sir mix-a-lot
11-08-2006, 07:28 PM
You've stumbled upon the wonderful world of Decoy Music's weekly Listening Station. So plug in your iPods or whatever you use and get ready to fill it with items selected by staff, readers, and bands you know and love. You could also buy an album, even. I know, far-fetched.
Rick Embodies All That Is Right With Scenesterism: Embodyment - Embrace The Eternal
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/embodyment.jpg
Website: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodyment) :: Listen: (http://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Eternal-Embodyment/dp/B000009DEP)
I’ve found myself getting really sick of the glut of crappy metalcore bands permeating today’s scene. There’s hardly any originality. It’s painful to have to see junk like It Dies Today and anything on Victory Records get so much playtime in the CD players of kids who missed out on the formative days of the genre. Going back and listening to Embodyment’s first CD from 1998 reveals just how little the genre has progressed. Embrace the Eternal was amazing in its day and holds up frighteningly well in comparison to the hundreds of bands aping their style. If you listen to As I Lay Dying or any of the other bands in the current metalcore wave, you owe it to yourself to go back and revisit the genre’s roots. This band never got the respect they should have. Know your history, kids.
Dave Spak Shows That Underrated And Underappreciated Seem To Be Themes For This Week: Since By Man - Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/sincebyman.jpg
Website: (http://www.sincebyman.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/sincebyman)
I would like to go on record as saying this is the most underrated band in hardcore. I know that can be quite a statement, but I think it’s easily justifiable. Since By Man has a very progressive take on hardcore, utilizing subtle electronics, danceable breakdowns, and an impressive onslaught of guitars. Mix this together with extremely abrasive screams with intelligent lyrics and you have the whole package. Pictures from the Hotel Apocalypse has something for fans of every facet of hardcore. They are most easily described as a heavier version of Refused. The opener, “Emergency & Me,” has plenty of mathy guitar licks for all you Botch fans. “Lactating Teens” is a fast-paced bruiser for fans of more traditional hardcore. There are even some slower tunes with thick sludgy guitars. Seriously, make sure you give this one a listen. This has been out for over a year and I still am not tired of it in the least. Apparently these guys are also free agents now so record labels take notice: this is a hardcore band that deserves your attention.
Armand Cuts To My Very Core: Two Gallants - What The Toll Tells
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/twogallants.jpg
Website: (http://www.twogallants.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/twogallants)
“I listen to everything… but country.”
How many times have you heard someone say this or seen it on their MySpace page? Unfortunately, too many. It’s ironic though, because the vast majority of people who say this listen to top 40 radio pop and don’t realize that the country they detest is basically the same top 40 pop they listen to, but with a country accent. Now if these people put on some Two Gallants, they’d likely still hate it because they’re uncultured savages, but they’d at least get an idea of what country used to be about. Granted Two Gallants is more along the line of indie-folk-rock than straight-up country, but they bring a nice mix of country and Neutral Milk Hotel. With lyrics like “I shot my wife today/Dropped her body in the Frisco Bay,” the Two Gallants should be making old timer country folk happy along with the young blazer-wearing hipsters of today.
Jeff Latta Remains Wholely Predictable By Continuing His Penchant For Selecting Something By Either Danny Elfman Or: Tom Petty Wildflowers
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/tompetty2.jpg
Website: (http://www.tompetty.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/tompetty)
After releasing his seminal best-of collection - the greatest greatest hits album ever - in 1993, Tom Petty came back out just twelve months later with the first release of the next phase of his career, an album that should go down as one of his best ever. A solo album (I still don't know what the difference between Tom Petty and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is, since the band seems to pop up on the album either way) that is as different from his past material as it is the same, Wildflowers showcases impressive versatility within his set format of powerful and soulful folk-rock-pop. "You Don't Know How It Feels" is catchy as hell, "Honey Bee" is grimy and dirty (in more ways than one), "Time to Move On" is gentle and beautiful, and I'm just a big fat sissy for liking Tom Petty as much as I do. But shit, man, I just saw him in concert at Berkeley's Greek Theater and nearly wept with joy. Or maybe it was just all the pot smoke in my eyes...
