woolcovered

Another brief entry while I ponder the 'follow up' to my end of month blabbering.

Just heard Sounds Like Silver, the remix album to LCD Soundsystem's wonderful Sound of Silver album from last year. As I didn't really read any press about this I thought I'd at least post a heads-up detailing the release.

The compilation is in the same vein as Always Outsiders, Never Outdone and Flip the Switch, two unofficial remix albums (of the Prodigy's "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" and Chemical Brothers' "Push the Button", respectively) that were produced by underground acts. The difference here is that we can see what this crowd can do with a record that's actually good! It seems they've shifted from liberating a disappointing album to simply remixing one in tribute.

The results are worth checking out, especially since it's free.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since I'm of the opinion that you can't have too many reasons to hate Courtney Love, here.

If the idea of Kurt Cobain-branded footwear isn't repulsive enough, how about the fact that passages from the man's diary will be printed on the products?

Anyway, I'll get to the post referenced at the end of that last entry soon enough; I was pretty sure my humble readership didn't mind a slight change in programming!

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I haven’t blogged to critique music in quite awhile. I mean sure, I’ve posted about some interesting distribution strategies, but I haven’t really talked about what I’ve been listening to.

There’s a number of reasons for this, but the main one is probably a lack of spare time lately. It’s rare I get the chance to sit down and write a comprehensive review of something, particularly since most of the new music I listen to these days is in transit, at the gym, or at work – not exactly spots where I’d want to start detailing what I thought even if I could. [Note: Since I've recently signed up to twitter, this may change.]

The other reason is timing - quite often by the time I really get around to writing about something, it’s already been out for awhile so it’s not exactly newsworthy - for example, when I finally got around to checking out the new Beck album (which I was hooked on for a week) it had already been out for a few weeks. So if you read album reviews, you probably already know it’s pretty awesome - so why post about it?

More and more lately, I’ve simply forgotten what I think about something. This is particularly problematic with things I listen to once and then archive away to label/sort at a later date…which I don’t end up really getting around to doing. This has become more apparent as this archive has piled up over the years – I’m to the point now where I’ll see a hip band’s sophomore record and then be at a loss of what I actually thought of their debut. A quick check normally tells me if I kept it or not, but if I’m fairly certain I’ve downloaded it and my search comes up empty, I find myself at a loss. And if I’ve kept it, did I love it or just like it just enough? Constantly trying to seek out new music comes with a downside: it can be difficult to revisit things as frequently as I would like.

So, it’s with this in mind that I’ve started using ratings. I’ve tried a few different things which I’ve spoken about in the past, but one site in particular warrants a closer look – Rateyourmusic.

Rateyourmusic is what amazon and metacritic could be if they were organized as well as allmusic’s database. [My ideal music site would be a mix of all of the above with last.fm/imeem streaming support, but that's probably another entry for another day.] Anyway, what you have here is a community-driven ratings system where users can also post written reviews, track their collections, get recommendations, etc.

For the music nerd, RYM's database is where it really shines. A quick look at an artist page will show you which of their releases you’ve rated and how your scores compare to the community average.

Click on an album, and you’ll see a much ‘smarter’ option as you can then view a specific issue of the release. For example, if you’ve got the limited/deluxe version of the new Soulfly record and you rate it on Amazon, it’ll probably at some point recommend the standard release of it to you because it sees them as two different things that appeal to the same consumer – and it may even do the same with international releases, etc. By keeping all issues on a single page, RYM avoids that sort of clutter and confusion. The artist pages also connect related acts, collaborations and side projects; which can be handy if you’re trying to figure out how many people Hans Zimmer has worked on scores with (a lot).

RYM also allows you to tag your collection, which I personally think will come in handy as I’m normally selecting music with a purpose in mind – going to the gym, reading/working background music, 'party' tunes to throw on when people are over, etc. This saves quite a bit of time if you’re trying to figure out what to put on the mp3 player before heading out to the gym, for example. A quick look at my items tagged ‘workout’ will give me a pretty good list of things (it would be even better if I could then sort this tag by rating, but I digress).

I understand RYM also recently started offering Facebook compatibility, but I haven’t played with it too much - my accounts are linked but that's about it. I do know you can log in from your FB page and display various things in your profile (recent ratings, owned records, etc.). They also allow you to export your ratings, but I haven’t seen what they’re compatible with – any media player would be a bonus, as editing ID3 tags just to add ratings is a pain.

Now, I initially kept my registration with RYM somewhat private, assuming most people wouldn’t really care – but every time someone asks me what I’ve been listening to lately (normally looking for something new to check out) I keep staring at them blankly while I try and think of something I’ve heard recently that’s worth passing on. If I'm online, I usually just look at my most recent ratings and go from there. Hopefully, his form of memory retention will also help me remember if I should be checking out whatever hipster flavour-of-the-week is putting out their follow-up album in coming weeks.

My use of RYM may also have an impact on this very blog - I'm considering integrating ratings into the page feed somewhere in the near future, similar to what I've done with Google Reader, but I have some other things I mind for the blog layout that I’d like to finish first. Either way, I wouldn’t expect too many more posts rambling about music in the near future...though if I come across something truly noteworthy I'll likely renege on this.

But next post I'll be tackling a different question: how can you stay on top of new tunes in an era where there’s few different radio stations and no music videos on TV? I’m hoping to provide a toolkit based on what I’ve read about recently, and what I actually use on a regular basis.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So, if you were among the folks who wondered what Zack de la Rocha has been up to since Rage Against the Machine, you may be interested to know that he finally released something today.

One Day As A Lion released their debut, self-titled EP today. That's right, his big comeback, 8 years after RATM's breakup, is an EP. Who knows if an album will ever come out of it, as de le Rocha's now touring with a reunited RATM.

In fact, the timing of this seems a little shady to me. I can't help but wonder if he just started touring again to build up some hype to release this on the back of? I guess the only way we'll know is if RATM actually goes back in the studio or not.

Anyway, conspiracy theories or not, the result is pretty interesting. See the playlist, care of imeem. My thoughts are below.

[Note: Some tracks only play 30-second samples when embedded. If you'd like to hear the whole song, follow the link above to the actual imeem playlist site where the tracks should play in full.]

So what we have here is a duo consisting of de la Rocha played keyboards/rapping and Jon Theodore (of the Mars Volta fame) drumming. There's a bit more of an electronic lean, but the tunes don't really sound that far removed from RATM. The drumming is better (sorry Brad Wilk) but the keyboard lines sound just as funky as Tom Morello's trademark guitar riffs. Of course, Morello's always had a knack for making sounds that aren't really associated with guitar, but it doesn't seem like de la Rocha's working that far outside of the box he was in before. After a cursory listen, I have no doubt that RATM could 'cover' these songs.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, is there a point to doing this if RATM does get back together?

Posted by Jason Guitard at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok, another follow-up entry.

Turns out Girl Talk actually ended up using a pretty cool pricing structure for his new album (though I still prefer what I'd proposed).

Anyway, it breaks down as follows:

any price grants the download of the entire album as high-quality 320kbps mp3s
$5 or more adds the options of FLAC files, plus a one-file seamless mix of the album
$10 or more includes all of the above + a packaged CD (when it becomes available)

So this means for $10 you get the physical copy of the CD with the MP3's to tide you over. Nice!

