Albums in My Life: 2002

I have more memories starting around this time in my life. It's not quite as blurry as years previous, but it's getting less and less clear as time inevitably drags forward.




William Basinski- The Disintegration Loops
I probably first heard this album around its ten year reissue, when I first started grad school. I soon became fascinated with Basinski's style and his records were being used by me constantly to study, meditate, etc. He was, and is, one of my favorite ambient or pseudo-ambient composers, and while this isn't my favorite album by him, this was my introduction, and even without the 9/11 baggage this album carries with it, the sound alone produces such an intense melancholic feeling.




Beck- Sea Change
For a long time, or at least until Helplessness Blues came out, this was my go to record to listen to when I was really down. It came to the point where I really can't listen to it without some of that stuff resurfacing. I remember when Morning Phase came out, and everyone was comparing it to Sea Change, and I didn't really see the connection. Sure, both albums are slow, but the amount of emotion put into this album and the palpable mood it creates is on a completely different level.





The Decemberists- Castaways and Cutouts
I heard 'I Dreamt I Was an Architect' on How I Met Your Mother and immediately had to know who the band was. I really enjoyed their theatrical and screwball take on  indie folk music, and Colin Meloy's voice is truly one of a kind. They really tell stories with their songs, and you can really see why Meloy would release a set of Morrissey covers, as he clearly builds on the story telling style he has. The songs almost act as short stories, and create a twisted and quirky little Victorian era world all its own.




Flogging Molly- Drunken Lullabies
Flogging Molly is my favorite Celtic punk band, and this is my favorite album of theirs. All killer, no filler. After doing some research, I found out I had a large percentage of Irish blood that was relatively unknown to me, and this kind of music (along with the traditional stuff of course) helps me feel a little bit closer to that culture. I'm sure I'll find myself listening again in a few days when St. Patrick's comes around again, and probably many years after.





My Chemical Romance- I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love
Back in the days when Hot Topic emo ruled the world, I thought I was so cool for knowing this album. I found it at a record store about the time The Black Parade was big, never knowing it even existed. It was so much more raw than Three Cheers, and I played the crap out of the CD. I feel like to MCR fans, this is either the worst album they ever did, or it's their favorite they'd ever put out. I'm probably one of the latter group, since I felt like I had discovered a long lost treasure in that record store.





Check back in for the next installment of the Albums in My Lifetime series. Also, look out for my upcoming review of the new William Basinski album, On Time Out of Time.


"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Albums in My Life: 2001

For the majority of 2001, I was 10 years old. I started 6th grade near the end of the year, and it's also the year a lot of things changed. 9/11 really started our world down the trajectory it's on now, and it's hard to understate its impact. For the current teens who weren't around when it happened, it changed the landscape in an instant.




Alien Ant Farm- Anthology
I heard 'Wish' on Tony Hawk: Pro Skater 3, and 'Smooth Criminal' was pretty big back in the day. They're a little goofy now, but they were pretty hard for an adolescent me back then. I need to revisit this album and see how well it holds up. I'll probably be sorely disappointed. I'd probably be a little bummed if I played Tony Hawk again, but that was pretty awesome back in the day.






Converge- Jane Doe
I didn't hear this album until only a few years ago, but it really opened me up to the world of metallic hardcore. This album is so chaotic, and there's a lot going on at once. As direct as this album is with its aggression, you really need to sit with it for a while to really dissect all the dense layers of sonic entropy. I can see how this appeals to punks on both sides of the aisle; its super intense and aggressive, but also technical and complicated in its instrumental approach. A lot of current bands can trace back their sound directly to this record.



Gorillaz- Gorillaz
I discovered Gorillaz in 2005 with Demon Days, and didn't get this CD until a little later when I decided to backtrack, but my mind was blown all over again. When I was in college, I only had a few CDs in my dorm room, and this was one of them. I would listen to this album a lot while I studied freshman year. I really enjoy the blend of alt rock, hip hop, reggae, and electronic influences, and no matter how bland Gorillaz are in the present, their first few records still have some punch.





System of a Down- Toxicity
System of a Down is one of the few bands surrounding the whole nu metal thing that haven't aged like milk. I can still enjoy this record,and it has a lot to do with the perfect mix of heavy and light elements. The album has some pretty heavy and chunky riffs, but Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian's vocals, especially when harmonizing with each other, are super melodic, and surpass the vocal chops of any other singer in their genre. If anybody says that nu metal never had any good artists, I'd say System of a Down's Toxicity would be enough to prove them wrong.



Tenacious D- Tenacious D
I picked this up after seeing The Pick of Destiny movie and loved it. Their mix of rock, humor, and filth was perfect, and really made them stand out. While I haven't really kept up with the D (I haven't listened to their last 2 albums), this and the soundtrack to the movie are hilarious. Another record I haven't listened to in ages that I should really dust off and reacquaint myself with.






