sir mix-a-lot
02-07-2007, 08:00 PM
Hey, everyone, welcome back to another edition of Decoy's Listening Station, presented on as many Wednesday nights as possible throughout the year. This week, you'll see tons of albums, very few of which have anything in common. In fact, it's so diverse that we actually are forced by United States law to offer a diversity training course prior to viewing. So, here it goes: Do you accept that not everyone's the same and maybe you should stop being such a bastard about everything? If yes, please see below.
Rick Is Glad He Doesn't Have An Eighteen-Hour Scar Trip Ahead Of Him, Especially In Some Run-Down POS
Pain Of Salvation (http://www.painofsalvation.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/painofsalvation.jpg:
Scarsick
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/painofsalvationmusic)
I’m going to own up to my complete noobitude in relation to this band. They’ve been around FOREVER, but I’ve only heard about them recently with the release of their latest effort, Scarsick. In reading about them, bands such as Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, and Dream Theater were often mentioned. That is a pretty good pedigree to be mentioned amongst and it is also an accurate way of describing the band. There are definitely some progressive metal passages, but a fair portion of the album is made up of psychedelic progressive rock. The unique mix is something not often found in the progressive realm today. There is a distinct Riverside feel to some of the tracks, which is definitely a plus, but they manage to add their own unique imprint to the aforementioned bands’ sounds.
Editor's Note:Rick has included a note which urges me to check this band out, pretty pretty please. So I will extend that urging on to any fellow prog people in this here Editor's Note because I'm not warmed up yet.
Barry's A Good Christian Boy, So He's Forever Doomed To Become A Treacherous Villain
Hell Is For Heroes (http://www.hellisforheroes.net)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/hellisforheroes.jpg:
The Neon Handshake
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/hellisforheroes)
A few years ago, when everybody was going apeshit over Funeral For A Friend, there was another English rock band making their own set of waves. Unfortunately, Hell is for Heroes never got the same treatment in the United States that Funeral For A Friend did, but after this record came out they were a pretty big deal in Europe. Seeing this band at a festival in Belgium sealed the deal for me and ever since that day, their debut full-length, The Neon Handshake, has had an important place in my CD collection. This band has created a pretty unique style of melodic rock without relying heavily on cheesy metal riffs and inane, over-the-top screaming. I suggest you see for yourself and check out the track "Three of Clubs." It has a pretty epic ending and enough melody to satisfy all you pop junkies. The best part is that, despite the fact this record has a ton of melody, it still won't rot your teeth.
Editor's Note: I'm still pissed a PR group kept emailing me about this one particular album, begging for a review, pushing it like it's a world-changing album when it's absolutely trite, boring, uninventive blather. Anyway, I just got done reviewing it, so be on the lookout for a shitty album with an insanely low rating and a review with a ton of substance in just a few short paragraphs about why an album with an awesome name is not worth the plastic it's printed on or the free downloads you can get of every single song. Also, be sure to check other Editor's Notes throughout the article for more references to this, as it is consuming my brain.
Scott Likes Australian-Rules Rugby, Silverchair, Kangaroos, Didjeridoos, And Abos, But He Hates That Pelican Album
John Butler Trio (http://www.johnbutlertrio.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/jbt.jpg:
Grand National
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/johnbutlertrio)
This band is awesome. When their new album, Grand National, was made...uh, "available"…via the Internet, I became very excited. Not that I support any of that piracy business. Oh, whoops, "piracy business," what a silly oxymoron. Unless your name is Sir Walter Raleigh! Queen Elizabeth just got BURRRNED! What was I writing about?
Editor's Note: What Scott meant to say is that John Butler Trio is one of the best, most-well-rounded musical groups of this young century. An American travels to the Outback to discover music and, in the process, becomes one of the most prolific songwriters and hard-working self-promoters in the business, yet never truly gets the credit he's due? Plus he finally gives me a reason to use one of my favorite long-winded jokes of all time in a review? And no one seems to care but him? Only in America. Because, you see, he's huge in Australia, which, for those who didn't know, is the place I was talking about when I said the Outback. He may not come from a land down under, but he lives where women roll and men thunder.
