A Fire? WHERE? INSIDE! Really?

You need to forgive me for two things. One, of course is for not writing in this blog for just over a year. Two, for being out of order.

Hey, it happens.

You don't have to forgive me for writing about A.F.I.... or A Fire Inside. Now, let's get the wise cracks out the way first.

Yes, this band should be played if you are doing hardcore Vampire: The Embrace Larping. This band does go well with black eyeliner and feelings of angst and loneliness well past high school. This band is great if you are lifting weights and need really good music to get angry with but not so angry with that you throw them around and and end up hurting something.

In it's own way, AFI is corny and sincere as all hell. And guess what.. that's why they rock.

I heard the name on radio a couple of times, and saw some concert postings in NYC, but never really knew them until they appeared on The American Music Awards, and gave a pretty solid showing.

Leading to "Oh, so that's who these guys are?" And a two album investment.

A.F.I. it seems has a long history, incredible groups of fans who they give a hell of a lot back to. This is a band that if you sink your teeth into.. vampiric imagery unavoidable... you may just hit a throbbing vein of rock and emotion that will carry you away.

Or, you may just get a pretty good band worth checking into.

A.F.I. can be heard in many groups out there.. intentionally or not. Linkin Park and Evanesence have them in their DNA, for example. And while I wasn't ever really drawn in, I'm glad to have them in the collection.

That's why both CD's get 3 stars. Solid rock albums, cool stuff on them, but I haven't replayed them much since. Worth experimenting, and not letting the stereotypes stop you.

Artist: A Fire Inside

Album: Sing The Sorrow
Year: 2003
Date Listened in Tour: 7/16/08
Re-listened: 8/13/12
Original & Standing Rating: ***
Best Song: Silver and Cold

Artist: Afro Celt Sound System

Album: Vol. 3
Year: 2001
Date Listened in Tour: 7/17/08

Re-listened: 8/13/12

Original & Standing Rating: ***

Best Song: 37mm

Brattleboro Mon Amour

This is re-post from my LiveJournal blog. I'm reposting it here on the off chance someone reads it and contributes.

Music posting to resume later...

So Vermont has been an important part of my families life and mine.

My Dad and his sister went to University of Vermont. It was one of the best times of his life. The way the school reached out and embraced him as his classes' 50th reunion came about was equally gratifying.

As a little kid, I remember fondly vacationing there a couple of times, going up for my dad's 25th or 30th reunion. Vermie, the stuffed mouse I got from the Vermont book store was a star of my menagerie for years.

My sister went to Middlebury, and it was there on one visit that wee James became known as "Who's the little dude puking off house porch?" and first had Olympia Beer. (Motto: "It's the Water." More like "It Is Water.) It was also in these visits I had my first aware glimpse of a winter Vermont sky. I saw more stars in one night than I'd had seen in all my life up to that point.

I think my first glimpse of the Milky Way was there.

Plus, I'm pretty sure I saw an early Phish tape or two laying around people's dorm rooms.

For me, my time in Vermont was in the winter of '93. I got a role in the Whetstone Theater's Christmas Carol, playing young Scrooge and Bob Cratchit. The company was an amazing mix of characters.. Green mountain natives and transplanted New Yorkers, and me showing up after my Mon saw an add in a Amherst news paper.

The town itself.. was brilliant. I'll admit to forgetting a lot of names.. I man, we're going on 20 years since I was there. But the Latchis Theater featured mainstream movies and an amazing women's film festival ( I saw "Wayne's World 2," "Adams Family Values" and "Ruby in Paradise" in this same theater. "Ruby..." was better than the other two, by the way.)

The cast was great. I crashed in a house with one of the staffers for a couple of months, and was really welcomed. And tolerated at points. Hey... new actors can suck some in rehearsals before things come together.

I left, lost touch. Heard some people in the company passed.

And then the Hurricane.

Folks, we are all broke beyond human belief and all have causes to help, towns in need. Fellow Empire staters need help as well.

But on behalf of old friends and old memories in Vermont, and some newer ones, I'm asking folks to consider giving some to the Green Mountain State.

Here's a link to a great web page- http://7d.blogs.com/blurt/2011/08/after-irene-how-you-can-help-vermont.html

Cut, paste, and give a little.

Afro Celt What the Hey is this?

Let’s talk about “World Music.”

At the old Virgin Megastores (miss those gigantic, corporate bastards oh so much) somewhere near the back, was a rack or two of music from all over the world, at least a quarter of which were from Peter Gabriel’s Real World label.

“World Music” is not always a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s about people learning about different music, and appreciating other cultures native sounds. Sometimes, it’s about western pop types getting really funky and partnering with non-western types to rock the fuck out.

Sometimes, it’s an aging English rock start making an embarrassing documentary about drumming in Africa. Sometimes, it’s a weapon the more pretentious use against the less pretention to prove their music tastes are superior.

