Top 5 musicians whom I would time travel to the past to watch them perform live.

On 02.23.10, In Uncategorized, By admin

Steve R. with a candy cigarette

I spend a lot of time listening to music that I will never have a chance to hear in person. Artists and bands that have either broken up or have died before I was born, or before I was well aware of their genius. We, as human beings, have so much to cherish in the music that the people before us have left. From simple work songs passed through generations to elaborate symphonies conjured up in a virtuostic composer’s brain, there are many places I would love to be in musical history. I would love to pick Mozart’s ear, or know what Debussy was thinking while composing his String Quartet. However, I narrowed my choosing down to musicians I can obtain recordings of, and have influenced me countless times by their talents.

1. Sam Cooke

The best male voice in all of popular music. Some may argue Ray Charles, Elvis, or perhaps John Lennon, all which are valid, but this website is about opinions, and my vote is for Sam.

I would give anything to see him perform. However, I’ll have to settle for listening to Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963 over and over and over and over….and that really is not a bad option. It is an amazing album.

2. Miles Davis

Now, there is a stipulation with Miles. I would only want to see him in the era from 1954-1963. His music from that era of his career speaks to me more than any of his later electronic expeditions. I would love to see Miles in a smokey club in New York, or perhaps Paris in the late 50’s, backed by Coltrane, Red Garland, Philly Joe Jones, and Paul Chambers. It would give me yet another reason to want to name my first born son Miles.

3. Johnny Cash

Granted, I could have seen Johnny in concert in my lifetime. However, I will admit I was too ignorant as a younger man to truly appreciate his music. No matter how much my dad pushed him on me in car rides to football practice, I was still in my phase of not listening to anything ‘country’.

I did not gain an appreciation for Mr. Cash until I reached college and became incredibly bored with what I was listening to over and over in my freshman dorm room. So, in an effort to broaden my mind, I went to the Fredonia library and picked a random record off the shelf to listen to while studying. That record was Live in Folsum Prison. I was hooked.

Unfortunately, I was too busy with college and the music I was making to catch Johnny live on his last tour. On September 12, 2003, one day before my 22nd birthday, Johnny Cash died. I went to BJ’s where they were only playing Johnny all night long, and did two shots of whiskey at midnight. One thanking Johnny for the music, the other for my birthday.

4. Roy Orbison

I was a Roy Orbison fan at a very young age. His voice intrigued me as a child. It has this haunting quality that I had never heard then, and have not heard since. Usually popular singers encounter copycat singers (think of all the Eddie Vedder copycats there have been), but I have never in my life heard someone sing like Roy. The closest I have seen to him playing live is on the Black and White Night DVD, which in its own right is glorious.

Roy Orbison may have been the first death of a famous person that meant something to me. It was 1988, I was 7, and Traveling Wilburys Vol. I had come out two months before his death in December. I remember listening to that album and singing along with his parts in Handle with Care while my dad played the album in the dining room. I also remember that the video for Handle with Care had Roy in it, but the next single End of the Line was filmed after his death and only had a guitar in a rocking chair during his vocal solo.

Another important note is that Johnny Cash and Roy were great friends, and lived next to each other in Tennessee. Below is a video of them on Johnny Cash’s TV show performing Orbison’s Pretty Woman

5. The Beach Boys

I did see the Beach Boys once. It was the first concert I ever attended. It was sometime around the release of Kokomo (1989) and Brian Wilson was no where to be found. My parents, brothers, aunts, uncles, and cousins were all in attendance because it was at the Clearfield County Fair that year. I have just learned that, 21 years later, I am going to have another chance to see them at the same venue. They are playing at the Clearfield County Fair in August, with three of the original members who still survive (Brian Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine….Dennis and Carl Wilson passed away in 1983 and 1998 respectively.)

However, I would give anything to see them around the time of Pet Sounds. If I could hear those vocal harmonies along with the intricate instrumentation, I would probably melt.

Honorable Mentions

The Beatles – Not in my top 5 (which will probably anger lots of people), but if I were to see them, I would want to see them in Hamburg as young kids giving it their all on stage.

Ray Charles – I would have been the dorky white guy in the corner listening intently.

Buddy Holly – Nothing would have stopped me from dancing at his show.

 
2 Comments
Leave A Response

I can’t do a top 5 or top 20 movies of the decade list, so here are my 50 favorite:

On 01.01.10, In Entertainment, By admin

Steve L.

Realizing pretty quickly that there was no way I could limit my list to 5/10/or 20, I counted the items I had jotted down, and saw I had exactly 50.  So that is how I came up with my number.  I ‘m going to put them in blocks of 10, block 1-10 being my favorite…41-50 least favorite of the 50.  One thing I learned from doing my favorite albums and films of the decade:  I have a very unbalanced favoritism towards films from the 70s/80s, and music from the 80s/90s because a lot of these wouldn’t make it in my top of all time.   I can’t do video from all 50 movies, but I will include some of my favorite scenes from the list.

PS.  If you are going to be offended that I did not include Lord of the Rings/Harry Potter/The Dark Knight, you might as well stop reading now.

1-10:

1.  High Fidelity -- obviously High Fidelity…I can honestly not remember if we were already doing top 5 lists when High Fidelity came out, or if we kind of got the idea from the movie.  Either way, its a very big reason that this website exists.  I’ve had such an emotional response to this movie that I had to go a few years without even watching it.  It is of no surprise that one of my favorite books if High Fidelity as well.  Add John Cusack, Jack Black, Todd Louiso, a good soundtrack, substitute Chicago for London, and it makes my #1 favorite movie of the 2000s.   I could really include any scene from the movie, but this is one of my favorites:  a top 5 list of his own…

2.  Gran Torino -- As I grew older, I had this uncanny urge to start liking Clint Eastwood movies.  When I was a young teen, I looped him in with John Wayne, and shrugged him off as another Western bad actor.  When I first saw previews for Gran Torino, I knew it would be the sort of movie that I would love.  Most people have seen it by now, and have their own ideas about what it means, and what its about…some may not like it at all…for me its a perfect movie, by someone who has totally mastered his craft inside and out.

3.  The Royal Tenenbaums -- When we saw this in the theater when it was released, we were the only ones laughing, and it wasn’t a soft chuckle…we were letting out loud steve roessner clapping type laughs….a few people walked out, and the rest sat there in silence…I’m not sure everyone(in Binghamton) was ready to understand wes anderson’s sense of humor.  This quickly became one of my favorite movies, and along with Anderson’s other films helped resurrect Bill Murray’s career.

4.  (500) Days of Summer -500 days perfectly captures the joy and agony of a head over heels crush, that hopefully everyone has gone through at some point in their life.  Its the type that leaves you feeling steamrolled, and left in someone’s wake not knowing what happened.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a perfect male lead, and Zooey Deschanel is just cute beyond cute.  The opening scene in the trailer (below) is my favorite scene in the movie.  It is their 1st meeting in an elevator, and Zooey Deschanel has just noticed that J G-L is  listening to the Smiths.  As a guy, maybe only a handful times in our lifetime are we approached by such an attractive girl…..even less so in an ELEVATOR…but then for her to point out that she loves the music you like, and then sings it to you,…..you are lucky if that would ever happen to you once…….thus his reaction, “holy ****”.

5.  Lost in Translation -- This movie is what truly brought Bill Murray back to us…he transformed himself from the wise cracking obnoxious womanizer of 80s and 90s to…well mostly just an older version of that, but finally with some promising scripts to work with.  My favorite part of this movie is that it shows so well how 2 people can have such an epic connection with each other, in such a short period of time, even with not much in common, just time and place.

