It’s hard to choose a starting place for this post because I have been so intensely involved in one particular band for the past few months, and since they blow my mind away, it’s hard for me to decide where to even begin my explanation of love and appreciation for/towards them. Ironically enough, they used to be on list of “Bands I hate and will never listen to, ever”. It’s evolution, baby! 

So, Pearl Jam. The undying love still treks on, and even more intensely than before. I have to say that after carefully examining their discography (live albums and Lost Dogs included) up until Riot Act, I am way more fond of their post-Vs. stuff than I am of their music prior. Surprising, I know, since I channel the “grunge” gods like no other, I’m even surprised that I prefer their alternative-alternate over their deeply rooted, Seattle-punk based influences. Oh well.

But for recommendations, I would definitely 100 percent recommend Vitalogy (1994). It is a quintessential Pearl Jam conglomeration of creativity and uniqueness that displays the total change of pace the band was going for come 1994. It’s an album equipped with it’s own personality essentially; Not For You, Better Man, Nothingman, Last Exit, Corduroy…I mean, there is no wrong here. Each song is like it’s own human being— packed with individuality and a nature all of its own.

Regardless of their differences in melody, lyrical content, and over all feeling, the songs on Vitalogy are unified in such a fashion that the album is frankly addicting. I can listen to Not For You and Corduroy a million times over with no disregard towards either.

I’m all for repeats and I always have been, but these two songs sound different to me every time- and that’s why I choose to listen to them on repeat. So many sounds and instruments are being utilized in not just the two songs mentioned, but in all of the songs on the album, that every time you listen to one of them you hear something different that you didn’t hear before, or you listen to the song from a different perspective than you did prior, ultimately leading to even your frame of mind altering the way you hear the song.

Vitalogy is pure power and energy. If you want to hear a Pearl Jam album that isn’t the least bit “grunge”, try it out and see how you like it. If not there are other options.

No Code and Yield (1996 and 1998, respectively) are good as well; I prefer Yield over No Code simply because of the creative process that spawned Yield—it was a more positive and passionate environment shared between all the musicians of the band, instead of monopolized and controlled by Eddie Vedder. Not to discredit him; he has grown on me significantly, but regardless I still have some angst towards him and his crazy Capricorn control freak ways. He can’t help them though, heh.

From No Code I recommend the following:

Hail, Hail

Who You Are (my favorite from the album)

Off He Goes

Smile 

From Yield:

Brain of J

Do the Evolution

Given to Fly (my favorite from the album)

SO yes. If you want to enter the 21st century, something I will always be weary about, Binaural (2000) is genius. Nothing As It Seems sends chills up your spine. Just saying. 

On a side note… I’m going to Outside Lands this August! I can’t wait to see some of the greatest musicians of all time, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, and not to forget my most favorite act on the lineup…Metallica. There are no words I can think of to explain the anticipation and excitement I have to see what Metallica chalks up for their set. Metallica live is something I have longed to see for far too long; their performances exude more energy than a hyper active five year old, and I feel that rush just from watching youtube videos…so you can assume what I’ll feel like during their live show. Ahh!

In terms of some of the other acts, I’m not nearly as excited to see them but I still am rather chipper about experiencing them live. Die Antwoord will be incredibly cool, as will Beck, Tame Impala, Norah Jones, etc. But once it gets closer to the date I’ll definitely post another entry in regards to an Outside Lands playlist of some calibur. 

Thank you for listening always— updates will hopefully coming more frequently now than they have been. 

Per usual it’s been a while and I can happily say that I continue to find more and more music almost on a weekly basis that I am so easily falling in love with. To be presented constantly with endless bands and albums that I’ve just begun to indulge in is like a present in disguise; it is so awfully time consuming to listen to hours on end of music, but at the same time it never stops exciting me and opening my mind and ears up to new sounds.

To be specific, I’ve been all over the map in terms of what I’ve been listening to. It was effortless for me to transition out of metal, just because it’s a mindlessly melodic genre that allows me to divulge in the sound without having to think much about it. Since then I’ve been back on to Pearl Jam— I recently acquired both Live on Ten Legs (2011) and their performance at Madison Square Garden in September of 2011. Live music and albums are definitely major catalysts in deciding how I view a band or solo artist; if you can’t do a good live show then you’re simply a mediocre studio musician, and that’s quite an insult in my humble opinion, (sorry). Eddie Vedder once said that all Pearl Jam really wanted to do was perform strictly live shows in order for their fans to really understand what they were all about. Justifiable and meaningful in their own right surely, but this ideology should apply to all musicians who look to get any sort of praise from a bonafide music critic. Just saying.  