Sometime’s it’s just a mess of what the fuck that your ears can bleed.

Afro-Celtic Sound System, Vol.3 piqued my interest based on the regular airplay of a song featuring  Peter Gabriel, “Falling,” featuring a man falling from the sky, through the Earth, and out the other side. I saw it for cheap at a little CD store in the Pavonia Newport Mall in beautiful Jersey City, right by where I lived for a bit.

I have rarely had such a serious “WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST PAY FOR?” reaction as I’ve had with this. I love Celtic music, I dig most African sounds. Hell, I actually liked a lot of Deep Forest’s stuff.

Don’t judge me.

But this is just such an indulgent, ready to be background music in a 1990’s English chocolate commercial mess, I have no idea what they were thinking, or intending. It must be like being trapped at a weekend long Phish show without being a fan or being stoned off your ass.

The actual CD was thrown back to the winds of fate years ago. I still have it on  MP3 in case I need to hear “Falling” or scare animals and small children.

World music doesn’t automatically suck. But ohmygod, Afro Celt Sound System, Vol, 3, most surely does.

Artist: Afro Celt Sound System

Album: Vol. 3
Year: 2001
Date Listened in Tour: 7/17/08
Rating: *
Best Songs: Falling

In Brightest Day, In "Black Love" in the year “1965”

After the “Gentleman”, the Whigs kept on going ‘til ’98. The music continues to be big, the sound expands a bit.. but the steam starts to leak. Also, they were a little loss in the surge of Alt, as it started to fade away and we all began dithering over what "Alt" meant, who was really "Alt", and why the fuck would anyone buy "Backstreet Boys" or "N-Sync"

“Gentleman” is a CD that comes to mind, that you can imagine picking up out the blue and putting on again and again. “Black Love” and “1965” are both great, and having had replayed them very recently, are both great, but aren’t as high on the instant play.  They aren’t the OHMYGOD SO AMAZING that the first album is.

Another way to describe the two is a really good scotch or whiskey. Not the best ever, but one you have to remember you have, and are rewarded for playing again. After the first sip, after the it sinks into you, you remember why you keep a bottle or two of it in your liquor cabinet.

But. these are high recommends. I need to listen to more of Dulli and co’s non-Whig output, but if you like
“Gentleman” at all, these are must buys.

Artist: The Afghan Whigs.

Album: Black Love
Year: 1996
Date Listened in Tour: 7/15/08
Rating: ****
Best Songs: Bulletproof

Artist: The Afghan Whigs.

Album: 1965
Year: 1998
Date Listened in Tour: 7/15/08
Rating: ****
Best Song: Uptown Again

You’re No “Gentleman”

One thing I have to say bewilders me. Somehow, music that you’ve burned and listened to many a time, that has happily lived on your iPod or other lesser mp3 player, disappears from your hard drive.

HOW THE FUCK DOES THIS HAPPEN? I DON’T KNOW!

!!

!

Ok.. back to the music.

In the early 90’s, while New Wave was fading and Grunge and Alt where taking over, I was working in the music industry while starting acting. And, starting to really get into music. Like, REALLY. Like, learning credit cards are FUN FUN, into music.

Anyhow.

Not every band was trying to be Nirvana, thank god. An early stand was The Afghan Whigs. I heard them here and there, saw them onto MTV News way more than they were played on MTV, and I just liked their sound, and their lyrics. Look, no matter how good a person you are, part of you has some mildly to seriously  hateful thoughts in it. And guess what..  kick ass rock n’roll can be quite cathartic in that respect.

“YEAH! WORSE PEOPLE THAN ME EXIST! AND MAKE A GREAT NEW SOUND WITH IT! AND AREN’T METAL DOUCHEBAGS!”

Well, maybe not that extreme. But you get my point.

The Whigs never took over the world, and as stories go, and allegedly they broke up amicably. Seeing Greg’s interviews, it’s not entirely believable. But for some of the best of early 90;s alt, you can’t go wrong with them.

I’ll be hitting the other two LP’s separately, but I’m including the EP in this entry. “Gentleman” is an essential part in any cd collection. Great to either amp you up or get you through dark moods, worth listening to the words while doing the head bop, and of the moment it was produced in but not stuck in the moment.

“What Jail Is Like” is a great little EP. Not only does it feature another great song from “Gentleman”, but it shows some different angles of the band. They have some banjo, they show some of the love of soul and classic R&B which marked them as more diverse than your average rock band.

And, it allows me to cheat a little. “What Jail Is Like” is another great song from the “Gentleman” cd, and instead of bursting the Best Song category completely, I get to put it in with the EP.

THANKS, GUYS!

Artist: The Afghan Whigs.

