R.E.M. makes an album that isn't terrible

I know this old news to most of you.

Like many music fans of my generation R.E.M. was an integral part of my rock n roll education. They're what my friend liked to call a "gateway band", a popular act that could introduce one to non-mainstream music. Despite this I haven't owned a record of theirs since Bill Berry left the band. I'd heard that their latest release, Accelerate, was a "return to form" but I hadn't actually heard any song from it until I heard Bill Kelly play "Supernatural Superserious" on his show on WFMU. At first I wasn't even sure it was R.E.M. but those Stipe/Mills vocals are pretty unmistakable. Intrigued, I picked up a copy of the album.

"Return to form" albums are a fairly dubious proposition. It seems like a very conservative if not retrogressive notion bucking the rock crit mandate that bands "evolve." However, one could also make the case that sometimes bands will lose focus and follow their ambition to points that are not their greatest strengths. (See Young, Neil; 1980s) They need to bring it back to what they do best and that seems to be the case with Accelerate. Those expecting another Murmur will likely be disappointed. Accelerate more evokes the muscular rock sound of Document or Green, though you couldn't mistake its sonics for anything recorded in the late 80s. At 11 tracks in 36 minutes it's a quick, engaging listen that sounds great when it's on even if it only has 2 or 3 very memorable songs. Not exactly reason to rejoice but hell, that's 1 or 2 more memorable songs than their entire post-Berry output up until this point. ("The Great Beyond," in case you were wondering.)

Folks who hold R.E.M. near and dear may find Accelerate to be the 2008 equivalent of Dinosaur Jr's Beyond. And if it generates interest in R.E.M.'s back catalog or 80s underground rock in general that's fine with me. If the the kids were listening to Hüsker Dü instead of Hot Chip, the world would be a better place.

I bought a bunch of 45s

Now I'm going to tell you what I think of them. Truthfully I bought more than 4 but I'm slightly too distracted to articulate my relationship with all of them. Most of my readers complain anytime I post anything longer than 5 paragraphs anyway.

Meth Teeth Bus Rides 7" EP
If you told me these guys began life as a Beyond the Implode tribute band I might be forced to believe you. Meth Teeth revel in the static like many of today post-Messthetics bands but there's a creepy, almost Barrettesque psych vibe going on here. Brings to mind early SPK covering Skip Spence or perhaps the Strapping Fieldhands doing likewise with the Mudhutters. Very impressive. Apparently only 500 copies pressed so don't sleep on it.

Romance Novels "Another Summer" b/w "Quarter to Four"
Romance Novels, one of the few bands not just influenced by Mike Rep's recording techniques but also his songwriting. An inspired notion and pleasant enough listen but I didn't exactly fall in love with this one. Repeated spins might change my mind though. Neat packaging on the sublimely named Pizza Party Records label.

Jay Reatard "See/Saw" b/w "Screaming Head"
I see Mr Reatard is playing the Pitchfork Music Festival. Man, the PFM staff is sure try to make up for ignoring Blood Visions when it came out in 06, huh? Can't appear to be behind the curve. The kids might turn somewhere else to find the next Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah. What do you mean you forgot all about them? I digress. The first of JR's Matador single series sounds like he's still exploring his sensitive side ala last year's "I Know A Place" 45 though in all honesty neither cut here matches that one. Is that going to deter me from snatching up every other single in this series like their pressings are getting progressively smaller (which they are)? Nah. After consecutive home runs a double down the line only seems poor in comparison. After all, you're still scoring position and most of these other clowns can't even bat their weight.

