Crispin Glover vs. Magnetic Fields

This post has almost nothing at all to do with the Magnetic Fields. Actually, I can say outright that it in fact has nothing at all to do with the sound of their music.

Today, I went to Cheapo because I had some cash burning a whole in my wallet after work and thought I'd skim through the used recent arrivals to see if I could come across any gems. Well, I did. I found Volumes 2 & 3 of the Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs trilogy. I already own a used copy of Volume 1 (my favorite of the bunch) and agreed with myself in thinking that $5.95 a piece for both Volume 2 & 3 was a steal.

Well, I proudly walked around the store with them in my hands just glancing around (just in case I might lock eyes with other discs on my list that I either want and can't find, or need to find used, as I'm not prepared to spend $15+ on new CDs since I can usually find them used for much, much cheaper).

Well, it happened, just as I was walking towards the register. I'd heard OF it, but never heard anything FROM it. The IT in question, is The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be by Crispin Hellion Glover.

This is such a messed up album. Well, honestly, not the most messed up album I've ever heard. Some of it reminds me Van Dyke Park's Song Cycle album. That is another messed up album, but not the most messed up album.

The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be features spoken word readings from a couple of Glover's books and two cover songs. Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made For Walking" and a cover of a Charles Manson song. Yes...THAT Charles Manson.

So, the basic reason I brought up Magnetic Fields at all is to say that my 69 Love Songs trilogy remains incomplete. I had to set down Volume 3 (my least favorite of the 3) and feed my curiosity over this Crispin Glover album. It's not altogether bad. It's amusing and entertaining...and a lot of the time I was trying to figure out if he's being serious or if he has a warped sense of humor. Neither would surprise me.

Query

Where the hell is Kim Thayil?

Let the Dominoes Fall

Here's another one that has been a nice surprise for me this year. Rancid's new album Let the Dominoes Fall. I am a big fan of their 15 year old album ...And Out Come the Wolves but never really looked into them much after that. I mean, after all, I was a Green Day guy and I felt that like with Beatles and the Rolling Stones, you can like them both, but no one likes them equally. You have to draw the line somewhere. I felt the same went for Green Day and Rancid.

Well, after spending most of my Monday in class listening to ...And Out Come the Wolves, I was in a Rancid-mood. I found myself at Target and saw there were two editions of Let the Dominoes Fall. Single disc version....and then the 2 CD/1 DVD version which contains:

- Disc 1: Let the Dominoes Fall
- Disc 2: Acoustic versions of 12 songs from the album
- DVD documentary of the making of the album
- 3 double sided, three-foot posters
- 4 guitar picks (pictured above)

Let the Dominoes Fall continues the same punk sound that Rancid is so good at. It has become one of those new albums that has me looking forward to the next time I get to listen to it.

The acoustic version hold up extremely well too. Unfortunately, Rancid won't sell nearly as many copies of Let the Dominoes Fall as Green Day will of their 21st Century Breakdown. Which really is too bad. Musically, I'm giving the edge to Rancid.

Rancid is in town June 26th with Rise Against at Myth in Maplewood. I'm going to do my best to attend. I feel myself becoming a bigger Rancid fan now...and I'm willing to bet their live show will assist with that.

R.I.P. Jeff Hanson

This morning, I feel a bit betrayed that the universe had never presented Jeff Hanson to me before today. I'm sitting in class on this drizzly day, enjoying my black coffee (which is all very fitting if you ask me. the weather and my choice of beverage).... I checked PFM this morning and saw a headline from the weekend that said "R.I.P Jeff Hanson." His name looked familiar, but after reading the brief write-up, I found that I didn't know this particular singer/songwriter during his life time. It's possible I'd read it when checking the concert calendar for the Triple Rock, 7th St. Entry and Turf Club.

As stated in the Star Tribune article, Jeff was found dead in his apartment by his parents. It appeared as if Jeff had died as a result of an accidental fall.

After reading about him on PFM, I checked him out at the Kill Rock Stars site where they have 4 MP3's to download. The music sounds nearly identical to Elliott Smith's Either/Or and XO albums. I'm getting that excited feeling I got when I first started getting into Elliott. While Elliott was alive, I only owned XO and the Good Will Hunting soundtrack and didn't really get into with a hardcore passion until after he died.

I think the same thing will happen with Jeff Hanson's catalog for me now too. The songs will grab hold and I'll feel tremendous sorrow over the fact that this talent has been taken from us and we'll never get to hear anything new from him...and I'll regret that I never took the chance to see him live in concert.

As I'm sitting here in class, I'm listening to a small 8 song playlist on repeat, which consists of 4 Jeff Hanson songs from the KRS site...and 4 Nick Drake covers done by a young Elton John which I picked up this morning from Aquarium Drunkard. I'm just sitting here....waiting for 12pm to roll around, so I can head to Cheapo and pick up my first Jeff Hanson album. Based on the tracks I've been listening to, I think this may be a defining moment in my record collecting life.

