Stereo Court Case: Deer Tick

Charge: I'm listening to Deer Tick right now, a lot.

Argument: The common complaint about Deer Tick is their lack of adventurousness, that they don't break from a lock-step adherence to traditional folk, country and rock 'n' roll sounds and structure. Each track is one or the other, with little blending, and that the band hasn't put its own footprint on the well-worn paths. I'd argue that right now, that is one of their strongest attributes. Just as the Black Keys' unironic take on garage blues earned them their own room in the mostly-empty indie house of earnestness, Deer Tick, for the time being, can crank out a rockabilly track, followed by a Rolling Stones homage and not offend any listeners like myself looking for an unwinking throwback every now and again. And, lets not forget the superb lyrics and dude's industrial-grade blender voice. Like Dylan bled through a broken speaker, lead singer/principle songwriter John McCauley's throat adds a whole new texture to the slide guitars, country shuffles and occasional rock 'n' roller. If your looking for a reason to listen to Deer Tick, his voice should be enough, and it should also be different enough to separate the band from its obvious influences.

Decision: The band has two tradition-minded albums under it's belt. Why rush the maturation and "expanding their sound" album? As long as the songs are good, what's wrong with playing the music most of us love to listen to? The upbeat chord change midway through "Born on Flag Day's" opening track "Easy" should be enough to validate the whole enterprise. We don't need any more synths or computer blips in the background of alt.country songs. I think Wilco has it covered.

Memory soundtracking

Some songs are permanently linked to a film they appeared in, whether written for the soundtrack or not. Sometimes this builds upon the meaning to the song, other times it changes the original meaning completely, creating a new statement. Either way, all these tracks immediately conjure characters and dialogue in my head, at least.

Song: Roy Orbison - In Dreams
Film: Blue Velvet (1986)
In David Lynch's unsettling '80s masterpiece, villain Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) demands the song be played during two awesome scenes. The first is at the homestead of a pimp named Ben. His ghoulish, white-painted face glows eerily over a worklight held like a mic as he lip-syncs, starting with the opening line about a "candy-colored clown." Frank takes a break from slamming a PBR while holding terrified college-age Jeffry hostage to enjoy the nocturnal ballad. Later, after a terrifying joy ride, Frank demands one of his goons play "the candy-colored clown" before beating the living snot out of Jeffry as one of Ben's overweight hookers dances on the roof of the car.

Lynch's films always play like disorientating nightmares, and Bue Velvet removes any comfort from Orbison's tune, making it as frightening as the deranged characters lurking beneath Blue Velvet's idyllic small town setting.


Song: Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street
Film: Jackie Brown (1997)
Though the characters in Tarantino's most underrated film bond over the Delfonics, no other track encapsulates Quintin's reverent throwback to blacksploitation cinema like this smooth-operating ode to hustling and the wah-wah peddle. The song not only gets stuck in your head, it packs it's bags full of scenes from the film for deposit in your frontal lobe.



Song: Geto Boys - Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangster
Film: Office Space (1999)
I'm pretty sure Bushwick Bill, Scarface and Willie D never intended their jam to be synonymous with white-coller rebellion against the soul-sucking strife of cubicle culture, but its use in the film is effective either way. The track's inclusion is perfectly framed by scenes like the opening credit sequence, when a harmless Micheal Bolton is seen rapping to Scarface's "No Tears" like a real hardass, before nervously rolling up the window at the first glance of a black man. I'm not ashamed to admit that Office Space introduced me to the Geto Boys, easily one of the best rap groups of any decade whose influence goes way beyond posturing computer programmers.



Song: Bob Dylan - The Man in Me
Film: The Big Lebowski (1998)
The Coen brothers took this song, from one of Zimmy's unloved '70s albums, and made it the Dude's complete and utter bitch. You can't hear the "na na nana, na nana na" chorus and not think of Jeff Bridges floating through the LA sky with a bowling ball, pajama pants, jellies and all.
Kenny Rogers' "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In" is also forever altered by the Dude.

The biggest loser

These horrible album covers have nothing to do with this blog entry. To see more, and where I got them from, I highly recommend you visit this: http://neilperkin.typepad.com/only_dead_fish/2008/02/the-worst-album.html

or for the full version, this: http://jeffbridges.com/worstalbumcoversever.pdf

I'm a really big loser, so occasionally I like to play a little game with myself (No, not that. But yeah, also that.) I go to Metacritic.com and guess what the over-all score different albums and movies are going to receive before I read any reviews (both about movies and music I have seen/heard and ones I have not.) I'm really, really good at it, too, because like I said, I'm a huge fucking loser.

