Thursday, December 30, 2004
Seasons greetings from the world's laziest blogger. As 2004 passes into memory, it's been called to my attention that this blog has become rather stagnant. I offer no excuses beyond sheer laziness. Hope springs eternal that I'll be a more active blogger in the new year.
Make it your New Years resolution to listen to more new music and live music in 2005. You won’t regret it.
I encourage all of my beer drinking friends to join me at the 2005 Strong Beer Festival, Jan. 15 at Scottsdale Stadium. Good weather, good music, good brew.......a truly great event.
Enough babbling already. Here’s what’s currently loaded in my CD player:
Various Artists: Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80’s Underground (Discs 1 & 2 of 4)
Rhino Records, hands down the best re-issue label in the biz, collected great songs from the most influential bands of the 80s and released them as a 4 CD box set earlier in 2004. Some of the bands (R.E.M., The Cure, The Smiths) became megastars, while others (Magazine, The Go-Betweens, Lyres) never really caught on. With the exception of a few synth-pop songs, everything sounds fantastic here……the music has held up quite well. Of course, I’ve always felt that original albums are far superior to compilations such as this, but tracking down 82 albums by 82 different artists is a daunting and expensive task, even in the age of downloading. Marginally interesting trivia: The title for this set was nicked from the Replacements' song of the same name on their classic 1985 album ‘Tim’.
Arcade Fire - Funeral
I came across this young Montreal band via indietorrents.com. This debut album sounds like some strange and wonderful combination of Smashing Pumpkins, Talking Heads, and early Roxy Music. I also checked out their local show at the tiny Modified Arts; next time through I guarantee they’ll play a bigger venue. Give any of your musically inclined friends this CD as a belated Christmas gift; they’ll be very impressed by your hipness.
Green Day – American Idiot
Somehow these former jokester-punks transformed themselves into adult power pop wunderkinds on this self-described ‘punk-rock opera’. Exhilarating stuff, destined for many year-end top ten lists.
U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
U2’s latest is probably not among the five best they’ve ever released. Even mediocre U2 is still very good, however, and considering they’re now some 25 years into their career, this is a towering
achievement. I still like that Ipod commercial too.
The Revenants – Artists and Whores
My friend Lowell feels it’s very important to always keep some local music in my CD player, and I agree with him. This 1998 album remains one of my favorites, a blend of honky tonk and country/rock with a touch of bluegrass played over local legend Bruce Connole’s dark lyrics and raspy drawl. Since then the band has morphed into the more bluegrass tinged Busted Hearts, still playing the local clubs occasionally. Check out their live show sometime.
TURNTABLE CORNER: Believe it or not, I still have a turntable. These are the most recent albums to cross it.
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (1) [1977]
Robin Hitchcock & The Egyptians – Globe Of Frogs [1988]
Ry Cooder – Bop Till You Drop [1979]
Iron City Houserockers – Have A Good Time But Get Out Alive [1980]
The Kinks – One For The Road (record 2 of 2) [1980]
T-Bone Burnett – Truth Decay [1980]
Thanks to all of you that have e-mailed using the link at the top of this page. Keep the e-mails coming, as it makes me feel like this is somewhat less of a waste of time.
As you were.
Make it your New Years resolution to listen to more new music and live music in 2005. You won’t regret it.
I encourage all of my beer drinking friends to join me at the 2005 Strong Beer Festival, Jan. 15 at Scottsdale Stadium. Good weather, good music, good brew.......a truly great event.
Enough babbling already. Here’s what’s currently loaded in my CD player:
Various Artists: Left Of The Dial: Dispatches From The 80’s Underground (Discs 1 & 2 of 4)
Rhino Records, hands down the best re-issue label in the biz, collected great songs from the most influential bands of the 80s and released them as a 4 CD box set earlier in 2004. Some of the bands (R.E.M., The Cure, The Smiths) became megastars, while others (Magazine, The Go-Betweens, Lyres) never really caught on. With the exception of a few synth-pop songs, everything sounds fantastic here……the music has held up quite well. Of course, I’ve always felt that original albums are far superior to compilations such as this, but tracking down 82 albums by 82 different artists is a daunting and expensive task, even in the age of downloading. Marginally interesting trivia: The title for this set was nicked from the Replacements' song of the same name on their classic 1985 album ‘Tim’.
Arcade Fire - Funeral
I came across this young Montreal band via indietorrents.com. This debut album sounds like some strange and wonderful combination of Smashing Pumpkins, Talking Heads, and early Roxy Music. I also checked out their local show at the tiny Modified Arts; next time through I guarantee they’ll play a bigger venue. Give any of your musically inclined friends this CD as a belated Christmas gift; they’ll be very impressed by your hipness.
Green Day – American Idiot
Somehow these former jokester-punks transformed themselves into adult power pop wunderkinds on this self-described ‘punk-rock opera’. Exhilarating stuff, destined for many year-end top ten lists.
U2 – How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
U2’s latest is probably not among the five best they’ve ever released. Even mediocre U2 is still very good, however, and considering they’re now some 25 years into their career, this is a towering
achievement. I still like that Ipod commercial too.
The Revenants – Artists and Whores
My friend Lowell feels it’s very important to always keep some local music in my CD player, and I agree with him. This 1998 album remains one of my favorites, a blend of honky tonk and country/rock with a touch of bluegrass played over local legend Bruce Connole’s dark lyrics and raspy drawl. Since then the band has morphed into the more bluegrass tinged Busted Hearts, still playing the local clubs occasionally. Check out their live show sometime.
TURNTABLE CORNER: Believe it or not, I still have a turntable. These are the most recent albums to cross it.
Peter Gabriel – Peter Gabriel (1) [1977]
Robin Hitchcock & The Egyptians – Globe Of Frogs [1988]
Ry Cooder – Bop Till You Drop [1979]
Iron City Houserockers – Have A Good Time But Get Out Alive [1980]
The Kinks – One For The Road (record 2 of 2) [1980]
T-Bone Burnett – Truth Decay [1980]
Thanks to all of you that have e-mailed using the link at the top of this page. Keep the e-mails coming, as it makes me feel like this is somewhat less of a waste of time.
As you were.