Prisonshake The Nice Price 7"
This 45 is a teaser for Dirty Moons, Prisonshake's first new album in 15(!) years, and is available from the Scat Records website for only $1.50, hence the title. (There's a pricier limited edition colored-vinyl plus CD-R configuration if you're into that sort of thing.) The main attraction here is "The Cut-Out Bin" from the forthcoming LP. Featuring a Doug Elkner vocal in which he assumes the role of cranky old man telling the kids how it was done back in his day, the song actually sounds something like several old Prisonshake songs stapled together. It begins with a classic PS chug ala "Asiento" then goes into a quiet pre-chorus recalling Elkner sung ballads like "Hurry" before moving to a chorus that reminds one of "Fall Right Down". This is followed by a semi-atonal bridge, a scorching Robert Griffin solo, a rest, an entirely different pre-chorus that brings to mind "Quits," another chorus and that's it. A 3 minute long rock opera? Such ambition wouldn't be shocking from a band who released a box set as their debut album. And you gotta love a song whose chorus implores one to "Save a spot for us/Right behind the Pretty Things" in the bargain bins of the world's remaining record shops. The flip "Fake Your Own Death (Hey Asshole)" sounds like the Alice Cooper band playing "Green Onions" on downers until the last 3rd or so of the song which devolves into some weirdo noise/tape cut-ups. Neither song is "2 Sisters" but that would setting expectations way too high. It's good to have you back, boys.

Dirty Moons will be out on July 29th. You can preview it here.

Last Friday at Southpaw...

...Homestead's roster circa 1987.

To promote the release of their 3CD retrospective Supercluster, Big Dipper reunited for a handful of shows bring with them fellow Wailing Ultimate contributers Great Plains and Antietam.



In front of a crowd featuring many men who wore thick glasses out of necessity rather fashion and many women who bore a resemblance to Joyce Brabner, Great Plains opened the show. I've written about Great Plains' snarky but unpretentious punk rock before and they did not disappoint me. Singer/guitarist Ron House had easy, natural charisma but commanded the stage with the energy of someone half his age. The band was sloppy at times but lack of precision couldn't detract from from the overall experience. Hearing them knock out songs like "Dick Clark" and "Our Love to the Third Power" was a joy to say the least. Mr. House was sitting at the bar for most of the show following his performance and I had to resist the urge to go up to him and yell "You and Mike Watt are my punk rock heroes!"



Antietam's records never really moved me one way or another but seeing them live definitely raised my opinion of the band. That guitarist Tara Key is a skilled player is no secret but this night she played the guitar hero role to the hilt, dropping to her knees a couple of times to deliver some seering solos. The rest of the band bashed away without restraint in a way their studio recordings (at least the one's I've heard) never captured. I read somewhere that Antietam always had trouble holding on to a drummer but whomever was on the skins tonight was more than capable of driving a mighty rock machine.



I have to admit that by the time Big Dipper took the stage I was fairly spent which is pretty pathetic considering I was probably among the youngest members of the crowd. I know I'm feeling my age when I think to myself "Why can't rock shows ever start on time?" They were a lot of fun though, running through most of their "hits" and climaxing with the whole crowd singing along to "Ron Klaus Wrecked His House" before closing their set with "Mr Woods." For an encore they were joined by a couple of the Great Plains to sing "A Song to Be Beautiful." With its (tongue-in-cheek?) chorus of "The artist must be free!!" and singer/guitarist Bill Goffrier goofily holding up signs ala "Subterranean Homesick Blues," it capped off the night with an appropriately gleeful smirk.

Now when is Phantom Tollbooth getting back together?

Make this Band Your Myspace Friend: Thomas Function

I know I haven't updating this blog in a while and certainly not with anything very worthwhile but when something's this good you've just got to let the people know about it. If you're like me and you think Pavement peaked with "Box Elder" or if you've ever wanted to hear what a cross between Great Plains and the Art Attacks might sound like, boy have I got the band for you.

On Tuesday night I had the pleasure of seeing Thomas Function perform at the Annex here in New York in front of a crowd of maybe three dozen or so. Lately I've been verbalizing to anyone who will listen that I think bands should only do 20 minute sets. This probably started shortly after seeing Jay Reatard, who blasted through a set of about a dozen song in about that time. I get bored easily I suppose and usually about halfway though many bands' sets I become restless and wonder if I couldn't be spending my time better elsewhere. But damn me if Thomas Function didn't keep my attention for the duration. So much so, that without hesitation I plunked down $20 for their LP and both 45s they had for sale (All on colored vinyl! Take that, digital age!) despite the fact that I have about $25 in my bank account until my next payday. Hell, if that's not a recommendation, I don't know what is. I've seen the band compared to Television and the Modern Lovers but that's really only telling half the story. They're nowhere near as punctilious as the the former or as coy as the latter. Thomas Function play their off-kilter pop songs with an unabashed enthusiasm that's won that them a following with the usually suspicious of anything cleaner than scuzz garage crowd. I know it's only April but the band's debut album Celebration is going to be hard to beat for record of the year.