Also, the wikipedia entry tells me there's a pretty funny prompt if you put in '$0.00':

"I may donate later"
"I can't afford to pay"
"I don't really like Girl Talk"
"I don't believe in paying for music"
"I have already purchased this album"
"I don't value music made from sampling"
"I am part of the press, radio, or music industry"
"other reasons"

I'm curious to know if they'll ever make the results of this makeshift survey public, because that's a pretty comprehensive set of answers. Who knows, if a broad enough cross-section of people were to respond (unlikely) it could serve as a pretty good statement who downloads music (and why)!

Finally, it looks like one of the tracks ("Here's the Thing") has hit the mp3 blogs.

Anyway, next time I'll come back with a 'real' entry. Promise.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So it looks like this pay-what-you-want model could be catching on.

Mashup DJ Girl Talk will be releasing his new album, Feed the Animals online before it arrives in a physical format. Given that he has some pretty high-profile summer shows lined up, this may just be a convenient way to get the material into people's heads before the shows happen. Though given the style of music he plays, I'd prefer to go into a show completely blind and just be surprised. For those who are unfamiliar with what separates Girl Talk from the average mashupper, I think Greg Gillis (a.k.a Girl Talk) describes it best himself:

"For the final editing process, I probably worked eight hours a day, Monday through Friday, for about 3 months. I worked very hard to make it sound like I didn't work hard."

Either way, interested listeners should check up on the Illegal Art label site over the next few weeks - there's a very good chance I'll post again when it actually goes up.

But what of this whole release strategy?

Personally, I'm trying to figure out what I'd pay for this. My usual approach is usually to try it for free than by the CD, so I'm not sure I want to pay for this twice. As a result, I can't see myself paying much. Also, will they adhere to Trent Reznor's strategy and let you pick the quality - or just sell lossy, mediocre quality mp3's like Radiohead did?

Personally I think there could be a balance between what Radiohead and Reznor have done that could cater to both markets (people who only want the mp3 along with folks who intend to buy the CD). I like what Reznor did, but there wasn't a (legal) option for folks who weren't quite ready to for the full price (although, at $5, Ghosts I-IV was reasonably priced).

I'm thinking vouchers are the way to go - the money you pledge for the mp3's could be put towards a pre-order of the physical CD. This could all be done via e-mail, basically the below the download code they'll send you after you 'pay-what-you-want' they could also have a link to pre-order the album with your credit discounted from the final price. I would think the best way to approach it would be to make the vouchers pre-order only, so on release day they would expire. Then folks would have a few weeks to consider converting to a full purchase, or just sticking with what they paid.

If the above model was applied, I guarantee I would put more towards it. I'd be curious to know what other folks thought.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Wow, here's a lesson in blogger relations.

In short, don't invite them to a listening party and then ask them not to write about what they heard. Especially if they happen to be from a music reviewing blog, and you didn't have them sign a non-disclosure agreement!

Oh Metallica - will they ever learn?

Edit:
Speaking of aging, I've gotta show this pic of Hetfield I came across after posting this. He looks about 800 years old, but it either looks ridiculously awesome in a metal way or ridiculous (this is a distinction I often struggle to make):

Posted by Jason Guitard at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm pretty sure I've notified all those in my crew who might care about this, but I do know there's at least one East Coaster who checks-in occasionally, so here goes:

Buck 65's performance with Symphony Nova Scotia can be streamed from CBC's concert on demand service.

I'm almost through it now, and it's very enjoyable. If you've seen Buck live before, you'll be happy to hear the familiar in-between-song-banter. He describes himself as "mildly terrified" at the prospect of performing in such a forum. The conductor/composer, Dinuk Wijeratne, also has some humourous anecdotes about the whole collaboration process.

And the music! There's some exclusives here, an original improvisational-based piece, "Hympiece (Remixed)." I've also read that one other track here, "All There is to Say About Love" is from Bike For Three, a forthcoming collaborative project from Buck. And the one's you've already heard? They've never sounded better.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a nifty little plug-in: Soundamus. You enter your last.fm ID, and an .RSS feed is created of upcoming releases for the groups you listen to. (Hat Tip: Ryan.)

I've been using it for a couple of days now, and it seems to ping all of the Amazon sites to provide the list of things that may be of interest. The only drawback to this approach is that foreign-edition releases for years-old albums get pinged and sent your way. If there was a way to maybe isolate for just Amazon.com/.ca (and not .de, .fr, etc.) it may be more effective for me. A neat way to use .RSS technology for marketing purposes.

It'd be great if this marriage of last.fm and amazon could extend to music ratings. It's always surprised me that last.fm doesn't give a user the option to enter a database of what they like, and how much. I'd think it would be pretty valuable data to them, depending on how widely users bother to rate things.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another free release from Nine Inch Nails. No strings attached, apparently. Get 'The Slip' here.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 01:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

I was sharing a great Wired article with some parents at the workplace, and it dawned upon me I have a few people on my contact list who have offspring. Kid-Proof Your Home Theatre is a pretty detailed how-to piece, useless useful for those who want to avoid breaking their TV and/or baby.

In a completely unrelated note, the new Portishead album started streaming in full on last.fm yesterday.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 08:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I recently purchased an Xbox 360. Last night, I took the machine 'Live'.

Naturally, the first thing I did was purchase some points, the arcane form of currency used on the Marketplace. A $31 credit card charge later and I had 2,000 points to do with as I please.

The main reason I wanted to get online was to purchase some additional content for Rock Band, the only game I currently own for the console. "Simple Man" (which some may recall I'm quite fond of) was released on Tuesday and I figured it was a good time to get some new tunes. So I cashed in 160 points and was on my way.

I wasn't until 'the morning after' that I really started to think about the math here. For those keeping score, 160 points amounts to $2.48. You can also get 'packs' of three songs for 440 points ($6.82) which save you a little if you happen to like all three (they're prepackaged).

It's interesting to me to see the way different media breakdown as we bring them online, especially in the era of standardized pricing that iTunes ushered in for content.

And here's a real kicker if we want to think about price points: the game retails for around $50 without peripherals, including 45 major-label types of main songs and 13 'bonus ones'. So if we're just considering the popular content, that's about $1.11 for each tune.

With over 6 million songs sold (with the UK and Wii releases still forthcoming) it's clear that Harmonix/MTV/EA has found a pretty good cash cow.

What I'm wondering now is, how long until Rock Band 2? Because if this remains so lucrative the incentive to develop another game can't be high.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 06:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So iTunes is apparently the #1 music retailer in the US. Personally, I've never purchased a file from there before. I think they're overpriced for what they offer (particularly when used music stores and low-priced new CD releases are so common). All that aside, I don't think I've ever bought a CD or mp3 from Wal-Mart (the former #1 and now #2), either. Go figure. I wonder if the stats are different in Canada?

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I just finished watching Almost Famous, an all-time fave that has gottten better with age - and I'll explain why.

The first two times I saw the film, I had only just begun the life-long process of finding the roots of what inspired the music for my generation. I recognized a few songs, but on this third viewing I knew most of them. One in particular stands out.

While remarking on the merits of the soundtrack mid-film ("that Skynryd song "Simple Man" is easily my favourite one of theirs"), I couldn't help but take a step back. This was one of the tracks that I didn't even recognize the last time I had seen the film, so how did I start loving it since? After some thinking I realized I had pop culture to thank.

