replemishing

An Idiot Abroad is in full swing, but you can still never get enough Karl Pilkington. A free half hour podcast went up this week. Grab it.

album of the week: 10.4

Bad Religion

The Dissent of Man

Epitaph (2010)

why you'll love it: Strong honest album that doesn't stray far from Bad Religion's range

why you'll hate it: folk punk is getting played out. Do you really need more Bad Religion?

2001 was a remarkable year for Bad Religion. Reunited with once-estranged founding member, Brett Gurewitz, brought forth a new era for the band, which included a series of releases immediately reminiscent of their late eighties heyday. I remember passing by the TV in my college dorm one night, and a roommate snidely remarking "Shit man, Bad Religion, I'd expect them to be in walkers by now." That was damn near ten years ago! Now that Bad Religion's "nostalgic" era is also old news, where can the band go now?

Going into The Dissent of Man with this kind of mentality, and thinking I didn't really need anymore pessimistic societal lectures from Graffin & co. I ended up being pleasantly surprised! Rather than venture down into the No Control (1989) well yet again, there is a much more personal folk and blues style to the album. Folk punk has been a bit of a overstocked commodity as of late, but the group's age translates the sound much smoother than up and comers like The Gaslight Anthem. Gurewitz has a more graceful way of songwriting too that never comes off as Springsteen fan service. Hell, all the band needs to do is say "Yo, Recipe For Hate (1993). We did back then, and we're finally doing it again."

There are few things that will never change. Lots of backup melody vocals, familiarly tuned guitars, and intellectual dissections of religion. Aside from the standard 100mph opening track, this album is very mature and well paced. There are a couple lyrically embarrassing tracks like "Where The Fun is", but just as many new classics such as "Only Rain" and "Cyanide".

So yeah, I can't think of a better 30th anniversary release for this band. This is no landmark release for music in general, but Bad Religion seems to be exactly where they want to be right now. It's undeniably Bad Religion, and honestly mature without compromising either halves.

What to do for pleasure

I was surprised to hear "Natural's Not in it" by Gang of Four in a Microsoft Kinect commercial last night. Obviously, they were wise enough you leave out the lyrics, which would make quite an ironic advertisement for a product that has no real audience except those who have money to waste.

Then again, Gang of Four perhaps makes a great sponsor for Kinect. They were flailing around like goofballs long before motion controls.

best music video I've seen all year

album of the week: 10.3

Blonde Redhead

Penny Sparkle

4AD (2010)

why you'll love it - Very pretty music, wonderful vocals

why you'll hate it - No versatility, lacks impact

When I was young, the last thing I wanted to see a band do was go soft. When the major labels got their claws into my favorite ska/punk bands, the sudden radio friendly high production outputs confused me to no end. Now that I'm older and understand the virtue in creating modestly produced music that isn't 100mph and three minutes long, aging gracefully is what I secretly hope all of my favorite bands do.

The past 10 years of Blonde Redhead haven't been what I originally signed up for. The distortion and feedback are gone, Kazu never raises her voice anymore, and the music has been increasingly mellow… but I'm cool with it. Recent efforts by Bad Religion and Devo have taught me that energy is attainable at an old age, and Blonde Redhead is obviously choosing to sound more like Interpol than their no-wave roots.

So, I'm torn. I love their choice to be melodic, but it feels like Penny Sparkle narrows down their talent a bit too much. The first two songs have an impact, due to the addition of electronics; but the rest of the album never strays. It feels like every song on the album is competing to be the same thing. The variety that made 23 (2007) such a triumph simply is not here. We're left hearing only one side of usually engrossing band. It's a very pretty side, but not the full package.

more tales of signage insanity

Nice catty remark here.

Who the heck is sucking on the water cooler at my job?

album of the week: 10.2

Vola & The Oriental Machine

PRINCIPLE

Universal J (2010)

why you'll love it: high energy new wave rock that looks forward and backwards

why you'll hate it: weak second half, Engrish issues, too many studio effects

The machine may have second billing, but it seems to have taken over Vola over the past couple of years. I wish I could complain, but the bottom line is this techno new-wave group is more consistent and innovative recently than they've ever been. Their once gradual roll out of electronics greatly accelerated with last year's SA-KA-NA Electric Device; as frontman, Ahito Inazawa, has turned in his guitar for a rack of sequencers and modulators.

The bells and whistles of PRINCIPLE are distracting at first, but don't cover up the group's fringe punk influences. A little bit of XTC in the intro track, a whole LOT of Killing Joke in "Magic Tantric Dancehall" (they sued Nirvana, Vola better watch their back!), and a surprising taste of The Contortions in "Flag". The first half of this album is stacked with frenetic paced hits. The first three tracks flow so well, they might as well just be one big ten minute song. "MTD" and "Rough Consensus" bulldoze the path for "Flag", the obvious standout track of the album, sounding like if Number Girl had wrote a no-wave song.

Sadly, the rest of the album abandons this pace, and becomes more frothy. "80's Man" lays on the kitsch pretty thick, and "panic in the tokyo" follows the same suit. Fun songs, but being a bit tongue-in-cheek is clearly not Vola's strong suit, especially with Inazawa's Engrish crashing and burning all over the place. Despite their worst efforts here, none of the songs are out and out bad. In fact, they haven't written a single clunker in over three years; which is excellent for a band that was plagued with inconsistency their first couple of releases.