Check back in for the next Albums in My Life entry for the year 2002.




"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Album Review: Sun Kil Moon- I Also Want to Die in New Orleans

I was first exposed to Mark Kozelek's music and the music of Sun Kil Moon in 2014 with their incredibly popular Benji, a fact that Kozelek would probably sneer at. But hey, I stuck around, and even listened backwards to his Red House Painters stuff and the projects released under his own name. However, Benji is really where the stream of consciousness, hyper detail oriented storytelling started taking center stage. All of his releases after that have had this style, with varying instrumentation taking more of a back seat to intensely diary like stories, complete with any and all details. I Also Want to Die in New Orleans is probably the most indulgent on this front, totaling seven tracks but almost ninety minutes.

Originally, this album was meant to be released as a collaboration between Kozelek, drummer Jim White and saxophonist Donny McCaslin, with the name being changed relatively late into the album's rollout. The other two musicians' presence on the record is definitely noticed, as there is a little bit more of a bluesy sound at play here, with a lot of brushed drums and tasteful sax licks. Also to be noted here is the presence of a lot of electric guitar. Though very cleanly played and sometimes with a subtle reverb added, it's definitely not the nylon stringed classical guitar all the way through, though some finger picking sections pop up here and there. That's pretty much where my musical analysis in going to end, since the lyrics for Kozelek definitely seem to be the focus. I am once again going to take this track by track.

'Coyote'- A story about a broken fence and some moldy firewood quickly evolves into a greater narrative involving meeting a neighbor, remembering trying to but the empty lot next door so his neighbor would never exist, and then to hearing about the deaths of children from a friend on the phone. A TV story about a coyote suffocating from a jar on his head makes Mark change the channel to watch an unknown band perform. Somehow, this story mutates to smelling a skunk (or is it explosive gas?) and calling a guy in to determine what's happening. After determining the source and turning back on the TV, the coyote was saved. Seeing this written makes no sense, but Kozelek has a way of spinning a yarn.

'Day in America'- This song adds to the Kozelek school shooting songbook (why is this a thing?), this time referencing Parkland, Florida. A discussion of the event between his bandmates leads to a weird moment where they almost plagiarise Bill Evans. Kozelek makes a connection with Bob Evans and his restaurants, and then remembers going to one after failing to defend his friend's sister from a fight outside a concert. Mark later has a dream about singing into an AR-15 microphone, making the connection that an AR-15 was also the rifle used at Parkland. He wakes up to a voicemail from his keyboard player reflecting on the shooting and apologizing for all the Bill Evans confusion.

'L-48'- This is a song about a Gibson guitar that Kozelek owned but never really liked, until it was the closest guitar to him when writing this exact song (his songs get meta like that). He also reflects on living in a 3rd floor apartment overlooking an elementary school, and reminisces on all the memories of that apartment.

'Cows'- Mark Kozelek's ode to the cow, the animal he finds the most beautiful. After a rambling stream of consciousness narrative including listening to the Doors in the back of his mother's car, he eventually rests on the subject of cows, making a vow to only eat beef once a month, saying that going vegetarian at this point in his life would be too hard. He then goes on a little bit about other foods, as well as his proximity to the dairy industry in his life, before returning once again to cows.

'I'm Not Laughing at You'- Kozelek documents a conversation with a woman while on tour in Europe, in which he lets slip that he's from the US. She laughs and then lists reasons why other countries are critical of Americans. After going on a weird rant about American inventions, as well as quoting Bob Dylan, James Cavanaugh, James Baldwin, and Bill Clinton, Kozelek recalls an experience of trying to get lamb BBQ from a vendor, thinking they were insulting him by giving him the last pieces, but then being told the last pieces are good luck.

'Couch Potato'- Mark Kozelek recalls San Francisco in the 1990s, a simpler time. Amid slagging the younger generation (insert picture of Abe Simpson yelling at cloud), he points out the hypocrisy of criticizing the current institution's immigration policies while supporting roughly similar policies implemented under Obama. He ends the story about getting left on the side of the road by a drummer in his dreams. 

'Bay of Kotor'- In his most ambitious story on this album (maybe ever), Mark shares a 23 minute account of his stay at the Bay of Kotor in Montenegro. This story is complete with feeding starving kittens (complete with Kozelek's impression of their meows), talking with hotel staff, swimming in the bay, feeding a stray dog at a cafe, and making up with the staff after a misunderstanding. They took offense to him saying they have a good life here, listing their hardships. He explained he meant no offense and he just enjoyed the area and thought they would like living is such a serene place.