The last time I saw this film was around five years ago, and in '04 a largely insignificant Jacksonville hard-rock band by the name of Shinedown scored their breakthrough single with a cover of the Skynyrd classic. I really liked that version, and on my first listen it sounded familiar but I didn't know why exactly. Upon learning it was a cover I sought it out, eventually coming to prefer the original and getting some better exposure into Lynyrd Skynyrd as a whole. As my only exposure to LS was classic rock radio, I'd been subject only to "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird," the only two songs lazy radio programmers can bother to slot into the playlists I heard. Had it not been for covers of the tune (inlcuding the deftones one that followed a year later) I may not have ever really come to appreciate the stellar tune, as its use in the film downplays its great lyrics.

So what am I getting at? Well, I guess I just get annoyed when people (primarily the older folks) get so irked at a band who covers a great song. While I understand the arguement that covers 'lack original creativity,' I'm personally just happy they give a less cultured chap like myself a second chance to hear a jem they otherwise might have missed.

I'd love to hear if anyone else has had a similar experience:
Think back, have you ever heard a cover and been inspired to go back and hear the original?
Have you ever come across a quality tribute album that would expose the kids to some of the great music from generations past?
...And I'll even ask the question you're not supposed to ask - have you ever preferred the cover over the original?

Posted by Jason Guitard at 04:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

A follow-up to my Monday entry...it seems Trent Reznor shares my thinking (and then some) about the In Rainbows approach to digital albums sales.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Given that I've been e-mailing folk these links, I suppose posting them here would be more efficient...

For those who care about such things, the National Post has been running a feature on electronic music this week. It's called 'Digital Love'.

Monday was Moby, Tuesday was Toronto's own Crystal Castles and today's feature is Caribou.

The interviews are decent, and the NP almost comes off as hip. If only they'd stop using the term 'electronica', which is only used by 45-year old record execs these days!

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Funny thing about blogging - the longer I'm away from it the harder it is to come back.

But when I read about Ghosts I-IV I knew I'd have to pass it on. The craziest thing about this story is that I've been behind for two weeks on it. On March 2nd, Nine Inch Nails have released an album online. This is no low-profile flash-in-the-pan either; they've netted about $1.6M from it!

Had Wired not posted something about this project I don't know how much longer I would've been in the dark on it!

To summarize what I've read about the discs, this is a series of 4 EP's. Reznor and co. did something pretty cool in terms of releasing it - the first EP (Vol. 1) has been released through both nin.com and the Pirate Bay as a free download. For just $5, a user can buy all 36 tracks that comprise the entire 4 volumes - looks like they're 256kbs and packaged with a PDF. Props to Reznor on giving the fans a half-decent bitrate, unlike those Radiohead blokes.

Anyway, if you want to buy it, there's an In Rainbows-like array of options. Assuming I dig what I hear in the free first volume, I've got my eye on that deluxe edition!

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reading through the list of Grammy winners has inspired me to climb back onto this particular soapbox.

Best Dance Album - The Chemical Brothers? I'm thinking these guys won based purely on name recognition, because if anyone voting actually heard We Are the Night they would probably be bored into checking out one of the other bands they'd never heard of.

Either way, LCD Soundsystem clearly has to get on a different release cycle than this duo if they ever want to see some Grammy love. (In 2005, their self-titled debut lost out to Push the Button...the astonishing thing this year is that while the Chemical Brothers went downhill, LCD Soundsystem improved, album-wise.)

Posted by Jason Guitard at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

An entertaining editorial on Pitchfork. I couldn't help but smile reading the last part, particularly since this writer's musical ability sounds about on par with my own.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 05:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Around this time of year you might expect me to do a best of '07.

The thing is, during an average week I'll probably listen to about 10 new albums. This makes deep analysis fairly difficult. And with a low capacity digital media player, the tracks don't really linger around on the drive long enough to get a lot of listens. So while I may have heard (and enjoyed) many of this year's critically-acclaimed releases, I can't comment on them with much authority.

In light of this, I thought a fun way to approach my fav's from '07 would be to highlight the releases I couldn't help but keep on modest 2GB player. Basically, these were the records I came back to again and again.

Note: Please forgive the uneven quality of some of the tracks in here. They were the best versions I could find on imeem!

Timbaland - Presents...Shock Value
Sure, he can't write lyrics, and I've even read speculation that the ones he does rap on this record are ghost-written. But really, who wasn't in this one for the productions? The weird collaborations are an added bonus even if some ('Time' w/ She Wants Revenge) work better than others ('Throw it on Me' w/ the Hives). I've heard some complaints that there's too many collaborations, but I've really always thought of this one as a pop/rap mixtape - and through that lens, it's probably the best one released this year. I'd put in samples, but if you own a radio this would be a pointless exercise.

Tim Armstrong - A Poet's Life
Second-wave ska from a man best known for his work fronting Rancid (and to a lesser extent, playing with Operation Ivy and the Transplants). His backing band on this one is the very capable Aggrolites, who fans will recognize from Armstrong's own Hellcat Records roster. This is technically Mr. Armstrong's solo debut, which is funny to say when he's something like 20 years into his career. However, it is worth noting as the album does suffer some flaws associated with a solo record. At times some of the lyrics are a little weak, and a co writer would have been a healthy addition to rein Armstrong in on some of the more indulgent moments. This is a minor flaw in an other wise enjoyable short set of ten tracks.
Fav. Tracks: 'Wake Up,' and 'Into Action,' the poppy single featuring Canadian pop gal Skye Sweetnam.

I really hope Armstrong makes more of these records, and for the next time enlists The Slackers to back him (or even just frontman Vic Ruggiero) - basically what I want is a true follow up to 1998's brilliant Life Won't Wait.

Editors - An End Has a Start
These Brits show some growth since their very strong debut, 2005's The Back Room (which was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize). Much like it's predecessor, this release lived on my portable music player for the better portion of the year.
Fav. Tracks: Any one of the singles is worth checking out ('Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors,' 'Racing Rats,' and the title track), and 'When Anger Shows' is probably my personal fav. Samples can be heard here.

Avenged Sevenfold - Self Titled
This record charted higher in its first week than and of their previous releases, and it's easy to see why - this is probably the most radio-friendly effort they've put forth, and thankfully it's also the most diverse.
Fav. tracks: the uber-catchy 'Lost', and 'A Little Piece of Heaven,' which sounds like it could be in a musical. Samples can be heard here.

Against Me! - New Wave
During the first few months at my current job, I had quite the commute - busing from North York to the subway then riding a good portion of the line to get to Queen's Park. During these mornings, having some good music along for the ride was a necessity. This album got quite a few listens during that time. For some reason, this one seemed fitting to listen to while standing in the early morning sun.

So what's so great about it? I think the big shocker here is this had all the ingredients to bomb, yet still succeeded: it's a major label debut from a political punk group that had already enjoyed some independent success. To top that off, they even called in a big-shot producer (Butch Vig). They maintain the same sort of political messages found in their earlier albums, and sonically Vig doesn't overdue it as a producer. In short, I'd say this is the best they've ever sounded.
Fav. tracks: 'Up the Cuts', the single 'Thrash Unreal' and the title track. Samples can be heard here. Tegan and Sarah fans would also want to check out the duet with Tegan Quin ("Borne on the FM Waves of the Heart").

Kenna - Make Sure They See My Face
My soft spot for the underdog is probably responsible for this inclusion. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't listen to this one enough to include it in my yearly favs. So what's the deal here? Well, Kenna's a pop artist who was able to leverage some connections to put out his first record - he went to high school with Chad Hugo, the lower-profile half of the Neptunes production duo. Hugo produced much of his debut (2003's New Sacred Cow) and returned to twiddle knobs on this release.

