Our Earthly Pleasures US Release Date

Hey thanks all for the kind wishes, I am still a bit under the weather but this made me feel better: Maximo Park's forthcoming album "Our Earthly Pleasures" has a US release date of May 8th.

Maximo Park are a great band from Newcastle, Eng and their last release, "A Certain Trigger," was the upbeat soundtrack to my London semester. Seriously good music, you can listen to some on their mySpace account. Though "Our Velocity," the single from their upcoming album hasn't quite grown on me, try the other three songs on for size -- see what you think!!

plus all the album art from "A Certain Trigger" is really cool!! (people dancing -- above)
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Blonde Redhead

They're playing Metro on April 14 (it's a Saturday). Anyone interested in going? I would like to go to this and hear a chilling performance of "Elephant Woman."
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Daddy, take me to Best Buy!

While OIT has sabotaged our plans to update the Mindset website, here's a list of new releases for the week:

Dean & Britta - Back Numbers
This husband-and-wife team are back with a new offering of covers and original material. One Music Committee member who goes by the initials C.W. compared it to a mellow[er] version of the Raveonettes, but that guy [or girl] probably didn't know what he was talking about.

Do Make Say Think - You, You're A History In Rust
The fifth studio album from these Canadian post-rockers will feature the verse-chorus-verse formula that such bands have eschewed for, well, forever. That idea sounds so conventional that it's experimental.

Kaiser Chiefs - You, You're A History In Rust
Well, this album is only out in the UK and Europe. We American folks will have to wait another whole month for it to hit shores. If you're really hardcore, you can always import it, I guess. Or, you can book a flight to London, hit up Virgin/HMV/Fopp and fly back, just in time for dinner at South.

Matt Wertz - Everything in Between
A new album from this guy. Umm, he sounds like John Mayer, right?

For those of you, like me, who exclusively listen to Arcade Fire and nothing else, you'll be delighted to know that you can stream Neon Bible in its entirety over at the website of those British tastemakers, NME.
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Sevendust alpha

I don't know how many of you are 7dust fans, but I am huge one so when my friend was able to send me a copy of their new cd that is coming out next week it totally made my sucky week great. and all i can say about "alpha" is it lives up to expectations. on their previous tour they played new tracks such as "driven" and "alpha", so I could tell this was probably going to be a return to the hard sound of home and animosity albums.

What seperates 7dust from most other hard rock bands is the killer harmonies, lajon's vocals, and morgan rose's crazy drumming. And on alpha all of these elements are in full effect. Even the lyrics for the album, which is not usually their forte, shows progress the band has made. I don't know how much of this could be contributed to the addition of sonny mayo on guitar and actually being a part of the writing on this album, but this lineup definitely pushes 7dust to places they have never gone musically. The standout tracks on the album for me are "clueless" and the 9 minute epic "burn". "Clueless" is classic sevendust: angry, intense, yet beautiful and melodic at the same time. Lajon's vocals are truly amazing on this song. His R&B twinged vocals match perfectly with the screams of Morgan Rose. Cmon how cool is it having your drummer doing back up vocals and still be one of the best drummers! All hail Morgan Rose!

Overrall, I can say this without a doubt, alpha is my favorite 7dust album and something everyone should pick up next week.
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The Ongoing Mystery of Superfluously Long Titles

This post shouts back to an earlier post by C-Wod from February 19 regarding bands with puzzling and sometimes absolutely meaningless names. In the same vein, can I ask what's up with this trend towards unnecessarily long, completely inane song titles that usually have nothing to do with the actual song? I'm not referring to poetic song titles that may add some sort of commentary or new dimension to a song, e.g., Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." The songs that I am indicting are those 8-10 (and possibly longer) word titles that want to sound really deep and meaningful, but really just sound pretentious and wordy. Really wordy--I'm pretty sure over half of my post will be taken up by song title examples...

(Note: Just because I'm commenting on song titles by certain bands does not necessarily mean I dislike the song or even the band. I actually do despise a few of the bands I will mention, but others I really love; I just hate the way they title their songs! That's a crucial point that I just wanted to establish first.)

Our good friends from the aforementioned post, Panic! At the Disco, reappear here to help illustrate my point. Their song "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" was played incessantly over the radio this summer, but the only word from the title that actually appears in the song is "I." And just what is the title supposed to mean? From what I can tell, the song is about a poor cuckolded guy about to marry an utter ho-bag. So I guess I get the tragedy part...But the rest? There is an average of 6 words per song title, and it's songs like the verbose being the 16-word track "There's A Good Reason These Tables are Numbered Honey, You Just Haven't Thought Of It Yet" that inflate that number. I just took a quick look at the lyrics (How did we use to survive without Google?), and, besides being SUPER-repetitive, they just don't seem to have much to do with the title, though about half of the words in the title actually do appear in the song. I attribute that to the fact that there are more common pronouns and articles in that title.

I'd bet almost anything that PATD picked this up from their buddies in Fall Out Boy. The song titles from their first EP, Evening Out with Your Girlfriend, have an average of 5 words each, and that's only because I counted the words in parentheses, too. This progressed to an average of 8 words per title on From Under the Cork Tree, with "I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me" taking the prize for Most Unnecessarily Long Song Title. That's 19 WORDS, and no parentheses! Granted, for their most recent release, Infinity on High, they went back down to only 5 words per title, but now they've started this new thing of putting in symbols, leaving out vowels, random parentheses...*shudder*

Sometimes, even song titles that aren't ridiculously long still make absolutely no sense in relation to the song. I adore Underoath, but I unfortunately don't know the names of most of their songs as they relate almost not at all to the lyrics! They do have some double-digit doozies, most notably the 14-word "I've Got Ten Friends And A Crowbar That Says You Ain't Gonna Do Jack," but even their 3-4 word titles make you raise an eyebrow. "Down, Set, Go"--3 simple words, none of which appear in the song. The same with "Young and Sick"--No, wait, "sick" appears once. "Writing on the Walls"? Nope. Or how about "Salmarnir"--WHAT LANGUAGE is that even in?? (Actually, I looked it up because I thought it was Elvish or something; it's Russian. Go figure.)

