Starfool

Life Comes At You Fast

2007-01-17T01:34:00.000-05:00

It certainly does. In the course of two weeks I sent off a resume, had 2 interviews, and was offered a job. I didn't think things worked that quickly in the real world. And then today I find out that the one and only KFed (whose CD I actually I dig) is going to appear in a commercial for the company that I begin working for on Monday. How great is that?

Jonjii

2007-01-02T22:54:00.000-05:00

About 2 years ago, when she was 2.5, Abbey had a bit of a split personality. She would comb her bangs down over her eyes, shake her head, and run after her older sister saying "My name in Jonjii" (pronounced Jon - gee). We all got a kick out of it and we'd egg her on until she's transform into this crazy beast that liked to chase people and jump on them. (I think I have a photo somewhere of Abbey in her "Jonjii" mode ... I'll have to find it).

We haven't seen Jonjii in a while, ever since we moved to the new house in June. The other morning Abbey woke up early and asked me to come downstairs and watch TV with her. As we flipped through the stations, when we hit the Cartoon Network, she asked me to stop so she could watch "Legend of the Dragon". Half asleep on the couch, I wasn't paying a lot of attention but something did jump out at me. I heard one of the characters address another one as "Xuan Chi" which sounded suspiciously like "Jonjii". Now, I'm sure that Abbey didn't watch this show 2 years ago, I think it was just a coincidence but, wow, what a coincidence it was. When the name was repeated, I asked Abbey, "Did you hear that? That sounds like Jonjii." Abbey gave me a very serious look and said "Don't talk about Jonjii anymore. I'm not Jonjii."

Good things a' happening

2006-12-24T09:43:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week I read about Bourbon Crow, a band that is led by ex-Murderdolls singer Wednesday13. He apparently plays under a fake name (Buck Bourbon) and while his typical musical style can be described as Alice Cooper meets Marilyn Manson, Bourbon Crow has been described as "outlaw country" and comparisons have been made to folks like Johnny Cash, David Allen Coe and Waylon Jennings.

I was on a mission to find Bourbon Crow's Highway to Hangovers which was put out by Horror High Records but was coming up empty. On Thursday evening I was in Cleveland and stopped by my favorite Half-Price Books in Rocky River and, lo and behold, what CD did I find under the "B" tab? Bourbon Crow. $4.98.

So last night I picked up a few last minute gifts at Meijer and on my way out I thought I'd buy a couple "Holiday Cash" lottery tickets. The payout isn't huge (the biggest payout is $500) but the tickets were only $1 and I had $2 in my pocket. I shoved the tickets in my pocket as I was walking out and forgot about them until this morning. The ticket I scratched off was a $25 winner!

I kind of feel like I'm on a roll this week. Hmm ... I wonder if there is anything else in store coming up?

Buckcherry Interview

2006-12-24T08:37:00.000-05:00

Just saw that the new issue of MELT is out featuring my Buckcherry interview. It's my second cover story in a row (last month's was The Who though I didn't get to interview them). Sweet. I *might* be going for a hat trick, you'll have to wait and see.

Kevy Kev hit me up two weeks ago to see if I'd be interested in interviewing Josh Todd of Buckcherry but the catch was it was a really quick turnaround time. He asked me on a Friday, I had to set the interview up on Monday, did the actually interview on Tuesday, transcribed the tape and turned in the story Wednesday night just in time to meet my Thursday deadline.

As usual, Kevin (or whoever designed the page) did such a great job of making my words look good. That's why I LOVE writing for MELT and will do so for as long as they'll have me.

2006-12-23T09:21:00.000-05:00

Whoa! Guster? For real?

I thought Guster was one of those pseudo hippie bands. You know, the kind that frat boys in their A&F wear eat up while drinking keg beer and hitting on sorority chicks. And, I think Guster WAS one of those bands a few years ago. Hell, maybe they still are, but the other day I was driving to work when I heard this song on the radio. I had never heard it before so I played the game of, "Come on Chip, figure out who it is before the DJ tells you." I'm usually pretty good at this game because I read so many magazines and websites that I think that I know what a band sounds like before I even hear them.

Anyway, my first thought when I heard this song "Satellite" was that it was Death Cab for Cutie ... but it didn't sound like Ben singing. Then I thought, "Oh, it must be Band of Horses" cuz all the blogger kids are putting that CD in their top 5 of 2006 and this song certainly had that "sound" to it (at least to me). Somebody on the Donewaiting.com message board said that Band of Horses is nothing more than Air Supply of 2006 and when I heard the mild mannered vocals in "Satellite" I could see how somebody might say that this song was a modern version of an Air Supply song.

So when the DJ said "That was Guster" I was shocked. Were all my ideas about this band dead wrong? I did a quick search for an MP3 of this song when I got to work and I found a live version of it somewhere. The blogger who posted it said something like "These guys have always sounded like Rusted Root and Ben Folds Five to me" and ... bam ... there is was. I wasn't crazy. These guys DO have that "sound" that drives me crazy and makes me think that some people have no taste in music. And yet I couldn't get "Satellite" out of my head. I really, really like it so I'm conflicted. What exactly does the 2006 version of Guster sound like? Are they a faux hippie/frat band or have they gone off in a different direction? I'm inclined to believe that they've graduated from the college rock sound because I noticed that in the last year they've had people like Rogue Wave and Mason Jennings open for them - two very respected artists that I'm not ashamed to admit liking.

I'm planning on checking out the latest Guster CD in it's entirety and I'm hoping that the rest of the songs follow the lead of "Satellite".

Anybody have any thoughts about Guster? Leave me a comment.

Jill Cunniff

2006-12-12T23:18:00.000-05:00

I'll be honest, I didn't shed any tears upon learning of Luscious Jackson's breakup earlier this decade. I thought they had a good thing going for a while but towards the end I felt like they were trying too hard to write radio-friendly disco hits. But I was very intrigued to learn that the Militia Group - home to post-emo bands like The Appleseed Cast and Brandtson - had worked out a deal to put out Jill Cunniff's solo album, City Beach, in early 2007.

My advance copy of the CD arrived in the mail today and I really had high hopes for it. I just know that Jill is capable of writing really good music and I was thinking that as long as she doesn't try to get too '70s retro, there would be a good chance that her solo CD might be nothing short of fantastic.

Now, granted, I've only given it one full spin but it's every bit as delicious as I was hoping it would be. I kind of hate when I hear new music so early in the year (or, in this case, 2 months before it comes out) because I know that at this point next year, there is a good chance I won't even remember City Beach when compiling my Best of 2007 list even though I think that it's deserving of at least consideration. And, hey, it doesn't hurt that Jill and I both have a daughter named Piper.

I'm not going to rip MP3s at this point and post them here but I will point you to Jill's MySpace site where you can listen to 3 songs ("Happy Warriors", "Lazy Girls", and "NYC Boy") from the album due in stores on February 6, 2007.

