One of my favorite bands, the Sacramento-based Deftones, are preparing the release of their sixth full-length album, Diamond Eyes, on May 4. In light of this, I am going back, re-listening to, and analyzing their previous albums to gain a perspective of the band’s past while waiting in anticipation of the band’s future.
White Pony by Deftones (Maverick, 2000)
NME’s 50 Awesome Music Movies – missing Be Here to Love Me, and a little British, but still a pretty cool list.
The Twitter Pack: 20 Tweeters You Should Be Following – other than @whiteycorngood, of course.
Huffington Post’s Top 10 Hipster Schools
Ten Film Critics You Should Follow On Twitter
The 8 Most Absurd Music Bans of All Time
Five Reasons I’m Still Not Paying For a Music Subscription Service
R.E.M. turned 30 this week. Rolling Stone had the best tribute to the group.
And here’s the video for Deftones’ “Rocket Skates,” the first single from Diamond Eyes, out in May.
Today I continue my ten-part series showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of last year.
80. Nickel Eye – Brandy of the Damned
Seems like all last year, the Strokes were running around doing all kinds of different things unrelated to their core band. Julian and Albert pursued solo projects, while Fabrizio started Little Joy. The only one that sat around and counted money was Nick Valensi. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture started the Nickel Eye project, churning out a debut album in January of 2009. While I was mostly underwhelmed with the majority of the disc, “Brandy of the Damned” is the ultra-repetitive, ultra-catchy standout.
I grew up shaking my booty to “Celebration,” but thanks to my boys in Girls We Never Slept With, a resurgence of this 70’s funk powerhouse has made its way back into my life.
Kool and the Gang have sold over 70 million records worldwide, but that should come as no surprise after hearing pop-funk jams like “Hollywood Swinging” and “Ladies Night.” But their breakthrough hit is one that was somewhat forgotten until 1995. That was the year that Quentin Tarantino put the song in question, “Jungle Boogie,” in his seminal flick Pulp Fiction. Listen to that song, and then listen to their biggest hit, the aforementioned “Celebration.” We can clearly hear Kool and the Gang’s transformation from the early 70’s straight-funk sound to a more disco-based sound, the latter of which the group is best known for.
However, whether you like your Kool and the Gang raw and dirty, or if you prefer their polished later work, one thing is clear and consistent throughout – they bring the funk.
A sampling of funky fresh joints after the jump, y’all.
Today I continue my ongoing feature showcasing my personal picks for the best songs of the past decade, posting ten songs at a time.
280. Say Anything – Wow! I Can Get Sexual Too
At this point I feel I need to make a quick reminder (especially to my music snob friends) that a lot of the songs in this list are not really songs I listen to on a regular basis. Most of them are here for nostalgic purposes and to give a perspective of my preference and its evolution over the past ten years. Having stated that, I love all these songs; they all hold a special place in my….uh, music heart. And, as they say, much like most countdowns, as the numbers get smaller, the hits get bigger. So hang in there, hipsters!
That being said, this song is really dumb. The lyrics are stupid, in a Bloodhound Gang kind of way (look for them later in the list, kids!), and this band really does nothing for me. But when this song came out, I rocked this bitch like it was “Stairway to Heaven.” And just try not to smile once while listening. The guy’s voice is humorously absurd, much like the story he’s telling.
It’s Sunday, I’m lazy, and I have nothing pertinent to write about. So let’s celebrate the best decade ever.
For your viewing pleasure…
Two more after the jump.
Take ten minutes out of your life and listen to the best EP you’ll hear all spring – The Numerators‘ sprawling, six-track ride that is Human Blanket. It’s available for free on the Lubbock trio’s blog, and you West-Coasters should pick up the cassette version when they come to your town this month. The EP is a great introductory course to the band’s wild, colorful, frenetic live presence. Before you know it, it’s over, and you’re not sure what exactly happened, but you know it was definitely fun. The boys are like Half Japanese on ginseng…..and other substances.
Today I begin a new feature at Culture Greyhound. Once every three months I will be listing the best of what I heard in albums/songs/remixes for the quarter. I do this to personally keep up with all the awesome music I hear, as it ultimately helps me at the end of the year when I do my overall listing for the previous twelve months. I also do it to introduce you cool cats to tunes you may have missed independently.
Up until 1965, this quartet was merely known as the Four Seasons, but you can’t keep a trilling falsetto like that of Frankie Valli out of the shadows for too long. Once he launched a solo career, the other guys were happy to follow the money trail.
I think, for most of my generation, we associate this group with the scene in Mrs. Doubtfire where Robin Williams walks in step, in old-lady attire, to “Walk Like a Man.” Of course, our college rock and roll history classes briefly cover Valli and the gang when discussing the post-Elvis/pre-Beatles period of the early ’60s, featuring Spector’s girl groups, the surf-rock fad (featuring the Beach Boys peak), and, my favorite, the doo-wop style. The Four Seasons were probably the most popular of the last category, churning out almost 40 singles and over 20 albums on the Billboard pop charts.
The group’s fame began to wane around the time Rubber Soul and Blonde on Blonde were being released, but the Four Seasons continued to deliver hits sporadically throughout the 70’s. They are a treasure of oldies and rock’n’roll music, and their songs were usually pretty airtight and awesome. While other vocal groups of their time dabbled in cheekiness, the charisma of the group – and strong leadership of the talented Valli – made them stand out as the best.
A sampling of classics can be found after the jump.
One Wolf II: Secret of the Wolf by One Wolf (unsigned, 2010)
Two years ago, when Daniel Markham split from Waiting to Derail, he changed direction completely. He formed One Wolf, making a remarkable transformation from Whiskeytown alt-country to REM-influenced, Western-tinged rock. Much like the local peers in Thrift Store Cowboys, Markham had come into his own, producing what could only be described as the sound of Lubbock. Markham’s skill in pop craftsmanship was honed, but the lyrics were more introspective, the songs slower, sadder, and slightly more rock and roll than country. It was an audible representation of West Texas; Buddy Holly would’ve been proud.
And now, with One Wolf’s sophomore release, Markham and the boys have done a 180…..again.
I spoke with Markham many months ago during a podcast interview for the now-defunct KTXT-FM. Some favorite influences of his at the time were Nirvana, REM, Deadsy, and Starflyer 59. So what’s the new One Wolf record sound like? All of the above, and more. In a word, it’s a lot LOUDER.
