New Gear

I didn't get to finish the best of the zeros year by year yet. I will finish it over the next month... probably. I promise it will be done over the next 11 months. In the interim I wanted to take a moment to talk about some of my fancy new gear purchases, and my next planned "investments".

I just purchased a 1957 Gibson GA-5 and a 1967 Silvertone 1451 to replace my AC30. I now have two little 5-watt amps running in stereo in my rig. This is awesome for a couple reasons.

1. Stereo is pretty freaking nifty - even if not all venues provide this option
2. Lower watt amps reach distortion on the power amp stage quicker, which is good because distorted power amps is my preffered distortion, as it sounds more smooth.
3. My rig weights a lot less.
4. My rig is more "vintage", which typically doesn't mean a lot. However, with guitar gear it means it sounds: "worn-in", "authentic", "smooth", "sweet"... "undefinably awesome"

So now that I have those two little old man amp brothers in crime I have a couple of things I should probably do with my next "investments".

I need to put 3 prong cables on my amps.

I need the following effects in pedal form:

• Tremolo - The AC30 has one of the best, and I need that for some songs. I'm leaning towards the MXR Stereo Tremolo.
• Reverb - The AC30 has one of the best, and I need that for some songs. I'm leaning towards the Electro Harmonix Holy Grail nano.

Alright, that's all for now. Next post will be a return to my favorite albums of the zeros. Up next will be 2003.

A Decade Of Music: My Favorites: 2002: The Decade Becomes Eclectic

2002
To me 2002 is the year when the decade, or least the first 5 years of it, decided that music would be about eclecticism, and why not. It was the first time when people could listen to really anything they wanted at anytime from anyplace anyway they wanted to. The iPod was just released by Apple in October of 2001, and the concept of music listening was changing along with it.

*Norah Jones - Come Away with Me - Vocalists Pianist Norah Jones challenged pre-conceived ideas of what both Jazz and pop music can be by mixing them together in a warm and inviting album of music featuring some notable jazz musicians, Bill Frisell (guitar), Brian Blade (drums), and Jesse Harris (guitar). Come Away with Me was the perfect album to launch the career of a musician who's spirit of experimentation and a eclectic love of music would fit perfectly with the decade.

*Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies - This is the first time I heard the Celtic-Punk styling’s of not only Flogging Molly, but any band. This isn't to say that Dropkick Murphys or of course The Pogues didn't come first, but as to say this is the first time I heard of it. It was a great introduction to the genre. The lead, and title, track Drunken Lullabies is a raucous blend of Irish drinking song and punk-rock energy.

*Patty Griffin - 1000 Kisses - This was my introduction to the New England based singer-songwriter, and Griffin's first album since being dropped by A&M and picked-up by Dave Matthew's ATO record label. Griffin blends soulful vocals, perfect pop song-craft, and some great session players on this album to create one a subtle smart modern sounding collection of folk and Americana.

*Elvis Costello - When I Was Cruel - The first Costello album that "rocked" since 1994's Brutal Youth. This is also the first album with Costello's new band the Imposters. Which is essentially the Attractions without bassist Bruce Thomas (replaced by Davey Faragher formerly of Cracker). I loved the album, but the critics did not.

The Polyphonic Spree - The Beginning Stages of... -Tripping Daisy front man Tim DeLaughter created the choral symphonic rock after the death of Tripping Daisy guitarist Wes Berggen. The Polyphonic Spree's bassist and drummer were former members of the band Tripping Daisy. This their debut album received wonderful reviews and lots of industry hype by taking the Brian Wilson’s formula to staggeringly new heights. As well as, designing a blue-print in polyphony for other bands to follow (Architecture in Helsinki, Dry River Yacht Club).

*Weezer - Maladroit - Weezer keep the masses happy, and fostered a strong fan movement by attempting to utilize their core fans in the song-writing process and then ultimately sticking to their guns and releasing the songs in a way which continued to sell records. Dope Nose and Keep Fishin' continue to receive radio play 8 years later.

*Gemma Hayes - Night on my Side - The debut album from the enchanting Irish singer-song-writer produced by the legendary Dave Fridmann.

Eminem - The Eminem Show - On this, the best selling album of 2002, Eminem (Marshal Mathers) creates a thoughtful and personal collection of unique hip-hop. Notably this album was the first and only to date Eminem album to contain songs mostly produced by Eminem by himself.

Maroon 5 - Songs About Jane - With this album Maroon 5 built an album that couldn't fail. Recorded marketed and released with all the pop gusto and power that Sony Records has. It's easy to dwell on the fact that this is a super glossy picture perfect collection of computer designed production and arrangements, but it is an album is full of really good songs. Whether this is the album that sums up everything that is wrong with major label rock, or a good listen is up to the listener's pretentions.

Glassjaw - Worship and Tribute & The Used - The Used - These albums gave the angry kids of the 2000's something to mosh about, and in the new/old style of "post-hardcore". I'm still not sure what that is, but it's better than "skreamo".

*Counting Crows - Hard Candy - Another fine album from the heralds of the alternative rock movements answer to adult-contemporary. It has one of my favorite Counting Crows songs on it, "Goodnight L.A."

*Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way - This is the album that got me into the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This is also the first Red Hot album that is completely free of Flea's ego. The easing of Flea's control over the band allowed the Chili Peppers to evolve and become more free and melodically focused. Allowing Frusciante to tap into his inner Brian Wilson.

*The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - It's really hard to contemplate a world without this album. With Yoshimi the Lips evolved their sound all the while keeping the iconic vibe they created on the Soft Bulletin. Yoshimi easily ranks in the top 10 concept albums of all time.

