Brian James's Blog, page 13

Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend returns, and this week I decided to turn back the clock to the 70s. People tend to trash the 70s music scene, thinking it only to be disco, but actually, the 70s were pretty fantastic. There was the birth of metal and punk and hip hop, and explosion of catchy folk, and still whole bunch of great rock n' roll. Here are some recent accusations to my catalog from that decade. Enjoy.
Iggy and The Stooges - Move Ass Baby: This compilation of rehearsals and demos was recorded in London and Detroit around '71, and was originally released in '73 in Europe. Still not officially released in the U.S., I recently picked up the double vinyl Italian reissue from 2015. This is dynamite stuff! If the first two Stooges albums were proto-punk, this is the true birth of punk. It features the rare five man line-up that really made them that much heavier. 
Lee Michaels -5th: The fifth album from the L.A. pop rock, blue eyed soul singer was released in '71. There's a clear attempt to capitalize on the growing popularity of Elton John. The piano rock, the vocal structure, the arrangements, they all feel like Elton albums from the same period. This isn't surprising, there is always more than one artist in a rising genre, and I like discovering some of the lesser known ones. This is a solid record. "Didn't Have to Happen," "Do You Know What I Mean," "Can I Get a Witness," and "Oak Fire" are personal favorites. 

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours: Not only the biggest record of 1977, one of the biggest of all time is this one from the band that had been counted out twice before. With this line-up, they would become superstars. I've always shunned this album, pissing about it being soft rock coke music and staying loyal to the Peter Green line-up. Recently this album has been popping up in my mind, and I finally found a reasonable copy. I've always had a fondness for this '70s sound and figured it might be time to judge this album from the perspective of two decades since I'd cast my original verdict. While still not my favorite record of theirs, when you're in the right mood, there is nothing quite so perfect as this.
The Doobie Brothers - Toulouse Street: The Cali southern rock band's second album was released in 1972 and was their real breakthrough album, featuring the hits "Listen to the Music," and "Jesus is Just Alright." I've had their debut album for more than 20 years, and never connected with it in any meaningful way, but this album is far superior. They capture that country folk blues rock sound perfectly on here, espeically on tracks like "Snake Man" and the title track. Solid record all around.

Nazareth - Malice in Wonderland: Not exactly a pillar of '70s hard rock, but certainly one of the bricks that held up the wall, this UK band hit it big in '75 with their Hair of the Dog album (a classic of the genre). This album, released five years and five albums later is the UK band's eleventh studio album. Now, I'm a sucker for anything Alice-related and was excited to give this a listen. It's pretty typical hard rock of the time and the band never really fails to deliver radio friendly hard rock, something like a less wild Slade. "Fast Cars," and "Heart's Grown Cold" are my personal favorites. 
Jackson Browne - Jackson Browne [Saturate Before Using]: The debut album from the 70's folk icon was released in '72. Less pop than he would later become, this is more traditional country folk, a sound that was popular in L.A. at the time. He does this sound extremely well and this album appeals to me more than some of his more celebrated albums. "A Child in These Hills," "Doctor My Eyes," and "Something Fine" are my favorites. A great early '70s folk record. 

Midwestern Chaos

As the world continues to stay closed, I've recently moved onto to my next streaming obsession, the Netflix original series Ozark. Having been unfamiliar with this show before, I started hearing a lot of people talking about it, and I love Jason Bateman, so...why not. 
The premise revolves around Marty Byrde, a Chicago investor who has been smoothly laundering lots of money for a drug cartel for a decade, when suddenly the whole operation is thrown into chaos. On the run, desperate, and forced to start over in the worst of circumstances, Marty uproots his family and moves them the Ozarks for a life or death gamble. 
I think the obvious comparison is with Breaking Bad. This show is just as intense, features similarly likable anti-heroes, and a near perfect level of anxiousness. The best part about finding a show that has been on for awhile is not having to wait between seasons. I'm hooked.