Don't you just feel like saying this some days?

2006-12-11T22:45:00.000-05:00

Wednesday13's brand of schlock rock might not be your thing but you have to had at least one occasion where these lyrics ring true.

Warrant live (Dec.7)

2006-12-08T15:28:00.000-05:00

Not sold-out like the last time they were here but still a really good turnout. I'd say the place was 75% full which means there were easily a couple hundred people on a cold Thursday night.

This is my third time seeing the Warrant lineup with The Saint (Jamie St. James) on lead vocals and I'm finally starting to get used to seeing him front Warrant. I'd KILL to see Jani Lane back in the band but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon so I'll take what I can get.

A good set list, all my favorites were present and accounted for ("Down Boys" "Mr.Rainmaker" "Hole in My Wall" "Bourbon County Line"). All the "hits" were played ("Heaven" "Uncle Tom's Cabin" "Cherry Pie). Boobs were flashed, heads were banged, all-in-all a fine evening of entertainment though I didn't get the chance to hang with Joey Allen this time like I did last time.

There was some obnoxious asshole standing in front of me for a good portion of the show who kept waving a t-shirt in Erik Turner's face. At one point he got mad - not sure what set him off - and threw his shirt on the stage and took off. His girlfriend/wife was able to coax him back but he still acted like a complete ass much to the dismay of everybody standing around him.

Also saw the aftermath of one of the older gentlemen who works at the club get knocked over the head with something. I saw these female bartenders pushing these guys out the door and the guy who got his head cracked was PISSED. And, a little later on, I saw this totally hammered dude stumbling around the place. He could barely stand up. I hope somebody called him a cab.

Family Values

2006-12-06T00:24:00.000-05:00

I've got family values, yes I do. I've got family values, how about you?

Cover This

2006-12-03T08:10:00.000-05:00

Out of the newsstands (in Columbus) is the December issue of MELT Magazine. 40,000 copies of this magazine are out there so go pick up one if you've got a chance.

It's a little hard to read, but you can check out The Who feature I wrote here. I'll be writing a SLAYER feature for the next issue and should be interviewing Tom or Kerry in the next week or two. I suspect it's going to be a lot like the old SNL skit where Chris Farley is riding on the elevator with Sting. "Remember when you guys put out Seasons in the Abyss? Yeah, that was AWESOME."

High Blood Pressure

2006-12-01T23:28:00.000-05:00

So my posts here won't always be about music. Yesterday I had a doctor appointment - a mole on my stomach changed color which is sometimes a warning sign. Better be safe than sorry, right? My appointment was at 4pm though as we all know, that means that you'll have to sit in the waiting room for an extended period of time. Sure enough, I checked in at 4:08 and wound up sitting in the waiting room for a good 40 minutes before I was called back. There is a TV in the waiting room and it was tuned into CNN Headline News. Not a terrible thing, it gave me the chance to get caught up on things that had taken place while I was at work but at some point one of the receptionists changed the channel to that new combo network (UPN and WB). I was forced to sit through an episode and a half of Reba. I know that probably 75% of sitcoms aren't funny but, man, it was PAINFUL to sit through this show. I didn't even so much as chuckle. Bad, bad, bad. Who lets shows like this get on the air?

Finally, about 10 til 5 I was called back to the waiting room where I preceeded to sit for 20 minutes until the doctor came in. His examination of my mole took all of 30 seconds and he declared that I had absolutely nothing to worry about. He looked at my chart and noticed that my blood pressure was just a tad bit high but he said, "I'm sure it's because you were nervous about coming in." Um, maybe it's because I had to sit through an episode and a half of Reba. Ever think about that? Yeah, that might throw my blood pressure a bit out of whack!

Best of 2006 (from a UK perspective)

2006-11-27T23:02:00.000-05:00

I write for New Noise, a site based in the UK. The email was sent out a few weeks ago - "It's time to send in your Best of 2006 list" - and I started going through the CDs I had listened to over the past year. Definitely making the list are The Damnwells and The Shys, definitely.

And then I re-read the email and see that the only albums that can appear on the list are ones that were released in the UK in 2006. Okay, so that'll wipe out a few of my picks, but I'll still get a majority of my "real" favorites up there. Right? Wrong.

I haven't really come up with a solid top 10 yet but as I looked up CDs on my list (which numbered something like 28), I found that nearly half of the albums I was even thinking about weren't released in the UK in 2006.

We're in the height of the Internet era, where people can buy imports cheaply through a number of different sources, including Amazon. On top of that, imports can be purchased through iTunes so really the idea of an "import" has lost significance in the Internet era (as far as I'm concerned).

But, rules are rules so here is the list I turned in. New Noise tallied up the votes of all their writers and then picked the top 20 releases (I think) based on point totals.

As NONE of my list made it to the official New Noise list, I don't feel too bad sharing it here - though if you're a reader of New Noise, I guess I'm slightly spoiling the surprise by showing you what DIDN'T make the cut.

1. Snow Patrol – Eyes Open - When U2 decides to hang it up as the reigning king of the arena rock circuit, Snow Patrol may be there to fill the big shoes. Yeah, you’re sick to death of ‘Crashing Cars’ but the duet with Martha Wainwright (‘Set Fire to the Third Bar’) is audio gold.

2. In Flames – Come Clarity - The best mainstream metal album since Pantera’s ‘Vulgar Display of Power,’ ‘Come Clarity’ is a mish-mash of headbanging styles, from the thrashing guitar assault of ‘Take this Life’ to the acoustic-based, prog-rock title track.

3. Dixie Chicks – Taking the Long Way - With the help of producer Rick Rubin, the ladies from Texas are transforming from country gals to pop queens while dealing with the backlash directed at them for their political views.

4. Cosmic Rough Riders – The Stars Look Different From Down Here - Pure sugar in the form of power-pop songs. While Teenage Fanclub has veered off in a more adult contemporary direction, the Cosmic Rough Riders have picked up the slack. If only the Posies would go back to writing songs like “When You Come Around,” the world would be a perfect place.

5. Drive By Truckers – A Blessing and A Curse - Want to know what good American bar rock sounds like? The Drive By Truckers exemplify the beer-drinking, t-shirt aesthetic of Southern rock bands and deliver an album’s worth of country-fried, whiskey-soaked rockers.

6. Howe Gelb – Sno Angel Like You - The Giant Sand singer teams up with a Gospel choir on an album of stark contrasts – Gelb’s weathered desert voice and the choir’s full-sounding spiritual praises. It’s a fascinating combination and the choir gives the songs a depth that has to be heard to be believed.

7. And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead – So Divided - It’s easy to see why purists of the band hate the new direction that Trail of Dead has gone over the course of the last couple of releases. The post-punk white noise of previous releases has been replaced with a coherent and melodic commercially-viable sound.