There's a series of reasons you probably didn't hear any of the singles off of Kenna's first record, and I'd recommend reading his bio to get some insight into it all. Hopefully, all that will change with the sophomore release, though early signs don't seem to be very promising. This is a shame, because straight-up pop music doesn't really get any better.
Fav. tracks: suitably epic album-opener "Daylight" and lead single "Out of Control." Samples can be heard here.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 05:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Part of the reason I haven't been posting much is that I've been so busy reading other things.

For this reason, I think I'm going to devote some entries to some of my favourite blog-type reads out there.

The first one I'd like to spotlight is Liner Notes, a group blog done by the Beat Goes On chain of used media (music/film/game) franchises. The weekly posts by guest all-star Alan Cross are worth the subscribing for alone (he has a long working relationship with BGO), but the other staffers who chime in with posts here and there usually bring something decent to the table.

This is basically a music appreciator's blog written by people who love and collect music. Just as importantly, it's also a great example of what can be done with a corporate blog: almost every post - particularly Mr. Cross' - drive home the key message that buying music is an experience that will never be the same if it were totally digitalized. But it's done in a way that rarely comes off contrived.

It's rare you'll hear me rant on here about corporate blogging (mainly 'cause it's a conversation I've found myself boring of in meatspace), but for those who follow such things (and for music fans in general) Liner Notes is worth checking out.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday Universal made an interesting announcement: they've entered into a partnership with Nokia, and will sell a year's worth of access to their entire catalog to users who buy certain models of phones.

Universal Music Group is one of the biggest of the major-labels, and apparently the tracks will have DRM to prevent copying. But what gets me is this: they're announcing that customers will not only be able to download tracks to phones, but will also be able to use their broadband connection at home to put the tracks on a PC. And after the year is up? Well, this article linked above says customers will be able to keep the songs forever.

I'm wondering where the 'catch' is. A year is plenty of time to trawl through the UMG catalog and literally grab everything you could ever want to listen to.

It looks like the program is set to start in the second half of next year, so this could be an interesting thing to consider when my current phone contract comes to an end (September '08 - oh, how I'm counting the days to freedom!).

Posted by Jason Guitard at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Listening to the new Duran Duran track (“Nite Runner”), I can’t help but think back about thirty years.

Now I know what you’re thinking – Jay’s off his rocker, Duran Duran was an 80’s sensation, not a 70’s act! An understandable claim. But it’s the circumstances, not the actual group, that seem so strangely familiar.

The story behind the sound of "Nite Runner" lies with the production team. The track is a collaborative effort, with Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and his protégé Nate ‘Danja’ Hills lending a hand on vocals/production/songwriting.

So why does this all remind me of the late 70’s? Well, during that time David Bowie released his “Berlin Trilogy”, three albums that adhered to a similar theme and style. During this time, a lot of credit went to producer Brian Eno for the unique sound that they developed. It later became clear that while Eno may have co-written some of the material, the production was actually handled by Tony Visconti (along with Bowie himself).

But before kicking off the Berlin string of records, Bowie also collaborated with Iggy Pop, a contemporary making a run at a solo career following the dissolution of the Stooges. Bowie later admitted to the resulting work (Lust for Life, and particularly The Idiot) serving as a “gunea pig” for his new ideas which were later more fully realized in the Berlin Trilogy that followed.

So what we’ve got here is a few different people intermingling to create an overall theme across different artist releases. It’s worth noting that Eno was also releasing albums as a performer around this time. Much like back then, some names today seem to get a little more of the spotlight than others.

Today's ‘Timbaland pop sound’ seems to have started about a year and a half ago, when Nelly Furtado returned to the charts with the producer’s help. The resulting lead single (“Promiscuous”)’s video featured a cameo from Mr. Timberlake. This was a good teaser for what was to come, as JT’s FutureSex/LoveSounds record soon followed. This was essentially a team effort with Timbaland.

Danja Hills has been credited with bringing Timbaland up to the times, as his time in the studio has coincided with the producer’s popularity outside of the hip-hop genre (where Timbaland enjoyed success with Missy Elliot, Bubba Sparxxx, and Jay-Z, among many others).

You can probably see where I’m going with this. In a lot of ways Danja seems like a modern-day Visconti – the man behind the big name producer/songwriter who is behind the performer. It seems Nelly Furtado is the Iggy Pop in this scenario as well, as her Loose record came out in advance of Timberlake’s - plenty of time for Timbaland to test the waters of the market for this ‘new’ sound before JT’s record and later, his own. Comparisons with the other parties in these two movements (Bowie, Timbaland) are tricky because both seem to have a great deal of overall fluidity between the roles of producer and performer.

Sometime next spring we’ll also be hearing from Madonna, whom Timbaland and Timberlake collaborated with for a reported ten tracks on her upcoming album. We can also assume Danja was involved, as where Timbaland goes he can usually be found.

Although the Madonna record hasn’t been released, based on these synergies we can probably imagine how it’s going to sound.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 09:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(Album Review: Blaqk Audio's CexCells)

Tuesday evening I did something I haven’t done in longer than I can remember. I went out on release day and bought an album I hadn’t previewed beforehand.

Although ‘downloading’ hasn’t really slowed my music consumption, it has largely changed my patterns. Normally, I listen to things first ‘cause I may as well, but often for new releases it’s due to impatience on my part.

The album in question, Blaqk Audio’s CexCells, was a bit of an exception. I only really heard of the project a few weeks ago, and my limited internet connectivity of late basically meant I could, at the earliest, heard it this past weekend (most of which I was gone for). So I decided I would forego pulling it at all, and just be a patient, obedient consumer for a change.

So on the basis of hearing the single (“Stiff Kittens”) and another streamed track, and knowing it was an AFI side-project, I decided I’d take a ‘chance’. Thankfully, the album is pretty good, so I have no regrets.

I don’t know how much press this project has really received (or will), but Jade Puget and Davey Havok of AFI have had this one in the pipe for a few years. Basically, Blaqk Audio is a chance for the duo to indulge – the new elements that started to creep into their sound in the ‘00’s (when Puget actually joined the band) are in full-frontal view here.

The album is pretty typical synthpop fare, but that’s meant as a compliment. I feared this would sound like a rock band trying to sound like an electronic band, but they were able to pull it off and sound genuine. That lends credence to doing the project in the first place - if it just sounded like AFI, there wouldn’t have been much point in branding it differently. The lack of live drums, for one, would probably stand to alienate the ‘punk’ fans had this been released under the three-letter moniker.

Hard to say how well this will chart – Havok and Puget’s day job may get this poppy (though not radio-friendly) effort some exposure. “The Fear of Being Found” (which has a ballad-pop feel to it) might have a chance, and “The Love Letter” almost sounds like a rock song so it could fool some people. Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of crowd turns up when they play at the Mod Club on Sept. 13.

The one let down I had on this was the guest appearances – Nick 13 of Tiger Army fame is featured on two tracks (“On a Friday”, “Where Would you Like Them Left?”), but his backing vocals are pretty difficult to pick out of the mix. I was hoping for more a more prominent feature, as their similar (Robert Smith-inspired) delivery styles could have made for a rewarding trade-off.

Recommended tracks:

“Stiff Kittens” (lead single; can be streamed here)
“The Fear of Being Found”
“Semiotic Love” (they don't get much poppier than this one)

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In this era of piracy, it's rare we find ourselves running to a record store to buy something on release day. But as a long-time fan (and two-time fan club member...I know, I'm a geek), I feel compelled to have the deluxe edition of the new Linkin Park album, Minutes to Midnight, in my hands.

