 video special, hosted by Iggy Pop. Iggy's presence was the first thing that drew me. I was a major Stooges person at the time (the "true" roots of grunge, I snootily informed everyone who thought they were cool for liking such "unknowns" as Mother Love Bone), and had also gotten into Iggy's Bowie-directed Berlin stuff (The Idiot especially). Anyway, over the next few days I'm going to try to find videos from Iggy's countdown. Most of these videos were the first exposure I had to the respective bands.

First up, Afghan Whigs' "Turn on the Water." Great song, great video. I mean, Dulli and co. thrashing around in a b&w checkered bathroom? Expressionistic AND anarchic rebellion!

Two Worlds Collide

I'm risking ridicule for the cheese factor on this song, but I like it anyway. This is partly a nostalgia post, but I also genuinely like the song even though I don't care for the band much.

One of my greatest regrets of 1999 is dropping a huge box of videocassettes into a dumpster, each cassette containing three episodes of MTV's 120 minutes from the years 1989-1996. It was more or less a complete set. I had moved into an apartment with three people on Mendenhall, and I had a tiny room. I had to toss a lot of stuff out. But why did I lose that box? 120 Minutes truly was the best show available for music lovers (other than a weird cable access show called JBTV that broadcast out of Chicago. Somehow a local affiliate picked it up at 3 a.m. on weekends; I saw Richard Thompson, a Gish record release party, and the CroMags on the same show!)

On 120 Minutes, I saw live performances by PJ Harvey, Babes in Toyland, Concrete Blonde (doing Everybody Knows!), Lunachicks.....as you can tell from the brief list, this was the one place female artists could really get attention. Anyway, I'll be talking about that show a lot over the next few weeks. For some reason, I've been seeing random videos from that era in my dreams lately. Last night, I saw Inspiral Carpets' "Two Worlds Collide." I remember seeing the video on some BritPop spotlight along with Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Ride, Lush, and some others. I know nothing about the band, but I seem to recall hearing another song by them that I did not like. For some reason, though, I just love this song. The singer and lyrics are totally serious, including some wicked "whoo-hoo's" between chorus and verse. The video is an acid trip, too.

Beastie Boys - Ch-Check It Out

Speaking of funny, it's pretty amazing that the Beastie Boys have been making hilarious videos since the 80's. This is one of their better efforts. I crack up every time I see MCA, dressed like an old lady, pick up his walker and charge like he's William Wallace (after throwing a fish!).

David Brent - Free Love Freeway

I thought I would bring a little comedy to your lives and am including a selection from the British Office. While I thoroughly enjoy the American version of this show, there was something desperate and supremely awkward about it which sets it apart. I have pulled clips from the version in the show as well as a studio version. Enjoy.

Bodies of Water - "Under the Pines"

Okay, so I can't vouch for this band because I really don't know much about them. In fact, I kind of like it that way. I was browsing youtube the other day and I started looking at the suggested video links. Anyway, I came across "Under the Pines" by Bodies of Water. I watched the video and from the beginning I was captivated by it, check that, I was disturbed by it. It is one of the creepiest videos I have seen in a while. In some ways though, I think that is a good thing because it shows that the art of video making is not quite dead. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the video.

A little background on the band - They are a quartet from California (two guys, two girls), have received favorable reviews on their two albums, and have been compared to The Arcade Fire.

Palace Music - New Partner (even more Oldham)

Just to round out the Will Oldham discussion, I first heard his music in 1996 when a college friend (Jay) gave me a copy of Viva Last Blues. Jay wrote a fanzine (Mud) and actually got Oldham on the phone for an interview. After that they kind of became pen pals, though I think they talked more about movies than music. Back then I couldn't imagine that the New Yorker would be devoting pages to him (just finished reading the article). I finally got to see him 3 or 4 years ago on the Superwolf tour with Matt Sweeney. His manner was as strange as his lyrics. It was a great show. This was the first song from Viva Last Blues that I latched on to. Like a lot of his songs, it seems fairly pleasant at first glance, but there's something kind of messy going on there somewhere.

More Oldham

Sandy posted Bonnie "Prince" Billy a few days back, and coincidentally The New Yorker just came out with a story on Will Oldham, so I thought I'd post one too. When I was in high school, I traded tapes through the mail with my cousin Charlie. I got him turned on to some industrial, punk, and European music, while he got me into a lot of indie rock. He was really helpful, because I got frustrated trying to sift through the glut of "grunge" to get to the good stuff. (I wouldn't sit through Bush and Candlebox videos to get to the Afghan Whigs.....impatience was no virtue.)

