Part 1 , Part 2

remember me? well turns out i’m not dead. at least not physically. turns out my internet got disconnected and i had to buy a wireless card and bootleg it. that took about 3 weeks according to the date of my last post. i know ive left you all on the edge of your seat(s). and by “you all” i mean “oso”…the only person who reads this. i know i have been missed but don’t worry: after this post you won’t miss me at all. anywho, on to the reviews!

for those of you who don’t remember, i present to you (pause) the rating system:

– This album was so good, Dave couldn’t believe it and makes this stupid face when he hears it.

– This album made Dave think, which isn’t an easy thing to do.

– Dave didn’t hate this album, which means it can’t be that mindblowing.

– This album makes Dave smile, which isn’t hard to do.

Now on to the “reviews”….

The Fall – Hex Enduction Hour (1982) – I gave this album the rating I did because i wanted to stay true to the rating system, and Dave Mathews would hate this shit. It sounds a lot like the other Fall albums I’ve heard, which aren’t many. Some people love these guys, some people hate them. Really makes you think.

Arcade Fire – Live at TT the Bear’s, Cambridge 11/12/04 – I included this because its just another reason to write about Arcade Fire. This is a live bootleg from their show in Cambridge. This is as close as I could get to hearing them live. just makes me want to see them more. sadly, I’m an idiot and was unable to get tickets to their 2 (two!) shows here in february. We (Via Violenta) also happen to be playing a show on one of those nights, so if anyone wants to take my place as vocalist/guitarist and give me their Arcade Fire ticket, email me. i’m serious.

m.i.a. and diplo – piracy funds terrorism vol.1 (2004) I listened to this album because it features a Sri Lankan singer/rapper named M.I.A. and she only wears clothes her friends make her. I stopped listening to it because there’s only so many songs I can listen to featuring Jadakiss and Trickdaddy or whoever these people are. even if it is remixed. anyway, Mia is all political and i guess Diplio is her dj? either way, id like to hear her with a producer cutting original beats. i bet it would be real good. i got to get my friends to start making me clothes.

The Go Team – Thunder, Lightning, Strike! (2004) This album is fun, and not in an illegal way. This stuff makes me feel like a kid again, and not in an illegal way. Its reminiscient of the Avalanche’s record out a few years ago. Put this on before a party and it’ll make sure you have a good time. Put this album on at a party and you’ll be the coolest kid on the block. Unless, of course, its not your party; then youre just an asshole for changing the music.

Woody Guthrie – Dust Bowl Ballads (1940) – I had never heard Woody Guthrie before but i had assumed he was some sort of cowboy, possibly some type of supercowboy with blades at the end of his cowboy hat and five guns on each arm. apparently hes nothing like that and was more of a socialist cowboy, which is almost as cool. theres something very authentic about his songs. this is a collection of songs about this thing called the Great Depression, and i’m not talking about that chasm i fall into every time i wake up.

Harry Belafonte – Calypso (1956) – Apparently Harry Belafonte was more than just the guy who sang the “day-o” song at the end of Beetlejuice. Apparently he was some sort of legitimate singer/actor who was cool like Brando. i think there are some films where he beats people up. unfortunately this album is not the soundtrack to any of those movies. I wish Brando had made an album like this when he was on top of his game. that wouldve been something.

Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto – Getz/Gilberto (1964) – this shit is smoove. real smoove. Getz is a sax machine,
Astrud Gilberto’s voice sounds so innocent it makes you want to melt. cool, babies, cool.

Iron and Wine – Woman King (ep) (2004) – If i havent mentioned how much i love Iron and Wine you have not been reading carefully. “lay here my love, you’re the only shape i’ll pray to” – come on! this guys great even if he is from Florida. like i said, i didn’t think this guy’s sound could progress much from his debut album, but he manages to. so soft.

Hank Williams as Luke the Drifter – Beyond the Sunset I dont know what year this was recorded in and im too lazy to look. lets just agree its between the late 1940′s and the early 1950′s. this guys was also a cowboy. he was addicted to alcohol and morphine. he was really successful. he died in the backseat of a car on the way to a show with a bottle of whiskey in his hand. there are some things i don’t like about him tho, like this album for example. hes so preachy and self-righteous. i dont want to hear any of that. for some reason he started recording albums under the name Luke the Drifter. his funeral drew a larger crowd in the south than Jefferson Davis’ funeral. his son and grandson also became musicians and i think hank williams III plays shows at nascar races and opens up for kid rock.

British Sea Power – The Decline of British Sea Power(2003) – First time I heard this album i didn’t like it. Second time I heard this album I didn’t like it either. Then I heard it a third time and it floored me. I’m actually writing this post from the floor. the album is just that good. might take you a few tries, might take you only one. if you don’t get it, get out. i dont want to see your face. the singer sounds like bowie but they still manage to sound completely original. check this album out if you haven’t already. it’ll floor you. thats not a guarantee tho so i dont want to get any emails from you readers.

Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning / Digital Ash in a Digital Urn(2005) – Okay so these albums haven’t officially come out yet, but I was able to get a special “advance” copy. These are two albums being simultaneously released next week. The first one I’m Wide Awake is a more acoustic, country based while Digital Ash is, you guessed it, a more electronic album. I really like the latter, it is my favorite Bright Eyes album so far. I’m Wide Awake is good but i can’t listen to it anymore, the same problem i have with the older Bright Eyes albums I’ve listened to; i listen to them a couple of times then i never want to hear them again. its not even that i dont like them. anyway, Digital Ash gets my vote because my interest moves beyong the lyrics into the soundscape. if you’re a Bright Eyes fan, you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t know who Bright Eyes is or don’t like his music, you might like these albums. i dunno, who am i, a fortune teller?! leave me alone.

Aesop Rock – Bazooka Tooth (2004) – Aesop Rock is a talented MC from BRooklyn: quite an anomaly. The production on this album is pretty wicked and Ace’s flow is convoluted and tends to sound off beat at times. together it makes for quite a record. his lyrical content is in top form. you won’t find no club hits here, and thats a good thing. For more info check out Paul’s review of the album, he loves the guy.

I managed to listen to 10 Neil Young albums in a week and a half, starting from his second album on. He’s got some good songs, he’s got a lot of clunkers. you gotta love the guy tho, his voice is just so high and he tries to rock out so hard, just like the singer of Via Violenta. much respek.

After listening to Neil Young i went through 17 Bob Dylan albums in 4 weeks, in chronological order. this really is the only way to listen to Dylan. needless to say it will be a long time before I listen to any Neil Young again. All the Dylan records are amazing so i’ll just say which are my least favorite: Another Side of Bob Dylan (1964) and Self Portrait (1970). I prefer his later stuff to his early folk, but thats just my personal opinion. but hey, this entire post is my personal opinion so shut the hell up. I would list which albums are my favorites, but its really all of them except for the two i just mentioned. go out and get each of these albums and watch the man develop his sound, but stop before you get to his 1980′s period. that decade was poison to music/film and Dylan unfortunately was not immune (there were few exceptions though, but dylan was just not fresh enough to make it). i could write a whole post on dylan but i think i’ll just wait for Oso to do that and then leave comments on his post.

And with that I fulfill my contractual obligations to this blog. i’m taking my money sack with giant dollar sign on it and heading to Aruba. so long, suckers!

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