johnnycollege

So this week I’ve been suffering through boredom’s equivalent of the Baton Death March. Except there hasn’t been any Vietnamese soldiers, because that would be remotely entertaining. So to cure my sudden onset of teenage angst, I’ve decided to hit the seven seas of cyberspace and ‘borrow’ as much music that my ‘98 POS computer will allow. At this point I’d like to say I don’t condone the illegal downloading of music, but I exercise my right to break the law on this one (kind of like blazing reefer). If you’re going to read anything, by the way, pick yourself up a Rolling Stone, it is a true font of musical knowledge and has inspired me as to what type of musical booty to loot.

I used to think good music was dying, but I have come to the conclusion that its always out there, its more of a matter of finding it. The following artists/albums are some of my top picks from this weeks pillaging, in no particular order, and bear in mind I wasn’t stoned listening to any of it, so its got to be really good. But I can’t wait to get a second listen with my buddy BubbleKush. here’s my top 3, so love em or hate em.

Kaiser Chiefs- Off With Their Heads: This is probably my favorite from the crop. I had only heard their single “Ruby” from guitar hero and got a couple of other songs from these Brit mob rockers, but this is the kind of album where the sound signifies a band has ‘found their sound.’ I mean there isn’t a song I don’t like on it, and they don’t get heavy to the point where its obnoxious. If you can only pick up a single, go for “Good days Bad days,” shit’s hot.

Ra Ra Riot- The Rhumb Line: Imagine if Arcade Fire, Wilco, and Death Cab all fucked and made a baby. Out comes Ra Ra Riot (that would be a tough labor, they’re a 5 member ensemble) with violins screaming, drums pounding and lyrics scintillating. I think this is their first album sinceI’ve never heard of them before, but these guys are quality musicians and the muse for the album is a dead bandmate, which is usually a good indicator that their music is going to be very heartfelt and meticulously produced. And it is. If you can only grab a single, go with “Ghost under the rocks” or “Dying is fine,” and see the truth for yourself.

The Verve- Forth: Yea, the dudes who did Bittersweet Symphony, are into some serious psychedelic-acid rock. And they’re seriously good. Their rifts and progressions leave impressions of Phish, their lyrics are like the kind of things you’d think of on a K-trip or in a lucid dream, and the album itself flows from song to song, experiment to experiment. There is a lot of noise you’ve never encountered before, and its no surprise it hit #1 in the UK. They need to make more music more frequently (this is their first since 1997), and come to my garage with some gel tabs for a damn good crack. Check out “Love is Noise” and “Valium Skies.”

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