6.  A Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou -- This is another Wes Anderson picture that features many of the things I love about the Royal Tenenbaums:  a great soundtrack, subtle humor, amazing attention to detail, interesting characters, a great story, and of course Bill Murray.  Here is Bill taking back what is his:

7. Into the Wild -- I went to see this movie alone, not expecting too much, just an entertaining story, and some Alaskan wilderness.  But never have I wished more that I had someone with me to experience what I was experiencing.  I was mesmerized by the story, Emile Hirsch’s acting, and Eddie Vedder’s original soundtrack.  This is a true tale of an exploration of someone’s life and soul.   I have never read the book, but have to think the author is happy with Penn’s portrayal.

8.  Wall-E -- I am not an overwhelming fan of animated movies.  I have never seen Toy Story, and have forgotten most of Shrek/Finding Nemo/Pixar/Disney.  I can’t remember why I decided to see Wall-E, but it was one of the better movie-going experiences I can remember.  It’s such a simple, but entertaining story.  It portrays such a sense of longing,  by the end you cannot help but root for 2 robots to spend the rest of their ‘lives’ together.  And, I love Peter Gabriel’s song “Down to Earth”.

9.  Gladiator -- I think everyone likes Gladiator, don’t they?  I can’t imagine why someone would not.  Stories about revenge are some of the easiest to like, and this is one of the best I can think of.

10.  Clerks 2 -- I had a few other movies slotted in the 10 spot, but finally ruled on Clerks 2.  I think anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s, and was into independent cinema, has a special place in their heart for Clerks.  Nothing about it is superb filmmaking like The Godfather, Chinatown, or Jurassic Park…it is a script filled with cursing, and nonsense, the story is absurd, and the acting is exactly what you would think for a movie made on that type of budget.  Yet I still love it.  Its the mundane conversations, and scenes where almost nothing is happening, that I love.  So I was excited when I heard Clerks 2 was being made.  Clerks 2 slightly moved away from parts of the 1st, but in many ways stayed true.  Still there were the conversations that go on and on about nothing…still there was the cursing and sex jokes…there was just a bit more plot and production value now.   There are a few videos I want to post, but they’re all so dirty I feel uncomfortable doing it.

11-20

11.  Donnie Darko -- I have always found it difficult to explain why I like Donnie Darko…After reading another best movie list, I have found a description that sums up nicely how I feel about it:

Donnie Darko (dir. Richard Kelly, 2001). A film that ends up being more than the sum of its parts (Jake Gyllenhaal, a heartbreaking ’80s New Wave soundtrack, and the late Patrick Swayze playing a pedophile). There are probably a lot of folks who take this movie really seriously, trying to keep all the space-time stuff straight, but it’s enough simply to bask in its sharp, nasty humor, encapsulated in scenes like the “Sparkle Motion” dance routine. That alone is worth two hours of your time. –Robin Monica Alexander

12.  28 Days Later -- I still remember seeing this for the 1st time in theater…being amazed and blown away by what a ‘zombie’ (they’re not technically zombies, but just infected with ‘rage’) movie could be.  Danny Boyle immediately became one of my favorite directors, as he has another picture on this list, and another (Sunshine) that just missed.

13.  Super Troopers -- Simply one of the funniest movies to come out this decade.

14.  There Will Be Blood -- Epic masterpiece…Daniel Day-Lewis…Jonny Greenwood score…The end of this movie is just intense.

15.  Gangs of New York -- I think this should have won the Best Picture oscar over Chicago, but I guess I don’t give much weight to what they come up with.

16.  Children of Men -- This is one of the most underrated movies…really really good action/sci-fi.

17.  Shaun of the Dead -- A spoof film on par with Mel Brooks’, Shaun of the Dead came around at a perfect time when zombie films were popular again (dawn of the dead remake, 28 days later), and became an instant cult classic.  Zombieland was good, but Shaun of the Dead is far better, and deserves a spot in the top 20.

18.  Taken -Taken is not a revolutionary movie…it does nothing new that has not been done in many movies before.  Its a simple kidnapping/trying to get them back movie.  But it is just done to perfection.  At its core, it is a movie about a man setting a goal, and then accomplishing that goal, no matter what stands in his way.  And part of the reason it is so entertaining is we get to see the process of him going through his methods, trying to figure out with very little to go from, how to find his daughter.

19.  The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada -- A tremendous modern Western -- It takes place on the border of Mexico and Texas, starring Barry Pepper as an eager for action Border Patrol Agent.  Barry Pepper does such a great job in this movie, and Tommy Lee Jones does equally well acting, as well as directing.  This is a Western not only because of its setting, but because of the ideals that it portrays…honor, duty, friendship, and the strength of a man’s word.  This is a fantastic movie, and the fact that it went so unnoticed is very sad.

20.  A History of Violence -This movie  is so intense.  To watch Viggo Mortensen’s transformation from a peaceful man hiding from his past, to the violent killer that he was once, makes this movie amazing.  This movie just plain kicks ass.

21-30

21.  Cloverfield -- An awesome monster movie, a throwback to 50s monster movies, done in a more modern way of storytelling.

22.  Wedding Crashers -- The montage that is set to “Shout” is enough to get this on my list, but the rest of the movie was so great too.  While Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are at their best here, it is also the other actors that help solidify this movie as a mainstay from the 00’s:  Rachel McAdams, Bradley Cooper, Isla Fisher, Chris Walken…

23.  American Splendor -- A movie that introduced me and everyone else to how great Paul Giamatti is.  He portrays Harvey Pekar, a real life comic book artist from Cleveland.  This is a fairly slow moving and uneventful movie, yet never seems boring.  The acting is very good, and the (true) story is very interesting.

24.  Amelie -- I don’t know why I like this so much…maybe I had a crush on Audrey Tatou, or maybe I just liked the simple story, about a simple girl, that led a simple life, and wanted simple things, and maybe that seemed comforting to me.

25.  Son of Rambow -- By far one of the most fun movies I have ever seen.

26.  Harold and Kumar go to White Castle -- I knew this was going to be one of my favorite comedies of the decade as soon as I read the premise…2 friends are hungry and high, they want a specific food, they will have that specific food no matter what it takes.  Is the cause of some unfortunate frozen white castle hamburger frenzies.

27.  3:10 to Yuma -- This movie came at a time when my preference for Westerns was at an all-time high.  Chances are I was going to be biased towards liking it.  However it truly was a fantastic movie.  Finally a remake that hollywood could be proud of.  I’d think you would have to try pretty hard to screw up a movie with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

28.  Appaloosa -- Just after 3:10 to Yuman, this was released.  This was an Ed Harris project (director/writer/lead).  Sometimes that can spell disaster, but he pulled it off.  Viggo Mortensen plays the strong, but silent sidekick.  And Jeremy Irons is terrific as the villain.  Renee Zellweger does her damnedest to ruin the movie, but it still is a very strong addition to the Western genre.

29.  Inglorious Basterds -- This movie caught most people off guard.  They expected one thing, and got another. So I can see how some might not love it.  I admit that I would have liked to see more of the “we’re in the killing nazi business” nazi killing from Brad Pitt and co.  But I am very satisfied with the directions it took.

30.  Slumdog Millionaire -- From the music, to the tempo, to the creative way the story was told, to the acting, this movie was incredible.  Danny Boyle is now by far one of my favorite directors.

31-40

31.  25th Hour -- This movie is simply fantastic.

32.  Brick -- A neo-noir film, told in a high school setting with high school characters…Joseph Gordon Levitt starts his comeback

33.  King of Kong:  A Fistful of Quarters -- One of the most entertaining documentaries I have ever seen.  And I can appreciate it even more because I know how hard Donkey Kong is.

