Giuseppe Zangara

Songs from earlier in the disc I feel I should mention: "The Magnificient Seven" is the most anthologized song on this album, a cursory glance of their discography shows. I don't know why. Maybe due to it being the very first song and so few people can be arsed to sit through Sandinista!'s nearly 2.5 hour running time. It's a totally dated appropriation of hip hop, which, at the time of this album's release (1980), was still very much in its infancy. Later on in this disc (or, the song that opened the second LP of the original three LP set), "Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)" also takes a stab at hip hop, with equally underwhelming results. The Clash actually whip up a nice groove on these songs, but Joe Strummer's rapping is hilariously misguided, mostly due to his speech impediment. No one would spray the mic with so much spittle until 23 years later, when Kanye went "Through the Wire." Mick Jones' "Somebody Got Murdered" and "Up in Heaven (Not Only Here)" are both good songs, hampered only by the weak production and the fact that both are basically rewrites of "Lost in the Supermarket."

"One More Time" is such a paper thin thing; it only made sense to take this slight notion and double its length with a dub breakdown. Yawn.

Disc one. "Hitsville U.K." is a good song; the female singer, Ellen Foley, later appeared as a regular character on Night Court. Dan Fielding made lecherous comments, I'm sure. Anyway, totally faux Motown sound here, which is cool. The Jam's "A Town Called Malice," Elvis Costello and the Attractions' Get Happy!!, etc. have long been favorites. "Ivan Meets G.I. Joe" is not good. Or maybe it is, but who could tell when the song is drenched in ridiculous sound effects that were likely taken from some random Midway game from the arcade around the corner from the studio.

Due to its reputation, I avoided this for the longest time. No longer. The production is really awful, so flat and muddy. At first I thought maybe it needed a new remaster, but the cd I'm listening to is from '99, when Epic remastered/reissued the Clash's back catalogue. My copy of London Calling I'm so familiar with—also a '99 remaster—sounds light years better than this. An aside: I misspelled the Sandinista! in the thread title.

Coil

Misty Mendez.

The new Loose Fur isn't bad. It's title, Born Again in the U.S.A., is. Anyway, the music itself is less artsy than their s/t, kind of a low key, mid-tempo folk thing. I like it; I wish there were more Jim O'Rourke and less Jeff Tweedy, though. No offense to Tweedy, but I hear enough of him in Wilco; it's not that often O'Rourke steps behind the mic.

Back in 1993. They played live only sporadically throughout the years; only Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens remain from the original line-up—the other two seats are filled by Ken Stringfellow and Jonathan Auer from the Posies. This line-up released an album in '05, called In Space. Said album contained only two really good songs ("Lady Sweet" and "February's Quiet"), a few okay ones and a lot of crap. I don't see what's the big deal of Eno playing again with Roxy Music, even if it were true. He was only with the band for their first two albums; they released a lot of awesome music after he left.

I'd throw myself out the window but I live on the ground floor.

I listened to the debut album by Band of Horses, Everything All the Time, today. It comes out in March, I think. Expect Pitchfork to go crazy over it; it sounds like a less melodramatic Arcade Fire, but just as mediocre. EDIT: The singer kinda sounds like Perry Farrell, for what it's worth. You Heard It Here First.

A couple of friends of mine are in a band called Mr. Children. I assume they're unaware of the name already being taken. My rec of Don Caballero to Gene inspired me to put on American Don for the first time in awhile. So fucking good. I look forward to their new album; the current line up was stellar when I saw them live last year.

I regret not going out tonight. I am presently on day three of giving up my biggest vice: caffeine. I had some work to do today, by the end of it, I had a major headache and was physically ill from the withdrawal. It's since passed, but now here I am, sitting in my apartment, alone, too drunk to go out and drive somewhere.

Drugs are awesome.

Gene, you might wanna check out Don Caballero. They're all instrumental; the first couple of albums are very riff/metal heavy, the last two were more melodic/proggy. If you're interested in the former, check out Don Caballero 2; the latter, American Don. When I learned that they signed to Relapse, I assumed they'd revert back to their more metal sound, but leader/drummer/sole original member Damon Che was saying that the new record will kinda synthesize all of their previous material.

The Last Waltz is interesting, but it's too much of a Robbie Robertson strokefest.

This new Boris, Pink, is pretty fuckin'

"Innocent When You Dream" is one of his best songs, you retard.

Yeah, I don't think anyone cares about the band's image anymore, Czech.

Every now and then, there'd be a song with a nice melody or guitar line, but then Casablancas starts his Downsy wailing and kills the song's momentum. Not that they'd be better with a different singer; that they occasionally come up with a nice hook seems more an accident, given the overwhelming mediocrity of most of their output.

Now I am listening to the Strokes' First Impressions of Earth. I've managed to avoid listening to the Strokes for over four years now; Julian Casablancas' voice is as grating as ever. Why did I download this.

"The Briar and the Rose" is the only thing I like on The Black Rider, but I really, really like it.

I've heard of Early Man. Weird they're on an indie rock label like Matador. Don Caballero recently signed to Relapse, which is also pretty strange.

I'd say it's their best full length since If You're Feeling Sinister, but I doubt that means anything to you. If you're new to this band, check out IYFS or the recent Push Barman to Open Old Wounds comp.

It's a bit fuller sounding, yet the songs are kind of slight. It's not bad by any means, but I don't know if it has much of a replayability factor. For the record, I felt similarly about YAF. And, as of this post, I'm two songs into the new Lilys album. Good so far.

So far, I've heard the following: Mogwai - Mr. Beast Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit Cat Power- The Greatest The Pink Mountaintops - Axis of Evol Lilys - Everything Wrong is Imaginary The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth Boris - Pink Band of Horses - Everything All the Time Loose Fur - Born Again in the U.S.A. Destroyer - Rubies The Ladies - They Mean Us Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops The Flaming Lips - At War with the Mystics Pearls and Brass - The Indian Tower Prince - 3121 Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors Man Man - Six Demon Bag I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Fear is on Our Side Ghostface Killah - Fishscale Mono - You Are There Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood Built to Spill - You in Reverse Jesu - Silver Liars - Drum's Not Dead Mission of Burma - The Obliterati Guitar - Tokyo I'll be keeping this updated.