While I feel the pace and mood made last year's effort a more impressive package, PRINCIPLE is still a rockin' good party album if you can put up with a little Engrish here and there. That Gang of Four style janky guitar is one of my favorite sounds in music, and it sucks to hear Vola depart from it. But on the other hand, I think they're the first band ever to perform with an iPhone ap as an instrument; and that is pretty cool.

Go and play Alan Wake already.

There is a "Buy two - get one" sale at Toys R Us this week. Buy two games for yourself, or even as x-mas gifts for someone, and get Alan Wake for free. It's my game of the year. Don't care what else is coming out - already saying it.

It comes with the first downloadable episode (The Signal) for free.

Now, take your Xbox online, and treat yourself to a couple of downloadable games. You've earned it. Get yourself Shadow Complex, 'Splosion Man, or even Costume Quest (out next week). XBLA has some of the best 360 games in general. Take advantage of it.

If you spend 2400 points (the cost of two downloadable games) in October, Microsoft will refund you 800 in November. Take those 800 points and use them to buy the final Alan Wake DLC (The Writer). It just became available today, and it's amazing. I'm totally high on this game right now.

So there you go, the best game of the year, and both downloadable epilogues FOR FREE.

album of the week: 10.1

The Thermals

Personal Life

Kill Rock Stars (2010)

why you'll love it: The Thermals are still as charming and catchy as ever

why you'll hate it: continuously getting softer and more repetitive

Here is the short simple version of this review: The Thermals are continuing to tone down with each release. Personal Life has very little abrasiveness, but a whole lot of catchy hooks. Too many, for some people. The lyrics are vague and repetitive. There seems to be very little substance to this release, but the few moments of brilliance really leave their mark.

Now here is the totally subjective, and probably wrong interpretation of Personal Life: I found the lyrics to this album to be annoyingly contradicting and egotistical. Since this is the band that wrote the triumph that is The Body The Blood The Machine (2006 album that sticks it too American Christianity better than Bad Religion ever has), there must be something more to this.

I enjoyed last year's Now We Can See for what it was, but have recently grown to love it even more because of a connection I made that may not even be there. The album's theme of death, when turned into a metaphor for reaching adulthood (a stage in life where most people resign to a lifestyle or belief that they will stick with until death), opened up the album for me. The songs now feel much more versatile. Songs of people who fear this stage, who walk into it unwillingly, who deny it and only look to their past glory days; all sorts of personalities cover the songs.

I started thinking out Personal Life in this way, and drawing a line that is even more dotted than Now We Can See. I see this album as coming from a societal perspective of people having a long for connections, but only to benefit themselves. The album art of two people yelling into a microphone, neither listening, paints the picture quite well. We have so many things in our society now advertised to make connections, but we only use them to boost our own egos. Twitter accounts; youtube vlogs, etc…

So, I've recently taken Personal Life to be a light criticism told through songs that are lovely and influential in tone, but are written from the perspective of nothing more than a selfish desire to be loved and followed, no matter who. Songs like "Never Listen to Me" and "I'm Gonna Change Your Life" are my prime examples; but in my heart I know I must be getting it all wrong. I just thought I'd share with you this theory, because honestly, this is a musically simple album that doesn't do much else than get you to tap your toes a bit. The Thermals are turning into something like the pillows; a charming little band, but shuffling into obscurity just a little bit more with every release. Kathy Foster's creative bass lines, and a few charming guitar riffs are the stars of this album, the rest is left up to your imagination.

SAY-GAAAAAAA

Sonic fans are weird. I'll just leave it at that. But are they weird enough to buy multiple copies of Sonic The Hedgehog 4 to have their name posted on a message board? Don't answer that question, just ponder the reality of the offer.

This is the craziest, dumbest thing I've heard about in video games all week.

OH WAIT

album of the week: 9.4

Les Savy Fav

Root For Ruin

Frenchkiss Records (2010)

why you'll love it: back to basics LSF album for those who have waited for it

why you'll hate it: rather unremarkable compared to the rest of their catalogue

For those of us not cool enough to have known about Les Savy Fav in the 90s and turn of the century, a full length record is something of a rare unexpected treat. Their 2007 album (Let's Stay Friends) was a confirmation to their fans not to hold their breath. If anything, I was expecting to see another series of singles akin to the Inches compilation. But here we are, a new album in only two years. LSF are quick to confidently proclaim in the very first song, "We've still got our appetite."

The mere existence of Root For Ruin isn't the only story here. It has a surprising back to basics presentation. The songs call back to The Cat and the Cobra (1999) era, as promised by the band. No frills, but a whole lot of stinging guitar and cocky lyrics. The band is now comfortable enough to write a couple pop songs like "Sleepless in Silverlake", or just more live-show fodder for their eccentric singer to grind up against some unsuspecting hipster while stripped to only boxer-briefs and a cape ("Lips N' Stuff").

I've read a few reviews that accuse this album of simply going through the motions. I don't think this is the case here. The past ten years have seen a lot of experimentation by the band, in both song structure and general thematics. Root For Ruin seems to be shamed only because it's just a regular-ass album. Granted, a really good one. Ten really great (one crappy one) with guitars played like power tools, and a whole lot of swagger. I guess some reviewers are just annoyed that they don't have a writing hook to hang this album on. Plenty of great songs on here that aren't worth throwing away just because it's not part of any greater concept or progressive sound.

out of sync

Sorry about all the delays.

Life sometimes gets in the way.

Ok this is starting to sound like a poem. NEXT POST!