Song's from this Morning

1. Life on Mars? - David Bowie
2. Caring is Creepy - The Shins
3. Teenage Superstars - The Vaselines
4. Porcelain - Moby
5. King of Kings - The Evens
6. Rats - Black Beach
7. Going Down - The Germs
8. Validation - Minutemen
9. Burnin' for You - Blue Oyster Cult
10. Keep on Knocking - Death

Today's Playlist

1. Coffee - Kal Marks
2. Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
3. Blank Generation - Richard Hell and the Voidoids
4. The Weather Song - Ought
5. Jane - Barenaked Ladies
6. Nightswimming - REM
7. Where is My Mind? - Pixies
8. Future Police - Downtown Boys
9. Lemmings - Blink 182
10. Promises - Fugazi

Some Songs from this Morning

1. See More Glass - Total Control
2. In My Eyes - Minor Threat
3. Big Me - Foo Fighters
4. Everywhere I Go - Mini Dresses
5. Ironic - Alanis Morissette

I Should Have Paid More Attention to METZ

When Canadian noise punk trio METZ released their eponymous debut in 2012 I was indifferent.  I thought it was good, but never thought it was anything revolutionary or radical.  The albums 10 songs were straightforward grungy noise rock with a hardcore twist.  An amalgam of other Sub Pop releases from the last 20 years.  However, I recently gave their new LP simply called "II" a listen and I was floored.  The power and sincerity I never noticed on their first album was readily apparent on their sophomore effort.  Sharp, jagged opener "Acetate" sets the tone for the rest of the album with it's shaky vocals, whiny guitar strings, and a bass line that feels more like a kick to the face as it drives the music forward.  Other stand out moments include the adrenaline fueled "I.O.U" and the sporadic tempo shifts of "Spit You Out".  METZ finishes strong with "Kicking a Can of Worms"; a song that builds and builds before erupting like the violent volcano it is.  You're hypnotized by the repetitive droning noise as the band leaves you with a farewell letter that shows they are more than just your average rock band.  It ends up representing what makes METZ great.  Using a variety of musical building blocks, the band incorporates the influences of 90's Seattle in a way that doesn't sound forced or overexposed.  Their live show is supposed to be a smorgasbord of whipping hair, metal riffs, and a sludgy rhythm section which lets be real, is the perfect cocktail for mind altering rock and roll.  A recent stop in Boston at the Sinclair saw the band playing with 2015 breakout band Bully and up and coming Seattle rockers So Pitted.  Really wish I had been paying more attention to this band but they've certainly hooked me now.  It's what rock is supposed to sound like in 2015.

Today's Playlist

1. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
2. Lazarus - David Bowie
3. Oh, Me - Nirvana
4. Sleep Talk - Diet Cig
5. Too Tough - Bully
6. I Hate the Weekend - Tacocat
7. Look Alive - Titus Andronicus
8. Paperback Writer - The Beatles
9. Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas
10. Rock and Roll Forever With the Customer in Mind - Pile

The Space Oddity Returns to the Stars: RIP David Bowie (1947 - 2016)

      Celebrities die all the time.  I'm sorry if that sounds morose but it's true.  They are just people like you and me and eventually, we all succumb to death's frigid grasp.  However, every once in awhile we lose a true icon; someone who is not a celebrity, but instead an immortal being whose presence on this planet shaped generations. They're more than just another "rock star" and leave us all in a state of cultural shock at the mere IDEA of their loss.  It's almost incomprehensible that they could be gone and yet we are all left in the wake, attempting to make sense of it all.  Such was the case this past weekend when the world lost a true social, musical, and cultural legend: David Bowie.
      To condense the life of such an incredible human being down into a few words hardly seems like an appropriate gesture.  Sure we all had a Bowie that meant something to each of us.  Some had Ziggy Stardust, some had the Duke and still others knew him only as Jareth the Goblin King.  The point is that David Bowie transcended his earthly shell and will join an elite group of people who have truly become immortal.  His music will continue to inspire, provoke, and mystify future generations with each and every listen.  His progressive beliefs on gender, fashion, art, film, and music are the stuff of legend.  Up until the very end, Bowie never stopped creating and in the days after his untimely death we're left with his final message - Blackstar.  An album whose meaning is now abundantly clear.  Faced with his imminent demise, Ziggy left us with a message of hope and of confidence.  He tells us not to be afraid, not to mourn, not to dwell on the sadness but instead embrace the future.  The release of his final record, accompanied by his final birthday, and followed by his crushing death lead us all to reevaluate his last words and listen closely as the man himself speaks to us about his final months - from whatever dimension he now calls home.
      People always look back on history, culture and particularly music and say man, I wish I could have been alive in the time of John Lennon, in the time of Jim Morrison, of Darby Crash, Kurt Cobain, Lou Reed...people who established themselves in the pantheon of human civilization as true musical trendsetters and revolutionaries.  As the dust settles around this terrible loss I'm left with a sense of pride... pride that I got to live in the time of David Bowie.

