Music
My friend Emily and I are a band called Kraken Vacuum. We’re a folky, indie-country sorta thing with lots of strummed guitars and a bit of twang. And lots of hand percussion, because why the hell not? Anyway, here’s a drawing of a Kraken and a vacuum, together again for the first time. If you’d like to hear some of our songs (a couple of which are NSFW due to some f-bombs), you can check us out over at .
So I’m putting together an honest-to-God rock and roll band, just because.
I figure, why not? I’ve got some decent songs, I can sing and play rhythm guitar well enough, and I’ve got a songwriting partner who can also do some singin’. We just need the rest of the instruments.
So far, I’ve found a bass player who’d work perfectly, and a lead guitarist who may or may not be a good fit (need to try him out with the songwriting partner in attendance). What we’re having trouble with, though, is finding a drummer. Apparently good roots rock drummers are hard to come by in Northern Virginia. If I were doing metal, I’d be in like Flynn, but alas, I have taste.
So yeah, if anyone knows of a good drummer in the Northern Virginia/Greater DC metro, area, please let me know. It would be nice to have a full rhythm section.
A month or so back, I went to a concert with my friend/songwriting partner, Emily. We were very excited to see the main act, Jesse Malin. The opening act, though? Not so much.
See, apparently he was some guy who’d used to play in a band with Jesse, but hadn’t really moved on to bigger and better things afterward. No, he was still pretty convinced it was 1991, that trying to cram as many curse words into your opening song was “cool” and, possibly, “edgy,” and that wearing a denim jacket with jeans was a fashion statement (which, in his defense, it was. Just not the statement he thought it was).
Regardless, our opinion of this guy and his music was rather low. Terribly low. We had to invent new language to describe how much we disliked this sub-Bon Jovi, sensitive-guy whiner belting out his acoustic power ballads set to G, C, and D. It was painful.
But it was also, in a way, inspirational: Emily and I both walked away after hearing Double-Denim Poser Boy (as we’d dubbed the man in his late 40s who was still trying desperately to pretend he was 25) with a mission: to write a song about the guy. And we each did. Quite fun songs, I should say.
Anyway, long story short (or not so short), here’s my version. Enjoy.
Double Denim Poser Boy (Version 1)
Okay, so I have a bit of a confession to make: I really dig Huey Lewis and the News.
Yeah, I know, they’re about as hip as a shattered pelvis, but I can’t really help myself: I’m a sucker for dad rock.
And really, no one does dad rock better. Hell, Huey Lewis looks like he could be your dad (or someone’s dad, anyway), and he does those embarrassing things to try to sound cool and hip (even playing a song called “Hip to be Square,” which, for those of you born after 1985, is a reference to the fact that “squares” were boring, dorky people, so he’s really saying that it’s cool to be uncool, which I think we can all agree is not the case). But I love the band anyway, possibly specifically because of Lewis’s earnestness and gosh-shucks dad charm. He’s an Everyman, a guy with a bit of gravel in his voice, singing fairly uncomplicated songs about working, trying to have a decent adult relationship, and the daily crap we all have to deal with as we grow up. This is music with a mortgage and car payments, a baby seat in the backseat of the sensible four-door sedan, a receding hair line, and a desire to cut loose on the weekend, maybe drink a beer or two, and have some fun with the guys. It’s music with a beer gut and a 9 to 5 job, but it doesn’t ever try to pretend that it’s younger than it is or cooler than it is. This is comfortable, fun music, and it doesn’t get any better than the Sports album.
Oh, others may espouse the wonders of Fore!, or hold up the band’s 1985 masterpiece “The Power of Love” from the movie Back to the Future, but I know the score: Sports is the perfect distillation of what Huey Lewis and the News were all about. There’s plenty of loud guitars, cheesy keyboards, brassy horns, and doowap-inspired vocal harmonies.
The album opens with “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” a tune that is as much a statement of purpose as anything the band ever recorded. With it’s city-checking lyrics, subtle organ, and heartbeat-simulating kickdrum, it’s just fun. It’s followed by “Heart and Soul,” with its unmistakable riff and simple message of love (or at least lust). Next up is “Bad is Bad,” a song that pummels ’80s slang and points out that, sometimes, “bad” (which again, for those of you born after 1985, meant someone was cool or hip and didn’t care about authority) means “bad” (as in “not good”). It’s clever and funny and features some great backing harmonies. “I Want a New Drug,” of course, is the song Ray Parker, Jr. “borrowed” for the Ghostbusters theme song, but it’s also an extended metaphor about wanting to find a drug that feels as good as being with the one you love.
The back half of the album doesn’t quite live up to the awesomeness of that first side. “Walking on a Thin Line” is good if not exactly remarkable, and “Finally Found a Home” is just downright boring. “If This is It” is one of those sing-along love songs you know even if you don’t really know it. “You Crack Me Up” is uptempo but ultimately forgettable; “Honky Tonk Blues” is a fun cover of the old Hank Williams, Sr., tune (and really, you can’t go wrong with a little Hank Sr.).