8. Clearlake – Amber - Clearlake has been lost in the crowd, releasing a powerful Brit-rock album just as indie darlings as the Artic Monkeys and others capture all the press. But this eclectic rocker, which fits nicely alongside Blur, Radiohead, and Primal Scream in a CD collection, deserves notice.

9. People in Planes – As Far As the Eye Can See - Why this band hasn’t exploded on the radio is one of 2006’s greatest mysteries as the bands long-awaited debut album, ‘As Far As the Eye Can See’, is filled with anthemic songs that make young boys dream of being rock stars.

10. Slayer – Christ Illusion - The return of drummer Dave Lombardo gave new life to this thrash metal band that was stuck in a rut for the better part of the last 10 years. ‘Christ Illusion’ harkens back to the band’s classic days (‘South of Heaven’, ‘Seasons in the Abyss’) when they scared old ladies and religious leaders alike.

My "real" list will be posted at the end of the year. But, for now, enjoy my favorite CDs that were released in the UK this year! :)

6Gig

2006-11-24T21:07:00.000-05:00

The early part of this decade saw too many lunkhead nu metal bands making it somewhat big, most of whom followed in the footsteps of Korn and Limp Bizkit but, if possible, brought it down to an even lower, knuckle-dragging level. Maine's 6Gig emerged around this time and while the riffs were heavy, just like the riffs of their rap-rock peers, there wasn't a hint of rap influence in the vocals which was a blessing. In fact, in many ways this band reminded me of my post-hardcore heroes, Quicksand as well as For Love Not Lisa (and Mike Lewis's subsequent project, Puller). Of course, since these guys seemed somewhat intelligent, they never got the attention they deserved and after 2 records they were finished.

Here's a video of "Hit the Ground" from Tincan Experiment (2000)

While this is old news to fans of the band, I just discovered today that a few of the members have moved onto some pretty cool projects.

Singer Walter Craven now fronts Lost on Liftoff. The music is similar to 6Gig though maybe not quite as heavy and has more rock-radio potential than 6Gig had. eMusic subscribers can pick up the band's excellent 4-song EP while the rest of you will have to surf over to CDBaby to get a copy. I whole-heartedly agree with the description of the band's music given on CDBaby: "The band's sound combines the power of any Ken Andrews band of your choice with the fire and fury of a Jimmy Eat World, Yellowcard or Lost Prophets."
Bassist Craig "Weave" Weaver is now singing and playing guitar in a stoner-rock band called Ruler of the Raging Main. Highly recommended for fans of Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu, and Danko Jones. The band's debut should be available soon on iTunes and in select CD stores on the East Coast.
Drummer Jason Stewart plays with Matahari, a female-fronted band in the vein of Garbage.

Melty Melty

2006-08-08T23:13:00.000-04:00

Bear with me on this one ...

Brian is a friend of a friend (Pdro). I met Brian while in college when he lived in the same dorm as Pdro. Brian and I had similar taste in music back then - a steady diet of bands like Queensryche, Extreme, and Dweezil Zappa.

Kevin is a friend of a friend (Schaff). I don't remember exactly when we met but I think it might have been in Schaff's basement, drinking cheap beer, and creating a mosh pit while listening to some undoubtedly heavy music. I may have been wearing a Fishbone t-shirt which caused Kevin to start up a conversation with me. Maybe I'm making this all up in my head. I'm not sure.

Sean is a friend of a friend (Jason). Sean took over Jason's job as a college rep for a major label back in the late '90s and he always hooked me up with free shit when I'd stop by his place. Though I know he was into some pretty hardcore indie-rock stuff, I also know that he's got a soft spot for atmospheric rock made by bands like Mogwai, Failure, Duster and Pinback.

Okay, so shortly after they graduated college in the early '90s, Brian and Kevin started playing in bands together - some memorable, some not so memorable - and they usually were some sort of odd funk-metal concoction (think: Primus, Skeleton Key, etc.). Kevin did the singing and played bass while Brian played lead guitar.

One day I'm over at Sean's apartment, probably filling up a bag full of promo CDs, when he tells me that he's meeting up with some guys to maybe play in their band. Now, Columbus is a big city with a ton of bands so I don't suspect I'll know the people he's going to be playing with but when he throws a demo cassette into his stereo, I recognize the people playing the music. Before I can say anything he says, "These guys call themselves Verbal Kint or something like that but I think they might change the name." Turns out it's Brian and Kevin's band only in this lineup, Brian has moved to lead vocals. Never in a million years would I have guessed indie rock kid Sean would join a band that at various points sounded like Primus.

Somehow it worked, and worked VERY well. The trio were joined by Nate (who wasn't a friend of a friend), called themselves Kopaz, put out two fantastic emo-tinged releases and nearly scored a major label deal. I'm not really sure what their status is right now. But, for turning a long story into a novel, I'll reward you with a few Kopaz songs even though this post isn't really about them.

MP3: "Pressure Suit" (Kopaz from Starboard Rail)
MP3: "Pick Your Battles" (Kopaz from Future Radiant Shine) (buy here)
MP3: "Bionic Arm" (Kopaz from Future Radiant Shine)

Though I've heard the name Melty Melty being tossed around for a few months, I just only recently discovered that the band consists of Kevin and Sean from Kopaz along with Sharon Kim (Frostiva). The band is currently working on music for an EP which they hope to release before the end of 2006 on the label that Sean helped start, We Want Action.

To whet your appetite, check out a sneak preview of the Melty Melty EP. I swear, since putting this on my MP3 player last week, I've listened to it an average of 5 times a day. Yes, it's THAT good.

MP3: "The Walls" (Melty Melty)

See? Now wasn't all the back story worth reading to get to the song?

Free Diamonds

2006-08-07T23:07:00.000-04:00

I'm reviewing the Free Diamonds CD, There Should Be More Dancing, for the next issue of Skratch. Usually when I get a stack of CDs in the mail to review I'm lucky to find something that I'll listen to more than however many times it takes me to come up with 200 words about the CD. It takes a lot for me to be impressed these days but on first listen of this CD by the UK band Free Diamonds I was thinking, "Damn, if these guys weren't already signed to Deep Elm, I'd consider taking out a second mortgage on my house and starting a label just to get this CD into the hands of the kids." And, if you know anything about the type of music I like, this doesn't fit comfortably alongside most of the CDs in my collection. But ... damn ... there is something about the vocals which remind me a lot of whoever sang lead for Sweet ("Ballroom Blitz").

Recommended for indie rock fans who like to dance.

MP3: "Blind Boys" (Free Diamonds)

Buy the album here.

