Diana Krall-All For You, Santogold-Santogold

As I write this blog post I am listening to the new Madonna album, and since I make a point of not really talking about the music/artists that I am "reviewing" each day, maybe now is a good time to say at least the first track on the album is really crappy. It is called 4 minutes, produced by timbaland, and CRAPPY. Track 2 just kicked in and maybe it is a little better, or maybe not, the first line is "I just woke up from a fuzzy dream". Madonna has lost he "reinvention" magic that she had going for so long. Too bad kind of, but also not so bad, I am sick of Madonna and her stupid English accent. Seriously I don't think she gets enough shit for that accent, it's not like she just picked it up when she started dating Guy Ritchie, she has been busting out a phony English accent since back in the day, and it is stupid, and makes me think she is actually pretty stupid herself, even though all other evidence points to her being some kind of the genius. Anyhow much less on this album tomorrow.
Diana Krall is like Norah Jones I guess, singing old timey music. This album is a tribute to Nat King Cole I have heard, but I much prefer old Nat. Santogold is new Madonna, or maybe the new Cindi Lauper, either way I don't know. I don't really like that whatayacallit, like MIA Caribbean rap shit, or whatever you call it, and so I don't really like Santogold too much either (BTW I misspelled this word and the spell checker from Blogger offered "Eat Her" as a possible correct word choice. Is there as section of naughty blogs that I don't know about? Penthouse letters blogs or something. "I walked into the neighbors kitchen thinking I was going to fix a leaky faucet and next thing I knew she asked me to eat her"). Both these albums get 2 and 1/2 stars.

UFO-Lights Out, Santo and Johnny-Volume Secondo, Boredoms-Vision Creation Newson

Had a fun weekedn with a friends 40th birthday where I had a bit too much to drink, and a then a little playdate/bbq on Sunday. I guess the most exciting thing about this weekend is that I may be closer launching my internet business because I spoke to somebody who is very interested and is the kind of person who could really help me get funding. I wont go into any details here on the web, but if you know me outside of cyberspace you probably have already heard of this idea, unless you haven't.
Pretty diverse music this weekend. Friday was UFO which for some reason I had never heard of, but I would say "Lights Out" is a pretty great 70s rock album, really recorded in the 70s! Santo and Johnny are jazz instrumentalists from the early 60s/late 50s who recorded rock tunes in a jazzy instrumental way. You would totally know them if you heard them, and probably totally enjoy them. The boredomes are noise pop (i guess, or something like that). Anyhow my friend andrew was really into them, may still be, but I was surprised a how "musical" this album was, a lot less noisy than I remembered, but maybe also a little less good. Two thumbs up for the first two and one thumb up for the second (eberts thumb).

Graveyard-Graveyard

Well the votes are piling in for "Sexiest Lesbian In The Eyes of Male Heterosexuals In The World" and "Sexiest Homosexual Male In The Eyes Of Female Heterosexuals In The World" but there is still time to vote. In addition there is a two new award "Celebrity who would be most delicious to eat deep fried in the world" and "Celebrity who would be most delicious to eat sauteed in the world". There is of course the possibility that one celebrity could win both categories, and might well make them the favorite to win the cherished "Most edible celebrity in the world no matter how they are prepared" award, but that is a long way off, so lets just focus on the contests at hand. Also remember you can vote as often as you would like, and that management reserves the right to completely ignore the vote tally. Also I saw "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" last night and my advice is not to bother. It seems to me this era of comedy is on the downswing, and I would not be surprised if the whole gross out comedy genre dies down for a little while soon, but then again maybe not.
Graveyard is pretty authentic sounding early 70s hard rock created in the late aughts. I would say I probably need to give it another listen to evaluate how I really feel about it, but for now I give it a C+.

