Culture Greyhound

It’s close to election day, and we have record early voting numbers here in Texas, not that that’s anything to be happy about, I’m sure.  I try not to get too political here on the blog, but sometimes, especially around November of an even-numbered year, I feel compelled to say something, even though most people reading this already know where I stand.  So today, rather than go on a rant about how maniacs have hijacked the Republican party and people are pulling levers for imbeciles, I’ll just let Keith do the talking.  He usually says it better anyway.

Today I continue a series of posts dedicated to the best albums of the last decade, posting analysis of one album at a time.

49. The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

There’s plenty of works to choose from, and yes, there are die-hards who would claim several alternatives, but for many Flaming Lips fans, the “favorite album” answer is more or less split right down the middle between 1999’s masterpiece The Soft Bulletin and the 2002 follow-up Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. And while the former isn’t eligible for this list (check the release date, yo!), I still am partial to the latter, which was, at the prime age of 16, my first introduction to these Oklahoma City darlings.

I suppose you could say the two go hand in hand – Bulletin being the Rubber Soul to Yoshimi‘s Revolver.  But the comparison kind of ends there.  Because while the Liverpool lads went from Dylan-esque to full-on studio experimentation and reinvention, the Lips took the celestial sounds of their newfound popcraft to a more consistent level.  Sure, the experimentation is all here, the sonic whooshes and blips and beeps and crunchy electronic noises found on previous works, but here Wayne Coyne’s earnestness is at the forefront, and usually accompanied by a solid backing of beautiful sounds.

Take the acoustic foundation of the album’s highlights (of which there are many) – “Ego Tripping At the Gates of Hell,” “Do You Realize,” and the title track all have memorable strumming to provide a background for Coyne’s honest, revealing croon.  He takes the topics discussed previously to a deeper level, as heard on the classic aforementioned tearjerker “Do You Realize.”  Love, life, and the universe are all taken to task here with sentimental, trademark sonic flourishes to bask in while you ponder.

Upon its release, much like the Soft Bulletin, Yoshimi was compared to the latest effort from Radiohead.  Much of the comparison was the electronic experimentation used, and the stark differences in mood; one reviewer even described the album as music that Radiohead would make if “Thom Yorke believed in God.”  In retrospect, these comparisons seem apt for the time, but no more, because the brilliance that is Yoshimi, made by a band who had already been blowing minds for two decades, is in a league of its own.

The Flaming Lips – Fight Test

The Flaming Lips – Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Pt.1

The Flaming Lips – Do You Realize?

Since his breakthrough in the early 90’s with the Five, Ben Folds has made his trademark piano pop and lyrical witticism known.  Combining parts snark, smart-assery, and sentiment, Folds’ quirk has been adored by millions for years.  Lyrically, you could probably aptly compare hm to a groundbreaking, clever, honest film/novel like, say…..High Fidelity.

How appropriate then, that the creator of that aforementioned work would be a Ben Folds fan, and that this pairing would grow into a long-lasting friendship which has blossomed into a collaborative musical effort.  And indeed, the team of Nick Hornby/Ben Folds is a perfect match on Lonely Avenue.  With the author at the lyrical helm, Folds is free to focus on the score, and the results are the freshest he’s sounded in a while.

The lyrics, unsurprisingly, feel like Folds tunes, mixing up cynicism with pathos, practicality with sympathy.  “Levi Johnston’s Blues” is an earnest look into Bristol Palin’s baby dadddy, with no sarcasm attached.  “Belinda” is a sad tale of a one-hit wonder who clings to his past fame and the sweetheart that inspired it.  “Claire’s Ninth” is a frank look at how a young girl deals with divorce on her birthday.

Hornby’s words are strong, and they fit perfectly with Folds’ keen approach to melody, and because of this solid teaming, the pianist has delivered his finest album since Rockin’ the Suburbs.  With an outing this impressive the first time around, how could you not root for a sequel?

Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Levi Johnston’s Blues

Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Picture Window

Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Belinda

The Go! Team – T.O.R.N.A.D.O.

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Chiddy Bang – Opposite of Adults

buy

TV Girl – If You Want It

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Nicki Minaj featuring will.i.am – Check It Out

buy

Chad Valley – Ensoniq-Funk

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Trailers for upcoming movies. Some are good, some not as much.

Poll: Enthusiasm Gap Favoring GOP, No Myth

The New Republic: Democrats Twisting In The Wind

DADT Conflict Explained: Why Obama Administration Lawyers Fight For A DADT Policy Obama Opposes

My good friend Ryan introduced me to a lot of classic rock during our grade school years.  He was a CD collector at heart, grabbing everything he heard on 95.7 The Kar – KARX-FM in Amarillo, TX, the nearby classic rock station.  This was the late 90’s, so the format “classic rock” was still a pretty new thing, and the playlists were a lot deeper.  It was a good way to introduce myself to the past, even if most of it was album-oriented, 70’s music, and pretty generic overall.

Ryan and I would do the weekly album swap – he would grab my newer stuff, and I would burn CDs from his steadily growing classic rock stack.  Some of it he loved, some of it I hated, and vice versa.  One album in particular we couldn’t agree on was Greatest Hits by Styx.  Though it was his album, he didn’t much care for it, and so when I borrowed it for a length of time most would consider theft, he didn’t mind in the least.

I suppose it’s my affinity for late 70’s ballad-y, arena rock (“Can’t Fight This Feeling” by REO Speedwagon is one of my all-time faves, and I’m pretty certain I was conceived to “Waiting For a Girl Like You” by Foreigner), but man, this compilation is still great, years later.  I remember the first time I listened to it all the way through, shocked at how many Styx songs I already knew…I just didn’t know they were Styx songs.  It’s great for road trips, karaoke picks, and general fist-pumping in the bar.  AOR was a great genre combining sheer talent and rock’s best trait – escapism.  And Styx delivered like no other.  Below are my favorites.

Styx – The Best of Times

Styx – Renegade

Styx – Come Sail Away