Weekend Music Roundup

We've made it through another week in an endless cycle where weeks, and even months, seem to lose all significance. But marking the passage of time is important for giving us the illusion of continuing the timeline. So with that, I'm back to share my thoughts on musical journeys I've taken recently. This list features new sounds from old favorites. As frequent readers know, I'm a bit of a completest in my collections and therefore always digging deeper into the catalogs of bands and artists I enjoy. Sometimes that means new material, other times it means coming across something old that's new to me. Some great stuff here. Enjoy.
Flower Travellin' Band - Anywhere: The 1970 debut from the Japanese heavy psych band is equally as epic as their legendary follow-up, Satori. This album is basically a covers album, with the self-titled track book-ending. It covers Black Sabbath and King Crimson, two bands they are often compared to. These guys bleed authenticity and it shows, which is why 50 years later, it still sounds as fresh and compelling as it did when it came out. 
The Animals - The Animals On Tour: Released in '65 after bursting on the scene the year before, this is the third full length album from the British R&B band. Part of the original British Invasion, The Animals are often overlooked, or at the very least overshadowed by the Stones, Beatles, Kinks, and The Who, but they are right up there when it comes to that early garage sound that made the Invasion so successful. Like the early albums by those other bands I named, this is a great collection, mostly of covers of American artists. So happy to have found this on the cheap and add it to my Animals collection. 
Hawkwind - All Aboard The Skylark: The legendary space rock band of the '70s has been quite active in the past several years and released this new album in the Fall. This is another solid record that adequately captures their '70s sound. Of course, it's only Dave Brock these days, Nik Turner is off doing his own recapturing of their '70s sound, but it's good stuff. It certainly doesn't replace anything from the Hawkwind cannon, but fans would do well to give it a listen. 

The Bevis Frond - Any Gas Faster: Originally released in 1990, this was the first Frond album recorded in a real studio, and their sixth LP.  This is the record that sees them move slightly away from their earlier lo-fi psych sound into more psych rock. It also is very much the sound of 90s indie rock being born. I recently picked up the re-issue double vinyl to add to my extensive collection of this criminally under-heralded band. Truly one of Nick's best albums.
Carole King - Rhymes and Reasons: Released in '72, one year after her smash Tapestry album (though Music released between that album and this one). So many of her songs were such a part of my early childhood in the late '70s. For that reason, her music always very nostalgic for me. I listened to this on a Sunday morning, and this is the perfect kind of album for a chilly autumn weekend. "The First Day in August," "Stand Behind Me," and "Ferguson Road" are personal favorites. Though it lacks the magnitude of Tapestry, it's still a good album. 

Fiction Friday (106)

I've been working on creating annotated bibliographies of sorts on imaginary worlds and their extensions...places like Wonderland and Oz and Star Wars. It was by pure coincidence that I started reading this YA book at this time, but it sure helped motivate me to work on my project. I'm going to be switching away from YA for a bit, but this was a nice place to leave off.
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
(Katherine Tegen Books, 2016)

Jamie Watson has always romanticized his family's story and their history with the Holmses. He spent his childhood daydreaming about solving mysteries with Charlotte Holmes (Sherlock's brilliant great-great-whatever granddaughter). But when he's sent from his home in London to the same Connecticut private boarding school that she attends, the prospect of actually meeting her is a bit unnerving, and quite uncomfortable. Then a murder happens, pulling the two of them together to solve the mystery, just as it always did in the stories he loved.
This Watson and Holmes duo is honestly one of the most fun pair of YA characters that I've encountered in a long time. They were flawed characters, but not broken, and the touching way in which they end up making each other stronger, better people is fantastically written.  And a great mystery to boot!
A clever and extremely well-crafted extension of the Sherlock legacy.

The Future is Beautiful...

The future is simultaneously bleak and beautiful in this sleek sequel to iconic '80s sci-fi epic Bladerunner. Even though the original holds a special place in my life, it was never a movie that I obsessed about. So when this one came out a few years back, I was intrigued, but in no rush to sit in the movie theater for three hours to check it out.
In the world where I'm entering week 8 of staying at home, seems like the perfect time to delve into a film like this. The story wrestles with the same questions the first one did...what does it mean to human, or even alive...are memories real even if they were implanted...and ultimately, who gets to play God in answering these questions.
Like the first film, this one is an immersive experience. The slow, careful, quiet stretches are meant to pull you into this dystopian future and it succeeds. Given that it was made in 2017, there is a bit of overdone fight scenes that feel out of a comic book flick, but done well enough that it didn't bother me. 
All in all, I felt sort of the same for this film as the original. I enjoyed it. I found it interesting mind stimulation. But I didn't love it and it will not be a film that I obsess over.

One thing worth mentioning is that a ton is going to have to go terribly wrong if 2049 is to look like this. Another thing, despite all the languages in the advertising, EVERYONE in this version of the future is white. Hmmm....

