Category Archives: Tunes

Album: Shane Nicholson “Faith & Science”

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If you were a boy singer, would you be insulted if I told you your album was super super pretty? I mean it in a good way!

I saw Nicholson open for Kasey Chambers last year(?or the year before?) and really liked him. He’s often compared to Crowded House/Neil Finn. I really didn’t hear the similarities that much on the previous album, but on this one there are indeed a few songs that I have to stop and think “Wait, who am I listening to?”

If you need music to ROCK you, this might be too soft for you. But if you generally don’t like the quiet boys, it’s more upbeat than that (i.e., not as melancholy as, say, Damien Rice).

Fave songs: “All the Time in the World,” “Always Be on Your Side,” “Watch Her Go” and “Exit Wounds.”

Paste 31 Sampler, a girl (song-by-song) reaction.

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Overall feeling: The Hold Steady book-ends label this one more “rock” than anything else but there is a bit of variation.

Track by track:

  • “Massive Nights” The Hold Steady: This isn’t my favorite Hold Steady song (or album). But you can never go wrong starting off a mix with a Craig Finn rant (which is how I think of their songs).
  • “Been There All the Time” Dinosaur Jr: I love the plaintive, pleading tone of the vocals, not what you expect in a rock song. Can I be a part of you? … Can I be there all the time?
  • “Killing Him” Amy LaVere: Total change in musical mood. Quiet, speakeasy feelin’.
  • “Die Die Die” The Avett Brothers: Crystal clear lyrics/vocals, the music is very much in the background. The harmonies here crack me up.
  • “Get It On” Grinderman: Back to (heavier) rock. Demanding, insistent.
  • “Diamond Ring” Joseph Arthur: Love this song. Love him. Is he single? I’ll be his diamond ring.
  • “Lay Your Head Down” Keren Ann: Pretty enough. But not really doing it for me.
  • “Gor Det Nu” Dungen: Headbanger’s ball mixed with old Rolling Stones.
  • “Baby’s Romance” Chris Garneau: Ooooo, I like this. Very soft and tender.
  • “It Must Have Happened” Mary Chapin Carpenter: How long has it been since I listened to MCC? Her voice isn’t how I remember it (deeper? gruffer?). Not really doing it for me here.
  • “Big Drag” Limbeck: Very thinly layered verses. Sparse.
  • “Passenger Song” Great Lake Swimmers: I love everything they do. Thick, dense, low sounds. Lovely.
  • “I’ll Be Rested” Mavis Staples: Very goofy xylophone-ish sounding beginning. Her voice is amazing.
  • “Don’t Let Go” Pacha Massive: Dance beat. Shake that ass. But the vocals are not living up to the music’s promise of liveliness.
  • “Man Overboard” Kristoffer Ragnstam: Another goofy beginning. Spoken word/rappish feel. Think “The Streets” or “Just Jack.”
  • “Rest Your Weary Mind” Elizabeth Cook (with Bobby Bare Jr): Lil bit of country. The male vocal is very Johnny Cash (yum) but the female is too contrasty for me / almost operatic.
  • “Life Is Beautiful” Vega4: Knew this song from a TV show. Slowing things down. Sad and melancholy. Sounds a lot like Snow Patrol (which is a good thing in my book).
  • “V Neck Sweater” The Greyboy Allstars: Jazzy feel. Nice beat! Groovin’.
  • “If I Were You” Chris Knight: Quiet and contemplative. Twangy, yet kinda sweet.
  • “Kite Song” Rosie Thomas: Slowing things waaaaay down. I like her stuff sometimes, but not consistently, and this one is kinda makin’ me sleepy. Doesn’t seem to belong here.
  • “Stuck Between Stations” (acoustic) The Hold Steady: And we’re back to Craig Finn. I love the lyrics of this song. But the speed with which they are ranted totally(!) makes me think of REM and back, back, back in the day…

Paste 30 Sampler, a girl (song-by-song) reaction.