Satisfaction

2006-08-04T00:33:00.000-04:00

So if I've got this straight, Satisfaction is Smile minus a member and with a new name. And that, my friends, is a beautiful thing. I just read an article written back when Smile was still a functioning band where singer Michael Rosas said that he wasn't happy with the band's last album, Girl Crushes Boy. Regardless of Rosas' opinion of the CD, there are really some fantastic tracks on the CD including "The Best Years" and "This Freaky Slow Dance" (somebody remind me to post these). Rosas was raised in the OC punk rock scene, even playing in the band Inside Out with future Rage Against the Machine singer Zach de la Rocha. Rosas slowly worked his way towards a more melodic pop-punk sound and started the band Smile which was, ever so briefly, signed to Atlantic Records. I caught the band live once, in Cincinnati, opening for Everclear and had the opportunity to interview Rosas in the '50s-themed restaurant next door to the club (The Garage) where the bands would play later that night.

Satisfaction, like Smile, seems to play in the same league as bands like Weezer, Ozma, and Rooney and they played a show a few months ago with my favorite band of 2006, The Shys, so they instantly win points in my book. Currently only an EP is available but I'm holding out hope for a full length by the end of the year.

Dig it.

MP3: "Nothing Oh Nothing" (Satisfaction)

The Light Wires

2006-05-30T07:15:00.000-04:00

Doesn't 2004 seem like forever ago? That's when The Light Wires last released a CD. The Cincinnati-based alt.country band is led by Jeremy Pinnel who, for all intents and purposes IS The Light Wires.

The band has a new album wrapped up and is shopping it to labels that showed interest in their first record (self-titled). In the meantime, check out a few new Springsteen-meets-My-Morning-Jacket songs.

MP3: Go On By
MP3: The Hum of Black
MP3: Harper's Bizarre

Magnolia Summer

2006-04-30T15:56:00.000-04:00

Undertow Records never seems to let me down. An unexpected package showed up in the mail on Friday and by Friday night I had determined that the new Magnolia Summer CD, From Driveways' Lost View, (one of the 2 CDs in the package) would pretty much be guaranteed a spot in my year end "Best of" list.

My wife is tired of hearing me say this, but I could listen to alt.country (as long as it's GOOD alt.country) 24/7 and when I hear a band like Magnolia Summer, I imagine myself sitting in the grass on the riverfront, a six-pack of beer by my side, watching this band play on a small gazebo stage. It's perfect lounging around music and also perfect driving music.

From what I can tell, Magnolia Summer started off as a project for Chris Grabau (who plays in a few other bands, including Waterloo). It's progressed into more than that with this second album. I haven't yet listened to Magnolia Summer's debut, Levers and Pulleys, but plan to snag it soon from eMusic.

Check out these Son Volt-meets-Ryan Adams songs from Magnolia Summer.

MP3: Once in a While (from From Driveways' Lost View, due in stores May 16)
MP3: Levers and Pulleys (from Levers and Pulleys)

Mute Math

2006-04-23T21:36:00.000-04:00

Mute Math's publicist was bombarding my inbox prior to the band's appearance in Columbus a few months ago. I didn't know anything about the band, hadn't heard any music, so basically blew off those emails. The week of the show I find out that Bel Auburn is opening the show but even that isn't enough to get me out of the house or even to check out Mute Math's music. Eventually I gave in and decided to check out the band and ... of course ... turns out that I love them. The

comparisons to The Police are totally accurate in my opinion and as someone who truly loves Sting's stuff - even his most recent solo material - I can't tell you how happy I was to "discover" Mute Math even though somebody had been trying to shove them down my throat just a few weeks earlier.

This summer the band will be playing on, get this, the Warped Tour, the Bonaroo Festival AND Lollapalooza (too bad WOMAD isn't still around; Mute Math would have been a shoe-in). Watch the band's performance of "Chaos" on the Craig Ferguson show (above) and then listen to the studio version of the song (below).

If you dig it, make sure to pick up a copy of the band's self-titled and (currently) self-distributed debut (the CD was supposed to be released by Warner Bros. but that's a whole can of worms that I don't want to open).

MP3: "Chaos" - Mute Math

In My Ear Podcast #6

2006-04-04T00:22:00.000-04:00

00:00 Miranda Sound – Jackson Milton from Western Reserve
03:13 Silversun Pickups – Kissing Familes from Pikul (EP)
08:00 The Flairz – Black Fox from Rock N' Roll Ain't Evil
11:13 New London Fire – Different from A Wave Form (EP)
15:34 Gil Mantera's Party Dream – Shadow Grip from Bloodsongs
21:05 Branks – Gingham Hammer from Self-Titled
24:21 Barzin – Just More Drugs from My Life in Rooms

MP3: Download "In My Ear Podcast - Episode 6"

Bel Auburn

2006-04-03T21:55:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I get an unsolicited email, as I often do, from a band that wanted me to check them out because, heck, they are sure I've never heard anything like them before. Most of the times I get these emails I'll hit up the band's website, read some press reviews and if the band is compared to other bands I like, I'll check out an MP3 or two. Bel Auburn's website allowed visitors to listen to their album, Catherdals, in it's entirety so I thought I'd check out a song or two. About 30 minutes later I realized that I'd made it through most of the album and so I responded to the email and begged Jared (composer of the email) to send me a CD.

Turns out Bel Auburn was from Ashland, Ohio, only about a 75 minute drive from my house and I'd later find out that they were well acquainted with my wife's cousin Joel. So, if you've never been to Ashland, it's a small college town in mid-Ohio that is surrounded by farm country. Granted, it's not in the middle of nowhere and I'm not saying it's in the sticks, but I was shocked to hear a band from Ashland sound like a mix of Jimmy Eat World and Coldplay. Catherdals was as good as any national release I heard in 2004 and it earned a spot in my Best of 2004 list.

In 2005, we had our third child, a daughter that we named Piper. Two days after we returned from the hospital, we found a "congratulations" card from Bel Auburn and inside the envelope, a CD with a song that the band wrote especially for us to celebrate the birth of our daughter. I don't think I've ever received a most thoughtful gift. That's the way Bel Auburn operates. Thoughtful guys who make great music.

Right now they are sitting on their second album, trying to find someone to finance the release. If you happen to have some spare cash laying around or run a small label that is looking to put out an INCREDIBLE record (I say that only out of speculation ... I've only heard a few demos), let me know and we'll make this work.

MP3: Piper
MP3: Burn Unit
MP3: Sing What You Mean
MP3: The Speed of Thought

You can download demos from the new CD on the band's MySpace page and while you're at it check out Jared and Scott's electro-synth-pop side project, The Scareds.

The Flairz

2006-03-23T22:38:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the little vacation, was busy doing stuff like jetting off to Chicago to see the Fig Dish reunion show and Austin for SXSW 2006.

One of my favorite events at SXSW every year is the Australian BBQ which features tasty Australian food and the wonderful beverage Cooper's Ale. In 2004, I discoverd this awesome band called Ground Components that sounded like a mix of everything that has come out of Detroit over the past 30 or so years.