Weekend Music Roundup

It's the weekend, right? Right? Who knows. Like Morrissey once said, everyday is like Sunday these days. But let's pretend for a minute that the calendar matters and celebrate the weekend with a roundup of thoughts on music I've been listening to lately. Most of these are new, or newish indie releases. Most are indie rock, with the exception of some Def Leppard because, why not? Hopefully you're all out there finding new things to dig. Enjoy.
Alex Ebert - I vs I: The second solo album from Alex, aka Edward Sharpe of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It came out in January, almost a full nine years since his first solo album. Alex Ebert is an interesting case in that he's one of the few musicians that I would call myself a big fan of, even though I often find some of his work hit or miss sometimes. This album starts with the bizarre "To The Days" which epitomizes the whole hit or miss within the same song. But overall, I feel he's one of the most talented artists of this century. This album captures the current L.A. sound that I love. Mixing genres of soul, indie pop, folk, hip-hop and draping it in a haze mellow vibe. "Jealous Guy", "Automatic Youth," "Miles Away," "I Smoke," and "Press Play" are my favorites on this strange and wonderful album. 
Liam Gallagher - Acoustic Sessions: This EP of Liam classics (both Oasis and solo) was a surprise release back in January. Readers of the Roundup are aware of my love of Liam and all he's done, so to say I was super excited about this would be obvious. He's one of those singers that I can hear something different every time he sings a song, so new acoustic versions are definite treats. This is exceptional. Liam is truly at his second peak these days and this is proof.

Def Leppard - Pyromania: The third album from the British hard rock band came out in 1983, and with hits like "Foolin'" and "Rock of Ages" it rocketed the band to stardom, a stardom that would soon go on hiatus after a tragic accident. The band would return with their even bigger Hysteria album four years later, but they would never recapture pure rock bliss of this record. I found a copy for a few dollars and had to pick it up. Very sold example of the hard rock sound that would soon take over the world.
Kills Birds - Kill Birds: The debut album from the L.A. band came out last fall. It's a noise rock, with clear riot grrl grunge influences. It's aggressive and angry and loud and very anti-pop. It's the kind of album that I would have loved in college, and now find nostalgic in a good way. "Jesus Did," "Volcano," "New Friend," and "Ok Hurricane" are my personal favorites on this decent 90's throwback album. 

Guided by Voices - Sweating the Plague: The second album released in 2019 by the Ohio lo-fi outfit, six months after Warp and Woof. It's funny, the things that I loved about the first album of the year, are exactly what I found lacking on this one. They've had a habit of releasing every possible scrap of song, and sometimes it feels like they should keep things in the vault. This feels a bit like leftovers, but I suppose their leftovers are still worth hearing. If you only listen to one of their albums from last year, I recommend Warp and Woof.

Fiction Friday (105)

My daughter will turn 5 years old tomorrow, and one of the things that I'm really pleased about as she gets older is that I can actually read novels to her and she is engaged. A few months ago, we embarked on reading the Oz books, which I'd always meant to read but never had. Now I'm totally hooked. These books have earned their place in children's literature and right up there with the best of fantasy classics.


The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger
(North South, 1999)

Everyone knows the tale of the young Kansas girl who gets caught in a twister and is transported to the fantasy land of Oz. While the movie version follows the book fairly faithfully, the book is slightly different, most notably the slippers are silver and not ruby. The cast of characters are delightful. The Scarecrow who desires a brain, though he's always the most sensible. The Tin Woodman who desires a heart, but is always caring. And the lion who is hardly as cowardly as he believes himself to be. Together, this band of lost souls is able to free the enslaved people of OZ.
This is an interesting edition, illustrated by one of the finest illustrators of the last 30 years. She brings a unique perspective to the story, having never seen the film, or the original illustrations. 


Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Illustrated by John R. Neil
(Reilly & Britton, 1907)

The third book in the Oz series (originally 11 stories), was the basis for the 80's Return to Oz film. This story finds Dorothy back in the fantasy world, this time the Land of Ev, a neighboring kingdom to Oz. She is reunited with old friends the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Woodman, and some new friends like the copper mechanical man named Tic Tock.  Dorothy joins her friends, and Ozma, the current ruler of Oz, on an adventure to the underground kingdom of the Nome King to free the Queen of Ev. 
This novel shows Baum's growth as a writer. Far more comfortable with the children's format, the story moves at a pace that is far more entertaining. I was completely enchanted with this book and can't wait to read the rest of the original books.

On the Road Again...

Looking for a movie to watch the other day, I settled on the 2019 Netflix original, The Highwaymen staring Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson as a pair of former Texas Rangers brought out of retirement to hunt down Bonnie & Clyde. This true crime drama came and went without a lot of notice, but it's actually quite solid.  
Certainly not anything earth shattering as far as film making goes, and by that it, it's just not that original. It pays homage to lots of films that came before, especially The Untouchables. However, it's a solid film with solid acting. 
Like The Untouchables, it takes the perspective of those who hunted down a folk legend. One of the things that I thought the movie did very well, was how it depicted the making of a criminal into a celebrity. 
Both lead actors play their roles well, and never over indulges even when the chance is there. I think the restraint is strong part of this movie. It never sensationalizes anything, and resists the temptation to play into the current trend of movie making to stick to a tried and true method of portraying a true crime story. 

