More Bat Bitching from B

Hrrmm. Comment est-ce qu'on dit, I'm completely fucked! I have a French final oral today, which is hilarious because these classes definitely don't prepare you to speak on such topics as "France and Terrorism" and "Existentialism" or, as in my case, "The hagiography of Collaboration After the War in 5 Phases and how the Situation in Former Colonies in East Asia Denied the Two Most Important Aspects of the Collaboration Healing Process, Time and Flow of Information, as Seen in the Case of Vietnam," which, in fewer words is, "You dumbass it's your own fault you coulda talked about Sartre," nor does the class account for paralyzing stage fright/public speaking ineptitude, which, in my case, will not only make me completely forget how to par-lay fran-cais the moment I step in front of the class but will also make me forget how to talk English.

Uh, I Think the point of this, besides the usual bitching and procrastination and attempt to write more about myself than about poor awesome Ella up there, was to say that blogs are putting up absolutely fabulous Christmas posts, and you've probably been checking those all out, but if not, there's some really great stuff. I hope to put a few recommendations together, so stay tuned.

Same bat time. Same bat channel. Same bat thing.

Throne of Lies

Hey kids. Spectacularly fucked and totally pooped, so I'm just gonna post this clip, spread some holiday cheer, and go to bed to "get up early to work on my paper" (ie, continuously hit my snooze button until it's suddenly ten minutes before class).

The always awesome Ken left a gorgeous gift in the comments of the Advent Sunday post that I have been listening to non-stop, so do check that out, and take a look at the beautiful Christmas write-up he has over at his place. The gift, without giving away too much, is Breton Celtic music. How awesome is that!

Floodlit Footprint has a fab Ella Christmas album up, so take a look at that if Ella's your lady. I'll be posting a different Ella album hopefully soon.

And, uh, this is just funny and totally geeky and sorta immature. . . but you guys already knew that about me :p

So, hope your week is going well, the music will pick up again soon, and enjoy yet another clip from Elf.

Bad Brains S/T

So, I guess I bit off more than I could chew on Sunday, make that yesterday, too. Still working on stuff that I should have finished over the weekend, end of the year, everything's piled up! Oh no!

Here's a break from the Christmas music for some Bad Brains, the guys who invented hardcore, who I guess are called the Soul Brains now? (. . .) I'm not super-into hardcore, so if you're like me and you want a punkrock primer/hagiography besides your friend going "Hey, I remember that. Yeah, it was awesome," in reference to some show he/she/it might or might not have seen which just proves to you that he/she/it is way old because he/she/it goes, "Huh. That was before you were born. . .", check out American Hardcore, which is available in both film and book (AH: A Tribal History) form (I recommend the film, didn't make it through the book though it was interesting, I think it's cos I was on an airplane, kinda skipped around to the bands I like.)

For fans of hardcore, many would agree that the holy grail of the genre is Bad Brains' self-titled album, originally released back in 1982 as a cassette-only release on ROIR. The ensuing years after its initial release haven't dulled the album's fury and rage in the least, and it's still impressive how the band can switch gears from red-hot hardcore to cool reggae dubs in the blink of an eye [allmusic].

Here ya go! Enjoy :)

• Bad Brains: S/T
• Buy Used/New

Advent Sunday & a pair of feckin' women's knickers!

Thought I'd pick something appropriately Advent-y (which I guess means priests, Advent calendars and jokes about football coaches who I don't know about though I guess the guy is with the Galaxy team now?) Hopefully I'll get some music up later in the day. I should say I can almost guarantee it, since I'll be working on a paper and we all know what that means. . . I will procrastinate like a motherfucker. But first I hafta finish reading about a scary Cambodian prison and Jesus as mother (maaad boobage in that article, man).

BYO Split Series Vol 3: Rancid & NOFX

"No surprise here, it's a split decision, with the true winners being the listeners."