Deodato-Deodato 2

Well FHM magazine has name Megan Fox the sexiest woman in the world. I don't know who she is (I guess she was in the movie transformers) but I have seen some pictures of her, and she does look pretty sexy. But is she the sexiest woman in the world? Who's to say, apparently FHM magazine. Anyhow that got me thinking maybe I should be handing out some awards. I mean FHM got on the front page of yahoo by naming the sexiest woman in the world, so many it will increase my hits if I start giving out some awards. I am going to allow my reader(s) to vote as well. The first award I am giving is "Sexiest Lesbian In The Eyes of Male Heterosexuals In The World". I will also be awarding the "Sexiest Homosexual Male In The Eyes Of Female Heterosexuals In The World" although this may be tougher because I am not sure I have any female heterosexual readers. Anyhow vote early and often. The editor(s) of this blog reserve the right ignore or double count any votes submitted. New awards will be announced daily until I get bored of doing this (or until the traffic on my site it so high that I have to pay extra fees).
Deodata is a rock/jazz/funk instrumental musician from the 70s. It is always fun to hear music that is the basis for modern music (often lifted directly). I have a CD called Kurtis Blow Presents the History of Hip Hop Vols 1-3 and volume 1 is especially cool because it plays a bunch of songs which have the riffs of much current (well current in the early aughts) hip hop. Same goes for Deodata for jazzy house music or whatever it is called. Anyhow the album was pretty darn good, and I give it ROCK HARD.

Bruce Springsteen- The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Band, The Sword-Gods of Earth

On Sunday night I went to the premier of a friend of mine from poker's movie. The movie is called "Turn the River" and is opening hear in the US on May 9th. I definitely recommend the movie. I won't go into to much detail on it for fear of spoiling the plot, but there is some pool, some poker and some good acting. Every once in while I end up getting invited to some sort of party or something that I am hoping will be star studded, and they always turn out to be a bit of disappointing in the star studded department. This party was no exception. The party itself was fine, the drinks were free, the place the was nice and I knew a group of people so I had a good time, but the celeb count was a little low for my liking. Basically my only celebrity encounter was when Lisa Loeb cut me off when I was trying to leave the movie theater. I was kind of hoping that Rip Torn would have taken the last hors d'oeuvres of a tray that I was eying, or Jennifer Jason Leigh's dog would have bitten my pant leg, but no luck. Tomorrow is Sarah's birthday so get your cards in the mail ASAP.
I had been kind of thinking about rethinking my hatred of Bruce Springsteen. I am not really sure why I hate him really, just something about all that "Born in the USA" craziness really turned me off. One thing I do like about him is that "Born in the USA" is such an indictment of America, but people have made it into an anthem. That said this album was ok, but a little to much saxophone if you know what I mean. My new rating system BTW seems to leave me giving everything a chubbie, and today will be no exception. CHUBBIE for the boss. Also CHUBBIE for The Sword, which is some real serious heavy metal, not really my cup of tea, but a nice change of pace after over a week of Pansie ass 70s music.

Crystal Castles-Crystal Castles, Don Covay, The House of the Blue Light, The Roots-Things Fall Apart

If you live in Europe and are visiting Brooklyn in the coming months you are really going to want to plan to visit the Brooklyn Museum while you are here and see the Murakami show. Actually even if you live somewhere in the NY area you may want to check it out. I went this weekend with my family (visiting from Boston for Passover) and it was pretty cool. His is apparently the founder of the Super Flat movement, which is apparently a comment on the Otaku lifestyle, which apparently is an obsession with anime and manga. I don't know any other artists in the Super Flat movement, but I like the sound of it anyways. Plus the art is pretty bizarre and interesting. Also we deep friend the Turkey (as I think I mentioned) and that was also pretty cool. The Turkey was super delicious and cooked really fast. The only real drag was draining and straining all the oil the next day. Still I highly recommend a Turkey Frying rig, plus this summer I am going to make buffalo wings, fried chicken, chicken friend steak, and I hope, chicken fried bacon, which I saw on TV the other day.
Crystal Castles was a video game that my wife used to be really good at back when we went to college. Now it is a techno group with music that sounds slightly like video game music from the 80s, but not quite enough to be much more than a CHUBBIE. Don Covay is a Soul/Blues musician from the 60s. This album was maybe a little too bluesy for my liking and also rated as a CHUBBIE. The Roots were a little better than I thought they would be, although they had one poetry slam like track that I REALLY could have done without. Still and all I give them a WOODIE.

