Dinosaur Jr's new album called "Farm" is scheduled to come out at the end of the month. I already have my autographed copy pre-ordered, and I suggest everyone pick it up. In lue of Dinosaur's new offering, I bring you the first single entitled "Over It" and the video to go along with it. Dinosaur's video have always been funny, and this one may be my favorite yet. It's clear in the video that the bands passion for skateboarding still lives on, and J Mascis can really shred!
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Sweet Emotion
I live in "The Aerosmith Building". Aerosmith lived in my building for the first few years they lived in Boston, and wrote many of their first songs here. I had always known this since I moved in, but it wasn't until recently that I saw the "Sweet Emotion" video and flipped. The video was shot in the basement of my building, where I take out the trash actually. The basement looks different than it did during the filming in 1991, however it's still really cool, being an Aerosmith fan, to live here. This may not be the typical MZ post, but I thought I would share this. Look for the exterior shot of the building and stoop, which drifts into the band playing downstairs in the basement.
Monday, June 8, 2009
The Most Important Music Video Since The Introduction of MTV
I just randomly had a flashback of this and I had to find it on YouTube.
I miss the 90's, remember the Toadies? I just got Rubberneck again it's just as good as it was ten years ago, go get it...
I miss the 90's, remember the Toadies? I just got Rubberneck again it's just as good as it was ten years ago, go get it...
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
A Band We Can All Agree On...
I've been called a lot of things in my day...but one of the funniest is definitely "music nazi". Is it really my problem that I get up in people's faces when I catch them listening to the radio or to the same "party mix" from 4 years ago? That old classic "Party Like a Rockstar" or "I'm In Love With A Stripper" should have been put to bed a long time ago - a bed of fucking nails. I know that the real music-heads, even the ones that love mainstream club tracks, moved on when the time was right, but it seems like too many people only eat what they're fed; whatever MTV and the radio force down their welcoming gully holes. Me, on the other hand, I find that the meat tastes much better when I hunt it down and kill it with my own bare hands, which, of course, is a metaphor for google searching and downloading music torrents.
The point of all this ranting is that there is one band that me and almost all my friends can agree on. That's because this band satisfies all the needs of every middle-class, suburbanite stoner. They were there with us back in the day when bands like Deftones and Soulfly were the heaviest shit we could ever imagine, and this band was heavy back then too. But, when we all grew up and our musical tastes changed - some got heavier, some got lighter, some got weird - Dredg remained right there by our sides. As we all grew out of our Limp Bizkit phases and maybe stopped wearing those E-Town Concrete T-shirts, Dredg was right there to say: "Yea, we're bored with that shit too."
What's great about Dredg is that they're all skill and no gimmick: just a bunch of normal guys who have committed themselves to making the kind of music they like. Which is a culmination of the entire alternative rock evolution that I have witnessed along with them. They incorporate that great tremolo guitar sound heard from instrumental (post-)rock gods like Explosions In The Sky, Mono, and, of course, the local champs: IREPRESS. I think it was either Explo or Irepress that I heard it from first, but no matter how much new bands are over using it, I still fall for it every time. They traded their screaming/singing vocal style for straight singing around the same time their fans were reconsidering their stance on that very issue. Musically, I feel like I grew up with Dredg; they were right by my side during that awkward time in every boy's life when he realizes he'll never make new friends driving around bumping rap-rock.
They started out as some kind of heavier, yet more mature incarnation of Incubus(S.C.I.E.N.C.E.-era) way back in the day with their Orph EP, which my friends and I have only recently stumbled upon. I advise any other Dredg fans to look into it as well.
Then they got a little more experience and dropped Lietmotif, which was still heavy but it had obviously been given a lot of thought. This was about the time I think they committed to making nothing but epic albums, meant to be listened to front to back with lyrics that are deep yet accessible for anyone. They certainly aren't trying to impress anybody with intellectualism, they are some of the most modest musicians I've ever seen.
El Cielo is where they found their balance; that is a well thought out juxtaposition of heavy and melodic sections all buffed to a glossy shine by the singer's epic vocal style. But I must admit the sudden drop in heaviness scared me a little.
Catch Without Arms impressed all the Dredg fans I knew when it came out, and it proved that they were going to stay with the formula they found in El Cielo. I was worried about the old boys; bands usually seem to get more and more mellow and then next thing you know you're dad wants a copy of the CD and they're getting air time on the easy listening channels. Nope, not Dredg; still too rugged for old people and still keeping it real.