34.  Be Kind, Rewind -- Such a likable movie about 2 guys trying to recreate movies that they have no business ever trying to recreate.

35.  Knocked Up -- When I saw this opening night, I don’t think I had ever laughed that hard in a theater.  Especially at, “Your face looks like Robin Williams’ knuckles”.  This has lost a little of its appeal now after seeing it a couple times,  it being censored for television, and the Seth Rogen overdose.

36.  Superbad -- 2006/2007 was the era of Judd Apatow.  Between writing, directing, and producing, his name was on a ton of successful comedies.  By the time Superbad came out, hype was huge, and I’m not sure the movie ever lived up to it.  However it was still a very fun movie, and Michael Cera is very very hard not to like.  Also, McLovin.

37.  Sin City -- An incredible cast meets an awesome graphic novel meets Robert Rodriguez direction meets Mickey Rourke comeback

38.  300 -- My dad has been telling me for most of my life about the 300 Spartans that held off the however many Persians at Thermopylae.  So this was a thrill to see it come to life on the big screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgrsNBu51nU

39.  Closer -- Are you kidding?  I started to really like Clive Owen and Jude Law after this movie, but really fell in love with Natalie Portman during the scene below:  (no its not the strip scene, I love to see the men turn their heads as she walks by)

40.  The New World -- My favorite part of this movie is the music, but I also love the story, and how the movie looks.  I watch this every time its on IFC.

41-50

41.  Napoleon Dynamite -- It’s easy to forget how funny, but more importantly how different this movie was when it came out.  I could not watch this movie for about 5 years, because I wayyyy overdid it in 2004.  I can probably watch it again now.

42.  War of the Worlds -- I’m pretty sure I might be the only Tom Cruise fan left on the planet (well I know Trevor still likes him).  I don’t care what he believes in, or how many couches he jumps on, or how many characters from dawson’s creek he marries…he knows how to make a movie.  Not to mention, he will have a life pass for me because of his work in the 80s.  I’m pretty sure most people won’t agree with me about this movie being on a top 50 list, but I don’t care…I love movies about aliens, and this movie needed an update BAD.  I can’t see how people don’t like this movie more, I’m pretty certain its bias towards him.

43.  Signs -- Another alien movie that most people do not share my enthusiasm about, and maybe its also due to the fact that Mel Gibson had a falling out with his fans as well.  Or maybe people started to dislike M. Night Shyamalan?  This is such an entertaining and suspenseful movie, and it has one of my absolute favorite actors, Joaquin Phoenix, playing a very likable character.  Again, I can’t help but watch this every time its on.

44.  Sideways -- Lowell from Wings and Paul Giamatti

Jack: If they want to drink Merlot, we’re drinking Merlot.

Miles: No, if anyone orders Merlot, I’m leaving. I am NOT drinking any ******* Merlot!

45.  Zack and Miri Make a Porno -- I have a serious softspot for Kevin Smith.  This movie is as crass as they can come now, but in funny ways.  This is about the last movie that I could stand Seth Rogen in, so I let that slide.  Elizabeth Banks is awesome.  I love her.  And Jason Mewes gets to play a different character for once.  I really like this movie.

46.  The Descent -- I love horror movies, but I don’t feel too many stoodout in the last 10 years.  I had heard good things about this when it came out, but it took me a couple years to get around to seeing it.  Wow.  I was sincerely frightened at times.  Its not the creatures in the cave that are scary, or even what the girls are capable of doing to each other, its how claustrophobic the movie made me feel.  It does a great job making you feel like you are down in the caves with them.

47.  The Road -- I already loved this book.  There is not much that the movie could have improved on, so the movie didn’t open any new doors for me, and did not gain any ground on this list.  But it was an exact duplication from the page to the screen.  It is exactly how I pictured it when I was reading the book.  From the characters, to the landscape, and how the movie looked in general.

48.  Open Range -- I have already indicated that I’m a sucker for Westerns.  And this was one of the first ones to come out since the mid 90s.  Costner and DuVall are amazing together.  The gunfight at the end is one of the best I’ve ever seen.  It’s slow slow moving, and thats a good thing, its how a Western is supposed to be.

49.  American Psycho -- One of the movies that reintroduced Christian Bale to the world, this includes some of the funniest and at the same time gruesome scenes I have seen…all set to Whitney Houston and Phil Collins…awesome.

50.  Avatar -- Avatar probably deserves to be higher, but since it literally came out with only a couple weeks left in the decade, it hasn’t sunk in much yet, and also it loses points because I’m not sure the re-watchability factor is very high.  It’s an incredible movie, but its length will make it hard for me to watch 2 or 3 more times in my lifetime.

HM.  Grindhouse/Death Proof, The Ring, Lucky Number Slevin, Zombieland, Where the Wild Things Are, Let The Right One In, The 40 Year Old Virgin

*have not seen Fantastic Mr. Fox, Invictus, Up, Star Trek

-Steve L.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

Steve R’s Top 20 Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)

On 12.09.09, In Arts & Literature, Entertainment, By admin

In attempting to give a different point of view than other lists that have, or will come out, I am writing this one in an autobiographical manner. These are the albums that mark periods in my life over the past 10 years. Also, I am going to place them not by year they were released, but instead list them at the time I truly discovered the album and it moved me…sometimes it takes a few years to realize the greatness of an album.

I am splitting up the albums into sections, representing different periods of my life in which I grew and changed as a person. I am doing this in order to make sense of my own life and timeline….

I also realize that 20 is not 5. So, concept fail….but it is impossible to sum up 10 years in 5 albums…

——Jan. 2000 to May 2004——Graduating High School to Graduating College

The Impossibles – Enter/Return (2000)

As one of two albums on this list released in the year 2000, this record marked a period of my life with tremendous change.  Enter/Return was released in June of 2000 as I was graduating high school and preparing my life for college. When I bought this album, I was expecting the same ska/punk band that I knew The Impossibles to be, but was amazed to hear something completely different.

Much like this band shedding their skin and changing musical direction with this album, I would soon find myself doing much the same musically in the years to come. This album largely ended my fascination with pop-punk and ska from high school, even though I still sported my Fat Wreck hat on the Fredonia campus for most of freshman year.

Ten years later, and I still listen to this album and love it just as much as I did then. When I hear the song ‘Never Say Goodbye‘, I am reminded of the final weeks before leaving for college and driving around Binghamton with this song blasting out of my Mom’s blue Subaru.

Fugazi – The Argument (2001)

The last full length album from my favorite band of all time. I still remember ordering this album on the phone from Dischord because I was too afraid to use a credit card online. When it arrived, it came with a nice thank you note which I taped to the side of my Compaq computer for the rest of Freshman year.

I must have had this album in my portable CD player walking around this campus for months on end. Also, The Argument is responsible for sparking conversation with Ryan Ball, one of my great friends and fellow former member of League and Northwestern.

Mogwai – Rock Action (2001)

When I entered college for sound recording, I knew one of my teachers would be Dave Fridmann. Up to that point, I only knew his work on Pinkerton and The Soft Bulletin. When I heard that he was working with Mogwai, and they were in town and would be playing at BJ’s….it was something I couldn’t miss. I still remember that show as being the single loudest show I have ever attended.

Rock Action contains one of the greatest “side one, track one’s” ever in ‘Sine Wave’. The sounds on this album alone are to die for, and I honestly don’t think Mogwai has matched the sound and intensity of this album since.