So needless to say, I was a little disappointed when I found out the DVD-bundled 'deluxe edition' was defective and had to be shipped back! Ah well, I guess my initial impressions will be based on the digital version after all.

I can definitely say I like the album - but I don't think I enjoy it nearly as much as the rest of the LP cannon. There's obvious signs of growth, some of which pay off (the mellow "In Between" is probably the biggest departure from their signature style), and some no as much (the political references in the lyrics to "The Little Things Give You Away" are pretty heavy-handed).

Many reviewers have been pointing out emcee/producer/guitarist Mike Shinoda's less obvious presence on this record - he only raps on two tracks, and his true singing effort is tucked away near the end of the record (the aforementioned "In Between"). I can't help but agree with those who see this as a bad thing. While Shinoda's always 'behind the scenes', the tracks he has an overt presence on ("Bleed It Out", "In Between" and "Hands Held High") are easily the album's most enjoyable.

So what of the rest of the record? Well, I couldn't help but chuckle when I read Shinoda's thoughts on the leak of the album: "At the very least, if you've already downloaded the songs, do us a huge favor and listen to them in the right order...it'll be way more rewarding." Personally, I thought the pacing left a little to be desired. Jumping from heavy-to-mellow and back again grows a little tiresome by the album's end. Also, I felt this attempts to hide the fact that the mellow songs aren't quite as strong - listen to any more than two in a row and they all start to sound a little too similar.

While I didn't think every risk paid off - I'm happy to see a band like Linkin Park taking risks. A band with their success could have continued to play to their base, but I think with Minutes to Midnight they could bring over some folks who don't even like metal/hard rock.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Well, things have been going well on this end. Due to a few different reasons, I've been spending most of my time here in Cambridge with Colleen. This generally happens anytime I've been out of school for an extended period of time, as I'd never see her otherwise! I try and help out around the house to compensate for the extended hospitality provided for me by Co's family, so it seems to be a fairly workable relationship.

My computer usage is defintely a little different when I'm living remotely. I'm behind on blogging and most of my news reading. Just as important, I find myself away from most of my music collection. A look to the smaller than top-10 box to the right shows that my listening activity has certainly been affected.

But with scarcity comes appreciation. In the car, I'm armed with a small but trusty fragment of my home collection in the form of a CD binder. And my mp3 player seems to provide me with enough music to keep me stimulated. Like many folks, I can't quite afford the huge-capacity mp3 players that would enable me to carry around my entire collection. So I normally put some thought into some essentials that I like to have with me.

So what do I take with me? Well, I I try to carry around a rotating mix of different genres and moods to satisfy most cravings. I also try and incorporate some albums I haven't listened to in a little while to keep things fresh. Recent favourites have been Editors' The Back Room, 30 Seconds to Mars' A Beautiful Lie and Death from Above 1979's You're a Woman, I'm a Machine.

But what I really want to know is what sort of albums my readers feel they can't live without. I've thrown together a sampling of the ones I mentioned below. Given the positive reception to the iMeem usage a few posts back, I figure I could cobble together a playlist based on the responses I receive.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 05:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Assuming no technical failures, you all should be able to hear my mix for an audience of one. This will be rotating every hour for the entire day!

Throw this link into your media player.
http://infornography.ca:8000/stream-92.ogg

Note: Windows Media Player users will require an .ogg playback plugin. Run this file, then open Windows Media Player and paste the above link into the 'File - Open URL (ctrl-u)' menu! Also, Windows Media Player users may want to consult the stream homepage if they want a displayed song title.

'Another Hour of Love - Streaming V-Day Edition'
1. Blackalicious - Powers (3:47)
2. Stabbing Westward - You Complete Me (4:05)
3. Johnny Cash - Rose of My Heart (3:18)
4. Hayden - We Don't Mind (4:29)
5. Waits, Tom - Coney Island Baby (4:02)
6. Neville, Aaron - Warm Your Heart (Clyde McPhatter Cover) (3:52)
7. Esthero - Thank Heaven For You (4:31)
8. Well Charged - I Love The Way You Walk (4:58)
9. Jay-Z - '03 Bonnie and Clyde (Feat. Beyonce) (3:25)
10. Natasha Bedingfield - These Words (I Love You, I Love You) (3:36)
11. Beach Boys, The - Don't Worry Baby (2:49)
12. +44 - Make You Smile (3:44)
13. Descendents - Lucky (3:07)
14. Otis Redding - That's How Strong My Love Is (2:25)
15. Trivium - The World Can't Tear Us Apart (3:30)
16. Blue Rodeo - Lost Together (5:14)

So basically, this is an hour of love songs from a guy who hates love songs. Let's face it – most love songs are garbage. So this Valentine's Day, I've decided to wear my heart on my sleeve for my Valentine with some tunes I'd actually listen to in my spare time.

The tunes all have pretty obvious meaning, but I figured I'd highlight a few.

I kicked off the set with "Powers" by Blackalicious 'cause I like to start off with an upbeat tune out of the gate. Hell, this one almost makes me think I can dance! Anyway, this one is lyrically fitting to start with as well, because it describes that feel you get first meet that very special someone. The Gift of Gab sounds like he's just past the initial attraction and starting to feel this girl taking over his head.

Stabbing Westward's “You Complete Me” is a tune I can really relate to this year. For four days of the week, I'm in a long-distance relationship with limited contact to my mate. I always feel a little off by Thursday, and I normally can't wait to get home and see Colleen. I can certainly relate to feeling like I'm “lost between two worlds”!

The first time I played Hayden's “We Don't Mind” for Colleen, I knew it would be on the next mix I made her. It was in the spring, and I had just decided to move to Toronto to attend Seneca. This song actually made her pretty sad, as we wouldn't get to hang out in the way the song's characters do. Well, today's an example of that kind of day, and actually one of the reasons I've decided to do this little stream. It sucks to be away from a loved one on a day that's all about romance (and consumerism). So I figured this would be a fun way to reach out to Colleen while hopefully entertaining some others.

Natasha Bedingfield's “These Words” is pretty fitting, as these word smiths do a far better job of expressing my feelings than I ever could! This is also among the few examples of a really mainstream love song I can actually enjoy. Its kind of funny, 'cause when this came out two years ago I had actually just started to make this mix. See, this is actually the third volume in a series of love songs CD's. My beloved's been feeling rather dejected that I've been so slow to follow up the second, but inspiring love songs are few and far between for me.

Trivium's “The World Can't Tear Us Apart” is a perfect example of how to make a mellower metal song (and a love song at that) without turning it into a ham-fisted power-ballad. I first heard this track a mere few weeks ago and decided that the time was right to finally finish this mix. So in a sense, this was the inspiration for me to finally sit down with my list of songs and make it happen.

I figured I'd close things off with a Canadian group. I'm not usually one to go for folk stuff, but this track has always resonated with me. Coming up on this really strange time in our lives, its easy to feel like we're lost on the path to adulthood. Its good to know I've got at least one constant in a world filled with uncertainty, even if we don't know where we're going, we know we're "Lost Together".

I'm going close this off with a shout-out to Ryan. Without him, this project would not have been possible. On top of his technical ability, he also was blessed with very good timing. We've been throwing around the idea of streaming radio shows for quite some time, but I have a lack of bandwidth at this house so facilitating it would be tricky. Anyway, I had just started to throw a tracklist together for a third 'Love Songs' CD when he asked me if I'd like to try uploading entire play lists to his server for later broadcast. As this was a week before Valentine's Day, I figured why not forgo the CD and make this a more unique gift from the heart that I could deliver on the day? Without Ryan, this wouldn't have been possible - so thanks buddy.

