Waking Ear

I'm in Seattle on a quick trip, so just a short post today. Everyone should go get a Califone album. That is all. Good weekend, etc.

"Float On" -Modest Mouse
"Oh My Golly" -The Pixies

I awoke this morning with "Oh My Golly" streaming through my head. The racing guitar and Black Francis' incoherant, yelping vocals grabbing my morning by the horns and muscling me to work. I get here and I listen to "Float On" by Modest Mouse. Now I can't get this song out of my head. I am really impressed by the new single and am really looking forward to the full album and show in Fort Worth.

For years critics, reviewers, and fans have seen severaly similarities between The Pixies and Modest Mouse. I think it was inspired by Black Francis and Issac Brock's similar vocal styles. The two styles are very different to me (in fact, I think Issac can scream and yell better than Black...but that's just a sidenote) but they have both matured it seems. They don't need to yell as much as they used to to get their points across. Frank Black seems to have moved towards more melody while Issac seems to punch his words out more.

Observations, opinions, and perhaps naive foolishness delivered here on Waking Ear by Schmubb...

"Computer Love"/Zapp & Roger -- I'm in computer training all day today, tomorrow and Thursday. Learning how to bust The Man electronically. This song (which I just learned came out in 1985) wasn't really in my head, but it's a jam anyway... my brother used to bump it on my dad's stereo every afternoon when he came home from school.

I actually prefer Roger's "I Want to Be Your Man" to Computer Love -- it's on my Top 10 R&B songs of all time list. Toni Tone Tony's "Whatever you Want" is also on that list, but some of you (ahem, Phant) may disagree with that selection. As you wish.

Back to training.......

Didn't get to the CD over the weekend, so I'll keep on the same topic and ask for more suggestions today.

I'm going to make a long-owed CD mix for a friend this weekend. He's an older guy -- early 40s -- and has been involved in the task of child-rearing so long that he has lost all touch with the music world. Old faves: Springsteen, Tina Turner, Emmylou Harris, Annie Lennox, REM. Oh, and late '80s, New Order-ish dance-pop. He'd like to learn about new artists. My guess is nothing to harsh, but adventurous is OK.

What should I put on there?

"The First Cut is the Deepest" -Sheryl Crow

I truly think this song is terrible. I've never heard the original by Cat Stevens, but I understand that that version is pretty good. I imagine this song is on repeat in my head this morning because I was forced to watch "One Tree Hill" last night with Bri-ness. Sheryl Crow will be guest starring on the show in two weeks for those who don't know. She is going to sing her newest murder of a remake to the little teeny-boppers characters played by 25 year olds.

I used to think that Sheryl Crow was alright. "All I Wanna Do Is Have Some Fun " was pretty cool and so was "Strong Enough". Now she looks and sounds haggard. I think that when she was having sex with Willie Nelson she took on some of his characteristics....eww, gross.

Alicia Keys/"You Don't Know My Name" -- I maintain that her voice is too thin and reedy. And the phone conversation on this song sounds really hokey. But I've heard worse things on the radio.

The Darkness sold out its show here in Dallas in 30 minutes. This means something. Now I gotta find a way to get in.

Just finished re-listening to Postal Service's Give Up, which continues to move up my charts as one of the best of last year. There's a whole lot of fun and wit squeezed into that little album. Props to these people for recognizing it.

The 'Service also gave one of the best shows I saw last year, earnestly and infectiously enjoying themselves. We need more of that.

Speaking of shows, the annual Indie-Rock Journey through Dallas to SXSW is beginning to flesh out. We've got good ol' Modest Mouse, the Unicorns, Sonic Youth and more rumbling through next month, and here in Big D, you can actually not be a music industry person and go see 'em all.

I'm headed to New York next week for work, so if any of our two or three readers from the area want to go get a drink, drop me a line.

"I've Been Riding With the Ghost" -Songs: Ohia

So I was returining from Ultimate last night at about 8:00pm. I had left early because I rolled my ankle again and decided that it was better to rest it rather than play on it some more. I was listening to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but it wasn't sinking in. So I go from album 4 to ablum 5 in my 6 cd changer in Roxanne (my "new to me" car). The first track begins to skip so I advance to song 2 on the Songs: Ohia album, Magnolia Electric Company. I don't what it was about this song, the voice, the quiet, humble guitar, or the actual lyrics, but I caught myself getting weepy. I was fanning my eyes like a 19th century southern belle trying to keep my eyes on the road and drive my car with a swollen, throbbing ankle. I'm sure the sight was hilarious.

I have been listening to this album on and off again for a while and always knew that it affected me and as soon as I heard this song and really heard it, I had no idea that this singer/songwriter was so powerful. I felt like I was listening to "Nebraska" again.