I also fell in love with the bar at the show, and spent the next few years sneaking in the back screen door by the kitchen that was never guarded in order to drink underage. I was a regular face in BJ’s for the next 4 years….

Piebald – We Are The Only Friends We Have (2002)

Spring Break 2002, a bunch of good friends headed from Binghamton to Syracuse to attend a Piebald show where they were touring on this album. After seeing the show, the 5 fine young men make their way to a Jeep parked on the street. Spotting Piebald’s touring van, these young men decide to write a note to them which reads:

“What’s up Piebald? What’s up is right. What’s up is right is right.”

Right after leaving this on their windshield, their merch guy came out, read it and confronted us like we wanted to fight Piebald….but in reality, it meant nothing….it was just nonsense. We laughed the entire way home while listening to this album.

We Are the Only Friends... remained my album of choice for almost an entire year. I could not find a single thing wrong with this album. Lyrics from ‘The Monkey vs. The Robot’ hung in my apartment where League rehearsed. I still use it as a reference CD for calibrating sound systems and learning a new speaker set up.

Piebald is also a big reason for the shift from Brighton to League. I distinctly remembering Dave and Nate (the bassist from Brighton) convincing me to ditch class for the night and go to Buffalo to see Piebald at the Backstage Pub. There were 5 people there….and it may have been one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. Soon after, Nate left school, Elliott joined the band, and League was formed….

The Promise Ring – Wood/Water (2002)

The final album by my second favorite band of all time provided a soundtrack to one of the best summers I have ever had. Every afternoon after work, it was an unwritten rule to meet up with Steve, Trevor, and Mike (a.k.a. King of the Grass) and play basketball until dark.
None of us were 21 yet, so we had to find activities that did not involve massive amounts of drinking. We had tons of fun that summer, and this album was the supporting soundtrack. The song ‘My Life is at Home’ fills me with mental pictures of that summer. Shooting fireworks off in West End park with the Sullivans on July 4th, drinking at the same park, parties in Steve and Ellie’s basements….I have amazing friends.

The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)

By this time in my life, I had taken a few classes with Dave Fridmann, and still could not fathom how he got the sounds on this album. In later years, when I finally was lucky to record with him as producer, I would figure some of his tricks out…but not all of them by far…

I remember buying this album at Circuit City in Binghamton the summer of 2002, and driving home in my green truck with the CD in the stereo. I didn’t have to work at CVS that day, so I drove down the Vestal Parkway to Route 26 and headed south towards Pennsylvania. I listened to the entire album on the way to Montrose, PA, then headed back to Binghamton through a different route listening to it a second time. Thank god gas was only $1.20 at this point.

Slowreader – Slowreader (2002)

Everyone has an album that reminds them of a relationship. Listening to Slowreader takes me right back to my apartments in Fredonia, hanging out with my girlfriend at the time. I can remember blissful moments, as well as arguments (including one we had at a Slowreader show in Buffalo). Now she is married to a wonderful man, and I’m still listening to this album every time I have relationship troubles.

Slowreader only lasted for this one album, which was created from the master songwriters of The Impossibles. The album is ripe with great melodies, harmonies, and chord changes. It is everything a depressing album should be…beautiful, yet tragic and moving from despair to hope.

The Weakerthans – Left and Leaving (2000)

I remember listening to the Weakerthans’ album Fallow after John K. Sampson left Propaghandi and thinking “ ‘Diagnosis‘ is a good song, but I can’t get into the rest.” Well, a few years later, I stumbled upon a used copy of Left and Leaving at NYCD in Fredonia and decided to give them another shot. Then I realized I was completely wrong about the band. This has happened to me many times in life, but sometimes I just need to reach a point in life for a band’s music to reach me….something that will be repeated as we move down the list.

Left and Leaving left me speechless, but mainly with the lyrics. Musically, the album is adequate, but not stunning (the drums are the most creative entity of the band at this point)…but what really captured me were the lyrics. Sampson’s poetry is unmatched for this decade. The only people who come close are David Bazan and Mike Kinsella, but some Pedro the Lion comes off as preachy, and Kinsella overdid it with the ‘girls are evil’ routine. I have enjoyed every Weakerthans album since, and musically they have grown tenfold, but this album still blows me away more than any other.

Cursive – The Ugly Organ (2003)

When I heard this album for the first time, I had never, ever, heard anything so sincere, so beautiful, and so heart wrenching before….until I reached back and heard Domestica. I was a late comer to Cursive, never paying much attention to them before The Ugly Organ.

This album, for me, was my entire Junior and Senior years of college. I was playing in League, working towards two degrees, and drinking way too much at BJ’s. I listened to this album so much, that I scratched the hell out of the CD and had to buy a second copy. Years later, I still love Cursive, and this album. Although, I fully admit to overplaying it so much that I still can’t listen to it the whole way through without getting bored now. I have it all memorized.

Cursive – Domestica (2000)

After hearing The Ugly Organ, I ran out and bought the entire Cursive catalog up to date. Of their earlier albums, Domestica spoke volumes to me. ‘The Radiator Hums’ still gives me chills when I hear it.

Upon listening it today, it carries more meaning since I have been through a few tumultuous relationships and can relate to the lyrics.

The following line from the book/movie High Fidelity sums up my feeling about this album:

“What came first, the music or the misery? People worry about kids playing with guns, or watching violent videos, that some sort of culture of violence will take them over. Nobody worries about kids listening to thousands, literally thousands of songs about heartbreak, rejection, pain, misery and loss. Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?”

—–May 2004 to November 2004—–Five Months on Tour with League

Small Brown Bike – The River Bed (2003)

Lesson #1 for anyone going on tour with a band for 5 months in a 15-passenger van with the same 3 guys: Do Not Listen To This Album.

I love this album, but the entire thing is about touring, missing home, and having regrets about touring in a 15-passenger van for months on end. Despite those lyrics, I still listened to this album way more than any other on this tour.

Even though it came out the year before, I had not given the album a complete listen because I was busy working on graduating college and getting myself prepared for 5 months on the road…an experience I will never regret. I made so many friends and have so many memories from that tour which surface when I hear this album.

Beck – Sea Change (2002)

One August night, in Corpus Christi, TX while sitting in a wooden gazebo in the middle of an apartment complex, my college girlfriend of 2 years told me never to call her again.

I was reminded of this album a few days later when I came across an emulation project for my friend Jeremy that I played drums on the song ‘The Golden Age‘. I listened to the emulation project, and found Sea Change at a used CD store in Norman, OK. Never in my life had I ever found an album that made me feel better about my own situation. Beck’s feeling of loss and hopelessness at losing a loved one is so real, so personal. I still cannot believe he opened up himself like that, but I am glad he did.

Sonically, it may be the best album of the decade. I absolutely love the sound of the drums and vocals. It is Beck’s best album, and I feel the best work of Nigel Godrich to date (all you Radiohead fanatics can boo me now….or later when you discover no Radiohead in the Top 20).

Mock Orange – Mind is Not Brain (2004)

September 13, 2004 – I remember 3 things about this day….my 23rd Birthday. 1.) Writing and recording a new song with League in a basement of someone’s house in Kansas City, MO.; 2.) Getting a phone call from my high school band director and having the entire Binghamton High School band sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me over the phone; and 3) Going to see Mock Orange live in Warrensburg, MO on our night off.

That night, I stood on a balcony above the stage, and watched their drummer, Heath Metzger, completely in awe of his musicality and ability. They were touring on this album, which was a complete departure of their previous music and the members of League were somewhat shocked at the new sound. But in the months to come, this album would be in the CD player on the long drives from gig to gig, keeping me awake with its odd time signatures and haunting guitar tones.