Now they're dropping a new album on June 9th and I know everybody around here is excited about it. If you've been to some of the recent shows in Boston, then you saw some of their new songs and it looks like its going to be a great album. One thing did worry me though, at the Middle East, I noticed most of the kids at their show didn't know who they were. Instead they were there to see this band Torche, who I didn't know; but when I heard them I was pleasantly surprised, and I've since procured two of their albums. I want to make sure people who don't know about Dredg find out quick; they could very well satisfy a really large void in the music world. They can appease almost any musical taste; I hate to say it but they're almost mainstream status. Who cares though. They're about as far as a band can get from selling out, I'm confident that every song they put out is because they genuinely like it, not because it will sell. Seeing Dredg get the recognition they truly deserve is like watching the big brother I never had graduate from college, I'm happy for them and I hope they'll let me come party with them in the big leagues. So go out and buy the new record when it comes out...for now here's some live footage of my favorite new song: "Irelund".
Sidenote: Going through YouTube to find all those videos of bands has made me really miss the mid 90's and that whole phase of music. And goddammit I still love the Deftones.
The point of all this ranting is that there is one band that me and almost all my friends can agree on. That's because this band satisfies all the needs of every middle-class, suburbanite stoner. They were there with us back in the day when bands like Deftones and Soulfly were the heaviest shit we could ever imagine, and this band was heavy back then too. But, when we all grew up and our musical tastes changed - some got heavier, some got lighter, some got weird - Dredg remained right there by our sides. As we all grew out of our Limp Bizkit phases and maybe stopped wearing those E-Town Concrete T-shirts, Dredg was right there to say: "Yea, we're bored with that shit too."
What's great about Dredg is that they're all skill and no gimmick: just a bunch of normal guys who have committed themselves to making the kind of music they like. Which is a culmination of the entire alternative rock evolution that I have witnessed along with them. They incorporate that great tremolo guitar sound heard from instrumental (post-)rock gods like Explosions In The Sky, Mono, and, of course, the local champs: IREPRESS. I think it was either Explo or Irepress that I heard it from first, but no matter how much new bands are over using it, I still fall for it every time. They traded their screaming/singing vocal style for straight singing around the same time their fans were reconsidering their stance on that very issue. Musically, I feel like I grew up with Dredg; they were right by my side during that awkward time in every boy's life when he realizes he'll never make new friends driving around bumping rap-rock.
They started out as some kind of heavier, yet more mature incarnation of Incubus(S.C.I.E.N.C.E.-era) way back in the day with their Orph EP, which my friends and I have only recently stumbled upon. I advise any other Dredg fans to look into it as well.
Then they got a little more experience and dropped Lietmotif, which was still heavy but it had obviously been given a lot of thought. This was about the time I think they committed to making nothing but epic albums, meant to be listened to front to back with lyrics that are deep yet accessible for anyone. They certainly aren't trying to impress anybody with intellectualism, they are some of the most modest musicians I've ever seen.
El Cielo is where they found their balance; that is a well thought out juxtaposition of heavy and melodic sections all buffed to a glossy shine by the singer's epic vocal style. But I must admit the sudden drop in heaviness scared me a little.
Catch Without Arms impressed all the Dredg fans I knew when it came out, and it proved that they were going to stay with the formula they found in El Cielo. I was worried about the old boys; bands usually seem to get more and more mellow and then next thing you know you're dad wants a copy of the CD and they're getting air time on the easy listening channels. Nope, not Dredg; still too rugged for old people and still keeping it real.
Now they're dropping a new album on June 9th and I know everybody around here is excited about it. If you've been to some of the recent shows in Boston, then you saw some of their new songs and it looks like its going to be a great album. One thing did worry me though, at the Middle East, I noticed most of the kids at their show didn't know who they were. Instead they were there to see this band Torche, who I didn't know; but when I heard them I was pleasantly surprised, and I've since procured two of their albums. I want to make sure people who don't know about Dredg find out quick; they could very well satisfy a really large void in the music world. They can appease almost any musical taste; I hate to say it but they're almost mainstream status. Who cares though. They're about as far as a band can get from selling out, I'm confident that every song they put out is because they genuinely like it, not because it will sell. Seeing Dredg get the recognition they truly deserve is like watching the big brother I never had graduate from college, I'm happy for them and I hope they'll let me come party with them in the big leagues. So go out and buy the new record when it comes out...for now here's some live footage of my favorite new song: "Irelund".