While I'm at it, I think I'll throw in my two cents about album titles as well. These have also gotten aggravatingly pretentious and cryptic as of late. Take Vanessa Carlton's Be Not Nobody as an example. It's probably supposed to sound really artsy and deep, but really it's just bad grammar. I mean, is they double-negative really necessary? Can't you just say "Be somebody?" I'll give her credit that it sounds like a snippet from a (really bad) poem, but it still doesn't work. For Poetic Album Titles That Just Don't Work, however, the award has to go to Fiona Apple's 1999 release "When the Pawn..." which actually is an entire 92-word poem. It's a nice poem, and it's awesome that she wanted to include with the album, but she seriously could have titled it something shorter!* For some reason, it's also really irritating when the album title comes out of nowhere; it's not a track on the album, or even a lyric from one of the songs. Just look at the previous 3 artists: A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, From Under the Cork Tree, They're Only Chasing Safety...None of those are songs, or even lyrics, at least not by those groups!

Honestly, does anyone else miss the days when a song title was simply the most repeated phrase in the song? Or when the album title actually referred to a song on the CD? It's not asking much, really. If your music is poetic and deep, let it speak for itself. In the meantime, take off your masks of pretension and make titles easier to remember.

*The full text of the album title is:
When the Pawn Hits the Conflicts He Thinks like a King
What He Knows Throws the Blows When He Goes to the Fight
And He'll Win the Whole Thing 'Fore He Enters the Ring
There's No Body to Batter When Your Mind Is Your Might
So When You Go Solo, You Hold Your Own Hand
And Remember That Depth Is the Greatest of Heights
And If You Know Where You Stand, Then You Know Where to Land
And If You Fall It Won't Matter, Cuz You'll Know That You're Right
Understandably, a little long to put on the side of a CD case.

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Jingle All The Way

Think of this as my personal add on to the wonderful Carbon Leaf review below.
Remember that ‘excited fan’ who obtained a set of sleigh bells during the show? Yeah…hi.

So I’m going to welcome you all on a journey here. One full of sleigh bells and principles, where the night doesn’t end when the band leaves the stage.

Lead vocals Barry Privett was doing a great job controlling the crowd. We watched in awe as he sang from his soul, and quieted down when he hollered, “Shut up!” before singing a beautiful rendition of “Learn to Fly.” I was enjoying his presence when an instrument appeared before me. Wanting to contribute, I took the bells and began shaking them along with the song.

I stopped. It didn’t feel right. There I was, with the lamest sense of rhythm in the building, holding a set of bells that my friend next to me was drooling over. I forced the bells into his hands, and continued my demented dancing.

The instrument, already coming apart at the seams, was suddenly ripped from one hand to the next as the crowd behind me fought over it.

Boys will be boys.

After the show, which was satisfying to say the least, I hurried over to talk to Barry Privett and Terry Clark (Vocals/Acoustic Guitar). I snapped a picture of Barry and a friend of mine before heading back to the friend’s dorm.

And that’s when it started.

The boy to whom I had given the instrument had brought it back to his dorm. One girl had stayed long after the show to talk to the band, and she called someone in the dorm to say that Carbon Leaf wanted their bells back. Please.

The question arose: had they wanted us to keep it?

Argument 1: They’re kidding! Of course they meant for us to keep them. The thing’s broken. They gave it to us. It’s just a set of bells. They don’t care.

Argument 2: Take it back to them. It’s the principle of the thing.

This dang instrument (which, by the way, would NOT STOP jingling) caused more trouble than anyone thought it would. Everyone started cussing. Someone tried to call the girl back to see if CL was serious. One guy ended up twisting someone’s arm to retrieve the sleigh bells.

The next thing I know, I’m practically ice skating toward Legends with slush flying in my face and a set of sleigh bells under my arms. My friend and I stumbled into the venue, holding the bells up to Barry as if presenting Excalibur to King Arthur.

With a laugh and a look of pity on his face, the singer said, “Look at you! You’re all wet. Oh, wow. Thank you for bringing it back. What can I get you for your troubles? A CD?”

Heck yea! We took the copy of Love Loss Hope Repeat and hurried to the warmth of my dorm, the sound of sleigh bells still echoing in our heads.

Thanks for joining me for this recollection. I hope you learned something. Maybe it’s that, if you follow your principles, they’ll lead you to a free CD. Or that Carbon Leaf puts on a dang good show. Or that boys can be catty, too.

“This is the goal: to get into your soul.”
--Carbon Leaf, “Life Less Ordinary”
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Carbon Leaf Review

Okay, so last night I saw Carbon Leaf at Legends. Let me first of all say that, unlike some of my fellow reviewers here, I am not endowed with the magical ability to memorize complete set lists during a concert, particularly for bands with whom I'm not wholly familiar. Sorry! Secondly, this was actually my first experience with Carbon Leaf, although they said they were at Legends sometime last year. I knew one song by them ("Life Less Ordinary"), which I liked, so I thought I'd give them a shot.

That being said, those guys put on a fabulous show.