—–December 2004 to December 2006—–The end of League, the beginning of Saxon Shore, and living at home in between tours.

M83 – Before the Dawn Heals Us (2005)

Anytime I join a new band, or play with new musicians, I make it my mission to listen to the music they are enjoying in order to get inside their heads. Upon joining Saxon Shore, I had lots to learn. I felt like the uncool kid hanging out with the uber cool kids. I was shifting musical paths like an 18-wheeler trying to make a U-turn at 70m.p.h.

I asked Matt Doty what he was listening to, and he gave me this album. I listened to it for our entire Spring tour through the Midwest. I was assimilating new music at a record pace on these tours in order to get on the same mindset as everyone else, but this album sticks out as the one that really introduced me to a whole new world post my heavy phase of math rock and post-punk (I hate that term)……

Bear Vs. Shark – Terrorhawk (2005)

….However, I couldn’t completely shake my post-punk (I hate that term) intake. Bear vs. Shark picked up the itch I needed for some good rock and roll. Around this time, all my punk/post-punk/hardcore idols seemed to be calling it quits for good, or making crappy albums. Piebald (crappy albums, then broke up up), Small Brown Bike (broke up), Snapcase (broke up), so I was left with very little to hold on to. Bear vs. Shark kept the lights on for me, but would soon follow a demise after this album.

Arguably, it ranks near the bottom of my list if I were to rank these albums, but it helped me say goodbye to some good music, and a slight shift in my tastes was awaiting me around the turn.

Pedro the Lion – Control (2002)

I knew of Pedro the Lion all through college. My friend Chris Keyes had a few of their albums which I tended to glance over when ripping his CD collection.

Years later, I would come across Control and become completely enthralled by it. Today, David Bazan/Pedro The Lion/Headphones are my #3 artists of all time.

Control is one of those rare concept albums that completely makes sense. It is a story wrought with infidelity, lies, and a murder of passion. Bazan’s somber tone on ‘Priests and Paramedics’ still cuts to my core, especially when he sings the lines from the priest’s sermon at the funeral.

David Cross – Shut Up You Fucking Baby (2002)

Shut Up You Fucking Baby has the distinctive pleasure of being the only non-musical album on this list. It was hands down, the best, funniest comedy album of the decade.

I knew of David Cross from his work on Arrested Development, but didn’t discover his genius stand up until I was so bored with music on tour, that I needed to listen to comedy and spoken word. Doty had this album, and put it in on a long drive during our fall tour. I think all of us didn’t stop laughing the entire drive.

To this day, my brothers and I will recite lines around each other, and I am reminded of the album just by walking past certain places in Manhattan….“What’s for breakfast at Cosi?….”

—–January 2006 to December 2009—–Living in New York City

LCD Soundsystem – Sound Of Silver (2007)

When I realized I really liked this album, I got scared. It meant living in Williamsburg finally got to me musically. I was able to ignore most of the nonsense of the hipster musical fads, but I could not ignore this album. I was now part of the hipster fad machine. Frightening.

However, of all the albums the Williamburg community goes nuts for, this one was finally right. Sound of Silver may be the best party record of the decade (sorry Andrew W.K…..). It also is a great album to drive to with its unending beats and catchy synth lines.

I was now fully immersed in Brooklyn.

Nada Surf – Lucky (2008)

I have always held a special place in my heart for Nada Surf. Listening to a band grow musically is such an amazing thing to experience when it is documented. I was a huge fan of The Proximity Effect and Let Go, but was disappointed by The Weight is a Gift.

When Lucky came out, I was in Albany visiting Steve L. for a weekend of debauchery. At some point, we went to Best Buy and I saw this on the rack, so I bought it. I listened to it twice on the drive back to Brooklyn. I was hooked.

‘Beautiful Beat‘ is one of two songs in my life that instantly bring a smile to my face every time I hear it. Let’s just hope Nada Surf keeps the hits coming….

David Bazan – Curse Your Branches (2009)

This album came out in September of this year. Some people might argue that it shouldn’t even be near an all-decade list because it hasn’t been around for more than 4 months. I say, I don’t give a crap.

Curse Your Branches is one of the best albums of all time….for me. I haven’t heard an album this sincere since The Ugly Organ or perhaps Automatic for the People. Bazan is at his best. Honest lyrics, amazing songwriting, and perfect harmonies. What made it even better, is seeing him live, and hearing those vocal harmonies sung with stunning accuracy.

I couldn’t be happier to end a phenomenal decade of music with this album. It is as perfect to me as Nothing Feels Good, The Blue Album, Pet Sounds, or Milestones.

—–Honorable Mentions—–

Radiohead – Kid A - Let the complaining commence. I do enjoy this album, but Radiohead never really hit a nerve with me. I love, love, love many things they do, but they were never the end-all-be-all band for me.

Sigur Rós – Takk – I really enjoyed this album more than any other of theirs because it was so much more aggressive at times.

Four Tet – Rounds – Stunning beats, and ‘Slow Jam‘ is simply amazing.

The Get Up Kids – On a Wire – When I first bought this in 2002, I was disappointed in it. It was ‘emo bullshit’ to me. Then, years later, I listened to it and was blown away at how amazing it is, and how stupid I was to blow it off.

Eels – Live at Town Hall – I love Mark Oliver Everett. I love this album, and it almost made it onto the list….but it didn’t because I skip songs on it….quite a bit.

Owen – No Good for No One Now – Still my go to album for depressing songs about girls.

Well that’s it. Thanks for reading.

-Steve R.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Steve L.’s Top 20 favorite/best albums of the decade:

On 12.07.09, In Entertainment, By admin

I am not sure how to sum up the last 10 years in music, other than to say it did not produce any albums that I would consider in my top 3 favorite albums.  But maybe one in the top 5, and probably several in my top 10.  The last 10 years has seen the transition from boy bands  flooding the airwaves, to…more boy bands flooding the airwaves (Jonas).  However, a once impossible-to-find-at-a-cd-store indie rock band, now are only indie in terms of their record label, and it is no reference to their obscurity or lack thereof.  Now the cd stores themselves are what is hard to find.  And even though I do not love most popular music right now,  I think we are in a much much much better place than we were 10 years ago.

So, I want to present my end of the decade list.  I struggled with what kind of list to do.  The albums that I think are critically “best”?  Too impersonal.  The 20 albums that still remain my favorite to this day?  This would be the easiest list to do, but would be missing some very important albums of the last 10 years of my life that I feel should be represented.  On the other hand, a list of albums that I was once in love with, but have since dwindled in rotation, would underestimate the importance of my present taste in music.  So this is mostly just a mishmash of those ideas. (In order of the year of release date):

1.  Cursive – Domestica (2000)

This album is partly to blame for my dismal academic performance my 1st year at BU.  It represents the time I put into exploring new music, and downloading anything and everything I could find on Napster.

2.  Radiohead – Kid A (2000)

I haven’t listened to Kid A in years, and I am mostly a fan of earlier Radiohead, but I still felt the need to include this simply due to the fact that it is the Best album released this decade.  Also, it reminds me of the first couple of years that I started going to the Belmar.  A time when friday nights were not ruled by jam bands, and I knew that if I walked in at any point in the night, Idioteque would probably be on the jukebox.

3.  Hot Rod Circuit – If It’s Cool With You, It’s Cool With Me

There are many albums on my list that represent youth, fun, simplicity, heartache (but the good kind of heartache that you miss when you don’t have it).  This album is all of these things.

4.  The Weakerthans – Left and Leaving (2000)

Lyrically one of my favorite albums ever…This is an easy choice, and “Aside” should be on any list for best songs of the decade.