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Overall feeling: More on the country, folksy side of things than some of their discs. No songs I absolutely can’t stand (woot). Generally diggin’.
Track by track:

  • “We’re from Barcelona” I’m from Barcelona: pop-y and fun.
  • “Can’t Stop” Ozomatli: OK. Kinda weird.
  • “Everyone Gets a Star” Albert Hammond Jr.: Monotone vocals. Cool sound. But not a fave.
  • “Nowhere Warm” Kate Havenick: For the Sarah McLachlan/Beth Orton/Jem lovers out there. Pretty voice.
  • “Four Winds” Bright Eyes: Very country.
  • “Memories of Home” Umphrey McGee: Even more country.
  • “Remember Me” Zach Brooke: Country, but more up, with a real driving beat.
  • “With You” Stars of Track and Field: Synth/electronic. Wistful. Pleading.
  • “Soft Aslyum (No Way Out)” Grant-Lee Phillips: Soft. A little droan-y. I tend to like his stuff, even though I’ve never listened beyond random singles that come my way.
  • “Into Brooklyn, Early in the Morning” The Innocence Mission: Real Suzanne Vega feel to it.
  • “Blue Jeans Pizza” Moe: Jazzy sounds. Very goofy falsetto vocals.
  • “A Good Start” Maria Taylor: Spooky, layered beginning. Nice lyrics!
  • “Gulf of Mexico Fishing Boat Blus” Bruce Hornsby & Ricky Skaggs: Feels like bluegrass.
  • “Trans Am” Nathan: Female vocal? Sweet. But feels a little frantic.
  • “Happy” Martin Sexton: Very sharp, distinctive edge to the lead.
  • “Save Myself” Willy Mason: Lyrics vs. music feels disconnected. Droan-y.
  • “Come Undone” Jackson Water: Can’t tell if the lead vocal is male or female but love the thick, rich tone to it. Anthemic feel.

There ya have it.

In concert: Manu Chao

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Hard to say what was the issue here (the mixing boards? the mikes?), but the sound was the worst of probably any show I’ve been to in the last few years: really really bad, completely distorted, lyrics indecipherable, everything muddled together.

In addition, the Aragon was the fullest I’ve EVER seen it, main floor completely full all the way to the back. Air conditioning on minimally at best, if at all. Everyone covered in sweat, what seemed like over half the males in the audience took their shirts off and some of the female audience came as close as they could without getting thrown out.

Pretty miserable evening. I went home early and listened to the CDs instead. Better sound, better surrounds. Much more enjoyable.

In Concert — Double Feature: The Maccabees / The Noisettes

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I had actually bought The Maccabees album the other day when I was wandering Virgin and it was playing in the store but I hadn’t gotten around to listening yet, so it was a pleasant surprise to find they were playing before The Noisettes. The lead singer has an amazing voice, despite his bizarre stage antics. My friends were postulating various illnesses/handicaps/etc., but I think it was more a case of nerves / nowhere to put his hands. Maybe he needs something to hold while he’s on stage. Someone give that boy a tambourine! They’re being hyped as the next Franz Ferdinand/best new British band/etc. etc., which as you know can often spell a band’s downfall trying to live up to the hype (Arctic Monkeys?) . Based on their live performance, I have to think these guys have a chance: they were polished and together, none of the odd gaffes you often see in a band’s early tours. And they sounded great! Interesting lyrics, rockin’ guitar licks. Have finally started listening to the album post-show: Thumbs Up for “Colour It In”.

While equally compelling in concert, musically The Noisettes are an entirely different ball game. I’ve been racking my brain all morning trying to think of others to compare them to. Thrashing, yelling, jumping = super super high energy, loud, badass performance. I’d call them “punk” before anything else. (And in an odd coincidence of timing, one of their songs was on The Sopranos finale!) Here’s a review and this one describes the lead singer as “Billie Holiday on PCP.” A lot of fun but I don’t spend a lot of time listening to this album since a) I’m not going to the gym these days (I think it’d be perfect workout music) and b) stuff that is this high energy feels very POSITIVE to me and you know I’m all about the negative.

[p.s. and this site has a photo from the same concert.]

Opener: The Reds and the Blues. Nothing that inspiring, but definitely unforgettable. Come on, when was the last time you saw a bassoon on-stage in a rock band?

In Concert: Dinosaur Jr.

