Comments which don't warrant a thread.

[Nighthawk 0]

I was being sarcastic.

[Jingus 0]

Speaking of "I'm so hot" songs: why is it that in each and every one of Missy Elliot's singles that are played on the radio are ALL about how hot she supposedly is? It seems like this wildebeast can't get thru a single song without blathering about how she's the best female rapper and has the best pussy in the world.

[Nighthawk 0]

I'm come to like "sugar walls" as a vagina euphemism. I've never heard anybody but female rappers use it (well, besides myself).

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Speaking of "I'm so hot" songs: why is it that in each and every one of Missy Elliot's singles that are played on the radio are ALL about how hot she supposedly is? It seems like this wildebeast can't get thru a single song without blathering about how she's the best female rapper and has the best pussy in the world.

It's really not that different from what many male rappers do.

 

And fugliness aside, she probably is the best female rapper around right now, but the competition isn't so stiff. She also gots a phenomenal amount of help from having Timbaland on speed-dial anytime she needs a backing track.

 

Speaking of Timbaland, I listened to Aaliyah's "Try Again" today for the first time in a long time. Jesus christ that's a perfect pop song.

[DCMaximo 0]

Does anyone know if the albums Wilco released with Billy Bragg are worth getting, bearing in mind that I can't stand Billy Bragg's voice? How much does Bragg sing on the albums?

 

In a related note, got my ticket to see Wilco in March. Colour me excited

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Bragg and Tweedy split vocal duties 50/50, so you might not like it.

[Murmuring Beast 0]

I am about three-quarters of the way through Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance by Johnny Rogan and although he's obviously a good writer, the book isn't nearly as interesting as it should be. The writing isn't exciting and there's far too much on the heritage of Morrissey and Marr's family. He also gets a bit bogged down with the financial side of things, often repeating himself. He wants to say Rourke and Joyce were lovable idiots but never fully comes out with it.

 

His critique of Morrissey's behaviour is good though as are some of the explainations of his lyrics. A good book, but I was expecting to have finished it by now, having borrowed it a couple of weeks ago.

[The Czech Republic 0]

I bought it the day before MLK Day and have been trying to slog through the heritage of the Morrissey and Marr families as well. Seriously. An entire photo insert with Morrissey's grandfather and aunts? Why?

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Speaking of books, I picked up RZA's The Wu-Tang Manual today. Best $16 I've spent in a while; he goes into the group's history, gives a little explanation of their philosophies, breaks down lyrics for 9 key songs, and talks about the business and production ethic of the Clan. Really fun book for anyone who likes Enter the Wu-Tang.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

* I'm listening to Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun, some four years after I last gave it a shot and dismissed it as dull. It's going better this time around, but there's still some slow spots, mainly in that I don't like vocal jazz very much and there are a couple of vocal jazz tracks here.

 

* Earlier, I listened to Wilco's most recent (and Grammy Award winning!) album, A Ghost is Born. I listened to this a lot for a two week period after it came out last summer, but then it fell off my radar, resulting in only a handful of listens since. It's good enough...but there's something tentative about most of it. There's a few standout tracks—like "Hell is Chrome" and "Spiders"—but the bulk of the record seems content to just be mildly pleasant, existing in the background for the NPR crowd who still think themselves edgy.

 

* I'm seeing Wilco tomorrow, which I've mentioned elsewhere in this folder. I hope the album's lesser moments come off better on stage; I also hope they do a generous runthrough of their back catalogue.

 

* Here are the Wilco albums, listed in preferential order:

 

Being There

Summerteeth

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

A.M.

A Ghost is Born

[Si82 0]

Just wanted to say that Green Day were awesome last week in Newcastle. Lots of stuff from "American Idiot" and a smattering of other hits. Great gig.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Another album I recently listened to is Mastodon's Leviathan. It had a thick, bottom-heavy sound I liked, plus the vocals didn't bother me and the album lacked the wanky metal solos I never cared for. Still, I don't see this being something I'd ever love.

[Nighthawk 0]

I'm not sure what to make of Leviathan. It's pretty good but it was hyped so much I feel like I should dislike it on principle. I don't like it enough to get the special edition they put out.

[Special K 0]

This weekend I saw Interpol with Blonde redhead. Interpol was fine, nothing spectacular. The guy's got some pipes, but after a while, just listening to people plug away at chords gets boring.

