It's become a reoccurring joke, bands touring Europe and skipping The Netherlands. I tend to make funny comments about it but honestly it really pisses me off more than I do show when it comes to bands I really love. Yeasayer is one of those bands that make my blood boil right now - promoting their new album in Germany, not Holland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy, not Holland...
3. What's in your CD player right now?
Hmm, many many different things. Today it was one I haven't listened to in ages - Nine Inch NailsThe Fragile . But lately it's also been various Primus , The Tragically Hip , Dance Mix '95 ...basically a lot of stuff on shuffle.
4. What was the last show you attended?
Funnily enough it was Three Days Grace with The Used & Default last week. I'm not even really a fan of any of those bands enough to buy a ticket to see them. ESPECIALLY not The Used. I actually can't even stand *those* guys. I managed to get free tickets so I went, though I missed Default. But I will say Three Days Grace is very good live. Talented dudes. & The Used's band is good... too bad that Bert moron ruins everything with his shitty stage presence (or lack thereof) and shitty attitude, along with shitty idiotic one-liners.
Other shows this year so far were Mindless Self Indulgence , The Pack A.D. , Atmosphere , Grady , k-os , SNFU , The Watchmen , Stone Temple Pilots , Our Lady Peace , DL Incognito with D-Sisive (booked that show myself... whole other long ridiculous story to go with THAT one.) , The Tragically Hip , Left Spine Down (opened for them on 2 fall tour dates with Alectrona) Matthew Good , and lots of smaller shows. Also opened for Die Mannequin with The Alcohollys . Whoo, that was a mouth full.
5. What was the greatest show you've ever been to?
Damn, I'd still have to say first Korn show, all 3 Beastie Boys shows, and Foo Fighters actually blew me *away*. Absolutely amazing live show, so much energy, Dave is one solar flare of a dude! OH SHIT WAIT! I must remember Oasis !! I saw them at this infamous show , including the "Noel gets shoved" part of it. Aside from that, it was an AMAZING show. First time I've seen Oasis and it kicked ass. This next one I want to note was People Under the Stairs . Good good good. Check em out if you haven't yet. Also Alanis Morissette as a notably good show. She can belt it out, I tells ya. Aaaaaand Slipknot back in April 2000. Intense.
WHOA! ONE MORE I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT! Weezer !!
I was so impressed by their show, saw them in September 2008 at the ACC in Toronto. Got front row on floor, and couldn't believe how into it Rivers actually was. I had a feeling he'd act burnt out or be a bit stand-offish, but he was very talkative with the crowd and he seemed genuinely happy to be on stage. Plus they played about a 2 hour set, maybe a bit longer. Very happy I got to see them. Very.
6. What's the worst show you've ever been to?
Haha, it's hard to say.... that Alexisonfire show was still pretty bad. But I forgot about a Godhead show I saw way back in the day. I was up front and all I could smell was baby powder flying off their faces from them trying to look gothically white. As far as recently, The Used were pretty bad. Well, like I said, it was just Bert that was bad.
7. What's the most musically involved you have ever been?
I still dunno what kind of answer is expected here... I guess it's open to interpretation. But for now I'll say I play instruments (solo and in bands) and I *would* infact most likely go literally insane if I didn't have music. People throw that sentence around a lot ("Oh I'd DIE without music!") but I don't think most of them really understand what that means. I'll leave it at that.
8. What show are you looking forward to?
"Hmm, I'd love to see Beastie Boys again, but for now, it's The Tragically Hip and possibly Slayer." - haha, that was my answer 3 years ago.
It's still Beastie Boys and this time I have a ticket for Slayer with Megadeth and Testament. Sweet. I'm also looking forward to the New Years Eve show my band The Alcohollys is playing at Call The Office. No event made on LastFM for it yet, but here's the Facebook one for it.
10. What is your favorite band shirt?
Haha, still too many to name. Even more now than last time, hah.
11. What musician would you like to hang out with for a day?
Shit. WAY too many to name now.
12. Who is one musician or group you wish would make a comeback?
"Not so much a comeback, but someone I would have liked to see back when they were kickin around originally would definately be The Beatles, The Verve, Pantera, Stone Temple Pilots, The Pharcyde (back in their old days), Rage Against the Machine ... tons more." - answer from 3 years ago.
Since then I've got to actually see Stone Temple Pilots , The Pharcyde , and Rage Against the Machine reunite! Drove 9 and a half hours for the Rage one to NYC. Was the Rock The Bells 2007 show. Fucking awesome. There's so many more comebacks and old bands I'd love to see still. I can't pin down just a few. Lunachicks would for sure be one.
19. What was your last musical "phase" before you wisened up?
"I like too many things to fit in anywhere even if I tried." - Same answer.
Aw yeeeeah.