Alex Doesn't Know I Much Prefer The Mortal Kombat Series
HADOUKEN! (http://www.hadouken.co.uk)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/hadouken.jpg:
"That Boy That Girl" Single
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/hadoukenuk)
I often dream up crazed amalgamations of genres, thinking "yes, one day I will bring baroque-reggae-core to the mainstream." And, as I am not the most musically gifted person ever, my daydreams come to fruition before I have the chance to do it myself. Which is precisely why I had to double check the "members" section of HADOUKEN!'s MySpace, just to check I hadn't formed them whilst sleepwalking. Surely, nobody else could have thought grime, electroclash, nu-rave and indie would make a good sound other than me? Nope, HADOUKEN! got there first. And damn it, they're marvelous. This first single is a very British commentary on the ills of the indie scene, with grimey delivery and all the neon Day-Glo synth fuzzery you can shake a Glo-Stick at. Hell, even their name is awesome. If you've ever dated an "Indie Cindy: lego haircut, polkadot dress," you'll appreciate this.
Editor's Note: This name is too awesome not to listen to the band. And, naturally, I don't truly prefer Mortal Kombat to Street Fighter. That's crazy talk. I mean, did Mortal Kombat's movie dare cast Jean Claude Van Damme as the ultimate All-American? I think not. Plus, Mortal Kombat wasn't the last movie that Gomez Addams ever filmed. Seriously, aside from Fatalities, what did that franchise really bring to the table?
Allen Can Try To Name Drop All He Wants, But I'll Only See This Band As Some Early Marilyn Mason Wannabe Band Mixed With That Damned Scary Kids Scaring Kids Group
Bryan Scary And The Shredding Tears (http://www.bryanscary.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/klaxons.jpg:
The Shredding Tears
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/bryanscary)
Okay, so in truth I only discovered this today when I was searching for stuff to submit as my Listening Station. Originally I was planning on Ghost Buffalo, but decided against it in favor of this great album. I grew up on the Beatles...well, not actually, because I'm not that old, but my parents pretty much only played them, Creedence, and the Beach Boys 24/7, and, like everyone else in the world, I still like those bands. So when I first heard this, I was amazed at how it combined my love of classic rock like Creedence, the experimental tendencies and vocals of The Beatles, and the new-indie (ness?) sound of amazingly awesome bands like Ad Astra Per Aspera and Man Man into one cohesive, upbeat, fun, summer-ish pop album. I mean, before the first song ended, I knew I was hooked, and thus listened to it several more times in a row, and will probably still be listening to it when this gets posted.
Editor's Note: Seriously, that's all I'll think of. Maybe some Yngwie Malmsteen/Freddie Krueger hybrid also.
Jordan Often Takes Time To Reappraise His General Knowledge Of The World, But Always Comes To The Conclusion That "I Am The Rocking. Nuff Said"
Illinois (http://www.illinoistheband.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/illinois.jpg:
What The Hell Do I Know?
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/illinois)
Illinois is a 4-piece from Pennsylvania. They're not emo, they're not any kind of core. They have a great southern (not folk) indie sensibility and they're a lot of fun. If you like Eels, you should listen. I dig 'em a lot - and that should be the only reason you need for going and checking these dudes out. Nuff said.
Editor's Note: I like Eels. A lot. Did you know that: I never know what my Listening Station is going to be until I come to it?
Tom Butcher Comes Through In A Pinch, But Uses A Cleaver To Do So
Signal Hill (http://www.signalhillmusic.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/signalhill.jpg:
The E.P.
Listen (http://www.signalhillmusic.com)
I was told that if I didn't buy this CD I would surely die of many assorted poxes. So, naturally, I bought it, and I couldn't be happier. Not only am I still alive, but I also get to experience some damn fine instrumental music. This is the debut EP from these California boys, and they'll definitely be going places, let me tell you. Well, they'll be going to as many places as the post-rock genre can take them, which of course does not include the bank, but this is still a grand CD and you should give them all your money right now. Go!
