Brian James's Blog, page 17

Weekend Music Roundup (BEST OF THE DECADE)

One of the most impossible things is to compile a list of albums that spans a decade. The problem is that this list will continue to change throughout my life. But as a snapshot of my current self's taste, here is a list of not necessarily the best albums of the last ten years, but the albums that collectively would represent my grand takeaway of the '10s. Now, I didn't include any albums from 2019, because, well, it takes more than a year to get in there, but Lana Del Rey's Norman Fucking Rockwell was debated, but I went with her Ultraviolence instead. I also didn't include multiple albums from one artist, otherwise it would be an O'Death, Uncle Acid, Electric Wizard, Ruby Throat list. But here it is, for what it's worth. Enjoy.
Uncle Acid - The Night Creeper (2015)
Evelyn Evelyn - Evelyn Evelyn (2010)
o'death - Outside (2011)
Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me (2010)
Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence (2014)
Blue - The Magic Whip (2015)
Portugal. The Man. - Evil Friends (2013)
Smino - blkswn (2017)
Big Blood - The Daughter Union (2017)
Arctic Monkeys - AM (2013)
Ryley Walker - Primrose Green (2015)
Ruby Throat - O' Doubt O' Stars (2012)
Wu-Tang vs. The Beatles - Enter the Magical Mystery Chambers (2010)

The Mystic Braves - The Great Unknown (2018)

Electric Wizard - Black Masses (2010)
Jim James - Eternally Even (2016)

The Decemberists - Long Live the King: (2011)
Beady Eye - BE (2013)
 Dead Heavens - Whatever Witch You Are (2017)
Natural Snow Buildings - The Night Country (2014)

Nacho Picasso - For the Glory (2011)

Goat - Requiem (2016) Jordaan Mason - Decline of Stupid Fucking Western Civilization (2015)
Emma Ruth Rundle - Marked for Death (2016)

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (2010)
  The Icarus Line - Slave Vows (2013)  Langhorne Slim - The Way We Move (2012)
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)



Best Live Albums of the Decade:

 Marc Bolan - Skycloaked Lord (...of Precious Light)
The White Stripes - Under Amazonian Lights: (2015)
Dead Moon - What a Way to See the Old Girl Go Sivert Hoyem - Live at Acropolis  Ryan Adams - Live at Carnegie Hall (2015)
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Live in No Particular Order (2015)
The Rolling Stones - The Marquee Club Live in 1971 (2015)

I Believe in Yesterday...

Throughout his career, Danny Boyle has made some great films, including cutting edge movies like Trainspotting and 28 Days Later. He's also made award winning films like Slumdog Millionaire and 128 Hours. But one of his other talents is making movies that in other hands would be sentimental and trite, but in his hands, they are special. Millions is a movie like that, and so is Yesterday.
I finally got around to watching this film, which imagines a world where the Beatles never existed. After a freak occurrence, one man wakes up to discover no one remembers the Fab Four or their music (well, almost no one). A struggling musician, he decides to remake his career by recording as many Beatles songs as he can remember the words to.
He becomes an overnight sensation, singing songs that blow the world's collective mind. This is one of those feel good movies, with a love story, fun sidebars, and satisfying conclusion. 
The one thing that was interesting to think about from a distance was whether or not these songs would actually have the kind of impact that they once had, or that the movie imagines them to have. I actually don't think they would. Especially considering that other bands had existed in the film. If all of the other bands of the time had existed, would these songs really sound that new? 
I'm sure the songs would be popular, as they are popular still today. Also, children always seem to love the Beatles which means there is something about these songs that new generations still love. However, in today's music environment, I just don't see the effect that the film imagines. However, that doesn't deter from the fantasy of it and the incredible joyfulness that the movie delivers.

Weekend Music Roundup (Best of 2019)

The year is coming to a close, which means it's about time I compile my list of favorite albums from the year that was 2019. It goes without saying that it was another wonderful year in the world of music, as it is every year. Despite what a lot old people often say, music didn't die forty, or thirty, or even twenty years ago. There is always fantastic music out there, you just have to keep your ears open and pay attention. As always, this year is more or less in descending order, but not exact by any means, except for the top spot, which is always reserved for my favorite album of the year. Enjoy.