Today, More Than Any Other Day...Is the BEST Day to Listen to Ought

I realized recently that I never reviewed my #2 pick for the top albums of 2014 and that is something that needs rectifying because the release is one of a kind and sounds NOTHING like any other music coming out these years.  I say years and not days because it is truly one of the most unique musical experiences I’ve had in a long time.  More than Any Other Day by Canadian alt-punk band Ought is stunningly imaginative and incorporates a diverse range of vocal and instrumental influences to craft a musical style which defies categorization.  The albums eight tracks are almost all over five minutes long allowing for compositions which change tempo, volume, and style several times throughout while allowing for the disassembling of traditional song structure in favor of an artistic, often spoken and chunky aesthetic that devolves into captivating guitar solos and steady rhythm sections.  Lead in track “Pleasant Heart” starts things off with a steady guitar driven tune which crashes into atonal static and feedback at the 3 minute mark before picking up at the end.  Title track “Today, More Than Any Other Day” is my favorite on the album.  Starting off slow and steady with a simple drum beat and casually plucked discordant guitar strings, the songs breaks open with a burst of energy at the 2:00 mark as lead singer Tim Beeler repeats “We’re sinking deeper…” pulling in the listener before launching into a David Byrne style vocal explosion of clearly stated lyrics which state simple positive exclamations like “Today! More than any other day, I am excited to stare into the eyes of the old man sitting across from me on the train and say, everything is going to be ok”  With a chorus of “Today, together, today, together, today, together, we’re OK” its hard not to jump up and down and smile during this song as you’re filled with positive energy.  The chunky, base driven “Habit” comes next and sees more Byrne style vocals as the song starts out as more of a spoken word piece.  Matt May’s keyboards come through heavily on  “The Weather Song” which sounds the poppiest of all the tracks with a fantastic chorus of “I! Just wanna revel in your lies”.  Slow and haunting  “Forgiveness” sounds straight out of Sunday Mass and takes several minutes to build up slowly with discordant feedback  before the first word is even spoken.  The song ends up recalling Pavement with a slower temp.  “Around Again” brings the keyboards back into the rhythm section in a big way as a smooth baseline keeps everything on track before  the song closes it’s last few minutes with a sharply repeated set of chords and Beeler repeating “We have reached the intermission, we can ask him all our questions….like are we there yet? Or are we lost forever?”  You’re left with an uncomfortable feeling while accepting that that song just reached new levels of ingenuity and thought provoking lyricism.  “Clarity” follows the one aspect of form which can be said applies to most of Ought’s songs in which a slow beginning gives way to a loud and more traditional song structure towards the end with the singer yelling “Did you get what you wanted?!”  Closing track “Gemini” finishes with another spoken word style banger with Beeler stating “I retain the right…” followed by a series of feelings and actions accompanied by chaotic guitar and drums alongside Ben Stidworthy’s steady bass lines which drive Ought’s explosions of expression.  At the end, “Gemini” sounds like Beeler’s last breath as he finishes an already strong album with a powerful and pulse driving closer which ends so abruptly it leaves you begging for more.  Luckily, Ought responded to that feeling and delivered an equally impressive follow up months later with Once More With Feeling.  Check out both albums, I promise they’re unlike anything you’ve heard.

