Note: Cross-posted tonight at Blogcritics via this link.
Houston, Texas is home to up-and-coming instrumental post-rock group Motion Turns It On. Their debut EP Rima is sure to make plenty of noise in the progressive alternative rock scene and may even give some of their Texas brethren a run for their money.
This release's six songs contain enthusiastic and frankly top notch musicianship and production for a band making their debut here. So, what or who do they sound like? It's tough to say but they could be seen as a somewhat louder, math rock version of Austin, Texas instrumental, ambient post-rock band Explosions In The Sky. Their often adventurous yet structured progressions and aggressive, jagged edged riffs and sometimes dreamy/spacey sounds also shows traces of the Mars Volta (minus the vocals). But again, just when you think you've heard this before, the music veers off into new directions, thus making it hard to pinpoint to any one group. It is however, a brand of instrumental post-rock, unique as it is.
The standout track on Rima is "Satelightning," with its soaring, mournful and almost shoegazer-like guitars and piano licks that match that emotion. Guitarist William Kenny's swirling six-string action is complimented by a tight and highly expressive rhythm section, with Derek Sinquefield on bass and Steve Smith on the skins. And on this track, as on others, Smith alternates between complex, speedy rhythms and slower, simpler ones with ease, while Sinquefield hops around the high and lows strings of his bass, never content to just stay in one place for any length of time.
"Southern Diatribe" is an epic ten-minute prog rocker that evolves into a spacey frontier nearly halfway through, highlighting keyboardist Andres Londono's work. The leadoff and self-titled track "Rima" is perhaps their loudest, full-on rock tune and where you can hear comparisons to the Mars Volta come into fruition. "Spitekyte" builds into a powerful, organ-aided tune that nearly matches "Rima"' in loudness and intensity. And "Daily Juice" starts out like early Verve before the band's dreamy/psychedelic-math-and-prog rock fusion takes over.
Though Motion Turns It On hasn't been on the scene for too long, they are sure to turn lots of heads with this debut. It is impressive, dynamic, aggressive, psychedelic and just plain solid throughout. With an outing like this, expectations for an equally excellent debut album should grow, and from what I hear, the band has added a fifth member (Benjamin O Konski on keys/percussion) and is trying out even more new sounds: trumpets, samples, and vocals, any or all of which should figure into MTIO's next release.
They may not have a record label (yet), but they have their own sound, and an East Coast tour in the works, according to 1-Up PR.
Motion Turns It On's Rima EP is out and available now for purchase at iTunes.
For more info on the band, go to their myspace page.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Music Review: Paul Van Dyk - In Between CD
World famous German-born DJ and producer Paul van Dyk is back after four years with his fifth proper album, the just-released CD In Between, and his first studio output since being nominated for a Grammy (2005) for his last album Reflections.
While some fans and critics, fairly or unfairly, dissed that album's (car) commercial appeal - it even featured a guest rapper, a la Paul Oakenfold's "Starry-Eyed Surprise" - and for being both trendy and behind the times, this new release is an almost back-to-basics trance album. Almost.
For those who still enjoy the idea of physically buying CDs, this album flows as a continuous mix CD - unless you order it digitally, which comes unmixed. That works for the care-free listener, one with a long-term attention span. And In Between is indeed long, running nearly seventy-eight minutes total. But it could have been even longer and perhaps marketed as a double album if PVD wanted, because he wrote twenty-eight songs over three years for the In Between project. Instead, he settled on the current set of tracks, plus a bonus track called "Next Generation" that was offered only on pre-orders of the album on iTunes.
The first single, "White Lies," features personal, yet catchy and confident vocals from one Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls and is already heating up the charts, having landed at the #8 spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart. Its heavy, thumping beats and synths, and the very pretty, reverb-heavy, harp-fueled and twinkle star melodies, during extensive breakdowns and elsewhere, characterize this standout track, even if it's van Dyk's latest and not so subtle attempt to crossover into today's dance pop phenomenon.
Not that it's a bad thing, of course, but unlike some past attempts, this performance will most likely gin up more praise than cries of sellout or blatant trend follower, which would be the ultimate insult for this electronic music pioneer. Part of PVD's genius as a producer this time around is to take new sounds and material not heard before on previous albums and use them to modernize trance and keep it sounding fresh, even while crossing the roads of familiar genres every now and then.
For people who like to be entertained for short lengths of time, about two-thirds of the seventeen tracks are under five minutes, including most of the poppier and sure-to-be hit singles which, depending on which track, incorporate elements of everything from electro-house ("White Lies") to a 'lil rock guitar.
Other highlights include lead-off track (and personal favorite) "Haunted," which features the angelic vocals of Lo-Fi Sugar singing over calm, swelling synths and light, electronic beats, and "Let Go," which was co-written by Rea Garvey of popular (at least in Europe) German rock band Reamonn. Reminiscent of the under-appreciated Junkie XL, it not only includes a bit of distorted electric guitar but actual drums as well, and Garvey's vocals even get Bono-ish at times during the song.
Van Dyk's long, progressive trance tracks on In Between, like the shorter, poppier songs are multi-layered with all kinds of effects, electronic sounds, and other instruments. But the long ones are arguably the heart of the disc: songs like "Another Sunday" (which samples Probspot's "Blows My Mind") and "Complicated," one of three tracks featuring the beautiful voice of singer/songwriter Ashley Tomberlin.
Not every song and collaborative effort churns out a memorable tune, however. The Wayne Jackson-led "Stormy Skies" fails to make an impression and is just too gloomy for the liking. But lapses of good songwriting don't last long. Piano flourishes highlight mid-album instrumental "In Circles," while live strings - conducted by Dietmar Menzinger - and the Talking Heads' David Byrne's never-aging vocals on "Fall With Me" end the long player on a high note.
In all, In Between has some memorable moments and instant classics, and enough other well-written material to qualify this album as a winner, and the first clear-cut one since 2000's Out There And Back, which is also perhaps its closest comparison as well. IB isn't an instant classic itself or trend setter, but then again, it ain't easy to make one in a genre that is arguably long past its prime and that he had helped define and shape in the 1990s. But one of the world's best DJ's has managed to pull off a mildly impressive, if slightly flawed trance record...in the year 2007. That is a success in and of itself.
For more information on Paul van Dyk, go to his official site, myspace page, or VONYC Radio.
This article was first posted on Blogcritics.org on 8/22/07.
While some fans and critics, fairly or unfairly, dissed that album's (car) commercial appeal - it even featured a guest rapper, a la Paul Oakenfold's "Starry-Eyed Surprise" - and for being both trendy and behind the times, this new release is an almost back-to-basics trance album. Almost.
For those who still enjoy the idea of physically buying CDs, this album flows as a continuous mix CD - unless you order it digitally, which comes unmixed. That works for the care-free listener, one with a long-term attention span. And In Between is indeed long, running nearly seventy-eight minutes total. But it could have been even longer and perhaps marketed as a double album if PVD wanted, because he wrote twenty-eight songs over three years for the In Between project. Instead, he settled on the current set of tracks, plus a bonus track called "Next Generation" that was offered only on pre-orders of the album on iTunes.
The first single, "White Lies," features personal, yet catchy and confident vocals from one Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls and is already heating up the charts, having landed at the #8 spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Airplay chart. Its heavy, thumping beats and synths, and the very pretty, reverb-heavy, harp-fueled and twinkle star melodies, during extensive breakdowns and elsewhere, characterize this standout track, even if it's van Dyk's latest and not so subtle attempt to crossover into today's dance pop phenomenon.
Not that it's a bad thing, of course, but unlike some past attempts, this performance will most likely gin up more praise than cries of sellout or blatant trend follower, which would be the ultimate insult for this electronic music pioneer. Part of PVD's genius as a producer this time around is to take new sounds and material not heard before on previous albums and use them to modernize trance and keep it sounding fresh, even while crossing the roads of familiar genres every now and then.
For people who like to be entertained for short lengths of time, about two-thirds of the seventeen tracks are under five minutes, including most of the poppier and sure-to-be hit singles which, depending on which track, incorporate elements of everything from electro-house ("White Lies") to a 'lil rock guitar.
Other highlights include lead-off track (and personal favorite) "Haunted," which features the angelic vocals of Lo-Fi Sugar singing over calm, swelling synths and light, electronic beats, and "Let Go," which was co-written by Rea Garvey of popular (at least in Europe) German rock band Reamonn. Reminiscent of the under-appreciated Junkie XL, it not only includes a bit of distorted electric guitar but actual drums as well, and Garvey's vocals even get Bono-ish at times during the song.
Van Dyk's long, progressive trance tracks on In Between, like the shorter, poppier songs are multi-layered with all kinds of effects, electronic sounds, and other instruments. But the long ones are arguably the heart of the disc: songs like "Another Sunday" (which samples Probspot's "Blows My Mind") and "Complicated," one of three tracks featuring the beautiful voice of singer/songwriter Ashley Tomberlin.
Not every song and collaborative effort churns out a memorable tune, however. The Wayne Jackson-led "Stormy Skies" fails to make an impression and is just too gloomy for the liking. But lapses of good songwriting don't last long. Piano flourishes highlight mid-album instrumental "In Circles," while live strings - conducted by Dietmar Menzinger - and the Talking Heads' David Byrne's never-aging vocals on "Fall With Me" end the long player on a high note.
In all, In Between has some memorable moments and instant classics, and enough other well-written material to qualify this album as a winner, and the first clear-cut one since 2000's Out There And Back, which is also perhaps its closest comparison as well. IB isn't an instant classic itself or trend setter, but then again, it ain't easy to make one in a genre that is arguably long past its prime and that he had helped define and shape in the 1990s. But one of the world's best DJ's has managed to pull off a mildly impressive, if slightly flawed trance record...in the year 2007. That is a success in and of itself.
For more information on Paul van Dyk, go to his official site, myspace page, or VONYC Radio.
This article was first posted on Blogcritics.org on 8/22/07.
Music Review: Unwritten Law - The Hit List
Since 1990, San Diego's Unwritten Law have released five studio albums, a live album (in 2003), and a greatest hits collection, which came out early in 2007 on Abydos Records. From the skate punk of their early days and the power pop of their peak years, to the hard rock (some say "post grunge") of their later material, it's all here among nineteen tracks, plus an unlisted twentieth cut.
Unlike a lot of bands who make you buy a best-of album full of songs already in your collection just for one or two new tracks, Unwritten Law decided to head into the studio and re-record fourteen of their best known and most beloved tracks. They also throw in two new songs here, and include three from their 2005 release Here's To The Mourning as is.
Not since The Cure recorded acoustic versions of eighteen of their best hits (as a second disc) over five years ago, has a band come up with a cooler way to both reward longtime fans, while summing up a long, fruitful career for more casual listeners.
With the exception of "Rest Of My Life," a Top 20 modern rock hit taken from 2003's live and acoustic Music In High Places, most of the new versions will sound slightly heavier than the originals. This is because the guitars and bass are tuned a bit lower (Eb tuning instead of the standard E natural tuning on most original versions).
Having said that, the arrangements of these songs aren't drastically different. The band is now a four-piece — after losing longtime guitarist Rob Brewer and drummer Wade Youman a few years ago. The latter was replaced by Tony Palermo of Pulley in 2005, and singer Scott Russo has taken on the role as the occasional second guitarist for the band.
Of all the redone tracks, perhaps the most improved of them is "California Sky," which is the second of three straight aces taken from Unwritten Law's best album, 1998's Unwritten Law. Loud guitars, light harmonics, a tambourine, and a much better guitar solo (by guitarist Steve Morris) than the original, makes this an instant standout. "Harmonic" is only different in that the intro no longer includes a last second tuneup. Palermo is as fast and aggressive as his predecessor here and elsewhere on the disc.
"Superman," from their second album Oz Factor (1996) is slowed-down on the re-recorded version, allowing the melody to stick out a bit more. The original version channeled their inner Green Day.
The opening bone-crushing chords of the 2002 hit "Up All Night," the borderline ska-ish upstrokes that follow in the verses, and an acoustic-aided bridge make this well-rounded rocker one of the true highlights of their career. The new version isn't much different, as it remains an anthem for those restless youths (and those who live to be forever young) who would happily answer Russo's in-song question, "What's wrong with kickin' it when you're bored and lit?"
Nothing, you say? Well, then "smoke some cigarettes" and "fire up another roach" as you watch "the sun come up again," and again...and so on.
Speaking of bone-crushing, "Celebration Song," from 2005's Here's To The Mourning may be the heaviest song UL ever recorded, with dropped D tuned guitars and bass, and explosive riffs that would make the Deftones crack a smile. That album marked a big change for the band's sound, and arguably its best moments are included here.
Pretty much all of the fan favorites are included on The Hit List, including their number one hit "Seein' Red," (from 2002's Elva CD). Though "Mean Girl" or "Holiday" could've made the cut — perhaps at the expense of a so-so track like "Rescue Me," also from Elva. But it is worth noting that some of the choice cuts here are collaborations (at least on the lyric sheet) with some familiar names.