Also, a quick word about the headliners Live Fast Die. I caught them for a couple of songs as they went on way after my bedtime but they were thoroughly entertaining as well. And not just for their songs either as they displayed some funnier on stage banter I've heard in a while. I suppose a band with song titles like "Camero Shit the Bed" and lyrics like "I like weapons for killing stuff" should have a good sense of humor. Their debut LP Bandana Trash Record is recommended for fans of Rip Off Records, "Kicked Out of the Webelos"-era Queers or anyone who thinks GG Allin is hilarious.

Make Thomas Function your myspace friend.

Meet New York's Governor

My nerdiness is showing

No, this isn't about the death of Gary Gygax.

Yesterday, director Zach Snyder posted pictures from the now in post-production Watchmen movie:



I'm sure nerds around the world are alternately salivating and griping over the pictures. I really don't mind the modifications to the original costumes. Let's face it, some of them would look pretty silly on screen as compared to the page. If I have any complaint it's that Silk Spectre II looks far too young. Laurie Juspeczyk is what, in her late 30s/early 40s during the events of Watchmen? I suppose the target audience would rather look at someone more nubile in that outfit. And where's Dr. Manhattan? I want to see a blue, bald and naked Billy Crudup.

As much as I love the original graphic novel I little faith this movie is going to be any good. People have been called Watchmen unfilmable for 20 years and nothing in director Snyder's prior oeuvre (300, the Dawn of the Dead remake) that leads me to believe he's found the secret to make it work. But yeah, I'll probably still see it anyway. At the very least I'm sure it will look good.

You can see the rest of the images here. The movie won't be out for another year.

There's also a terrific piece on the work of Watchmen author Alan Moore in the Onion AV Club which I suggest you all check out. I'm going to head to the comic shop in a little while and fill in the gaps in my collection.

I'll probably be getting even nerdier in the near future but there's a good chance in will be on this blog.

Win the top friend slot on my myspace and help WFMU!

Hello friends,

Here is your opportunity to earn a special place in my heart and put it on display for all of the world to see. Plus, you get to help out the great non-profit, listener sponsered radio station WFMU.

I am selling the top friend spot on my myspace on ebay. I know what you're thinking: "Paul, that's not really worth anything is it?" Wrong! If you've ever heard the amount of drama and personal anguish people put into the placement of friends or their placement on a friend's page, you know it's worth quite a bit and you'll get to be my friend for 1 entire year (until the next WFMU marathon).

My page gets plently of traffic. (Over 15,000 views! I think that's almost as many as Tila Tequila!) Perhaps you have some band or comedy troupe or some other commerical venture you'd like to promote. Or perhaps you think our relationship dictates that you should be my top friend regardless. Here's your chance to let the world know that we are BFF. You don't even have to currently be my myspace friend. If you win I'll accept your friendship and put you in the top spot.

Besides you'll be helping WFMU, perhaps the greatest radio station in the world. Even if you don't want to participate in this auction you should show them support by pledging at wfmu.org. The winning bid will be pledged to the Cherry Blossom Clinic with Terre T on Saturday, March 8th. And don't think this is my way of cheaping out either. I'll be pledging myself no matter what. This is just icing on the cake.

Happy bidding and good luck!!

(Sorry, paypal only)

Update: The winning bid? $51.77

I really despise people who use "LOL"

And not just in person but online as well. However, I'm almost tempted to use it for this.

Juno? Whole Foods? Not Having a TV?

This blog could also be titled "Things that annoy me about indie rockers."

