big bummer reported about the famous modesto band via cmj & NME known as grandaddy. Fans saw it in the lyrics, and i suppose they had to keep a front to secure funds from their label for awhile, shame they that don't have the energy for the farewell tour. Grandaddy would have cleaned-up had they toured on the new record slated for release in May. I smell a solo career for jason Lyttle.
On a google search for the Archers Of Loaf and the realization that my copy of icky mettle(cassette review copy -eh-hem for jersey beat eons ago), has been long gone for quite some time, I landed on this Chicago hipsters mp3 blog called Shake your fist, his snap-shot of some tracks from a lounge ax benefit cd is a nice little find; including The Apples in Stereo, and a Helium track. His top 2005 list is here and of course some mp3s for evaluation. In general I found a lot bands who's bloggin' buzz peaked my interest, including some newish band called tapes n tapes, whose sound is reminiscent to early pixie meanderings, where there is some guy yapping behind the core of a simple song. One school of my demented pov are transitions: for the best songs should stand on their own via a guitar and melody first, expand with a jam, minor studio layers, and then there is the live execution. An example of this transition theory are in these live Archers of loaf tracks. Where they conciously took lots of risks from the first steps and kept to their guns. For some reason the progress of aol, SY and polvo are hard to find in all this retro lo-fi-rock. 3 steps forward and 2 steps back I suppose is in motion.
After 5 years of god know what happens in iowa, this spring comes a new record by built to spill called you in reverse. A single is posted on myspace, "going against your mind", very jammy, very spacey, everthing you love about Martsch and co, undiscript yet collaborative sounding and distinct. Don't forget to get your new dj spork on podcast free music download and RSS featuring: art brut, wesly willis, the hold steady and other indie rockers.
Self promotion is damn-easy. Please enjoy the latest and first DJ Spork presents podcast of 2006. [RSS] recorded in glorious analog and then digitized for your podlovin' pleasure. The DJ spork persona digs around the archives and top 50 lists of 2005 and spins some rock music.
Now, sure I prod and poke the PFM dorks for having a mixed-inclusive 2005, as think top 10-100 list should be categorized appropriatly because, as emusic's owner Michael Azerrad (MA) points out there is never bad in year music and some of good stuff never trickles up to main stream public. The number one album, as written by MA, is this Afrian release congotronics by Konono No.1 and you know what it's pretty cool,o, It sound like it is made from the earth and run on car batteries which indeed when they need aplification it is. Although, it is clear that MA has an agenda to promote independent artist they sell, no problem with thatthankfully and you sure as hell ain't gonna find any bad pop-music on their site, so that filter is gone, and their prices are more than reasonable, well enough said. I took the first congotronic track and then another and the stuff is mezmerising. I am probably have A-D-D but the navigation and writing on the site will satisfy any music addict. Their 2005 list will keep me busy for awhile. I am not one to download a whole record and blow my 40 track wad, i am impulsive and usually will have to remember to back-track to complete a collection of songs, for instance this congotronics record. Emusic, has also included their member poll (methodology, an album receiving a first place vote was given five points, a second place vote four points and so on), which hits some of the obvious choices and some interesting ones as well, I took a sampling and some risks on The National release Alligator @ #6, which has this baritoney alt-country thing but start with atrack called "all the wine" has the safe cool guitar hooks, next up at #7 is Josh Rousch, a singer-songwriter type that i think move to spain but not before leaving his 5th record Nashville, it decent alt-country slide guitar, sounds like P. Westerburg a little so if that hits your cool meter dig "It's the Nightime. Another reach-back to sexpistol-sarcastic brit-punk is Art Brut's debut Bang Bang Rock & Roll" @ #16, the lyrics are dumb and literal which at its core has the heart of discovery to quote "my little brother just discovered rock and roll"; Bloc Party is polished in comparison for you new rockers or old-guys who dug The Fall. Same shit different decade -amen.
I have a basement of poster art but no Derek Hess work to speak of. I did play in a band that he made a poster for, really the headliner was Don Caballero, and I wasn't in the band Bubblegum Thunder yet, but I digress. Mr. Hess's interview on the cmj site is pretty good. Hard to believe this chicken wing chopping poster art guy has something in the damn Louvre but it's true, there is taste out there. Eventhough, it is in France. Today's nitty gritty free mp3 single download recommendation can be had from Matador Records via the band Early Man with a track called "death is the answer" -has this black sabbath thing going on. Don't forget to catch the djspork podcast wave. The RSS 2006 indie rock playlists is in the works. If you got new material you want reviewed or played contact me and send it my way.ok, thanks rockon.
Ok, so never say that the secret world of music addicts and obnoxious tastemakers don't invite you to put in your two cents. Rock your vote on Tris Mccall's 2005 critics poll and be a part of the people's history of pop-music. I for one can't believe that the pitch dork staff made such a pure rock record like Gimme fiction by Spoon number 43. Granted they get thousand of more swag and usually error on coolness and obscurity for their choice of round-up. Although, they did remind of Franz Ferdinand record, at number 30 You Could Have It So Much Better should have been in any reasonable, not forgetful, persons top 10 cd list that i actually bought list and totally liked. I am/was surprised that they mixed urban/hip/hop in their top 50 list, eventhough Ryan Schrieber's worst of 2005 list was too insider for me to give a crap about and his problems related to having too much bandwidth to come-up with such a lame list. Really spare us next time. Rip a good record like the good ole'days when Brenden Reid used to write.