Today's Playlist

1. Forward - Free Pizza
2. Drown (demo) - Hunters
3. Sick Mind - King Tuff
4. Displaced - Paths
5. Battle of Evermore - Led Zeppelin
6. Worriers - Worriers
7. Back Where I Belong - Rancid
8. Out of Vogue - Middle Class
9. Old Timers - Stymie
10. These Times They Are a-Changin' - Bob Dylan

Tracks from Today's Playlist

1. Lights Out - Screaming Females
2. Medical Envy - NICE GUYS
3. Every Day is a Winding Road - Sheryl Crow
4. Magnets Pt. 1 - Slothrust
5. Angel's Wings - Social Distortion
6. Price to Pay - Miami Dorritos
7. Fresh Pond - Krill
8. Nic Fit - Sonic Youth (Untouchables cover)
9. In the Meantime - Spacehog
10. In the Evening - Led Zeppelin

My Year End List - Top 10 Albums of 2014

Every single publication that has anything to do with music in any capacity is currently partaking in the time honored tradition of the Year End list right now so I figured I’d jump on the proverbial bandwagon and put together my own.  Year End lists are interesting because so many people have so many opinions and everywhere you look someone has picked something different for their number one album or song of the year.  AV Club picked Angel Olsen’s Burn Your Fire for No Witness as their number one record of the year and it didn’t even make Rolling Stone’s Top 40 Albums (thought their list is questionable at best considering their pick for number one was U2’s “excuse me while I shove this down your throat” Songs of Innocence LP).  The point is that everyone has their own picks and these happen to be mine.

10. Weezer – Everything Will Be Alright in the End: Weezer has had a tough few years but those pent up anxieties and emotions present themselves in a subtle way on their new album.  Frontman Rivers Cuomo manages to walk the line between sincerity and fun, catchy tunes while the rest of the band follows suit returning to Weezer’s geeky, alt rock roots making longtime fans of The Blue Album happy for the first time in a while.

9. White Lung – Deep Fantasy: Lead singer Mish Way delivers howling squeals and guttural belts fronting the visceral hardcore band White Lung whose third LP this year blended classic thrash with modern punk to create an adrenaline fueled thrill ride which I found myself getting in line to listen to over and over and over again.

8. Eagulls – Eagulls: The debut eponymous LP from the UK’s Eagulls proved that underground 80’s alternative is alive and well.  Each of the albums tracks oozes with manic depressive earnestness and creates a haunting atmosphere which harkens back to early Echo and the Bunnymen with a hardcore punk twist.

7. Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal: Brooklyn’s Parquet Courts have been busy the last 18 months churning out several releases the most recent being Sunbathing Animal .  The albums 46 minutes of punk charged art rock see the band pushing the limits of the sound nurtured on last year’s Light Up Gold.  With several songs devolving into Sonic Youth-esqe fuzzy guitar solos, the band has clearly demonstrated that while maintaining a cohesive style, they’re not afraid to take things to the next level.

6. Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else: Speaking of bands that push the boundaries, Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings released a phenomenal follow up to 2012’s Attack on Memory which proves that lead singer Dylan Baldi who started the band as a solo project in his bedroom has graduated to full on rock star status.  The albums tracks bring the same alternative intensity as their previous release while still showing evolutionary growth.

5. Bob Mould – Beauty and Ruin: The former Husker Du frontman created one of the best rock and roll records of year…hands down.  The album is full of thunderous drums, heavy hooks, raging riffs, and punky beats ranging from radio friendly sing-alongs to full on alternative hailstorms.  There’s a reason this album made my list and not the Foo’s Sonic Highways. 

4. Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire for No Witness: AV Club’s pick for album of the year, Angel Olsen’s haunting and mesmerizing LP is an astounding piece of modern alterna-folk.  Drawing from an eclectic mix of influences the songs offer up Olsen’s unique and powerful voice as the focal point crafting dreamy, simple, yet heavy compositions around her incredible lyrics.  This album is A MUST for any year end list.

3. Alvvays – Alvvays: Canadian dream pop band Alvvays put together an out of this world debut album this year utilizing ethereal vocals, simple and catchy drumbeats and poppy hooks which when combined create the best “indie” album of the year.  Sounding like a softer version of the Dum Dum Girls with wayyyy less black leather, Alvvays has set the bar high for their follow up but if it’s half as good as their debut, it’ll still be a chart topper in my book.

2. Ought – More Than Any Other Day: WOW is the best way to describe Ought.  The third Canadian group on my list (way to go eh) this punk quartet is the only band to make my brow furrow this year, in a good way!  I was so confused when I first heard their album that I didn’t know whether to jump for joy or question humanity itself.  The albums songs combine the raw power of the Talking Heads with heavy guitars and CRAZY time signatures and tempo changes that both put you in a trance and make your heart explode.  Listen.to.this.record.