All in all, it was fun to check with Mark and hear what he's been up to. This was quite a taxing listen (it took me 3 listening sessions to get through it each time due to sheer length and material to absorb) but you definitely gain a little perspective from every Sun Kil Moon record. While this record doesn't have nearly the replay value of something like Benji, I did enjoy it for what it is. Every song functions as a series of vignettes or even a short story and there's quite an art to it. Somehow, even with how overwritten each story is, they are quite evocative and really get you into Kozelek's mind, as well as getting you to think about your own experiences in a different way.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

Album Review: Weezer (The Black Album)

Weezer have had a pretty eventful last five years. They started it off with 2014's Everything Will Be Alright in the End, their best album in quite some time to that point. They continued this success with their excellent self-titled record (aka the White Album) in 2016. However, after the overly poppy Pacific Daydream and their paint by numbers covers album earlier this year, my hopes were not high. In short, they deliver a pretty mixed bag on The Black Album, but where’s the fun in a short story? That’s why I’m going to go through this one track by track.

‘Can’t Knock The Hustle’: This pseudo-funk groove starts out with some burping bass, mariachi style horns and some really pounding drums. The drums will be a continuing point of contention here, as I feel like they’re mixed a little too loud throughout. This track is a little repetitive in the chorus department, and the pretty cringey lyrics don’t make the song go by any faster.

‘Zombie Bastards’: This track has a pretty late ‘90s feel with its syncopated guitar lines, samples, and honest to god record scratches. I feel like I’m listening to a Jason Mraz b-side. The chorus devolves into ‘blah blah blahs’, as if River Cuomo couldn’t feel bothered to finish the hook. Not that the rest of the lyrics are any better. This almost reaches Pat Monahan levels of cringe.

‘High as a Kite’: Despite the pretty played out name of the track, this one isn’t half bad. The lyrics aren’t completely overwritten, and the bells and woodwinds at the beginning add a nice touch to a pretty mellow track. The instrumental explosion near the end really didn’t really need to happen, and came off a little obvious for a Weezer song. You don’t have to rock out on every song. People sometimes appreciate subtlety.

‘Living in LA’: After starting off with a filtered intro (which is starting to become my new pet peeve in pop music), the song entertains with a dance beat, acoustic guitar, and lyrics that aren’t the worst  thing ever. It sounds a little bit like ‘Pork and Beans’ in the verses.

‘Piece of Cake’: I have written in my notes for this song, “Just why?” Lyrics like ‘let’s do hard drugs, fix our problems’ and ‘she cut me like a piece of cake’ have a place. It’s commonly known as the recycling bin. Instrumentally, pretty uninteresting. I heard the band composed all of the songs for the first time on a piano, which shows here, but doesn’t really help the song out in my eyes.

‘I’m Just Being Honest’: This song is the one that I saw as being the biggest squandering of potential of the entire album. The song goes into how some times, being completely honest can get you into trouble. Some of the examples are funny, but Rivers is pushing his luck by thinking he can critique somebody else’s music. Dude, this song comes right after ‘Piece of Cake’. I feel like a lot could be done with this idea, but the band really doesn’t deliver.

‘Too Many Thoughts’: This song has a pretty funky beat and a wah guitar line that’s pretty decent. It reminds me a bit of Of Montreal’s ‘A Girl Named Hello’ at the beginning. And then the lyrics happen. ‘High on Cookies’? Come on, man. There’s ways to joke around in songs, but a lot of this comes off as really try hard and like the band is really trying to play into this meme they’re quickly becoming.

‘The Prince Who Wanted Everything’: The only thing I could think about during this track was, “Is this song about Prince or not?’ There’s some pretty obvious reference to paisley (like Paisley Park) and red corvettes, but I wouldn’t have compared The Purple One’s hair to Joan Baez. Also, if the band is in fact celebrating one of the greatest instrumental talents of the past half century, they could have done so with a song that wasn’t so drab.

‘Byzantine’ Apart from the really annoying backing vocals, Latin rhythms and Mediterranean feel in the bridge, this song is utterly forgettable. Just another lyrical exercise in being “quirky”, but utterly failing.

‘California Snow’: This song is chock full of fuzzy synth, distorted guitar, and spiraling keyboards, and apart from the kind of place Teddy Roosevelt quote at the beginning, not too bad vocally. It’s ok.

All in all, this album was pretty mediocre to me. There’s not a whole lot on the record they haven’t done instrumentally before, and there’s not many standouts in the track list. I’d say this is somewhere in the middle of the bell curve if you were to graph the quality of Weezer’s output. For fans that jumped to the band’s defense after the release of The Teal Album saying “they’re just having fun”, I’d like to see their defense of this. At some point, they’re having fun at your expense. I guess I’ll just be one of those guys that listen to a few of their records and pretend that the others don’t exist.

"Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."