Lana Del Rey - Norman Fucking Rockwell!
A.A. Bondy - Enderness
Blood Warrior - Animal Hides
Black Mountain - Destroyer

Peter Doherty and The Puta Madres
Liam Gallagher - Why Me? Why Not.
The Sonic Dawn - Eclipse
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?
Drugdealer - Raw Honey
Wilco - Ode to Joy

Inpectah Deck - Chamber No9

The Brian Jonestown Massacre - The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Dead Witches - The Final Exorcism
Le Butcherettes - bi/Mental
L.A. Guns - The Devil You Know


HONORABLE MENTIONS
Kadavar - For the Dead Travel Fast
I Am Oak - Osmosis
The Mystery Lights - Too Much Tension!
Amanda Palmer - There Will Be No Intermission
Pretty Vicious - Beauty of Youth
Korn - The Nothing
The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger
Ty Segall - First Taste
Tyler, the Creator - Igor
Robert Ellis - Texas Piano Man
 Gliss - In Utopia
  Velvet Negroni - NEON BROWN
Yeasayer - Erotic Returns
Clinic - Wheeltappers and Shunters

Star Wars...The Rise of Skywalker

I have a tradition where I go to the movies right before Christmas. This year was no different as I went to see the new Star Wars movie. I was more excited for this recent movie than I had been for any of the previous four movies (the two from the trilogy and Rouge One and Solo). Perhaps because I knew it would close out the story, and perhaps because I had re-watched The Last Jedi the day before and found that it was better than I remembered.
I knew the early reviews were not so great, but I didn't pay much attention to that. The critics have never really gotten Star Wars and as for the "die hard" fans, well oddly enough, they seem to hate all the movies except for the first two...which makes me wonder why they are even fans. 
Now, I admit that I grade Star Wars movies on a different scale. They're not going to be Best Picture kind of films. I try to look at them the way I would as a child, and by that, I mean, do they spark that same area of imagination that those movies from my childhood did. This one certainly did!
The exploration of the Sith was fascinating. Rey's story has been compelling from the beginning, even more compelling than Luke's in the first trilogy or Anakin's in the second. Of course, it follows a similar trajectory as the first trilogy. My problem with these movies has always been that they feel like an altered retelling of the first trilogy but with different characters. However with this movie, they managed to make everything bigger. There was more at stake. The Dark Side had never been so close to ultimate conquest of the galaxy. Hope was on the brink of blinking out.
This was a completely satisfying end to the Skywalker saga in my opinion.