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Either we missed Lou Barlow doing a solo set at the beginning of the night…or he decided not to when he came back on stage after Dinosaur and everyone started Booing because it wasn’t the encore they were looking for? (Jackhats!)

Great sounds. Really rocking out. The hair on the lead singer is like less-coiffed leftovers from a Ratt video. And it drove me nuts all night to try to figure out what was on his t-shirt. Dinosaur? Diamond? DeeWayne?

Music/Memoir: “Love Is a Mix Tape” by Rob Sheffield

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This book sounded so much up my alley that I was wary of it at first. Then I read this review and I KNEW I didn’t have to worry about being disappointed.

An elegy to his dead wife. An elegy to the music they discovered and loved together. A tribute to so many bands, some disbanded, some moved on. A foundation for his future. A hopeful look ahead.

The writing is lovely, the music discussions are wonderful. I’m now obsessed with checking out bands I never listened to at the time (Big Star, Pavement), and revisiting ones I did listen to but haven’t in ages. I’m replaying mix tapes from high school and college and thinking about old friends and breakup songs and drinking songs and roadtrip songs….

I loved it. LOVED it.

This joins “High Fidelity” by Nick Hornby and “The Wishbones” by Tom Perrotta as my favorite music books.

In Concert: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

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Wow. I really had no idea what to expect going in. The first time I listened to these guys was last year when a few of their songs kept popping up on shows I watch (one of them made my favorites list last year). I remember reading reviews that said those songs were really a departure from their former harder-rock style. Their new album came out and the reviews said it was trying to be a mix of their old & new styles (and not necessarily succeeding). I got it. I like it.

So, on to seeing them live: OK I go to a lot of concerts, but not necessarily that many rock concerts. More singer/songwriter, acoustic, indie, alternative. This concert? ROCKED. Total hypnotic oral assault = awesome. Freakish torturous visual assault (light show) = surely dangerous to any epileptics in the audience! Music sounded great. They’re better musicians than I would have guessed from the albums. Good stage banter, great lyrics, nice acoustic touch in the middle. Loved it.

I am officially bonkers about this band.

Shuffle = it’s a dangerous thing.

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I generally listen to albums (in order), or playlists (mixes, monthly purchase lists, artist matchups), or shuffle an artist’s works. I forgot how the iPod can really take you surprise when you open it up to overall Shuffle mode. I’m sure I haven’t purposely listened to this song since sometime in 1995 or ’96.

You gotta be bad, you gotta be bold
You gotta be wiser, you gotta be hard
You gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger…
You gotta be cool, you gotta be calm
You gotta stay together…
-Des’ree “You Gotta Be”

À la Super Eggplant, currently, I am…

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Making: Not much. Very occasionally knitting on a sock, or on Maddox. (Both are up on Ravelry if you feel like finding me on it.) THINKING lots about quilting, and basting, and piecing, and planning, but not actually doing any of that.

Reading: Uh oh, I finished a book yesterday and I forgot to put a new one in my bag before I left this morning! It’s going to be Michael Chabon’s new one but looks like I won’t be starting it until tomorrow!

Watching: Still watching Buffy (season 6) and Angel (season 3). I was writing about them as I watched them for a while, but then I got bored with that as it just slowed me down and all I really wanted to do was watch more and more and more and more. Soon I will be done. Then what will I do with my time? I’ll have to go back to real life and it won’t be pretty! I am REALLY hoping to see both “Waitress” and “Hot Fuzz” (Dad review: BRILLIANT!) this week but not sure how that’s going to work out given that I am shopping tonight, concerting Thursday night and probably hemming a dress or two on Friday night (don’t ask).

Listening: Lots of musicals, thanks to Buffy (“Once More, With Feeling“) and a new Duncan Sheik (“Spring Awakening“) that How says is lots of fun. New albums by Travis, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and Elvis Perkins and still Arcade Fire, as well as old albums by Liam Frost & the Slowdown Family (really like) and Josh Pyke (like), and now that Paste comes out monthly, I’ve got at least two samplers I’ve barely put a dent in, and I’ve got a pile of TO BE LISTENED TO that I haven’t even broken into that includes Manu Chao and the Noisettes. Someday I will quit my job and then my stereo will really go up in flames. Someday.