I'm gonna publicly play my little prognostication game on Warped Coasters now, but limit the scope to how many stars some up-coming albums will receive from the most predictable of all music rags: Rolling Stone. I still love their features and longer stories, but no discerning music fan has bought Rolling Stone for the reviews since probably 1969.

Now that I'm finally publishing my worthless talent, I will probably botch all of these predictions and hang my head in shame for perpetuity.

Bob Dylan - (as of yet untitled): 4.5 stars
This would be an easy 5-star prediction, but they gave Dylan's last album "Modern Times" a (deserving) 5-star rating. Also, they already gave both U2 and Springsteen 5 stars this year, which is one album past their usual 5-star stockpile. You know they will prolly give him 5-stars anyway.

Green Day - "21 Century Breakdown": 3 stars
"American Idiot" got 3.5 stars. The follow up could totally blow, but Rolling Stone has been writing so many hype-dredging previews that they won't be able to admit it if it does. Also, they can't give it more stars than "American Idiot" since that was, like, the biggest album of 2004. Or, they could try to payback history by giving the follow up 4-stars to please people that actually care about these kinds of things. For the record, I'm totally ambivalent about everything Green Day has released since "Dookie," which I will still love forever.

Decemberists - "The Hazards of Love": 3.5 stars
Good indie bands always get 3 to 3.5 stars, unless it's the album Rolling Stone wants to champion to regain some sort of cred. The Decemberists have been around too long for that kind of desperate grab, so expect a review in the default and noncommittal 3-star range.

Wilco - (as of yet untitled): 4 stars
Wilco always gets 4 stars. Whatever. If I think it's not up to par, Rolling Stone will like it and talk about how our Dads love it. If I think it's great Rolling Stone will say they tried some new things that don't always work. Either way it will get 4 stars.

Grizzly Bear, Iron and Wine, Silversun Pickups: all 3 stars.
See Decemberists

Scavenging

Here's all the best stuff I found on Stereogum and other places today:

1. This benefit album is pretty sick: the cover artists are mostly covering the seminal acts they are always compared to Beck singing Dylan, Hold Steady singing the Boss, etc

http://www.warchild.org.uk/heroes/tracklist

2. Unreleased Arcade Fire track:
http://stereogum.com/archives/new-arcade-fire-lenin_049202.html

3. New My Morning Jacket track here:
http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/148858-new-music-my-morning-jacket-el-caporal-stream

4. I'm not a big fan of Scarlett Johansson's baritone, or her Tom Waits cover CD, but here is her covering some Jeff Buckley song. Looking at that picture posted of her while listening to the song makes it a little bit, um, more enjoyable.

http://stereogum.com/archives/scarlett-johansson-covers-jeff-buckley_048421.html

An album for every year (before my time)

This is the follow up post to “An Album for Every Year.” It named my favorite album of each year I have been alive. While constructing that list, all I really wanted to do was go back and pick my favorite albums from some of the classic rock and early punk years. In the previous entry, I had some troubles with the mid-‘80s, but this 1962 – 1984 span creates the opposite problem – too many great albums.
These lists can prompt you to think about artists and albums in totally different ways, and eras in general. Looking back at some years like 1996, I was too little to appreciate how much great and diverse music was released. Or how different Radiohead and Beck were from everything else when they hit their respective creative strides.
I regret that so many of the same artist dominate each year, but its my "favorite" album list, and not my "best" album list, because I have too many listening gaps to even attempt to canonize two decades ... and it would be arrogant.

1962 Bob Dylan – Bob Dylan

1963 Bob Dylan – The Freeweelin’ Bob Dylan

1964 Nina Simone – The Best of Nina Simone
Honorable mention – The Kinks - Kinks

1965 Bob Dylan – Highway 61 Revisted
Close Second - Otis Redding - Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul

1966 Bob Dylan – Blonde on Blonde
Honorable Mentions - Otis Redding – The Soul Album
John Mayall - Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton

1967 The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band
Honorable Mentions - The Velvet Underground – The Velvet Underground and Nico
Jimi Hendrix – Are You Experienced?
Van Morrison – Blowin’ Your Mind

1968 The Rolling Stones – Beggars Banquet
Close Second - The Zombies - Odessey and Oracle
Honorable Mention - Johnny Cash – At Folsom Prison

1969 Led Zeppelin – II
Close Second - The Beatles – Abbey Road
Honorable Mentions - Led Zeppelin – I
Rolling Stones – Let it Bleed
Neil Young – Everyone Knows this is Nowhere