This year, the "stars" of the Australian BBQ were The Flairz, a trio whose average age is 12! I wouldn't have even thought to check them out had they not left a stack of fliers in the lobby of our hotel in Austin (we later discovered that they were staying at the same hotel we were). The kids are wise beyond their years, channeling the likes of the early Rolling Stones, The Who, and The White Stripes. If that's not a good combination (and done remarkably well), then I don't know what is.

Check out the song that Little Steven has been spinning like mad on his Undergroud Garage radio show.

MP3: Rock and Roll Ain't Evil

Dear Leader

2006-03-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

Aaron Perrino is my go-to guy. I interviewed him when he was in The Sheila Divine. And when I re-launched Swizzle-Stick a few years back (new look, new feel), the first person I thought to contact to do an interview with was Perrino who had moved on to fronting a new band, Dear Leader (who have put out, by my count, 2 full lengths and an EP as well as an "instant live" CD).

I was digging through some CDs the other night and I came across my Tugboat Annie collection (don't worry, there will be a whole other post about them with MP3s coming up in the very near future) and remembered that Jon Sulkow (TA's bassist) is now in Dear Leader.

Check out a few brand new Dear Leader songs as well as a track from 2005's All I Ever Wanted Was Tonight. Rumor has it that another CD is already in the works.

MP3: A Nation Once Again (unreleased)
MP3: Nightmare Alleys (2006 demo)
MP3: Radar (2006 demo)
MP3: Raging Red (from All I Ever Wanted Was Tonight)

In My Ear Podcast #5

2006-02-28T00:24:00.000-05:00

Running Time: 34:47

00:00 Nine Black Alps – "Not Everyone" from Everything Is (1)
04:11 P.O.S. – "The Kill in Me" from Audition (2)
07:32 Revolting Cocks – "Ten Million Ways to Die" from Cocked and Loaded
12:38 Laura Veirs – "Galaxies" from Year of Meteors
16:07 Low – "When I Go Deaf" from The Great Destroyer
20:45 The Frames – "Dream Awake" from Burn the Maps
24:57 Nearly – "Step into the Light" from Reminder (3)
28:56 Fig Dish – "Sinking Feeling" from When Shove Goes Back to Push (4)

(1) Target Ad for Black Alps
(2) Envelope, Blueprint, Atmosphere, Wonka Vision Magazine, The Hold Steady
(3) 12 Rounds, The Twilight Singers,
(4) Schuba's

MP3: Download "In My Ear Podcast - Episode 5

Popvert

2006-02-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

Jolie Lindholm met Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba in a college math class. When the former Further Seems Forever singer decided to record a solo album, he asked Jolie to provide some background vocals. You’d think this would have boosted Jolie’s career but, unfortunately, her band The Rocking Horse Winner never took off the way that I expected they would.

The Rocking Horse Winner put out two records, played some dates on the Warped Tour, and then quietly broke up.

Surfing around MySpace, I looked up Jolie Lindholm, to see what she has been up to since RHW’s breakup and to my surprise actually discovered that she is singing with a new project (um, NOT project, new BAND) called Popvert.

The voice (beautiful) is still the same but the music style is a tad bit different – Popvert has more of a new wave pop feel than RHW, very fitting considering the musical world we live in in 2006.

A Popvert EP, Drive Thru Happiness, is available through CDBaby.

MP3: Subculture (New Order cover)
MP3: Grey (new demo)
MP3: The Big Show (from Drive Thru Happiness)
MP3: Tahiti Girl (from Drive Thru Happiness)

Men Women & Children

2006-02-23T23:59:00.000-05:00

I'm either WAY early to the Men, Women & Children party or one of the last (MP3 bloggers) to arrive. Somebody (publicist? label?) sent me an advance copy of their new CD which comes out on March 21 via the Warner Bros. label. I finally got around to listening to it today. The current buzz bands are busy aping Morrissey or Joy Division or Duran Duran while MW&C have decided to follow a different retro path - disco. I mean, make no mistake about it, these kids are total hipsters as their tour schedule implies (dates coming up with Action Action, Metric, Motion City Soundtrack, Panic at the Disco!) but they've tapped into a previously untapped market - at least I've never heard anything quite like it.

Influences would include Donna Summers and the Bee Gees.

Here are two demo tracks to tide you over until the full length hits shelves.

MP3: Dance in My Blood
MP3: Lightning Strikes Twice in NY

In My Ear #4

2006-02-20T22:52:00.000-05:00

Show notes: I've noticed on the past few podcasts that the volume on my commentary and song introductions was a little low so I held the microphone a little closer and talked louder. I think I may have held the mic a little too close as it sounds a bit muffled. I'll keep working on that to come up with a better solution.

MP3: In My Ear Podcast #4

Running time: 40:28

Playlist:
00:01 White Rose Movement - "Girls in the Back" from Kick (1)
03:32 Gyroscope - "Beware Wolf" from Are You Involved? (2)
07:45 We are Scientists - "Great Escape" from With Love and Squalor (3)
11:02 Taylor Hawkins and The Coattail Riders - "It's Ok Now" from Self-Titled
16:31 Jimbo Mathus Knockdown - "Let Me Be Your Rocker" from South (4)
20:01 Epicycle - "Crash" from Swirl (5)
26:46 Guajiro - "Simpatico" from Self-Titled (6)
31:28 Danko Jones - "Don't Fall in Love" from Sleep is the Enemy
35:46 Knut - "Wyriwis" from Terraformer

References
(1) SXSW is an annual music festival held in Austin, Texas every March
(2) Damone is a Boston band featured on In My Ear Podcast #3
(3) Subterranean is an hourlong MTV2 show that shows "alternative" rock videos
(4) Used Kids is a used CD store that I've been going to near the OSU campus since 1989
(5) Kevin Tihista, formerly of Triple Fast Action, is a favorite singer/songwriter of mine from Chicago
(6) Wonka Vision is a magazine based out of Philly that I write for

In My Ear Podcast #3

2006-02-15T23:38:00.000-05:00

Running Time: approx. 30 minutes

00:04 Archer Avenue – "Radio" from We Watched the Headlights We Watched the Stars
02:34 Shawn Mullins – "Beautiful Wreck" from 9th Ward Pickin' Parlor
07:52 Howie Beck – "Sometimes" from Self-Titled
11:48 People in Planes – "Rush" From As Far As the Eye Can See
16:25 Miranda Sound – "Close Calls" from Western Reserve
19:48 MC Lars – "Hot Topic is Not Punk Rock" from The Graduate
23:02 Damone – "What We Came Here For" from Out Here All Night
26:53 Warrant – "The Hole in My Wall" from Dog Eat Dog

MP3: In My Ear Podcast Episode 3

Full White Drag

2006-02-15T22:36:00.000-05:00

I can't say the band name Girls Against Boys without following it up with "they are THE post-apocalypse house band." They sound retro-futuristic with sing-speak vocals by Scott McCloud (who, sayeth some, sounds like The Fall's Mark E. Smith). GvsB put out some really fucking great CDs, my favorite being House of GvsB, but have been inactive - at least as GvsB - since 2002. McCloud and Johnny Temple have done some side project work with New Wet Kojak which sounds like GvsB but not as futuristic.