5.  Andrew W.K. – I Get Wet (2001)

My liver hurts when I see or hear the name Andrew W.K.  Seriously, my side hurts and I dry heave a little.  Few albums ever have inspired more fun to be had.

6.  Piebald – We Are the Only Friends We Have (2002)

This is partly just for nostalgia.  I find myself barely listening to it at all anymore.  But it’s amazing in that it reminds me of uncountable fun times with friends, road trips, parties, and sing-alongs.

7.  Owen – No Good for No One Now (2002)

Really I could put every Owen album on my list, but I decided on 2.  This was the album I fell in love with and hooked me.  It’s a soundtrack to many lonely nights, and has made those nights very bearable.

8.  Minus The Bear – Highly Refined Pirates (2002)

Minus The Bear took over my summers around 2004 or so.  If the thermometer read 70 or above, I’m not sure another CD ever entered my car stereo between 2004 and 2007.  I liked drinking, and girls, and the beach, and Minus the Bear wrote songs about these things.  Though they were not just songs, but little beach party stories captured into a 5 minute rock song, with full detail about the fun they were having, and how they were having it.

9.  Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In People (2002)

When this album came out, I marveled at how easy a listen it was.  It was a complete album, from the 1st to last track.  It also features Feist, which does not hurt.

10. The Postal Service – Give Up (2003)

Not since Weezer, has a group frustrated so many for not putting out a new album.  At this point, it will probably never happen.  But it did launch Death Cab into stardom.  Actually, Weezer is still frustrating fans, but now its for putting out too many new albums.  Stop.

11.  Iron and Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)

A perfect album to sit on a porch, or in a field and relax to.  I like this album so much in fact, that I had a hard time listening to the previous, and following albums.

12.  Feist – Let It Die (2004)

I saw Feist when she was still relatively unknown, and opening for Broken Social Scene.  I remember Kelly Collins accusing me once of not listening to any female artists, or female led bands(she was right).  Kelly,  you can consider this #1.

13.  The City On Film – In Formal Introduction (2005)

The song “For Holly” has been my ringtone for 3 years, and I still can’t get enough of it.  The album could make the list on the strength of that song alone, but the rest of the album is fantastic as well.  Bob Nanna can do no wrong.

14.  Owen – At Home With Owen – (2006)

This Owen album has a much more relatable subject matter for me than his previous work.  Gone are the spiteful songs towards girls, and in are songs about love, and growing older.  Same awesome guitar and lyrics.

15.  Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger (2007)

I love every Ryan Adams album.  Deciding on this one was difficult, but I felt it a more complete album than his others.  These songs are extremely catchy, and his voice is at its best on this album.  Also, there is a song called “Halloweenhead”.

16.  Eddie Vedder – Into the Wild (2007)

I like to think that I would like this album as much as I do, even if the movie sucked.  But the movie blew me away, and I guess I will never know if thats part of the reason that I love this album so much.  If I put this list in order of favorites rather than chronological, this would be much higher.  I love to listen to this album on my mp3 player, and just walk around Albany forever.

17.  Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)

I was afraid I would overdo this album, and not be able to listen to it anymore.  So far, that has not happened, which is a sign of a good album.

18. M83 – Saturdays = Youth (2008)

An amazing throwback to music from John Hughes movies, “Graveyard Girl” and “Kim and Jessie” out-eighties 80’s music.  Anthony Gonzalez said in an interview with Pitchfork that the 80s theme is not done to be cool in an ironic way, but is a true tribute to the songs and movies he grew up with, and that I grew up with.

19.  Nada Surf – Lucky (2008)

I’m surprised “Weightless” still works on my CD.  Per listening session, I probably listen to “Weightless” at a 4:1 ratio to the other songs on the album.   But my favorite part of the record is just how good it sounds.  This band has always deserved much more attention than it gets.

20.  Sun Kil Moon – April (2008)

This album can make me equally happy and sad.  Its melancholy tone that Mark Kozelek has perfected make it one of my favorite driving albums.  The dark, narrative lyrics are very strong, and the piano and guitar melodies are just beautiful.

hm.  The Weakerthans – Reconstruction Site (2003)

hm.  Minus The Bear – Menos El Oso (2005)

hm.  Death Cab for Cutie – The Photo Album (2001)

hm.  Interpol – Turn on the Bright Lights

also…a nod to some of my favorite EPs of the decade:

the Promise Ring – electric pink ep

polar bear club – the redder the better ep

small brown bike – nail yourself to the ground ep

bon iver – blood bank ep

the loved ones – the loved ones ep

hot water music/alkaline trio split ep

iron and wine – the woman king ep

Hey Mercedes – Hey Mercedes EP

by Steve L.

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
3 Comments
Leave A Response

Top 5 foods Binghamton has to offer the world.

On 10.01.09, In Geography, Science & Nature, Sports & Leisure, By admin

There are days where I love living in NYC. The choice in cuisine on any given night is itself a serious test in decision making. However, there are days where I just crave something from my hometown. This past weekend, I was in Madison, IN and at a wonderful hamburger joint known as Hinkle’s and it got me thinking about foods from Binghamton. Almost every time I go home, I have to sample at least one of these, and it is so difficult to choose.

1. Spiedies

A delicacy of Binghamton. Townies get into arguments over these sandwiches. There is even a festival celebrated around this sandwich, the Spiedie Fest.  What type of meat is best? Chicken, pork, or lamb cut into cubes are most common, but some people prefer veal, venison, or beef….I have never had the latter three, because I stay pure to the Spiedie. Which marinade is best? Lupo’s, Salamida’s, your homemade marinade? And lastly, this wonderful cuisine is to only be served on italian bread. No sub rolls, no hot dog bun, and if I catch you using a hamburger bun….well may God have mercy on your soul.

Outside of Binghamton, the Spiedie never caught on. Most people get hung up on the name. What’s a Spiedie? What the hell does that mean? And if you call this a shish-kabob to someone from Binghamton, they won’t talk to you anymore.

So, if you are reading this and have never had a Spiedie, contact me…I will make some for you. Or go to Lupos Char-Pit in Endicott, NY or S&S Char-Pit or Sharkeys in Binghamton. You will not be disappointed.

2. Nirchi’s Pizza

I am sure I will get some flack for not putting Pudgies on here, and everyone knows how much I love Pudgies, but they are not based in Binghamton. Also, they were gone from the area for over 10 years….

Anyways, Nirchi’s Pizza is well known in greater Binghamton. They are also known for their inconsistency from store to store. I know that it is a chain which has different owners depending on the location, but it adds to the charm of the Nirchi name. I, as well as almost everyone I know, prefers the Vestal Nirchi’s near Binghamton Univ. It is hands down the best flavor of any other Nirchi’s. However, the location downtown has a quality unto its own where it is so gooey and soupy that it falls apart as soon as you bite into it. Some people may be turned off to that, but during open lunch in high school, there was nothing better to eat….especially dipping it in hot sauce.

3. My Mother’s Pasta Sauce with Meatballs.

I have the recipe. I know the technique….it is in my blood. However, I do not have the years upon years of mastery that goes into my mom’s sauce. I make my own, sub-par version of the sauce, but cannot even come close to the taste of my mother’s when I sit down for Sunday dinner at home.

Also, the best meatballs I have ever had. Hands down. No contest. I once brought a dozen back to school with me senior year, and my housemates devoured them before I even had one. Needless to say I was pissed, and I still hold it over their heads.