Jackson Browne-Running on Empty, Warren Zevon-Warren Zevon

Hey thanks for those little guys. I will pull them down today! How did you find them anyways? (confused? read the comments section if you are not the person who posted the little guys). It is Passover this weekend and I went out and bought a Turkey frying rig. So this weekend is going to be Turkey Frying crazy! I kind of think it is especially appropriate for Passover because it takes about half the time of baking, and everybody knows those Jews were in a hurry on Passover. Anyhow I expect this turkey to be extra delicious! I will report back. Also I am expecting a big summer of fried chicken, french fries and more!
Both these albums were pretty mediocre. Not much to say I think everyone knows what these guys sound like and there are few surprise on these albums. They are OK but no great shakes. The little guy is sitting in his chair listening but unmoved.

Cat Stevens-Mona Bone Jakon

Thanks for you great suggestions on rating systems. I am trying to track down the artwork for that little guy. Somehow I totally lost track of what I have been listening to. I know I listened to this album, but I didn't think it was yesterday, and I think I missed one. Well maybe I will figure it out at some point. I have bridge tonight, this is the first night the Saxman will host out in Bay Ridge brooklyn. Also there is a big debate on tonight and a Red Sox Yankee game, so I am hoping that we have a TV on with the debate, a radio with the game and then we are playing some MAD BRIDGE. I will let you know how it turns out.
Cat Stevens is kind of too "easy" for me, but sometimes he hits the spot. I did enjoy listening to this album but I am not sure it will be on my most played list. Also I have been listening to the BLACK KEYS a lot, that album is REALLY good, so you should give it a listen. Chubby for Cat Stevens.

The Doobie Brothers-Toulouse Street

I can't really think about the Doobie Brothers without thinking about What's Happening. I do believe the greatest episode ever of What's Happening was when Rerun tried to bootleg a Doobie Brothers concert and he was doing his "Rerun Dance" when the taperecorder fell out of his shirt, and the Doobies stopped playing and everyone in the audience stopped dancing and everyone looked a Rerun, because he was super busted. Then somebody (maybe Rog) convinced Rerun he had to go apologize so he called (or went the hotel) and asked to speak to "Whichever Doobie do be in".

Anyhow the album was OK, a chubbie.

REO Speedwagon-Ridin' The Storm Out, Leonard Cohen-Songs of Love and Hate

The weather is starting to turn for the better here. This past weekend was really nice on Saturday, and OK on Sunday. Saturday I was able to start moving forward on my digging up the backyard project. This will probably be delayed this coming weekend as we have to prepare for Passover. Also on Saturday night I went out and had a few too many to drink, and then when I left the bar/restaurant I spotted some of my posse hanging out. I walked towards them, but didn't notice the basement door on the sidewalk (perhaps you out of towners have seen these things in NYC, they are metal doors that that open out of the sidewalk and then you go down some stairs to the basement) anyhow I crashed my shin into one of the these doors and it hurt like heck. It is getting better, so DONT WORRY.
I read a book by Paul Fieg who helped create Freaks and Geeks and he mentioned how REO Speedwagon used to be rocking before Hi-Infidelity. I didn't know what the heck he was talking about until I listened to Ridin'The Storm Out. ROCK HARD. Leonard Cohen I guess is some sort of genius and I liked it more than I expected, but still just a CHUBBY.

