The Death of Enthusiasm

Here is a review of Rhymefest's Michael Jackson tribute, "Man in the Mirror."

Labels: music writing

I realize I'm a not really a music critic (despite the authority that comes with writing for a college newspaper), but I felt like I wanted to make a year end top 10 list like the real grown-up blogs do. I don't receive free albums like actual critics, so much of what came out this year has not graced my ears.

If you see something you would like to hear, and haven't yet, just let me know and I would be happy to send you a copy. I'm cool like that. So, here are my favorite albums of the year, and why:




10. Neil Young: Live at Massey Hall 1971

Yeah, I know, how is this new music if it was recorded in 1971? Well, Neil has been sitting on it all these years, now letting us see a little of his early golden age material while it was still forming. The best part is that he prefaces all the songs with long, rambling explanations, letting us in on the inspirations behind the classics. "A Man Needs a Maid" is in his words, "A show-tune to his life." Also, it comes with a DVD of the performance, and he looks like a caveman wearing flannel.




9. Iron and Wine: The Shepherd's Dog

I wrote a whole review for this one, so I don't want to get too detailed here, but Sam Beam has now entered the "loud-ish folk band" category of artist as opposed to the "bedroom recording singer-songwriter" label, and it suits him well.





8. Jay-Z: American Gangster

I also reviewed this very recently, so just read that. If you like American Gangster, check out DJ Skee's mash-up called "American Godfather" where he uses music from the cinematic score of The Godfather to back the Album. Pretty cool, but not as cool as "The Grey Album."




7. Dan Wilson: Free Life

Dan Wilson is probably best known as the singer for the nineties alt-rock band, Semisonic. He is also an amazing songwriter, and he co-wrote most of the songs on the Dixie Chick's latest Grammy-winning album. This is his first solo effort, and it mostly sticks to soaring ballad territory, while verging slightly on alterna-cheese in some songs. Imagine Ben Folds with a more broad pop influence. Still, it's hard to fault such solid melodies, however, and I would recommend to anyone with a still functioning heart. Better these kind of songs from Dan Wilson than other hacks like The Fray. It would make great "wedding video" music, as it were.




6. Radiohead: In Rainbows

I kind of feel guilty not putting this in the top 5, I guess I don't like Radiohead as much as I should. I do appreciate the fact that you don't have to re-configure your brain just to understand this one.




5. The Avett Brothers: Emotionalism

I wrote about these guys like six months ago. They are the Beatles, if they played bluegrass instruments and wrote brutally sincere songs about getting drunk and then feeling guilty because they can't reciprocate the love of a pretty girl from Chile. Key lyric: "I'm a little nervous/of what you'll think when you see me/in my swimming trunks."





4. Wilco: Sky Blue Sky

My family and roommates know the outrageous depths of my fanboy-ism for Wilco, so many of you may have thought they would capture the top spot. No, it wasn't the album of the year for me, but it was very, very good. Songs like "Hate it Here" explored Jeff Tweedy's 70's rock, am radio, squonky guitar sound obsession, but "On and On" washes over like a cool breeze, and will certainly still sound good in 10 years.





3. Band of Horses: Cease to Begin

Band of Horses stands as my go to cure for musical boredom. Every time I play the song, "The General Specific" I am forced to at least tap my foot. Atmospheric, gentle, and rollicking all at once, "Cease to Begin" is better than most everything I heard this year.




2. Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha

A big thanks to Matt and Cate Sweeney for turning me on to Andrew Bird (and a great majority of the music I currently enjoy). Armchair Apocrypha is an album I have a hard time describing to people. "Well, he whistles really well, and ummm, he plays these violin loops, but it's really dense and layered..." Yeah, it doesn't make much sense until you listen to it. Andrew Bird makes music that is deeply soothing, and yet unsettled. That ambiguity (along with the lyrics) takes a while to sink in, but once it does, you'll never go back.



1. The Everybodyfields: Nothing is Okay

The Everybodyfields play a sad, reflective brand of country (or "Americana," if you are adverse to the genre) that recalls some of the great song-smiths of the 70's. Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews share songwriting duties, but their voices mesh in an incredible way. Quinn's high, plaintive voice is the perfect counterpoint to Jill's strong set of pipes. Every element of this band seems to be balanced just right, even with organ, piano, pedal steel, fiddle, lead electric, and bass jockeying for attention. While most melancholic country tunes are a specific sort of cry-in-your-beer loneliness, The Everybodyfields write universal anthems of human loss, and yet the melodies soar in a way that makes you forget the pain. My favorite album of 2007.



Also, I am kind of in love with Jill Andrews:




Honorable Mention:The White Stripes, Annuals, Blitzen Trapper, Arcade Fire, Spoon

Labels: music writing

Jay-Z review here.