Linda Perry, a very in-demand songwriter/producer who fronted early 1990s one-hit wonders 4 Non Blondes and has since worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Ziggy Marley, Fischerspooner, and Courtney Love co-wrote the Top 5 hit "Save Me."
Russo's girlfriend Aimee Allen also co-wrote the lyrics to this song, as well as most other tracks on the album it's taken from, Here's To The Mourning. Allen has been getting more exposure in her own right as of late. Lupe Fiasco incorporated her "Stripper Friends" into hit single "We All Want The Same Thing" this year, and her song "Cooties" appears on the soundtrack to this year's popular remake of the 1988 movie Hairspray.
Hollywood, California rapper Mickey Avalon co-wrote the heavy, post-grunge rocker "Should've Known Better" (the first of two new tracks), though Russo does the rapping on the version that opens this album. He's not bad and sounds like he's having fun doing it. Avalon's own raps appear on the unlisted version of "Should've Known Better" at the end of the CD (track 20).
Phil Jamieson, of Australian rock band Grinspoon, co-wrote the excellent "She Says," and A. Jay Popoff, lead singer of fellow veteran California pop punk rockers Lit co-wrote the lyrics to the second and less impressive of the two new tracks, "Welcome To Oblivion."
Of course, no UL compilation would be complete without their breakout 1999 hit "Cailin," which is aided only by a slightly more modern production on the new version. The same is true for other older tracks, including "C.P.K.," from their first album Blue Room and the Blink 182-ish "Shallow," from Oz Factor.
In all, The Hit List is about as complete a summary of Unwritten Law's career as you'll likely come across, given all the record label changes over the years. And though there are a couple of questionable inclusions and omissions, it is a must-have for any longtime Unwritten Law fan, and a more than satisfying release for the uninitiated and curious. They may have had limited commercial success over their seventeen-year career, but Unwritten Law's combination of power pop and punk rock is on par with anything their highly successful peers (like Lit, Blink 182) ever did. And they're not done yet.
For more info on the band, go to their Myspace page.
Note: This was first posted on Blogcritics.org on 8/14/07.
Unlike a lot of bands who make you buy a best-of album full of songs already in your collection just for one or two new tracks, Unwritten Law decided to head into the studio and re-record fourteen of their best known and most beloved tracks. They also throw in two new songs here, and include three from their 2005 release Here's To The Mourning as is.
Not since The Cure recorded acoustic versions of eighteen of their best hits (as a second disc) over five years ago, has a band come up with a cooler way to both reward longtime fans, while summing up a long, fruitful career for more casual listeners.
With the exception of "Rest Of My Life," a Top 20 modern rock hit taken from 2003's live and acoustic Music In High Places, most of the new versions will sound slightly heavier than the originals. This is because the guitars and bass are tuned a bit lower (Eb tuning instead of the standard E natural tuning on most original versions).
Having said that, the arrangements of these songs aren't drastically different. The band is now a four-piece — after losing longtime guitarist Rob Brewer and drummer Wade Youman a few years ago. The latter was replaced by Tony Palermo of Pulley in 2005, and singer Scott Russo has taken on the role as the occasional second guitarist for the band.
Of all the redone tracks, perhaps the most improved of them is "California Sky," which is the second of three straight aces taken from Unwritten Law's best album, 1998's Unwritten Law. Loud guitars, light harmonics, a tambourine, and a much better guitar solo (by guitarist Steve Morris) than the original, makes this an instant standout. "Harmonic" is only different in that the intro no longer includes a last second tuneup. Palermo is as fast and aggressive as his predecessor here and elsewhere on the disc.
"Superman," from their second album Oz Factor (1996) is slowed-down on the re-recorded version, allowing the melody to stick out a bit more. The original version channeled their inner Green Day.
The opening bone-crushing chords of the 2002 hit "Up All Night," the borderline ska-ish upstrokes that follow in the verses, and an acoustic-aided bridge make this well-rounded rocker one of the true highlights of their career. The new version isn't much different, as it remains an anthem for those restless youths (and those who live to be forever young) who would happily answer Russo's in-song question, "What's wrong with kickin' it when you're bored and lit?"
Nothing, you say? Well, then "smoke some cigarettes" and "fire up another roach" as you watch "the sun come up again," and again...and so on.
Speaking of bone-crushing, "Celebration Song," from 2005's Here's To The Mourning may be the heaviest song UL ever recorded, with dropped D tuned guitars and bass, and explosive riffs that would make the Deftones crack a smile. That album marked a big change for the band's sound, and arguably its best moments are included here.
Pretty much all of the fan favorites are included on The Hit List, including their number one hit "Seein' Red," (from 2002's Elva CD). Though "Mean Girl" or "Holiday" could've made the cut — perhaps at the expense of a so-so track like "Rescue Me," also from Elva. But it is worth noting that some of the choice cuts here are collaborations (at least on the lyric sheet) with some familiar names.
Linda Perry, a very in-demand songwriter/producer who fronted early 1990s one-hit wonders 4 Non Blondes and has since worked with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Ziggy Marley, Fischerspooner, and Courtney Love co-wrote the Top 5 hit "Save Me."
Russo's girlfriend Aimee Allen also co-wrote the lyrics to this song, as well as most other tracks on the album it's taken from, Here's To The Mourning. Allen has been getting more exposure in her own right as of late. Lupe Fiasco incorporated her "Stripper Friends" into hit single "We All Want The Same Thing" this year, and her song "Cooties" appears on the soundtrack to this year's popular remake of the 1988 movie Hairspray.
Hollywood, California rapper Mickey Avalon co-wrote the heavy, post-grunge rocker "Should've Known Better" (the first of two new tracks), though Russo does the rapping on the version that opens this album. He's not bad and sounds like he's having fun doing it. Avalon's own raps appear on the unlisted version of "Should've Known Better" at the end of the CD (track 20).
Phil Jamieson, of Australian rock band Grinspoon, co-wrote the excellent "She Says," and A. Jay Popoff, lead singer of fellow veteran California pop punk rockers Lit co-wrote the lyrics to the second and less impressive of the two new tracks, "Welcome To Oblivion."
Of course, no UL compilation would be complete without their breakout 1999 hit "Cailin," which is aided only by a slightly more modern production on the new version. The same is true for other older tracks, including "C.P.K.," from their first album Blue Room and the Blink 182-ish "Shallow," from Oz Factor.
In all, The Hit List is about as complete a summary of Unwritten Law's career as you'll likely come across, given all the record label changes over the years. And though there are a couple of questionable inclusions and omissions, it is a must-have for any longtime Unwritten Law fan, and a more than satisfying release for the uninitiated and curious. They may have had limited commercial success over their seventeen-year career, but Unwritten Law's combination of power pop and punk rock is on par with anything their highly successful peers (like Lit, Blink 182) ever did. And they're not done yet.
For more info on the band, go to their Myspace page.
Note: This was first posted on Blogcritics.org on 8/14/07.
Monday, August 13, 2007
CD Review: The Junior Varsity - Cinematographic
Note: This review was first published on Blogcritics 8-08-07
Springfield, Illinois' ambitious sons and rising stars The Junior Varsity have released their third album in four years, Cinematographic, and if you've never heard of them until recently, just know this: they are not your average emo rock group. Their often sophisticated sound can be traced back to a broad range of influences, from their peers to classic rock of yesteryear.
Many fans and critics alike agree that 2004's debut The Great Compromise, which was released on a small, startup label (British Records), was an amazing accomplishment with impressive musicianship for a young band, and had them compared to the likes of Alkaline Trio and Jimmy Eat World. Since forming in 2002, the quintet have literally grown from boys to men, as they are nearing their mid-20s now.
In 2005 though, second effort Wide Eyed, their first for Victory Records, had its moments (including some where The Police influences manifest itself), but was more or less viewed as a step back from their debut.
Now, seemingly everyone is excited for TJV's new record, and keyboardist/saxophonist Nick Dodson thinks so highly of Cinematographic that in a recent press release he considered it to be "leaps-and-bounds better" than Wide Eyed, "in terms of the musicianship, songwriting and melodies." This critic is inclined to agree.
After a couple of spins of the album, it's not too hard to realize that The Junior Varsity really is a cut above their contemporaries. Sure, they use power chords at-will, but the song arrangements are never dull, sometimes prog rock-ish, and would definitely give Guitar World transcribers long nights at a time, as guitarists Andy Wildrick and Sergio Coronado constantly riff and phrase their way through verses, choruses, breakdowns, all the way to the end of many songs (check out "Under The Radar," "Lifted," "The Greatest"). This doesn't always translate into memorable songs ("The Importance of Being Important"), but there are plenty of those on this album, and producer Mike Watts (Hopesfall, As Tall As Lions) no doubt had a hand in bringing out the best in TJV here.
On "I Went Blind," the song's intro and Chris Birch's powerhouse drumming recalls the Foo Fighters at first. Sunny, jittery (electric) guitar, acoustic guitar phrases and vibes quiet things down for the verses, and the chorus gets the multiple vocal treatment; its mid-level and high but not whiny pitches sound a bit like Dashboard Confessional. But again, no whiny emo here. "The Sky!" sports psychedelic flourishes, along with flashy and artful hard rock riffs.
At the start of "St. Louis," bass player/singer Asa Dawson's vocals instantly recall John Linnell (of They Might Be Giants), but soon enough, the quirky, jangly feel of the track evolves into what the band considers a Say Anything-meets-The Strokes rocker. Which is to say the track mixes slightly distorted guitars over a toe-tappin' rhythm section with several bursts of heavier riffs and short solos. Thus, it makes for a damn good power pop number.
Listening to "The Greatest" - not a Cat Power cover - makes you understand why the band has toured with the likes of Panic! At The Disco, as Dawson's voice climbs pretty high during the chorus. However, TJV's pure, raw hard rock instincts kick into high gear near the end as Dawson sings of Armageddon: "Don't worry about the signs/This world is coming to an end I think we all know". The song's furious, kickass closing riffs are headbanger-worthy, though its start-stop tempos may mess with your head, should you try.
The back-to-back-to-back tracks "Memory Made Easy," "Try To Define," and title track "Cinematographic" highlight and sum up everything TJV is about. "Memory Made Easy" is a lovely acoustic-based and dare I say Jimmy Page-influenced instrumental, complete with light keyboard work and cello. Stunning in its beauty and technically proficient in its execution, this is without a doubt my favorite song on the record. "Try To Define," with its pretty, ascending and descending guitar and piano lines in the verses and a punk-inspired chorus is another standout emo-pop song. And perhaps different than anything TJV has tried before is the swinging track "Cinematographic," a softer, jazz-edged tune featuring Dodson on saxophone. The fact that a band like The Junior Varsity can pull off tracks as varied as those three in the course of one album is quite an accomplishment.
Overall, Cinematographic and its rockin', mostly guitar-based (no offense to Dodson) work of art gives you the type of hope and excitement for this genre of rock that Hot Rod Circuit once did. Though it's not perfect, it's close (4 out of 5 stars) and very highly recommended.
Fore more info on the band, visit the Victory Records website and TJV's myspace page.
Springfield, Illinois' ambitious sons and rising stars The Junior Varsity have released their third album in four years, Cinematographic, and if you've never heard of them until recently, just know this: they are not your average emo rock group. Their often sophisticated sound can be traced back to a broad range of influences, from their peers to classic rock of yesteryear.
Many fans and critics alike agree that 2004's debut The Great Compromise, which was released on a small, startup label (British Records), was an amazing accomplishment with impressive musicianship for a young band, and had them compared to the likes of Alkaline Trio and Jimmy Eat World. Since forming in 2002, the quintet have literally grown from boys to men, as they are nearing their mid-20s now.
In 2005 though, second effort Wide Eyed, their first for Victory Records, had its moments (including some where The Police influences manifest itself), but was more or less viewed as a step back from their debut.
Now, seemingly everyone is excited for TJV's new record, and keyboardist/saxophonist Nick Dodson thinks so highly of Cinematographic that in a recent press release he considered it to be "leaps-and-bounds better" than Wide Eyed, "in terms of the musicianship, songwriting and melodies." This critic is inclined to agree.
After a couple of spins of the album, it's not too hard to realize that The Junior Varsity really is a cut above their contemporaries. Sure, they use power chords at-will, but the song arrangements are never dull, sometimes prog rock-ish, and would definitely give Guitar World transcribers long nights at a time, as guitarists Andy Wildrick and Sergio Coronado constantly riff and phrase their way through verses, choruses, breakdowns, all the way to the end of many songs (check out "Under The Radar," "Lifted," "The Greatest"). This doesn't always translate into memorable songs ("The Importance of Being Important"), but there are plenty of those on this album, and producer Mike Watts (Hopesfall, As Tall As Lions) no doubt had a hand in bringing out the best in TJV here.
On "I Went Blind," the song's intro and Chris Birch's powerhouse drumming recalls the Foo Fighters at first. Sunny, jittery (electric) guitar, acoustic guitar phrases and vibes quiet things down for the verses, and the chorus gets the multiple vocal treatment; its mid-level and high but not whiny pitches sound a bit like Dashboard Confessional. But again, no whiny emo here. "The Sky!" sports psychedelic flourishes, along with flashy and artful hard rock riffs.