4. Baked Rigatoni with Sausage at Little Venice

littlevenice

I don’t have a picture of the actual dish, so here is a picture of one of the walls of this fantastic restaurant. Now, growing up with an Italian mother, whose sauce I lauded at #3, it is sometimes difficult to like Italian food from a restaurant. Little Venice is one of two Italian eateries I will visit without argument (the other being Il Passatore in Brooklyn). The baked rigatoni is something to cherish, but make sure you ask for extra sauce on the side because it gets thin towards the bottom. And the sausages…some of the best Italian sausage I have had in my life.

5. Chicken Wings at The Union Hotel, Clinton St.


Again, I do not have a picture of the actual dish, but let me say this: The wings here are the best I have ever had. And yes, I have been to Duff’s and The Anchor Bar in Buffalo, and trust me, their wings are no match for The Union’s. I know wings are not native to Binghamton, but I do believe that they have been perfected there.

Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and available hot/medium/mild/and garlic they are perfect. They are served the best way…in a plastic basket with wax paper keeping the sauce from escaping. There are three added bonuses to this bar:

1) The bartender are always awesome. Very nice, talkative, and will refill your beer without asking.
2) The beers come in frosted mugs. Probably the best thing in the world while eating wings.
3) I always strike up a conversation with someone I don’t know in the bar. Arguing about sports, politics, or even a polite conversation about life in general is handed off to you along with your wings.

If you live in Binghamton, and have never been to the Union, go now. You will not be disappointed.

-Steve R.

bohflogosmall

Tagged with: • • • • • • •
 
4 Comments
Leave A Response

Top 5 Hi-Fives on TV/Film…Steve R. edition.

On 09.29.09, In Entertainment, Sports & Leisure, By admin

I cannot believe we haven’t done this one. I mean, what the hell? We really dropped the ball. I say this is the Steve R. edition, because I am sure there will be ones I leave out, and Trevor, Steve L. and Mike might have something to add.

1. The Simpsons – E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt); Season 11, Episode 5.

This is possibly one of the best hi-fives ever made. I crack up every time I see it.

2. Top Gun – Volleyball Game Hi-Five

Always copied, never duplicated.

3. Borat – High 5!

The best part of this one is his voice and delivery. That makes the high five so unique.

4. Saved by the Bell – Volleyball High Five

Let me just point out that there are no videos of this anywhere on the internet. I am very close to buying season 5 and risking all copyright laws just to have it on youtube. So, in place of video, I will describe the scene:

A big volleyball game match is planned between the gang’s Malibu Sands Beach Club and rival club North Beach. To encourage his troops to win, Mr Carosi, proprietor of Malibu Sands, promises to give Zack a super deal on his car if his club wins the competition. They play the match and win, resulting in 6 people all simultaneously leaping towards each other for a hi-five. It is a work of art.

5. I can’t find any videos. I know Ghostbusters has one, and Look Who’s Talking has Travolta hi-fiving a baby….if you can find something, let me know.

-Steve R.

bohflogosmall

 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Top 5 things I love about September

On 09.16.09, In Entertainment, Science & Nature, Sports & Leisure, By admin

1. The Start of the NFL Season

I love football. I love eating wings and drinking beer with other Steelers fans. I love the heartbreak that comes from a terrible loss, or a great win in the closing seconds of the game. The collective rush of adrenaline with friends, cheering for your team as they march down the gridiron and punch a TD in the end zone on 4th and 1.

Tis the season to be jolly.

2. My Birthday

Although I turned 28 on the 13th, I still feel like I have a long way to go. I love birthdays in general, and always look forward to mine.

3. MLB season heats up

My Pirates have had 17 consecutive losing seasons, but I still cheer for them. As the playoffs come into focus during September, I pick a team, usually an underdog, and root for them since the Pirates can’t break their spell. My AL team is the Tigers, so I suspect I will root for them for the remainder of the season….

4. Lots of good music comes out after the summer.

I’m not sure why, but so many good albums tend to come out in the fall or spring. Maybe it is because artists want to try for a new start before or right after the new year. Or maybe it is because summertime is a good time to record albums since it is more inspiring than snow….(but not for me)..

5. It gets cold.

All of my favorite clothes are long sleeve or heavier. Getting cozy in a warm bed = the best thing ever. Drinking with friends outside and not sweating/freezing = the best way to be with friends. It is also important to note that everyone is generally less miserable if they aren’t sweating to death.

-Steve R.

bohflogosmall

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

Top 5 Albums of 2009 so far…

On 08.26.09, In Arts & Literature, Entertainment, By admin

I know I am about a month late with this list, but I was in Japan most of July, and could not focus on BOHF for a while. Everyone and their mother has an opinion about music today, and I, of course, have my own.
There are many albums yet to be released this year. The Flaming Lips, Soporus, Owen, Pearl Jam, Bebel Gilberto, Built to Spill, and Weezer all have albums slated to be released, and I’m sure a few of these will bump people out of my current Top 5.

Anyways, here are my top 5 of 2009 so far.

1. David Bazan – Curse Your Branches; Barsuk Records

Ok, ok. I know this album is not released yet, and I did get a leaked copy of the album. However, I already have my pre-order with Insound for the vinyl/CD release. I have to admit, I was a huge Pedro the Lion fan, but David Bazan is not Pedro the Lion anymore. You can read a multitude of reviews about how Mr. Bazan has become agnostic, leaving his once incredibly faithful following of Christianity. Listening to Curse Your Branches leaves one to think that he has encountered much in his life that led to 5 years of self-reflection since the last release of a Pedro the lion record.

I am fully behind my opinion that Bazan is one of the best songwriters of our time. His vocal style, harmonies, and guitar technique are unique and a breath of fresh air in the tired genres of this decade. As we continue to cycle through past musical exploits, re-hashing 60’s garage rock, 80’s synth pop, and 70’s glam rock, I can always look to David Bazan for true, meaningful, and beautiful music.

Video: “Please, Baby Please” acoustic version.

2. Cursive – Mama I’m Swollen; Saddle Creek Records

One of my biggest pet peeves with fans of music, is that they never want to witness a band evolve. Weezer gets shit on for not living up to The Blue Album or Pinkerton. Or, in the case of Cursive, they want another Domestica or The Ugly Organ.
Yes, Domestica and The Ugly Organ are arguably their best albums from start to finish, but Cursive has released two great albums since 2003’s Organ.

I was big fan of 2006’s Happy Hollow even though it failed to muster the critical acclaim of some of their previous work. With Mama I’m Swollen, Tim Kasher and bandmates deliver an imaginative and superior sounding album. They set a mood better than any band out today, even though that mood is usually depressing and gloomy. Moreover, Kasher is a master of storytelling. All of his albums, both by Cursive and The Good Life, he tells tales of heartbreak, religion, and life struggles brought on by addiction. All in all, Mama I’m Swollen is a strong album full of aural surprises and the ever present vocals of Kasher modulating from whispering to screaming bloody murder.

Video: Cursive – “I Couldn’t Love You”

3. Tortoise – Beacons of Ancestorship; Thrill Jockey Records

For the better part of a decade, Tortoise has been bridging the gap between instrumental rock and jazz (I don’t really care for the term ‘Post Rock’). Using two drummers much of the time and some of the best synth and guitar sounds on the planet, this Chicago quartet never fails to astonish me with each album.

I just got a hold of it, after putting if off for way too long (and therefore missing their tour through NYC), but this album may overtake Cursive by the end of the year. The synth part on “Northern Something” alone kicks my ass to the next galaxy.

