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.

Best of the Year 2016: Song

Hi. I am behind on my "best of" lists. Here's what I thought was the best from pop/rock in 2016:


"Watch Me"
by ANOHNI

"Lightning Turns Sawdust Gold"
by Sleigh Bells

"If I Lost You"
by Garbage

"Waves"
by Kanye West

"Violent Men"
by ANOHNI

"Zodiac"
by Preoccupations

...I will try to describe them later on if I can. For now, just check them out on Spotify or elsewhere.

2016 Retrospective: Loss

Memento mori

As early as summer, I saw signs that people wanted to erase 2016 from history. Just skip it. The passive aggressive memes were strong. It had to do with politics, with socioeconomic outrage, with dying.

Here are some crazy deaths:

• Harambe (1*)
• Texas Hot Air Balloon Crash (16)
• Orlando Night Club shooting (50)

[*Yes, I realize Harambe was an ape. Maybe it's not so crazy.] And then there were celebrity and culturally-significant deaths.

I wasn't a fan of Leonard Cohen, but he passed this year. So did two majorly influential idols of mine in the music arena: David Bowie and Prince. I've already written mostly about the latter, but the first one I am still in astonished about. I mean, it was sudden and it was right near Bowie's birthday anniversary and schedule album release. Still shocked.

And then there were more personal passings. A suicide, and another sudden happening of my grandmother. My maternal grandmother, aged 88, had many scares in the past few years, but she always fully recovered. She was an example of an active, educated octogenarian that broke the stereotype. She still drove herself around, and she was incredibly active in volunteering and card playing social circles. She even exercised. All of this with multiple sclerosis diagnosed some 40+ years ago. What an inspiring person.

Next year (2017) can't have this amount of death, can it? When I think about all the aging rock stars, the icons of the 20th century... does death become the norm? Is it part of growing older? If it is, I must endeavor to create (rather than destroy).

Lyric Entry #010

Beverly Hills, burning off plastic
Scraped it away, I do, I may

...

Hey, who's your man? Dances the alleys
Cape land to colors rolling through the valley

...

Hold tight, horizon eyes
It's writing its name in the sky
It's paradise!
We fade away into the night

Beverly Hills, nuclear winter
What should we wear, and who's for dinner?

...

Hold tight, our love will fade out
It's writing its name in the sky
And I'll stop and stare
We fade away into the night
It's paradise!


...

Internal dialog about the 2016 Election (Trump)

Is this a joke?

Am I so out of touch with the public?

Has Trump even read one book?

I would have voted for almost anyone other than him, but never him.

What side of history do these voters think they are on?

Do I have to buy a gun now (to feel 'safe')?

Does Russia have any redeemable qualities?

Intelligent people shouldn't be scared of their leaders.

What would Grammy think about this situation? 

Does Trump care about anything other than economics and money? Scientific progress? The environment? Crime? Morality?

Are minorities as afraid as I am?

Are women afraid?

Is this better than having Trump as non-President for the rest of my days?

Hopefully, he will be impeached before he gets to the 4th year (and Lame Duck period).

He's freaking 70 years old...

Is this actually better long-term? Next election might be nice.

...more later...

Game of Thrones 2017 Season Predictions

Game of Thrones season six just ended. I really enjoy the show. I've only read the first book, so I'm focusing on the TV universe here when I say that it has jumped the shark. It was a good run, but the pop culture virus that makes all great franchises more consumable, more watered-down, has finally infected the HBO series. Also, George R.R. Martin is apparently no longer the source material for the series--it has begun its own path.

When the season started back in April, I had this funny feeling that the storylines were being dragged out. For instance, Arya was basically waffling around for 3 episodes until something interesting happened. The same goes for Daenerys... a few small scenes could have summed up her story arc, rather than 8 episodes of fluff. And, let's not mention Bran's ability to time travel... what a bad writing choice.

The other problem, and I think it was not a decision by the producers and writing staff, was to have a "Previously, on Game of Thrones" segue to help people understand what scenes are about to unfold. One thing that Game of Thrones (and HBO) could hang its hat on is its elitist attitude toward cable TV. I really hate this opener, but unfortunately this is a really commonplace crutch that is beneficial to newbies, invalids, and the infirmed.

ANYWAY, here are my predictions for Season 7:

• Something only mildly interesting will be revealed (Episode 1, Episode 4)
• The Hound and Arya will become a Murder Team (Episode 5)
• The Wall will be partially destroyed (Episode 8)
• Cersei will become pregnant (Episode 9)
• Nothing will happen with Dany's army until Episode 3
• Bran's magic will reboot the timeline and ruin the entire show (Episode 9)

I'll post and update more as I think of crazy-ass TV tropes between now and next spring. We are Sparta!

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