At the start of "St. Louis," bass player/singer Asa Dawson's vocals instantly recall John Linnell (of They Might Be Giants), but soon enough, the quirky, jangly feel of the track evolves into what the band considers a Say Anything-meets-The Strokes rocker. Which is to say the track mixes slightly distorted guitars over a toe-tappin' rhythm section with several bursts of heavier riffs and short solos. Thus, it makes for a damn good power pop number.
Listening to "The Greatest" - not a Cat Power cover - makes you understand why the band has toured with the likes of Panic! At The Disco, as Dawson's voice climbs pretty high during the chorus. However, TJV's pure, raw hard rock instincts kick into high gear near the end as Dawson sings of Armageddon: "Don't worry about the signs/This world is coming to an end I think we all know". The song's furious, kickass closing riffs are headbanger-worthy, though its start-stop tempos may mess with your head, should you try.
The back-to-back-to-back tracks "Memory Made Easy," "Try To Define," and title track "Cinematographic" highlight and sum up everything TJV is about. "Memory Made Easy" is a lovely acoustic-based and dare I say Jimmy Page-influenced instrumental, complete with light keyboard work and cello. Stunning in its beauty and technically proficient in its execution, this is without a doubt my favorite song on the record. "Try To Define," with its pretty, ascending and descending guitar and piano lines in the verses and a punk-inspired chorus is another standout emo-pop song. And perhaps different than anything TJV has tried before is the swinging track "Cinematographic," a softer, jazz-edged tune featuring Dodson on saxophone. The fact that a band like The Junior Varsity can pull off tracks as varied as those three in the course of one album is quite an accomplishment.
Overall, Cinematographic and its rockin', mostly guitar-based (no offense to Dodson) work of art gives you the type of hope and excitement for this genre of rock that Hot Rod Circuit once did. Though it's not perfect, it's close (4 out of 5 stars) and very highly recommended.
Fore more info on the band, visit the Victory Records website and TJV's myspace page.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
CD Review: Jesse Harris - Feel
Note: This article was cross-posted today at Blogcritics at this link:
http://www.blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/17/061636.php
NYC singer/songwriter and former Grammy winner Jesse Harris is a busy man these days. He recently acted in and wrote the soundtrack to Ethan Hawke's film The Hottest State; the bulk of those songs were covered exclusively for the soundtrack by such indie stalwarts as Cat Power, M. Ward, Bright Eyes, Feist, and even Willie Nelson. Now, just in time for the middle of the summer season, Harris releases his seventh solo album, Feel, a collection of easygoing tropical folk pop ditties, some of which hint at or explore other genres.
There are six other musicians who play or sing on the record, but the work is clearly Harris's, as it always has been, even when he started out in 1999 as Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos. He has since dropped the band from the name and made records as a solo artist, but made a wise decision in holding over bassist Tim Luntzel, whose electric and upright bass playing never outshines Jesse, but adds strong dynamics to his best work.
Though Feel is a long player chock full of slow and midtempo tracks, ironically, it moves along at a fast pace, with more than half of them checking in at under three minutes. The album itself is just under forty minutes long.
The loudest song (for Harris, anyway) comes first, with title track "Feel." It starts out with just a folky acoustic riff, followed by the rest of the band and then a solo done on a distorted electric guitar, which makes the first of its rather infrequent appearances on the record. Not that having minimal electric guitar here is a bad thing. Quite the opposite.
The next song, "I Don't Mind," has a steady, upright bass rhythm, light hand drumming by Andrew Borger - who previously worked with Norah Jones - and is the most peaceful, gorgeous acoustic-based track on the record. And for you guitarists out there, it's played with a capo on the fourth fret.
It's a perfect soundtrack for watching the sunset (instead of just looking at pictures of it, as Harris says he does in the song itself). The main melody Harris plays on acoustic guitar is bright yet quiet, and to these ears, has one note in particular that has a long, sustained ring that at first it sounds like it's coming from a wind instrument.
On the somewhat jazzy "Where To Start," you can almost picture Harris's former fellow Grammy-winning collaborator Norah Jones - who remade his Ferdinandos-era cut "Don't Know Why" in 2002 into a worldwide hit - saying, "Jesse, I can jazz this one up a bit too, if you'd like." Violinist Jenny Scheinman, who makes some appearances on Feel, also worked with Norah Jones on her debut hit record Come Away With Me.
Organist (and pianist) Jon Dryden gets to show off his skills a bit on some tracks, including "After All," which also features background vocals by guest Richard Julian, a Delaware-born folk artist, currently based in New York City.
Vibraphones and soft percussion (courtesy of Mauro Refosco) accompany the smoothly played acoustic melodies of "Walk On," while high-pitched piano chords highlight the breezy, weather-themed "The Wind." The similarly themed "How Could It Take So Long?" features Harris on banjo and harmonica, where he displays a hint of the blues. Speaking of bluesy pop stars, on these two tracks, Harris sounds a bit like John Mayer or David Gray, at least vocally; in the past, other critics have compared him to artists like Jackson Browne.
Overall, most of this record will get you through these lazy summer days, but there are some that are sleepy slow, most notably "If I Had No Name," or are half-decent but have heard it before, like the intimate, waltzy love song "You And Me."
Thankfully though, Jesse Harris saves arguably his best and most surprising (to these ears) composition for last, the reggae-inflected "Fire On The Ocean." Heavy on organ and percussion, this upbeat track, even if it's written in a minor key, ends the album on a happy, head-bopping note.
Feel has a more positive spirit and a little more rock (i.e. "Luxembourg") than in past efforts, and taken together, this album is solid, should not disappoint any fans of his previous work, and even breaks some new ground for the aging Jesse Harris, who is 37 years of age. The percussive elements (by Refosco) are new for Harris and were inspired by African/Brazilian music. "It Washed Away" is the prime example of that influence, with both Borger and Refosco on percussion and Refosco also on vibes.
The fact that this CD, as good as it sounds, was recorded in just three days, without much rehearsal at all is even more impressive. One wonders what other territory Harris could've explored with more time.
Finally, I must admit that initially, there were just a few songs on this CD I really liked. The album had to grow on me before I finally got it, and so probably spent more time trying to pick up on all the elements of it than Harris spent actually recording it. Now, I just let Feel play all the way through without a thought. That should tell you all you need to know about the quality of this recording. It's summertime music, so go check it out now while it's still hot!
For more info, visit his official site or his myspace page. Click here for the Jesse Harris Media Player.
Feel is in Internet and retail stores now on Velour Recordings.
http://www.blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/17/061636.php
NYC singer/songwriter and former Grammy winner Jesse Harris is a busy man these days. He recently acted in and wrote the soundtrack to Ethan Hawke's film The Hottest State; the bulk of those songs were covered exclusively for the soundtrack by such indie stalwarts as Cat Power, M. Ward, Bright Eyes, Feist, and even Willie Nelson. Now, just in time for the middle of the summer season, Harris releases his seventh solo album, Feel, a collection of easygoing tropical folk pop ditties, some of which hint at or explore other genres.
There are six other musicians who play or sing on the record, but the work is clearly Harris's, as it always has been, even when he started out in 1999 as Jesse Harris and the Ferdinandos. He has since dropped the band from the name and made records as a solo artist, but made a wise decision in holding over bassist Tim Luntzel, whose electric and upright bass playing never outshines Jesse, but adds strong dynamics to his best work.
Though Feel is a long player chock full of slow and midtempo tracks, ironically, it moves along at a fast pace, with more than half of them checking in at under three minutes. The album itself is just under forty minutes long.
The loudest song (for Harris, anyway) comes first, with title track "Feel." It starts out with just a folky acoustic riff, followed by the rest of the band and then a solo done on a distorted electric guitar, which makes the first of its rather infrequent appearances on the record. Not that having minimal electric guitar here is a bad thing. Quite the opposite.
The next song, "I Don't Mind," has a steady, upright bass rhythm, light hand drumming by Andrew Borger - who previously worked with Norah Jones - and is the most peaceful, gorgeous acoustic-based track on the record. And for you guitarists out there, it's played with a capo on the fourth fret.
It's a perfect soundtrack for watching the sunset (instead of just looking at pictures of it, as Harris says he does in the song itself). The main melody Harris plays on acoustic guitar is bright yet quiet, and to these ears, has one note in particular that has a long, sustained ring that at first it sounds like it's coming from a wind instrument.
On the somewhat jazzy "Where To Start," you can almost picture Harris's former fellow Grammy-winning collaborator Norah Jones - who remade his Ferdinandos-era cut "Don't Know Why" in 2002 into a worldwide hit - saying, "Jesse, I can jazz this one up a bit too, if you'd like." Violinist Jenny Scheinman, who makes some appearances on Feel, also worked with Norah Jones on her debut hit record Come Away With Me.
Organist (and pianist) Jon Dryden gets to show off his skills a bit on some tracks, including "After All," which also features background vocals by guest Richard Julian, a Delaware-born folk artist, currently based in New York City.
Vibraphones and soft percussion (courtesy of Mauro Refosco) accompany the smoothly played acoustic melodies of "Walk On," while high-pitched piano chords highlight the breezy, weather-themed "The Wind." The similarly themed "How Could It Take So Long?" features Harris on banjo and harmonica, where he displays a hint of the blues. Speaking of bluesy pop stars, on these two tracks, Harris sounds a bit like John Mayer or David Gray, at least vocally; in the past, other critics have compared him to artists like Jackson Browne.
Overall, most of this record will get you through these lazy summer days, but there are some that are sleepy slow, most notably "If I Had No Name," or are half-decent but have heard it before, like the intimate, waltzy love song "You And Me."
Thankfully though, Jesse Harris saves arguably his best and most surprising (to these ears) composition for last, the reggae-inflected "Fire On The Ocean." Heavy on organ and percussion, this upbeat track, even if it's written in a minor key, ends the album on a happy, head-bopping note.
Feel has a more positive spirit and a little more rock (i.e. "Luxembourg") than in past efforts, and taken together, this album is solid, should not disappoint any fans of his previous work, and even breaks some new ground for the aging Jesse Harris, who is 37 years of age. The percussive elements (by Refosco) are new for Harris and were inspired by African/Brazilian music. "It Washed Away" is the prime example of that influence, with both Borger and Refosco on percussion and Refosco also on vibes.
The fact that this CD, as good as it sounds, was recorded in just three days, without much rehearsal at all is even more impressive. One wonders what other territory Harris could've explored with more time.
Finally, I must admit that initially, there were just a few songs on this CD I really liked. The album had to grow on me before I finally got it, and so probably spent more time trying to pick up on all the elements of it than Harris spent actually recording it. Now, I just let Feel play all the way through without a thought. That should tell you all you need to know about the quality of this recording. It's summertime music, so go check it out now while it's still hot!
For more info, visit his official site or his myspace page. Click here for the Jesse Harris Media Player.
Feel is in Internet and retail stores now on Velour Recordings.
Concert Review: Unwritten Law, July 1, 2007, Boston, At Axis
Note: This article was previously posted at Blogcritics at the following link:
http://www.blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/07/170236.php
All in all, it was a strong set and a rockin' show, for a Sunday night, but with a little more energy and focus, it could've been even better.
http://www.blogcritics.org/archives/2007/07/07/170236.php
Warped Tour veterans and Southern California power punk rockers Unwritten Law came to Boston last Sunday, July 1st and rocked Axis, a small club across the street from Fenway Park, just hours after the Red Sox played.
For a Sunday night, the audience did show up, though it wasn't completely full to the brim. There were three opening acts, most notably Zebrahead, an Orange County, California punk/rap-rock band. The lack of a full house didn't seem to affect the band. In fact, Unwritten Law even had fun with the fans, with singer Scott Russo claiming early in the show that the last time he came to Boston, he was "wasted," then after some clatter said, "And you were too!."
This time around, the ambitious foursome from San Diego were here to promote The Hit List, their compilation of best known songs over a 17-year career that has found them covering lots of ground, from skate punk to hard rock and punk pop.
Tonight, they aimed to please their older fans, starting out with the excellent "Teenage Suicide" from their 1998 Self-Titled CD, then launching into heavy rockers like the acoustic-turned-grungy "Shoulda Known Better," where Russo even raps some verses.
"Celebration Song" came next and is perhaps one of the heaviest numbers in their catalog, and was followed by their semi-hit "Seein' Red." In the digital age we are in, the crowd took out their cell phones - instead of lighters, like the old days - and waved them in their air during the song's hypnotic instrumental parts and verses.
Well into the concert, Russo and guitarist Steve Morris traded cigarettes between new song "Welcome to Oblivion" and "Rest of My Life," done on acoustic by Russo, and the audience was then treated to such oldies as the Blink 182-ish "Shallow" and the crunch of "Up All Night."
Though the band was as tight as ever and Russo looked like he was having a blast, his stage antics were often hurting, not helping, him.
