Columbia 1976
Aerosmith may have descended into self parody over their 40+ year career, but how could that be avoided? The longer your band is around, the longer you have to pay to keep it around, and eventually, some aspect of it is going to get cheapened. Name me one band that’s been together longer than 30 years that hasn’t cheapened themselves in some way. Aerosmith definitely falls into this category, but before they met this fate, they were a pretty kickass band. (more…)
Matador 1999
3/13/10-3/15/10
Album of the Day: Pavement “Terror Twilight”
This has been on my turntable for the last three days. I just keep flipping from side to side. I bought the vinyl used at Love Garden years ago, back when it was still the old upstairs store. The near-mint copy was only six dollars. Nowadays, with vinyl being how popular it is, I bet “Terror Twilight” would go for at least double that amount. Hell, maybe even triple, what with their reunion tour coming up later this year. That is part of the reason I was listening to Pavement, actually—I just paid $54 for my GA ticket to the Uptown show on 9/11/10, and even though the show is still six whole months away, I feel myself getting more psyched for it all the time. I never got to see Pavement live. They are one of those bands that first turned me on to great rock music, and I came along just a little too late to actually witness them. (more…)
Merge 2001
2/28/10
Album of the Day: Spoon Girls Can Tell
Still one of my favorite Spoon records, “Girls Can Tell” is about the closest Spoon will ever get to a perfect record. It often ties with “Kill the Moonlight” in my mind as their best. “Girls” is a little more multi-faceted than “Moonlight”, though—going from perfect, laid-back ditties like “Lines in the Suit” to pummeling Zeppelin-esque rockers like “The Fitted Shirt” in just one fell swoop, the album is textured in its dynamics and it makes for a freakin’ journey. “Chicago at Night” is one of the band’s best songs, and a perfect closer to a dark and richly layered album. (more…)
Some may notice this post is a little belated…let’s just say any week your band gets to open for KISS is automatically the most hectic week you’ve ever had in your life, times a million.
No matter–it will take some picking up of the general pace, but all the reviews WILL be written by Dec 30th, and the FINAL LIST will be posted on the 31st. So, let’s get back to it, shall we?
Spoon—Kill the Moonlight
Merge, 2002
Remember how many memorable riffs Led Zeppelin II had? “Whole Lotta Love”, “The Lemon Song”, “Thank You”, “Heartbreaker”, “Ramble On”… It’s not even their best album, yet it contains a ton of the more iconic tunes of the 1970’s. Kill the Moonlight is that album for the 2000’s, and the best album so far from Spoon. (more…)
Dinosaur Jr—Farm
Jagjaguwar, 2009
Maybe Dinosaur Jr are simply repeating their own history. Since reforming, they have released one pretty good record (2007’s Beyond), one stellar record (this one), and there are already rumors floating around about tensions resurfacing within the band on tour. (more…)