But I’m sorry for the digression— anyways, I’ve also been heavily seduced by the ever-so-classic-album Blue (1971), by Joni Mitchell. An absolute masterpiece in so many ways it’s hard for me to gather at a starting point, but if you’ve never taken the time to listen to the album all the way through, I won’t insult you, but I don’t know why you haven’t yet.

Let it Bleed (1969), (one of the many influential Rolling Stones masterpieces) has also been flooding my speakers endlessly, and to seemingly no avail I can’t seem to prefer any other RS album over it. Blasting Love in Vain as I’m getting ready for school in the morning hasn’t gotten disappointing yet and I don’t see it becoming so in the near future.

To conclude I advise if you’ve taken any interest in this post to try out the live Pearl Jam albums, Live on Ten Legs especially. 

If you followed my blog months and months ago, you will know that I used to post generally mini-playlists including songs that I had recently been enthralled by and that I felt compelled to share with the world.

Well reader I am doing that once more. I’ve been trying to write a post recently about something, anything music related. But I’ve had absolutely no inspiration. Pop Culture these days is so discouraging.

So I’m going to include a few songs here that I’ve been dying over. This mix is a pretty phenomenal one, but certainly not for the faint of heart. So if you do not like anything relatively heavy, you will not like the majority of this list. I apologize greatly, but you also never know until you try. So take a dip into what I’ve been indulging in lately just for the fun of it. Some good ol’ Rock N’ Roll never hurt anyone, right?

1. Double Talkin’ Jive- Guns N Roses (Use Your Illusion I, 1991) An all-time favorite song definitely. I don’t know how people just don’t like Guns N Roses. Sure it is hard to listen to a band where you consciously know how arrogant of dicks they once were. But sometimes it’s necessary to put those ideas away for the sake of the music. This song has one of the most radical riffs I’ve ever let my ears experience. Slash, Duff and Matt co-conspire on this song like nobody’s business, an unstoppable trio unleashed some incredible power in this song. There are minimal lyrics throughout, and maximum rocking, which I have absolutely no problem with whatsoever.

Although the song is short, it is upbeat and a great change of pace from the rest of the album. After the loud intensity of the song subsides, the last 20 or so seconds are a beautiful flamenco-spanish guitar breakdown. Fuck yeah for creativity, Slash. 

2. Wicked Garden- Stone Temple Pilots (Core, 1992) I can never figure out how I began liking STP. I was so against them due to the stigma surrounding them and their “fake grunge” style. Since I am a devoted fan to all that is grunge, I wearily began listening to STP fearing for the worst. I was surprised by the best, and I mean that honestly. I would never go as far as calling STP grunge because they certainly aren’t. They’re more so a hard rock ensemble, certainly a breath of fresh air from the other popular bands like them around at the same time, for instance Metallica and Guns N Roses (not to discredit either of those bands, since I like them more than STP to begin with). But anyways…

I love this song because it’s loud as fuck. Any way you hear it, it’s loud. Scott Weiland’s vocals are absolute in this song, relatively strained, but fully maximized due to the backing up of the DeLeo brothers and their ever so talented bass and guitar unity. Without the DeLeo brothers, STP could not exist. Their playing brings so much style and personification to their music, it makes Stone Temple Pilot’s truly one of a kind. This song once again is loud, and heavy, though it is one of the best from Core. If you like the song Dead & Bloated by STP, there is no reason for you not to like Wicked Garden. 

3. The Lung- Dinosaur Jr. (You’re Living All Over Me, 1991) This album is full of raunchy guitar riffs, punk rock influence, and loud screeching amps, but it is the best mixture of all of those components that I’ve yet to appreciate. I fucking hate punk but I love Dinosaur Jr. They aren’t really punk, but it is clearly evident Murph and J. Mascis listened to punk back in the day. Anyways, this song begins with an incredibly long intro, almost reaching two minutes which leads you to think the song is just a great instrumental. I was so pleasantly surprised to hear J’s voice for the momentary time that you do, because soon enough it goes back into an intensely fueled instrumental breakdown. 

I love this song, and if you like Dinosaur Jr. at all, please give this song a try. If you’ve never listened to Dinosaur Jr. before I wouldn’t recommend this being the first song you hear by them. It’s kind of an acquired taste kind of tune, so be cautious.

