What its all about

Every morning, I wake up and check my phone. Call it the complete submergence into a technological society or an OCD induced repetitive motion; either way, I grab, I flip, I read. The good mornings are when I see a number that is a multiple of two letting me know I sold an album.

I have Amazon send me two e-mails everytime I sell something, which then gets forwarded to my cell phone, which has a seperate “ring tone” for e-mails. When I hear that tone twice in a row, it’s like a cash register going off in my brain. Success! A new customer!

I very recently fulfilled my 100th order and in the past two months, I’ve been able to pay my rent with the sales alone. I understand finances though, and know a limited commodity when I see one. But, for now, it’s my payin’ my bills and saving me money. Sure, I spent more acquiring all of this stuff, but living the way I did got me this far, and if I can make a profit off of something that merely takes up space in my house, why not get something back?

The lucky album sold was Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle, a late-90′s super-group, comprised of members of Tool, Marilyn Manson, Primus, Smashing Pumpkins, Devo, Zwan, Queens of the Stone Age, and Guns ‘n’ Roses. The funny thing is that just one guy, Josh Freese (drums), accounts for about 60% of that list.

The album is their second, and much more risky and experimental than their straight-forward initial release. While the debut had more energy, it was safer than the trippy and somewhat haunting follow-up, which bounces from lullabies and war drums to songs about cereal and nurses.

I’ve given this band a lot of crap over the years and I’ve yet to waver. The bands I listed all put out classic albums, staples of their generation and reshaped the world of rock. Well, except for Zwan. That band sucked.

So why does a band made up of these neo-legends put out such predictable stuff? Why isn’t there a song that’s better than any Tool song I’ve ever heard, or any Pumpkins or Manson song? What kept these people from giving me something new?

That’s the problem with “supergroups”: the simplicity factor. Attempting to find the lowest common denominator of each other’s abilities as a bonding point, instead of collaborating  similar styles and themes to accentuate personal talents.

Damn Yankees, Alter Bridge, and Velvet Revolver are all examples of bad, bad supergroups. Taking the singer of one band and sticking them in front of a band that hated their singer does not make you a supergroup. It makes you a replacement. A replacement that nobody wants, by the way.

Quick list of the best supergroups:

The Postal Service. Put out one album, made up by Jenny Lewis, Jimy Tamborello, and Death Cab’s Ben Gibbard. It’s the product of the perfect indie twentysomethings making a break-up album. It’s deep, it’s fun, it’s honest and it doesn’t care if you think it’s sappy.

Fantomas. Faith No More + The Melvins + Mr. Bungle + Slayer = holy jesus yes. And when they toured with Terry Bozzio, replace Slayer with Frank Zappa. Holy double jesus yes.

Westside Connection. Could have picked Blind Faith, or Cream, or Bad Company, or even the Traveling Wilburys. By why do that when Ice Cube, MAC 10, and WC put out some gangster stuff when you’re in middle school?

I like the way that you stand in line And beg salvation from the empty skies

Welcome back to the “Jesse has a lot of metal CD’s” show!  Next on the list is Youthanasia by Megadeth, recorded waaaaay back in 1994. The Clinton Era had just started, NAFTA had come together, and a figure skater put a hit out on another. Those were the days….

The nice thing about selling all of this heavy metal is getting to see all of the awesome  art displayed on any respectable metal album. From the obscene to the hilarious, any band worth their weight in Vodka has to have an iconic image atop any plastic case they sell unless they wish that case never to be opened.

It’s been a standard for heavier music to be more provocative visually just as with anything else in society that’s a bit off the social norm. Why else do you think my local strip club is shaped like a castle?

Sabbath had some great ones, Zeppelin did as well, and Judas Priest brought a new standard to the art in the 80′s. But the modern bands have taken it and been able to really push to extremes that would have never been tolerated if we didn’t have the pioneers nudge back the idea of “decency.”

Back to the album at hand, anything  that features babies hanging off a clothesline by their toes is a winner.

See? In case you missed it, here it is again…

Alright, enough of that.

