What are you listening to right now?

[Guest evenflowDDT]

People Under the Stairs - "San Francisco Knights"

[Guest Kotzenjunge]

Geinoh Yamashirogumi - Akira Theme

[Guest AzkulKazul]

Dimmu Borgir - A Succubus In Rapture

[Guest OctoberBlood]

Cold - She Said

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Elvis Costello - "Tramp the Dirt Down"

[Guest OctoberBlood]

Slipknot- Only One

[Guest NazMistry]

The Hives - 'Die, All Right'

[Guest Incandenza]

Elvis Costello - "Tramp the Dirt Down"

What do you think? The demo version on the Rhino reissue of Spike is far superior, as are most of the demo versions on there.

[Guest mesepher]

my recording of Gov't Mule from 2/20/02

 

"Blind Man in the Dark" at this moment.

[Guest WrestlingDeacon]

Kind Hearted Woman Blues by Keb Mo

[Guest WukenBloodstar]

"Tainted Love" by Mrailyn Manson

[Guest El Psycho Diablo]

Metallica - "Die Die My Darling"

[Guest OctoberBlood]

Prayer by Disturbed

[Guest WukenBloodstar]

"Cowboys From Hell" by Pantera

[Guest OctoberBlood]

Sugar by SOAD

[Guest Flyboy]

Avril Lavigne - "I'm With You"

[Guest Dr. Wrestlingphysics]

My new Beastie Boys Get it Together/Sabotage CD single

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Elvis Costello - "Tramp the Dirt Down"

What do you think? The demo version on the Rhino reissue of Spike is far superior, as are most of the demo versions on there.

For the majority of the demo tracks, on first listen I did find them better than the album versions. However, the first time I heard the album I didn't really like it, so I think I need to give the demos more listen to judge fairly. Unfortunately, I can't remember where I put the second disc

 

Actually, that's a good idea for a topic... can't be worse than the VMA's, right?

 

Anyway, back to what I'm listening to:

J. Geils Band - "Centerfold"

 

(just when you were thinking I was beginning to develop a refined taste )

[Guest Kinetic]

The new Sleater-Kinney, One Beat. It sounds good...a bit more textured and diverse than their other, more straightforward albums. And that banshee wail is gone, for the most part. I have absolutely no clue where the Trail of Dead comparison in the Pitchfork review came from, though. It's one of those things like...a few years ago reviewers wanted to compare everything, no matter how asinine the comparsion was, to Radiohead. Everything sounded like Radiohead. And now, apparently, Sleater-Kinney sounds like And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. It's a wild, wild world.

[Guest Incandenza]

The new Sleater-Kinney, One Beat. It sounds good...a bit more textured and diverse than their other, more straightforward albums. And that banshee wail is gone, for the most part. I have absolutely no clue where the Trail of Dead comparison in the Pitchfork review came from, though. It's one of those things like...a few years ago reviewers wanted to compare everything, no matter how asinine the comparsion was, to Radiohead. Everything sounded like Radiohead. And now, apparently, Sleater-Kinney sounds like And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead. It's a wild, wild world.

I now know from experience it's a real pisser to try to write about an album and not fall into the "________ really sounds a lot like _______" trap. It's an easy one to fall into.

[Guest Anorak]

'No Surface All Feeling' - Manic Street Preachers

[Guest Kinetic]

I now know from experience it's a real pisser to try to write about an album and not fall into the "________ really sounds a lot like _______" trap. It's an easy one to fall into.

Oh, I know. I just hate that any rock song with prominent vocal harmonies is compared to The Beatles, just as a knee-jerk reaction. I wish people would try a little harder than that, is all. If something really does sound like something else, it should be acknowledged. Like the PJ Harvey on Stories from the City.../Chrissy Hynde comparison. Very apt and one that I always bring up when explaining why I can't stand that album.

[Guest godthedog]

i think every major piece of rock criticism i've ever read consists of writing about an artist & making references to other artists through them.

 

bjork: 'vespertine'

[Guest Incandenza]

Like the PJ Harvey on Stories from the City.../Chrissy Hynde comparison. Very apt and one that I always bring up when explaining why I can't stand that album.

Well, misguided judgment is an entirely different manner of beast, Kinetic.

[Guest Will Scarlet]

S#arp - Lying

[Guest evenflowDDT]

i think every major piece of rock criticism i've ever read consists of writing about an artist & making references to other artists through them.

This is totally true, except that it applies to all genres, and not just rock criticism. However, the problem with this is that it's never made when necessary: for example, a Ja Rule will be compared to 2Pac because they both share a similar vocal pattern and are both "gangsta" types, yet the comparison should be made from Ja Rule to Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, since GF&tFF were the first to use the line "I keep my hand on my gun / 'cuz they got me on the run". Anyway, that's just an example... I don't listen to Ja Rule so I don't know if he's used that line, but I know 2Pac has, and it seems every gangsta rapper ever has used that line somewhere along the line.

 

Anyway, I think it's almost become a requirement that criticism HAS to compare to other artists, or at least the artist's other albums. I don't necessarily think this is fair though, since nobody's listened to every album ever made, so how can anyone be sure they're making the right comparisons? And in regards to the artist's other albums, what if they've specifically changed their style between albums? That wouldn't exactly be "the right comparison" either.

 

Anyway...

Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow, Track 04. "First in Flight (feat. Gil Scott-Heron)"

[Guest WukenBloodstar]

"One" by Metallica

[Guest OctoberBlood]

Strip her Down by Cold

[Guest evenflowDDT]

Elvis Costello - Spike bonus disc

Track 06: "Pads, Paws and Claws" (demo) [just ended]

Track 07: "Let Him Dangle" (demo)

[Guest OctoberBlood]

Something Told Me by Coal Chamber