Carbon Leaf's sound is a lot mellower than stuff I usually listen to, but variety is a good thing. I'd classify them as a happy mix of Train, Jars of Clay, and Better Than Ezra, with a little bit of Sister Hazel for garnish. (Feel free to contradict me.) The best part of this show was that these guys knew how to take advantage of the space. Some bands (and we'll all think them in our heads) play small clubs the same way they do gigantic arenas--Very put off, no interaction with the audience except for the occassional "Make some noise," etc., forgetting that people are actually standing less than 2 feet in front of them. Not so with these guys. Besides giving out an all-access wristband to the House of Blues in Ohio and their set of sleigh bells to two very excited fans in the front row, they were constantly joking and communicating with the crowd. The best way they utilized the space was during their encore, where they lined up at the edge of the stage and waited for the crowd to fall silent before singing a completely unplugged (no mics or anything) version of "Learn to Fly." Definitely not something that can be done in a huge venue, and also a very good treat for fans and newcomers alike.

While I can't provide a complete and chronological set list, my memory is good enough to remember most of what they sang. (I have a penchant for remembering lyrics; so, while I didn't know their stuff really well before going, I Googled lyrics after words to find song titles.) This isn't everything, and it's definitely not in order, but it's the best I can do.

• Comfort
• Changeless
• On Any Given Day
• What About Everything?
• Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat
• Life Less Ordinary
• Texas Stars
• Let Your Troubles Roll By
• Learn to Fly
• The Boxer [These last 2 were in the encore]

So, while I would only give their music alone a "pretty good" rating, I give their ability to put on a live show a "damn awesome" rating. Definitely check them out sometime!


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What's in my Polyethylene Bag?

The new White Stripes album is underway and now has a title. It will be released by Warner Bros. I suspect that this might be their last album, but that's just speculation on my part.
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Musical Mash-Ups at Their Finest

Probably the best video I have ever seen on YouTube! Definitely still funny if you're not a fan of Avenue Q or Fiddler on the Roof, about 1 billion times more so if you are.

(FYI: These two casts joined up at a benefit concert for World AIDs day to present this little spoof of both shows called Avenue Jew. Enjoy.)

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BK Show...a bit overdue

Ok, so I finally joined, sorry for taking so long. And, this may be old news, but I thought it would be appropriate to post about the Ben Kweller show last...no, 2 weeks ago. Especially since Kelly said I would, and I'd hate for everyone to be disappointed.

Let me start by saying that I have what some might call a gift, and that is to memorize the exact setlist of the show as it happens (if I know most of the music) and then tell people like Kelly and Joe what was played in what order after it's done. And any other random people in the minivan who need rides to TC, but that's another story...

Before I post the full setlist, I'll say a few things about the show. First, I really enjoyed it. I saw Ben Kweller about 3 years ago at the VIC in Chicago. Unfortunately his bassist broke his wrist during the latest round in the BK-Death Cab for Cutie softball tournament so Ben decided to do a completely solo show. Sure, it's more rare, and he did do his first ever double encore, but the set was quite abbreviated and lacked the energy a full band provides. So I was really hoping something like that wouldn't happen this time, but thankfully it didn't.

My suspicions about the energy level were correct, and the full band was a lot more enjoyable than just BK - no offense, Ben. One thing I was surprised about, in a good way, was how he's actually a pretty talented guitar player, or at least, has a side he does not show much on his records. Several songs extended as he soloed, and I didn't expect that. I was glad to hear some of my older favorites, and the new songs were solid live. He played 22 of his own songs, which out of 33 committed to record thus far is a pretty good deal, especially since I paid exactly zero dollars to get in. But enough of that, here's the set:

1. I Gotta Move
2. I Don't Know Why
3. I Need You Back
4. My Apartment
5. Sha Sha
6. Commerce TX
7. Magic
8. Run
9. Falling
10. Family Tree
11. Walk On Me
12. Down
13. Hear Me Out
14. This Is War
15. Ann Disaster
16. Believer
17. Sundress
18. Red Eye
19. The Rules
20. Penny On The Train Track
Encore
21. On My Way
22. (Don't know the name, the chug-a-lug drinking song, Robert Miller was the artist I think he said???)
23. (I don't know the name of this either and I probably should, I think it was by Garth Brooks. He also didn't play the full song, but oh well...)
24. Wasted and Ready

So there you have it. A nice set, though hearing more from Sha Sha would have been cool, but I really can't complain, I had a good time.

Until the next show I see where I can memorize a setlist, good night.
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Chris is 21

Just so everyone knows, our very own Chris Wodicka is 21 today so if you see him, say happy birthday -- or buy him a shot!
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Take me back.

If you're headed across the pond this summer, there's some good stuff going on.

Oxegen '07
Muse, Snow Patrol, Daft Punk, Arcade Fire, Razorlight, Scissor Sisters, Bloc Party, My Chemical Romance, Kings of Leon, The Kooks, Interpol, The Fratellis, Babyshambles, Klaxons, CSS, James Morrison, Tori Amos, Amy Winehouse, The Goo Goo Dolls, and many many many many more!!!

T in the Park '07
Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, The Coral, Lily Allen, The Killers, Razorlight, Arcade Fire, James Morrison, Snow Patrol, Scissor Sisters, Kings of Leon, The Fratellis, Paulo Nutini, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Kooks, My Chemical Romance, Babyshambles, CSS, Kasabian, Interpol, Maximo Park, Mika, The Gossip, The View, Klaxons, Editors, LCD Soundsystem, Amy Winehouse, Tori Amos, and more to come!

Right.

I'm jealous.
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Don't sue me.

RIAA issues letters to thousands of college students.

I obtain all my music legally like any freedom-loving American should.