1.  Tacocat – NVM:  My number one album of the year emerged like a brilliant ray of sunshine from the dreary, rain saturated forests of the Pacific Northwest.  Tacocat’s debut NVM has everything I’m looking for in an alternative rock record.  All the songs are superb combining lyrics that are lighthearted and funny on songs like “This is Anarchy” and perfect social commentary on tracks like “Hey Girl”.  The band rocks, in sound, subject matter, appearance, and attitude.  All the members are involved in side project’s one of which deserves an honorable mention on my list.  Bree McKenna’s band CHILDBIRTH also released a debut this year entitled It’s a Girl! which exemplifies what’s so great about punk rock.  The album is over in less than 15 minutes but in that short amount of time crafts a raw, lo-fi sound which is grittier and heavier than most other albums released this year across all genres, no ifs ands or buts about it. End of discussion.

Year End Lists Have Begun!!!

It's that time of year again folks.  Everyone is stuffed full of turkey and staring down the holiday season that lies before us.  Shopping, family, food, gift giving, just some of the many things that make this time of year so magical.  It's also the time that every musical blog, magazine, publication, or whatever begins the time honored tradition of the year end list.  Best Artists, Best Albums, Best Songs, Biggest Surprises, Best New Acts, I could go on and on.  In keeping with the spirit I've decided to put together my own, albeit much briefer Best Albums of 2014 list.  Look for it next week and in the meantime, check out Rolling Stone's list of the 50 Best Albums of 2014 below.

Rolling Stone's 50 Best Albums of 2014

Songs from Today

1. Miserable - Lit
2. Today, More Than Any Other Day - Ought
3. Rapt - Karen O
4. On My Fingers - Iceage
5. Cleopatra - Weezer

The Foo's Announce North American Tour Dates

The Foo Fighters have been busy this year. Their new album Sonic Highways is out now and in case you haven't heard anything about it, was recorded in eight different studios in eight different cities across the country.  The making of the album has been chronicled in an eight part mini series on HBO under the same name and has brought the American rock band back into the spotlight in a huge way.  Dave Grohl had been speaking about a world tour to support the new album and series but had yet to announce North American tour dates until yesterday.  The Foo's will play 29 shows across the country supported primarily by rock duo Royal Blood with the exception of their July 18th show at Fenway park where Grohl has asked local Boston underground heroes Mission of Burma to open. Tickets supposedly go on sale in three days on the 22nd with a heightened focus on getting tickets to fans directly so as to avoid hiked prices from scalpers who buy large amounts of tickets and list them on sites like StubHub.  So get in line, pick up the phone or go to the Foo Fighters website to get tickets because they will no doubt sell fast and if you haven't already seen the Foo's live it is not something to be missed.  With shows averaging three hours long, you definitely get your moneys worth and Grohl always has a few surprises to throw into the mix.  The band exemplifies modern rock and roll and if you're a fan of the genre, this is a show you simply must see.  Check out full details from Rolling Stone below.


Foo Fighters North American Tour Dates

Song's from this Morning

1. Peaches - Presidents of the USA
2. Ruby Soho - Rancid
3. Porch - Pearl Jam
4. Shut Up - Blink 182
5. Where Did You Sleep Last Night - Nirvana