Album: Gentleman
Year: 1993
Date Listened in Tour: 7/15/08
Rating: *****
Best Songs: Be Sweet/ Deboanir

Artist: The Afghan Whigs.

Album: What Jail Is Like
Year: 1994
Date Listened in Tour: 7/15/08
Rating: ****
Best Song: What Jail Is Like

Let’s Hear It For “About a Boy”

The early 2000’s. Wow. We were all trying to chill… either from too many club drugs ( not me, but those of you who were.. it’s cool. Why didn’t you share more?), 9/11 ( me and a lot of other fine folks,) and the whole buzzkill of Y2K.

I mean, we passed both 2000 AND 2001 with out one robot trying to kill us all. Not counting Dick Cheney. I don’t think he was a cyborg yet.

And in to that mix, came all sorts of great, but chill things. Like “Chill Lounges” and “Chill Music.” New frontiers in folk and mellowness.

And Badly Drawn Boy. Another guy who I heard more about than heard, another Brit, his video with the kids’ braces stuck together spoke to a wholesome romantic wistfulness.

And then he did the soundtrack for “About a Boy.”

You may have figured out I’m a Nick Hornby fanboy. Yes, yes I am. And save for the fact that it’s impossible to make a decent film of “Fever Pitch”, the other movies based on his work have been purty damn awesome. Even better, “About a Boy’s” screenplay was written Peter Hedges, a former teacher of mine.

One of the nicest guys you could hope to meet. EVER. You read "What's Eating Gilbert Grapes?" Go back. Buy some of his other stuff.

Anyway,  BDB was a great choice for the movie, a fun mix of odd characters in odd situations, finding themselves in London.

And the CD was one of many found at an FYE in Kingston, NY, as we were rushing to find new cd’s to play in the rental car during a good but challenging recent vacation.

I was going to give this 3 stars, but a second listen bumps it up to 4.  BDB get’s some different styles in this cd, it’s not mopetastic at all. And it works brilliantly with the film.  

But I don’t often see listening to it for it’s own sake. Plus, where the hell is “Santa’s Super Sleigh?” REALLY! But it does stand out better as a CD for it’s own sake then I first realized.

Get this if you are a fan of the film or a Badly Drawn Boy fan. It won’t let you down. If you are looking to learn about Badly Drawn Boy, I’d say track down his other albums first, but swing back to this.

Artist: Badly Drawn Boy.

Album: 19
Year: 2008
Date Listened in Tour: 4/22/09
Rating: ****
Best Song:Silent Sigh

Oi, Adele, you got Soul?

You know, England never lost soul. I mean, Soul & R&B in the US have splintered into so many different directions and sounds… there is not a distinct modern US Soul Sound. Feel free to disagree with me… you are probably right.

But the English have held on to Souls circa mid-60’s on for much longer then the US has. Underground events when desperate souls cross the isle and join each others for dance ins’. Don’t believe me?

Evidence: Nick Hornby’s “Juliet Naked. Read it.

Then see “Blue Juice”- a 1995 Welsh Surf movie. Yeah.. you can stream it. No worries. You’ll notice that as time gone on, Sean Pertwee.. the actual male lead of the flick, has been pushed aside for Catherine Zeta Jones and Ewan McGregor.

That’s not the point. The point is you’ll see over the views there is an English soul scene that I just don’t think is here in the states. I know there are amazing soul musicians and bands… just not that lingering scene.

So when people are shocked by the waves of English Blue Eyed Soul singers ( never mind that the UK is racially diverse and has talented people of all backgrounds sharing music), they shouldn’t be. Save for their press and relations with contested territories, the Brits have had soul, and always had soul.

Now, Adele… she goes beyond the hype. And yes they’ve tried to hyper her up. And yes… they’ve likely been pressuring her some to fit the more standard image of a pop singer. Or just held pictures of Duffy in front of her saying “YOU SHOULD LOOK LIKE HER!”

No, she shouldn’t.

The fact that Adele is a singer and a writer who made two brilliant albums out of utter heartbreak give her cred. The fact that she sings with undeniable soul.. both in style and in practice,  give her cred. For the fact she gets’s so many different sounds as young artists in just two albums, give her cred.

AND FOR GOD SAKES! GET HER A GOOD MAN WHO INSPIRES HER AS MUCH AS EVERY ASSWHOLE WHO GAVE HER THESE TWO ALBUMS! SHE DESERVES IT!

4 out of 5. Damn fine, and you need to own her stuff.

Artist: Adele

Album: 19
Year: 2008
Date Listened in Tour: 4/22/09
Rating: ****
Best Song: First Love

Artist: Adele

Album: 21
Year: 2011
Date Listened in Tour: 7/18/11
Rating: ****
Best Song: Set Fire To The Rain (special praise for her cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong.”)