Journal For Plague Lovers

"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing"

--- George Bernard Shaw

I love getting packages in the mail. Who doesn't? The new Manic Street Preachers album, Journal For Plague Lovers was released in the UK on May 18th and does not currently have a domestic release date. So, I ordered my copy on May 19th and it arrived in my hands today just in time for me to leave for class...where I enjoyed listening to the album during the second half of class. I've been listening to the Manics a lot lately and have been looking forward to this ever since they announced they were recording their new album in the same style as The Holy Bible album...the last album featuring their missing guitarist, Richey Edwards.

Journal For Plague Lovers truly is a return to Holy Bible-era Manics. The album is comrpised entirely of lyrics that Richey gave to bassist Nicky Wire on the day he, Richey, disappeared.

Like The Holy Bible, this album features several tracks of containing samples from movies. Here is a list of the songs with samples and the movies the samples came from.

• Peeled Apples: The Machinist
• Me and Stephen Hawking: The Sun (English translation of dialogue: "turn the radio up")
• Marlon J.D.: Reflections In a Golden Eye (Marlon Brando film)
• Doors Closing Slowly: The Virgin Suicides
• Virginia State Epileptic Colony: there's a sample in there. Can't make it out, nor find info on it

I told a friend recently that the single "Peeled Apples" is filling a rock void for me right now. I've grown a little tired of the hipster blips & bloops of certain "indie" bands lately and have started to gravitate back towards the rock & grunge that I cut my teeth on and Journal For Plague Lovers is definitely fitting right in. I can already tell that this album will be one of my 3 most listened to albums of the year and will likely sit comfortably right near the top.

Also, that album cover (!) which has been censored by record stores in the UK for some reason, is definitely one of my favorite album covers of the year.

Afghan Whigs tribute album

Any day I can "report" on some new Greg Dulli related news is an exciting day for me. Thanks to Summer's Kiss for bringing us this Afghan Whigs tribute album. You can listening to clips of all of the songs at the link provided. All of the tracks sound tremenous. Being as ridiculously biased towards Dulli as I am, you'd think that I'd be against people attempting to cover my boy. But I'm quite excited to pick this one up. All of the interpretations sound really good.

I also really love the reimagining of one of my all time favorite album covers. (original below; reimaginging above):

Check out tracklisting below which features some friends and colleagues of St. Gregory.

Sounds Like Violence - Sammy
Wussy - Retarded
Gin Riots - Be Sweet
Joseph Arthur - Step Into the Light
Domani International - Debonair
Chess Club - When We Two Parted
Susan Marshall - Going to Town
My Jerusalem - 66
Mighty Fine - Somethin' Hot
Sonny Oaks - Uptown Again
Matthew Ryan - The Slide Song
Mark Lanegan - Tonight
Zykos - Miles Iz Ded

My Jerusalem

I posted about My Jerusalem last fall when they were simply known as Jerusalem.

The new EP, Without Feathers has been in major rotation in my car lately. It's a great collection of songs for driving with your windows down...and works equally as well for night driving and bonfires.

"Sweet Chariot" is the strongest and catchiest song on the disc. The type of screaming that Jeff Klein does in the chorus, I don't think I've heard on any of his solo albums. It sounds nearly identical to another singer who rarely, but occasionally does the same thing. I'm intentionally withholding the other singer's name because if you hear the song and don't know who I'm referring to...then I have not sullied Jeff Klein's good name. Moving on.

"Under Your Skin" sounds like the Jeff Klein I know and love. It was posted to his myspace page for about a year now. Maybe it was supposed to be released on his still-forthcoming solo album, but it's one of his better songs.

"Turtledove" sounds to me like what I'd expect a collaboration between The National and Stars would sound like. Klein's vocals even resemble The National's Matt Berninger on the track. It rivals "Sweet Chariot" as one of the strongest tracks.

A very strong debut offering. Keep tuned for their debut album which is expected later this summer.

Please support My Jerusalem. Order the phsycial disc from their website or buy it digitally from places like iTunes or Amazon. PAY FOR IT! I will not burn you a copy! Support artists. Don't steal music just so you can be the first to review it on your little blog, you pirate bastards!

Album covers

I'm a big fan of album covers, which is part of what has me living in the past and refusing to accept the fact that the tangible album is on its way out.

But I wanted to make another post of one of my favorite album covers of the year.

Dinosaur Jr.'s Farm. This baby is a thing of beauty.

Hold Steady - Daytrotter

I love Daytrotter! I'm always pretty excited when I check their page during class and find that a band I enjoy, or in this case LOVE, is being showcased.

I have not had a chance to listen to these yet, buts the Hold freaking Steady. Head to Daytrotter, register yourself and then download these tracks! Or, at the very least, press play and listen to them while sitting in your cubicle. It'll make for a sunnier day, even thought it's quite gloomy in Minneapolis right now.

Sleazy

Well, I'm not completely, or even a little bit, on board with this Twitter thing yet. But I very, very recently started following Scott Ford's (bass player for Twilight Singers/Gutter Twins) Twitter page. But, only because I know the Twilight Singers are in the studio (!) recording a new album set for release in 2010 and he is updating us with the goings on every few hours or so.. This is what one of Scott's Twitter posts said today that has me so dang excited, I can barely contain myself:

Cully is cuttting drums for one of the nastiest, sleaziest songs we have ever recorded.