Indie Music Chatter

Okay, so I’m officially a year older. I celebrated my 36th (!) birthday last Monday. I was actually hoping for something exciting to happen on that day. I didn’t even work, hoping that some of the people I work for might call me demanding to know what I’ve been doing. In short, I was looking for drama. And predictably, I never got one. It was, for all intents and purposes, a boring day.

I tried to bring some form of indulgence on my “special day” by playing the extended edition version of The Lord of The Rings: Return of The King with my home theater cranked up. It really gave my humongous subwoofer a good workout, I had a little fun but it was not enough to really mark my day. I really tried to do something that would make me remember my 36th birthday — I ate a lot of sugar even though my glycemic index is already in the upper registers. I tried to smoke some cigarettes but ended up throwing it away (I can’t stand the stuff now). I even played some of my video and PC games — nothing. I am ashamed to report that I had a dull day, nothing memorable happened. Nothing that would make me look back ten or twenty years from now and say to myself, “that was a fucking awesome day.”

My kooky sister-in-law talked to me last weekend and asked how old I’d be on my birthday. When I told her that it was my 36th birthday, she told me that some cultures believe that we go through nine year cycles and that my 36th birthday marks the beginning of a new cycle in my life. I hope to God she’s right, I don’t think I can stand another nine years of being bored out of my wits.

video games, home theater, Lord of the Rings

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Now playing: Semifinalists - Origin Song
via FoxyTunes

I’m not only a serious music collector, I’m also a hard core gamer. I just recently purchased a kick-ass video card for my new computer so I can play the upcoming Direct X 10 capable PC games.

But even with the jaw dropping graphics that my souped up computer can provide I’m still obsessively playing with Playstation 2 — more specifically Guitar Hero II. I think that Guitar Hero II is the perfect melding of my love for both music and video games. I just love rocking out to really cool rock songs. I have to say that not all of the songs work for me, but those that I love really give me a great buzz. I love to imagine that I’m playing a real guitar (although I do play the guitar my skills are intermediate, at the most) and executing those hard licks like a true virtuoso.

I am quite stoked  about the upcoming release of Guitar Hero III because of the large amount of original songs included in the game. Some old faves are also included so I’m really polishing up my “fretwork” to do the songs justice.

But if I have the ability to choose the songs in Guitar Hero I’m going to come up with a radically different song list. I’d have Elastica and Blur in the lineup along with more Ramones and Stooges songs. I’ll also have some synth based bands in the line up like Moving Units. I’d also add some upbeat songs from Aberfeldy or Architecture in Helsinki to brighten up the song lineup a bit.  Of course, punk will figure prominently in my dream Guitar Hero game — with the likes of The Blitz and The Exploited. Now that would be cool.

Guitar Hero, The Exploited, Elastica, Blur

My friend Dodo sent me an SMS a few days ago informing me that Amazon is currently having another indie music sale. The last time Amazon had this sale was about four months ago and I really went crazy over the number of titles that were finally put in the 7 to 10 dollar range. I immediately went online and checked out the titles for sale, and although the prices and the titles on this present sale pales in comparison to the last there are still some really good bargains to be had.

One of the first titles I looked up was Death Cab for Cutie’s Photo Album. I missed it during the last sale, opting to get We Have The Facts and We’re Voting Yes instead. The price is a dollar more expensive than the last sale but, damn, I really want to complete my Death Cab discography so badly! Yes, folks, I’m an obsessive music collector who has to complete the album discography of bands that I love.

Another band that I have set my sights on is Pavement. I’m a huge Pavement fan and I really lucked out during the last sale when I got the two-disc remastered Slanted and Enchanted for 10 dollars. In this sale both the remastered two-disc editions of both Wowee Zowee and Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain are now on sale. Just like with the Photo Album, the price is not as low the one given for Slanted and Enchanted but it’s still a great discount so I’m really seriously mulling over getting these two remastered editions to complement my other Pavement albums. Remember, this is the same guy who obsessively collected The Cure’s remastered Deluxe Edition releases.

Amazon, Pavement, Death Cab for Cutie

I just got a phone call from one of the handlers of a project I’m working on… to cut a long story short, I was unceremoniously removed from the project. The worst thing was that they retained another person who so obviously did not have the necessary experience in online publishing, only that this person was personally recommended by the project leader. I, on the other hand, who got in through the strength of my experience in online publishing and content writing, was left out in the cold. It really left a bad taste in the mouth. It makes you want to go Sylar on them. But, hey, c’est la vie. If they can actually build a whole website without the expertise of a seasoned online content editor then my hat off to them.

I’m too riled up to really think tonight so I’ve opened a bottle of Shiraz and pulled out some choice CDs to act as my unofficial musical score. Definitely, Nine Inch Nails is gonna figure prominently in my playlist. The Fragile seems like a good choice. I also want to get some vintage Tom Waits in to make me feel like I’m in some honkytonk bar drowning away my frustrations on a bottle of moonshine (although the shiraz is way more preferable). I’m also playing What’s Your Problem by The Players — a smoky, frenetic acid jazz stomper along with their other song It’s Not Over Now, which is more of a slowburner.

