It's Been a Bad Seeds Kind Of Day

So as the title clearly indicated, it's been a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds kind of day. Let it be known to the ignorant that this offering is but a slice of the Nick Cave pie. Beyond these three there is so much more. So much more.

















Tender Prey



















Kicking Against the Pricks














The Boatman's Call

Just Because

This is what i was listening to today and I forget how good both records are. The first you may or may not be familiar with. In any case, enjoy it. The second you may, like me, just have forgotten how great a record it is.

A Crime For All Seasons













Wish You Were Here

For those of you looking for a little feel good:

feelin' good.























For those craving the opposite:

The other thing that's not feel good.

You Down with B.O.C.?

You've probably never delved deep into the back catalogs of many of the Classic Rock radio hit-makers. You've probably never considered it. Take some time this time to consider this. Years before we were told of the Reaper and were informed not to fear the guy, there were a handful of records put out by Blue Oyster Cult that just plain rock. Like, for real. They rock. Perhaps we'd better start from the beginning, so here's their self titled debut.














Get that shit here.

They Might Be Fucking Rad

There were once two Johns. The two Johns continue. They are akin to gods. Gods that touch us, but not in that appear-as-a-goat-and-have-an-illegitimate-child-like-zeus kind of touch. The other kind.

Try this on:





Disc One
Disc Two





Which is this:








and this:








plus a bunch of bonus tracks on each disc. So there's that.

Here's some "It's been awhile" gifts.

William Elliot Whitmore is the one. The one. I saw him perform recently, and he had a bottle of whiskey that he was sharing with the crowd. He opened the bottle, took a pull, then handed to the front row. Eventually the bottle made its way back.

Animals in the Dark

Because it ain't easy to find, Here's the Animal Collective Rob da Bank BBC Session. With one of my favorites: This specific version of Winter's Love.

Rob Da Bank BBC Session

Also quite difficult to find is Hank Williams the way God intended.

Alone With His Guitar

The new Fucked Up record is a bit of a departure, and all the better for it.

David Comes To Life

And for no real reason, if you happen to want to take it for a test run or something. here's the new Death Cab.

Codes and Keys

Des Ark - Don't Rock The Boat Sink the Fucker

Download

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

I saw Godspeed this week, just like the last time, nine years ago, it was a mind blowing as well as face melting. The performance was the closest equivalent to a truly religious experience. In honor of the awesome, here be the other three GYBE records. The last post has Lift Yr Skinny Fists. I updated the link in said post soes youse can have a more sense making folder.


F#A#(Infinity)

Slow Riot For a New Zero Kanada

Yanqui U.X.O.

Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antenna to Heaven

Yesterday there were some words being thrown about. Strong words. Words like "perfect" and "record." I laid claimed to a few yet they've gone unheralded. Here begins the heralding:

This is another one of them "alone listenin'" records. I would suggest loud and laying down for a first listen. There are some who feel this record and the band in general are repetitive or even boring. True it is repetitive, but in the way that waves roll onto a beach are repetitive. Or crash into rocks depending on where you are in the record. This is how much of the album feels. Like waves. It will move you about if you let it envelope you in it's blanket of alternating ups and downs. And not just ups and downs, but the ins and outs. The small and the large. The constant struggle for balance between desolation and hope. There are bits that will give you chills, bits that may very well bring you to tears with their beauty, and there are some parts that are just damn good (the entire record.)

I quite hope you enjoy this record on at least half the level that I do. If you're already privy to the magic then...well done.

Perfection

the Stone Roses

Long ago there were roses (and well they continue.) A small minority of said roses were comprised of stone. For a band that only made two records they made quite the impact. Unfortunately, the Second Coming isn't fantastic. Their first record though is nearly flawless. Not a lot of nearly flawless records about. I can't think of any specific flaws, but let's not be throwing around words like perfect (though it just might be.)

The production on this record is both phenomenal and wildly appropriate. Appropriate is always the way (for me at least) to gauge production. If you want to know why some blues or country sounds great or others sound not so, look at the atmosphere presented just by the production values alone. Herein lies the problem with many (the majority of) recordings.


How about this?

Day Never of 30: The End

This is my formal resignation from the 30 days. Upon completing half of the 30, give or take, I have decided that this is nothing but a trite and self indulgent quest. That is not the purpose for which I started this blog and it is detracting from the initial intention. I have grown bored with it and now feel obligated to carry on. I don't want to feel obligated to write about something I love. So I will not be seeing it to completion. I will be returning to that initial intention of giving you something of worth. Not the silly autobiography that has overtaken the last two weeks. Thanks all the same. I'll be making it up to you.

Day 15 of 30: Take Me Back To Tulsa

A song that describes me:

I am terrified of failure. I am not afraid of losing a competition. I am afraid of life changing failure and the thought of being abandoned somewhere. I did not move to NYC when I was 20 because all I could think about was what would I do if I failed. I have no safety net. My parents would help in that case but at much harm to their shaky financial bases. I have never ventured out of the country and (used to) not go on many trips as a result of this fear.

I day dream a lot. I day dream about being in the studio, and spending all my free time in between records buying records. I day dream about interviews with magazines. What would I teach if I had my own column in Guitar World? These types of things. As a result, I lose focus and never get anything done. I spend so much time and effort on dreaming about making music that I never have time to make any actual music. It seems that I need to grow up before I get to do all this cool stuff. I am not a grown up.

I have thought before about getting married. It's something that grown ups do. But again...not a grown up.