In infinitely more positive news, Tori Amos is coming out with a new album. I just hope it's better than The Beekeeper.

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Is this really an operating systems ad?
LOL@!!!1
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New songs & Sasquatch (!)

On most music blogs, you can find free MP3s, which usually serve as teasers for upcoming releases. However, and you must know this by now, this isn't your average music blog. Thus, I'm just going to link to other music blogs who actually do post MP3s. Enjoy, folks.

!!! - Yadnus [stereogum]

Bright Eyes - "Four Winds" [stereogum]

Ted Leo - Bomb.Repeat.Bomb.(1954) [Pitchfork]

Also, if you live in the Pacific Northwest, you better be going to Sasquatch, because it sounds legitimately awesome.

Here's the lineup, which I stole off Pitchfork:

Saturday, May 26:

Björk
The Arcade Fire
Manu Chao Radio Bemba Sound System
M.I.A.
Citizen Cope
Neko Case
The Hold Steady
Grizzly Bear
Ghostland Observatory
Electrelane
Two Gallants
The Slip
Loney, Dear
Aqueduct
The Thermals
Viva Voce
The Blow
Gabriel Teodros

Sunday, May 27:

Beastie Boys
Interpol
Michael Franti & Spearhead
Spoon
Bad Brains
Ozomatli
Dandy Warhols
The Black Angels
Mirah
Tokyo Police Club
Money Mark
St. Vincent
Jesse Sykes & the Sweet Hereafter
Smoosh
Common Market
Helio Sequence
Minus the Bear

Minus the Bear is a sick live band. I saw them open for Straylight Run, and they stole the show, though I'm not sure that's saying a whole lot.
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Charts for this week

Top 30:

1 BLOC PARTY A Weekend In The City Vice
2 SHINS Wincing The Night Away Sub Pop
3 APPLES IN STEREO New Magnetic Wonder Yep Roc
4 DEERHOOF Friend Opportunity Kill Rock Stars
5 OF MONTREAL Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? Polyvinyl
6 FRATELLIS The Flathead EP Interscope
7 DIRTY NOVELS Pack Your Pistols Self-Released
8 YOKO ONO Yes, I'm A Witch Astralwerks
9 DR. DOG We All Belong Park The Van
10 YOUTH GROUP Casino Twilight Dogs Anti
11 GOOD, THE BAD AND THE QUEEN The Good, The Bad And The Queen Virgin
12 EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone Temporary Residence
13 THE VIEW Hats Off To The Buskers Columbia
14 SHE'S SPANISH, I'M AMERICAN She's Spanish, I'm American [EP] Bedroom Classics
15 WESTERN STATES MOTEL The Western States Motel Firebird Field
16 MAPS OF NORWAY Sister Stations Guilt Ridden Pop
17 NORAH JONES Not Too Late Blue Note
18 LOCKSLEY Don’t Make Me Wait Feature
19 MEW Frengers Columbia
20 BROKEN WEST I Can't Go On, I'll Go On Merge
21 BIRDS AND BATTERIES Nature Vs. Nature Self-Released
22 CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH Some Loud Thunder Self-Released
23 LOVE ME NOTS In Black And White Atomic A Go Go
24 PAOLO NUTINI These Streets WEA
25 ARIZONA Welcome Back Dear Children Self-Released
26 YOU AM I Convicts Yep Roc
27 EARLIES The Enemy Chorus Secretly Canadian
28 MATT AND KIM Matt And Kim IHeartComix
29 LONEY, DEAR Loney, Noir Sub Pop
30 STATIC OF THE GODS Cycles Follow Signs Del-Verano


ADDS:

1 BIKERIDE The Kiss Parasol
2 ANDREW BIRD Armchair Apochrypha Fat Possum
3 RICHARD SWIFT Dressed Up For The Letdown Secretly Canadian
4 HIGH LLAMAS Can Cladders Drag City
5 WINTERPILLS The Light Divides Signature Sounds
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Kurdt

Today is what would have been Kurt Cobain's 40th birthday. And aren't we glad he isn't around to see himself at that age! ("Hope I die before I turn into Pete Townsend...")

At any rate, to celebrate, NME has taken a poll of its readers on what their favourite (yes, with a 'u' cos they're British) Nirvana moment was. Not surprisingly, it was very Anglo-centric! Yes, the band's appearance at the 1992 Reading Festival was apparently their finest moment. You be the judge (or don't, cos I don't think anyone of us or even anyone I know was there). Personally, my vote would have been for Krist hitting himself on the head with a bass onstage - but there you go.

In order:

1. Reading Festival 1992
2. MTV Unplugged
3. 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
4. Singing the wrong words on 'Top Of The Pops'
5. 'Nevermind' knocking Michael Jackson off the top of the US charts
6. The band's performance on 'The Word'
7. The 'Nevermind' album cover
8. 'Come As You Are'
9. Starting a food fight and getting thrown out of the 'Nevermind' launch party
10. Pretending to be Madonna's representatives and crank calling The Lemonheads
11. 'Live! Tonight! Sold Out' film
12. Playing in a Barney Rubble costume for Halloween 1993.
13. 'Territorial Pissings'
14. 'About A Girl'
15. Getting Dave Grohl to set fire to his hat while recording 'In Utero' and producer Steve Albini not being even slightly fazed
16. Getting The Jesus Lizard into the Top 40 by doing a split single with the cult band
17. Reading 1991
18. Iconic band T-shirts
19. 'Heart-Shaped Box' video
20. 'You Know You're Right'
21. 'All Apologies'
22. Reviving LA punk pioneer Pat Smear's career by getting him to join the band
23. The Headbanger's Ball
24. Marino gig, Italy, 1994 - the band's final show
25. Peel Sessions
26. 'Breed'
27. 'Negative Creep'
28. 1990 UK tour
29. 'In Utero'
30. Encouraging Dave Grohl to write Foo Fighters songs
31. 'Bleach's white vinyl release on Sub Pop, 1989
32. 'Pennyroyal Tea'
33. 'The Man Who Sold The World', David Bowie Cover
34. Kurt Cobain and Kris Novoselic "making out" on 'Saturday Night Live', 1992.
35. 'Polly'
36. Rough Trade Records instore.
37. Supporting Mudhoney at the London Astoria, 1989
38. Supporting Sonic Youth
39. Rock In Rio, 1993
40. Designing the Jag-Stag guitar
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What's the deal with band names?