I’m still pissed off, but looking at the bright side, I’ll have more time listening to my albums and getting the online content services company I’ve been dreaming about off the ground — clouds and silver linings, right?

The Players, Tom Waits, Nine Inch Nails

My good friend Raffy, who is also a big fan of indie music, sent me an SMS today. He told me to look for Tegan and Sara’s cover of Rihanna’s Umbrella. The thought of Tegan and Sara even covering a silly (umbrella -ella -ella) albeit catchy song is just too interesting to pass up. I told him I’m definitely going to check it out and what I saw was so much fun that I think you guys ought to see it too.

One of the most embarassing things to happen to an avowed music fan is to actually miss an important piece of information with regards to music. And what makes it doubly embarrassing is that the information involves a band of which you are a big fan.

That’s just what happened to me today. I am a HUGE Buffalo Tom fan. I think that all of their albums are great examples of American rock — brash, atmospheric and earnest. I have all of their albums in my collection and, in fact, always mention Let Me Come Over as one of the finest albums ever made. So it came as quite a shock to me to find out that they released a new album last month. Three Easy Pieces was released last July 10 and I completely missed it.

I’m not going to make excuses for what happened but to put it in perspective, this album of new material is a follow up to Smitten, an album that they released waaay back in 1998. for the next four or five years, I would periodically check if they have released any new CDs. But except for a Greatest Hits package (which I always consider as a sign of an impending breakup) no new material came out from the Bill Janowitz and company. I guess, subconsciously, I thought that Smitten would be their last album.

Sometimes, it’s good to be wrong. Oh, and welcome back Buffalo Tom. Pleased to make your acquaintance once again.

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Now playing: Buffalo Tom - three easy pieces
via FoxyTunes

Buffalo Tom, Smitten, Three Easy Pieces

Over the past couple of days I’ve been immersing myself with the music of Joy Division. I’m doing this to prepare myself for my planned attendance to a screening of Anton Corbijn’s Control, the biopic of the late Ian Curtis.

I’m an avowed Joy Division fan. But if you ask me how many of their albums I have I’ll tell you that I only have one. It’s actually the Heart and Soul 4 - disc set that encompasses the whole dicography of Joy Division (which is, obviously, tragically short). Call me a half-hearted fan if you want but I deliberately bought this CD set because I knew that it will be very hard to track down each and everyone of the band’s releases. Some may think of this as a Cliff’s Notes version of their discography, to which I have to voice my contrarian opinion. It may be true with some of the other artist retrospectives released by money grubbing record companies. But Heart and Soul, to me, is like a trade paperback — a tidy collection of the whole run of a comicbook (or a particularly memorable story arc). This collection is supposed to contain every single release the band made during their very memorable, but very short time together. I think that this noble attempt to compile everything in one manageable package is commendable and is a great service to Joy Division fans and serious music listeners.

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Now playing: Film School - On & On
via FoxyTunes

Joy Division, Ian Curtis, Anton Corbijn

My friend Dodo just tagged me with a music meme, which I have to admit I love answering…

What Music Are You Currently Grooving To?

Most of the artists I’ve talked about in this blog are currently in my playlist. This would include Chow Chow, Tom Waits, Tegan & Sara, Film School, Mixtapes and Cellmates, Au Revoir Simone, and The Rumble Strips. Other artists that are on my playlist (I may blog about them) are The Go! Team, Ariel, Jubilee’s Child, Chet Baker, The Aluminum Group, Plane and the wonderfully named DD/MM/YYYY.

What, If Push Comes To Shove, Is Your All-Time Favorite Album?

I hate absolutes. There are just so many good things in the world that it is practically impossible for me to just name just one “ultimate” all-time fave. So I’ll just mention some of the albums I think should be considered as an all-time favorite in everyone’s list — Nirvana’s Nevermind, U2’s Achtung Baby, Tom Waits’ Closing Time, My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, The Stone Roses’ debut album, and The Beatles’ White Album.

What Was The First Record You Bought? And Where Did You Buy It?

The first record I bought with my own money ( that’s a pretty big distinction there) would be The Police’s Synchronicity. It was a second hand tape with a battered liner. I bought it from a high school classmate who probably nicked it from his older brother.

Which Musician Have You Ever Wanted To Be?

Again, an absolute — which means I give more names. For sheer genius, it would be Kevin Shields. For tortured vision, Kurt Cobain, For pomp it would have to be Bono, for coolness cranked to 11 it will have to be Chet Baker.

What Do You Sing In The Shower?
I haven’t sung in the shower in ages, having a family limits your private rock star moments. But I have to admit that I’ve been singing Snow Patrol’s You’re All I Have whenever I’m alone in my work area at home.
What Is Your Favourite Saturday Night Record?