So what the hell does this have to do with Full White Drag? Well, Scott McCloud of GvsB and NWK has produced material by the Canadian band and Full White Drag's singer Dave Mueller could front a GvsB cover band and nobody would have any idea that it wasn't McCloud singing.

Full White Drag is offering up a 5 songs from their 8-song Internet only EP (City of Roses, City of Smoke) for free on their website. Dig it.

MP3: Kill the Cool Rules
MP3: Renaissance
MP3: Red
MP3: Tonite
MP3: Slo Capo

Girls Against Boys
MP3: Click (from House of GvsB)
MP3: Kicking the Lights (from You Can't Fight What You Can't See)

New Wet Kojack
MP3: Sophia Loren (from No.4 EP)
MP3: Miramax (9-minute remix)

Cleaning out the In-box

2006-02-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

The Swizzle-Stick mailbox has been filling up with press releases from publicists. I went through the good and bad and found some music that might be worth sharing.

> nearLY – “All is Lost” (streaming; not an MP3) - nearLY is the solo project from ex-Nine Inch Nails/Howlin' Maggie drummer Jerome Dillon. He's been working on a solo album for years and it's finally about to see the light of day. 12 Rounds vocalist Claudia Sarne contributes vocals throughout the release.

> Caspian – “Further In” Massachusetts instrumental band that name drops a number of my favorite bands including Mogwai and Mono.

> Pinetop Seven – “Fringe” Pitchfork gave the new Pinetop Seven album an 8.4 and says that the band should be placed alongside Iron & Wine and Calexico.

> Wilderness – “Emergency" Some people have some pretty strong feelings about the vocals on the new Wilderness album

> Centro-Matic – “Triggers and Trash Heaps” The guys in Two Cow Garage call Centro-Matic the greatest live band in America. I didn't get a chance to see them at SXSW last year (I tried but the club was too packed) so I can't confirm this but I'll try again this year.

> Damien Jurado – “White Center” Not a brand new song (it was released last year) but Jurado is working on new material and is getting ready to go on tour so, hey, here's a song that maybe you haven't heard.

In My Ear - February 6

2006-02-06T20:47:00.000-05:00

Gonna have to face it, I'm addicted to Podcasting!

I don't think I'm a great "radio" personality but since I love talking about music and playing new music for friends of mine, the idea of putting up a weekly Podcast is something I'm really jazzed about doing. I'm trying to do one every Sunday night and I'll post the link here on Monday.

MP3: "In My Ear" Podcast #2, February 6, 2006

Just a reminder, the songs played on these Podcasts are songs that I listened to a lot during the previous week, stuff that was "in my ear". Some weeks I go on a retro listening spree so you'll be subjected to bands like The Police, Led Zeppelin, Warrant. But, most weeks I'm listening to new stuff, stuff that I need to review for various outlets.

This episode features music by The Willowz, Pavement, The Kyle Sowashes, Jason Quicksall, Jessi Colter, and In Flames. I put In Flames last because I know many of you will hate it (it's metal .... HEAVY metal ... SPEED metal ... THRASH metal). The running time is 25 minutes.

Knut

2006-02-03T21:33:00.000-05:00

It's 4:50pm on a Friday afternoon. You're packing up your gear, ready to head home from work for the weekend when somebody swings by your cubicle and says, "Hey, listen, I know it's last minute but I have this proposal going out to a prospective client on Tuesday and I really need some help with the writing and editing of the proposal. I have an outline and have jotted down some thoughts. Now, if you can put together a 1,000 word document by Monday morning, that would be great. It'll give me a day to go over it and study it for my Tuesday morning. Thanks. Have a great weekend." You know that heat that fills your body, the same heat that magnified 100 times causes postal workers to go apeshit and gun down their co-workers? Swiss hardcore band Knut (pronounced "kahNOOOOT") knows that feeling and has managed to turn it into music - brutal, brutal music.

Now, these songs won't be for everybody. They are intense, powerful and, well, very jarring. But if you've ever had one of those days where things just pile up and you are screaming on the inside and wish you could let it out, you'll understand these songs and maybe even toss them on the iPod so that when you feel another "heatwave" approaching, you can get yourself in the zone and ready for it.

MP3: "Torvalds" (from Terraformer)
MP3: "Bite the Bullet" (from Challenger)
MP3: "The Whip" (from Bastardiser)

BROOTAL. LETHAL. HARDCORE.

Alex Dezen (Damnwells-related)

2006-01-30T23:41:00.000-05:00

Most of the bands that I'm friendly with have early recordings that they released to the public in limited quantities when they were young but now deny knowing anything about. For instance, when I interviewed Wes Kidd of Triple Fast Action many years ago and asked if he had ever played on any Rights of the Accused albums, he said no. When questioned further, he said, "I'm lying. There is a record out called Kick-Happy, Thrill-Hungry, Reckless, & Willing. You don't need to listen to that. It's actually a lot of fun, but a lot of people don't get the joke." Photograph evidence can be found here. And don't dare bring up Unleash the Cracken around the former members of Fig Dish. They claim that the CD is just a myth (hmm, I was able to hunt down a used copy over the internet many years ago).

So this brings me to Alex Dezen of The Damnwells. The first time I interviewed him, I had prepared by doing a ton of web surfing, trying to find out something interesting about his past. I stumbled upon a CD on Insound by a band called New States. The description of the 4-song EP on the Insound site says:

"In New States, Alex Dezen (guitar/vocals), Dan Hirsh (bass), and David Bush (drums) take their driven but delicate rock sound and merge it with solid pop songwriting. With intricate guitar work and a bouncing rhythm section, they have a comforting familiarity that still sounds new andkeeps listeners in anticipation. New States have the ability to maintain a tense, anxious feel, allowing them to easily shift moods. They use their three piece format to their advantage by playing with space and texture as well as dynamics. Hear their debut EP out now and look for scattered tour dates throughout the summer."

Here's what Alex said about New States when I interviewed him:

It was definitely poppy, the EP we made was definitely the poppiest of all of the stuff. There was other stuff where I'd scream and be a dork. Good luck trying to find that EP anywhere in the universe. I kept the name and me and the drummer changed a bunch of the band members and became an alt.country band at the end of college.

So, while posting this may cause Alex to never talk to me again, I thought Damnwells fans might be interested in hearing Alex's early material. And, if you are a Damnwells completist, you'll definitely want to visit Insound and buy the EP (warning: there's not much to the cover, just a very small photo, if I remember correctly).