Blonde Redhead was spectacular. They had some electronic backing, which allowed them to do some of their sort of orchestral tracks from 'Misery is a butterfly'.

[Nighthawk 0]

On "Mama Said Knock You Out" (the song) LL sounds like Sir Mix-A-Lot doing an impression of Chuck D.

[Modern Man's Hustle 0]

I listened to some rap battles my friend had on CD last night. I heard Juice vs. Supernatural, with Supernat being the clear winner, then I heard another guy that could beatbox and rap at the same time. I was impressed as shit, but I forgot the guy's name. Started with an R, I remember that much.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

Rahzel? "If Your Mother Only Knew" and so on? He's the most famous guy who can do that, I think.

[Modern Man's Hustle 0]

That would be him. Thanks a lot, man.

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

I guess the phrase "If your mother only knew" is the standard beatbox-and-rap-at-the-same-time line; I'm not sure if people do it because it's what Rahzel is most famous for doing, or if there's something about the sounds of the words themselves that make it easier. I saw some kid in a hip hop a capella group pull it off fairly well.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I'm not sure what to make of Leviathan. It's pretty good but it was hyped so much I feel like I should dislike it on principle. I don't like it enough to get the special edition they put out.

Not worth it. I bought it solely because it was the only copy available. I enjoy the album a great deal, probably more than anything else metallic that came out last year, but the Audio DVD thing that goes with it isn't worth a damn. Just live versions that sound like studio versions. After extensive listening, I think I might like their previous album more.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Most bands can't pull off 10+ minute songs. Mastodon doesn't realize they are among that number (see "Hearts Alive").

[Nighthawk 0]

I was pleasantly surprised by the Stooges "We Will Fall", however. They surely didn't seem the type. Might be just me though. My dad hates that song. He also hates "Venus In Furs" however. I know that's a good song.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

I like "We Will Fall," too, but then I have a soft spot for long, droney pieces, as well as bands who make their living off of trance-inducing drones. Charalambides, for instance. I like them, but they're a band I can't recommend to everyone. Same with Stars of the Lid.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

And you found Neurosis boring?

 

Mastodon is best making chunky southerny metal riffs. The bridge to March of the Fire Ants, off Remission.

[Nighthawk 0]

I'm sure Inc already knows about them, but anyone else who likes that droney stuff should listen to Legendary Pink Dots. They're good at that.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

And you found Neurosis boring?

Different genre, dude. No matter how artsy they get, Neurosis is still a metal band (not that there's anything wrong with that). Neither of the bands I mentioned earlier are metal.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Hater.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

The errata of today:

 

Went to Orlando. Saw Wilco at the House of Blues. The band was in fine form this evening—playing for nearly 2.5 hours—putting on one of the best shows I've seen in some time. The songs from A Ghost is Born (they played eight of the 12) sounded stellar live, acquiring a punch that many of their studio counterparts lacked. Minor quibble: I could live with their playing nothing from their first album, but wasn't pleased with the measly two songs they played from their second (and my favorite Wilco) album, Being There. Ah well.

 

I was impressed with the band as a whole, especially guitarist Nels Cline, who joined the band just last year. Dude was going all sorts of crazy with his axe, peeling off licks that sounded more like free jazz than rock, and Jeff Tweedy kept up with him every step of the way. After the show, I picked up The Giant Pin, which is an album by Cline's project, the misleadingly named Nels Cline Singers. It's a trio that, according to Nels himself, is a "free jazz/psychrock/droneprov/balladry/spacenoise" thing. Sounds good to me.

 

It was my first time at the House of Blues. The sound there was excellent; every now and then, Wilco would throw an ear-piercing feedback jam in one of their songs, which was appropiately mindshatteringly loud, yet I managed to come out of the venue with my hearing (mostly) intact.

 

Also, I bought three cd's at the nearby Virgin Megastore. They were:

Galaxie 500 - Today

 

Ride - Nowhere

 

Swell Maps - A Trip to Marineville

[B. Brian Brunzell 0]

I've recently discovered that I really enjoy Kelly Clarkson's music. Typically, I'm not a Pop guy, but her choruses are so catchy that they get me hooked to the restof the songs. She's got a great voice, and she's hot to boot. Always a good combo if you ask me.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

"Speed of Life" is a cooler riff than "The Bends"