As my dad often notes, many of my favorite bands have ridiculous names. When you're me, posing as this really elitist, dour guy all the time, things get tricky when I can't take my bands seriously enough. Looking over my playlist, I find things like Margot and the Nuclear So And So's, I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness, Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, ...As the Poets Affirm, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor. One could attribute these names to the pretentiousness of post-rock, since half of the bands mentioned above could fall under that label. Or, we could try to explore the issue from a different, less reductive perspective.

Perhaps, it's that these musicians think long band names are inherently comical. Pete Wentz can surely attest to the hilarity of verbose song titles, so maybe the same goes for verbose band names. Anyone hearing the words "Pretty Girls Make Graves" might immediately think, "Wow, that's funny. Really funny. Those guys are CRAZY!" Unfortunately, Pretty Girls Make Graves (RIP) were named after a song by The Smiths and/or a Jack Kerouac line. From what I gather, if there's an immediately obvious meaning or story behind a band name, it's less funny. That's why The Olivia Tremor Control is such a great band name, because I have no idea what it's referring to. That is to say, it's funny. Clearly.

Sometimes a band name is long, because it suggests a certain level of sophistication or intellectual superiority. Perhaps one of the best instances of an utterly ridiculous band name used to this effect is Panic! at the Disco. Not only does Panic at the Disco make little sense on its own, because, quite frankly, disco is dead, but the "Panic!" part takes confusing to a whole new level. Thus, they must be really smart guys. If they weren't, it would just be stupid, which it's not. I think it's a testament to how far we've come as a civilization that such things are tolerated nowadays. Imagine if The Beatles had been The! Beatles. Or, better yet, if Nirvana had been... Okay, that one doesn't really work. Still, I'm sure anarchy would have taken hold a long time ago if that had been the case. By the way, my mom calls them Picnic! at the Disco. At least she gets the exclamation part right.

If a band isn't trying to be funny and isn't going for the sophistication angle, what is the real story behind a long, nonsensical band name? Perhaps, the arrangement of seemingly unrelated words can somehow convey a band's sound in a way that a traditional band name could not. More likely, a long band name, like Death From Above 1979, is merely the result of a long legal struggle or at least the threat of one. Often, band members have a great name all lined up, only to discover it's been taken by a group of teenagers with a Myspace account. Immediately, the band, not wanting to get sued by the lawyer parents of these teenagers, comes up with a unique, if potentially preposterous, name. I know this from experience, as that's one reason why my band is called That's Julian's Birthday (currently on indefinite hiatus). The other reason is because it was founded on Julian's birthday.

So, just remember, the next time you're rocking out to ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, be grateful that The Beatles hadn't thrown the entire universe out of whack. Your very existence depended on it.

Also, make sure you don't get sued by James Murphy.

Next up: !!!, a band who transcend the arbitrary social convention of letters
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Video of the Moment - Daft Punk - Around the World

I've been toying with starting a periodic feature talking about music videos past and present that I find interesting. I figured I'd give it a try with one of my favorite videos, Daft Punk - Around the World, directed by Michel Gondry, who you may know from his films Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep.

The first few times I saw this video I just thought it was crazy Daft Punk making another crazy video. Then I noticed that each of the five groups represented a different element of the song, all moving synchronized with their parts. The athletes represent the bassline, the robots the vocal, etc. The circular platform they are on represents a record, while those circular lights in the back are like speaker holes. All in all a satisfying video aurally and visually.

For bonus points, spot characters from this video in the LCD Soundsytem "Daft Punk is Playing at my House" video.
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Audioslave

I don't know if anyone cares, but Audioslave broke up a few days ago. By that, I mean Chris Cornell left the band.

I like Soundgarden. I like RATM. Audioslave was underwhelming to put it politely.
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Pandora

Some or all of you may have heard of Pandora internet radio, another site that generates a music stream based on your interests. Rather than basing the new songs on what other users listened to like last.fm, it uses the Music Genome Project, which breaks down songs or artists you enjoy and presents artists that have a similar sound. You can ask why they're playing a certain song, and they'll break it down that it features, for example, use of modal harmonies, a tight kick sound and a highly synthetic sonority.

As you listen to a certain station, you can add more artists, and give songs thumbs up or thumbs down to further tweak the songs played. It can take a little while to get a station that plays music you enjoy, but it's worth checking out.
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Gretchen Ross

If you're like me, which means you're extremely unique, despite being exactly like the majority of "hip" college students, there's a decent chance you adore Donnie Darko and might even think it's one of the greatest films of all time. I know I do (sort of, but not really).

Anyway, the girl from that movie, Jena Malone, has recorded some really strange, experimental tracks, which you can hear on her Myspace.

Some of you might also know her from Saved! or from her 10 seconds of screen time in Cold Mountain before she gets shot.