Weekend Music Roundup

Welcome to the first official weekend of winter! As I prepare to gather my final best of list for the year, I offer you some thoughts on recent older discoveries that I've collected on vinyl over the past few months. Some of these are albums I'd been hunting for, and others are ones that I found on whim. This is mostly rock, with some psych folk and prog thrown in. While I'm thoroughly dedicated to staying atop of new music, I believe it's every music lover's duty to study what came before. Enjoy.
Dead Moon - In the Graveyard: Over the past two or three years, this Portland band has been a favorite of mine, and I'm still perplexed as to how they escaped my notice in the early 90s. I came across this, their '88 debut, at a small bookshop in Philly over Thanksgiving and snatched it up. Like all their music, it's raw, rocking, and coated with a hint of darkness. "Out on a Wire," "Dead in the Saddle," "Don't Burn the Fires," and "I Hate the Blues" are personal favorites. Fred Cole has been making incredible music since the late '60s and I hope one day he finally gets the recognition. Do yourself a favor and find some of his work to enjoy. 
The Chesterfield Kings - Here are the Chesterfield Kings: The 1982 debut from the garage rock revival band out of Rochester. I'd been searching for any of their records for years and never came across any until the other week. There are so many great bands from the first garage rock revival wave of the late 70s and early 80s, and this band is one of the best. Sure, these are covers of once obscure garage rock tracks from the '60s, but that's what makes it great in many ways. They were scholars of the genre before anyone ever put together the cannon. "I Told Those Little White Lies," "Won't Come Back," "Come with Me," and "60 Second Swinger" are personal favorites. 
Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'N' Roll: Too Young to Die: Released in '76, this was the 9th album from the progressive rock icons. I've been a huge fan of Tull for over twenty years, and still find myself working though their catalog. It took me a long time to get into anything after "A Passion Play" simply because I was so disappointed by that record and thought for sure that it was the beginning of their ending. In recent years, I've discovered the greatness that followed in albums like "Minstrel in the Gallery," "Heavy Horses," and not this album. Their mixture of blues rock, folk, and prog is unlike any other band, making them one of the most unique bands ever. Certainly not their top tier, but certainly in their second tier which is still pretty amazing stuff and surprising a Bowie feel to some of the music on here. "Crazed Institution," "Taxi Grab," and the title track are standouts for me.
Dory Previn - Mythical Kings and Iguanas: One of the great lost folk artists of the early '70s, I came across Dory's work by accident. Her fantastic '70 album "On My Way to Where" was in a box of free records I picked up back in the spring and it blew me away. On a recent trip, I came across this follow-up, released in '71 and snatched it up for under $5. This is equally brilliant. She mixes contemporary folk styling with avant chamber pop ingredients, giving it a strange psychedelic sound that reminds me of The United States of America record. Her albums are what I always hoped Nico's albums would sound like.  "Her Mothers Daughter," "Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign," "Angels and Devils the Following Day," and the two parts of the title track that open and close the album are my personal favorites on this amazing album. 
Arab Strap - The Week Never Starts Round Here: This 1996 debut from the UK slowcore indie band was just re-released, 13 years after the band broke up. Listening to this album today, it feels very familiar, but at the time, this style of lo-fi was pretty groundbreaking. There were a few of these sort of bands coming out of the UK at the time (Appendix Out comes to mind). It's lonely music and it really fit a rather lonely period of my life. I'm entirely sure I'd connect to it if I were hearing it for the first time today, but it's such a relic of my past that it sounds soothing. Glad this has the chance to reach a new generation of lonely teens.
Caresse and Sickmob - R.U. Experienced?: Released in 1989, this is a 7" single collaboration between Fred Giannelli (guitar player for Psychic TV at the time) and Caresse P-Orridge, the seven year old daughter of Genesis (frontman of Psychic TV and Throbbing Gristle). It's an experimental interpretation of the classic Jimi Hendrix song with Caresse speaking the vocals. The combination of a child's voice saying the lyrics and Fred's amazing guitar work give this song an unforgettable sound. This was a nice addition to the collection, especially since it's nearly impossible to find in the States. 

Fiction Friday (96)

It's been a minute since I picked up a poetry collection. I spent much of my developing years engulfed in poetry, only to abandon it in my adult years for the spell that fiction casts upon me. But every once in a while, I find myself returning to the purity of words that is found in poetry. It always has a way of awakening that part of my brain, the one that searches for complexity in simplicity of words. 
Conflict Resolution for Holy Beings by Joy Harjo
(Norton, 2017)

"I was on a train stopped sporadically at checkpoints.
What tribe are you, what nation, what race, what sex, what
       unworthy soul?"

In this collection of poetry from our current Poet Laurette, Joy Harjo explores the relationship of the individual with the world around through examinations of the everyday. Her perspective related to her experience as Native American and the spiritual teachings of indigenous peoples, an experience that has been fractured and frayed by the injustices of time. It is about healing, or the more appropriated, attempts at healing. How do we reconcile being human in a society which seems bent on the destruction of the human connection with nature? 
There isn't really an easy answer, but we attempt to do it through memory, through song, through words and celebration of all that we hold dear. These are powerful poems with subtle context that challenge the reader to examine themselves and their place in existence.

Can I Get a Wu..Tang!

This past weekend, I finished watching the first season of Wu-Tang: An American Saga on Hulu. Being a Wu fan, I was a little skeptical of this show when it came out in the Fall. At the time, I didn't know that RZA not only produced the show, but also wrote the first few episodes. It was also co-produced by the members of Wu-Tang Clan. Knowing that it had not only the blessing but the input of the Clan was a game changer for me.
While this is biographical, it is a fictionalized history about the life of Clan members before they came together to be the monumental figures they would become. And while their story is totally fascinating, it's also very much a portrait of NYC in the mid-to-early 90s, the time when I moved to the city. Its portrayal of the city is dead on accurate. These were the last days of the NYC as the gritty town that it once was, but thankfully the show doesn't sensationalize it. As with everything Wu, it keeps it real.
The acting in this show is phenomenal. I can't think of another drama that has every featured a cast of young African-American actors, most of them unknowns in their first lead roles. It would've been so easy for this show to fall into parody, to fall flat on its face. It doesn't. It soars above the hype and the concept and delivers a show about characters the viewer cares about, sharing their hopes and dreams and feeling their struggle.