Parasite

Every once in a while, the Academy Awards throws the world a curve ball, and sometimes they get it perfectly right. This year, the world was shocked when the Korean film Parasite won best picture. Like a good number of people out there, I knew nearly nothing about this film. And the next day, when I started reading about it, I felt that I knew even less. Having finally watched, I know why. This is one of those films that's nearly impossible to sum up in any meaningful way that conveys how remarkable it is.
Despite some of the images that you'll find, or the eerie trailers you might see, this isn't an Asian horror film, though it certainly borrows visually from that genre. This is a drama, but it's dram with dark humor the reminded me of Reservoir Dogs meets American Beauty. 
This is the story of class inequality dressed up in a brilliant plot that sees a lower class family gifting their way into the employment of an upper class family that lives in the blissful isolated ignorance of wealth.  I really have nothing negative to say about this film. The acting, the story, the look, and the pacing of it were all fantastic. After it ended, the "shock" of the Best Picture win no longer felt like a shock. It wasn't a curve ball, it was a slam dunk.

Weekend Music Roundup

Welcome to the never-ending weekend where one day is the same as the other. I've made more of an effort this week to listen to a few new albums during my crazy days of Mr. Mom and Work-From-Home hero. I thank Fiona Apple for that because I wasn't about to wait any longer to listen to her new album, which is going to be near shoo-in for best album of the year. There's some other good albums on here as well, so take some time and listen to some music while you quarantine.
Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters: The indie art pop icon's first album in 8 years is her fifth studio album in her 24 year career. It wasn't until her last album that I became a convert to the brilliance of Fiona Apple and went back to absorb her previous work. There's an intangible soul to her voice as it sprays poetry at the listener, poetry dressed up in perfect experimental pop soundtracks. The only artists that really compares to her is Amanda Palmer, but there's something about Amanda that I've always found a little pretentious, where Fiona is blunt and expressive in her emotions, hardly hiding them in art, just poetry. This album is a masterpiece from beginning to end.  
Wolves Like Us - Brittle Bones: The third album from the Oslo post-hardcore band was one of the albums released toward the end of 2019 that I was listening to in my frenzy to hear things I might have missed. This is pretty standard post-hardcore fare. It's aggressive, lots of quick guitar and pounding drums and passable vocals. The result is kind of just okay, nothing to get worked up about and not enough to hate. If that's your genre and you're looking for another band, this might be for you. 
Toy - Happy in the Hollow: The fourth studio album from London neo-psych band was released back in January 2019 and I'd been meaning to check it out for a while. I really enjoyed their second album, released in 2013 and said at that time that this was a band to watch. Unlike most American neo-psych bands, the British bands derive influences from synth pop, new wave, and shoegaze, whereas most American tend to pull from 60s psych and folk. This is a very solid record of ethereal soundscapes and fuzzed guitar.
Graham Parker - Heat Treatment: The 1976 album from the new wave icon is his second, released 5 months after his debut. As frequent readers of the Roundup surely have noticed, I've been really into Graham's early work lately. Sure, it reminds me of Elvis Costello, but there is more of a working class grit to his style of new wave that I really connect to. This is the third late '70s album of his that I've acquired and all three are brilliant. Yet another artist that never got the acclaim he deserved, though he's by no means a forgotten artist, just a little less widely known than he deserves. 
Earl Hines - The Legendary Little Theater Concert of 1964, Vols. 1 and 2: I recently picked up this double album for a cool $4. This is a the great jazz pianist performing a collection of classics, with the great Budd Johnson on sax on a few tracks. This is an intimate and wonderful performance of swing jazz favorites. "Lester Leaps In," and "Out of Nowhere," are standouts on this live set. I think too many people focus only on the Giants of jazz and don't dig deeper (even more so than in rock). As a result, the Giants command high value. But if you dig a little deeper, there's a ton of wonderful jazz out there for a bargain. 
T. Rex - Summertime Blues Live: I don't know much about this bootleg that recently hit the webpages, except that it's radio broadcasts and that it's fantastic. I'm guessing it's a career spanning collection, but can't say for sure, and at one point, it seems like it might be one concert. Either way, as with all Marc Bolan live recordings, the result is fantastic. He has a way of making every song sound different each time he performs it, meaning there is never really a thing as having too many live records. "Girl," "Cosmic Dancer," and "Jewel" are real standouts.