You all know about my deep and abiding love for norcal punkers Rancid, but I hafta admit that NOFX is a band that I have only peripherally liked, as in I like the stuff they played on the radio back when they played bands like that (which was way back with "Franco-Unamerican"). So- I will be remedying that as soon as my rapidshare limit expires (heh-hey).

Vol 3 of the BYO Split Series has Rancid and NOFX going at one another's songs and is produced, I believe, by Brett of Bad Religion. The NOFX boys do a good job of coming out of left field without losing the source material's sentiments, if it be genuine or satirical ("But that's nothing compared to the hilarious indignities visited upon "Radio." NOFX tarts it up in reggae rags, then insults it with a Jamaican accent so faux, it makes Miss Cleo sound convincing." Haha.). I'm guessing this is from Fat Mike. From the nofx site.

It was BYO's idea to do this thing, but it was Lint's idea to do each others songs, and that's what this thing is. Rancid doing 6 NOFX songs and NOFX doing 6 Rancid songs. I think it turned out pretty good. . . I didn't try to do Matt's bass riffs cuz they're too hard to figure out. We also changed a few chord progressions here and there cuz, why the hell not. We didn't change any lyrics though, well just a few by mistake. It's actually pretty hard to make out what Lint sings on Corazon de Oro. I gave it my best shot.

Besides that they bring their sound, which can never get old, to the NOFX tracks, I can't say much for Rancid's work since I'm not familiar with any of the original versions besides "Bob," so I'd love to hear what people think. But whatever way you lean, it's a very fun record, so if you haven't grabbed it yet and you like at least one of these groups, give it a try! (By the way, who is singing on "Don't Call Me White"? He sounds like a muppet. And everyone goes now, Bridget, you think everyone sounds like a muppet.)

• BYO Split Series Vol 3: Rancid & NOFX
• Buy Used/New
• Tracks/Info

Santa's Comin'

Hey lovelies. I adore this movie. I didn't think I would, but I do. Happy start of December/freezing cold weather/start of finals- oh no!

Corelli: Christmas Concerto

Second round of Christmas music is some of the most beautiful music written, no matter what the season. Written (to sum it up) by Baroque Italian composer and violinist Arcangelo Corelli, Concerto grosso in G minor, op.6 no. 8, or the Christmas Concerto, as per the inscription on the manuscript (Fatto per la notte di Natale-- "made for the night of Christmas"), is not only a joy to play but a delight to listen to, lush without drama, at times as peaceful as a lullaby, at other times thrilling, and clocking in at only 15 minutes and, honestly, with never a dull moment.

The files come from a CD that also includes the Four Seasons (look to the right), but I have a feeling everybody who wants a copy of those has one. I'm pretty sick of 'em myself. Also, I think the second movement is part of the first track here. Or it might be completely missing and totally clueless. I just remember it as a lot of pages and our teacher threatening us encouraging us not to put down our instruments in between movements, even if we don't come in right away, or else the audience will clap and we'll be here all night.

• Christmas Concerto

Clip Night: Someone shot the sheriff

Soo, I'm sitting here on my ass trying to delay walking down to the printer. I said I was gonna go to sleep before 1 am. Ain't happening. Aaand the kid two doors down is smoking pot again! I have the heater on and the window open, which I think might be a sin.

So this clip is from a great show, Grounded for Life, about an Irish-American Catholic family living on Staten Island. The YouTube clip selection isn't too hot, but skip to about 1:51 and check out the Bob Marley jokes. Happy Monday :)

The Vandals: Oi to the World!

Okay, so I contained myself til after Thanksgiving, and even after Black Friday, and now it is totally technically okay to start listening to Christmas music. I love Christmas music and I love Christmas (unlike the guy in "Hang Myself From the Tree"), especially now that it means that I will have finished finals, I get to go home and be fed, and all the other Christmas/return home stuff.