And that’s it for the album. It’s short (only 9 songs long), but there’s a lot of power in that short list. Sure, not everything on second side lives up to the sheer awesomeness of the first side, but it’s a tall order to top such great songs. Honestly, if you only listen to one pop-rock record from the mid-80s, make it Sports.
As with every year, I’m about to reset the play count on my iPod. Before I do that, though, let’s see what got the most play this year.
1. The New Pornographers, “The Bleeding Heart Show” – 48
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Cotton Fields” – 43
3. The National, “Ashamed Of The Story I Told” – 38
4. The National, “Bloodbuzz Ohio” – 38
5. Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Midnight Special” – 37
6. The Gaslight Anthem, “Stay Lucky” – 35
7. Jakob Dylan, “Everybody’s Hurting” – 34
8. The New Pornographers, “Sing Me Spanish Techno” – 33
9. Harlem Shakes, “Strictly Game” – 32
10. Josh Ritter, “Wait For Love (You Know You Will)” – 31
11. Dawes, “That Western Skyline” – 30
12. A.C. Newman, “Take On Me” – 28
13. Bruce Springsteen, “Hungry Heart” – 27
14. Jakob Dylan, “Holy Rollers For Love” – 27
15. Cat Stevens, “If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out” – 26
16. Andrew Bird, “Fiery Crash” – 23
17. Jakob Dylan, “Lend A Hand” – 23
18. She & Him, “In The Sun” – 23
19. The Band, “The Weight” – 22
20. Bon Iver, “Flume” – 22
21. Eric Clapton, “I’ve Got A Rock ‘N’ Roll Heart” – 22
22. Great Lake Swimmers, “Everything Is Moving So Fast” – 22
23. Great Lake Swimmers, “Pulling On A Line” – 22
24. The Spencer Davis Group, “Gimme Some Lovin'” – 22
25. Steve Winwood, “Back In The High Life Again” – 21
We’ve come again to the end of the year, which means I – like so many others out there in the blogosphere who thinks their opinions are the only ones worth listening to – have compiled my list of the ten best albums of 2010. Here they go, in some particular order:
10. The Walkmen, Lisbon: Moody, atmospheric…yeah, those’re words that describe a typical Walkmen album. And while Lisbon definitely fits in with the band’s prior output, there’s a new approach here, a cleaner take on the production and some nice sonic touches that stand out. Not their best album ever, maybe, but a damn fine record nonetheless.
9. Spoon, Transference: Another album by another band that seems to be in keeping with what’s come before, but also marks a bit of a departure. Whereas Spoon seemed to strip away more and more elements in their previous records, apparently in an effort to see how minimalist they could really get and still have a rock record, here they start adding stuff back in, throwing in strange keyboard swirls and clipped vocal parts that jump in and out of the mix, often stopping mid-phrase. The obvious standout track, “Written in Reverse,” could’ve fit in comfortably alongside anything from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga or Gimme Fiction, and that’s not a bad thing at all.
8. John Mellencamp, No Better Than This: Mellencamp’s been doing his best Bob Dylan impression lately. No, not singing like Bob, but digging back into the history of American music like Bob, going through the trunk in America’s attic and pulling out all sorts of interesting sounds and trying them on. Here, he decides the old ways are definitely the best ways and records an album the way they used to: no overdubs, all live, one mic, the whole band in the room together. It creates an interesting atmosphere. It helps that he’s written some compelling tunes, too, and it adds up to one of his best albums in years.
7. Jesse Malin and the St. Marks Social, Love it to Life: I really dig Jesee Malin (just saw him live last week, as a matter of fact). I heard him live before I ever heard one of his studio albums, and it really wasn’t fair: live, there’s energy, charisma, and plenty of rough and raw power. In the studio, Malin is meticulous, almost clinical, in his attention to sonic detail. Usually to the point of making his studio work sound like it’s been recorded in a hermetically-sealed bubble. I was always sad that his albums lacked that live energy. This record corrects that problem, bringing the energy and live band feel of the shows to a studio record. They may not be the best songs he’s ever written (most of those are still on The Fine Art of Self-Destruction), but they come the closest to replicating that live feeling.
6. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs: They’ve dropped the definite article from their name, but they’re still the same band that recorded Funeral: that is to say, they’ve still got a lot on their minds, some of it mundane, some of it esoteric, almost all of it compelling. This record comes the closest to reflecting the actual size of the band (there’s, like, seven or eight of them), as the songs feel full and outsized in the best possible way. They’re a band that trades in bombast and anthems, but they do it very well and very convincingly.
5. The New Pornographers, Together: The power-pop supergroup brings their A game here, with everyone contributing songs that are poppy, bouncy, energetic, and, above all, fun. These guys haven’t ever released a bad record (despite what some critics may say about Challengers), but this one easily ranks in the top half of their discography. Good stuff.