Musically, this album gets a lot of flack from metal heads for a few reasons. First off, most fans find it hard to stick with a band if that band doesn’t continue being as brutal and raw and fresh as they were when they got hooked. Since Dave Mustaine and company decide to throw in a parody song, a quiet song, and an almost country song, some see this as the start of the decline of the band.

The true test of a quality Megadeth album is a simple three part ordeal.

Crazy lyrics about death, war, politics, and superhero-type fantasy?

Check.

Insane, blinding speed with dueling guitar solos?

Double check.

Memorable tunes that need to played everytime you see them live?

Check indeed, and that’s why this one goes into the “Good” pile of ‘Deth albums. A lot of them have the style and the substance, but the songs are forgettable or sound too much like other ones.

It’s only for those that have checked out their other great albums, but still want a little more. There is a rumor that Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax will be touring together next year….if this happens, I will be stoked. I wish I could hyperbolize more than that, but I can’t. It’s so awesome, it drains my creativity.

I’ve seen them live twice, and the first time was the loudest show I’ve ever seen. While Travis and I were driving away, during their encore (we like to beat traffic, so shut up) we could hear Mustaine tearing it up while we were driving down the freeway, leaving the city. Just insane. Also the first show I ever saw a “This concert might be too loud. Please wear hearing protection” sign at a show.

The eternal “Metallica vs Megadeth” debate will never end, but I will throw my vote into that pile…

Megadeth.

When I sell another of their albums, maybe I’ll explain myself…

their delicate cheeks will turn to rotting flesh, one day women will all become monsters

Post-hardcore. 1st and 2nd wave Screamo. Alt-indie-punk-rock-experimental-techno-rock. Ok, I made up that last one. Labels suck, and I’m stalling to intro this band because I’m not quite sure where they fit. That’s fine, though, not everyone has to fit into a little genre bag.

Chiodos features a woman man singing very high while double bass and off-timing riffs play around him, leaving only a wacky synth to give the band some edge. I like Chiodos, I do, but honestly their first album grabbed me while their second merely flirted with me, then broke it off.

And, technically, I should hate them for popularizing the emo-swoop.

Schmucks…

Anyway, the singer has now been kicked out and I’m curious to see if the vocalist change will work or if they get someone to copy what this dude did. They handle themselves well on stage and can put together a catchy tune or two. But it’s the keyboards and the breakdowns that are worth talking about.

The art of the breakdown has been lost in today’s rock era. You’re rockin’ out and you’re rockin’ out some more, and then the beat drops…the drummer hits one drum at the slowest pace you can imagine, and all that open musical space is available to the people wearing guitars to do whatever the hell they want with it.

Generally it ends up like this: chugga….pause… chugga….pause… chugga chugga chugga…..pause….and repeat. Boring, no? So this band, as well as a few other similarly unclassifiable bands take this space and DO something with it, giving a little more substance to the song. But some of their breakdowns fall flat and leave me wanting to change tracks.

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but, I dig it. I feel like they are at least trying and not a manufactured bullshit studio band.

I wish I could make fun of their keyboards, but the keyboardist from HORSE the Band did it better than I ever could..starts at about 1:30

I’ve never seen them live, and I do remember being quite jealous of some friends that flew to Indiana to see Chiodos, 3, Between the Buried and Me, and another band (Every Time I Die, I think). In the wave of shitty music coming from emaciated girlymen in tight jeans and stupid froopy hairdos, I’d like to say this band holds water comparatively, but, to many, I’m wrong and they suck balls.

Oh well.

Architects and fools never cared for poor men’s blood

Looking at my list of albums sold, it looks like we’re in the middle of a metal streak. Seattle hasn’t added a ton to the metal genre, not as much as the grunge and indie rock circles, but their biggest addition, Nevermore, is mighty.

Half a dozen albums, over a decade of touring, and some of the most straight-forward no nonsense hard rock of this generation. While so any bands rely on vocal gimmicks and taboo subject matter to garner attention, a band like Nevermore shows you the power of a badass guitarist, some insanely tight drumming and bass playing, and a madman at vocals whose sound is unmistakable and all his own.

First off: the guitar. Jeff Loomis is the man.

Just look at that hair.

Secondly, Chris Broderick is, also, the man.

He is now the guitarist for Megadeth, but I assume will go back to Nevermore one day.

