Life and Times

About Bob Mould's new album...

I honestly wasn't expecting much. District Line was kind of a disappointment to me but considering I'm a loyal Bob Mould fan, I had to buy the new album.

It's his best work in a LONG LONG time. I used to wonder why so many more people were fans of Sugar (of which I only own the brilliant Copper Blue) rather than my fave Husker Du but this new album kind of explains why. It's very Sugar-esque, good old rock with just the right melodies the way Mould knows how to craft them. You can call it a form of Power-pop but his lyrics take the whole thing to another level. It's unguarded, like Workbook. I think one of my fave songs is Argos. Bad Blood Better going into another dimension of deep. Looking forward to any shows if he's coming my way!

I'm also listening to a ridiculous amount of Velvet Underground & Nico. Venus in Furs is on repeat as is the new Kristeen Young which I will eventually write about.

KRISTEENYOUNG

So I saw Kristeen Young live at Santo's Party House on April Fool's Day. I don't think I've ever heard her sound so amazing. Her new album has been playing on my headphones and stereo non-stop. Here's some video footage I took of Touch Tongues:

The Clown Inside You

My semi-favorite radio station 92.3 KROCK is no longer. Now it plays music for douchewads and jerkbags. I wondered what would be in my playlist if I were a DJ. I knew immediately that the first song that I played would HAVE to be Break by Fugazi. And that's about it. That's not even my favorite Fugazi song but I think it's such a great opener that it would be the first song I'd play on my radio hour called "The Clown Inside You" featuring DJ Shitty Name, Fuck You!

After some consideration I knew I had to add a pretty popular song to keep the audience listening. Hence the Faith No More. (I am assuming my audience has never left the '90s) Then I needed a song with BALLS, so that would be GnR's You Could Be Mine. Then I figured, what the hell, let's give 'em some Mr. Bungle. Carousel is a pretty catchy song. Although the ending might scare some people. And why not add an old fave of mine, some Husker Du? And then a 'new' song I rediscovered by Nirvana. After that, I decide I'm very bored and don't want a stinking audience anyway so I play Mr. Bungle's 10-minute opus that includes the repeated screaming of 'THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME' for several minutes followed by 2 whole minutes of silence as everyone tries to figure out what's wrong with the station. Mass mayhem ensues, akin to the post-War of the Worlds broadcast.

In case anyone is left listening, they are treated to my favorite Fugazi song "Bulldog Front".

Please note it actually took me about 5 minutes to come up with this playlist. Hire me, 101.9!

Joining the 21st Century

I've listened to 2 new songs made in the past decade. The Kings of Leon's "Sex on Fire" which has stupid lyrics but good music and then this:

Year End Shit

Everyone has to post one, right? Music-wise all I can remember really is that 2008 was the year I discovered Mr. Bungle and consequently lost my mind.

December was the month I decided to pick up the guitar again (a real actual electric Squier Strat, not the one I use for PS2 Rock Band) and listened to Nirvana on repeat to learn their songs. "About A Girl" and "Man Who Sold The World" are my challenges for 2009. Also, yes I know Bowie wrote the latter. Cracked up when I read a YouTube comment saying "I'm pretty sure Nirvana did it first".

Realized I don't mind 92.3 KRock cuz they play old shit now and I am old so it works out. But some of the new stuff does make me turn off the radio. Also, memo to 92.3KRock and assorted other media: STOP TRYING TO MAKE 'CHINESE DEMOCRACY' HAPPEN.

Also, all the new bands are all pussies. Every last one of them. Grow a pair of balls already. KRISTEENYOUNG could kick your ass with a flick of her piano-playing pinkie. BTW, looking forward to her new album in '09. Buying Morrissey's out of obligation, I'm sure it will be grandly mediocre. And I say this as a big fan.

I might post a list later. I plan on writing more in this blog in '09. There have to be more curmudgeons online to put the young hipsters down.

Buncha Stuff

Behold:

"Deep breath...
This was an amazing tour and production - certainly the best thing I've ever been involved with and likely the final tour for NIN on this scale. Thank you to those who came out to see it and forgive me for having a Kanye West moment, but this was FOR SURE the best show of the year and any bullshit end-of-the-year poll you may read in the next few weeks that says otherwise simply has it wrong. Those of you who saw it know I'm right."

This is what we call a dick moment but the sad fact is that I actually agree with Trent that this WAS one of the better concerts of the year.

Also awesome? Kristeen Young at Piano's:


Her new album ain't out yet but when it is ... oh boy you're gonna hear me go on about it.

Also, Ted Leo on Wednesday was awesome. As were certain karaoke participants.

Lights in the Sky

I've been going to shows for the past 15 years. It takes a lot to impress this jaded old clown but Friday August 29th was one of those nights.

For some reason or another, after having listened to every album of theirs and being a pretty big fan for a while, I've never seen Nine Inch Nails live. To be honest my expectations weren't all that high, but I figure hey, I should at least see them once before I die. I thought with_teeth was okay, I didn't really dig Year Zero and I've only given the Slip about one or two listens. The last album I really liked of theirs was The Fragile which got pretty bad reviews from the mainstream media. I knew they would be playing a lot of their newer stuff but I figure as long as I heard March of the Pigs and anything off Broken, I would consider the show a success.

To put it mildly, they kicked my ass. Even in the old fogies' seated area (where everyone stood up for the whole show) I could feel the frenetic energy from the stage. Trent didn't hold anything back. Every once in a while you get those perfect concert moments where everything connects: your life, the music, the band. That this moment is bigger than any shitty thing that has ever happened to you. I felt it. It's impossible to describe it or define it.

The fast stuff was intense (Gave Up), The Wretched was amazing and Reptile surprised the shit out of me and was probably the highlight of the show. Damn, I love that song. The Ghosts material was so cool live, I'd love to go to a Ghosts-only tour. It has this great vibe, a mix of classical and creepy and end of the world soundtrack. The lighting was amazing for this show. I'd never seen anything like it. I didn't think we had the technology for half the stuff they did!

Trent gave a rather poignant little speech. Apparently Pennsylvania is his home state. And back in the day, his fanbase was largely of the male vampire variety. :)

As we were leaving I heard someone ask, what did you think? This other guy answered "Best concert ever!" High praise that I think is justified. I think I'll put this one in my top 10 favorites of all time.

Funniest highlight of the night: an elderly white-haired couple wearing matching tour shirts. I asked my sister what the shirts said. She replied "Closer to God". I cracked up, quickly put my glasses on and looked back. Sure enough they were wearing old NIN tour shirts. Now I'm convinced they were related to either Trent or others in the band.

Photo credit: tcrash247