Make This Band Your Myspace Friend: Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves

You probably don't know it but British expatriate Sally Crewe is possibly the best pop songwriter in the world. Hyperbole, you say? Perhaps, but give one listen to her 2003 debut Drive It Like You Stole It and tell me that I'm wrong. On that particular album Ms. Crewe was backed by Jim Eno and Britt Daniel of Spoon with Eno producing. The inventive arrangements they usually bring to Spoon's albums fit Ms Crewe's batch of short, infectiously catchy songs perfectly. A top 5 record of the decade thus far, in my opinion. Unfortunately, Eno and Daniel could not commit full time for obvious reasons and Sally got a new crew of Sudden Moves to back her on her 2005 follow-up Shortly After Take Off. While the sound was far more conventional, the songs were equally if not more impressive than those on the debut platter. I've spent many a commute to work listening to this album's "Game Over" on repeat. Sometimes I even have trouble getting past it to listen to the remainder of the album.

Following this album Sally left London to relocate to Austin, TX and picked up yet another group of Sudden Moves. With this group she went into the studio (with Jim Eno producing again) and recorded Your Nearest Exit May Be Behind You, a record that has yet to see proper release because no label seems to have enough good sense to put it out. And yet someone is putting out Dan Deacon's albums. This is truly an unjust world. But I digress... Sally has promised to put (every?) track(s) from the new record on the band's myspace page. First up though will be four songs from Drive It Like You Stole It which are on the site now. This will be followed by 4 songs from Shortly After Take Off and then the new record. So go ahead and add them to get the cliff notes version of their discography. You'll be able to become aquainted with Sally's singular brand of pop/rock magnificence rather quickly which will allow you to lie and say you knew them way back before they were cool.

Make Sally Crewe and the Sudden Moves your myspace friend.

Update: Sally posted this bulletin on myspace yesterday:

I've just upload "Your Nearest Exit May Be Behind You" - track 1 from our upcoming album, uh... "Your Nearest Exit May Be Behind You". I'll be uploading a track every day for 12 days, so go and check this one out now because it'll be gone in 24 hours...

So there is now even more incentive to befriend the band and to do it fast! Since 7 pm yesterday the song has received 13 plays. I'm hoping that the power of this blog will at least double that amount.

I think I'm offically bored of zombies

I saw Diary of the Dead the other night Oh, I'm sorry. I mean I saw George A. Romero's Diary of the Dead. I have to say I was pretty disappointed. I'm a fan of the zombie genre of which Romero is obviously the master. (The original Dawn of the Dead is one of my all time favorite movies. Not one of my favorite zombie movies. One of my favorite movies, period.) His new effort left me pretty unmoved though. I think it comes down to three factors:

1) I think zombies are officially played out. The film's opening scene which featured corpses rising out gurneys to chomp on EMTs failed to inspire any sense of dread. We've seen the zombie outbreak so many times before that it leaves the viewer unaffected. We know exactly what's going to happen and how the ghouls are going behave. It's so commonplace that we almost feel that the film's characters should know precisely how to react in the situation to protect themselves. Of course, they don't. Despite a couple of reliably imaginative killings there's very little here we haven't already seen.

2) I just saw Cloverfield a few weeks ago which used the first-person-hand-held-camera gimmick to undeniably more gripping effect. The fact that both films were released within a month of each other is surely a coincidence but Diary can't help but suffer by comparison. Romero obviously wanted to use this approach revitalize and re-imagine the genre which he pioneered and to make a sociological point. Which brings us to...

3) He makes the same point over and over and over and over again, explicitly and unimaginatively, violating the cardinal rule of "show, don't tell." That Dawn of the Dead was a film about consumerism is no secret to anyone but Romero mainly let it play out in the subtext. Here he seems to take every opportunity he can to drive home his opinions on 21-century media whether though the stilted, didactic dialog or the periodic breaks in the action for a few minutes of voice over which are distracting at best and extremely annoying at worst.