MP3: Maya (New States)

In My Ear - January 29

2006-01-29T22:16:00.000-05:00

I first met David Cobb after his former college roommate, Mike Willison (Fig Dish/Caviar), passed me his e-mail address. David had started something called "In My Ear" which was a weekly e-mail that he sent out on Monday mornings to about 30 people listing the music he had listened to the week before along with links to websites of these bands. He asked people on the list to hit "Reply All" and list out the music they had been listening to so it wasn't unusual to get maybe 8 or so lists from other people on the "In My Ear" e-mail list.

I guess it depends on how big of a music geek you are as to whether or not you do anything with these lists. If a name pops up that I'm not familiar with - and the person has a bunch of stuff on their list that I like - I'll do some research. This is how I first heard Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. I like to think that people read my list every week and click on a few links to learn more about bands that I listen to - I think my list often contains some pretty obscure bands based on what everybody else is listening to.

So, I decided to take my involvement in the "In My Ear" list one step further - by recording a podcast featuring music that I had been listening to the previous week. In leiu of posting links to any MP3s today, I offer up a link to my debut "In My Ear" podcast.

MP3: "In My Ear" Podcast #1, January 29, 2006

The first Podcast features music from Clearlake, What Made Milwaukee Famous, Fightstar, Alta May, Vespin, and Warrant. Most of this stuff isn't new, maybe you've heard it before, but it's stuff that I've been listening to a lot over the past week.

Great Lake Swimmers

2006-01-24T23:17:00.000-05:00

A few months before my daughter Piper was born I started having a hard time falling asleep. I'd lay in bed and listen to the stillness of the night. It's at those times that the mind starts to wander and for some reason I couldn't stop thinking about death. I would imagine how tough it must be to be told that you only have a certain amount of time left to live. I would think how there are no guarantees with life - somebody drives through a Stop sign and hits your car; a heart attack strikes you while you're playing recreational softball; a delusional madman hops a wall, enters the club where you are watching a band and opens fire. So many random ways to die other than old age. I guess that's why you should live every day to it's fullest because the next day could be your last. While the thought of that saddened me, I'm the type of person who doesn't live to leave loose ends so, in a way, I kind of would like to know when I am going to die so that I could have a chance to say goodbye, to make ammends, to try to fit in everything that I always wanted to try but put off.

These thoughts can be consuming and in the months leading up to Piper's birth, they'd keep me up until 2 or 3 am. I felt like no matter how hard I closed my eyelids, they just didn't want to stay closed. The only way I could think to cure myself of this mild form of insomnia (or, major case of "thinking too much") was to listen to some music to distract the thoughts I was having. I had the Great Lake Swimmers debut from Misra Records that I had been meaning to check out and decided that maybe I'd give it a spin as I lay in bed.

It did the trick.

Quiet and slow, Great Lake Swimmers inhabit the same world as Nick Drake and The Red House Painters. Tony Dekkar sang me to sleep each night - I barely made it past the second or third song and I was thankful for that.

Tonight I dedicate this song to a good friend that has stood by my side for many years. Layne, may all of your dreams be peaceful and happy. I'll miss you, friend.

MP3: Moving Pictures, Silent Films

Crashdiet

2006-01-23T23:08:00.000-05:00

Metal-Sludge did a feature a few months back on new bands that were bringing back the glam metal look and sound. One of those bands was Crashdiet from Sweden who had recently scored a US record deal with Universal. There was even talk that the band was going to perform at this years South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas in March. Glam metal is my weakness and I was pretty excited to learn that it's making a comeback AND that I'd have a chance to catch one of the up-and-coming bands on the new scene.

Unfortunately, I won't have the chance to ever see Crashdiet live as Blabbermouth.net reported last week that frontman Dave Lepard was found dead in his apartment on January 20. No foul play is expected (in other words: it was probably an overdose) and the band quickly announced that they will not go on with a new singer.

Because of Lepard's death, I'm not sure if Crashdiet's latest album, Rest in Sleaze, will ever get released in the U.S. I'd definitely recommend tracking down an import copy if you're into late '80s hair metal (ie Motley Crue, Poison, Whitesnake).

MP3: Riot in Everyone

Coco Rosie

2006-01-17T23:12:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm just not in with the "in" crowd, not hip enough, but I *just* stumbled upon Coco Rosie, one of the strangest, most unique acts I've heard in the 00's. I realize I'm late to the game, that every Pitchfork reader under the sun already knows that "Noah's Ark is one of the most annoying records you're liable to remember," but I think I'm glad to have finally discovered the duo.

Every Sunday night I Tivo Subterranean on MTV2 and usually fast forward through 90% of the videos, stopping only to give bands that I'm not familiar with a 10-second chance at capturing my ear.

Two weeks ago Coco Rosie's "Noah's Ark" was shown. My reaction to the video and song were similar to my reaction to the Polyphonic Spree the first time I saw them perform (2001 CMJ Festival in NYC). I didn't know what to make of Coco Rosie - the duo were either the most brilliant thing I've heard in years or the most disturbing.

I've read various things about the Casady sisters, Bianca and Sierra, and I'm not sure how much is truth and how much is fiction. Whatever the case is, they make oddly compelling music that I guarantee will be stuck in your head for weeks. If you like it, that's a great thing. If you don't, it'll drive you nuts (just ask Mike, my co-worker, who I forced "Noah's Ark" upon - he keeps sending me IMs at work saying, "I had to listen to it AGAIN. I can't shake it from my head").

I know that the folks over on the Donewaiting message board were talking about Coco Rosie last year when the duo opened for Bright Eyes and I think No Name #1 put it best when he/she said "Horrible affected singing like yer mom's grandma trying to impersonate Billie Holiday on crack, but not even as good." Now, I tend to disagree with the "horrible" part of that description but I think the rest is pretty spot on - one of the sisters DOES sound like Billie Holiday on crack. It's kind of creepy; it's kind of endearing. It certainly is different.

Judge for yourself. And accept my apologies, in advance, if this song drives you nuts.

MP3: Noah's Ark

Christian Lane/Loud Lucy

2006-01-13T23:05:00.000-05:00

My three favorite periods of music associated with cities are the late '80s hair metal scene of L.A., the early '90s grunge scene of Seattle and the mid-90s power-pop/indie rock scene of Chicago. If you stick with Starfool long enough, you'll find me referencing bands from these 3 scenes on a pretty regular basis.