Editor's Note: This write-up is incredible. I highly enjoyed it. Much better than my activities of last night, which were pretty much limited to wretching my guts out over my toilet bowl and throwing away a t-shirt full of lung butter. I still went to work today, though, and was called a warrior by a colleague when he heard of my previous night's endeavor. Ben Rice: Insurance Adjuster/Music Journalist/Warrior. I should really rework my resume.
MJ Is No Slave To Audio Abortions Brought To You By The MPAA
Marcato (http://www.marcato-online.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/marcato.jpg:
The Color Of A Fading Masterpiece
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/marcato)
Looking for a fresh outlook on the stale genre known as metal? One couldn’t do much better than to check out Marcato’s The Color of a Fading Masterpiece. For once, an album of this caliber actually lives up to the press kit’s boasting. Fueled off the same political fire that once burned in Rage Against the Machine, Marcato is frequently abrasive but still dons a sense of melody that will keep them accessible to all crowds. More important than any of this, the band's music actually does deliver some interesting new ideas and concepts for a style of rock that’s steadily floundering.
Editor's Note: Man, you have no idea how big the text on this entry was. Holy goodness. And it's red. Reign in blood, motherfuckers!
Ben's Got The Good Stuff, None Of That Pussy Skoal
Norah Jones (http://www.norahjones.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/norahjones.jpg:
Not Too Late
Listen (http://www.norahjones.com)
I listened to this album way more than any other album this week. Mainly, it's because I bought it for my girlfriend, then we took a road trip, wherein we listened to it at least three times. It's a much more eclectic affair than the other album I've heard by her (Come Away with Me), but that also means it's got a track or two that beg for skipping (in particular, "Until the End"). But it also has one song that absolutely demands repeated listenings in "Sinkin' Soon." I really like the disc, so much so that it might get featured on this site in more than just this week's Listening Station. Maybe.
Editor's Note: I'm not really at all sold on this woman being a lead actress in a film, by the way.
Rick Is Glad He Doesn't Have An Eighteen-Hour Scar Trip Ahead Of Him, Especially In Some Run-Down POS
Pain Of Salvation (http://www.painofsalvation.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/painofsalvation.jpg:
Scarsick
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/painofsalvationmusic)
I’m going to own up to my complete noobitude in relation to this band. They’ve been around FOREVER, but I’ve only heard about them recently with the release of their latest effort, Scarsick. In reading about them, bands such as Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree, and Dream Theater were often mentioned. That is a pretty good pedigree to be mentioned amongst and it is also an accurate way of describing the band. There are definitely some progressive metal passages, but a fair portion of the album is made up of psychedelic progressive rock. The unique mix is something not often found in the progressive realm today. There is a distinct Riverside feel to some of the tracks, which is definitely a plus, but they manage to add their own unique imprint to the aforementioned bands’ sounds.
Editor's Note:Rick has included a note which urges me to check this band out, pretty pretty please. So I will extend that urging on to any fellow prog people in this here Editor's Note because I'm not warmed up yet.
Barry's A Good Christian Boy, So He's Forever Doomed To Become A Treacherous Villain
Hell Is For Heroes (http://www.hellisforheroes.net)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/hellisforheroes.jpg:
The Neon Handshake
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/hellisforheroes)
A few years ago, when everybody was going apeshit over Funeral For A Friend, there was another English rock band making their own set of waves. Unfortunately, Hell is for Heroes never got the same treatment in the United States that Funeral For A Friend did, but after this record came out they were a pretty big deal in Europe. Seeing this band at a festival in Belgium sealed the deal for me and ever since that day, their debut full-length, The Neon Handshake, has had an important place in my CD collection. This band has created a pretty unique style of melodic rock without relying heavily on cheesy metal riffs and inane, over-the-top screaming. I suggest you see for yourself and check out the track "Three of Clubs." It has a pretty epic ending and enough melody to satisfy all you pop junkies. The best part is that, despite the fact this record has a ton of melody, it still won't rot your teeth.