Sidenote: Going through YouTube to find all those videos of bands has made me really miss the mid 90's and that whole phase of music. And goddammit I still love the Deftones.
Hated: GG Allin & The Murder Junkies
"GG Allin is an entertainer with a message to a sick society. He makes us look at it for what we really are. The human is just another animal who is able to speak out freely, to express himself clearly. Make no mistake about it, behind what he does is a brain"
- John Wayne Gacy
Death Row
Maynard,IL
GG Allin, to put it lightly, was a sick fuck. He was about as close as a human being could get to Satan himself, and this is clear when John Wayne Gacy was defending him from his cell on death row. He was famous for beating up his fans and band members, taking shits and throwing it at the audience, rolling in broken glass, sticking things up his ass, and thrusting microphones into his clenched mouth and breaking his own teeth, all during performances.
On Demand has the film "Hated: GG Allin and the Murder Junkies" under the music section. The film is a sick look into GG's life of crime and controversy. It is not for the faint of heart, and has a little too much shit and blood to watch at one sitting. Here is the first 10 minutes of the film, hopefully enough to hook you in.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Grounding Oneself
Its tough being a guy who doesn't appreciate sports in a country where it would be reasonable to assume it comes with the penis. I guess I could dedicate a few hours of my life to studying relevant stats just so I could talk it up with the bros instead of doodling in the corner or writing "important notes" on my own stomach, but I decided a long time ago that trying that hard just to fit in is not my style.
This has become the way I feel about indie/old music and bands. Don't get me wrong, I definitely went through that phase where you start going back to musical eras before you were born just so you can be pretentious and hip, claiming that you don't get how people could not have known about the Pixies or At The Drive-In. Eventually you realize that you have a whole iTunes playlist only there to show other "more-indie-than-thou", Iron-Maiden-Vans-wearing D-Bags. All that effort just so that you can claim you were totally into the Misfits back in the day, when in actuality you're parents were only beginning to consider fucking for procreation. Doesn't seem worth it...That is when you trim it down to only the stuff you genuinely enjoy listening to and you start looking for contemporary shit that gets your musical rocks off.
We independent music fans can get a little uppity sometimes and we just need to be reminded of our humble, unassuming roots; to be grounded. For instance, I used to tell my friends that they were all pussies because they couldn't handle my Jager pounding/Pig Destroyer listening/drunk driving sessions, but now I understand they were scared for their lives/totally confused that someone would choose brutal death metal over Lil' Wayne, a vocoder, and an unused guitar. See! I can't even avoid telling someone else their music choices are stupid for more than 30 seconds.
The point is: be indie, be underground, even be hip if you want; but don't tell anyone else that they have a problem because they don't share your passion for being the first to know. Besides, if everyone started doing it, then what would be left for you? You would just be listening to pop, while underground blogs discussed how unfair it is that nobody "gets" Lady Gaga. We all need to be grounded and here is a great way to remind us that we are all the same:
Not too long ago we were all just little BMX/Skateboarding punks who loitered outside of sub shops and convenience stores. During that time we never could have foreseen comedy getting any better than this:
This has become the way I feel about indie/old music and bands. Don't get me wrong, I definitely went through that phase where you start going back to musical eras before you were born just so you can be pretentious and hip, claiming that you don't get how people could not have known about the Pixies or At The Drive-In. Eventually you realize that you have a whole iTunes playlist only there to show other "more-indie-than-thou", Iron-Maiden-Vans-wearing D-Bags. All that effort just so that you can claim you were totally into the Misfits back in the day, when in actuality you're parents were only beginning to consider fucking for procreation. Doesn't seem worth it...That is when you trim it down to only the stuff you genuinely enjoy listening to and you start looking for contemporary shit that gets your musical rocks off.
We independent music fans can get a little uppity sometimes and we just need to be reminded of our humble, unassuming roots; to be grounded. For instance, I used to tell my friends that they were all pussies because they couldn't handle my Jager pounding/Pig Destroyer listening/drunk driving sessions, but now I understand they were scared for their lives/totally confused that someone would choose brutal death metal over Lil' Wayne, a vocoder, and an unused guitar. See! I can't even avoid telling someone else their music choices are stupid for more than 30 seconds.
