What Are You Listening To?

[JonG]

Joanna Newsom - No Provenance from Have One On Me [Drag City, 2010]

The new album out this month. It's a triple. Her first since Ys came out in 2006.

[Music Head]

from my library (vinyl)



Debut album and the brothers are still at it. Ron and Russell Mael are Sparks. No doubt about it. With Russells falsetto vocals and Rons statuesque playing and that downright scary stare they have always fascianted me. Though a group is on the cover here, it was still all about them. Their style has been all over the map through their career and it's hard to peg them. This album and the group were originally known as Halfnelson. Not sure why the name change. Discovered by Todd Rundgren who signed them to his Bearsville label and produced this album. It failed to hit the charts in the states, but the single of Wonder Girl was a minor hit. Overall the brothers have experienced more success in the U.K. than here, and they have recognized that by spending a lot of time there, even though L.A. is home. This is not one of their greatest albums, but it still holds up. Not much available for clips, with only a sample on my fav and a bad live clip for Slowboat.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Fa La Fa Lee

Best Track - Simple Ballet

In the city, in the country, in the towns throughout the world
All will join in, in the big scene,
So won't you please take off your shoes?

It's a ballet, simple ballet, so let's dance on
Pick a partner, take a tall one, take a small
one, take a fat one and let's dance on

Crews will film it, add the music
while the world has its feet engaged
Some critics love it, yet some pan it,
some say "it's likely to cause a rage"

There'll be long shots, there'll be close shots, there'll be mid-shots
Simple ballet was an idea, then a novel,
next a movie, soon on T.V.

It's promotion of a new way of thinking
Instead of "Hey, orange drink," vendors
will say, "get your souvenir posters of the ballet."

Do a plie' for the D.A. when he comes round
Your alleged conduct with the director has
raised some questions that he wants
answered (Good for the ratings)

It's a ballet, we thought a ballet and we danced on
We had no idea you'd hang out your coat on an
issue thin as tissue so we danced our ballet

And we danced our ballet
And we danced our ballet

1) Wonder Girl - ** - live
YouTube - Sparks - Wonder Girl and Do Re Mi
2) Fa La Fa Lee - *
3) Roger - *
4) High C - **
5) Fletcher Honorama - **
6) Simple Ballet - *** - audio
Sparks ? Simple Ballet ? Video & free listening at Last.fm
7) Slowboat - ** - live
YouTube - SPARKS Halfnelson / Sparks Slowboat
8) Biology 2 - *
9) Saccharine And The War - **
10) Big Bands - **
11) (No More) Mr. Nice Guys - **

3's - 1
2's - 7
1's - 3

Rating - 1.8

[Tiggi]

^ I like Sparks a lot.

I noticed you bought their Hello Young Lovers album the other day. That one blew my socks off when I first heard it.

[Music Head]

^ I like Sparks a lot.

I noticed you bought their Hello Young Lovers album the other day. That one blew my socks off when I first heard it.

Yea it's on my heavy rotation this week. Going to sleep to it after I stop laughing. Will be posting it in the next few days.

I've been a big fan since Kimono My House. Loved This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both of Us and Amateur Hour.

[abrocks22]

The Rocket Summer! The new CD is great! I just got it off of iTunes and I've been listening to it non-stop!
Of Men and Angels by The Rocket Summer - Download Of Men and Angels on iTunes

[Music Head]

listened online



British band formed in 2004 with their second album. Not much to say about them at this early stage. Some of their music has been used in U.S. tv shows Life and One Tree Hill, and they have appeared on Carson Daly's late night show. Started by Sarah Daly (vocals) and Matthew Mole and joined later by Amina Bates and Tom Hutt to complete the lineup for the first album in 2006. Amazing how these new bands can go so long between albums and expect to develop a following. The Yeah Yeah yeah's come to mind. A dark somber feel here on the first sinlge of Salvation which pretty much describes the music overall.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Sick Love

Best Track - Strangelovehate

1) Jesus Saves - 1.5
2) We Never Close Our Eyes - 1.5
3) Salvation - 2.0 - video
YouTube - Scanners - Salvation
4) Baby Blue - 1.5 - audio
YouTube - Scanners - Baby blue
5) Sick Love - 1.0 - audio
YouTube - Scanners - Sick Love
6) A Girl Like You - 1.5 - audio
YouTube - Scanners - A Girl Like You
7) Strangelovehate - 2.5 - audio
YouTube - Scanners-Strangelovehate
8) Goodbye - 2.0
9) Half A Mind (Dreamer Forever) - 2.0
10) Sleepwalking Life - 2.0
11) Halfway Home - 2.5

Average Rating - 1.8

[Music Head]

^^

thanks for the links and the album cover pic Murray.