Scott Lays Down The Pertinent Facts: A Whisper In The Noise - As The Bluebird Sings
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/awitn.jpg
Website: (http://www.awhisperinthenoise.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/awitn)
Given that this is my favorite album of the year, it's not surprising that it remains a staple in my car's CD player even now, months after its release. It's a dark and simply incredible journey through the moody realms of piano-driven rock music.
Jordan Takes It Down To The Banana: Hammock - Raising Your Voice…Trying To Stop An Echo
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/hammock.jpg
Website: (http://www.hammockmusic.com/) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/hammockmusic)
This album is fantastic and beautiful and everything I was hoping for in a new Hammock release (which I was actually unaware of until a few days ago). I'm going to assume we're all familiar with them, so I won't go into too much detail. Point is, they rule, this album is great, and you should get it when you can. Their MySpace page has no music from this album and it's set for a Nov. 21st release. Much love and respek!
Chris Does A Line Of Coke Before He Goes On Stage: The Used - The Used
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/theused-theused.jpg
Website: (http://www.theused.net/) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/theused)
This CD fucking rocks. End of story! This CD will never leave my Top 5 CDs of all time. Never I say!
Ben Rocks The Suburbs: Ben Folds Five - Naked Baby Photos
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/benfolds5.jpg
Website: (http://www.benfoldsfive.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/benfolds)
B-sides, rarities, alternate takes, live material! Most of the time, these compilations have rhyme and reason for why they're cut from studio albums. They suck. But not these ones. The alternate takes work just as well as the takes that made the album. The B-sides are all great. The live tracks either capture the very essence of the recorded material or rework them entirely. Tracks like "Satan Is My Master," "Bad Idea," and "For Those Of Ya'll That Wear Fanny Packs" are all pieces of lyrical and/or musical genius. Every time I listen to a Five release, it really pisses me off that they broke up. I don't hate Ben Folds's solo works, but they drastically pale in comparison to each and every Ben Folds Five release, from self-titled through the criminally-underappreciated The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. Each album holds its own special charm, so picking a favorite is difficult. Naked Baby Photos is definitely always a forerunner. Whatever and Ever Amen often finds itself at the bottom, but not by much. There's just too much goodness to go around, too much goodness to let albums like Rockin' the Suburbs and Songs for Silverman ride high atop Folds's list of monumental musical achievements.
Rick Embodies All That Is Right With Scenesterism: Embodyment - Embrace The Eternal
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/embodyment.jpg
Website: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embodyment) :: Listen: (http://www.amazon.com/Embrace-Eternal-Embodyment/dp/B000009DEP)
I’ve found myself getting really sick of the glut of crappy metalcore bands permeating today’s scene. There’s hardly any originality. It’s painful to have to see junk like It Dies Today and anything on Victory Records get so much playtime in the CD players of kids who missed out on the formative days of the genre. Going back and listening to Embodyment’s first CD from 1998 reveals just how little the genre has progressed. Embrace the Eternal was amazing in its day and holds up frighteningly well in comparison to the hundreds of bands aping their style. If you listen to As I Lay Dying or any of the other bands in the current metalcore wave, you owe it to yourself to go back and revisit the genre’s roots. This band never got the respect they should have. Know your history, kids.
Dave Spak Shows That Underrated And Underappreciated Seem To Be Themes For This Week: Since By Man - Pictures From The Hotel Apocalypse
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/sincebyman.jpg
Website: (http://www.sincebyman.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/sincebyman)
I would like to go on record as saying this is the most underrated band in hardcore. I know that can be quite a statement, but I think it’s easily justifiable. Since By Man has a very progressive take on hardcore, utilizing subtle electronics, danceable breakdowns, and an impressive onslaught of guitars. Mix this together with extremely abrasive screams with intelligent lyrics and you have the whole package. Pictures from the Hotel Apocalypse has something for fans of every facet of hardcore. They are most easily described as a heavier version of Refused. The opener, “Emergency & Me,” has plenty of mathy guitar licks for all you Botch fans. “Lactating Teens” is a fast-paced bruiser for fans of more traditional hardcore. There are even some slower tunes with thick sludgy guitars. Seriously, make sure you give this one a listen. This has been out for over a year and I still am not tired of it in the least. Apparently these guys are also free agents now so record labels take notice: this is a hardcore band that deserves your attention.