Anyway, one tape he sent me was Palace Bros.' "There Is No-One What Will Take Care of You," followed quickly by Palace, Palace Songs, Arise Therefore, and so on. I loved all of it, but somehow when I made the transition from tapes to CDs I lost them all and never upgraded (except that original Palace Brothers album). But lately I've been getting hold of a smattering of albums under the BPB and Will Oldham names.

The surprising and interesting thing to me about the New Yorker article was Oldham's reminiscing about correspondence with Lydia Lunch and Danzig, two of my idols. I feel validated. But more surprising was his professed love for R. Kelly, even to the point of listing him alongside Merle Haggard and Leonard Cohen. Really? I guess I'll have to give him a listen....for now, here's Oldham covering R. Kelly's "The World's Greatest."

Damien Jurado - Lion Tamer

There must be something in the air up in Seattle that helps produce melancholic singers. Damien Jurado follows in this long tradition and has put out a number of albums which offer plenty of contemplation. Originally releasing albums on the Sub Pop label, in the early 2000s he moved to the Secretly Canadian label. You can definitely see how his work is shaped by that move. I do not have a particular reason for choosing "Lion Tamer" as a song to represent Jurado other than the fact that it was one of the few higher quality sound clips that I could find. The album of his that I still go back to is Rehearsals for Departure - give it a listen.

Juliana Hatfield - What a Life

I definitely had a thing for Juliana Hatfield in high school. I first came to know of her when she was moonlighting with The Lemonheads and later discovered her solo stuff. She had more misses than hits, but her hits were perfect three-minute pop songs. She was like the Go-Gos with more grit.

harried and paranoid

A self-conscious disclaimer, nay, admonition. I notice myself posting rather harsh and abrasive (e.g. ROCKIN) content most often, not quite in keeping with my position as biggest Morrissey fan in the WORLD. Yet my mood lately has been such--harried, hurried, tense. I need the catharsis, and as I've at the same time tiptoed through the tulips of my adolescence, I've come across all these videos that bring back the rebellion, the chip on the shoulder, the sneer at all those who could never understand the world as I did (do). And thus The Butthole Surfers, who I hear have reunited to reclaim the world of angry acid heads who like to sweat. Behold the video for "Who Was In My Room Last Night," enjoy the Flea (before the Chili Peppers became Adult Contemporary Alternative) cameo. Bob your head, wonder what happened to Gibby's tooth.

The Animals - Bo Didley

It is nice to see a British invasion band paying tribute to their influences across the pond.

Jeff Tweedy - Laminated Cat

There are only a handful of bands that prompt me to buy their records on the day they come out and Wilco is one of them. Jeff Tweedy's songs range from sappy to abstract, and even when he stumbles I can usually find something redeeming in the effort. Laminated Cat was originally released on Tweedy's side project (Loose Fur), which also featured Jim O'Rourke (Gastr Del Sol, Sonic Youth, etc.) and Glenn Kotche before he became the full time drummer for Wilco. This performance starts with some of Jeff Tweedy's typical back-and-forth with his audience, which shows him at his funniest and jerkiest.

The Smiths - There is a Light That Never Goes Out

This one is for Will. I hear Morrisey has your back if fistacufs should break out.

Bonnie Prince Billy - Horses

It is easy to forget that every song a singer pens is not autobiographical. We often romanticize the singer/songwriter using his/her craft as a confessional. The reality is that many times these songwriters are astute watchers of humanity and they enjoy taking on personas in their writing. Bonnie Prince Billy has lived this reality. As Will Oldham, he is an actor (see his small role in Junebug), musician, amongst other things. However, when he is onstage or recording as BPB he is able to call up all kinds of lives, many of them dark and haunting. "Horses" is just a sample of his work, go out and listen to more.

Nada Surf - Always Love

Another year spreads itself before us and we enter into it with all the good intentions we can muster. Our resolutions, realistic, maybe, maybe not, but underneath it all is a hope that we can change, that we can grow. Nada Surf's "Always Love" seems to share this same sentiment. Perhaps it is something all we can give a little pause for thought for. To you all, good luck in your quests - may you find what you are looking for, or may it find you.

Happy New Year

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 1992, with "New Morning." End of the tour, voice is shot, but everyone's in good spirits. Good way to start the year, I think.