Hands down it has to be Tom Waits. Closing Time, The Heart of Saturday Night and Nighthawks at The Diner. Three albums’ worth of broken down blues and honky tonk jazz is a perfect companion to a glass of good cognac and a darkened room.

And Your Sunday Morning Record?

I have a hyperactive three year old who knows what he wants. This means my Sunday mornings are spent listening to The Backyardigans and those products of a ’shroom trip, The Wonder Pets.

Ariel, Jubilee’s Child,   DD/MM/YYYY

I was looking for a CD for my son this afternoon. He just came back from pre-school and it has become daily routine for me to play soft music while he drinks his milk. The whole process relaxes him enough that he falls asleep in less than twenty minutes — something that was quite difficult to do before I discovered this “trick.” I started with Mozart during the first week but I was pleasantly surprised that he loved Chet Baker’s Music for Lovers when I played it to break the monotony. He has come to call it his “favorite music”. Needless to say Dada is quite proud that his son has an inherent taste for good music.

Anyway, back to my story. Zach had already fallen asleep but I wanted to play a couple more CDs for him while he’s sleeping (I believe in all that subliminal shit). First on my list was Tom Waits’ Closing Time, which I have already blogged about before. I am still nuts over this album and at the rate things are going I may have to request that this CD play incessantly at my wake when I die. I’ll also ask to be cremated with a copy of the CD. After this superb album finished playing I decided to play The Aluminum Group’s Pedals. I absolutely love the folkie electronica feel of this album — and yes, I don’t care that I’m making my son listen to a music group composed of gay brothers. Good music defies sexual preference.

Aluminum Group, Tom Waits, Chet Baker

Time for a little break guys but something that’s still music related. A friend of mine asked referred me to this Youtube video of English comic David Armand’s “interpretive mime” of Natalie Imbruglia’s song Torn, which incidentally was written by Phil Thornally, a former bassist and producer for The Cure. The clip is hilarious and further supports my belief that English comics are a cut above the rest.

The Cure, Torn, Natalie Imbruglia

Beth Ditto is proudly carrying the torch for all of the brave and controversial women rockers who came before her. If you still doubt if Beth Ditto can rightfully claim the rock chick crown then just look at the daring cover she agreed to do for NME.

It takes a lot of guts to have your picture taken nude flaws and all. It’s pretty obvious Beth has a healthy body image and more than that, she is giving girls all over the world a clear message that you don’t need to be reed thin to feel sexy.

Beth Ditto, NME, women rockers

Every end of the month, after I have assessed how much money is due me from my various jobs and projects, I prepare a list of CDs that I will buy online. Call it my monthly reward for being a good boy and for working my butt off. The number of CDs I buy usually fluctuate from one (it’s been a bad month) to four (yey for me!). This month I am planning to buy two CDs along with a couple of reference books that I need for my new job as an editor. Now here’s the problem, what two CDs should I buy?

Ask any music collector and you’ll surely hear the same problem. There are just so many good albums out there that narrowing down your purchase to such a low number is damn near impossible. Do I get that new Art Brut album, do I get the Manos so I can finally complete my Spinanes discography, or do I just preorder the new Tegan & Sara that’s about to be released in a couple of weeks? There are just so many choices that more often than not my mind would overload and I wouldn’t even be able to remember that album that I promised myself I will get the next time I order online.

Here I am wracking my brains out and I still haven’t decided on anything. Who would’ve thought collecting CDs could be such a chore?

Spinanes, Tegan & Sara, Art Brut

Sally from Living Without Meat tagged me for my first ever meme a couple of weeks ago. Having had some problems with my internet connection over the past week, it totally slipped my mind. I finally remembered about this today so here it is… Seven random facts about myself:

1. I’m a rabid collector. I’ve been collecting various stuff for practically my whole life. I’ve collected comics, action figures, CDs, stamps and even IP telephone cards. I’ve drastically cut down though to just the occasional action figure and of course my CD collection

2. I love my son to pieces. His name’s David Zachary, he just turned three and he has a funny way of saying “I love you” (Ayuvyu!)

3. I’ve passed a kidney stone last year. It was both a terrifying and mind-boggling experience. Terrifying because when the first attack came I thought I was going to die from the pain. Mind boggling because a stone can actually pass through the body.

4. Zach is actually my second son. My wife and I had a first born but he only lived for a week. He would’ve turned five this year. I still miss him everyday…

5. In a nod to Sally who tagged me for this meme, I used to be a vegetarian but had to stop for a number of reasons. But after seven years I am now taking the first steps towards going vegetarian again. Yey, me!

6. My wife is the editor in chief of a women’s magazine. I’m really, really proud of her

7. I love asian horror movies. I think they’re the bomb!

Now, here are the details for this particular meme: Each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to then report this on their own blog with their 7 things as well as these rules. They then need to tag 7 others and list their names on their blog. They are also asked to leave a comment for each of the tagged, letting them know they have been tagged and to read the blog.

I’m going to tag two first but will add over the next couple of days:

Dodo at Is It Safe?

Mike at FPSRantings