Also, yesterday Dan and I played at the "Smile on Your Brother" benefit concert here in Logan, along with some terrible hippie bands (sorry, they just weren't very good). A big shout out to those who attended including my Aunt Jackie, my parents and sister, and several friends and co-workers.

I don't have any pictures of the event, but just imagine a school cafeteria and some Christmas lights, plus me playing a banjo (there is no evidence of me actually knowing how to play the banjo, but I did anyways).

Labels: concert, music writing

Well, I caved in and got a haircut. Not so much because everyone I asked told me to, but because I can't wear hats to work anymore and that is half the fun of longer hair. It seems like I got it really short (I like to get my $9.99 worth at Dollar Cuts), and my reaction probably is similar to girls who get about two inches cut off their hair, and then cry about it for three days.

Here is me trying to hide my shame with a bandanna:





Anyways, for some reason they didn't put my Carrie Underwood review in the online version of the paper (maybe I was a bit too rough on her, I mean a C+ is pretty harsh after all) so here it is in all it's unedited glory (bonus points if you can catch the Simpson's reference):

Carrie Underwood’s new album not so original


The fifth song on Carrie Underwood’s new album is called “Get out of this town” and it sounds eerily similar both in melody and content to “Work” by Jimmy Eat World. Both songs woo potential lovers with a promise to “get out of this town” (Jimmy Eat World warns, “While we still have time”) and both feature girly back up singers and catchy choruses propelled by fuzzy guitar lines. This similarity highlights what has been country music’s modus operandi for the past decade: slick production and a middle of the road pop rock aesthetic. While country pioneers wrote songs in a more simple folk inspired style, the music coming out of Nashville today is sometimes indistinguishable from current top 40 rock acts. (Can you barely make out a slide guitar in the background? Then it’s probably a country song.)

All of this doesn’t really matter though when it comes down to it, since Carrie Underwood is only the latest in a long line of blunt instruments wielded by the Nashville zeitgeist. While Ms. Underwood’s voice is undeniably strong, she tends to make for her lack of personality by blowing through the choruses with histrionic power when perhaps some restraint is in order. Current mega-hit “So small” reaches power ballad territory when Underwood hits the high notes, no doubt sending girls everywhere on a mad dash to set it as their MySpace song/make their boyfriends listen to it/burn a CD of it for their best friends/suggest it for their prom theme. Taken as an album however, “Carnival Ride” is fatiguing with its constant mountainous climaxes and Underwood’s tendency to belt out every other line.

It is hard to find fault with the song craft since Ms. Underwood (plus her team of song writers) have wrought 13 arena-ready songs with huge, soaring, choruses and crystal clear pop production. While she already sold 6 million albums with her debut “Some Hearts” there is no reason “Carnival Ride” can’t surpass this, making Underwood the most popular “American Idol” winner of all time. As it stands now, you will all be hearing this album incessantly for the next six months, so why not just give in, slide on down to the Wal-Mart, and get it over with. I for one welcome our new country-pop overlords.

Grade: C+

Just one more thing, I promise. I was talking to my roommate Chris the other day, about how 90% of the people I know who have blogs are married. It's just one of those things you do once you get married, like quilting, or learning how to use a stud finder. So then the following conversation took place:

Chase: Yeah, blogs are just myspace for married people. That way they can post pictures of their kids and weekend bridge parties and not feel like a thousand pervs are going to be looking at them.

Chris: Well, blogs are for married people and guys who think they are really funny and creative, and who really believe other people actually want to read what they say.

**stunned silence**

Chris: The truth hurts.

Chase: I don't think I'm that funny.

Labels: blogging, hair, music writing

Here is the link to the online version of my review for the newish Iron and Wine album.

Anyways, I was thinking the other day that I should take up one of those "take a picture every day so you'll have a vivid collection of memories" projects, but I am sure that I would miss some days, and my selective OCD would force me to just quit.

Instead, I have decided to construct a virtual tour of my humble room so that future generations can see how humble college students lived in the mid oughts. Without further delay...

You can see my AWESOME LAMP.

You can see my AWESOME CLOSET.

You can see my AWESOME BOOKSHELF with Stephen Colbert's new book, plus the latest edition of YETI RESEARCHER.

You can see my AWESOME NEW HEADPHONES (thanks Mom and Dad!).

You can see THE WEARY, FURROWED BROW of my CARVED WOODEN GAUCHO.

You can see my SHAKER, JEW HARP, and NOVELTY VIRGIN DE GUADALUPE CANDLE (rose scented).

You may feel inclined to see the FRAMED ART PRINTS hanging on my WALL.

You may, by chance, glance upon the SMALL PHOTO ARRANGEMENT culled from the liner pictures of two BAND OF HORSES albums.

Thank you. Any inquiries about further AWESOME items my be addressed to me directly.

Labels: cool stuff, music writing