1970 Led Zeppelin – III
Honorable Mention - Creedence Clearwater Revival – Cosmo’s Factory

1971 David Bowie – Hunky Dory
Close Second - Led Zeppelin – IV
Honorable mentions – Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
Allman Brothers Band – Live At Fillmore East
Pink Floyd – Meddle
The Who – Who’s next
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On
The Faces - A Nod is As Good As a Wink to a Blind Horse

1972 Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street
Honorable Mentions - Neil Young – Harvest
Curtis Mayfield - Superfly

1973 Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon
Close Second – Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy
Honorable Mentions – Randy Newman – Sail Away
Bob Marley – Catch a Fire
Bob Marley – African Herbsman

1974 Tom Waits – The Heart of Saturday Night
Honorable Mention - Bob Marley - Natty Dread

1975 Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Honorable Mentions - Bob Marley – Live!
Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy

1976 Thin Lizzy – Jail Break

1977 Elvis Costello – My Aim is True
Close Second – Pink Floyd – Animals
Honorable Mention – Talking Heads – Talking Heads 77
Television - Marquee Moon

1978 Elvis Costello – This Year’s Model
Close Second - Tom Waits – Blue Valentine

1979 The Clash – London Calling

1980 Joy Division – Closer
Honorable Mention - Talking Heads – Remain in Light

1981 Rolling Stones – Tattoo You

1982 Michael Jackson - Thriller
Honorable Mention - Elvis Costello – Imperial Bedroom

1983 Talking Heads – Speaking in Tongues

1984 U2 – The Unforgettable Fire

An Album for Every Year

This is an interesting excercise that has been making the blog circles. Pick the best album from every year you have been alive. The 2000s and '90s were easy.
But my '80s music knowledge is pretty spotty. I know the albums by my favorite groups and the pop and new wave singles, but as for what was then called "College rock" I don't know more than few songs by The Jesus and Mary Chain, Cure, Smiths, Pogues, Nick Cave, Pixies, Husker Du, etc. Same goes with some of the critically acclaimed pop artists like Prince and Paul Simon, who supposedly have solid albums to back up the singles. I only have two ears, and it takes plenty of energy keeping up with all the new stuff, let alone continue to educate my self on the '80s.
If only I could write this list going back to the 70s and 60s, I could have a more informed selection.
The next installment will be an album for every year before I was born.


1985 Talking Heads - Little Creatures

1986 Beastie Boys - License to Ill

1987 REM - Document

1988 N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton

1989 Black Crowes - Shake your money Maker
Close Second - Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Honorable Mention - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother's Milk

1990 A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm

1991 Nirvana - Nevermind
Close Second - Pearl Jam - Ten (of course)

1992 R.E.M. - Automatic for the People
Close Second - Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Honorable Mention - Eric Clapton - Unplugged

1993 Wu Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers
Close Second - Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream
Honorable Mentions - Nirvana - In Utero
Pearl Jam - Vs.
Snoop Doggy Dog - Doggystyle

1994 Weezer - (Blue Album)
Close Second - Pearl Jam - Vitalogy
Honorable Mention - Beck - Mellow Gold

1995 Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
Close Second - Radiohead - the Bends
Honorable Mention - Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five

1996 Beck - Odeley
Close Second - Eels - Beautiful Freak
Honorable Mentions - Cake - Fashion Nugget
Wilco - Being There
Weezer - Pinkerton
Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire

1997 Radiohead - OK Computer

1998 Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Honorable Mentions - Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
Beck - Mutations

1999 Wilco - Summerteeth

2000 Deltron - Deltron 3030
Honorable Mention - Radiohead - Kid A

2001 Spoon - Girls Can Tell
Honorable Mention - Ryan Adams - Gold

2002 Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Close Second - People under the Stairs - O.S.T.
Honorable Mention - White Stripes - White Blood Cells
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Black Keys - Big Come Up
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow

2003 White Stripes - Elephant
Close Second - The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
Honorable Mention - Kings of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood

2004 Black Keys - Rubber Factory
Close Second - Wilco - A Ghost is Born

2005 My Morning Jacket - Z
Honorable Mentions - Kings of leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak

2006 Bob Dylan - Modern Times
Honorable Mentions - The Black Angels - Passover
Tapes n Tapes - The Loon
Decemberists - The Crane Wife

2007 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Honorable Mentions - Radiohead - In Rainbows
Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Okkervil River - The Stage Names
Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

2008 Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes