blog update: Best of 2019 and the decade

Hello!

Looks like we're fully into the "end of the year" cycle... Tons of sites are posting their best-of lists. I've been listening to a lot of good tunes and a heap of great cinema. I think it's a little too early to post my lists. Over the next weeks, I'll be researching my "best of 2019" and "best of the decade". If you can't wait until January/February (maybe April), I'll make some crystal ball award season predictions now... 🔮

• Billie Eilish will be the toast of the town. She'll win many awards (like the Grammy).
• Once Upon a Time In Hollywood will win the Best Picture Oscar. I personally don't agree, but experience tells me it'll win... or come close to the win.
• Tom Hanks 
• Watchmen will get tons of attention. I haven't seen it, but I'm reading it's good.

Those are my most lucid predictions. I'm excited for several December movies, including the intriguing Richard Jewell dramatization.

 I'll have several lists ready for the cold and icy winter that's coming! ☃️

February Music Selections

Hello!

I've decided to semi-regularly share what I've been listening to on Spotify.

No Joy
Creep
https://open.spotify.com/track/2swoHVIIKyutOuTzbSh7iq

No Joy is best described as "dream metal"... they have a little dreampop but they can also go really hard. Once you get past that they're not a girl band, let this EP take you on a journey. Each song is distinct, and you'll switch favorite tracks with every playthrough. "Flourescent Dread" even goes into  Black Moth Super Rainbow territory.

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Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross
Patriots Day
https://open.spotify.com/track/1eoOsZ6dnCFVc0tsxQEpMZ

A more-than-just-muzak soundtrack with the best songs starting with Track 8 ("The Night Drive"). Give it a listen!

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Japandroids came out with a new album, and so did Cloud Nothings. I gave both thorough listens, but really the only standout was the 'droid's "Arc of Bar": https://open.spotify.com/track/0nnhuE1op1Yt3v9vDI4IWt

The Flaming Lips captured my attention for a time, but after repeated listens the album just didn't hold up.

I tried to listen to the new single by Bush, but it didn't inspire me to check out their back catalog.

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Prince
Sign 'o' the Times
https://open.spotify.com/track/5xP9clzYBKZ6F3u2VZUaBJ

I've been a big fan of this album for years, but right now I have "Housequake" stuck in my head. Starting with that song, the next 4-5 songs are just incredible. My only critique is that the title track could be about 1 minute shorter. It boggles my mind that this came out in '87.

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Other than that, I've been previewing singles from bands that have recently reunited--Ride, Slowdive, At the Drive-in.

My Prince experience

I feel like this whole Prince death thing is an elaborate hoax, funny only to Prince and his collaborators. I know he had the flu a few weeks ago... did his religiousness bar him from treating it? Has Prince ever been sick and cancelled a concert before? I thought he was immortal like Bowie. So many questions.

I gasped really loudly in a meeting when I saw my coworkers message. I was leading the meeting, and we had to pause so I could explain my exasperation.

On the scale of Prince knowledge and dedication, I would place myself on the above average part of the scale. I've never seen him live, nor waited for a record store to open to pick up his latest. I do have many of his CDs, and I even dressed as the Purple One circa 1984 on Halloween (and won a costume contest). I've read books lionizing him, podcasts in his namesake, and watched unauthorized biographies on Amazon Prime about the man. My Google+ icon is Prince, if that says anything. I respected his musical prowess, and his sexual allure to women even though he seemed quite effeminate.

I didn't really know him in the 80s until Batman hit. I was crazy about that film, even though I was too young to see it. But I do recall seeing "Batdance" on television.

In college, a friend of mine blasted "Pussy Control" in a public computer lab, and it changed my life. If you can recite the lyrics (even the Spanish intro), you're a fan. It made me download the instrumental album N.E.W.S.

I saw Purple Rain for the first time in about 2008, and I was blown away. I quickly bought the soundtrack, and it is part of my monthly routine to listen to a few tracks and maybe find a YouTube interview or two with him.

Prince appeared on SNL some years ago, where he played "Fury" from his Planet Earth album. If you want an example of his guitar virtuosity, you need to go find a video of this. The man could shred.

Advanced Genius Theory, which centers around Lou Reed, Bob Dylan, and David Bowie (the Trinity) also has Prince not far behind. Then there was this VH1 Countdown for the best bands/artists ever. Prince was voted by his colleagues as #8 on the list, which is an astounding feat. Being a top 10 musician is high honor.

Have you ever listened hard to the ultimate verse of "Little Red Corvette"? Prince's quasi-call-and-response is just astonishing. I once played it over and over for an hour. If history asks, "who was the Mozart of the 20th century?", it would be Prince Rogers Nelson.

I think rock 'n roll will be like this from now on--legends dropping like flies. Bowie and Prince were just the beginning, alas, but they were also the most important.

Related: The Overlooked Prince videos

Shameless Plugging: To America, With Love

One of my best buds wrote and produced his own rock album, To America, With Love. If you are a fan of guitar-driven post-grunge and Atlas Shrugged, then this is the album for you:


The album is also available to purchase on Apple iTunes and CD Universe.

Gene Simmons and NPR

KISS is finally being inducted into the Rock Hall. I decided this is the right time to get this one out: the infamous NPR interview that exposed some heavy metal to the intelligentsia.

Gene Simmons is smart, and he has the ego to prove it.

If you don't know anything about Kiss or Gene Simmons, maybe you should visit YouTube for a few hours (the daytime talk show appearances are some of the best). Keywords: "kiss interview over 10 minutes". Gene and Paul Stanley were the inaugural rock stars in the post-Beatles, post-Stones music world. Maybe you could call them Second Generation of Rock. And, like their progenitors, they wholeheartedly carried on with excess (mainly in the department of lovemaking).

Simmons decided to go on to NPR (maybe he was asked) in 2002. The interview never aired, but good things never stay buried. What most people hear from this interview are heavy doses of misogyny and egotism. Once you cut through that, what I hear is more profound. Some excerpts:

Terry Gross: How would you describe the pattern on your face?
Gene Simmons: A banker's pattern. When you look at it, it says, "Boy! That guy's got a lot of money."
[...]
Terry Gross: "Well, let's cut to the chase. How much -- how much money do you have?"
Gene Simmons: "Gee, a lot more than NPR."

This is when The Resentment starts between the host and the interviewee. And, to be honest, it is Gene gloating over his money, but compounding it with his disdain for all things NPR. "All things NPR" is any organization that represents secular thought, but is ultimately biased and myopic (and too uptight to admit it).

From here on it really gets interesting, and Terry Gross and Gene start rubbing each other the wrong way. The words "obnoxious" and "defensive" are used to describe the musician. Then, they talk about sexual prowess. And what it is to be an "honest man" to a woman. Then, they steer into music, and we get this:

Terry Gross: "Are you interested in music, or is the goal of being in a rock band to have sex a lot?"
Gene Simmons: "I believe in my heart that anyone who gets up there and says what they're doing is art is on crack, and is delusional, and that in point of fact, what they really ... their modus operandi initially -- perhaps it changed when they started to question their sexuality, but clearly, initially -- it was to get laid and make lots of money. And anybody who tells you otherwise is lying to you. The reason we all wanted to pick up instruments initially ... you know, publicly, anyway -- I will grant you there are those people who really love music and simply want to do it as a private pleasure."

All for a ladypiece!

Wow. In that small speech, he sums up the motive for pop music (and perhaps everything culture ever does) is to get laid. This blew my mind, because of the truth of it. For a man, everything before and after sex is designed for the purpose of more sex. That is also what biology teaches. The rock star goes on:

Gene: "I'm not delusional enough to think that what I do is important to life as we know it on this planet. No. But neither is what you do. You know, the world can get along very well without us. Farmers are more important. Teachers, and firemen, and so on, because if they're not around it really affects us. Your job and my job, whether you wear less makeup and I wear more makeup, is to entertain people. And I'm here to tell you: I'm very entertaining. I don't know about you. But this is NPR. [laughs]"

Again, that private pleasure notion of music versus the public "performativity" of concert music. Public expression of music, from an instinct perspective, is purely for personal gain. Yes, he does take a jab at NPR. NPR doesn't get criticized a lot, and maybe this is a bad thing. Freedom of choice, opinion, expression is something paramount in the entertainment business. And entertainment is irrelevant to life on this planet. But, the human ego is essential.

Terry Gross: But my impression is you don't have much sympathy for anyone. You -- you're so in to yourself! You're just so deep into yourself.

Gene Simmons: Well, I think ... I think everybody should be. If it sounds like admiration coming out of you, I accept it. I think ... it -- life is too short to have anything but delusional notions about yourself. Which is -- you should really like yourself more than you deserve to, because the alternative isn't very good. You should really think you are better looking than you are, because the alternative is ... sort of ... you know, some ... some bad notions. And so I'm aware, as a sane person, that I'm not the best-looking guy in the world. I'm aware of it. But when I go into a party, I will walk out with your girlfriend.

A lesson in human nature here. The boldest man in the room may not always be the smartest, but he'll get the girl. Sound advice from someone who used it over and over again. Gene Simmons also songwrites, plays bass guitars, and performs theatrics onstage while singing and playing bass.

I could go on and on about this one interview. There's many more notable quotes, but you should just listen for yourself. And, leave your subjectivity at the door. Yes, Gene is an abrasive personality, but he called my attention to how toxic even public radio can be.

Best of the Year 2013: Music album

The idea of the album is still a force in 2013. Whether it be Beyonce's surprise visual album or the simplicity of the artless Yeezus, record packages dictate the music industry.


The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Alice in Chains
A bounty of sludge-metal for the 2010s and the ages. This is probably one of the last records that will have this Seattle Sound (and be profitable). Maybe. I wasn't sold on the Chains reunion in 2009, but looking back, that album is good, too.





Yeezus
Kanye West
Lou Reed's review pretty much describes this album perfectly.


Hesitation Marks
Nine Inch Nails
Another solid record. Some throw-away tracks, but 80% better than most records out in 2013.


The Next Day
David Bowie
A solid album by the Glam Duke in his autumn career. Some of the best music videos of his career were spawned from these tracks. But, the "safe" singles aren't the highlights. Instead, "Boss of Me" and "If You Can See Me" are the most progressive and inspiring.

Afraid of Heights
Wavves
Surfer rock has had many iterations since the Beach Boys and "Wipe Out". In 2013, the genre is still lives on--through punk. Songs like "That's On Me" and "Demon to Lean On" are just... satisfying and crowd pleasing. The guitar riff and pedal overdrive of "Gimme a Knife" is addictive. Sadly, I missed Wavves SXSW showcase narrowly. Next time they're in town, I'm taking an extra effort to see them.

Best of the Year 2013: Song

Lots of music to pick from, even though I went into a retro state this year with music.

"Here Comes the Night Time"
Arcade Fire
The band promoted the album by splicing it over Black Orpheus on YouTube for 24 hours. The juxtaposition blew me away. The entire album is a tad soporific, but there's a few songs on Reflektor that are just amazing. This one is the favorite.

"My God is the Sun"
Queens of the Stone Age
The best track of the record, and the "rock centerpiece" of Clockwork. I just love the bass guitar part of this song.

"Stone"
Alice in Chains
Another hard pick. This album is a total surprise (a good one).

"Afraid of Heights"
Wavves
Hard to select a favorite from Afraid of Heights, but here's the best try. They're all equally good!


"New Slaves"
Kanye West
When I kept thinking about "what's the best song", one such stood out, over and over. It's raw, unexpected, and somehow original.

The Dumb and Dumber soundtrack

I am overly hopeful for the new Dumb and Dumber To coming in 2014. The original is a classic, and my favorite comedy of all time. High hopes.

One thing the original got right was the soundtrack. There is tons of music in the movie. The soundtrack is probably the best of the 90s. Right up there with Singles and Pulp Fiction. For real, y'all. It's got Green Jelly, Crash Test Dummies, and other R.E.M.-sounding bands. Real alternative. Deadeye Dick and Deee-Lite are also included!

None of the artists were ever that famous in the U.S., but I think that makes it better. The songs fit the movie--they didn't need Aerosmith or Springsteen. Could you say the Soundgarden song in The Avengers fit?

My absolute favorite track is Butthole Surfers' cover of "Hurdy Gurdy Man". It is worth it for this track alone. In addition, "Crash" by the Primitives captures the precise moment of 1994.

If you have not listened to it, it probably costs $3.00 in the bargain bin.

Austin's Radio Stations, Old and Quasi-New

This isn't about how rock 'n roll is (almost certainly) dying, nor how automated radio stations (sans DJs) are ruining things. Nor how XM Radio is pretty good. This is just about the Austin, Texas, radio stations, circa 2013.

First, let me talk about Comedy 102.7 (RIP). I listen to the radio about three times a day, probably 30 minutes total: commuting to work, and lunch, and finally back home. It was actually funny. Everyone who rode around with me also loved it (and actually laughed at the censored stand-up comedian tirades). And then, after a short go... BAM! !Latino estacion explosivo!

WHAT HAPPENED? I found this article ("The Day the Laughter Died"). How can an automated radio station that plays pre-recorded live stand-up not be profitable? I understand DJs ("the talent") are the most expensive part of a station's operating costs. Has that changed? Were the comedians charging too much for their art?

Anyway, that station is kaput. So, it's June, and I'm searching for something new. I'm scanning the FM band for something, anything. I find the college station, but it's playing yodeling muzak. And then I spring upon iHeart Radio Austin... 103.1. "Celebrating the live music capital of the world", it states at each commercial break. And there are DJs! (Are they paid?)

It turns out that the station is really (for lack of a better word) hipster.... where one can hear stuff that's rarely received radio play (outside of an ironic college dorm or someone's private earbuds). Probably the first for-profit station that broadcast LCD Soundsystem on the airwaves! I've actually heard two LCDSS songs on there. But this revelation has another aspect... another side of the coin. There is music on iHeart Austin that is unfit for radio. Lounge music, elevator music, nightmarish pop, folk-retro-psychadelic chamber music, pseudorap, etc etc.

This comes at a time where that local "alternative" station (101X) is playing tripe like Mumford and Sons and Of Monsters and Men (do I capitalize the "of"). Notice the "X" in 101X. And... I understand this business decision. I understand the "why". People don't seem to realize that Capital Cities's "Safe and Sound" is awful, and not alternative in any way. I thought it was Empire of the Sun for a really long time. It's totally catering to the female daytime radio listeners who sit at their desk and have the privilege of listening to radio. Somehow, they don't have the privilege to pick their choice of music, or are oblivious to what's out there.

I'm a huge steward of cutting edge (new) music, but radio is mainly throwback nostalgia music I'm hearing. It's not original or innovative. I know "new" and "unfamiliar" are dangerous ideas for the public to grasp. FM 103.1 will most likely fail. I will still be able to hear the music, albeit limited, with UT Radio AM.

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I use Spotify at work (and at home, and at the gym), and that little application has changed me in ways that Napster, KaZaA, and Pandora never could. I got on board when Trent Reznor invited fans to try it in 2011. It makes Pandora look like dog shit. My dad uses it, and all my coworkers do too. It's got a massive catalog. 99% of the music I want is there. I've never had that access before. It's thrilling, and makes me listen to music more (and be more ADHD about it).

The only reason I don't use Spotify in my car (unless I'm on a long cross-country trip) is that it does not integrate with my car so easily. This is not Spotify's fault (or my mobile phone's fault). It's my car's inconvenient interface. I'm not worried... it will get better when I purchase a new car.

I still purchase CDs (if I really like the songs I hear on Spotify), but my MP3 file collection is collecting dust. It will come in handy when my network goes out... but that's about it. I mean, there are some rare tracks I own that I sometimes play, but it's really a novelty now. I now only use Winamp for podcasts.

I understand change. I didn't think my habits would change so easily, but they have. I held on to, and constantly cataloged my intact MP3 collection since high school... now it's an antiquated way of listening.

I look forward to the time when Austin is declared un-hip by the world. Then, we'll get our culture back.