Video: Tortoise – Prepare Your Coffin

4. Bosque Brown – Baby; Burnt Toast Vinyl

The founder of BTV, Scott Hatch, gave me this record before it was released as an early Christmas gift at his annual party. I had to drive in the middle of the night from his house to another party outside of Philly and decided to listen to this record on the way. I now have a permanent memory of driving on two lane country roads in 15-degree weather watching out for pockets of black ice associated with this album.

Singer-songwriter Mara Lee Miller creates songs which are so tender, so revealing that one could picture her singing in their living room. The album is a testament to less is more, with instrumentation so sparse that there are vocal only tracks on Baby. Nothing is hidden, nor manipulated beyond compression, reverb, and delays. Bosque Brown allows the music and their instruments to do all the talking.

Video – Bosque Brown – So Loud

5. Summer People - Good Problems; Red Leader Records

With this nomination, I may be somewhat favoring my good friends in Summer People. However, they have made a hell of an album.

This is a fun album. It captures the friendship of the members of Summer People, which I witness first hand when I walk into the Belmar on a Saturday night in Binghamton. I can see in my mind’s eye how much fun they must have had recording this album. I hope I get to see a few of them this weekend while I am home to tell them personally.

Song: Summer People – Great Northern Diver

[audio: http://www.boardofhifive.com/audio/great-northern-diver.mp3]

-Steve R.

bohflogosmall

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Top 5 things that make me angry on a daily basis.

On 08.21.09, In Arts & Literature, Entertainment, Geography, History, By admin

I think that most people would classify me as an easy-going, fun, and generally happy person (the one who may argue with this is Dan F.). But almost every day, things upset me which can be viewed as rational or irrational things to be upset about.

Consider this a rant, and I am also aware of the irony of providing my opinion when I get angry at people tweeting their opinions to CNN, but I’ll attempt to make a more lucid argument since I have more than 160 characters with which to work.

1. 24 Hour News

I woke up today, and like an amnesia patient turned to a 24-hour news network to get my news. Then I remembered why I need to stop this habit….Robin Meade was reading tweets.

For those of you who don’t know me, I come from a family of newspaper-men. My father, grandfather, and uncle work/worked for newspapers their entire lives. If there is one lesson about the news business I have learned from my dad, it is to step back, gather all of the facts, and then report the news.

With the invention of 24-hour news networks, we have turned into a society of impatient, ignorant, and scared humans who only care about the “facts” they agree with. Why do I say these things? I’ll cover the patience issue later. The ignorance stems from the need for people to only watch/read news which reflects their opinion. Lewis Black, on his Live at Carnegie Hall CD makes the point that with the news network spin on issues, there are now two sets of “facts”. He is right to wonder how we can have two separate, completely different sets of “facts”. Even though I consider myself a liberal democrat, I’ll still check Drudge Report or Fox to see how the other side views an issue, no matter how insane it may be in my opinion. It has been ingrained in my head through life lessons with my father to be able to argue both sides of an issue…I survived many years of him playing devils advocate.

How do we solve this as a nation? We put our trust back into NBC/CBS/ABC to give us evening news, which has time to reflect on the day and provide us with a less-slanted view. If there is a national emergency or breaking news, these networks will disrupt their normal broadcast for the purpose of informing the public. It is sad what can be touted as ‘Breaking News’ today (see pic above).

2. Impatient people

Fast food. The internet. Kids who get BMW’s for their 16th birthday. One-hour photo. 24-hour news networks. Face it. We live in an instant gratification society now. However, there is still the need for people to act civil towards one another.

From age 16 to 24, I worked for CVS drugstores. More than anything else I carried away from that job, I learned that most people are incredibly selfish and impatient. It is sad to watch someone get angry over having to wait a few minutes for something as trivial as the person in front of them writing a check, or the cashier needing to get extra change for their drawer.

Please, everyone slow down. Leave your house early if you need to get somewhere on time. Being impatient doesn’t ever help, it just makes you, and everyone else around you upset.

3. People who bring their bikes on the subway

These people just piss me off. It is the ultimate sign of laziness. I am convinced that these people show up to work with a bike, after stopping at a bodega to get water to pour on their sweat-less heads just to impress someone in their office.

You have a mode of transportation, so use it! Don’t clog up the subway car so old women have to climb over your tires to enter/exit the doorway. When I bike, I bike to and from my destination. If my bike breaks, I walk it home. If it is raining, I get soaked. Please stop taking the subway if you plan on biking anyway.

4. Pitchfork.com

For some reason, I read this music website. Every time I do, I get angry. This website proves that everyone is a critic. I know I can be critical of music, but these men and women who review music at Pitchfork can completely destroy someones passion.

There is plenty of music I dislike, nor will choose to listen to, but I would never make fun of someone who makes something they believe in. Seriously, a 0.7 on The Promise Ring’s Electric Pink EP? I know it’s not their best, but Make Me A Mixtape is a fantastic song. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Davey von Bohlen has more talent in his saliva than this reviewer has in his entire being.

5. Bartenders who don’t buy back a drink.

drunk superman

Hey dick, I have given you a $1-2 tip for every drink you have given me. You’ve seen me at your bar on previous nights, so you know this is my neighborhood bar, and don’t insult me by acting like you don’t know me. I’ve been up to the bar 4-5 times tonight already. If you don’t give me a buyback, or a shot, I’m going to punch the DJ spinning annoying music and help myself to the bottle of Woodford Reserve behind the bar. Got it? Oh and your tips? Let’s just say you will see less of them now.

-Steve R.

bohflogosmall

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
 
1 Comments
Leave A Response

Top 5 Things I Hate about Summer in NYC

On 08.20.09, In Geography, Science & Nature, By admin

1. Constantly Sweating

This is me on most summer days in NYC. Even after a short 5 minute walk to the subway from my apartment, I’ll have spots of sweat forming on every inch of my body. Most people would think that once you reach the subway, it would be much cooler, but alas, it is akin to the fiery pits of hell. A hell that also contains my next issue with summer in the city……

2. The Smells

smelly-subway

The streets smell. The subways smell. People smell. Probably the worst thing in NYC is the garbage water puddles lining the curbs throughout the city. Even if it has not rained in weeks, these puddles never go away. I’m pretty sure the ectoplasm in Ghostbusters was based on these stench ponds. And if you step in one? Throw out your shoes. If you aren’t wearing shoes/wearing open-toed shoes/sandals, well, you are probably a tourist.

3. My neighbors who feel it is necessary to blast hip-hop/reggae music from their cars all night long

I know this happens all over America, it is not just NYC. But there is nothing like a bunch of young men, 16-30 years old, sitting on a stoop and listening to bad hip-hop from a Chrysler 300 with a Thundercats logo on the back windshield.
If you want to witness it, come to my place any night. I can’t believe these guys don’t realize that since it is 90 degrees outside, people have their windows open while sleeping. Only a few more months until they are forced inside by snow…

4. Parades

I always get caught in one. It never fails. On any given weekend, there is a parade between me and my destination. I am lowered to pushing, shoving, and punching people in the gut just so I can get down a sidewalk. By the end of that, I am sweating (see complaint #1), annoyed, and want to go home.

5. 8 Million people who all seem to do exactly what you want to do at the same time

The beach on a nice day? Forget it. An outdoor NY Philharmonic concert in Central Park? Everyone is on a cell phone trying to locate their friends during the performance. Movies in Bryant Park on Monday nights? Good luck not being stepped on at some point.
I realize it is part of living in a major city. No privacy, no real regard for your fellow man and their well-being. I guess that’s why I fight back by recording loud music/playing drums in my apartment all the time.

-Steve R.

bohflogosmall

Tagged with: • • • • • • • •
 
2 Comments
Leave A Response
« Previous Entries
Go To Top »