All in all, it was a strong set and a rockin' show, for a Sunday night, but with a little more energy and focus, it could've been even better.
Pearl Jam - Live At The Gorge (CD Box Set)
Note: This article was previously posted on Blogcritics.org at the following link:
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/06/30/203304.php
Veteran Seattle rock heroes Pearl Jam have always been fan-friendly, especially when it comes to selling their concerts. Either they do it themselves or allow fan clubs to sell bootlegs of them to the public, whether they were fantastic, sloppy, or somewhere in between.
Looking for a unique way to highlight their 2005-2006 World Tour, Pearl Jam have now decided to officially release a seven-disc long box set of three of the most demanded concerts by their fans, all of which are from the same venue, The Gorge Ampitheatre in George, Washington. Judging by the CD sampler of the box set and the online streaming of the shows, it's easy to understand why the band would want their true fans to have these three epic performances together in one package.
The first three discs feature the September 1, 2005 show at The Gorge. This performance stands out not only because it officially kicked off their 2005-2006 World Tour, but because of the long acoustic set that begins the show. Standouts include the Jeff Ament-penned "Low Light," a slow, folky tune with lovely group vocals, and beloved oldies such as the Victoria Williams cover "Crazy Mary" and "Black," where the audience can be almost as loud as the band as they sing out the lyrics.
The electric set started with a slightly sped up version of "Given To Fly," and all throughout the rest of the show is a mix of old favorites like "Evenflow," "Alive," "Corduroy," and "State of Love and Trust," along with never played tunes like "Undone" and rarely played ones like "Sad." And then comes the three encores, which include a rare performance of Mother Love Bone's "Crown of Thorns," Tom Petty's classic "I Won't Back Down," "Last Kiss," and finally, The Who's "Baba O'Riley," which was done in pure raw, hard rock fashion.
CDs four and five have the July 22, 2006 performance and the last two have the July 23, 2006 show, which was the last one of their American leg of the tour before heading overseas. Both shows are equally amazing, long and exhausting, but what else would you expect from a band with a catalog as big and strong as Pearl Jam? Yes, there are some songs that are repeated from show to show ("Yellow Ledbetter" and "Given to Fly" in particular), but there are exactly 100 songs on this box set, and there's more than enough songs from Pearl Jam's back catalog to make the long-time fans happy (myself included).
The second show (July 22, 2006) starts off with the Ten b-side "Wash," followed by a slew of songs from the old and the new, including "Severed Hand," "Worldwide Suicide," and four more from last year's highly praised Pearl Jam disc. Other memorable performances from this show include a medley of "Daughter" and Dead Moon's "It's OK." The rarity "Dirty Frank," — which hadn't been played since 1994 — is followed by the often covered Neil Young anthem "Rockin' In The Free World" and show closer "Yellow Ledbetter."
Show number three (July 23, 2006) has another Neil Young cover often played over the years, "F*kin' Up," which sounds even heavier than the original, and a Hendrix cover, "Little Wing." Long-time fans will love the inclusion of "Rats," "Jeremy," "Garden" and "Animal" from this show, along with two songs that were made for a medley: "Betterman" and English Beat's "Save It For Later." The band doesn't even have to dramatically change the chords during the transition to the latter, as Eddie seamlessly adds the lyrics of "Save It" to the end of "Betterman."
Pearl Jam can still rock hard and for long periods of time, never showing signs of their age and nearly seventeen years of existence. The band is in peak form here. Their versatility is incomparable, and their energy on stage radiates toward the hometown audience, which seems to be enjoying nearly all seven-and-a-half hours of the three Gorge shows combined.
Finally, as for why these series of shows were chosen in particular for a box set, guitarist Mike McCready said in a recent interview that these were "above par" performances that really highlighted their 2005-2006 World Tour. In addition, McCready said the Gorge Ampitheatre, an outdoor venue, was the most beautiful setting he's ever played at, with the Columbia River as a backrop and a colorful sunset to play in view of. Hence, the gorgeous cover (and the set itself).
Until the DVD set comes out (one can only hope), this CD set will certainly do, and will satisfy anyone who has ever taken interest in Pearl Jam, who once again prove why they were and still are one of the best rock bands of our generation.
Pearl Jam's Live At The Gorge 05/06 CD Box Set is in stores this week. If you'd like to preview nine songs from the box set, check out the E-card here.
http://blogcritics.org/archives/2007/06/30/203304.php
Veteran Seattle rock heroes Pearl Jam have always been fan-friendly, especially when it comes to selling their concerts. Either they do it themselves or allow fan clubs to sell bootlegs of them to the public, whether they were fantastic, sloppy, or somewhere in between.
Looking for a unique way to highlight their 2005-2006 World Tour, Pearl Jam have now decided to officially release a seven-disc long box set of three of the most demanded concerts by their fans, all of which are from the same venue, The Gorge Ampitheatre in George, Washington. Judging by the CD sampler of the box set and the online streaming of the shows, it's easy to understand why the band would want their true fans to have these three epic performances together in one package.
The first three discs feature the September 1, 2005 show at The Gorge. This performance stands out not only because it officially kicked off their 2005-2006 World Tour, but because of the long acoustic set that begins the show. Standouts include the Jeff Ament-penned "Low Light," a slow, folky tune with lovely group vocals, and beloved oldies such as the Victoria Williams cover "Crazy Mary" and "Black," where the audience can be almost as loud as the band as they sing out the lyrics.
The electric set started with a slightly sped up version of "Given To Fly," and all throughout the rest of the show is a mix of old favorites like "Evenflow," "Alive," "Corduroy," and "State of Love and Trust," along with never played tunes like "Undone" and rarely played ones like "Sad." And then comes the three encores, which include a rare performance of Mother Love Bone's "Crown of Thorns," Tom Petty's classic "I Won't Back Down," "Last Kiss," and finally, The Who's "Baba O'Riley," which was done in pure raw, hard rock fashion.
CDs four and five have the July 22, 2006 performance and the last two have the July 23, 2006 show, which was the last one of their American leg of the tour before heading overseas. Both shows are equally amazing, long and exhausting, but what else would you expect from a band with a catalog as big and strong as Pearl Jam? Yes, there are some songs that are repeated from show to show ("Yellow Ledbetter" and "Given to Fly" in particular), but there are exactly 100 songs on this box set, and there's more than enough songs from Pearl Jam's back catalog to make the long-time fans happy (myself included).
The second show (July 22, 2006) starts off with the Ten b-side "Wash," followed by a slew of songs from the old and the new, including "Severed Hand," "Worldwide Suicide," and four more from last year's highly praised Pearl Jam disc. Other memorable performances from this show include a medley of "Daughter" and Dead Moon's "It's OK." The rarity "Dirty Frank," — which hadn't been played since 1994 — is followed by the often covered Neil Young anthem "Rockin' In The Free World" and show closer "Yellow Ledbetter."
Show number three (July 23, 2006) has another Neil Young cover often played over the years, "F*kin' Up," which sounds even heavier than the original, and a Hendrix cover, "Little Wing." Long-time fans will love the inclusion of "Rats," "Jeremy," "Garden" and "Animal" from this show, along with two songs that were made for a medley: "Betterman" and English Beat's "Save It For Later." The band doesn't even have to dramatically change the chords during the transition to the latter, as Eddie seamlessly adds the lyrics of "Save It" to the end of "Betterman."
Pearl Jam can still rock hard and for long periods of time, never showing signs of their age and nearly seventeen years of existence. The band is in peak form here. Their versatility is incomparable, and their energy on stage radiates toward the hometown audience, which seems to be enjoying nearly all seven-and-a-half hours of the three Gorge shows combined.
Finally, as for why these series of shows were chosen in particular for a box set, guitarist Mike McCready said in a recent interview that these were "above par" performances that really highlighted their 2005-2006 World Tour. In addition, McCready said the Gorge Ampitheatre, an outdoor venue, was the most beautiful setting he's ever played at, with the Columbia River as a backrop and a colorful sunset to play in view of. Hence, the gorgeous cover (and the set itself).
Until the DVD set comes out (one can only hope), this CD set will certainly do, and will satisfy anyone who has ever taken interest in Pearl Jam, who once again prove why they were and still are one of the best rock bands of our generation.
Pearl Jam's Live At The Gorge 05/06 CD Box Set is in stores this week. If you'd like to preview nine songs from the box set, check out the E-card here.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Music Review: Starcode Shines On Debut LP
New York City-based power pop rockers Starcode have no record label, but created a buzz this year after promoting their self-released debut album Hum to over 100 college radio stations in the U.S., from Iowa to Philadelphia, with help from Organic Entertainment. And after wearing out the repeat button on my stereo system while listening to this whole album the past few days, it's no wonder why Starcode has garnered so much attention in recent months.
Produced by Dale Penner (Nickelback) and mastered by Adam Ayan (A Perfect Circle, Nirvana), Hum clocks in at just under 40 minutes long, with all but two tracks under the four minute mark. From start to finish, Starcode have recorded 11 strong, radio-ready rockers that never stray from their unique formula of spacey power pop.
One of the many highlights of the album, "Fine" features an unrelenting metallic groove that only rests during the chorus, and is complimented by Paul Koelbel's electronic blurbs and synths. "Crash," perhaps the most spacey power pop track on the record, starts with guitarists Chris Conti and John Delehanty mixing in some cool, quiet harmonic notes over a hypnotic phaser or chorus effect before bassist/lead vocalist Dave O'Connor chimes in with his lyrics. As he utters the first word, "Crash," O'Connor almost sounds like Billy Corgan, but not quite. And though the spirit of punk rock pervades the album, unlike many of today's young, angst-ridden punk rock and so-called "emo" bands, O'Connor sings angry-sounding phrases like "[I]f I could come back to watch you cry/To really be there to haunt you/To suck the life out of you" loudly, but without angst, calculated or otherwise.
"Another Day" has everything from the punch of punk rock to summery, vibrating guitar lines, electronic loops, and even acoustic guitars, along with a memorable, albeit short and effect-laden guitar solo. Both "Another Day" and "Crash" have been in heavy rotation at college radio stations across the country this Spring.
Other standouts include "Ordinary," with its pretty melodies and solid drum work by Dave O'Connor's brother Dani, who also pounds away on "Sunshine," which leads off the CD and doesn't waste any time showing off their power rock prowess. On "Lately," their U2 influence can be heard in its opening and closing moments, and the last two songs, "I Don't" and "More Time," have Koelbel multitasking between his Wurlitzer on the former track and piano on the latter.
On Hum, Starcode has made one of the debut records of the year thus far, and certainly adds a distinct chapter to the power pop genre. With material as well crafted and produced as this, there's no telling how far Starcode can go. And if their college radio tour this past Spring gives any indication, it's only a matter of time before commercial alternative rock radio stations pick the album up and take this band to a whole new level of success.
Starcode will be headlining a free, all-day outdoor concert this Saturday, June 23, in Guilderland, New York at the Tawasentha Performing Art Center, just outside of Albany. For more info on the band, go to Starcode's official page or their myspace page.
Produced by Dale Penner (Nickelback) and mastered by Adam Ayan (A Perfect Circle, Nirvana), Hum clocks in at just under 40 minutes long, with all but two tracks under the four minute mark. From start to finish, Starcode have recorded 11 strong, radio-ready rockers that never stray from their unique formula of spacey power pop.
One of the many highlights of the album, "Fine" features an unrelenting metallic groove that only rests during the chorus, and is complimented by Paul Koelbel's electronic blurbs and synths. "Crash," perhaps the most spacey power pop track on the record, starts with guitarists Chris Conti and John Delehanty mixing in some cool, quiet harmonic notes over a hypnotic phaser or chorus effect before bassist/lead vocalist Dave O'Connor chimes in with his lyrics. As he utters the first word, "Crash," O'Connor almost sounds like Billy Corgan, but not quite. And though the spirit of punk rock pervades the album, unlike many of today's young, angst-ridden punk rock and so-called "emo" bands, O'Connor sings angry-sounding phrases like "[I]f I could come back to watch you cry/To really be there to haunt you/To suck the life out of you" loudly, but without angst, calculated or otherwise.
"Another Day" has everything from the punch of punk rock to summery, vibrating guitar lines, electronic loops, and even acoustic guitars, along with a memorable, albeit short and effect-laden guitar solo. Both "Another Day" and "Crash" have been in heavy rotation at college radio stations across the country this Spring.
Other standouts include "Ordinary," with its pretty melodies and solid drum work by Dave O'Connor's brother Dani, who also pounds away on "Sunshine," which leads off the CD and doesn't waste any time showing off their power rock prowess. On "Lately," their U2 influence can be heard in its opening and closing moments, and the last two songs, "I Don't" and "More Time," have Koelbel multitasking between his Wurlitzer on the former track and piano on the latter.
On Hum, Starcode has made one of the debut records of the year thus far, and certainly adds a distinct chapter to the power pop genre. With material as well crafted and produced as this, there's no telling how far Starcode can go. And if their college radio tour this past Spring gives any indication, it's only a matter of time before commercial alternative rock radio stations pick the album up and take this band to a whole new level of success.