We are the Best! Captures the Essence of Punk Rock

I am a huge fan of independent films.  I love watching a movie with no A list actors and feeling so absorbed by the subject matter.  You believe and relate to the story so much more when you aren't staring at the face of Brad Pitt or Seth Rogen.  No matter how fabulous an actor is you will always know that you are in fact watching them perform.  With independent films however, we get the opportunity to really feel the authenticity of the subject matter.  Such is the case with We are the Best! A Swedish indie film about three young girls growing up in Stockholm during the early part of the 1980’s.  Bobo and her friend Klara are punk rockers and thus are outcasts.  Their hatred for their parents, school, and society is matched only by their fervent loyalty to each other and their adulation of punk music.  The film focuses on the two girls as they navigate the stresses of rough home lives and the constant battle that is public school.  However, after signing up for the communal band space at their local kids center, the two decide that they MUST start a band.  Soon they recruit a new friend named Hedwig.  The quiet, introverted, and religious girl is a sharp contrast to Bobo and Klara but the three soon become inseparable as Hedwig teaches the other two about how to play music.  The film is part coming of age tale, part music documentary, and part love story.  It’s incredibly hard to capture the spirit of something like punk rock.  To capture what it truly means or the effect it has on some people’s lives is supremely difficult and We are the Best! does a masterful job at showcasing the essence of punk through the the lives of these three girls.  Adolescence is a tough time for everyone and normal issues like boys, teachers, and parents are present throughout the film.  The difference is that the movie manages to show how punk is not only an escape for these girls through the music and style of nonconformity, but also how it is in and of itself a state of mind that allows you to do whatever you want.  Capturing the true DIY spirit of the genre, We are the Best! manages to avoid clichés and assumptions about punk while delivering a message we can all relate to: being young can be hard, but that shouldn't stop you from defining yourself the way you see yourself.  It shouldn't stop you from being what you want to be.  And that is what makes the genre and this film so wonderful.

Today's Playlist

1. Next of Kin - Alvvays
2. Sweet Pea - CHILDBIRTH
3. Miami - Against Me!
4. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
5. Intergalactic - Beastie Boys
6. Teardrops on My Pillow - Dum Dum Girls
7. The Beauty Process - L7
8. Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam - The Vaselines
9. Would You Be Impressed? - Streetlight Manifesto
10. Bad Attitude - Articles of Faith

Alvvays Crafts Incredible 80's Infused Indi-Pop

Canadian five piece Alvvays (pronounced Always) has caught the indie world by storm with the release of their eponymous debut this past July.  The album is some incredibly ethereal and melodic indie pop and successfully redefines a genre which has been done to death these days.  Lead singer/guitarist Molly Rankin’s voice is unlike anyone else in the world of indie music today.  Her lyrics are both complex and accessible allowing you to hear what she’s saying and understand where she’s coming from while leaving a little open to interpretation.  All nine songs on the record are hits with Molly’s voice and guitarist Alec O’Hanley’s riffs as the focal point.  The guitar play between the two works masterfully and creates an infused and haunting style.  The 80’s influenced

soft rock sounds brought to the table by keyboardist Kerri MacLellan fit masterfully with O’Hanley’s surf rocky hooks and the steady simple drum beats of Phil MacIsaac which keep a similar tempo on every track.  Lead off song “Adult Diversion” will get stuck in your head for days and is one of the best on the album.  The single “Archie, Marry Me”  follows and is a perfect example of the sublime melodies present on the entire LP.  Other notable tracks include “Next of Kin” in which the narrator sings merrily about leaving her love to drown in a river with a chorus of “If I had known he couldn’t swim, we would never have gone in”.  Lighthearted track “Agency Group” brings the focus to the bass and drums while still allowing Rankin’s voice to shine through as the guiding light.  The slow, lullaby-like “Dives” precedes the fastest track “Atop a Cake” which starts pushing the soft indie pop of the other songs into rock territory which is refreshing after the mellow, almost euphoric sound of the rest of the album.  Alvvays is currently touring and had a recent stop in Boston where I missed what was hailed as an impressive show.  Live, the band sounds just as good as on their record and brings an energetic passion to their leisurely tunes.  Definitely check this band out and give the CD a listen.  The songs instill a warm fuzziness that makes you smile and relax.

Intimate Jimmy Page Interview

Rolling Stone contributor David Fricke recently sat down with guitar legend and Led Zeppelin founder Jimmy Page to discuss everything from the Zep reissues released this year to his opinions on the O2 arena reunion.  The interview is funny, heartwarming, intriguing, and a little sad.  Read it below, you won't be disappointed.

Jimmy Page Interview

Songs From This Morning

1. I Believe You - White Lung
2. One Beat - Sleater Kinney
3. Be Easy - He Is Legend
4. Leave Me Out - JEFF the Brotherhood
5. Fazer - Quicksand

This Morning's Playlist

1. Dixie Cup and Jars - Waxahatchee
2. Archie, Marry Me - Alvvays
3. Spaceman - 4 Non Blondes
4. Your Weakness Give Me Life - Le Butcherettes
5. Back to the Shack - Weezer