Dad Therapy

Resolution #1: Listen to more music

One of my soft resolutions for 2010 is to listen to more music. Notice I’m not saying “buy” more music or even download more music, just listen to more music. I have thousands of records and with the kids I have less time to enjoy it, so in 2010 I’m going to make sure that when I’m able I’ll have the headphones on or have the iPod in the car etc.

I also want to start playing more music for Carter and Evie and need to get something to play music in Evie’s room. We have lots of lullaby stuff but need more upbeat kids stuff for Carter now. If you have suggestions send them along.

The Flaming Lips Do Dark Side of the Moon and It's Good

If you read Pitchfork and you're up on all your indie music happenings you've probably already gotten an earful about The Flaming Lips taking on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Well, if you're a busy dad you probably haven't so here's my take.

One, if you kind of like The Flaming Lips and rmember Dark Side from being a teenager or college age kid impressed with the album, this is a must. Unfortunately, it's only an iTunes exclusive so you have to download it via iTunes.

What's so good about it? For one, it feels organic while at the same time intricate and artistic. You can tell on the opening track "Speak to Me/Breathe" that the band is not just doing this on a lark or to make money.

Music To Get Dad For Christmas or Hanukah

 
If you want to get Dad some music in a physical form for under the tree or the menorah (just a few days left!) then I’ve got a quick list of some interesting releases. Note: These aren't necessarily my favorite albums of the year, they'd just make a nice general gift and shouldn't disappoint.

Nirvana: Bleach (20th Anniversary Remaster)
It’s shocking to hear how good Nirvana was on their first album. The remastering is also well done. It doesn’t sound glossy at all, yet is full and dare I say kind of dark and moody like it should be.

Dashboard Confessional, Alter the Ending Review

Before all my loyal dad readers blanch at me reviewing the new Dashboard disc first let me say that if you've been turned off by a stray song you heard or some stereotyped image the name conjures up, you should give this review a read. And second, I've been covering Chris Carrabba for over ten years now and it's enlightening to hear the changes in his work.

This is his most mature disc yet an it's the first time he's really made full use of having a band. I was worried for the guy after the Dusk and Summer record but with The Shade of Poison Trees and now this I'm a bit more relieved.

My biggest issue with the disc is the single "Belle of the Boulevard" when clearly disc opener "Get Me Right" is the stronger piece of music. There's also an odd 1980s vibe that l get into. Plus it will still satisfy the listening habits of your better half.

"Alter The Ending"

As for the 1980s thing I'm not talking lame "Safety Dance" keyboards but there's an overall sound that definitely reminds me of the Breakfast Club soundtrack and maybe even some Peter Gabriel. These have nothing to do with the songwriting, just the sonic atmosphere of the electric disc. It can get distracting like on "The Motions" because it is so retro sounding.

Vacant Andys "Loaded Words"

But to me I like the rock songs most like the title track. "Alter the Ending" is the first Dashboard song that reminded me of Carrabba's past punk outfits the Vacant Andys and The Agency. Which is great. "Everyone Learns From Disaster" is more of a melding of Dashboards sound and that harder rock rather than the homage of "Alter the Ending."

Nov. 21, Checked off Calendar for Pearl Jam Awesomeness

The above video is a teaser - actually time lapse of the entire performance! - of Pearl Jam's recording for Austin City Limits airing Nov. 21. I've been out of PJ mode since the tour ended but this sucked me right back in. Damn you Pearl Jam. Damn you to Austin!

Listen to the Entire Them Crooked Vultures Album Here

Well not here, I just embedded the first track “No One Loves Me & Neither Do I” Above, but if you go to the YouTube page by the band it has an autoplay function so you can just let it play in the background.

Now on my second full listen I will say the album is very good with the first four songs and the last three standouts. The middle is a bit muddy and kind of meanders a bit too much. Still, the 7 best songs kick the crap out of whatever else is out there right now.