I'm not sure exactly how I feel about this music, but at least it's different. She could have easily recorded a few cookie-cutter pop-rock tracks. Or, she could have gone back in time, starred in a Disney Channel movie about high school, and released a tie-in album.
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Anberlin--Cities

All right, my first post...I have no idea whether or not the bands I like are truly likable, no one I know has heard of most of what I listen to. So there's a good chance that I may become very unpopular right now because of what my music taste. What you will soon discover is that I really don't care about my popularity and will continue to like what I like. Read on if you're intrigued...

Anyway, I absolutely adore the band Anberlin, whose new album Cities is due to drop (why on earth is it that albums "drop," anyway? If someone knows, please enlighten me...) this Tuesday, February 20. Well, the guys have decided to give into the proverbial "Man" for the time being, and are allowing MySpace.com to stream their entire album as a sneak preview. You can bet loyal fans like me were uber-excited for this!

Overall, it is a rather solid album, though I admit there doesn't seem to be much progression from where they were at with their previous album, Never Take Friendship Personal. Cities is a lot heavier than NTFP, lacking the energetic, almost pop-punk songs like "A Day Late" or "Audrey, Start the Revolution." This, however, is not necessarily a bad thing. The lyrics have become more profound and subjects matters somewhat more mature. Songs like "Godspeed" and "Whisper and a Clamor" call for youth culture to reexamine itself and what it's striving for, while "DismantleRepair" and "Adelaide" take the relationship songs a little further than "Oh, I'm so in love with you" (on the one hand) or "I'm so hurt, and you suck" (for the other side). A pleasant surprise for me were songs like "Unwinding Cable Car" and "Inevitable," which showed the softer side of Anberlin. Leaving the electric guitars unplugged for a bit, the guys sweep you off your feet and make you forget that half their song titles are seriously nonsensical. Not to mention that that was a fabulous use of sleigh bells at the end of "Inevitable."

Perhaps Cities isn't quite comparable to OK Computer, War, or London Calling (Hey, don't yell at me, that's from the blurb on their MySpace!); however, it is a strong third release that definitely hints at the full potential of this great band. I highly recommend it, assuming that counts for anything. :)

Highlight songs: Inevitable, DismantleRepair, Whisper and a Clamor, Godspeed


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Ben Kweller Photos

I hope to sate the desire for all things Kweller-related with this small collection of photos, at least till there's a review (Fabes, you there? I don't even think he's joined the blog...) At any rate, feel free to edit this post into a review or add photos if you've got em. But for now, these are just the crappy ones I took from mid-way back in the crowd of the band on a foot-high stage!!
cheers
kdks




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Last FM social revolution

Lastfm.com is a great music resource. One quick download and the software is on your computer. How it works is that it opens simultaneously with MediaPlayer or iTunes (you choose) and tracks all the songs you listen to. Then, it creates your weekly charts and makes recommendations based on your ratings (which you can then listen to on a personalized stream). It's great and if your friends have it you can see what they're listening to...or form a group and be part of a music community. Which is where we come in! If MINDSET has enough interest (and if enough people join) we could start a MINDSET group and have charts, etc. Sound cool? Join at lastfm.com. C.wod and I already have accounts, so if you join, at least friend me. Oh god, now the underlining wont stop!!!!

comment on this post if you wanna start a group =)
xx kd

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Art Brut

They're playing Chicago on April 20 at Subterranean. If you're not interested, maybe, like Eddie's little brother, you need to discover rock 'n roll...

Actually, I think that song is about drugs. Nevermind.
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Arcade Fire + Dwight Schrute = Better than...

As a fan of The Office and of Arcade Fire, I was understandably excited to learn the following:

Arcade Fire to play SNL

It will be amazing, except for the fact that it's SNL, which, in general, is less than amazing. Some might even call it bad.
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Bonnaroo

Billboard.com posted the list of performers for this year's Bonnaroo festival (June 14-17), after the lineup briefly appeared on the festival's homepage.

In addition to the reunited Police, the festival will feature Tool, whose 10,000 Days is worth at least one listen (maybe two, but that's pushing it), recent major-label sellouts the White Stripes, and VFI fave Wilco.

Other acts on the bill for the event include Wilco, the Flaming Lips, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Manu Chao, String Cheese Incident, Franz Ferdinand, Ween, the Roots, Kings Of Leon, the Black Keys, Wolfmother, Bob Weir & Ratdog, Gov't Mule and Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers.

Continuing with recent Bonnaroo lineup trends, indie rock has a strong presence again in the form of the Decemberists, Spoon, the Hold Steady, Feist, Tortoise, Cold War Kids, the National, Annuals and Apollo Sunshine. Several notable dance and electronic acts have signed on as well, including DJ Shadow, Sasha & Digweed, Hot Chip and Girl Talk.

The lineup is rounded out by Damien Rice, Dierks Bentley, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Regina Spektor, Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, Keller Williams, Fountains Of Wayne, Hot Tuna, STS9, Galactic, North Mississippi Allstars, Ralph Stanley, Richard Thompson, Mavis Staples, T-Bone Burnett, Brazilian Girls, the Slip, the Nightwatchman and Rodrigo y Gabriela.

Once again, as with other years, I'll tell myself that I'm going to this until it comes time to actually pay for things, at which point I usually realize I'm broke.
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Indie bands do well in the UK (obvi)

BBC News has the story. Led by the likes of the Arctic Monkeys and Babyshambles, UK indie acts had a "record year," with several indie releases earning "silver discs" for moving 60,000 copies in the past year.
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Plug Independent Music Awards

On Saturday, the Plug Indepedent Music Awards ceremony took place at Irving Plaza in NYC. The show, hosted by David Cross, featured performances by Stephen Malkmus, Tokyo Police Club, Deerhoof, El-P, and Silversun Pickups.