Dan Fogelberg-Home Free

Red Sox and Yankees play this weekend. The Yankees won the first game, but the Sox lead game 2 4-3 going into the eight. Oh, I am getting sick of rating albums as 7.5 so I am thinking of changing things up. I was also fond of the rating system for movies in Penthouse(I think it was Penthouse), rating by boners. Although I think the system could be refined. I think Penthouse did 1=4 boners, and I am think maybe flaccid, chubby, rock hard, and shot my wad. Anyhow just a thought, maybe I will use a different system every day until I find something I like. Any suggestions will be considered.
Dan Fogelberg continues this disappointment of 70s week. I never knew what a pussy he was. The album was boring. Flaccid.

Jimmy Buffet-Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes & Carole King-Fantasy

On Wednesday after work, and before poker I decided to go see a movie. I wanted to see Boarding Gate, which is some sort of foreign sexy thriller that got pretty good reviews around here. But when I got out of the train I turned the wrong way on 12th street and ended up at a different movie theater. The only choices I had were In Brueges, which I damn well knew I didn't want to see, and Funny Games which I was pretty sure I didn't want to see. So I saw Funny Games. I really did not like that movie. If you don't know about it, it is some foreigner who directed this movie, and he already made the movie before in some foreign language, but he remade it exactly shot for shot in English for us to enjoy. It is horror movie, like a Saw kind of horror torture movie, but it also is a highbrow art house movie that comments on how awful movies like Saw are. Well I didn't really like Saw, but I think I liked it more than this. You can't comment on a genre or on the fans, and at the same time reap the benefits of the conventions of the genre. Anyhow to sum up how much I did not like this movie, (SPOILER ALERT-IF YOU ARE A COMPLETE IDIOT AND DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN LONG BEFORE IT HAPPENS)the one part of the movie that I had any emotional reaction to was that there was a kid, and I knew he was going to get axed, my emotionally response I think stems from being a parent, anyhow by the time they finally kill the kid, I was happy, much like the characters in the movie should have done, I just wanted them to get it over with!

This run of 70s music is not starting out too well. It turns out Margaretaville is just about as good as Jimmy Buffet gets, and, sadly, Tapestry (an album I love) is much better than Carole King ever got again. 7.5 out 12 and 11.5.

Moby-Last Night

There is a guy who come around our office and shines shoes. I usually take a pass, but since my shoelaces have broken about 5 times and I was down to the nubs I asked the guy if he had laces. Well he did, and since he did I felt obligated to the get the shine as well. The shoes look great, but when I grabbed them to put them on they were soaking wet with shoe polish and now my fingers are totally covered in shoe polish. On the plus side I had no idea what to blog about until that happened!
Another returning to his roots album (like REM yesterday) for Moby. I didn't think Moby's first big album, Play was all that good, and a return to his roots proves equally as uninspiring. I am moving into some 70s rock for the next week or so, and I am looking forward to it. 7.5 out of 13.

REM-Accelerate

I am going to start a new thing as of tomorrow or maybe the next day. For every album I am going to highlight my favorite track and then put together a playlist. That way all my readers can get a sweet taste of the magic that is happening around here. I don't know if ALL OF YOU have been following this news but the US has raided some crazy Mormon compound and taken all the kids away. I am a big fan of that show Big Love, and I think I have gotten a little mixed up about this whole polygamy business. The thing is that in these compounds they love to marry up the little girls at like 13 years old. Now I am all for a grown man having multiple grown up wives, if that is his preference (and theirs) but marrying up little girls is not right.
Which brings me to REM. I never did much like REM, something about Michael Stipe's singing just grated on me. But this new REM album is actually pretty good. It seems much less pretentious than the REM I remember, and a lot less of that Michael Stipe droning that bothers me so. 7.5 out of 9.9.