Weekend Music Roundup

Welcome to the weekend and this will probably be the last of my roundups featuring all 2019 albums, though there are still plenty more that I want to get through. In the next two weeks, I'll be putting together my Best of 2019 list before we ring in a new decade. Most of these are new albums from artists that I've been following for a long time, but there are few artists new to me. Hopefully there's something here worth checking out. Enjoy.
Kadvar - For the Dead Travel Fast: The fifth album from the German stoner rock bands. This is a band that I've been following since their first release nine years ago. This one, as with the last album, sees them venture even further into the heavy psych realm, which is nothing that I'd ever complain about. The album opens with a mood setting track before delving into the masterfully dark "The Devil's Master." It reminds me of a heavier Uncle Acid, one with more stoner rock riffs. "Evil Forces," "Dancing with the Dead," and "Long Forgotten Song" are my personal favorites.

Neil Young and Crazy Horse - Colorado: This is Neil's first album in six years with long-time back-up band Crazy Horse. Though it lacks the traditional sound the pairing has brought, and doesn't have the revival appeal of their last collaboration Psychedelic Pill, this is still a solid Neil album that fits more with his roots sound than his grandfather of grunge sound, though their are some wonderful guitar heavy moments. "Think of Me," "Help Me Loose My Mind," and "Shut It Down" are my personal favorites. 

Velvet Negroni - NEON BROWN: This is the second album from the member of Pony Bwoy. It's one of the albums that redefines a genre. Classified as alternative RnB, it's the kind of art pop album that is very much a product of this past decade. It's richly layered and maintains a consistent groove from start to finish.  The closest comparison for me would be Prince, or rather, Prince would be a clear influence. It's more electronic, more dance, more trip-hop, but it has that Prince passion to it. "Wine Green," "Kurt Kobain," "Confetti," "Scratchers," and "Ectodub" are standouts on this pleasant surprise of an album.  
Goblin Hovel - Nothing Like Our Fantasy: This is a project that began six years ago and has included a long list of people coming and going to make the 10 albums released in that time. I first got into them because their music sounded like a kind of soundtrack to a book I wrote (still unpublished). They play a gothic neo-folk type of acoustic death metal that truly feels like goblin music, but in the most wonderful way. I highly recommend checking them out on Bandcamp. Sadly, they claim this will be their last album, but they have a wonderful catalog to explore. 
Calaxico / Iron and Wine - Years to Burn: This is the second collaboration between the two indie bands, the first being an EP released 14 years ago. Both artists have grown in that time, but they've grown in parallel ways that makes the pairing still relevant. They have both moved toward a more layered sound in the decade and a half since they last got together, and while this is still pure indie folk, it has a rich sound. Another fine collection of songs with "Midnight Sun" and "The Bitter Suite" are standouts. 
Simon Joyner - Pocket Moon: For more than 25 years, Simon has been releasing wonderful lo-fi indie folk albums. He was one of the early figures on the Omaha scene that launched Bright Eyes among others and I've been a fan of his music for nearly 20 years. His newest album is another in a long string of poetic Americana folk, but this one reminds me a little of Leonard Cohen. It's deep and moving and bleak and wonderful. "Tongue of a Child," "The Last Time I Saw You, Billy," "Yellow Jacket Blues," and the title track are standouts on this solid record.

Oreyeon - Ode to Oblivion: The second album from the heavy psych outfit out of Italy was released back in April. (Their first album was released three years ago under the name Orion). The riffs tend to veer toward the sludge sound, while the vocals are pure heavy psych, and the combination is quite nice. There's nothing earth shattering here, it's just solid heavy rock. "The Ones," and "Starship Pusher" are my personal favorites, a great double punch to end the album. 