Some notable winners:
Band of Horses won "Album of the Year."
Arctic Monkeys won "New Artist of the Year."
Sufjan won for "Best Male Artist."
Neko won for "Best Female Artist."

You can see pictures of the event here: http://community.livejournal.com/photographers/7864032.html

I suppose I have more respect for the Plug Awards than I do for whatever those things were that got handed out last night.
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is it bad when the best singer in your band is the guitar player?

First off let me start out by saying the RHCP are one of my favorite bands. I mean the musicians in that band, Flea, Chad Smith, and most important John Mother F***ing Frusciante, have to be considered close to the top in the game at what they do. What becomes evident after every time I watch them perform live is that Anthony Kiedis drags them down. With his limited range, lyrics that seem to have a need to mention in California in every song, and the fact he stands next to John Frusciante, who might have one of the top 10 in voices i've ever heard, on stage, his averageness shines through. If anyone has not heard Frusciante's solo stuff immediately go on your computer and dl his free album and buy the rest of his albums. you won't regret it. He can hit some notes a guy after turning 12 should not be able to hit. Frusciante's guitar work on these albums is also amazing, but that should be expected from him. So, it got me thinking can a band be considered legendary or great when your singer is not even the best singer in the band?
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Lily Allen @ Metro (Chicago) 8 Feb 07

On a seven-city tour of the US, Lily Allen graced the Chicago's beloved Metro with her presence on Thursday night (February 8, 2007).

Ms. Allen was in fine form as usual wearing a navy blue dress and white trainers, her hair in a messy up-do, and the whole look accessorized perfectly with oversized sparkly earrings and a giant gold necklace shaped like a machine gun.


As Lily has begun to appear everywhere (SNL, MTV, various music rags...), it's no surprise that the much-anticipated show sold out in advance, especially being the only stop between coasts.
Lily Allen turned up to start the show on time, complete with a backing-band entourage. Comprised of seven studly, pieces of British man-musician (meat), the band included a bassist, guitarist, drummer, keyboardist, and a horn section (!!!) of trumpet, trombone, and sax players. Outfitted in (how cute) matching Lacoste uniforms, the boys provided a well proper sound to support Ms. Allen's beautiful vocal stylings.

Prim as can be, her voice exudes "star singing-lesson pupil" vibes whilst her lyrics tell it exactly like it is (" A fella looking dapper, but he's sitting with a slapper / Then I see it's a pimp and his crack whore"). Lily has mastered that naughty, you'd-better-watch-yourself-around-me-but-I'm-still-a-lady charm.

Self-described as "Pop / Hyphy / Ska," this gal's sparky sound has got audiences of all kinds hooked. (Especially funny when you see a 30-something fervently singing along with lyrics like "I wanna get a flat I know I can't afford it / It's just the bureaucrats who won't give me a mortgage / Well it's very funny cos I got your f***in money / And I'm never gonna get it just because of my bad credit!")

Setlist:

LDN
Nan, You're a Window Shopper
Knock 'Em Out
Shame for You
Littlest Things
Take What You Take (i think?)
Everybody's Changing (Keane)
Naive (Kooks)
Not Big
Absolutely Nothing
Everything's Just Wonderful
Friend of Mine
Friday Night
Smile

Encore:
Blank Expression
Alfie

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THE VIEW -- hats off to the buskers

WVFI just got the newer-than-new, yet-to-be-released album by The View this week. Not surprisingly, they've been around the UK for awhile and, ever since being musically tied to Pete and Babyshambles, have gotten to be a hit. So with the album now out in the UK, it's time for them to try out the States and be completely underappreciated. (sigh, the patterns I see...)

It's an (only rather) lo-fi rock album, produced by Owen Morris, a guy who has worked with both Oasis and The Verve -- talk about Brit-Pop legendariness. Now it's 2007 and now it's The View. A mix of fragile, vocal-centric songs (think Babyshambles) sit alongside classic-sounding rock tunes (think The Kinks). The album Hats Off to the Buskers has it all!

Honestly, I had expected different things, mostly for it to be an album more in the indie rock-vein of Razorlight or Kaiser Chiefs. But it shows more musical restraint than most albums, not going too guitar-heavy or relying too much on the vocal line. I would definitely classify this as modern Brit-Pop. If that means anything to you...

I think it's not supposed to be released in the US till March 13 (corrections welcomed) but listen for it on WVFI in the next few weeks!! And they'll be playing at Schuba's in Chicago on 07 March 2007. The whole album is worth a listen, but...

You might especially like:
"Comin' Down"
"Skag Trendy"
"Gran's For Tea"
"Dance All Night"
"Wasteland"

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Music and Advertising Part 2.5

Not sure if this was already mentioned, but I think the award for worst commercial using a tune right now might be the Outback ads that employ Of Montreal's "Wraith Pained to the Mist and Other Games" (which translates into "The Song that Goes 'Let's Pretend We Don't Exist--Let's Pretend We're in Antarctica").

Mostly because I can't picture the band that has set the bar higher and higher in imagination in every aspect of the game, song and album titles included--yes, there were bands that had strange titles for their material before Mars Volta--suddenly submitting to the dollar. Kind of like a "if they're in a commercial, what won't be?" way. I can't picture Outback Steakhouse reps going to an Of Montreal concert and thinking, "hey, that guy who rolled around on the stage in a wedding dress can really do wonders for our new entrees."

Will Of Montreal start playing gigs at Outbacks across the country? It would be a lot better than the service staff dances on the hour.