Also, I don’t advocate this but don’t forget you can slap the word “kick” in front of the url right before the “youtube.com” part to…uh…keep listening. However, I’m still buying the record next week. But if you’re a dad looking to save some cash I understand.

New & Vintage Music Monday: Pelican, Cavity

This is a late Monday night update because today at work was crazy busy and Carter napped late so stayed up late. I'm watching the Falcons Saints game and updating my iTunes for about the 4th time. This week I definitely wanted to pimp out Pelican, one of my fave all-time bands period. Sure, they're a bit alt-metal, but it's good. To compliment a track from their brand new album which you can buy here, I dug up a track from a fave band from Miami, Cavity circa 1998. Not to slight Pelican in any way, but if you think this stuff hadn't been done before at a high level you were wrong. No individual synopsis this week. Just the clips below.

Pelican, The Creeper

Cavity, Taint And Abandon

Have You Listened to Them Crooked Vultures, New Fang Yet? Click here.

It may be heresy, but I think I am looking forward to the Them Crooked Vultures album coming out Nov. 17 than I was for Pearl Jam. OK, maybe after I heard the Pearl Jam record...but still, there is a lot to salivate over in the teaming of Dave Grohl, Josh Homme and John Paul Jones. "New Fang" is the first single released today and embedded above via YouTube and there is a LOT of Led Zeppelin influence here. Other songs I've heard snippets of, have a harder, Queens of the Stone Age bent. Regardless, get here Nov. 17 get here!

New & Vintage Music Monday: The Dead Weather, Tank Girl

The Dead Weather, Hang You From The Heavens

When The White Stripes were all over the radio I loathed them. I thought their songs were repetitive and Jack White got way too much credit for being a good songwriter. However, I love his “side projects” like the Raconteurs. His latest, The Dead Weather – uh, using the word “the” is getting old – is another winner. It’s a bit darker and moodier than the Raconteurs, with a nice mix of White’s vocals and female vocals from Alison Mosshart of the Kills. This is the one song that kind of encapsulates what the band’s sound is.

Joan Jett/Paul Westerberg, Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)

Playing a 120 GB iPod on shuffle reveals a lot of things about your music collection. For me, the number one oddity is that I have a lot of albums I wouldn’t have spent my own money on because overall they’re not that great, but have a few gems hidden on them. That’s where this track from the Tank Girl soundtrack (probably the best music soundtrack when compared to the crappyness of the movie it was attached to ever) and this duet with Joan Jett and Paul Westerberg. It’s a lot of fun, much like the other songs on the soundtrack. If you can find it somewhere, it’s likely cheap, I’d say buy it.

New & Vintage Music Monday: Clutch and Down By Law

There’s a pretty standard hashtag used on Twitter these days called #musicmonday. The theory is that Twitter users share some music with each other to start the week. It’s a good idea but like most things on Twitter it’s really unfocused.

For my contribution I’ll add two songs a week. One will be new or at least current to highlight something I’m listening to a lot at the time. The other will be a vintage track form my library of seemingly a gazillion records. The vintage track will have to be at least ten years old and I hope to tie it into the new track in some way or at least have meaning to today’s music scene in general.

Clutch, 50,000 Unstoppable Watts
I’m a bit of a Clutch nerd and they’ve actually been around for over 15 years. They border on the alt-metal fringe but they always sound stripped down to me. On their new album Strange Cousins From The West that stripped feeling has never been more apparent. The disc is bluesier than some in the past and this is one of my favorite tracks of the disc. By the way, if you’re going to buy this album, buy the album. The disc packaging is one of the most intricate I’ve ever seen.

Clutch: 50,000 Unstoppable Watts

Down By Law, At Home In the Wasteland
Punk was going through some growing pains back in the early 1990s before Green Day broke everything crazy. Dave Smalley of Dag Nasty formed Down By Law and it was pop-punk in the best way, catchy hooks, guitar solos, and an upbeat vocal style. They sounded very little like Bad Religion or other angrier SoCal punk bands.

Down By Law: At Home In The Wasteland