Fiction Friday (95)

I know that I said previously that I was going to stay away from YA for a bit, but I'd been reading so much about this book that when my library got it, I decided to read it. I love the idea of this book, I love the fact that a book like this was published and so well received. What I did not love unfortunately, was this book. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite for me. However, I do believe the intended audience will like it.
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
(Make Me a World, 2019)

Pet is a story of angels and monsters.  Pet is the story of hidden danger and danger that goes unnoticed because people have stopped looking and stopped believing that danger exists. It's a story about what happens in a utopian society that believes there are no such things as monsters anymore.
In the safe world of Lucille (name of the place, not a character), Jam (a young girl) has been wrapped in this sense of safety her entire life. It has allowed her to exist peacefully despite traits that in our world would cause immense struggle. However, Jam is curious about angels and monsters. Perhaps because she is curious, Jam discovers that the safety she exists in might not be as perfect as she has been told.
This is a story that tends to reduce everything to allegory. It serves as a warning to readers not to forget the struggles of the past, the evils of the past, and to be ever vigilant to prevent the worst of history from repeating itself. The trade-off with allegory however is that it simplifies the very intense and important issues it is addressing. I felt as though this were the case in Pet. For me personally, I found it lacking the kind of intensity, lyricism, and imagery that I typically crave. However, for the intended audience (for this book, I'd say a mature 11 and up), I think the allegory is effective, making this a very beneficial book for young readers.

Weekend Music Roundup

The weekend has come again, and we're down to only a few more before the calendar flips over into the 20's. So, like last week, I'm going to hit you up with thoughts about some more albums from this year while I still got time. That will be followed by another one next week, and then it'll be time for the year end round up, and a flurry of past masters that I've been grooving to lately but haven't had the room to talk about. Until then...enjoy.
Beck - Hyperspace: The seemingly ageless indie wonder returns with his first album in two years. Right off, I have to admit that I absolutely love this cover. It nails what Beck is all about! Like the last album, he's playing with a lot of 80s synth pop sounds on this, and does so effectively. As always, there's moments of funky playfulness. But unlike the last album, those moments are mixed with the softer elements of his wonderful "Morning Phase" album. "Stratosphere," "Uneventful Days," "Everlasting Nothing," and the title track are standouts on this respectable addition to his catalog. 
San Fermin - The Cormorant I: It's been two years since the Brooklyn indie chamber pop band's last album (their third). This EP seems to be part one of a planned multi-EP release and it's a welcome return. I've always liked this band and their way of mixing of genres into their music. An almost impossible task today is for a band to not sound like another band, and they've always done that for me. I really enjoy how they use dark folk with more upbeat sounds. "Cerulean Gardens," "Summer by the Void," and "The Myth" are personal favorites. 
Cannons - Shadows: This is the second full length album from the L.A. indie dream pop trio. This is very much of that L.A. style of indie pop, very outdoor club friendly, a slight tinge of eeriness and mystery. Just enough to keep it balancing between pop and trip-hop to keep me from getting bored. It certainly has a Lana Del Rey feel to it. "Love Chained," "Fire For You," and "Talk Talk," are standouts. A solid album to be sure, but some weak tracks. 
Basement Revolver - Wax and Digital: The Canadian indie artist's debut album "Heavy Eyes" was a nice surprise last year and they followed it up with this solid EP which is also reminiscent of '90s indie. There's something about this band that reminds me of Helium. There's a sweetness on the surface, but something buried just under that gives it depth. "Have I Been Deceived," and "What Are You Waiting For" are standouts.

DMA's - MTV Unplugged Live: After the success of their initial two albums in the last three years, the Australian Britpop band released this album back in June. The most surprising thing about this album is that MTV is still doing Unplugged albums. As with other albums in that series, this is scaled back versions of album tracks. Though not completely reinvented in the way an artist like Nirvana, this reveals a softer side of a band that is not all that heavy to begin with. Their tunes adopt easily into this format and make for a fine album. Personally, I'm just happy that somebody out there is keeping the Britpop sound alive.  
Jerry Leger - Time Out for Tomorrow: The fourth album from the Canadian indie artist. This is a country inspired folk album, which sounds odd from somewhere from Toronto, but remember, Neil Young is Canadian as well. This isn't earth shattering by any means, it follows traditional songwriting of the genre, but it features great slide guitar and Jerry has an honesty about his voice that shines through. I actually like the old-fashioned feel that he conjures up on this record. "Canvas of Gold," "That Ain't Here," "Read Between the Lines," and "Survived Like a Stone" are my favorites.