4. Ocean Size- Jane’s Addiction (Nothing’s Shocking, 1988) Fuck. This album was certainly before it’s time. I love Nothing’s Shocking, definitely my favorite between Ritual De Lo Habitual (1990) and itself. The original Jane’s Addiction sound is a sound I can simply call exciting. Perry Ferrell’s voice makes you want to move your shoulders, as rough and loud as Dave Navarro’s melody’s can be. Ferrell could be any type of singer, he can screech, he can sing, he’s almost like Axl Rose just not as psychotic. And let me tell you, mental sanity definitely plays a part in the wildness of your music.

Nonetheless, this is my most favorite song from Nothing’s Shocking. Navarro let’s you know how good of a musician he is just within this song. Ocean Size could be the only song I ever need to listen to by Jane’s Addiction for the rest of my life and I would be content. The song leaves you absolutely fulfilled, which is a good thing. Contrary to popular opinion, I do not like songs that leave me wanting more. I want a song that’ll get the job done and satisfy my ears to the perfect level I am striving for. Ocean Size does that with no questions asked. 

Now I know only four songs is the bare minimum of what I’m capable of writing about but I wrote more than enough about these four that maybe just from my mediocre synopsis’ you’ll be able to investigate some of these bands and songs on your own. Happy listening! 

Hello readers. I want to cut right to the chase for this post- I’m not so interested in digressing on some random shit about my week or what this post is going to be about. Just read and enjoy.

I read a book this week, called Killing Yourself To Live by Chuck Klosterman. If you haven’t read the book, I recommend it. If you don’t know who Chuck Klosterman is, well, find out. He is an absolutely phenomenal writer with so much personality in his work that while reading Killing Yourself To Live, I really felt like he was talking to me. He is a talented music journalist, specifying in rock critique. If you like music and you like to read, I really recommending trying out the book. You won’t be disappointed.

His book has inspired this post completely. Throughout the novel, Klosterman went into detail about his career as a music journalist, and his opinions on plenty of albums and musicians alike. 

Now, if you know me, you know I’ve been really into Radiohead recently. Klosterman reviewed all of Kid A in the middle of the book, completely out of nowhere. Spontaneity is really a way to gain my liking, and his opinions made me want to scream out loud about how much I agree with him. Now this review really got me thinking. Mind you, the book was written in 2003, the album was released in 2000. So it brought me to this question…

Why is it, my devoted readers, that there is absolutely no music created today that I can personally define as timeless?

This question has been bothering me every single time I listen to music anywhere, whether it be the random bullshit that comes on Los Angeles radio stations, or my own personal iTunes (made up of some excellent shit, might I add). 

Now I am completely open for discussion about this question because I really want to know. Is the music today that many consider to be good, (Fleet Foxes, Smith Westerns, Grizzly Bear, Mumford and Sons, etc), actually good, or is it just fitting for the time, since we never hear anything better? Could you see yourself listening to Sigh No More 20 years from now?

And see this is where I am severely conflicted. Because reader, I cannot see myself divulging in any of those bands above, in the future. I can barely do it now.

Artists today are seeming to have the timelessness problem more so than any other decade has. Many can agree that music today is deplorable, sure, but something that should be remembered is that many people today do not have high musical standards, based on what they have been predisposed to which is ultimately allowing this trend-fitting music to dominate a music listener’s daily life. 

I have a few questions that I would like you to ask yourself about bands and musicians today. Who will you really remember? Who will still be popular 10 years from now? Will you remember ‘indie rock as a genre of music that really impacted people and pop culture alike’? 

I have found people get the most defensive when trying to validate their musical taste. I guess I get it, I get the same way when people try to insult Hole or any other bands I listen to. But it bothers me that people get insulted when they’re trying to defend bands that play at Warped Tour or that make music that sounds like distorted radio waves (sorry, that’s not authentic nor is it talent in my eyes).

I feel like the problem with bands today, is that they are attempting to fit into that ‘indie music’ trend and have problems finding musicians who can create original music. Fleet Foxes sound like Mumford and Sons. Smith Westerns remind me of a lame version of Grizzly Bear. I really don’t want to keep going on because I feel like I could be already offending some of my peer’s musical taste, and I mean not to do that. It’s just that I feel like I’m hearing the same shit over and over again, and I feel there is truly no authenticity. 