"Don't Stop"/ Fleetwood Mac -- I haven't posted in the past two Tuesdays, but it's not because I don't love ya'll. It's just that my Tuesdays are full of looming, ugly deadlines, and often I can't drag myself away from my work for even two minutes without my phone ringing, my boss emailing, random people walking in the office door, etc.

It's the same case today. But I picked this song (President Clinton's mantra on the campaign trail) in favor of what I'm doing right this second: wading through oodles of campaign finance reports. Did you know the FEC has them online for every single one of us to see?? In PDF format *or* without! Yippee! Talk about a democracy!!

Just be glad we all don't live in Haiti.

Does anyone know what Kerry's or Edwards' theme songs are? Or is it too early?

Elefant was about like I expected, and FFs were only slightly disappointing. They rushed through their songs a little too fast, though it was fun to see Eleanor Friedberger spit out lyrics rapid-fire. And they kept using this keyboard that sounded like a drill, which was played up way too high in the mix.

Anybody ever hear of an Austin band called Pretty the Quick Black Eyes? They opened, and were OK, in a Trail of Dead-y "good song when they find the right hook" sort of way.

Coachella lineup is out. GF and I are going, so let us know if you're gonna be there.

I'm getting behind on 2004 releases because I'm working my way through 2003 stuff I missed. '04 recommendations? Hit the comments link.

I'm going to see a weird pairing this weekend. Elefant and the Fiery Furnaces are doing a show at the Gypsy Tea Room here in Dallas. (Anyone who wants to come along, drop me a line.)

I've seen Elefant before, at a record store acoustic set, and they seemed pleasant, if a little brooding and self-aware. Chelle and I stalked them because they were playing with Interpol that night. Our surveillance informed us that rock bands do lots of drugs and drink a lot, which was an interesting revelation.

I've chronicled my annoyance-turned-to-love for the Fiery Furnaces in these pages. On paper, they sound like they'd be great live. They're goofy and insane and use weird instruments.

I hope I'm not let down. It sucks to think of a band that has such promise, and then you go see them play and they're not all that special. My list of disappointing performances:

1) The Polyphonic Spree -- The fun wears off in 10 minutes, like a temporary tattoo.
2) The Strokes -- Played drunkenly for 30 minutes, then called it a night. I'm told it must've been an off-night.
3) Built to Spill -- I've seen good BTS shows and bad ones, but the ones where they feel like fucking around all night are no fun. I hate to be the fan who wants to hear their "hits," instead of feeling special for watching them jam, but sorry, I am that fan.
4) Musiq Soulchild -- C'mon, dude, pretend your Marvin Gaye and start acting like you care!
5) (Tie) Stevie Wonder/Aretha Franklin -- Neither one is really fair. I saw them when they were way past their prime, getting pretty old and doing the best they could. But when you get yourself all pumped to see somebody by listening to their great old records, it's always going to seem like a letdown.
Also, I went to the Stevie Wonder show on a really weird date with my high school teacher's sister, which was kind of bizarre.

Radiohead: "Let Down" -This is the best song on OK Computer. There was alot of talk about "Paranoid Android" or "Karma Police" or even "Exit Music (for a film)", but as time as shown me, "Let Down" still has staying power. Some of the other tracks on the album, although they are still amazing, have run their course, but "Let Down" still grabs me at the climax and moves me. It is also an amazing sing along song, which, if any of y'all know me, is a must for me.

So, I have a confession to make. Phant, I like Dizzee Rascal. I thought he was boring at first, but having heard three tracks recently, I really like him. But besides Outkast, Snoop Dogg, old Dr Dre, NWA, Public Enemy, Eminem, LL Cool J, and perhaps...mmm...the Fat Boys...my knowledge of hip hop is very limited. So, as Waking Ear readers and perhaps even lovers, I challenge you to pick one Hip Hop song that really moves you. Take that song, click on that "comments" place at the bottom and reccommend one and I will then proceed to download it and listen to it. It will be expanding my horizons and I will love every second of it.

Justin Timberlake/"Rock Your Body" -- Here's the thing. We all have JT to thank here. Thomas points out that Mr. Timberlake has aided the fantasies of heterosexual men the world over, but the real winners here are women.

The time has come, my friends, for the demystification of the boob. Our European brethren learned long ago that breasts were body parts. They are sexually suggestive, yes, but only in certain contexts. A boob in and of itself does not arouse, in the same way that a bare-chested man can be a sexual turn-on or an ordinary sight. I doubt any of the millions of men watching the Super Bowl went suddenly erect because of Janet's disrobing.

We have imprisoned breasts for too long, locked them into soft, lacy prisons where they must be rehabilitated and molded into sameness. But breasts want to be free. They want to wear star-shaped rings around their nipples, or be painted in dazzling colors, or just simply exist, unnoticed and naked.

Shame and modesty has shrounded breasts for too long. Let them be free!