Editor's Note: I'm still pissed a PR group kept emailing me about this one particular album, begging for a review, pushing it like it's a world-changing album when it's absolutely trite, boring, uninventive blather. Anyway, I just got done reviewing it, so be on the lookout for a shitty album with an insanely low rating and a review with a ton of substance in just a few short paragraphs about why an album with an awesome name is not worth the plastic it's printed on or the free downloads you can get of every single song. Also, be sure to check other Editor's Notes throughout the article for more references to this, as it is consuming my brain.
Scott Likes Australian-Rules Rugby, Silverchair, Kangaroos, Didjeridoos, And Abos, But He Hates That Pelican Album
John Butler Trio (http://www.johnbutlertrio.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/jbt.jpg:
Grand National
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/johnbutlertrio)
This band is awesome. When their new album, Grand National, was made...uh, "available"…via the Internet, I became very excited. Not that I support any of that piracy business. Oh, whoops, "piracy business," what a silly oxymoron. Unless your name is Sir Walter Raleigh! Queen Elizabeth just got BURRRNED! What was I writing about?
Editor's Note: What Scott meant to say is that John Butler Trio is one of the best, most-well-rounded musical groups of this young century. An American travels to the Outback to discover music and, in the process, becomes one of the most prolific songwriters and hard-working self-promoters in the business, yet never truly gets the credit he's due? Plus he finally gives me a reason to use one of my favorite long-winded jokes of all time in a review? And no one seems to care but him? Only in America. Because, you see, he's huge in Australia, which, for those who didn't know, is the place I was talking about when I said the Outback. He may not come from a land down under, but he lives where women roll and men thunder.
Alex Doesn't Know I Much Prefer The Mortal Kombat Series
HADOUKEN! (http://www.hadouken.co.uk)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/hadouken.jpg:
"That Boy That Girl" Single
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/hadoukenuk)
I often dream up crazed amalgamations of genres, thinking "yes, one day I will bring baroque-reggae-core to the mainstream." And, as I am not the most musically gifted person ever, my daydreams come to fruition before I have the chance to do it myself. Which is precisely why I had to double check the "members" section of HADOUKEN!'s MySpace, just to check I hadn't formed them whilst sleepwalking. Surely, nobody else could have thought grime, electroclash, nu-rave and indie would make a good sound other than me? Nope, HADOUKEN! got there first. And damn it, they're marvelous. This first single is a very British commentary on the ills of the indie scene, with grimey delivery and all the neon Day-Glo synth fuzzery you can shake a Glo-Stick at. Hell, even their name is awesome. If you've ever dated an "Indie Cindy: lego haircut, polkadot dress," you'll appreciate this.
Editor's Note: This name is too awesome not to listen to the band. And, naturally, I don't truly prefer Mortal Kombat to Street Fighter. That's crazy talk. I mean, did Mortal Kombat's movie dare cast Jean Claude Van Damme as the ultimate All-American? I think not. Plus, Mortal Kombat wasn't the last movie that Gomez Addams ever filmed. Seriously, aside from Fatalities, what did that franchise really bring to the table?
Allen Can Try To Name Drop All He Wants, But I'll Only See This Band As Some Early Marilyn Mason Wannabe Band Mixed With That Damned Scary Kids Scaring Kids Group
Bryan Scary And The Shredding Tears (http://www.bryanscary.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/klaxons.jpg:
The Shredding Tears
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/bryanscary)
Okay, so in truth I only discovered this today when I was searching for stuff to submit as my Listening Station. Originally I was planning on Ghost Buffalo, but decided against it in favor of this great album. I grew up on the Beatles...well, not actually, because I'm not that old, but my parents pretty much only played them, Creedence, and the Beach Boys 24/7, and, like everyone else in the world, I still like those bands. So when I first heard this, I was amazed at how it combined my love of classic rock like Creedence, the experimental tendencies and vocals of The Beatles, and the new-indie (ness?) sound of amazingly awesome bands like Ad Astra Per Aspera and Man Man into one cohesive, upbeat, fun, summer-ish pop album. I mean, before the first song ended, I knew I was hooked, and thus listened to it several more times in a row, and will probably still be listening to it when this gets posted.