This is the first in what Ryan and I hope to make a series of streams (and possibly later podcasts). Once I get this blasted contraption out of my mouth (March 13th!), I'm considering even recording vocal interludes. But I'm always working to improve, so feedback is greatly appreciated.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 02:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

So I've been meaning to kick off the new year by posting my favourite albums from 2006. I initially approached this with the intention of checking all of my favorite critics picks, then combining them with my own impressions to form my uber-hip list. Then I figured: if you wanted to read what the critics had to say, you'd visit their site! Thus, the links above. I also realized 2006 was my first full year of last.fm membership.

So what follows will be a somewhat empirical but still subjective list of what new albums I spent most of '06 listening to. This is kind of a funny list to put together, as I think 2006 will be the first year I spent so much time looking back. I don't know if I'm getting older, falling out of touch with the current scene, or both, but I found myself wanting to explore more and more of popular music's canon. New releases did capture my interesting, but with an appeal that could be best described as fleeting.

Those who have read this here blog throughout the year shouldn't be surprised by many of these entries, and I hate repeating myself...so why not link to old entries?

Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye

Hands down, this was probably my favorite album of the year. "In the Morning", the beautiful lead single from this softmore album, also clocks in as my favorite track from 2006. It actually fits into the rest of the record horribly, but that doesn't make any of the album tracks any less wonderful. The second single, "The Equalizer" was a little more representative of what So This is Goodbye has to offer. I've posted brief remarks on this previously, so hit that up for a bit more, or check out what pitchfork (9.0/10) or allmusic (4/5) had to say. And for what it's worth, they're a hell of a live band too!

Left Alone - Dead American Radio

Dead American Radio is Left Alone's proper debut for Hellcat Records, as their previous output was merely a reissue. This was probably my favourite ska record from the year, though I can't say it had a lot of competition. I don't know if I'm just really out of touch with the genre, but quality ska seems very hard to come by. I heard this back in the summer, and recommended it then as well (along with a link to some songs).

Head Automatica - Popaganda

Although my initial impressions of this record were less than favourable, its power-pop feel really grew on me in the sunny summer months. I still yearn for the electronic feel of Decadance, but for sheer catchyness this album is probably just as good. Samples can be heard here.

Classified - Hitch Hikin' Music

If 2005's Boy-Cot-In the Industry was Class' breakout record, then Hitch Hikin' Music was his way of telling us it was no fluke. This keeps up Halifax rapper's impressive streak of a release a year (11 years and running I believe). I've posted some initial thoughts on this one, but it would be safe to say this was my favourite hip-hop record of the past year. His production and flow just keep getting better, and hopefully its only a matter of time before he starts to get recognized. That being said, "No Mistakes" did take home a MuchMusic Video Award this past year. Anyway, samples can be heard here, though there's no review!

Code 64 - Departure

I've already reviewed this one in the summer (about halfway down this entry). Great synthpop following the ever-popular theme of space exploration. What else can I really say? Samples are a little harder to find, but after a listen you too will want to get lost in a sea of stars.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium

I really thought this album was going to suck. Its nice to be plesantly suprised. Another one I posted on in the summer (oh, how I long to have that much spare time again!).

deftones - Saturday Night Wrist

This band makes me believe that hard rock still has a chance. Thoughts previously posted here.

(+44) - When Your Heart Stops Beating

Is this considered pop, rock or punk? Better yet, does it really matter? After hearing this album, I hope I'll never see blink-182 never reunite. Thoughts posted here (same entry as the deftones).

Stone Sour - Come What(ever) May

This was another album that really blew away my expectations. I wasn't a huge fan of their debut, but after hearing this follow-up I'm quite impressed. It combines ballads ("Through Glass") with harder songs ("30/30-150") to pretty good effect. Corey Taylor & co. really sell these tracks too, the band actually sounds genuinely comfortable throughout the entire disc. What's more, Corey's scream has never sounded better on record (including the Slipknot days)!

Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere

It was pretty cool to finally hear 'Crazy' on the radio for the first time. The surprising part was, I never really got sick of the song, even after hearing it several times a day for a few months. I guess this duo was the breakout success story of '06, but anybody who heard 'Crazy' back when it leaked in October '05 (it was the original demo track they shopped to labels) saw it coming from a mile away. The rest of the album is pretty solid ("Just a Thought" is still my personal favourite track), but at 37 mins its painfully short. Mind you, there's something to be said about being succinct, and some of my favourite records have clocked in under 40 minutes (the first to Linkin Park records among several others), so I can't really fault them for that.

The Knife - Silent Shout

I recently got into a discussion with a classmate over the Knife, and I figured I should post what i said to them: if you want a good introduction to this Sweedish brother/sister duo, check out the video for "We Share Our Mother's Health". I believe I described them as "weird...but really awesome". I stumbled upon this one by complete accident, but I guess the band's been making waves (many of their albums are being re-issued with 'deluxe' treatment). Hell, they're even producing on the latest Robyn album!

This list is by no means exhaustive. I'm sure I've missed a few here and there. What I'd really like to know was: what was your favourite album of '06?

Posted by Jason Guitard at 06:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

So, with 2007 upon us, I'm feeling like I should wrap up my favourite releases from the past 12 months. My listening habits have been all over the map this year: I find myself looking back more and more, but still trying to stay on top of the week's releases. To be honest, I generally prefered the former, and had a hard time really getting into a lot of what 'the industry' had to offer this year.

With all this in mind, I'm going to put a bit of time into compiling what did raise my eyebrows & bob my head in 2006. This'll likely be my next entry, and could be the last thing I write before I pack up compy to head back to North York.

So what have I been up to over the break? Well, I've been spending a lot of time in Cambridge, making the most of the holiday to be with Colleen. I seem to have struck up a decent balance between hanging out with the family, Co & her family, and the friends that I didn't get to see much over the fall. For the same reason, I haven't really been feeling the blogging of late. I've been on my computer, but generally only at odd hours with a single purpose in mind (like taking advantage of the leeching opportunities on my bitorrent server of choice).

The Christmas was good, and the New Year's Eve celebrations went off without a hitch. Thanks to all those who made it out to the latter!

Although last entry I assumed that spending time at Co's would mean more time on the treadmill, it didn't seem to work out that way. As such, some of the pounds have come back that I lost in the first half of the break, leaving me at just under 160 lbs. This could change tomorrow for all I know, my weight ebbs & flows at a discomforting rate. I'm doubting it though; the holiday meals were a little out of control so the weight was more or less expected. Ideally, I'd be about five pounds lighter than this, so I'm aiming to start working on that a bit harder when I get back to the gym on the 8th.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok, so I wasn't that drunk, but that lyric probably somes up my sentiments regarding Rancid's first show at the Kool Haus tonight. Anyone who's kept a handle on the shows they've uploaded from the original leg of the tour wouldn't have been surprised by the setlist, but it really had a little bit of everything crammed into somewhere around 25 songs - a little Op Ivy, a little solo Lars, a little acoustic, and most of the staples a fan would come to expect.