Starcode will be headlining a free, all-day outdoor concert this Saturday, June 23, in Guilderland, New York at the Tawasentha Performing Art Center, just outside of Albany. For more info on the band, go to Starcode's official page or their myspace page.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Pedroia, The Next Youk? Drew, The New Bellhorn?
Instead of being the typical sports talk show caller in my hometown of Boston, who, at this point literally has to dig for issues to whine about concerning the Red Sox, I think it would be wise to just enjoy this unbelievable run they are on and look at any negatives in full context - the fact that most of the struggling players, however few of them there are right now, are new to Boston, for instance. But focusing on the sub-par play of a few players (Coco Crisp, J.D. Drew) takes away from the fact that the Red Sox have an 11½ game lead over their arch rival, the Yankees. No other first place team has such a big lead over their division opponents. And they are in the top 3 or 5 in many hitting and pitching categories in the American League.
To get this big lead, the Sox have many players playing at or well above expectations. Perhaps none more than Hideki Okajima, on the pitching side. With his ERA still around 1.00 this far into the season, he may just be the most dominant setup man you (and closer Jonathan Papelbon) could ask for.
As for the hitters, the only rookie among the starting nine has exceeded all expectations, and done so rather quickly, considering his slow start. Of course, I'm talking about second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Remember when the Sox had little talent in their farm system? I sure do. How fast times change. Just in the last two years or so, we have seen the emergence of Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester — the southpaw who got off to an impressive start before coming down with Lymphoma last year and is now cured and almost ready to make his much anticipated comeback to the Sox rotation — and now Pedroia.
Sure, Pedroia got off to a slow start, which made some impatient fans cry for Alex Cora to play more, but that wasn't unexpected. In fact, I didn't know what to expect from him other than good, solid defense. To this point, he's only made two errors on the year. By contrast, his predecessor Mark Loretta made only four last year, but he was a veteran and a solid one at that.
Though he got some at bats late in 2006, Pedroia is still a rookie, and a confident one at that. And why not? Looking at his college and short minor league career, I would be too if I was named Defensive Player of the year in 2003 at Arizona State, co-player of that same year in the PAC-10, and had a whopping .466 OBP in three years at ASU!
Last year at Pawtucket, he was an all-star who ranked 4th in the International League in batting average, and was 3rd in OBP. But what Pedroia may take the most pride in is that he became the first of the 2004 Sox draft picks to reach the majors in late August.
Pedroia, like Kevin Youkilis, had one hell of a May and is now batting well over .300, has more hits than J.D. Drew(!), and has an astounding OBP of .394. With those numbers and sound defensive play, Pedroia could be turning into the next Youkilis. But with only one-third of the season completed, it's too early to tell whether that comparison will hold up. Besides, Pedroia has yet to hit that "rookie wall."
Additionally, one must remember that the circumstances around Pedroia's rise are far different than the considerably longer journey it took Youkilis to get his chance to play full-time, which was three years (2004-2006). The Sox had Bill Mueller at third base and Kevin Millar/Doug Mientkiewicz at first base when Youk, who came up as a third baseman, was a rookie in '04. In 2005, GM Theo Epstein brought in John Olerud to join Millar at first base for the playoff run. Youk, meanwhile, was sent down to Pawtucket four times that season.
In short, there just wasn't room for Youk to play full-time at any time until 2006, when the first base job opened up after Millar wasn't re-signed and Olerud retired; Pedroia, meanwhile, had the second base job waiting for him this year (Alex Cora, a true class act, never complained and knows he has multiple roles with the Sox to fulfill).
Another key difference: While Youk is considered a late bloomer, Pedroia is only 23 years old, so there's no guarantee that he will get 400 at bats this year. If he does struggle, he may warm the bench for a while, but definitely won't be sent down to the minors multiple times either, unless Theo decides that a combined Pedroia/Cora performance is so inadequate that he needs to sign or trade for a veteran at the fast-approaching July trading deadline.
So, in all, while there may be differences between Pedroia and Youkilis in terms of how they got here, in all, they are both at the top of their game right now and tearing up American League pitching. The right side of the Red Sox infield is looking more promising and stable than it has in a long, long time.
As for the aforementioned J.D. Drew, his HR numbers and batting average may be way down, but in what is widely considered one of the toughest right fields to play in MLB at Fenway, Drew has been very good at handling it in his first two months on the job (his 3 errors aside). And Drew has had an OBP above or just below .350 for much of the year, which is what the Theo Epsteins of the world will tell you is just as important, if not more so, than batting average when it comes to helping a team win.
Even though he's 0-10 in six games against the Yankees so far this season (going into the weekend series at Fenway), J.D. Drew has been in the middle of some of the most memorable late-inning rallies of the season, including the so-called "Mother's Day Miracle" vs. the Orioles. Yes, he hasn't done it with his bat but knows the strike zone better than most and is currently 2nd on the Sox in walks.
So the question is, at age 31, are we going to see the power numbers improve as the season goes along — assuming he stays healthy, of course — or are his hitting skills now declining to the point where he will be about as productive as Mark Bellhorn was in 2004? Which is to say good, but not great. Drew walks like Bellhorn, strikes out often like Bellhorn, but also gets on base like Bellhorn.
The problem is, unlike Mark, J.D. is getting paid eight-figure dollars to protect Manny and succeed the ultimate dirt dog Trot Nixon. If he can get to 70 RBIs, that would be quite an accomplishment at this point, having only driven in 17 in April and May combined.
With Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek batting behind him and playing much better than expected, and Manny starting to heat up, Drew needs to rack up the hits and have a strong June and July to make this lineup peak and prove that he can be the number five hitter Theo envisioned and signed him to be.
Note: This post was last updated June 6, 2006 at 1:02pm.
To get this big lead, the Sox have many players playing at or well above expectations. Perhaps none more than Hideki Okajima, on the pitching side. With his ERA still around 1.00 this far into the season, he may just be the most dominant setup man you (and closer Jonathan Papelbon) could ask for.
As for the hitters, the only rookie among the starting nine has exceeded all expectations, and done so rather quickly, considering his slow start. Of course, I'm talking about second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Remember when the Sox had little talent in their farm system? I sure do. How fast times change. Just in the last two years or so, we have seen the emergence of Jonathan Papelbon, Kevin Youkilis, Jon Lester — the southpaw who got off to an impressive start before coming down with Lymphoma last year and is now cured and almost ready to make his much anticipated comeback to the Sox rotation — and now Pedroia.
Sure, Pedroia got off to a slow start, which made some impatient fans cry for Alex Cora to play more, but that wasn't unexpected. In fact, I didn't know what to expect from him other than good, solid defense. To this point, he's only made two errors on the year. By contrast, his predecessor Mark Loretta made only four last year, but he was a veteran and a solid one at that.
Though he got some at bats late in 2006, Pedroia is still a rookie, and a confident one at that. And why not? Looking at his college and short minor league career, I would be too if I was named Defensive Player of the year in 2003 at Arizona State, co-player of that same year in the PAC-10, and had a whopping .466 OBP in three years at ASU!
Last year at Pawtucket, he was an all-star who ranked 4th in the International League in batting average, and was 3rd in OBP. But what Pedroia may take the most pride in is that he became the first of the 2004 Sox draft picks to reach the majors in late August.
Pedroia, like Kevin Youkilis, had one hell of a May and is now batting well over .300, has more hits than J.D. Drew(!), and has an astounding OBP of .394. With those numbers and sound defensive play, Pedroia could be turning into the next Youkilis. But with only one-third of the season completed, it's too early to tell whether that comparison will hold up. Besides, Pedroia has yet to hit that "rookie wall."
Additionally, one must remember that the circumstances around Pedroia's rise are far different than the considerably longer journey it took Youkilis to get his chance to play full-time, which was three years (2004-2006). The Sox had Bill Mueller at third base and Kevin Millar/Doug Mientkiewicz at first base when Youk, who came up as a third baseman, was a rookie in '04. In 2005, GM Theo Epstein brought in John Olerud to join Millar at first base for the playoff run. Youk, meanwhile, was sent down to Pawtucket four times that season.
In short, there just wasn't room for Youk to play full-time at any time until 2006, when the first base job opened up after Millar wasn't re-signed and Olerud retired; Pedroia, meanwhile, had the second base job waiting for him this year (Alex Cora, a true class act, never complained and knows he has multiple roles with the Sox to fulfill).
Another key difference: While Youk is considered a late bloomer, Pedroia is only 23 years old, so there's no guarantee that he will get 400 at bats this year. If he does struggle, he may warm the bench for a while, but definitely won't be sent down to the minors multiple times either, unless Theo decides that a combined Pedroia/Cora performance is so inadequate that he needs to sign or trade for a veteran at the fast-approaching July trading deadline.
So, in all, while there may be differences between Pedroia and Youkilis in terms of how they got here, in all, they are both at the top of their game right now and tearing up American League pitching. The right side of the Red Sox infield is looking more promising and stable than it has in a long, long time.
As for the aforementioned J.D. Drew, his HR numbers and batting average may be way down, but in what is widely considered one of the toughest right fields to play in MLB at Fenway, Drew has been very good at handling it in his first two months on the job (his 3 errors aside). And Drew has had an OBP above or just below .350 for much of the year, which is what the Theo Epsteins of the world will tell you is just as important, if not more so, than batting average when it comes to helping a team win.
Even though he's 0-10 in six games against the Yankees so far this season (going into the weekend series at Fenway), J.D. Drew has been in the middle of some of the most memorable late-inning rallies of the season, including the so-called "Mother's Day Miracle" vs. the Orioles. Yes, he hasn't done it with his bat but knows the strike zone better than most and is currently 2nd on the Sox in walks.
So the question is, at age 31, are we going to see the power numbers improve as the season goes along — assuming he stays healthy, of course — or are his hitting skills now declining to the point where he will be about as productive as Mark Bellhorn was in 2004? Which is to say good, but not great. Drew walks like Bellhorn, strikes out often like Bellhorn, but also gets on base like Bellhorn.
The problem is, unlike Mark, J.D. is getting paid eight-figure dollars to protect Manny and succeed the ultimate dirt dog Trot Nixon. If he can get to 70 RBIs, that would be quite an accomplishment at this point, having only driven in 17 in April and May combined.
With Mike Lowell and Jason Varitek batting behind him and playing much better than expected, and Manny starting to heat up, Drew needs to rack up the hits and have a strong June and July to make this lineup peak and prove that he can be the number five hitter Theo envisioned and signed him to be.
Note: This post was last updated June 6, 2006 at 1:02pm.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
They're back! Smashing Pumpkins v. 2.0
It wasn't too long ago that some die-hard Smashing Pumpkins fans sent a petition around the Internet to get, or should I say, demand that the Virgin Records Company officially release a DVD of the final Smashing Pumpkins show at the Metro in Chicago on 12/2/00.
So here we are, nearly six-and-a-half years later, and the Smashing Pumpkins have not only reformed, but recorded an album called Zeitgeist due out in early July and sold out an insane amount of shows overseas and at home. Seems silly now to even think about getting that so-called "last" show on DVD now, doesn't it? Although in the interest of full disclosure, I signed the petition (electronically) but didn't really expect it to amount to anything, because even I had a feeling that, in an era where beloved rock bands are constantly reforming (Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Black Sabbath), that Billy himself wasn't going to ignore the humongous SP catalog for the rest of his life and would bring the band and music back before he got old. He was, after all only 33 years-old when he retired the band.
But between now and when SP broke up, he had an indie-allstar collaborative called Zwan to rock and roll with. Their one and only album Mary Star of The Sea was very good but didn't sell commercially and in 2003, Billy broke up that band after about two years.
Then, on June 21, 2005, Corgan, while promoting his underrated solo debut album The Future Embrace announced that he would indeed reform the Smashing Pumpkins. And it's been a looong wait even since then for new material to surface.
Finally, this past weekend (May 18, specifically), the first single from the new album leaked on radio stations across the country and the Internet. Called "Tarantula," it kicks some serious ass in a way not heard since the MCIS days. Assuming this is one of the tracks produced by the legendary Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker (and not the equally talented Terry Date), the guitar sound even has a bit of a Brian May feel to it, Billy throws in some bluesy licks and just plain wails away on guitar throughout. The cool and kickin' main rhythm of "Tarantula" uses the same notes (E,G,C) as the treasured "1979" b-side "Ugly," but is played totally differently. The song's arrangement as a whole starts out pretty straightforwardly, but goes places (think "Geek U.S.A.") and the song overall gets an A+ from me. Excellent choice for a first taste of what's to come.
So here we are, nearly six-and-a-half years later, and the Smashing Pumpkins have not only reformed, but recorded an album called Zeitgeist due out in early July and sold out an insane amount of shows overseas and at home. Seems silly now to even think about getting that so-called "last" show on DVD now, doesn't it? Although in the interest of full disclosure, I signed the petition (electronically) but didn't really expect it to amount to anything, because even I had a feeling that, in an era where beloved rock bands are constantly reforming (Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Black Sabbath), that Billy himself wasn't going to ignore the humongous SP catalog for the rest of his life and would bring the band and music back before he got old. He was, after all only 33 years-old when he retired the band.