Editor's Note: Seriously, that's all I'll think of. Maybe some Yngwie Malmsteen/Freddie Krueger hybrid also.
Jordan Often Takes Time To Reappraise His General Knowledge Of The World, But Always Comes To The Conclusion That "I Am The Rocking. Nuff Said"
Illinois (http://www.illinoistheband.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/illinois.jpg:
What The Hell Do I Know?
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/illinois)
Illinois is a 4-piece from Pennsylvania. They're not emo, they're not any kind of core. They have a great southern (not folk) indie sensibility and they're a lot of fun. If you like Eels, you should listen. I dig 'em a lot - and that should be the only reason you need for going and checking these dudes out. Nuff said.
Editor's Note: I like Eels. A lot. Did you know that: I never know what my Listening Station is going to be until I come to it?
Tom Butcher Comes Through In A Pinch, But Uses A Cleaver To Do So
Signal Hill (http://www.signalhillmusic.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/signalhill.jpg:
The E.P.
Listen (http://www.signalhillmusic.com)
I was told that if I didn't buy this CD I would surely die of many assorted poxes. So, naturally, I bought it, and I couldn't be happier. Not only am I still alive, but I also get to experience some damn fine instrumental music. This is the debut EP from these California boys, and they'll definitely be going places, let me tell you. Well, they'll be going to as many places as the post-rock genre can take them, which of course does not include the bank, but this is still a grand CD and you should give them all your money right now. Go!
Editor's Note: This write-up is incredible. I highly enjoyed it. Much better than my activities of last night, which were pretty much limited to wretching my guts out over my toilet bowl and throwing away a t-shirt full of lung butter. I still went to work today, though, and was called a warrior by a colleague when he heard of my previous night's endeavor. Ben Rice: Insurance Adjuster/Music Journalist/Warrior. I should really rework my resume.
MJ Is No Slave To Audio Abortions Brought To You By The MPAA
Marcato (http://www.marcato-online.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/marcato.jpg:
The Color Of A Fading Masterpiece
Listen (http://www.myspace.com/marcato)
Looking for a fresh outlook on the stale genre known as metal? One couldn’t do much better than to check out Marcato’s The Color of a Fading Masterpiece. For once, an album of this caliber actually lives up to the press kit’s boasting. Fueled off the same political fire that once burned in Rage Against the Machine, Marcato is frequently abrasive but still dons a sense of melody that will keep them accessible to all crowds. More important than any of this, the band's music actually does deliver some interesting new ideas and concepts for a style of rock that’s steadily floundering.
Editor's Note: Man, you have no idea how big the text on this entry was. Holy goodness. And it's red. Reign in blood, motherfuckers!
Ben's Got The Good Stuff, None Of That Pussy Skoal
Norah Jones (http://www.norahjones.com)
http://www.decoymusic.com/images/ListeningStation/norahjones.jpg:
Not Too Late
Listen (http://www.norahjones.com)
I listened to this album way more than any other album this week. Mainly, it's because I bought it for my girlfriend, then we took a road trip, wherein we listened to it at least three times. It's a much more eclectic affair than the other album I've heard by her (Come Away with Me), but that also means it's got a track or two that beg for skipping (in particular, "Until the End"). But it also has one song that absolutely demands repeated listenings in "Sinkin' Soon." I really like the disc, so much so that it might get featured on this site in more than just this week's Listening Station. Maybe.
Editor's Note: I'm not really at all sold on this woman being a lead actress in a film, by the way.