Being with Monika though makes me feel much closer to being a grown up. I am quickly approaching the grown up finish line. Soon, I will do these grown up things.




Sorry this don't got Bob Wills. It's a bad ass version though.

Day 14 of 30: Witness

I keep no secret of my love for Sarah McLachlan's "Surfacing." Mother fuckers always be like "yo really?" whenever it comes up in conversation. I have selected one of my jams for you to gander with yon ears.

The cut:


Sorry. I don't feel much like writing today. I accidentally deleted a folder of more than half my music. I am on the hunt. See you tomorrow.

Day 13 of 30: Sistinas

This is supposed to be a day of guilty pleasure. I don't believe in them, but if there was ever something I am ashamed of...it's my love for Danzig. I used to be way into him and am now ashamed. His lyrics are so bad. And the music? Well it's not fantastic. There a still a few gems in the old heap though.

Here's one right here:


Sorry I don't have a story or anything interesting today, but this song's pretty good right? Not very metal I know, but what's a boy to do?

Day 12 of 30: Enjoy the Silence

Thought about this a bit, and it coulda been any number of things. Coulda been another one like Day 2 (see day 2.) Coulda been Ween. There are many things it...coulda been.

I don't much care for the '80's. It has been well documented, or would be if there were documents kept on such things. Here's my beef: what's up with '80's Prom and the like? Retro Nights all over the damn place. Why? For ironic hipster purposes? The music is terrible and everyone looks like a moron. There is equally crappy music that is "fun" and ironic from...blarg blargy barf. If you're here then chances are you've probably heard all this before so...

Here's a song I love...by a band I hate:

Day 11 of 30: Ana Ng

A song by my favorite band:



It's too hot to write. So I'm not gonna, plus it's nap time bitches. I could go on and on about the lyricism and arrangement genius of the two Johns. But you already know or you're never gonna. Either way I'm going to take a nap. So you can all fuck off. I'll have it back tomorrow...maybe.

Day 10 of 30: Untitled 3

I can sleep to pretty much any music just so long as there is some. Though I don't like sleeping. I never have. Even as a baby. My great grandmother said that I was afraid to miss anything. She was right and continues to be. In my infancy, my father would have to drive me around, radio up, to send me off to dreamland. He'd then head home and attempt to get me to a normal human sleeping place. I'd wake up. Sometimes he'd take for another spin. Other times he'd give up. If they'd just put a radio next to the crib maybe I'd have been fine and they'd have stayed sane.

I've been known to sleep to Screeching Weasel, Brother Inferior, Master P, They Might Be Giants, etc. I need music to keep my brain from wandering and messing about. There's a pretty lady what sleeps next to me most nights now, so I don't need the distraction like I usetah. But when I am lucky enough to rest my eyes at some music (naps and shit mostly,) I most times opt for Sigur Ros.

Day 9 of 30: The opening theme to 30 Rock

Let us hope that the rest of the month brings better topics than days 8 and 9. I'm not gonna say a whole lot about "a song you can dance to." Just let it be known that I NEVER skip past this theme song, and that I dance a little jig while seated for every viewing.

Day 8 of 30: Sleepover

There was once a Blooty. Pepsi presented, and there were some who found it spectacular.

James and I got sick of the whole Blooty ordeal and so put an end to the Dragon Carcasses and Archipelagos of your basement party shenanigans. After a couple years of prodding and whining and pleading and ego stroking we caved and gave the people one last taste. One last taste with some additions. There was a song we'd yet to unleash (Skateboard,) and we'd always wanted to cover 50 Million's "Sleepover."

The problem with "Sleepover" was the lyrics. The second verse was the aural equivalent of illegible . After a week or so of trying to piece together syllables, we'd come up with slightly more than nothing. The internet (for once) wasn't much help. I had to get on the myspace (aw remember that little guy?) and message Shell, asking for his blessing and the lyrics to the second verse. He responded, we learned the song, we blew up more amplifiers and the rest is absolutely guaranteed to be lost in the cracks of history with the rest of this story and all my others most likely.

Can I just say that day 8 is lame? How many songs do you know all the words to? I have entire discographies memorized (mostly.) This is silly. But I took an oath (I did?) to complete the 30 days, and I'm not gonna cheat and skip (Leah.)

You can download it and unzip to listen:

http://www.mediafire.com/?y3gao5czyq78ogp

Here it is, it's Sleepover b/w Whiskey Eyes!

Day 7 of 30: Walking the Dog

A song that reminds me of a certain event:

My father plays music. I believe I've mentioned this. He's always in a band (or 5,) and he hails from the old style of playing lost to most modern musicians. Knowing your shit and just playing.

There was one band of his in Indiana, Loaded Dice. They were a Rhythm and Blues band. The same type as the Blues Brothers, but without the showy front men. This is one of the songs they did.

Listen here.

Every year we would go to a Hog Roast at some farm. Several smokers going all day. Five or six of them at least. The guy working the spits would open one up and ask what part, cut off that part, and put it directly on your plate. But the best part was the corn. One big charcoal roaster with nothing but fresh corn in the husk. A guy wearing welding mitts would grab an ear, pull back the husks, dip it in a coffee can full of melted butter and hand it to you like a popsicle. Plus there was volleyball and unlimited cans of all kinds of soda.

When the sun dropped, the band would play in a pavilion in the middle of the yard. My father's band. The first year we attended, Loaded Dice opened with "Walking the Dog." The first time I had heard this song. When my father and I happen to play music together (quite infrequently) we play "Walking the Dog," and the whole time I think about the annual hog roast in LaPorte.