Why can’t Jack White continue to play with Meg White? Why can’t Wolfmother come out with another album? Why is it that Radiohead has seemed to lose their thunder with time? Why is hardcore music taking their places on KROQ? The world may never know. 

So it is your job reader, to let your musical taste flourish. If you like what you’re listening to, then cool dude, don’t open your ears and minds. But be open to music that is raw, intense and original. Investigate the oldies, don’t be afraid. I can name so many albums from the past 22 years that I highly recommend and owe a lot to. I can name albums from the past 45 years too that make me feel the same way. Maturing in musical taste opens a whole new world mentally and emotionally, and that is a fact.

To conclude, have we dumbed down as a species to a lower tolerance of musical pleasure? Definietely.  Can we fix that? Probably not. I’m making it my mission to sometime soon, hear some real rock music that makes me say ‘Wow’ out loud. That should be your mission too.

Toodles.

Listening to a band you once loved and then chose to ignore purposefully, just so you could get that intense sensation when you listen to them for the first time in months, is an absolutely magical feeling.

I don’t really know about you, but for me this happens with several bands and several songs. What can I say, I’m a passionate music fan who would not be able to survive without the repeat button. I have an embarrassing tendency to overplay all music I enjoy, because when I hear something once, I figure that hearing it another 30-50 times that day won’t hurt anyone. 

Anyways, that immensely electrifying feeling has inspired me to write a post, not really about anything in particular, just thoughts in regard to the obvious.

But back to that feeling, so the album that I listened to which brought me such excitement was Appetite For Destruction (1987). Could have guessed, right? 

Each time I hear that album from start to finish, I take a deep breath when it concludes. Every. Single. Time.

I do this because the album is mentally tiring. That explanation may sound negative now but I’d like to explain. Mentally tiring in the way that maybe a sports fan gets by the end of a suspenseful game, and to their pleasure their team has won. After that, you feel mentally tired yet incredibly content.

That’s how Appetite makes me feel. I feel like it takes me on this insane roller coaster, with Axl just standing at the gears, telling people to keep their legs and arms in the tobagon at all times, and Slash, Izzy, Steven (and I guess Duff too) pushing the buttons to make sure everything goes smoothly. When the roller coaster is over I feel so relieved but because I had so much fun, I want to ride it again.

Do you understand what I’m trying to say? In simplistic terms, the album is just really fucking good and it is definitely worth spending an hour or so listening to in solitude. Raw energy is key my friends, and Appetite defines it.

It’s interesting how much the Use Your Illusion duo and Appetite differ. I mean, for obvious reasons the albums are very very different, but they just permeate such different vibes. Appetite is just so rock star, while Use Your Illusion I&II make me feel like an old-time rock music fanatic. It’s like, going from listening to Bad Brains to listening to some classic rock band, like the Allman Brothers or something. I don’t know, maybe not that dramatic of a leap but I hope you understand where I’m going with this.

My top ten GnR songs come from all three albums though. Just a side note.

But to fast forward a few years, another album I have recently felt extremely nostalgia for is Dirt (1992). If you do not know, Dirt is a larger than life, nitty gritty, perfect example of grunge music album, created by the ever so talented Alice in Chains.

Man, 1992 was such an amazing year. Incredible music was just spewing from the minds and fingers of almost every great musician. I don’t want to get annoying and start listening all the well-renowned albums that came out that year, but just so you know if you ever want an album to listen to, just look up, 1992 in music on the internet. You will be graced with some beautiful music, reader.

Anyways, several songs from Dirt came on my shuffle tonight and man, was I surprised. I forgot how great this album was. I don’t even need to say or explain how petrifying Layne Staley’s voice was. I don’t like Jerry Cantrell as a person, for very moral reasons, but Alice in Chains would have been nothing without him.

Rooster, Angry Chair, Dirt, Junkhead, Them Bones, Rain When I Die, Would?, and Hate to Feel. If you have gone through your life and have never heard any, or not all of those songs before, then you are certainly not living. These songs are literally like a time machine- this album makes you feel like you’re sitting in a basement, wearing a cheap flannel and washed out ripped Levi’s, listening to Alice in Chains on your cassette player. I find it important that this album is like a time machine because even though it is 2011, you can just hear that 90’s grunge style like it was created yesterday. Mmm. Purity.

Well I won’t rant any longer but I just wanted to post this because I was slightly inspired and barely tired. But I must depart, for I have school in the morning and will probably not have any energy on account of the fact I will most certainly be listening to these two albums until about 2 in the morning.

Toodles!