But moreover, the band changed the lyrics so instead of singing about something no one knows what the hell they're trying to convey, the song is about going out to eat at Outback Steakhouse. It's like the Applebee's commercials that change lyrics from "and she's buying the stairway to heaven" to "and she's buying the shrimp skewers for only $9.99 this week." But there's a shock value to boot.

Maybe this is just the start of an Elephant 6 trend:



Beulah for IHOP:

"all the mothers love you son,
you better stop in for some stuffed french toast tonight."



Olivia Tremor Control for Red Lobster:

"don't hide away, hide away from the all you can eat shrimp feast."



And of course, Neutral Milk Hotel for Taco Bell:

"I love you, chalupa. Chalupa, I love you."
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new albums

This week saw the release of 2 albums that could not have ellicited more polar opposites in emotions for me.. in 1 corner you had the new bloc party album. an incredibly innovative band, that in my opinion has made one of the best albums of the year... while i don't consider it to be as good as silent alarm after the 1st couple of listens, if you can't find yourself grooving to the crazy train type guitar riff in "hunting for witches" there's a serious chance you might be deaf. sadly that excitement for bloc party was met head on by a case in crap in the form of fallout boy. someone needs to tell peter wentz writing long song titles that have nothing to do with your song does not make you a visionary or a poet. honestly after listening to their new song, "it ain't a scene, it's an arms race" i really wanted to try swim wearing weighted shoes. and after listening to the rest of the album i really felt sorry i put myself through this torture. No man, let me repeat that, no man should be forced to listen to this album. Can't wait for next Tuesday's album releases
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McSweeney's Benefit Show

On March 15, there's a McSweeney's benefit in NYC with proceeds going toward 826NYC and 826LA. The featured band for the event, Internet, is composed of Dan Boeckner and Hadji Bakara of Wolf Parade, Nick Diamonds of Islands, and Syd Butler of Les Savy Fav. If you're in New York over spring break for any reason (in my case, I live there), this might be worth checking out. Tickets are $21 ($26 day of show).
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Arctic Monkeys

While I'm not a huge fan, I know some of you are probably into them to some extent.

Today, it was announced that their second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, will be released on April 23 in the UK. The first single will be "Brianstorm," which will come out a week earlier. There's no word yet on a US release.
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Advertising and Music - part 2 (the ipod commercial)

Bill brings up a great topic! I still cringe when I hear Led Zeppelin selling cars - but the worst was when I heard one of my favourite songs by Oasis on the background of an AT&T commercial. *wince*

But I have to say that the iPod commercials have been hugely successful both for the image of Apple and for the exposure of new bands.

Remember when we heard JET, the Caesars, Daft Punk, Gorillaz, and (newly successful) Bob Dylan (hey, at least it wasn't a Victoria's Secret commercial!)
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Advertising and Music

As we approach the ad-fest that is Super Bowl Sunday, it calls to mind the strange relationship between commercials and music. Once a band's song is used in a commercial, many see this as the beginning of the end as their favorite band has now sold out. While none of us like it when a song that's important to us is used to push products, it happens all the time. As my music listening has increased over the years, I find myself noticing songs in commercials more and more. When this happens, a number of things occur in my head:

1. I give myself a mental high-five for noticing the song in the first place.

2. I find myself a bit impressed that the ad agency responsible is aware of the song/band.

3. I get a twinge of disgust that the band is advertising said product. (The level of disgust of course depends heavily on attachment to the song plus the company advertising themselves. This reached an apex for me with "The New Pornographers - Bleeding Heart Show" in a University of Phoenix Online commercial. )

I usually come to terms with it, speculating that more money/exposure for a group increases their chances of making more music. However, I still I find myself torn between disappointment in a band for wanting more money and hearing unexpectedly good music while watching TV. There are many relationships between the product advertised and the song played:

Ironic - the UPS white board commercials featuring the Postal Service
Surprising - Outback covering Of Montreal’s Wraith Pinned to the Mist (And Other Games)
Not too out of place - Honda using The Go! Team in a Civic commercial that features a Kevin Space (!) voiceover
Random – Daft Punk selling Gap Jeans

One interesting thing about The Go! Team being in a commercial is that they have been critical in the past of bands that license their songs for commercials. However, they admitted that this is hypocritical and that by conceding some ads to their publisher, they will get assistance getting more samples cleared for their next album, which is always a good thing.

Anyone have an opinion on this issue, or remember any other notable songs used in commercials?

Also, while we're talking about commercials, here's Wes Anderson's AMEX commercial that illustrates the right way to ‘sell out.’

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december....ists

ahh, my first weblog, or blog i suppose. should i post about post punk, or (gasp) post post punk? whatever that is. anyway, im going to see the overly literate decemberists on april 19th if anyone suddently knows what they want to do in two months. so if you're not "in the ground with the wolves and the weevils" consider the concert. -Jimmy
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RAZORLIGHT IN CHICAGO

On March 3rd, British rock band Razorlight is playing a small show at Martyr's bar in Chicago.

Too bad it's completely sold out, according to booking/venue manager, Bruce. I'd been really wanting to see them live ever since 1) Up All Night came out, 2) I heard "In the Morning" earlier this year, and 3) they opened for Muse and, according to a friend, were booed and hissed at from an audience of college students!

xx =( kd
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FIRST POST - welcome to MINDSET

This is the official blog of
MINDSET.

Welcome, all!

Writers: feel free to post at will, add photos, link, etc.

Readers: do comment and let us know what you think!

and read full-length articles on our site <www.nd.edu/~mindset>

xxxxx
Ed.

Today's feature: Modern Day Mussorgsky by Steve Fabian

http://rpc.technorati.com/rpc/ping
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