On a side note, I was happy to hear three whole songs from Life Won't Wait, my favourite Rancid album (which I guess probably makes it one of my all-time favourite records?). For those who don't know, after ...And out Come the Wolves came quite close to making them platinum superstars, Rancid basically screwed off to Kingston, Jamaica to work on their big follow-up. What's amazing about this record is that it was timed to follow the third wave of ska (which had been near the end of its peak in 1998), but the sound heard actually pays tribute to second wave material. I won't lie, I could go on about this one forever. For the purpose of this entry, all that's really important to know is that the sheer amount of guest musicians used on this album makes it hard for them to pull any of it off live. Take a listen to some samples and you'll hear why (the official album page also has two full tracks, but they're two of the more straight-ahead punk tracks found on the record, so they're only representative of one aspect of the multi-faceted sound hear on the record).

So, from the time they took the stage with "Radio", 'till they closed it all off with "Ruby Soho" I was in true bliss. Oddly enough this the same opener/closer combo they had when I saw them at Warped in 2000, which is worth noting if only for the fact that they've had a constantly rotating set of songs on this tour. Strange odds...

Anyway, we ended up missing local opener Hostage Life. Based on what I heard on their site, I wasn't really too heartbroken over it. Kelsie and I were able to catch Big D however. I've always sort of meant to check these guys out, but, believe it or not, somehow in the last eleven years I've never quite got around to it. So, hearing them live after they've been around for so long was neat, though I didn't really get the sense I'd been really missing out on anything. They were decent enough though, and I might be more inclined to check out the more dubby material they sprinkled throughout their set list.

Despite the fact that I'm still a bit groggy from last night, I'm actually more excited for this show, as Planet Smashers (and New Kings, whom I'm not yet familiar with) will be taking the stage to open. It won't be quite the same without Ryan to skank with, but Kelsie and I will be joined by Colleen for show #2. I'm excited for her, because I know she hasn't heard much of the Smashers and they've got a great live presence.

And to end as most entries start...a 'life update'. Normally I'd make this a new entry, but I probably won't be posting too soon. School ended off with a whimper as opposed to a bang, my wonderful health condition leaving me in pretty rough shape until Friday. This made me not making my last class, which led to bit of stress as there was an assignment due. Thankfully, everything worked out in the end (following a day's worth of hassle and some panicked e-mails). Since school's let out, I've finally gotten back to my cd ripping project from the summer. I'm done probably three-quarters of my 'sorted' discs, and then I'll be on to the ones I've purchased since third year after that...then finally, at long last, I can have them all in one place (which, given my current media habits, will likely be in storage in Guelph). Anyway, tonight after the show I'll be packing up my North York apartment to come back to Guelph, and there will be some more info regarding that soon because it coincides with a Christmas gift idea I'm considering.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Having to laugh when you're expected to be quiet is one of life's greatest pleasures. It instantly makes things much funnier than they are. The fact that you're not supposed to be doing it seems to fill my rebellious side with glee. It was also something I used to my great (dis)advantage in high school, egging on friends to the point where I'd frequently get a talking to from teacher. On a side note, I hope learning at the high school level is finally allowed to be as fun as it seems to be for us now.

So why talk about this? Well, I was just talking to my friend Shaun about listening to Celph Titled on the bus. For those who don't know, this Demigodz emcee has done a variety of mixtape appearances, and is probably has the best punchlines in the business. Recently, some of these were compiled all of these into a 4-disc 'album', which despite rather repetitve subject matter (he's a bit of the traditional agressive rapper archetype in that regard) is actually incredibly enjoyable. Anyway, the point of this is that Shaun found Celph made him laugh a little too much, and I mentioned that I probably couldn't listen to him in public either. I mean, I'd hate to be that guy on the bus.

Anyway, this conversation happened while I was browsing one of the funniest blogs I've come across lately (thanks BoingBoing), Marmaduke Explained. The main title explains it all: "Joe Mathlete Explains Today's Marmaduke in 500 words or less". Anyway, recently the creator explained why he doesn't do Sunday strips, and the paragraph below the strip image pretty much explains the type of analysis you can expect to find on a regular basis on the blog. I've seen less than enthusiastic response from some peers on the content here. So I generally enjoy this one in solitude. Personally, I think the entries are infinitely funnier than the strips (though I'd hardly say Brad Anderson sets the bar high).

So, basically I sit here with headphones on and laugh my ass off, either while reading the blog or listening to some quality music. What I've noticed, is that despite being alone, the silence in the room generally leads me to stifle my laughter - maybe they're not as funny as I think?

Posted by Jason Guitard at 10:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Well, it seems that I have spoken too soon in a sense.

It would be safe to say that if you've tuned into a rock station recently, you've probably heard the latest single from (+44), "When Your Heart Stops Beating" from the album of the same name. The disc dropped this week to pretty favourable reviews, and for good reason. Its distinct enough from blink-182 to be worth doing, yet similar enough that fans of the eponymous final album won't be left out in the cold. Its unfortunate that singer Carol Heller did not become a more permanant member of the band, as the combination of her vocals (on two standout tracks on the album; "No, It Isn't" and "Make You Smile"), the flirtations with electronic elements, and the straight-ahead rock/punkish approach made for a record that is not only very accesible, but fairly unique. I should note around now that I'm not a huge fan of Tom Delonge's voice, so the idea of a blink-related project (the other two members of the band are the founding members of (+44)) without him was already a sell for me. The rest of what I mentioned above is just a bonus. Also, although some of the lyrics are dramatic in the painfully emo sort of way ("let's slit our wrists and burn down something beautiful"), this is probably the most mature project that Mark Hoppus & Travis Barker have released. All in all, I'm glad blink's broken up if this is the result.

For those craving some heavier music for their pallette, the latest release from the deftones should satisfy. Saturday Night Wrist is good album for those who loved the White Pony disc but thought the self-titled follow up was just a little too out there. This album basically streamlines the two, incorporating the accessibility of White Pony with the originality of the latter. I'd say this is probably their easiest album to swallow, but should also appease the legion of loyal fans they've amassed over the past decade. Finally, "Hole in the Earth" is probably one of best singles they've ever out, and a song I've been waking up to on a regular basis.

Finally, this next release is worth talking about, if only because its off the radar of many of my readers. I figure this is something I'd like to spread the word on, 'cause I doubt it'll get much exposure elsewhere. When Allmusic released their 'best of 2006 - so far' list halfway through this year, I saw a little release by Architects called Revenge. After learning from the favourable review that this was the new project from the Phillips brothers three, who used to comprise most of The Gadjits (a ska outfit probably known best for their one-time affiliation with Hellcat Records), I couldn't resist checking it out. Now, for those who followed the later Gadjits years, the fact that this is a rock n' roll record shouldn't come as a surprise, as they had long been drifting away from the horns and towards the distrotion pedal. However, what may surprise many is that this is a balls-to-the-wall rock n' roll record. Brandon Phillips has never sounded so unrestrained; there's years of built up piss & vinegar in his sometimes hoarse vocal delivery. The songwriting is superb, and the performances are even better. What used to be a bunch of kids goofing off has turned into a band that sounds like they've got some scars. This album should please longtime Gadjits fans along with those who enjoy an updated take on last generation's best rock music.

So, there's three different types of rock discs that have come out recently (although the Architects disc is a few months old now). Hopefully a few other gems will turn up, although I guess this year wasn't a total write-off anyway.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So I'm sitting here listening to the recent Breaking Benjamin album, wondering what's happened to rock music? Had you asked me what my favourite genre was, you could pretty much count on me saying Hard Rock/Metal. But recently I started wondering about what my favorite releases for the year were, and wouldn't you know it, 'rock' bands hardly even entered the equation.

Obviously, Breaking Benjamin is not the most original band. I'd say they're actually a pretty good example of the servicable mainstream rock that's become the norm since the likes of Creed, Nickelback and StainD managed to top the charts in the new millenium. Since then, it seems as though anytime I listen to the radio I keep hearing further watered-down versions of the same old forumulas.

I'm not sure if its because I've been reaching back in my listening or if I'm simply getting perspective with age, but the rock scene seems pretty stale to me. I realize the radio probably isn't the best place to get my information, as it seems that stations like the Edge seems to push the 'safe' product rather than expand anyone's horizons.

My departure from rock music has been pretty gradual. Last year, I remembered remarking to Ryan that my Last.fm profile showed only one 'rock' band in my Top 10, the vast majority of the other artists being film composers, electronic musicans, or some variation of pop, punk, or ska. This was largely thanks to my electronic music radio show I was running at the time, the music listened to on my computer is usually a reflection of what I end up buying in the future.

I'm constantly seeking out new tunes, so everytime I load up my mp3 player I generally try and get some artists from the punk/ska realm, something mellow, something hip-hop, something electronic, and something rock-related. More and more, I'm finding myself coming up blank in the latter category as I have no new, exciting tunes to throw on the drive.

Now, I'm not sure if I've grown out of rock music, if it has in fact gone stale, or if I've just been distracted hunting down new horizons to bother doing much research.

I will say that as I age a bit, I'm growing more and more fond of what the indie scene has to offer, especially in the Great White North. The Hillside Festival has been helpful in forcing me to do more research, but I will admit I'm still only listening to a handful of bands one would classify as 'indie-rock'.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Regular readers can probably guess what I've been listening to lately. As I'm back at home, my playlist has been occupied counting down the Rolling Stone's top 500 songs of all time. I've had this collection downloaded since about the summer, and I should be done my abbreviated (deleted things I knew I hated or defintely already had) take on it very shortly. As I write this, I'm at #46, David Bowie's "Heroes". I'm glad I got this collection, it'll help round out my music folder. My Motown/Doo-Wop collection was severly lacking up until now, so I'll be thankful for the amount of great stuff in this folder that I fondly remember from car rides in my youth. This also gives me high-quality original versions of songs (the person who compiled this was rather meticulous), and should inspire me to grab a few more greatest hits collections. I always like downloads that are gateways to other downloads!

In my last week up in North York, I have to say I was rather impressed with the new deftones album. Someone must've known it was my birthday, 'cause it leaked out on October 13th! At times, Saturday Night Wrist seems to be the most accessible album they've put together (kind of picking up where White Pony left off so long ago), but then there are parts where you can tell that they're still trying to keep their distance from the mainstream.

Poor bastards like myself should take note: Tim Armstrong of Rancid fame is putting out a solo record, available as a free download on his Hellcat page. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this before, but Armstrong decided that 2006 should not pass without new Rancid material (there's a more in-depth explanation at the link), and each month he will be using his imprint (a subsidiary of the now-legendary Epitaph punk label) as a means to distribute a new mp3 and stream a new video for the song in question. The videos are quickie jobs, but still enjoyable. The songs thus far ("Hold On" and "Wake Up") both seem to play up the Jamaican-flavoured ska sound the band used as a foundation for 1998's Life Won't Wait album. It is neat to hear Tim do a more straight-up approach, as Rancid generally tends to put their own spin on the traditional second-wave sound. Given the range of his influences (and diversity of his collaborative back catalog), I would be surprised if the rest of the album is in the same style, but I guess we'll see as the months pass. When all this is said and done, the word is there will be a CD/DVD released in February for those (read: me) who just have to own it.

In other Epitaph-related news (can you tell I'm on the newsletter?) everybody's favorite crooner is set to drop a triple-album: That's right folks, three cd's worth of Tom Waits! The artist page reveals that this is a collection of new material, b-sides, and covers (30 of the 54 songs are new recordings). Each disc follows a different theme, highlighting a different aspect of Waits' sound. As someone who's followed Tom's career since he came to Anti-/Epitaph, I'm pretty excited to hear this collection. Sounds like a good thing to throw on the Christmas list...three tracks are available to download at his other artist page.

Posted by Jason Guitard at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So, for the first time in awhile, I'm almost tempted to say I'm bored.

Its really not true, as I really just can't stand to look at any course work for the rest of what's left of this evening. There's stuff to do, but on Thursday its hard to care too much about what Monday will bring. Unfortunately, the remainder of my weekend is quickly getting spoken for, so I probably should figure out exacly when it is I will do everyting I've got to get done.

In brighter news, it would appear as though I'm set to get my birthday presents from my beloved tomorrow! I'm quite excited, as she bought me two pretty sweet things off of my wishlist (Arrested Development Season 2 and a sweet workout book by Ah-nold). They're both items I've wanted for awhile (I finished Season 1 of AD in the summer, and held off on getting 2 until Co caught up with me, and I borrowed the book from Nick Murphy back in second year and have wanted it ever since. It's very comprehensive, and will be a good motivator for this new leaf I've been working to turn over.)

Speaking of the new 'healthy' me, things have been a bit tried in this holiday week. Its kind of crazy, I've actually started to get a bit dependent on getting out to the gym. I look forward to it all day, not in a meathead way, but I look forward to feeling that strange run of endorphins through my body, and getting some time where I'm focused on nothing more than trying to work a little harder than the time before. It's a bit of an escape really, and I actually found myself getting genuinely bummed out that I wouldn't be able to attend today after class before my mom picked me up (got a bit of surprise group work sprung on me that kept me busy 'till 5!). So yeah, I took exception today too 'cause I only made it out once this week. The lowest for me since I started! So hopefully I can get some running and pushing in at Co's this weekend to make up for it. But anyway, that's probably more than anyone needed to know about my routine. I write here largely to hold myself personally accountable, and to encourage folks to get out and get their heart rates up - its pretty addictive!

So, after posting over on Rowdy's blog, I realized I've been shying away from my ouevre of late in not really talking about music (the last entry being the exception). Well, what have I been listening to? A lot of stuff. When I'm Guelph (as I am now), I've been gradually counting my way down the Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs of All Time. It was a 2 gig or so collection I pulled awhile back and have been working my way through. Its ironic, 'cause when I'm with my folks I generally hear a lot of oldies, so its kind of cool I left this pile on their hard drive here to go through when I'm at home. I'm actually barely halfway through them (right now its "Hoochie Coochie Man" by Muddy Waters, #225, so I'm just over halfway), so it's been a nice chunk of stuff to put on when I want to relax and get a bit of perspective (its been rather educational). The collection has inspired me to dig into some older artists' back catalogues, with Queen (man, they had some shady 80'sish material, but there's certainly some gold in there!) and Joe Jackson (I never realized the ska influence was so strong with him!) being my latest trials.

Aside from that, I've been trying to stay on top of new releases but not doing so great. The new Killers was interesting, but didn't really blow me away or anything (not that I expected it to), and the new Jakalope was alright, but more 'rock' than I expected and I actually find myself missing their poppy/industrial hybrid. The new Classified (Hitch Hikin' Music) is probably my favorite record at the moment if I had to pick. I initially liked his last album (Boy-Cot-In the Industry) better, but this one is growing on me quick. Its deeper in many ways, and picks up nicely where his mythos left off of on the last one.

I was talking about the new K-OS record today with a classmate, but I haven't gotten around to listening to it. Anyone have any thoughts they wish to share?

Posted by Jason Guitard at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)