Now here is visual and sonic evidence of their mastery.

These guys just don’t stop and have developed some rhythm techniques I’ve yet to hear duplicated. Their style is excellent for converting your standard rock fan into metalheads, as its fast and furious, but not abrasive or demonic. It keeps the spirit of Van Halen alive, while injecting some new blood into the guitar DNA.

Finally, Mr. Warrel Dane.

Noticing a hair trend here?

On Dead Heart in a Dead World (the album I sold), his voice is especially solid, even during the interesting “Sound of Silence” cover. Garfunkel never rocked this hard.

He keeps the classic Iron Maiden/Judas Priest-inspired vocal style of soaring over the music and giving a larger-than-life sense about the stories he’s telling. He can growl and scream, but luckily he is an actual SINGER and in today’s metal world, that is an accomplishment all in itself.

I don’t remember how and why I first started listening to Nevermore, but I’m glad I did, however the hell I did it. I’ve seen them live once or twice, and I remember enjoying the loyalty to their album’s sound while still bringing something new to the live show. Here’s a clip of a live show….hope you enjoy.

When a car crash gets you off you’ve lost your grip

Normally, I do some research before I write these blogs. I search up interesting facts about each album or artist, and try to weave in some new information into my story. With Porcupine Tree, I don’t need to look up a damn thing.

18 years this band has been putting out records and it took someone randomly playing a track of theirs for me to get me hooked. I went to a Kiss/Aerosmith concert with my uncle and some of his friends. On the drive back home, one of the friends popped in In Absentia by PT and I was blown away. Never since Pink Floyd had I heard a band fill up the air with such sound. But this isn’t about that album….

Taking the name from a police sign near the scene of an auto accident, The Incident is a single song that spans 50+ minutes. It has 14 movements, including three instrumentals and an eleven minute piece directly in the center of the album. Even with the epic nature of Progressive rock, this is still an achievement, especially seeing them pull it off live, performing a single stream of musical consciousness for an hour.

It’s funny how the internet has altered buying habits in regards to music. For some, the internet means never paying for an album again. For others, it means buying it digitally and never filling up an atom of space in their house with another format of media, doomed to fail just by existing in physical space.

For me, I play both sides. I download music, but I also buy the album if it’s good. If it’s not, I delete it. No harm, no foul. I also keep track of which albums and companies have a lax view of music downloading, and try to honor those bands’ wishes accordingly. With PT, I have purchased every single album they’ve put out, been to multiple shows, bought the live DVD, and even ordered a series of fan-made magazines form the U.K. They have my money.

So, I did download the new album when it hit the web, but the audiophile in me hates getting anything less than optimal sound quality. I was at a crossroads. I’ve been selling my albums online…how could I justify buying one that I knew I wouldn’t get the same amount of cash back for?

Doesn’t matter.

I bought it the day it came out, ripped it to my hard drive, erased the crappy downloaded version, and then sold it on Amazon in a couple days. I feel like I’m spreading the music at a discounted price, helping out those that want the art but can’t afford the retail prices. Plus, being a fan means spreading the gospel of whichever artist you like and if I can do it and pay my bills, sign me up.

The album itself is brilliant, swirling from story to story, all told in first-person and all with some real substance behind it. Then the band creates this atmosphere of sound and ambiance, then singer/guitarist/genius Steven Wilson busts out guitar solos and lyrics to die for. Besides Floyd, Porcupine Tree is my favorite band. I haven’t supported a band longer or with more of my hard-earned time, cash, and emotions than I have this band. I hope they keep crafting bombastic musical tomes for another two decades and I hope I can join the ride until they call it quits.

Better that I break the window, Than him or her or me

Recorded, delayed, re-recorded, re-delayed, and finally released in 2005, Fiona Apple’s third (and potentially final) album, Extraordinary Machine, is a pop record that gives the genre it’s spine back. Amidst a flurry of puffy princesses and saccharine sweethearts, a woman like Fiona Apple is needed to give some credibility back to the power of the female voice and songwriting ability.

I’ve been a fan of hers since buying Tidal on cassette many moons ago. The “Criminal” single was different than any other pop song I’d ever heard and her influence from Maya Angelou and other poets gave her a bit more substance.