Giving them a listen right now.

^
^
^
^
^
.....and I liked them all except #3

[Tiggi]

Black Flag - Damaged



First album with Henry Rollins on vocal duties, from '81.

Amongst the cream of US Punk releases IMO.

Don't listen to a lot of this sort of stuff, but this is a preparatory listen for comparison with Dirty Projectors' "reimagining" of this classic album.

I find Rollins a fascinating character...

[Music Head]

from my library (digital)



Whoulda thunk it? Album #20 and these guys are still hangin' tough. Having never achieved any major success, most would have hung it up long ago. Not the Mael brothers. Still as witty as ever. For a newcomer to put this album on, the first reaction would be, wtf? But hang on for a trip. The song titles alone are enough to make you want to hear what that could possibly sound like. Even the ones I don't like are so damn catchy. I don't mean catchy is the hook sense, but in the lyrics. Been walking around singing Baby, Baby, Can I Invade Your Country, for days now. And it's so friggin stupid. Such simple songs and yet such complex arrangements. Check out the live performance of Dick Around to see what I mean. Worth the price of admission. All these live clips are just fantastic. The album reached #66 in the U.K. and failed to chart in the states. A single of Perfume did not do too well, and the follow up of Dick Around was banned by the BBC on release. The ban was later lifted, but the momentum had by then subsided.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM

Worst Track - Here Kitty

Best Track - Metaphor

A metaphor is a glorious thing,
A diamond ring,
The first day of summer
A metaphor is a breath of fresh air,
A turn-on,
An aphrodisiac

Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors

Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of loneliness

A metaphor is a popular place,
A pocket space,
A multiplex showing,
A remake whose action is louder than words,
She whispers "can we be going, going?"

Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors

Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of loneliness

Whose up for a metaphor?
(We're up for a metaphor)
Are you chicks up for a metaphor?
(Yes, we're up for a metaphor)

Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mix them
(We, we, we won't mix them)
Don't, don't, don't, don't, don't mix them
(We wouldn't dream of mixing them)

Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of loneliness

A metaphor is a glorious thing,
A diamond ring,
The first day of summer
A metaphor is a fresh air,
A turn-on,
An aphrodisiac

Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors

A metaphor is a glorious thing,
A diamond ring,
The first day of summer
A metaphor is a breath fresh air,
A turn-on,
An aphrodisiac

Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors

Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of loneliness

A metaphor is a glorious thing,
(Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig)
A metaphor is a breath of fresh air,
(Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig)
A metaphor is a glorious thing,
(Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig)
A metaphor is a breath of fresh air,
(Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig)

Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors,
Chicks dig, dig, d-i-g, dig, dig metaphors

Use them wisely,
Use them well,
And you'll never know the hell of loneliness


1) Dick Around - ** - live
YouTube - RELAX Live! presents: SPARKS Dick around
2) Perfume - ** - live
YouTube - RELAX Live! presents: SPARKS Perfume
3) The Very Next Fight - *** - live
YouTube - RELAX Live! presents: SPARKS Very next fight
4) (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country - *
5) Rock, Rock, Rock - ** - live
YouTube - RELAX Live! presents: SPARKS Rock Rock Rock
6) Metaphor - *** - live
YouTube - Sparks - Metaphor (live)
7) Waterproof - *** - audio
YouTube - Waterproof (SPARKS)
8) Here Kitty - * - audio
YouTube - Here Kitty Sparks with Bloebloe and Gligli
9) There's No Such Thing As Aliens - * - audio
YouTube - There's no such thing as aliens
10) As I Sit To Play The Organ At The Notre Dame Cathedral - * - audio
YouTube - Sparks - As i sit down to play the organ at the Notre Dame cathedral

3's - 3
2's - 3
1's - 4

Rating - 1.9

[dgas1992]

Patrick wolf's Lycanthropy album