Armand Cuts To My Very Core: Two Gallants - What The Toll Tells
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/twogallants.jpg
Website: (http://www.twogallants.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/twogallants)
“I listen to everything… but country.”
How many times have you heard someone say this or seen it on their MySpace page? Unfortunately, too many. It’s ironic though, because the vast majority of people who say this listen to top 40 radio pop and don’t realize that the country they detest is basically the same top 40 pop they listen to, but with a country accent. Now if these people put on some Two Gallants, they’d likely still hate it because they’re uncultured savages, but they’d at least get an idea of what country used to be about. Granted Two Gallants is more along the line of indie-folk-rock than straight-up country, but they bring a nice mix of country and Neutral Milk Hotel. With lyrics like “I shot my wife today/Dropped her body in the Frisco Bay,” the Two Gallants should be making old timer country folk happy along with the young blazer-wearing hipsters of today.
Jeff Latta Remains Wholely Predictable By Continuing His Penchant For Selecting Something By Either Danny Elfman Or: Tom Petty Wildflowers
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/tompetty2.jpg
Website: (http://www.tompetty.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/tompetty)
After releasing his seminal best-of collection - the greatest greatest hits album ever - in 1993, Tom Petty came back out just twelve months later with the first release of the next phase of his career, an album that should go down as one of his best ever. A solo album (I still don't know what the difference between Tom Petty and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers is, since the band seems to pop up on the album either way) that is as different from his past material as it is the same, Wildflowers showcases impressive versatility within his set format of powerful and soulful folk-rock-pop. "You Don't Know How It Feels" is catchy as hell, "Honey Bee" is grimy and dirty (in more ways than one), "Time to Move On" is gentle and beautiful, and I'm just a big fat sissy for liking Tom Petty as much as I do. But shit, man, I just saw him in concert at Berkeley's Greek Theater and nearly wept with joy. Or maybe it was just all the pot smoke in my eyes...
Scott Lays Down The Pertinent Facts: A Whisper In The Noise - As The Bluebird Sings
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/awitn.jpg
Website: (http://www.awhisperinthenoise.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/awitn)
Given that this is my favorite album of the year, it's not surprising that it remains a staple in my car's CD player even now, months after its release. It's a dark and simply incredible journey through the moody realms of piano-driven rock music.
Jordan Takes It Down To The Banana: Hammock - Raising Your Voice…Trying To Stop An Echo
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/hammock.jpg
Website: (http://www.hammockmusic.com/) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/hammockmusic)
This album is fantastic and beautiful and everything I was hoping for in a new Hammock release (which I was actually unaware of until a few days ago). I'm going to assume we're all familiar with them, so I won't go into too much detail. Point is, they rule, this album is great, and you should get it when you can. Their MySpace page has no music from this album and it's set for a Nov. 21st release. Much love and respek!
Chris Does A Line Of Coke Before He Goes On Stage: The Used - The Used
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/theused-theused.jpg
Website: (http://www.theused.net/) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/theused)
This CD fucking rocks. End of story! This CD will never leave my Top 5 CDs of all time. Never I say!
Ben Rocks The Suburbs: Ben Folds Five - Naked Baby Photos
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/benfolds5.jpg
Website: (http://www.benfoldsfive.com) :: Listen: (http://www.myspace.com/benfolds)
B-sides, rarities, alternate takes, live material! Most of the time, these compilations have rhyme and reason for why they're cut from studio albums. They suck. But not these ones. The alternate takes work just as well as the takes that made the album. The B-sides are all great. The live tracks either capture the very essence of the recorded material or rework them entirely. Tracks like "Satan Is My Master," "Bad Idea," and "For Those Of Ya'll That Wear Fanny Packs" are all pieces of lyrical and/or musical genius. Every time I listen to a Five release, it really pisses me off that they broke up. I don't hate Ben Folds's solo works, but they drastically pale in comparison to each and every Ben Folds Five release, from self-titled through the criminally-underappreciated The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner. Each album holds its own special charm, so picking a favorite is difficult. Naked Baby Photos is definitely always a forerunner. Whatever and Ever Amen often finds itself at the bottom, but not by much. There's just too much goodness to go around, too much goodness to let albums like Rockin' the Suburbs and Songs for Silverman ride high atop Folds's list of monumental musical achievements.