The point is: be indie, be underground, even be hip if you want; but don't tell anyone else that they have a problem because they don't share your passion for being the first to know. Besides, if everyone started doing it, then what would be left for you? You would just be listening to pop, while underground blogs discussed how unfair it is that nobody "gets" Lady Gaga. We all need to be grounded and here is a great way to remind us that we are all the same:
Not too long ago we were all just little BMX/Skateboarding punks who loitered outside of sub shops and convenience stores. During that time we never could have foreseen comedy getting any better than this:
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sonic Youth- The Eternal
If something is great enough, it needs no introduction. That's how I feel about Sonic Youth. What I have for you today is a preview of the new Sonic Youth album entitled 'The Eternal'. This is 'Sacred Trickster' and 'Antenna' being performed on Jools Holland. I was happy to hear the complex yet harmonious sounds of the band in these two cuts from the album. Please enjoy a small sample of 'The Eternal', which will be released June 9th.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Bad Rabbits and Slick Rick Playing Showcase Live Tonight
I'm not gonna make it, but everybody should do their best to get to Patriot's Place and support the Bad Rabbits. If you're still in the dark about BR, check out the songs on their myspace. I think they're playing their own set around 10 o'clock, then they're playing back up for Slick Rick. I've never been to Showcase Live but I'm sure it's an ill venue just like all the other new shit at Patriot's Place. If you do make it to the show, I guarantee you won't be disappointed...They're a crowd pleaser.
Cinema-Grind??? Whatever You Call It Graf Orlock Will Fuck Your Shit Right Up
What could be better than a liberal mixing of Grind/Thrash brutality and cliche action movie quotes?
I can't think of anything.
As soon as I heard Patrick Swayze's monologue from "Point Break" opening up a song, I was intrigued. When the music dropped out abruptly and Swayze's voice came back to say: "They only live to get radical", I was fucking hooked. Here's a clip of that song live:
Graf Orlock, taking their name from the film classic: Nosferatu, is exactly the kind of light-hearted, movie-themed grindcore I need in my life right now. They quickly became one of my favorite bands when I discovered them through Pandora.com. With lyrics ripped right from all your favorite movie's like "Con Air", "Demolition Man", and plenty from the "Terminator" franchise, GO will never let you down. Apparently they're a bunch of film school dropouts who started a band as a big "fuck you" to their elitist peers who shunned their love for 90's blockbusters. The audio in that clip is pretty bad so check out their website for more of their music.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Seasick, Yet Still Docked
A tear jerker for all you lonely hearts out there. I think everyone feels this way at one point or another. Morrissey hits the nail on the head with this one. He's my all time favorite artist and although I'm tempted to spam MZ with Moz, I'll just share this one for now. (Watch in HQ)
Street Jizz
If your sexual identity is still so fragile that watching a gay music video might have irreparable consequences, then just stop here. For everyone else, this is probably the funniest thing I've seen in a long, long time. I can't bare to watch the whole thing, but only 30 seconds in you'll understand. I found this while checking out random videos that were related to the Peaches video for "Fuck the Pain Away" another classic. There are no words to explain "Street Jizz", it's one of those things that I can't believe is real, but here it is...
We're Not Scare-Mongering, This is Really Happening
This is a webcast of Radiohead's final song of their final performance on the In Rainbows Tour. The live show on In Rainbows was a study of 2 different visual media, solar-powered LED tubes, and numerous webcams which framed non-typical shots of the band throughout the show. This video encapsulates this visual study to the tune of Idioteque. Make sure you watch in HQ. Enjoy.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Aphex Twin Videos
If Aphex Twin videos don't creep the shit out of you then you must be blind and the braille versions don't do them justice. "Come to Daddy" was always one of my favorites, but then the other day I found this brilliant piece of self-indulgent weirdness. The video for "Windowlicker".
Enjoy:
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
MGMT - "The Youth" Music Video
I will admit right away that I am not a huge fan of MGMT, I love some of their songs but most are too lo-fi and weird for me to actually listen to more than once. One day while scouring YouTube for everything that Eric Wareheim ever had a hand in I found this unsettling music video he directed for them. I've watched it over and over again and I still find it strangely hypnotic. His fingerprint is very obvious on the vibe of the video. He is a weird motherfucker...
-J.O.
Here is the video.
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