Jeffrey Lewis-12 Crass Songs, Gnarls Barkley-The Odd Couple, The Black Keys-Attack and Release

Well Lucy's birthday party went off without a hitch. Actually it was better than expected. 2 things I think really helped make it better, 1, the kids are older so they are not quite as crazy and 2, it was a drop-off party, which means we didn't have 20 parents and 10 siblings clogging up the joint. Lucy got a couple of more Webkins, which are basically beanie baby's with a website, so I expect she will be super internet literate in the near future. I am having some problems with her new computer because it is sooooo slow in loading web pages, which reminds me I need to look on ebay for some ram. I guess I will do that now.
Three very good albums, The Jeffrey Lewis album really stands out. If you are a fan of Crass (I admit I don't really know them) you may even like this album more than I. Gnarls Barkley was not as good as the first album, but it was pretty good, and the Black Keys was also pretty cool. 7.5 out of 8.5, 9.5 and 9.2. Sorry for the brief blog but work is busy.

Danger Mouse-The Mouse and the Mask

Have I mentioned how much I love CSI Miami? If not then here you go, I love CSI Miami. It is soooo great. David Caruso is the strangest man on earth and the worst actor in America, and getting to watch him work is one of life's great pleasures. Add in terrible writing, absurd costumes, ridiculous plots and guest appearances by Elizabeth Berkeley and I think you have a hit on your hands. Anyhow if you have never seen this show check it out.
Danger Mouse first hit the scene with his remix of Jay-Z's album where he combined Jay-Z and the Beatles. Then he blew up with Gnarls Barkley. He continues to make great music with this Mouse and the Mask album he has put out. It feels a little like Handsome Boy Modeling School. Less pop than Gnarls Barkley, more old school hip-hop. Anyhow a fine album. 7.5 out of 9.

Rick Ross-Trilla

Due to new budget restraints we are switching back to Internet phone in our house. A couple of years ago we tried Lingo and Vonage and neither of them worked very well at all. But I argued for them because they were so cheap. Now we were about to get rid of our home phone all together in a cost cutting move so I was able to convince Sarah to make the switch back. This time we are trying out the "triple play" from cablevision. For those of you not in this country with the triple play you get phone, Internet and television all for 29.95 each for a year and then they jack up the prices after that. Also I think we have to pay a little more for our cable because it is not the absolute basic, but still that is a pretty darn good deal. So we shall see how this new voip thing works out, I am crossing my fingers!
Rick Ross sounds a lot like Jim Jones, I think there is some sort of connection but I am not sure what the deal is there. I enjoyed the album but it was kind of boring, so no rave reviews here. 7.5 out of 11.

The Black Crowes-Wairpaint

Today is Lucy's sixth birthday. In addition to the cool bike I mentioned before she got a ton of other stuff, including a old iMac our friends were getting rid of. So I now have a six year old daughter who has her own computer. I haven't really decided where I stand on all this chat room stuff, and monitoring the kids and all that. Not that my daughter can read or write well enough to get involved at this point but still as far as the future is concerned. I think my plan is to not let her have a computer in her room for quite a while, so I can look in over her shoulder whenever I want. But I am not planning on putting any spying software on her machine or anything like that. I just think you need to trust your kids somewhat. And all these news reports about kids being chatted to death I just don't buy it as that prevalent. I think it is a bit like the white van.

Wairpaint ain't that hot. I never really liked the Black Crowes except for that one cover of "Too Hot to Handle" and this just confirms that. They are retro country fried rock I guess and I guess I just am not that big a fan of genre. 7.5 out of 11.5.

The Raconteurs-Consolers of the Lonely

The Raconteurs are known as the The Saboteurs in Australia because of some licensing issue. I wonder if there are any other bands with different names in different countries. My web search turned up nothing except the AV clubs list of worst band names of 2007. Here are some of my favorites for the list

Lesbian Pudding (actually not sure if that is two bands or one, but I am going to assume one)
Slut Barf
Clown Vomit
Vomit Bomb
Best Fwends
Wookie Hangover
Count Dracula's Weed Smuggling Jam Engine
The Dead Kenny Gs
Jews And Mexicans
Butt Stomach

Anyhow that is a few band names. I guess naming a band is difficult.

The Raconteurs album was pretty good. I enjoyed their last album but found it a little to beatlesque. This one seems to solve that problem. I must admit I was slightly distracted while listening and have plans to listen again later. 7.5 out 9 for now.