Sunday, December 16, 2007

Random (2007) Music

The weather, this week, has taken a definite turn for the wintry. Though being December in Boston, the snow has turned to rain, which will turn to ice, which will make things ugly, uncomfortable and dangerous for the next couple days. Great. We'll see how much the opportunity to loaf about leads to increased posting: there's plenty to write about, from awful, terrible, bad baseball players, to magnificent films, to - who knows what... No lists though! not until the year actually ends...

For now though, let's talk music. Continuing to leaf through this year's releases, thanks to the iPod... though first a dig - all those poor saps who paid god knows what to see Led Zeppelin - and all the millions more who tried to pay god knows what to see the zep... yeah. Cost me 12 bucks to see Boris, and Boris is undeniably a better band, and Kurihara is a better guitarist than Jimmy Page (at this point - I say that as an unabashed, though sometimes apologetic, Jimmy Page fan). I don't get the attraction at this point. They are old; they have not been playing together for 30 years; John Bonham is Still Dead - that's Jason on the drums, not John. This is a cover band - sure sure, some of them are the same guys, but they're covering songs they did 30 years ago! 40 years ago! Christ! I won't gainsay them, in their prime - I can't pretend bands like Boris or careers like Kurihara's would exist without the Zep (with their unapologetic musicianship, their LONG guitar workouts, their love of the RIFF, their amplifier worship, their willingness to jump around from style to style to style) - but why settle for a shadow of the real thing when other bands are, in fact, still doing the real thing? Oh well - until Jimmy gets around to pissing on the party, much video of the show can be found on YouTube, like this performance of Stairway to Heaven, largely shot off the TV screen. I'll also note that I saw a new Zep phone ad at the movies the other day - someone must need some money! That helps explain this concert.... Now though - on to the randomizer!

1 Of Montreal - We were born the mutants Again with Leafling
2 Meat Puppets - This Song - one of the better songs on the record, pretty with some nice dynamics and guitar work...
3 Boris - My Rain - slow, short, atmospherics...
4 Devendra Banhart - Tonada Yanomaninista - Devendra rocks out!
5 Dinosaur Jr - Been there All the Time - I see why Buffalo Tom got called Dinosaur Jr. Jr. This sounds like dinosaur jr jr jr...
6 Damon & Naomi - Cruel Queen - nothing like an old folk tune for some undiluted nastiness...
7 Devendra Banhart - Samba Vexillographica
8 MIA - Bamboo Banger - definite contender for the best song of the year...
9 Son Volt - Circadian Rhythm - forgot this record came out this year... all the time spent trying to convince myself to like the Wilco record, I should have been listening to Jay Farrar. Very nice song - I have to listen to this a bit...
10 Einsturzende Neubauten - Alles wieder offen -

Video:speaking of the best guitarist in the world... here with Damon & Naomi...

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