But between now and when SP broke up, he had an indie-allstar collaborative called Zwan to rock and roll with. Their one and only album Mary Star of The Sea was very good but didn't sell commercially and in 2003, Billy broke up that band after about two years.
Then, on June 21, 2005, Corgan, while promoting his underrated solo debut album The Future Embrace announced that he would indeed reform the Smashing Pumpkins. And it's been a looong wait even since then for new material to surface.
Finally, this past weekend (May 18, specifically), the first single from the new album leaked on radio stations across the country and the Internet. Called "Tarantula," it kicks some serious ass in a way not heard since the MCIS days. Assuming this is one of the tracks produced by the legendary Queen producer Roy Thomas Baker (and not the equally talented Terry Date), the guitar sound even has a bit of a Brian May feel to it, Billy throws in some bluesy licks and just plain wails away on guitar throughout. The cool and kickin' main rhythm of "Tarantula" uses the same notes (E,G,C) as the treasured "1979" b-side "Ugly," but is played totally differently. The song's arrangement as a whole starts out pretty straightforwardly, but goes places (think "Geek U.S.A.") and the song overall gets an A+ from me. Excellent choice for a first taste of what's to come.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
"Politico" does it again
Politico is a rather new print and online newspaper in Washington, but their influence in American politics has been felt rather quickly, and that hasn't been a good thing. Lately, Media Matters for America has flagged a few of their writers for misinformation and smears on Democrats.
This morning, around 11am, writer Ben Smith posted on the front page of politico.com as fact that John Edwards was going to suspend his presidential campaign, AND may drop out completely due to the reoccurence of his wife's breast cancer. He later updated his story to say that the Edwards campaign denied those statements, then issued a complete apology on his blog to his readers early this afternoon (AFTER Edwards and Elizabeth spoke to the press in the 12pm hour).
He admitted that his story was based on one anonymous source, one that he claims has been a reliable source of his for years and said was a "friend" of the Edwards campaign (and NOT a part of it). More importantly though, Smith basically broke a long-standing rule of journalism, which is to verify your key information in a report with at least TWO independent sources, especially if they're anonymous.
In the 24-hour news cycle we live in, journalists feel the competitive pressure often times to get their story out there first, but there's no excuse for not meeting some basic requirements of journalism. Who knows how Ben Smith's bosses will treat him after this incident, but it is just one more chapter of misinformation by this newspaper, at the expense of the same political party, he Dems, and hopefully enough major media outlets will see through that soon and point out their biased or untrustworthy writers in the future. Candy Crowley and CNN sort of did today when she said Politico is known for having "crackerjack" reporters. That's a decent start.
This morning, around 11am, writer Ben Smith posted on the front page of politico.com as fact that John Edwards was going to suspend his presidential campaign, AND may drop out completely due to the reoccurence of his wife's breast cancer. He later updated his story to say that the Edwards campaign denied those statements, then issued a complete apology on his blog to his readers early this afternoon (AFTER Edwards and Elizabeth spoke to the press in the 12pm hour).
He admitted that his story was based on one anonymous source, one that he claims has been a reliable source of his for years and said was a "friend" of the Edwards campaign (and NOT a part of it). More importantly though, Smith basically broke a long-standing rule of journalism, which is to verify your key information in a report with at least TWO independent sources, especially if they're anonymous.
In the 24-hour news cycle we live in, journalists feel the competitive pressure often times to get their story out there first, but there's no excuse for not meeting some basic requirements of journalism. Who knows how Ben Smith's bosses will treat him after this incident, but it is just one more chapter of misinformation by this newspaper, at the expense of the same political party, he Dems, and hopefully enough major media outlets will see through that soon and point out their biased or untrustworthy writers in the future. Candy Crowley and CNN sort of did today when she said Politico is known for having "crackerjack" reporters. That's a decent start.
Monday, March 05, 2007
Boston Celtics: Trials and Tribulations
Before I begin, let me just point out that it was a week ago tonight that Celtic great Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell got burned by first, the local media, then an out-of-control mainstream media (surprise, surprise) for what Glenn Ordway and others called a Tom Heinsohn "impression" of a referee.
Nevermind that last Monday night, the Celtics started their current 4-game win streak by beating an undermanned Houston Rockets team. What the media in this town did and elsewhere after Maxwell's remark was plain pathetic, simply said. First, they claimed his insult of a fellow black, female referee was a joke, then those who thought he was serious compared him to the anti-gay and former NBA star Tim Hardaway, or like AOL sports, described him as a towel-waving reserve/bench player from the '80s - a description that is not only wrong, but often describes former Celtics player and coach M.L. Carr.
But what is most insulting is what some of my favorite WEEI broadcasters are saying: that Maxwell was doing an "act" that he always does, this time it was making fun of how Tom Heinsohn criticizes referees. Other than the groans and "agghs" at the end of his rant, at NO POINT is Maxwell's remark that the female official Violet Palmer should "Go back to the kitchen...and make some eggs" an ACCURATE impression of the great Tom Heinsohn.
If Glenn Ordway is right, that Cedric was just "mimicking" Heinsohn, one is to imply that Heinsohn made sexist comments about female referees in the past 20+ years he's been broadcasting NBA games. I've never heard of one instance of such a case, and if you did, please fill me in, 'cuz his reputation would have been scarred for life in this town no doubt.
Not even Danny Ainge found what Maxwell said to be funny or appropriate and rightly believed Max needed to apologize for what he said. But Max did a lawyerly apology last Wednesday and basically said "if" what I said offended anyone, "then I apologize." He then went on to praise Ms. Palmer and say how she's come a long way to be in the NBA, blah blah blah.
The point is, I've been listening to Maxwell since his days with Howard David and I know his quirky (quacky) act, but Max (and Sean Grande, who basically started the rant by grunting Palmer's name) screwed up. And I believe they both knew it right away because if you listened to the audio clip of the rant (from WEEI or the Internet), you would rightly assume that the praising that Max and Grande did of Palmer RIGHT AFTER Max made his sexist rant was nothing but a CYA compliment meant to avoid the criticism he ultimately had to deal with.
Oh, and that winning streak the C's are on? That's not a good thing, according to some fans and pundits (Mike Felger, and the WEEI morning show crew among them). They would say the Celtics are so injured and so bad now that they should just give up, fake injuires and lose enough games to guarantee them a chance to get the #1 or #2 draft pick (either Oden or Durant). I disagree, at least for now. But if circumstances change drastically (such as any MORE key injuries or reinjuries, think Pierce or Big Al), then I may reconsider, but let's look at how the Celtics got to their present situation and how it informs my apparent minority view of what the team should do.
It's worth mentioning that before the season began, the C's tried to land a high-profile free agent and make a big-time trade, but Ainge failed to come up with one and instead made a puzzling trade that sent injury-plagued Raef LaFrentz to Portland for a popular but sometimes troubled young stud, Sebastian Telfair, who's played about one good month of ball this year so far. And speaking of injury-plagued, I just learned that Wally has been injuried 4 of the last 5 years. I know Ainge had to get rid of Blount and Davis (based on personality disorders, not lack of talent) but didn't he know he might be the Ken Griffey Jr. of the Celtics? Couldn't he have done better than Olowakandi and Wally? I barely liked the trade when it happened, I admit, but I didn't know the injury history that Ainge must have known - he gets paid to know, I don't, and I would've shopped Blount and Davis elsewhere or kept them if there were no takers (and benched either or both if they were such a distraction).
But Ainge really needs to stop shopping for damaged goods - hardly any Theo Ratliff this year and very little of Michael Olowakandi since he's been here. I understand that Ainge isn't the only reason that more than 70% (maybe higher) of the team has had mild-to-major injury problems this year; even Brian Scalabrini had to miss a few games. That's just bad luck. But the Celtics are sort of used to that by now, aren't they? And believe me, it hurts as a loyal fan to see all this talent and not even 20 wins to show for it.
Doc Rivers has coached his ass off this year and watched Big Al become a reliable scorer and rebounder, the likes Celtics fans haven't seen since Robert Parish left town. He's really taken second-year star-in-the-making Gerald Green under his wing and watched him fly to the net with one exciting dunk after another, win the NBA's annual slam-dunk contest, and get more confident in his shooting skills, scoring so much that Tom Heinsohn often yells "Get Gerald the ball!" And the Celtics have listened, as his PTS/Gm has soared to near 10 over the last couple of months. He's seen Delonte West fight through shooting struggles and injuries to become a leader by example (and hit some clutch, game-winning shots to boot). And Ryan Gomes, NOT Paul Pierce, has the team's only triple-double so far this year. Just in his second year as well, his talent proves that you can find solid NBA players in the second round of the draft.
What it comes down to is this: now that Pierce is about 90% of himself again and the team is starting to gel as a unit and win, they need to keep it up, become a spoiler and show the league and their fans what they could have been - a legitimate playoff team. (If they were healthy, the Celtics, who WERE in first place earlier this season, may have had a great chance of battling Toronto for the division title and thus home court in the first round of the playoffs.) They should be able to finish with around 23-25 wins, and in doing so, keep improving their young players in order to pull off a big trade for a reliable, top-notch veteran PG or big man like Pau Gasol.
Look, I know adding Greg Oden to the Celtics would be great for the franchise, no question. But he's only a freshman in college this year and there's no guarantee that he will become a great NBA player anytime soon. Established players like Pau Gasol, on the other hand give you instant offense and rebounding, and along with Jefferson, the one-two punch in the middle that Pierce and company need to win every night and be a perennial playoff contender (in the weaker of the two conferences). If the C's have to give up Perkins or Gomes, Wally and a draft pick as part of such a deal, so-be-it. He and players of his ilk are worth it and I'm sure Danny Ainge has his eyes set on a trade for someone like him. It's just a matter of who he's willing to give up to get the Gasol's of the league.
That type of deal should be the goal, as well as signing a big-time free agent now that the C's are out of salary cap hell. You must realize that being a cellar team is no way to attract big-time free agents. So please, knowing our luck with Tim Duncan, let's do the big trade and not HOPE the ping-pong balls bounce our way for Oden (who is right now, two years younger than Jefferson!).
The time is now for Ainge and Rivers to turn this franchise around, before it's too late, and before Pierce wants out of Boston or becomes a shell of himself as he enters his 30s.
Nevermind that last Monday night, the Celtics started their current 4-game win streak by beating an undermanned Houston Rockets team. What the media in this town did and elsewhere after Maxwell's remark was plain pathetic, simply said. First, they claimed his insult of a fellow black, female referee was a joke, then those who thought he was serious compared him to the anti-gay and former NBA star Tim Hardaway, or like AOL sports, described him as a towel-waving reserve/bench player from the '80s - a description that is not only wrong, but often describes former Celtics player and coach M.L. Carr.
But what is most insulting is what some of my favorite WEEI broadcasters are saying: that Maxwell was doing an "act" that he always does, this time it was making fun of how Tom Heinsohn criticizes referees. Other than the groans and "agghs" at the end of his rant, at NO POINT is Maxwell's remark that the female official Violet Palmer should "Go back to the kitchen...and make some eggs" an ACCURATE impression of the great Tom Heinsohn.
If Glenn Ordway is right, that Cedric was just "mimicking" Heinsohn, one is to imply that Heinsohn made sexist comments about female referees in the past 20+ years he's been broadcasting NBA games. I've never heard of one instance of such a case, and if you did, please fill me in, 'cuz his reputation would have been scarred for life in this town no doubt.
Not even Danny Ainge found what Maxwell said to be funny or appropriate and rightly believed Max needed to apologize for what he said. But Max did a lawyerly apology last Wednesday and basically said "if" what I said offended anyone, "then I apologize." He then went on to praise Ms. Palmer and say how she's come a long way to be in the NBA, blah blah blah.
The point is, I've been listening to Maxwell since his days with Howard David and I know his quirky (quacky) act, but Max (and Sean Grande, who basically started the rant by grunting Palmer's name) screwed up. And I believe they both knew it right away because if you listened to the audio clip of the rant (from WEEI or the Internet), you would rightly assume that the praising that Max and Grande did of Palmer RIGHT AFTER Max made his sexist rant was nothing but a CYA compliment meant to avoid the criticism he ultimately had to deal with.
Oh, and that winning streak the C's are on? That's not a good thing, according to some fans and pundits (Mike Felger, and the WEEI morning show crew among them). They would say the Celtics are so injured and so bad now that they should just give up, fake injuires and lose enough games to guarantee them a chance to get the #1 or #2 draft pick (either Oden or Durant). I disagree, at least for now. But if circumstances change drastically (such as any MORE key injuries or reinjuries, think Pierce or Big Al), then I may reconsider, but let's look at how the Celtics got to their present situation and how it informs my apparent minority view of what the team should do.
