When you blink your eyes...

A few days ago I added 2 more classic albums to my collection. Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister and Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation. They are both excellent but vastly different.

I have always heard a lot of good things about Belle and Sebastian but have not heard them until now. When listening to the album the artists that come to mind are The Lovin' Spoonful, Nico and Paul Simon. I also notice some of the biting wit in the lyrics similar to The Smiths. I see possibly some influence of them in a newer band The Decemberists which are amazing on Her Majesty.

I got the Sonic Youth album because I saw it was #1 on the top albums of the '80s on pitchforkmedia. The only song I'd heard before was Teenage Riot. I faintly remember seeing the video when it came out and I must have been 9-10 years old at the time. I remember actually kind of liking the song. Now that I listen to it and having a much better frame of reference and refinement of music tastes I think Teenage Riot is outstanding. The album as a whole was quite excellent. It sounds like it could easily be the best album of the '90's. I think that shows how they were ahead of their time. Also, I notice several similarites to the Pixies with the male and female singers as well as the overall sound.

I'm somewhat ashamed that I didn't already have this albums. Eventually I will get around to everything at the rate I'm going now, though.

I've been getting back into the Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I after seeing it so high on the top 100 albums of the 90's list. I was surprised to see it at #16. Its a good album but I didn't realize it was that critically acclaimed. The song Spider in the Snow is probably my favorite on the album right now.

I tried this restaurant in OKC for the first time, Red Rock Canyon. It was quite good. Also, it was even better because it was free, included the alcoholic beverages. Afterwards we went to this place Groovies that I hadn't been to before either. It is known for being a place where mainly an older crowd hangs out. Actually, it was pretty cool. A good mix of different types of people. Mainly 80's music with some rap.

I've spent a good amount of time this evening reading through all of pitchforkmedia's top 100 albums of the 80's and 90's and most recently they started a countdown for the 70's. I've really been into the 80's over the last several months. There are a ton of albums on the 80's countdown that I want to get, actually all the countdowns for that matter. I do own 5 of the top 10 albums on the list which shows that I'm making progress, but still have a long way to go. I thought it was cool Joy Division was at #10. I was disappointed to see The Cure - Disintegration only at 38 on the list, I don't think they gave The Cure enough props. I was surprised to see Sonic Youth at #1, I've heard some of their stuff but I just haven't made it around to them yet. I do remember seeing a few of their music videos when I was very young and liking them. I'll get around to listening to everything on the list I hope.

On the 90's list they provided each contributor's individual lists which was very interesting. You can really see a huge variety of tastes but notice has the cream rises to the top in most cases.

Also, I've still been listening to that track off The Killer's album on repeat today quite a few times. "All These Things That I've Done". It has a great uplifting feeling to it, its the one that sounds most like Queen to me on the album.

I just obtained the newly released album by The Killers. The majority of the tracks are quality, but a few are rather weak. The bands that come to mind while listening to The Killers: New Order, Rapture, Queen, Blondie, some Ian McCollough vocals (Echo and The Bunnymen). It really fits in well with the trend started by Interpol, I don't know exactly what the word for it. Some type of early 80s post-punk/goth renaissance. Continuing on with The Stills, Franz Ferdinand, and Elefant. I'm really into this sound right now, its got kind of cool swagger to it. With Elefant and The Killers they are adding a different spin on it and adding a bit more pop hooks to the mix which isn't always a bad thing. On 2 spins so far I say its close to as good as Elefant only there are 1-2 tracks on The Killers album I did want to skip past. It is also interesting to me that The Killers are out of Las Vegas, it really does have what has been primarily a sound out of New York.

I just viewed Trainspotting for the first time in several years. I haven't watched it since I obtained my heightened appreciation of style and cinematography, I found it excellent in that area. It was unyieldingly violent and grotesque, but makes a good point. It has fresh ideas and snappy cuts. Overall, I'm very glad I picked it up on DVD awhile back.

Spending warm Summer days indoors
Writing frightening verse
To a buck-toothed girl in Luxembourg

Because if it's not Love
Then it's the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb, the Bomb
That will bring us together

I've been listening to The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs on repeat all day today. Its moving up the list on my favorite Smiths album right there with The Queen is Dead and The Smiths. There are definitely as many quality tracks on Louder than Bombs, the only draw back would be with the additional number of tracks some aren't up to the same standards. Even so, its a must own.

The Spoon show last night was "off the chain". The opening band wasn't my favorite, but when Spoon got on it was well worth the wait. The lead singer, Britt Daniel, had an outstanding stage presence. You could tell that they had been playing together for 10 years and were comfortable up on stage. They played all my favorite songs of theirs and they were as good if not better than the recorded versions.