Veruca Salt really opened up the eyes and ears of A&R folks towards the Chicago music scene and after they hit the radio big with "Seether" in 1994, a number of bands reaped the benefits. Bands like Fig Dish, Triple Fast Action, The Smoking Popes, Menthol and Local H were all of a sudden thrust into rotation on the blossoming "alt.rock" stations popping up around the country in response to success of Nirvana. Loud Lucy was another band from Chicago that scored a major label deal in the mid-90s, signing with Geffen and releasing Breathe in 1995. Loud Lucy scored a college radio hit with "Over Me," featuring backing vocals by lead singer Christian Lane's at-the-time girlfriend Louise Post of Veruca Salt. As Veruca Salt grew bigger and bigger, and Post moved on to new beau Dave Grohl, Loud Lucy struggled to get the attention of audiences.

They were given a huge boost when newcomer Alanis Morrisette tapped the band to open her first major headlining tour ('96-ish) and a relationship between Morrisette and Lane soon became hit the tabloids. Not sure what happened after that - Morrisette and Lane broke up and Loud Lucy was finished.

Christian Lane resurfaced in 2000, putting out a solo album called Down to This. Loud Lucy drummer Mark Doyle went on to join Chicago band The Cells and bassist Tommy Furar has toured as a member of Liz Phair's band.

These days Lane appears to have discovered his inner-Americana songwriter and has 4 songs posted on his MySpace page. Maybe it's just me, but I hear a lot of Bob Forrest (Thelonious Monster, The Bicycle Thief) in Lane's voice, even in his older stuff with Loud Lucy.

Here are some of my favorite Loud Lucy/Christian Lane songs.

Stop Draggin My Heart Around - Loud Lucy (from You Got Lucky - A Tribute to Tom Petty)
1000 to 5 - Loud Lucy (from Breathe)
Gotta Go - Christian Lane (from Down to This)
Show Mercy - Christian Lane (demo - 2005)

Hood remix

2006-01-11T06:46:00.000-05:00

If you've seen my "Best of 2005" - and you haven't ... yet ... unless you read it here (mine is the last list on the page) - you'll see that I picked Hood's Outside Closer as my favorite release. Might as well quote myself:

After an early career spent emulating lo-fi rock icons like Pavement, Hood reinvented itself by engaging in experimental rock using a menagerie of instruments to evoke comparisons to Radiohead. On Hood's 2001 release, Cold House, the English band collaborated with the hip-hop collective cLOUDDEAD, and that influence carried over to Outside Closer. While still incorporating hip-hop beats into their folktronica sound, Hood increases the use of samples, glitches, strings and horns on outstanding tracks such as "The Negatives" and "The Lost You." If you find anything Radiohead did after OK Computer to be too challenging, Hood's Outside Closer is a nice alternative.

Obviously, I suggest tracking down a copy of this CD, particularly if you're a fan of Radiohead, Notwist, Bark Psychosis, or even CocoRosie.

On the Hood message board (found on their website) I found a link to a remix the band did for Pulse Programming's "Blooms Eventually" from Tulsa for One Second Remix Project. Here is what XLR8R says about remix album.

Originating in Portland, OR, Pulsepregramming is largely the production work of Joel Kriske and Marc Hellner, whose IDM-centered sound base has won the duo comparisons to Black Dog, Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada. Tulsa For One Second Remix Project, their latest release, is what its title suggests: a reworking of their last album by friends and label cohorts. Hood, Nudge, Barbara Morgenstern and Ghislain Poirier all make appearances on this disc, which is definitely worth picking up and succeeds in the sometimes shaky territory of remix albums.

MP3: Blooms Eventually - Hood remix

Elliott Smith + covers

2006-01-10T22:19:00.000-05:00

It seems a bit too easy to toss up Elliott Smith MP3s and covers as there are dozens and dozens of both floating around cyberspace. But while the folks that put together the forthcoming To Elliott, From Portland compilation CD - featuring Smith covers by the likes of The Decemberists, The Thermals, and Eric Matthews - did a great job of finding artists to pay tribute to the dearly departed songwriter, they obviously couldn't track down everybody that may have been interested in contributing. Witness the under-the-radar tribute CD that came out in early 2005, A Tribute to Elliott Smith and the home recordings Tiara frontman Eric Rottmayer recorded under his solo artist alias Eric Metronome.

You can download 16 Elliott Smith covers that Rottmayer/Metronome did on his website. For a sample of what you'll find, check out Metronome's cover of "King's Crossing" along with To Live & Die in L.A.'s version from To Elliott, From Portland and a live version performed by Smith himself on February 1, 2003 at the Henry Fonda Theater in L.A.

King's Crossing - Eric Metronome
King's Crossing - To Live & Die in L.A.
King's Crossing - Elliott Smith (live, 2/1/03)

The Envy Corps

2006-01-09T21:06:00.000-05:00

When did Iowa move to the United Kingdom? In my experience, there seems to be a particular British "sound" that bands like Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Muse, Radiohead, etc. have that bands in the U.S. are unable to replicate. Perhaps it's one of those things where your sound is based on your environment and as much as the U.S. and the UK are alike, they are also very, very different. Or perhaps it's the mystery of the British accent, something that here in heartland USA I don't hear on an every day basis so when I hear it in song I instantly gravitate to it.

Somehow, a group of kids in Iowa (of all places) are tuned into the UK frequency and have created a Brit-rock sound influenced by cloudy skies, fish and chips, dark and smokey pubs, and NME magazine.

The Envy Corps released a stunning album, Soviet Reunion, in early 2004 though I suspect unless you read a glowing review, you probably aren't even aware this album exists. There are a few used copies on Amazon and I can't recommend it enough if you're a fan of the bands already mentioned (and others like Travis, Starsailor, Keane, The Verve).

The following tracks are from the band's new EP, Lies are Best Told in Pairs, and while I wish I could point you to a link where you can buy the EP, unfortunately, I haven't been able to find the link myself. I sent the band a message via their MySpace account and I'll pass along any information I get. For now, enjoy a few songs from The Envy Corps.

MP3: Baby Teeth
MP3: Rhinemaidens

Starfool: It's a Go

2006-01-08T20:16:00.000-05:00

Over on my Atomic Ned column (found on Donewaiting.com) I mentioned a few weeks ago - when posting a few MP3 links to songs by ex-Verbena bassist Duquette Johnston - that I had no intention of starting an MP3 blog because there are far too many good ones out there to compete against. And then I started finding a bunch of cool MP3s by bands that I knew (and bands I didn't know) and was trying to figure out a good way to share those links with people I thought would like the songs. Aw crap, guess I might as well start an MP3 blog.

Since I write a regular column for Donewaiting and run Swizzle-Stick.com (as well as freelance for a handful of other sites/zines which I'm sure I'll mention on here over time), I figure this can kind of be a companion to those sites.

So, I suppose since I named this site after one of my favorite Damnwells songs, I should make the first official download "Starfool". This version of the song - the original studio version can be found on Bastards of the Beat - is from the band's performance at the Phantasy Theater in Lakewood, Ohio where the opened for Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

Starfool (live) (this file is being hosted on Savefile.com)