It's worth mentioning that before the season began, the C's tried to land a high-profile free agent and make a big-time trade, but Ainge failed to come up with one and instead made a puzzling trade that sent injury-plagued Raef LaFrentz to Portland for a popular but sometimes troubled young stud, Sebastian Telfair, who's played about one good month of ball this year so far. And speaking of injury-plagued, I just learned that Wally has been injuried 4 of the last 5 years. I know Ainge had to get rid of Blount and Davis (based on personality disorders, not lack of talent) but didn't he know he might be the Ken Griffey Jr. of the Celtics? Couldn't he have done better than Olowakandi and Wally? I barely liked the trade when it happened, I admit, but I didn't know the injury history that Ainge must have known - he gets paid to know, I don't, and I would've shopped Blount and Davis elsewhere or kept them if there were no takers (and benched either or both if they were such a distraction).
But Ainge really needs to stop shopping for damaged goods - hardly any Theo Ratliff this year and very little of Michael Olowakandi since he's been here. I understand that Ainge isn't the only reason that more than 70% (maybe higher) of the team has had mild-to-major injury problems this year; even Brian Scalabrini had to miss a few games. That's just bad luck. But the Celtics are sort of used to that by now, aren't they? And believe me, it hurts as a loyal fan to see all this talent and not even 20 wins to show for it.
Doc Rivers has coached his ass off this year and watched Big Al become a reliable scorer and rebounder, the likes Celtics fans haven't seen since Robert Parish left town. He's really taken second-year star-in-the-making Gerald Green under his wing and watched him fly to the net with one exciting dunk after another, win the NBA's annual slam-dunk contest, and get more confident in his shooting skills, scoring so much that Tom Heinsohn often yells "Get Gerald the ball!" And the Celtics have listened, as his PTS/Gm has soared to near 10 over the last couple of months. He's seen Delonte West fight through shooting struggles and injuries to become a leader by example (and hit some clutch, game-winning shots to boot). And Ryan Gomes, NOT Paul Pierce, has the team's only triple-double so far this year. Just in his second year as well, his talent proves that you can find solid NBA players in the second round of the draft.
What it comes down to is this: now that Pierce is about 90% of himself again and the team is starting to gel as a unit and win, they need to keep it up, become a spoiler and show the league and their fans what they could have been - a legitimate playoff team. (If they were healthy, the Celtics, who WERE in first place earlier this season, may have had a great chance of battling Toronto for the division title and thus home court in the first round of the playoffs.) They should be able to finish with around 23-25 wins, and in doing so, keep improving their young players in order to pull off a big trade for a reliable, top-notch veteran PG or big man like Pau Gasol.
Look, I know adding Greg Oden to the Celtics would be great for the franchise, no question. But he's only a freshman in college this year and there's no guarantee that he will become a great NBA player anytime soon. Established players like Pau Gasol, on the other hand give you instant offense and rebounding, and along with Jefferson, the one-two punch in the middle that Pierce and company need to win every night and be a perennial playoff contender (in the weaker of the two conferences). If the C's have to give up Perkins or Gomes, Wally and a draft pick as part of such a deal, so-be-it. He and players of his ilk are worth it and I'm sure Danny Ainge has his eyes set on a trade for someone like him. It's just a matter of who he's willing to give up to get the Gasol's of the league.
That type of deal should be the goal, as well as signing a big-time free agent now that the C's are out of salary cap hell. You must realize that being a cellar team is no way to attract big-time free agents. So please, knowing our luck with Tim Duncan, let's do the big trade and not HOPE the ping-pong balls bounce our way for Oden (who is right now, two years younger than Jefferson!).
The time is now for Ainge and Rivers to turn this franchise around, before it's too late, and before Pierce wants out of Boston or becomes a shell of himself as he enters his 30s.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Stay Tuned ... To These Shows
Over the last year of so, the past three months in fact, I have found myself watching MSNBC programs like Countdown with Keith Olbermann and Scarborough Country more often than I used to. Former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough leans right, while Keith not so subtlety leans left, though he pointed out recently that he runs his own ship at MSNBC and doesn’t categorize himself in ideological terms.
So why do I like to watch both shows, which air back-to-back every weeknight (except that Joe takes most Fridays off) with Olbermann starting at 8pm and Scarborough at 9pm? Because, politics aside, they are actually a breath of fresh air. Joe’s personality is likeable, and he is a realist, not a right-wing ideologue, while Keith mixes dry humor with facts in his nightly criticism of the Bush administration and its supporters; he does so better than most, even better than Al Franken, to be honest (sorry, Al).
Scarborough Country injects a bit of comedy in its mostly serious program as well, albeit not through anything the host or his guests provide in punch lines, but by talking about and showing highlights of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Colbert Report, Letterman’s rather new Presidential Moments in History segment (making the most out of Bush’s odd moments, no context needed), and even Jimmy Kimmel’s bleep-filled Unnecessary Censorship segment.
Maybe Keith’s style and success this year has rubbed off on Joe, or he just wanted to find a way to lighten up the contentious atmosphere of politics in America. But sometimes, Joe’s airing of segments from Comedy Central’s most popular latenight shows is done for political purposes; right or wrong, he feels Stewart should just admit that he has a Democratic-leaning bias in his show. He loves Colbert too, but acts like Stewart is hiding something. I don’t agree that he’s hiding anything, but Stewart is always worth discussing because of his ever growing influence in American politics, particularly among the younger generation, who supposedly get their fill of “news” from his show.
Nonetheless, in both shows, you get the most serious discussions and spirited debates about the most pressing issues of the day (Iraq, Republican corruption) as you’ll find anywhere else on cable or network TV. And Scarborough actually makes a good effort, unlike say, Faux News, to be FAIR & BALANCED in his selection of guests to debate those issues. For example, on many nights, you’ll get Joe and conservative talking head Pat Buchanon on one side debating what to do about Iraq with left-leaning journalists like Joan Walsh from Salon.com and Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post. And to his credit, Scarborough does a good job getting everybody’s views on a given issue fair time.
And Keith? In an era where there is more Republican talking heads and talking points getting filtered through the mainstream media than ever, you can't blame Keith for trying to steer away from the usual talking heads on the right (i.e. Ann Coulter and Newt Gingrich) and instead invite journalists from the likes of Newsweek and the Washington Post to discuss, criticize or evaluate Democrats and Republicans alike in substantially less partisan ways, even if you can still tell which side of the political spectrum they favor.
Having said that, what really sets Keith apart from the rest of the pack is his harsh commentary of the Bush administration in recent months, via the “Special Comment” segment he airs about every few weeks or so. Whether they involve tearing Rumsfeld a new one over his outrageous statement that Bush critics lack courage and are morally confused about how to fight terrorism and want to appease Islamic “fascists,” or calling Bush a liar on national television, something no other journalist in Washington has the guts to do, Keith is refreshingly bold and informed in his approach, often invoking historical context in his speeches. Some may call them partisan in tone, but call them HONEST, critical commentaries. We need more of them, not less from broadcast journalists of his stature, and they are working for Keith, as his audience has jumped over 20% in ratings since this time last year.
We also need more criticism of other influential figures in politics and in America in general, and Keith also provides that in other segments, especially his nightly “Worst Person in the World” segment, where a Bronze, Silver, and Gold medal are giving to the most outrageous people of the day--they can be average Americans, organizations or politicians--and where fellow 8pm slot rival Bill O’Reilly of Faux News is often featured. Olbermann even has a whole book out now recounting the best of those segments, and they are as funny as they are alarming.
In all, if nothing else, these two shows should be the model for political news shows (as opposed to straight news shows), and with Olbermann’s contract expiring soon, MSNBC should do everything they can to keep him. Hardball with Chris Matthews was the most identifiable show on this third rate network, but Matthews took a noticeable nosedive in credibility when Media Matters for America named him the “Misinformer of the Year” for 2005. His loud mouth has gotten him flagged by MMFA often this year as well, but I am still a fan of his show. On any given day, his show and interviews with the day’s newsmakers can really be informative (see recent interviews with Murtha and General John Batiste). But I’ll leave a full analysis of Matthews for another day, as this is Keith’s time now.
Keith Olbermann's popularity and influence on the dialogue in American politics should only get bigger from here on out, and with Scarborough Country airing right afterwards, that’s two hours worth of shows that two years ago, I’d never watch back-to-back. Now, they’ve got my support. Do they get yours?
So why do I like to watch both shows, which air back-to-back every weeknight (except that Joe takes most Fridays off) with Olbermann starting at 8pm and Scarborough at 9pm? Because, politics aside, they are actually a breath of fresh air. Joe’s personality is likeable, and he is a realist, not a right-wing ideologue, while Keith mixes dry humor with facts in his nightly criticism of the Bush administration and its supporters; he does so better than most, even better than Al Franken, to be honest (sorry, Al).
Scarborough Country injects a bit of comedy in its mostly serious program as well, albeit not through anything the host or his guests provide in punch lines, but by talking about and showing highlights of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Colbert Report, Letterman’s rather new Presidential Moments in History segment (making the most out of Bush’s odd moments, no context needed), and even Jimmy Kimmel’s bleep-filled Unnecessary Censorship segment.
Maybe Keith’s style and success this year has rubbed off on Joe, or he just wanted to find a way to lighten up the contentious atmosphere of politics in America. But sometimes, Joe’s airing of segments from Comedy Central’s most popular latenight shows is done for political purposes; right or wrong, he feels Stewart should just admit that he has a Democratic-leaning bias in his show. He loves Colbert too, but acts like Stewart is hiding something. I don’t agree that he’s hiding anything, but Stewart is always worth discussing because of his ever growing influence in American politics, particularly among the younger generation, who supposedly get their fill of “news” from his show.
Nonetheless, in both shows, you get the most serious discussions and spirited debates about the most pressing issues of the day (Iraq, Republican corruption) as you’ll find anywhere else on cable or network TV. And Scarborough actually makes a good effort, unlike say, Faux News, to be FAIR & BALANCED in his selection of guests to debate those issues. For example, on many nights, you’ll get Joe and conservative talking head Pat Buchanon on one side debating what to do about Iraq with left-leaning journalists like Joan Walsh from Salon.com and Arianna Huffington of The Huffington Post. And to his credit, Scarborough does a good job getting everybody’s views on a given issue fair time.
And Keith? In an era where there is more Republican talking heads and talking points getting filtered through the mainstream media than ever, you can't blame Keith for trying to steer away from the usual talking heads on the right (i.e. Ann Coulter and Newt Gingrich) and instead invite journalists from the likes of Newsweek and the Washington Post to discuss, criticize or evaluate Democrats and Republicans alike in substantially less partisan ways, even if you can still tell which side of the political spectrum they favor.
Having said that, what really sets Keith apart from the rest of the pack is his harsh commentary of the Bush administration in recent months, via the “Special Comment” segment he airs about every few weeks or so. Whether they involve tearing Rumsfeld a new one over his outrageous statement that Bush critics lack courage and are morally confused about how to fight terrorism and want to appease Islamic “fascists,” or calling Bush a liar on national television, something no other journalist in Washington has the guts to do, Keith is refreshingly bold and informed in his approach, often invoking historical context in his speeches. Some may call them partisan in tone, but call them HONEST, critical commentaries. We need more of them, not less from broadcast journalists of his stature, and they are working for Keith, as his audience has jumped over 20% in ratings since this time last year.
We also need more criticism of other influential figures in politics and in America in general, and Keith also provides that in other segments, especially his nightly “Worst Person in the World” segment, where a Bronze, Silver, and Gold medal are giving to the most outrageous people of the day--they can be average Americans, organizations or politicians--and where fellow 8pm slot rival Bill O’Reilly of Faux News is often featured. Olbermann even has a whole book out now recounting the best of those segments, and they are as funny as they are alarming.
In all, if nothing else, these two shows should be the model for political news shows (as opposed to straight news shows), and with Olbermann’s contract expiring soon, MSNBC should do everything they can to keep him. Hardball with Chris Matthews was the most identifiable show on this third rate network, but Matthews took a noticeable nosedive in credibility when Media Matters for America named him the “Misinformer of the Year” for 2005. His loud mouth has gotten him flagged by MMFA often this year as well, but I am still a fan of his show. On any given day, his show and interviews with the day’s newsmakers can really be informative (see recent interviews with Murtha and General John Batiste). But I’ll leave a full analysis of Matthews for another day, as this is Keith’s time now.
Keith Olbermann's popularity and influence on the dialogue in American politics should only get bigger from here on out, and with Scarborough Country airing right afterwards, that’s two hours worth of shows that two years ago, I’d never watch back-to-back. Now, they’ve got my support. Do they get yours?
Thursday, October 12, 2006
As Iraq Stands Up, U.S. Stands Down? Yeah, right!
Remember when President Bush said that when Iraqi troops "stand up," the U.S. troops would "stand down"? Looks like yet another promise reneged, and during an election season no less.
The Army chief of staff, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker spoke on Wednesday and gave all of us looking for significant change and direction in Iraq the second worst news possible (behind Cory Lidle's tragic death): the U.S. Army will keep 140,000 troops in this war-torn country for another four years, which means that any talk and hope of drawing down the amount to 100,000 by year's end or anytime in the forseeable future is history. At least that's what our generals and the White House is saying now. General Abizaid warned recently that current levels of troops may have to be maintained in Iraq through next Spring, so this should not come as a suprise after all, certainly not the dreaded October Surprise. But still, this news is unsettling, and for many reasons.