So-- we'll kick off the festivities with the Vandals' absolutely fab Christmas album, Oi to the World! I am not found of the Yobs cover, but the album in its entirety is a whole lotta fun. Highlights are, of course "Oi to the World", "Here I am Lord" featuring Joe Escalante's muppet voice, "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies", and the deliciously desperate and pissy "Nothing's Going to Ruin My Holiday." Enjoy!

• The Vandals: Oi to the World! [2000 re-mastered]
• Buy Used/New
• Song Info
  

Happy Thanksgiving!

[for those who celebrate it]

Hey kids! Just wanted to make sure you have a fab Thankgiving. Nah, I'm orderin' y'all to, so have a great time, and make sure that this is vous! I usually preach moderation, just like the ancient Greeks, but it's Thanksgiving for chrissakes, and one of the greatest pleasures in life, besides mashed sweet potatoes, freshly made cranberry sauce, and a BBQ'd bird (very very important, none of that oven-baked roast-y thing) is-- pie.

Anyway, here's the original picture, I cropped it and took out the logo, though poor old Alan is still covered by the barcode. And I added the heart as I still have a big fucken crush on Kyle (though I heard he turned bad? I'm waiting for the tpbs of all that 52 stuff to come out. . . though the heart just makes him look like he loves turkey omg.)

So, Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the food and the football and that turducken thing.

• Stan Freberg: "Pilgrim's Progress/Take an Indian to Lunch"
  
• Stan Freberg: "The Thanksgiving Story (Under the Double Turkey)"
  
• Buy Stan Freberg's United States of America
  

Let My People Go

Wow! In a desperate attempt to stall working on a paper prospectus, I went post crazy! I think it's cos Thanksgiving Break is in sight. . . urgh. . . One more day. Luckily, three of my four classes were canceled. Does it mean anything that the President of our school (known as PrezBo) cancels his class on the Wed. before Thanksgiving? Does it mean, maybe, they should just declare that part of the holiday? I guess not. . . Urgh. I also have an MSG headache.

Anyway, as you all know, I adore The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and I'm pretty sure I've posted this before, but this is one of the classic scenes, from the first season, really from the whole series. Highlights, besides the obvious:

• "But I didn't like the upholstery, so I took it back, Jack."
  
• Fucker is singing "MacArthur Park"!
• Aunt Vivian taking off the earrings.
• "Your grandchildren are gonna need lawyers."
  

Billy Bragg & Wilco: Mermaid Avenue & Mermaid Avenue Vol II

Woody Guthrie's daughter has Billy Bragg and Wilco write music for lyrics left behind by Woody. What happens?

Although Tweedy was indifferent to [Billy Bragg's collaboration] offer, Bennett was enthused about recording songs of one of his idols. . . Bragg mostly recorded the politically-charged lyrics, while Tweedy preferred to record lyrics that showcased Guthrie as a "freak weirdo."

Tempers flared between Bragg and Wilco after the album was completed. Bennett believed that Bragg was overproducing his songs, a sharp contrast to Wilco's contributions. Bennett called Bragg about the possibility of remixing Bragg's songs, to which Bragg responded with "you make your record, and I'll make mine, fucker." Eventually Bragg sent copies of his recordings to Chicago for Bennett to remix, but Bragg refused to use the new mixes on the album. The two parties were unable to establish a promotional tour, and quarreled over royalties and guest musician fees. [wikipedia]

So while the production sounds like the Clash of the Titan Egos, the products are wonderful. Nora Guthrie requested that-

Rather than recreating Guthrie tunes, they should write as if they were collaborating with Woody, creating new, vital music for the lyrics. . . . The results are almost entirely a delight, mainly because all involved are faithful to Guthrie's rowdy spirit -- it's a reverent project that knows how to have fun. There are many minor, irresistible gems scattered throughout the album, and most of them come from Bragg. Where Wilco's fine contributions sound inextricably tied to the '90s, both for better and for worse, Bragg's music sounds contemporary while capturing Guthrie's folk traditions. [allmusic]

So- here are Volumes 1 & 2. Hilariously, my sister burned Mermaid Avenue onto the same CD as a Misfits album, and when you're listening to the CD in the car, it's like going from the motel jacuzzi to the motel pool, which, full of peeing kids and chlorine, is for some reason still real cold.