There are a few things to like in Diary, mainly the moments of humor. A bit where a character explains exactly why zombies can't run is particularly rib-tickling. However, you probably won't regret skipping this one or at least waiting for the DVD. I'll give George this: at the very least Diary of the Dead does plausibly seem like the kind of movie an opinionated but not-so-bright college kid would assemble on their laptop. Ah, the folly of youth.

Because I feel the need to blog at least once a month

If any of you are interested there was a blurb about me in the Staten Island Advance's entertainment section last week which you can read here. Yes, I'm one of many on an "Island of DJs" though unlike many of the others, I own a turntable. I actually had a long conversation via telephone with the piece's author, Ben Johnson, a few days prior to the article's publication. We touched on such subjects as records that weren't well known but could still get people dancing, the phenomenom of the exclusively-playing-MP3s iDJ and many other things. Unfortunately, he only wrote about the the first 5 or so songs I thought of when asked what were good dancefloor-filling crowd pleasers. Of course, if I had bothered to return his message days prior it might have allowed for him to write a piece where I don't don't seem like a hacky Bar Mitzvah DJ. Mea culpa, Ben.

In any case, I did write later write up a more balanced mini-playlist that probably better reflects what I play but probably sent it to him past deadline:

1. New Order "Blue Monday"
2. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five "White Lines (Don't Do It)"
3. Prince "Erotic City"
4. Pigbag "Papa's Got a Brand New Pigbag"
5. Fugazi "Waiting Room"
6. The Misfits "Last Caress"
7. The Pretty Things "Come See Me"
8. David Bowie "Watch That Man"
9. The Futureheads "Decent Days and Nights"
10. James "Laid"

Eh, that's not really a great list either.

If you have the desire to hear me play all, some or none of these songs, I'll be DJing this Saturday night at the Cargo Cafe on Staten Island. I'm really hoping this gig will lead to getting me some tracks on the next Ghostface record. Somebody tell him to come out please.

Since I haven't posted here in a while, I thought I'd grace you all with some random thoughts (or, more accurately, gripes).

One of benefits of working in an office with people who do not share my musical tastes is that I get to hear all kinds of music I wouldn't normally listen to because I assume it's terrible. Usually my assumptions are correct and in the case of the Mars Volta they turn out to be even worse than thought they might be. Seriously, while my co-worker was playing their new album I though we were listening to Helloween or something. I had heard they were kind of "proggy" but i figured they were like math rock or something not unlistenable mess I heard. They are now a nominee for my award for worst current band in the universe. If anyone wants to defend them (or nominate other bands) the comments section is below.

Did anyone catch the commerical during the Super Bowl for the upcoming Adam Sandler movie Don't Mess with the Zohan? I had to do a double take to make certain it wasn't a spin off movie of John Turturro's character in The Big Lebowski.



Actually under further examination it seems to be ripping off Borat more than The Jesus. IMBD tells me that Judd Apatow is the co-writer which means one of three things:

1) It isn't the total piece of garbage I'm assuming it is and is actually very funny in a silly Anchorman kind of way
2) Someone bought a Judd Apatow script and turned it into an Adam Sandler vehicle. (After all wasn't I Now Pronounce Chuck and Larry written by the guys who wrote Sideways?)
3) My opinion of Judd Apatow is way too high

Finally, in a non-griping, rather delightful tidbit, I suggest you check out the latest edition of Kaplan's Korner.

This Moment in Slack History: Morsels from the Last Great Era of the 7 Inch Record

"This Moment in Slack History" collects songs from 90s indie 7 inches. For further explanation, please see my original post here.



The McTells "Alice"
Back when I posted that Bartlebees single I stated my general distaste for twee pop. Yet here I am posting another twee pop single. Maybe I do actually like twee pop.

Like the Bartlbees, the McTells were apparently pretty prolific though this is the only piece of their vinyl I own. And it's a neat little thing: two songs on side A and totally blank on side B. Why? I don't know but as I see the sticker on this for was only $2.49 American I think it was an effort by the Four Letter Words label to keep prices down. I would assume that getting a 45 pressed on only one side is cheaper than both. But enough about the medium, let's get to the music. It reminds me of the Undertones. Nothing wrong with that.


Play or Download The McTells "Alice"