20. What's your "guilty pleasure" that you hate to admit liking?
"There's nothing I won't admit!!" - Same answer again.
Even moreso than back then, I'd bet. ;)
First, make a list of your top-20 artists overall. Then, for each of these artists, add the 8 most similar artists to your list. Delete any duplicates, count up the number of entries on your list and this will give you some idea of how eclectic your listening habits are. A score of 9 represents an extremely unvaried musical taste while a 160 represents an extremely varied one.
#28 Beck - Modern Guilt (Los Angeles)
Highlights: Chemtrails, Gamma Ray
Beck amazingly has reinvented his sound again. The album is great, although it is a little more dull than his previous works.
#27 The Stills - Oceans Will Rise (Montreal)
Highlights: Don't Talk Down, Panic
An unexpected comeback after their poor sophomore effort. This has a similar feel to 'Without Feathers'.
#21. Secret Machines - Secret Machines (New York)
Highlights: Underneath The Concrete, Atomic Heels
First album after the departure of lead guitarist Ben Curtis. Not as good as their first two, but still enjoyable.
#19 Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty (Whittier, CA)
Highlights: Against Privacy, I've Seen Enough
While not as solid as their debut, there's definitely a good number of great songs on here.
#18 Why? - Alopecia (Oakland, CA)
Highlights: The Vowels Pt. 2, Fatalist Palmistry
Really cool mix of indie and hip-hop. My favorite lyricist of the year.
#17 Tapes 'n Tapes - Walk it Off (Minneapolis)
Highlights: Le Ruse, The Dirty Dirty
They replaced the two-step grit of their debut with a whole lot of fuzz and it works surprisingly well.
#15 Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (New York)
Highlights: M79, Walcott
Worth all the hype? Probably not. That doesn't stop it from being a really great album though.
#13. Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue (Montreal)
Highlights: Good Friend, Feedback in the Field
One of my favorite finds of the year. This Broken Social Scene-ish trio's debut doesn't have a single weak track.
#11. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair (New York)
Highlights: Blind, Time Will
Sweet disco-ish album. Antony Hegarty's vocal guest spots make the entire album.
Highlights: Genesis, DVNO
While technically a 2007 album, this meant a lot to me in 2008. Loud printer-esque house duo out of France. Seeing them live changed my life. This album is straight epic.
Highlights: Flume, Skinny Love
By now most everyone has heard the story behind this album. Justin Vernon, having lost his band and his girlfriend, went into 'hibernation' in a cabin in Wisconsin and this was the product. Incredibly subtle, beautiful indie-folk.
Highlights: Aluminum Park, Remnants
While they've lost their southern-rock feel a little bit, they've replaced it with an appreciation for the strange. This album is half good old rock, half experimental deviations. It'll be interesting to see where they go next.
Highlights: Top Drawer, Poor Jackie
Man Man's third album is proudly just as strange as their first two, combining doo-wop, gypsy, jazz, punk rock, and just about everything else into one zany package. Ballad of Butterbeans has the best xylophone solo i've ever heard. Check this one out.
Highlights: Lies, Strange Times
The duo's fifth album is the first produced in a studio and it's immediately evident. While less garagey than their previous efforts, its nice to hear a band successfully evolve their sound into something bigger.
Highlights: My Friend, Hang On
I hate comparing a band to the Beatles, but with Dr. Dog I have no choice. From the vocal harmonies to the psychedelic tendencies, Dr. Dog are indie rock's Beatles. This, their fifth album, is the best yet.
Highlights: The Rip, Machine Gun, Silence
This was the first Portishead album I ever listened to and it blew me away. It combines elements of trip-hop with a Liars-esque take on noise rock to create something that is hauntingly beautiful. Not one poor track.
Highlights: The Handshake, Electric Feel, Weekend Wars, Pieces of What
I don't have much to say. This album is great, and, even though the first few songs got all the recognition, it's the last few that really complete the experience.
Highlights: Soldier's Grin, Call It a Ritual, California Dreamer, Kissing the Beehive
Both Wolf Parade albums have been my #1 album of the year. I can't get enough of these guys. I wish they weren't so focused on their side projects, because this is the shit right here. Not as edgy as their first, but the songwriting is overall more solid.
EP of the Year: The Cool Kids - The Bake Sale (Chicago)
Highlights: Black Mags, What Up Man
At 10 tracks this is hardly an EP, but the debut should come out sometime soon. These guys are a refreshing breath of air into the crap-filled rap market.
I did this for the Top 40 of the 1990s but I couldn't seem to narrow it down to 40 this time around! I tried to be even-handed in terms of spreading the songs around by year but it just seems that I listened to more (and better?) music in the last half of the decade. So without further ado, here is my list. Enjoy!
Beck