It's all good, but here are. . . Mermaid Avenue Highlights: "California Stars", "Christ for President", "Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key." Volume II Highlights: "All You Fascists", "Joe Dimaggio's Done It Again", "My Flying Saucer", and "Blood of the Lamb."

• Mermaid Avenue
• Mermaid Avenue Volume II

*Hey pretty boys n girls. I just realized NONE of the tracks are numbered. . . which means I haven't ever listened to either of them in order. Sorry about that!

Lars Frederiksen & the Bastards S/T

Speaking of Billy Bragg. . .

I don't think you need to be a working class hero to relate to this song; a good deal of the sentiments expressed can be applied each time the playing field is re-zeroed according to context. Blah blah. So here's Lars of Rancid doing that on his self-titled side-project 2001 release. Great album, not quite as solid or focused as the second release, but good production, classic Lars peacocking, and some great fist-pumping action. Enjoy!

• Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards S/T
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My sister on the video:

[J]ust watched the lars vid and my first thought was lars is an awkward looking fellow, but then i realized its just bc his hair is the color of puke and he is glaring at the camera intensely the entire time while some other guys in it are looking a bit goofy.

VA: Breakfast on Pluto ST

If I wasn't a transvestite terrorist, would you marry me?

Been meaning to post this for awhile, mostly because I've been to listening to a few songs on this thing like a fool. For those who haven't seen Neil Jordan's Breakfast On Pluto, I'd like to recommend it enthusiastically. It's a beautiful film (not just cos Cillian Murphy is beautiful, but oh boy is he; in the months before the Batman film came out, all I was focused on was Who is that man playing Crane omf?), a colorful fairytale that spans the '60s and the '70s, and despite the tragedy and brutality of the majority of the story, showcases a fantastic range of human emotions and relationships and a generosity of human nature. Liam Neeson is also in it, which is usually, but not always, a plus. I appreciate the gentle nature of the movie, and am glad Patrick McCabe himself was responsible for the about-face the film makes from the book. While I do love the book, it's a tough read, emotionally and at times reading-wise (what would that be, intellectually?). If you want to get into Patrick McCabe, I suggest starting with Mondo Desperado, his collection of short stories set in the town of Barntrosna.

The song selection is good, though I'm not into all the songs. My favorites, the ones I've been listening to, are "Sugar Baby Love" (yeah, yeah), "Children of the Revolution", "You're Breakin' My Heart", and "Breakfast on Pluto." The other songs, not so much, but I think it all depends on the person, so check out the tracklist, see if you like anything, and try it out. Also included are two of the songs that the band in the movie plays, with Gavin Friday and Cillian Murphy on vocals. I wish they had included Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," so I've included it in the file.

• Breakfast on Pluto ost
• Buy Used/New from Amazon

COME ON

Okay, I love this song and all, but I'm sorry, but I hafta vote this the worst music video I've ever seen. I honestly can't sit through it. It makes me want to tear my hair out. I'd rather watch Rihanna recycle every print ad cliche while going "ay-ay-ay" (Posh Spice! Ballerina! James Bond! Dodge water like a deodorant commercial! French maid? Casino Dealer? Burlesque routine! Huh? At least she's not wearing overalls over NOTHING.)

The Slackers: Better Late Than Never

Rounding out our trio of posts is the Slackers' 1996 debut, Better Late Than Never. I (heh-heh) haven't listened to this one as much as the other two, so I'm gonna defer to others for descriptions of the music (uh, so I can't find any reviews online. . . if anyone out there has any thoughts, love to hear them!). Significant is that-

The album was a notable debut for the band, paving the way for their eventual signing to Hell-Cat Records. It was also a significant departure from the Two Tone and garage rock influences of the band's early days, instead opting for a sound akin to the traditional ska acts of 1960s Jamaica [x].