4. Jakob Dylan, Women and Country: If this list were based on sheer number of listens, Jakob Dylan would win hands-down. Granted, it had the unfair advantage of being released really early in the year, but even without that advantage, it has some of the best damn music I’ve heard all year. T-Bone Burnett produced the record, and his sonic fingerprints are all over the place: the flourishes of pedal steel that creep in, the soft, muted percussion, the hazy atmosphere that wraps the songs up like a blanket, and the beautiful backing vocals. Add to that the set of fantastic songs Dylan penned for this album, and you’ve got a record that was easily one of my favorites for the decade, not just the year.
3. Old 97’s, The Grand Theatre, Vol. 1: I had a little trepidation when I downloaded this album. I didn’t really care for their last full-length effort, Blame it on the Gravity, and the Rhett Miller karaoke-fest of Mimeograph had me worried. But this record put those fears to rest, as the band cranked out some of the most fun, energetic music of their career. These guys are a little older and a little wiser than the Too Far to Care days, but they’ve found that era’s vitality again. They’re also better musicians, and that shines through on tracks like “Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)” and their (apparently authorized!) revision of “Desolation Row,” “Champagne, Illinois.” This is the best record they’ve made in years, hands down.
2. The National, High Violet: While it may not reach the heights of Alligator or reach the brooding majesty of Boxer, this is a damn fine album. Just because it’s not an automatic masterpiece doesn’t mean it isn’t great. There are plenty of beautiful moments, plenty of wryly clever lines, and lots of swelling anthems that you can’t help but sing along with. There’s not a bad song on the album, and while it is a grower (like most albums by the National), some of the songs do get their hooks in you immediately (“Bloodbuzz, Ohio” comes to mind).
1. The Gaslight Anthem, American Slang: I could listen to the first four songs on this album over and over again every day for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy in doing so. This is the record they’ve been trying to make since they started: anthematic, energetic, and powerful. Yes, they still owe a huge debt to the work of Bruce Springsteen, and they still sound like what would happen if the E Street Band started playing punk, but that’s not a bad thing. It’s the best album they’ve released, and it’s my favorite album of the year.
Honorable Mentions: Josh Ritter’s So Runs the World was nice but fairly forgettable, She & Him’s Volume 2 just didn’t have the same spark as their first album, Bob Dylan’s The Bootleg Series: Volume 9 – The Witmark Demos was interesting but ultimately a little repetitive (I mean, we’ve basically heard all these songs before), and Mavis Staples’s You Are Not Alone was a nice tour of her strengths. I was pretty disappointed in the offerings from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Vampire Weekend didn’t do anything new on their second album that they hadn’t already done on their debut, and the Gorillaz just didn’t grab me (except for “Some King of Nature,” but I love me some Lou Reed).
Sorry about the radio silence. I haven’t been able to pick up new comics from last week yet (stupid paycheck not clearing yet), so to tide you over, here’s a demo of a song I worked up a few weeks ago. Also, if you’re in the market to hear more of my singing, my brother and I have put together a Facebook page for our band, Cross-Eyed Yeti. Go visit, Like it, and check out some of our songs (there are at least three or four of them posted over there now). For now, though, enjoy this little ditty:
Hey, I finally added some extra storage space to the blog, meaning I can now post audio files.
So yeah, have some music.
This first song is one I wrote and recorded myself (with the exception of the guitar solo, which was conceived and played by one of my students at school). I’m pretty damn pleased with how the song turned out; all I really need is some drums (and possibly the ability to play said drums. But that goes without saying, I think, even if I did just say it).
Anyway, enjoy the song, and let me know what you think. I’ll be adding more and probably creating a specific Music Page here pretty soon.
I think of myself as something of a musician. Not a particularly good one, mind, but a musician nonetheless. I’ve been writing songs for the better part of a decade now, and I think I’ve managed to work up at least a handful of good ones in that time. Mostly, I’ve written them with my younger brother, who is definitely a better musician than I (but not a better singer, and that, folks, is just sad) and is usually responsible for the actual music part of our songs.
But lately, I’ve been getting into the instrumentation aspect more. I’ve been collaborating with a friend of mine who can write lyrics but not music, trying to help her come up with arrangements for some stuff she’s written (and, in the process, ended up writing some new stuff of my own that I’ve been tremendously happy with). It’s been a very fruitful partnership: in the three writing sessions we’ve had, we’ve managed to create five songs with lyrics, basic instrumentation, and all that jazz. We’ve sat down and used my (admittedly, fairly basic) recording equipment and actually developed some nice-sounding tracks, and it’s definitely spurred me on to work on some stuff even by myself.
The long and the short of it is, I love playing music. I do it just for myself, really, but I also like the idea of other people hearing it and enjoying it as well. To that end, I’m going to (after I finally get paid) get the added storage thing for the blog and post some of the songs here. So just a head’s up.
Sketches From Memory 