The situation on the ground dictates military strategy we're constantly reminded, but it has gotten so much worse than anyone could have imagined at the start of this year. Having said that, I'm not losing hope for Iraq, even though it is engaged in a low-level civil war in and around Baghdad. My hope is that maybe by this time next year, just maybe the violence will have bottomed out and lessened to the point where these types of projections will change and render this current one meangingless. Maybe trained Iraq troops will have finally reached the 400,000 mark by mid-2007, which would get them back to square one (the CPA, led by Paul Bremer de-Baathed the Iraq Army and put 400,000 soldiers out of work with nothing to do shortly after the fall of Baghdad in 2003). But maybe I'm just too optimistic for my own good.
Ever since the Askariya shrine - one of the holiest in Shiite Islam - was destroyed in the northern town of Samarra, the sectarian violence in Iraq has gotten so bad and so frequent that the number of tortured bodies found around Bagdad now exceeds the amount that Saddam's government was responsible for. Oh, but we're supposed to believe that life without Saddam is better? Tell that to the families and surviving friends of the 48,000-650,000 victims (depending on which reports you believe is credible) of this 3-and-a-half year-old guerilla war.
Just last month, an average of 89 people died in Iraq per day. When Bob Woodward reported in his new book ("State of Denial") that there was an average of 100 attacks and other acts of violence per day in Iraq, which breaks down to one potentially deadly incident every 15 minutes, he was giving Americans and everyone else in the world for that matter the most realistic picture of daily Iraqi life possible. And when you realize that this level of violence isn't occuring in the Kurdish north or the deep South of Iraq, it's scary to think about how much worse it can get still, and what the country could look like a year or two from now if it doesn't cut down significantly. Then again, the Iraqi government could actually gain some control over their country and stop or lessen this madness. Or is that asking too much.
Our generals, including General Casey know that the coaliton of the willing is dwindling to near irrelevence, and thus have little choice but to recommend that we increase OUR troop levels and strain the National Guard and Army reserves to maintain them.
It's a tragedy that the Bush administration has failed to keep and increase significant international troop levels throughout Iraq, and our men and women are paying dearly for it, having to stay longer than expected and in some cases, having to go back to Iraq three to four times.
That's a backdoor draft, my friends, and the more our soldiers are subjected to it, the angrier and less supportive the families of these brave soldiers will be of this war and its leaders. Just ask the assembly of Alaskans who, according to CNN a week ago wanted Rumsfeld to resign for recently deciding to keep a native Army brigade in Iraq at the last minute. A few of those Alaskan soldiers from that brigade died in Iraq, and WOULD'VE been home, according to a CNN report around October 6. The fact that the Defense Department even has to consider overextending large amounts of US soldiers in this fashion shows how disastrous Bush's Iraq policies have been (not to mention administration hirees Paul Bremer, Ahmed Chalabi and Halliburton!).
I call on Bush to get his act together and get more countries, particularly Arab nations, on board and commit their soldiers to Iraq in the years to come. You wanna get Dubai to work with the US? The hell with securing our ports, how about being part of Iraqi security (if they actually have an army big and strong enough to help out).
Seriously though, is the Arab League and it's 22 member states still around? Let's get them more involved, diplomaticly AND militarily. NATO has stepped up in Afghanistan, and the UN is busy trying to hold the fort down in Lebanon and struggling to deal with the Darfur tragedy. So it is the Arab world that needs to realize they have a vested interest in a stable Iraq. Their help would not only add familiar-looking faces to the war effort (and thereby communicate with Iraqis a little better), but save countless Iraqi and Western lives. It's about time they woke up. It's not too late.
The Army chief of staff, Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker spoke on Wednesday and gave all of us looking for significant change and direction in Iraq the second worst news possible (behind Cory Lidle's tragic death): the U.S. Army will keep 140,000 troops in this war-torn country for another four years, which means that any talk and hope of drawing down the amount to 100,000 by year's end or anytime in the forseeable future is history. At least that's what our generals and the White House is saying now. General Abizaid warned recently that current levels of troops may have to be maintained in Iraq through next Spring, so this should not come as a suprise after all, certainly not the dreaded October Surprise. But still, this news is unsettling, and for many reasons.
The situation on the ground dictates military strategy we're constantly reminded, but it has gotten so much worse than anyone could have imagined at the start of this year. Having said that, I'm not losing hope for Iraq, even though it is engaged in a low-level civil war in and around Baghdad. My hope is that maybe by this time next year, just maybe the violence will have bottomed out and lessened to the point where these types of projections will change and render this current one meangingless. Maybe trained Iraq troops will have finally reached the 400,000 mark by mid-2007, which would get them back to square one (the CPA, led by Paul Bremer de-Baathed the Iraq Army and put 400,000 soldiers out of work with nothing to do shortly after the fall of Baghdad in 2003). But maybe I'm just too optimistic for my own good.
Ever since the Askariya shrine - one of the holiest in Shiite Islam - was destroyed in the northern town of Samarra, the sectarian violence in Iraq has gotten so bad and so frequent that the number of tortured bodies found around Bagdad now exceeds the amount that Saddam's government was responsible for. Oh, but we're supposed to believe that life without Saddam is better? Tell that to the families and surviving friends of the 48,000-650,000 victims (depending on which reports you believe is credible) of this 3-and-a-half year-old guerilla war.
Just last month, an average of 89 people died in Iraq per day. When Bob Woodward reported in his new book ("State of Denial") that there was an average of 100 attacks and other acts of violence per day in Iraq, which breaks down to one potentially deadly incident every 15 minutes, he was giving Americans and everyone else in the world for that matter the most realistic picture of daily Iraqi life possible. And when you realize that this level of violence isn't occuring in the Kurdish north or the deep South of Iraq, it's scary to think about how much worse it can get still, and what the country could look like a year or two from now if it doesn't cut down significantly. Then again, the Iraqi government could actually gain some control over their country and stop or lessen this madness. Or is that asking too much.
Our generals, including General Casey know that the coaliton of the willing is dwindling to near irrelevence, and thus have little choice but to recommend that we increase OUR troop levels and strain the National Guard and Army reserves to maintain them.
It's a tragedy that the Bush administration has failed to keep and increase significant international troop levels throughout Iraq, and our men and women are paying dearly for it, having to stay longer than expected and in some cases, having to go back to Iraq three to four times.
That's a backdoor draft, my friends, and the more our soldiers are subjected to it, the angrier and less supportive the families of these brave soldiers will be of this war and its leaders. Just ask the assembly of Alaskans who, according to CNN a week ago wanted Rumsfeld to resign for recently deciding to keep a native Army brigade in Iraq at the last minute. A few of those Alaskan soldiers from that brigade died in Iraq, and WOULD'VE been home, according to a CNN report around October 6. The fact that the Defense Department even has to consider overextending large amounts of US soldiers in this fashion shows how disastrous Bush's Iraq policies have been (not to mention administration hirees Paul Bremer, Ahmed Chalabi and Halliburton!).
I call on Bush to get his act together and get more countries, particularly Arab nations, on board and commit their soldiers to Iraq in the years to come. You wanna get Dubai to work with the US? The hell with securing our ports, how about being part of Iraqi security (if they actually have an army big and strong enough to help out).
Seriously though, is the Arab League and it's 22 member states still around? Let's get them more involved, diplomaticly AND militarily. NATO has stepped up in Afghanistan, and the UN is busy trying to hold the fort down in Lebanon and struggling to deal with the Darfur tragedy. So it is the Arab world that needs to realize they have a vested interest in a stable Iraq. Their help would not only add familiar-looking faces to the war effort (and thereby communicate with Iraqis a little better), but save countless Iraqi and Western lives. It's about time they woke up. It's not too late.
Friday, October 06, 2006
Team Sleep
As current alt-metal fans and recovering late ‘90s nu metal heads await the Deftones’ 5th studio album to drop in stores at the end of this month, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit lead singer Chino Moreno’s overlooked side project from last year, Team Sleep.
You wouldn’t know it by listening to his main band’s music, but Moreno always loved relatively quieter and anti-chaotic “headphones” music, such as Massive Attack records. The Deftones, of course, never ceased to raise all hell, on stage or on record. Headphones offered no refuge from the Deftones experience, as they often made music as loud, raucous, and heavy as they could make it. They managed to find time for more melodic-driven rockers too, especially as the 1990s turned to the 2000s.
But in 2005, Moreno took a break (after 15 years with Deftones) to promote Team Sleep, a project that was in the works for a long time, according to all press accounts. That work culminated in the release of Team Sleep’s self-titled debut on Maverick Records in May of last year.
Moreno’s two main working partners on the album are old high school friend and guitarist Todd Wilkinson and DJ Crook (drum programming, turntables). Its digital and soothing soundscapes complement Chino’s impassioned singing style, and gears much of the record towards a softer, “headphones” style of rock that’s closer to shoegaze than metal, though Moreno and company don’t totally abandon loud rock on this record.
While Crook uses sequencers to cook up an array of sounds and other experiments, Zach Hill livens up the often moody atmosphere of the record with his boisterous drumming style, going all out on the few purely heavy, Deftones-like tracks like “Your Skull Is Red” and “Blvd. Nights.” Helium’s singer Mary Timony does guest vocals on a couple of cuts, but singer/guitarist Rob Crow of lo-fi San Diego indie pop rockers Pinback sings on no less than four tracks on Team Sleep’s debut. His soft tenor works surprisingly well with Moreno, who has toned it down himself for this record (no hardcore shrieks to be found). In fact, at least a couple of the Rob Crow-led songs wouldn’t sound out of place on a Pinback record, especially album closer “11/11,” as Todd Wilkinson’s jangle/dreampop guitars give the song a pure sound (no electronic gadgets needed) and ends the album on a high note.
In its entirety, Team Sleep is a consistently good record that gets better with each listen. It does, without question have a dark, moody theme to it, much like A Perfect Circle’s records. However, the delicately layered soft guitars, the sporadic loud ones, the live band feel, all mixed in with electronic buzzes, beats and other experiments, along with a good rotation of special guests works very well, with few exceptions. All of these elements makes Team Sleep one of the more exceptional albums of 2005, even though it was absent from many critics’ “best of” lists. It is impressive for a side project as well, spearheaded by one of the most distinctive voices in modern metal.
Key tracks: “Ever (Foreign Flag),” “Princeton Review,” “11/11” and “Elizabeth”
You wouldn’t know it by listening to his main band’s music, but Moreno always loved relatively quieter and anti-chaotic “headphones” music, such as Massive Attack records. The Deftones, of course, never ceased to raise all hell, on stage or on record. Headphones offered no refuge from the Deftones experience, as they often made music as loud, raucous, and heavy as they could make it. They managed to find time for more melodic-driven rockers too, especially as the 1990s turned to the 2000s.
But in 2005, Moreno took a break (after 15 years with Deftones) to promote Team Sleep, a project that was in the works for a long time, according to all press accounts. That work culminated in the release of Team Sleep’s self-titled debut on Maverick Records in May of last year.
Moreno’s two main working partners on the album are old high school friend and guitarist Todd Wilkinson and DJ Crook (drum programming, turntables). Its digital and soothing soundscapes complement Chino’s impassioned singing style, and gears much of the record towards a softer, “headphones” style of rock that’s closer to shoegaze than metal, though Moreno and company don’t totally abandon loud rock on this record.
While Crook uses sequencers to cook up an array of sounds and other experiments, Zach Hill livens up the often moody atmosphere of the record with his boisterous drumming style, going all out on the few purely heavy, Deftones-like tracks like “Your Skull Is Red” and “Blvd. Nights.” Helium’s singer Mary Timony does guest vocals on a couple of cuts, but singer/guitarist Rob Crow of lo-fi San Diego indie pop rockers Pinback sings on no less than four tracks on Team Sleep’s debut. His soft tenor works surprisingly well with Moreno, who has toned it down himself for this record (no hardcore shrieks to be found). In fact, at least a couple of the Rob Crow-led songs wouldn’t sound out of place on a Pinback record, especially album closer “11/11,” as Todd Wilkinson’s jangle/dreampop guitars give the song a pure sound (no electronic gadgets needed) and ends the album on a high note.
In its entirety, Team Sleep is a consistently good record that gets better with each listen. It does, without question have a dark, moody theme to it, much like A Perfect Circle’s records. However, the delicately layered soft guitars, the sporadic loud ones, the live band feel, all mixed in with electronic buzzes, beats and other experiments, along with a good rotation of special guests works very well, with few exceptions. All of these elements makes Team Sleep one of the more exceptional albums of 2005, even though it was absent from many critics’ “best of” lists. It is impressive for a side project as well, spearheaded by one of the most distinctive voices in modern metal.
Key tracks: “Ever (Foreign Flag),” “Princeton Review,” “11/11” and “Elizabeth”
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