But Machine gives a bit more mature look into the singer’s songwriting process. Still angry, but refined. Still bitter, but wiser. Growing up with an artist and listening to album after album sometimes helps to understand your own growth, as well as the singer’s. With Apple, hearing the tales go from about how she was getting better and learning from past mistakes, instead of just lamenting the issues and the men involved.

I’ve always found a strange connection with female vocalists. From Janis Joplin to Gwen Stefani (the early, pre-bullshit days) to contemporaries like Fiery Furnaces or Bjork, I think I lot of guys miss out on a completely different side of the emotional-musical spectrum when they dismiss the female voice. Maybe its the lack of machismo, or the topics which are generally discussed (or not discussed) but i think when a band like Arcade Fire or The Postal Service tells a story from both the male and female perspective, it adds a depth to storytelling that is only achieved by both sexes contributing to the art. Instead of hearing how sad the guy is about the girl breaking his heart, you hear the girl explaining how much of a deadbeat the guy was in the first place…it’s that kind of narrative clarity that brings some artists to a whole new level.

With Apple, her poetry is outstanding already, and her musical and vocal accompaniments highlight all the right pieces. The amount of noise an artist like this has to bust through in order to be heard is ludicrous, but that’s the way our music industry works. I hope one day she puts out another album and cements her legacy in the music world.

Eater of the dead

That’s the Greek translation of my favorite German death metal band. Neither my favorite German band (Kraftwerk) nor my favorite death metal band (Opeth), but for sure my favorite German death metal band. Aren’t genres fun?

Warning, the song titles and themes are gross, brutal, and awesome. Their debut album, Onset of Putrefaction, was written, recorded, and produced all by the band’s frontman, Muhammed Suiçmez. He played the guitar, the bass, and programmed all drum machine pieces. Apparently, the original recording went nowhere due to a shitty record deal, but it was re-mastered and re-released in 2004 here in the states.

The sound is crushing. I’ve never heard a more beautiful destruction. The sweeps, the “wet lightning bolts”, the bass arpeggios….take the best technical playing and put it in a cauldron and you have Necrophagist. This is the definition of using your power for evil.

For a lot of people, death metal is unapproachable. One growl, one blast beat, one trashing riff sometimes keeps people from even giving the genre a chance. No, you won’t be able to understand the lyrics. No, you won’t know what the hell the guy is saying or talking about. There is a 90% chance it’s about evil and darkness. Just accept it and move on. You wanna sing along to something? Go buy Nickelback and get away from me.

I’ve only had the pleasure of seeing the German export once, and that was at Slim’s in SF about 3 years ago. I had bought a ticket the minute I heard they were playing, and it was a stacked bill with Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel…quite a deep Death Metal show. The nice thing about not-as-popular genres like this means ticket prices are low. And low is right up my alley.

The funny thing was that I knew the girlfriend I had just broken up with was going to be there, but I wasn’t going to miss this show because of something as dumb as awkward social moments. Sure enough, she was there, flirting with dudes around me, talking to me…I just shut her out, watched Necro destroy the place for a near hour, then took off and went home. No need to see Cannibal or Morbid…they were out-played before they even took the stage.

While Onset is not my favorite album of theirs, it is a must have.   Here’s a cut off of their second (and supremely better) album, Epitaph. Like I said, the lyrics aren’t important. Just enjoy the squeelies and whiddily wahs. Skip to 2:00 in for a solo and 3:45 for one of my favorite endings to a song.

Funny note: The dude I sold it to left me a 4 out of 5 star rating on Amazon for the disc. I’ve only received 5 stars besides this one review and the only thing the guy said was “complex and creative i like it”.

Nice.

I am on reprieve, lacking my joie de vive

On paper, The Decemberists don’t make sense. The Northwestern quintet dresses in 19th century british garb, dapper and clean. Their songwriting follows strict storytelling narratives, often reminiscent of sea shanties and pirate prose. Best of all, their album covers (designed by the lead singer’s wife) reflect their classic style.

Castaways and Cutouts was released at the beginning of the decade and then re-released after they signed with a bigger label.  For almost an hour, the band tells us stories about soldiers far away on assignment, long lost loves, and even driving down the beautiful California 1 highway.