I got my big camera into this show, I came away with some pretty good shots. I tried for a little more stylish look with some of them and I like how they came out.

I also completed the change I was wanting to make with the way the photos are displayed. I think it works a lot better now in the popup window where you can scroll through them in that same window.

I'm going to see Spoon tonight @ Opolis. I think it should be a good time. I've got a recording of them playing on Austin City Limits which is very cool. I don't like their latest record Kill the Moonlight quite as well as their previous effort Girls Can Tell but I'm still excited to see them.

I'm going to try to work more on fixing my web site up this weekend. I want to re-do the way images load as well as the entire movie section. I want it convert into a normalized database the same way I did with all the music and concert stuff. Anyway, hopefully I'll have time to get that accomplished. I want to try to start writing more reviews on movies and music that I see, at least ratings like I'm doing on the music.

I witnessed an excellent Canadian based concert last night with my buddy Justin at the Conservatory in OKC.

The first band was actually a band from Oklahoma called Ice Walters. They weren't too bad, I've heard worse opening bands. I wouldn't run out and buy their album right now but they have potential.

Next up was probably the best performance of the night with a band called Arcade Fire. Arcade Fire is based out of Montreal as are the Unicorns, the headlining band and the reason I went to the show. They are a six piece with 4 males and 2 females. They dressed sort of like the rentals, all in dorky looking 'Sunday' clothes. They were beautifully geeky. They featured a violin player and a keyboard player who was a girl with a frilly black dress and a pink bow in her hair. The nerdiest fellow played accordian on several tracks, he had some great David Byrne style herky-jerky body movements to go along with it. When they started playing and screaming their lyrics in harmony at the top of their lungs it made the hair stand up on the back of my neck, absolutely great sound. In several ways they reminded me of the Broken Social Scene with more of a traditional song structure. The member's of Arcade Fire would often switch instruments after each song. The lead singer was outstanding, excellent emotive vocal sound. This band went to further prove the theory that Canada is the new Brooklyn of music. You can get a few of their mp3's on the website, but they are no where as good as seeing them live. I will definitely pick up the full length they have scheduled for release in September. I did get a 7" at the show that was decent but was kind of old and not near as good as the material in the show.

The Unicorns came out next and they began with a monologue/free verse poetry type of thing starting with "This tour is against fascism". It was a good performance. Many songs sounded a lot different than the album since they are based on electronic post production in several cases. It was a lot of fun though. Their was a few lulls when they were working on their instruments and one of them was trying to tell a joke. He said they had read it in a bathroom stall in Texas. He said "Why doesn't Texas fall of into the ocean? Because Oklahoma sucks". That wasn't a smart move, part of the crowd started to turn on him. But in an effort to extend an olive branch he said Oklahoma can be the honorary "12th or 11th province of Canada" (he wasn't exactly sure how many provinces were in Canada at the time) which several didn't see as a good thing. A few songs later there was another lull and the same singer said he couldn't continue because a girl in the front row was talking too loud. He kept saying he was sorry to interrupt her by playing music. He finally gave her the microphone and she said she was sorry but someone had just "elbowed her in the titty, but the Unicorns rock." It was a good time, Canadian people make me laugh.

I'm excited to get to go see the Unicorns tonight. I'm curious to see how they will sound in concert, I think it will be a lot of fun. The album Who Will Cut our Hair When We're Gone has been frequently on my playlist since I got it awhile back.

I'm also going to get to see Spoon on Friday. Its at Opolis which is a very tiny venue in Norman. I think the best shows are in very small venues because you really get right up close to the band and see everything that is going on. Also, the prices are much cheaper.

Just Like Honey
Just Like Honey
Just Like Honey

I was watching Lost in Translation last night and decided to go out and get Psychocandy after seeing the final scene feature 'Just Like Honey' again. I have been wanting this album for awhile and I actually looked for it at Guest Room last week but they didn't have it. They must have got it in a shipment today so I felt lucky. The only thing that sucks is that it cost $21 because it is an import only and has very poor distributing in the US. Well, it was worth it, its an amazing album. It was a logical progression after going through Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Birthday Party, and My Bloody Valentine. I've read that all The Jesus and Mary Chain are is a combination of Velvet Underground and Beach Boys plus a lot of fuzz. Well, that is somewhat true but there is also just a cool feeling and style about this album that is hard to describe. When listening to this I thought a lot about Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the Clinic, 2 modern groups that remind me at times of the sound of Psychocandy. I also was reminded of My Bloody Valentine at times with the wall of noise that is prevalent on many tracks. My favorite track after about 3 listens is 'Cut Dead' which should make it to a mix CD in the near future.