In 2002 it was re-released with three extra tracks. Enjoy!

• The Slackers, Better Late Than Never
• Buy Used/New from Amazon
• Tracklist/Info

"Jack White, Bob Dylan Rework Hank Williams Lyrics"

Jack White, Bob Dylan Rework Hank Williams Lyrics [Pitchfork]:

Mr. Bob Dylan is spearheading an initiative to set some of country legend Hank Williams' "lost" lyrics to music. (By "lost" he means "essentially, the lyric sheets Hank died with in his briefcase.") And Jack White of the White Stripes is involved

. . . . Suchyta hinted that Willie Nelson and Norah Jones may very well also contribute songs, and that Dylan "no doubt" recorded a tune for the project during the sessions for last year's excellent Modern Times. No word on just what the end result of all this will look like. . .

A little wary of this, but because it made me think of Wilco & Billy Bragg's amazing work on the 2 Mermaid Avenue albums when they "reworked" Woody Guthrie (as requested by his daughter), a little excited to see what will happen. So I guess the question is, will it be as good and as respectful of Hank as Wilco and Bragg managed to be to/of Woody? (I got way too lost in the prepositions in that sentence. . .) And will they avoid the type of bizarro line-up that in turn made all of us avoid that Strummerville thing?

The Slackers: The Question

I'm glad people are enjoying these posts! As always, thanks for coming by and sharing your thoughts :) Next up is The Question. Tracks include "And I Wonder"; the sorta passive-aggressive fuck-off,-life anthem "Have the Time"; the sunny "Do You Know" complete with scruffy tra-la-la; the Laurel Aitken-esque? "Mountainside"; and the Rancid-flavored "The Mummy." Another excellent, meaty offering from the guys.

• The Slackers' The Question
• Buy Used/New from Amazon
• Tracklist & Info

The Slackers: Redlight

I figure I'll start with the most solid of the three, 1997's Redlight. Each song is fantastic. I realized this when I was going to list my favorite tracks and saw that that was pretty much all of them. But if you pressed me, I'd recommend starting with "Married Girl" then heading on over to "She Wants to Be Alone" and then, to mellow out and explore a darker sound, "Soldier." Enjoy!

• The Slackers: Redlight
• Tracklist
  
• Buy Used/New from Amazon
  

The Slackers

I've been noticing that there is a lack of attention given to The Slackers on the music blog-o-sphere rama-lama. . . ding dong thing. . ., or whatever the kids are calling it nowadays, so I'm gonna go ahead and post the 3 albums of theirs that I happen to have over the next few days. (Hopefully people will find something they like. I'm definitely passing on the favor of the kid who introduced them to me last year.) I'm *still* working on that paper, and waiting for the cheaper than dirt Japanese food place to open so I can order lunch. It's raining. I'll be getting these up over the weekend, prolly.

The Slackers are a well-known New York ska outfit, formed in Brooklyn in 1991 and headed by Vic Ruggiero (who has also done work with Rancid) and his easily recognizable voice. I am by no means a Slackers expert, but I've been lead to understand that the albums I have are some of the better ones. I haven't been able to get my hands on their newer stuff. From what I've been told "Married Girl" is one of their major tracks, and "Fried Chicken (Mary Mary)", another famous track, is only performed when they are in Brooklyn. Which makes me want to go see them; they seem like they'd be a great act. (And of course they're gonna be in NYC when I'm in LA for break.)

The Slackers [have] a solid feel for the Jamaican roots of the genre. The rythym [sic] section is extremely tight, with heavy bass, intricate drums and steady guitar. The horn section, including trumpet, trombone and saxophone will get you moving. If this isn't enough for you, I have saved the best for last. The funky Hammond B-3 organ is in full effect on this album and is truly a religious experience [acrudeboy]

• The Slackers MySpace
• Bio from Hellcat
  

The Slackers' "Have the Time." If you like this song, you'll easily like the rest of their stuff. Stay tuned :)