I had the pleasure of seeing this band at the legendary Fillmore Theater in San Fransisco about four years ago. They sold out two nights in a row, which was surprisingly their first two performances of their career in that venue. I went to the first show and it was definitely memorable. They had three albums out by that time and may have had ESP, as they played every song I wanted to hear.

The coolest part was when they somehow convinced all of us in the crowd to stop rocking out and sit down. And, somehow, we all did. The song got quieter and quieter until singer Colin Meloy was basically whispering into the mic….until the band exploded with furious sound and the entire floor got up and started dancing. It was pretty remarkable.

While Castaways isn’t my favorite Decemberists’ album, it definitely shows their roots and song style forming early. I reccomend their later album, Picaresque, to anybody that wants something different and creative from their music. There isn’t anyone like them in the music industry today.

I am a metal robot

Mothers, lock up your daughters…John 5 is in town.

John 5 is not a robot, although he may sound like one. He’s a guitar virtuoso with over a decade of heavy touring and recording under his belt. He plays a telecaster unlike any other, with a meticulous machine-like efficiency. Only a handful of musicians are in his stratosphere, and few at his age have played with as many high profile acts as he has.

As with most guitarists, its tough to have a solo career making albums without vocals or radio-friendly songs. His album Songs of Sanity was a strange mix of hard and fast metal riffs and a few down home country pickin’ tunes. He grew up watching Hee Haw, so, it makes sense.

Here’s a sample of this man’s jamtastic skills:

He’s played with Rob Halford, Lita Ford, Marilyn Manson, and currently tours with Rob Zombie. If not for John 5, I don’t think Rob Zombie’s solo career would have much depth to it. It’s John’s haunting riffs that bring Zombie’s monster music to life, and the same can be said for Marilyn Manson’s live shows.

Recently, he’s been recording with Lynyrd Skynyrd for their new album, which I think certifies him as a great guitarist. Manson, Zombie, Halford, Skynyrd….combined millions and millions of record sales…yea, I think he’s made it.

I suggest picking up either of his albums, and I’d sell ya one, but, it’s already gone

I’m gonna do ya one better

Les Claypool. The man, the myth, the legend.

One of the most enigmatic and prolific frontmen of his generation. Drawing from classic influences like Pink Floyd, Rush, and Elvis, Claypool brought a sound to music that human ears had never heard before. He’s been a part of many bands, plays a variety of basses, and even tried out to be Cliff Burton’s replacement in Metallica after that great bass man died.

I’ll write in detail about Primus, his main band, at a later date, but his solo album Of Wales and Woe was one of the first albums I sold and it’s one of his most impressive. Claypool has been making music for the better part of 20 years, but he had yet to make a solo album until this one. On it, he brought some of his friends from various projects he’s had over the years, but its a pure Claypool album, with songs about haunted cars and a girl from Iowa.

He’s also responsible for a lot of cartoon theme songs, and the theme from Robot Chicken is actually on this album. But most people might recognize his voice and bass from a certain show featuring foul-mouthed 8th graders…

Best of all, he’s a local boy. He lives in Occidental, CA on a farm called “Rancho Relaxo” and if you get that reference, you rock. He grew up in Richmond, CA and I have an aunt that even went to school with him.

I remember wearing a Metallica hat at my Grandpa’s house and my aunt asked if I was into heavy metal. I said “Uh, yea” and she asked if I knew who Les Claypool was.

Uh, yea.

I had just seen him in San Francisco near Halloween, and she told me she might be able to arrange a meeting between the two of us the next time he was in town. That never happened, but, it was an awesome gesture.

I could rant and rave about how awesome his bassplaying skills are, but I think I’ll just show ya a video. On the solo album I sold, he plays drums, bass, guitars, some percussion, and a bunch of other stuff while still finding time to produce and engineer the whole thing. Truly a one-man band.

I’ve had the awesome chance to see the bassmaster on New Years Eve in SF twice, and both were amazing. He plays for hours, has a wacky hat contest, and of course, the countdown to midnight was fairly epic. I recommend catching Sir Claypool anytime he’s near and jamming along.