The Dave Matthews Band - Busted Stuff - Stephen Harris helps the Dave Matthews band exorcise the demons of their abandoned Lillywhite era material. Harris was a smart choice for a producer. Harris is somebody who would let them be themselves all the while giving the material a label required glossy sheen.

*The Vines - Highly Evolved - Indie-Rock producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck) produced this Aussie band's debut. It contains the super catchy perfect for alt-rock radio single Get Free. The Vines would kick off a wave of 60's garage-rock influenced bands in a way that made sense to a generation of kids who watched their brothers and sisters slam dance their way through the damp Seattle version of garage-rock. It could be argued that the success of the Vines Garage-y sound would go on to help bands like Jet, The Hives, and Kings of Leon receive radio attention.

Nickle Creek - This Side - Nickle Creek created an album full of well constructed mainstream focused bluegrass.

*Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head - This is the album where Coldplay beat out all the other Radiohead The Bends imitators (Travis, Kent) to develop their own sound. This album has a more urgent and piano driven sound than their previous album, and Martin spends more time in falseto than before. It contains the well written radio staples of Clocks and The Scientist.

Avril Lavigne - Let Go - A juvenile over-produced album that the kids loved. The assignment as the Matrix to produce makes for an album that contained both the piss and vinegar of Lavigne's teenage riot-grrl routine with well composed and produced songs. This formula can also be seen at other times in this decade and can be commonly referred to as "Disney Channel Ready". Now be honest, I bet you can sing the lyrics to Complicated , or at the very least you knew somebody who dressed or looked like Avril Lavigne.

*Queens of the Stoneage - Songs for the Deaf - This album is a very solidly produced rock album with one of the best rock drummers of all time (Dave Grohl) putting in solid performance. The quartet of Grohl on drums, guitarist vocalist Joshua Holme, rock solid bassist Nick Oliveri, and the occasional gravel-toned vocals of Mark Lanegan created a solid well recorded album amongst a unique desert-radio themed concept album. It contains the radio staples, No One Knows and Go with the Flow.

*Beck - Sea Change - On this album Beck forgoes his silly ironic lyrics and sample-heavy production of his previous albums for a sincere collection of Nigel Godrich (radiohead) produced songs with wonderful performances by Justin Medal-Johnsen (bass), Smokey Hormel (guitars), Joey Waronker (drums), and of course Beck (vocals/guitars/keyboards) himself. The song Lost Cause has been used in several TV shows and movies.

*Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things - This Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk) was my introduction to them, my favorite Indie-Pop group. It's a lovely album with one of my favorite Rilo Kiley songs The Good That Won't Come Out.

*Jurasic 5 - Power in Numbers - The third album from the Alt-Hip-Hop group Jurasic 5 with their most iconic song, What's Golden.

*Hot Hot Heat - Make Up the Breakdown - The debut album from Victoria BC's (Canada) indie-dance-pop group the Hot Hot Heat. The album is full of super catchy well constructed songs co-produced by the Hot Hot Heat and Jack Endino (of Nirvana Bleach fame). Despite Endino's reputation for creating super gritty raw albums Make Up the Breakdown is a lively almost glossy sounding album with a lot of energy and super catchy piano and guitar riffs. I am still in love with the song Bandages.

Jason Mraz - Waiting for My Rocket to Come - Rap singer folky and all around mellow dude Jason Mr. AZ's major-label debut. It is chalk full of well written songs produced by John Alagía (John Mayer). It features the Matrix co-written infectious lead single of The Remedy (I Won't Worry). Which is now stuck in my head just by the act of typing it out.

*Sigur Rós - ( ) -It's sort of odd that the breakthrough album for Sigur Rós would have no song names... However, any doubts on what the face of post-rock experimentation was in the last decade is easily rectified by giving this beautiful record a listen. This album has been known to be responsible for making grown men cry.

*Justin Timberlake - Justified - Admit it you freaking love this album too! It's the album that had all the NSYNC hating record geeks I know start saying positive things about the curly haired male version of 90's pop tart. Cry Me a River is a brilliant song, and the production of The Neptunes, and Timbaland is nothing short of perfect.

Jay-Z -The Blueprint²: The Gift & The Curse - A spectacularly produced hip-hop album with the only song I can think of where I actually say Lenny Kravitz is so good on it, Guns & Roses (Produced by Heavy D!). With the Kanye West produced single '03 Bonnie & Clyde featuring Jay-Z's lady Beyoncé, and the Neptunes produced Excuse Me Miss.

*Audioslave - Audioslave - The debut album of the fist notable super group of the 2000's containing left-over 90s alternative rockers. The combination of Rage Against the Machine's rhythm section, with Chris Cornell had mixed results. Like their previous bands, their music was well suited for alternative rock radio-play, but without the youthful experimental edge. It contains the head-bangin' rocker Cochise, and the alternative radio friendly power ballads Like a Stone, I Am the Highway.

A Decade Of Music: My Favorites: 2001: The Year of Debuts

2001
The year 2001 has a lot of debut albums and mainstream breakthrough releases from many artists who left quite an impact on the past 10 years. As well there are quite a few last releases or last releases with significant members.

Jack Johnson - Brushfire Fairytales - The aspiring film-maker and surfer Jack Johnson didn't intend to become the folk-rock of the 00's, but the peaceful medium-paced song styling’s of Brusfire Fairytales went onto became something of a cult hit which would inspire a follow up or three.

*Gorillaz - Gorillaz - The first (maybe last?) virtual band musically created by Damon Alban, and visually created by Jamie Hewlett. Their debut album wasn't just novel because it was a virtual band, but because the wonderful blend of brit-pop and hip-hop.

*Daft Punk - Discovery - This is the second album for the French Electronic group Daft Punk. It is their most successful and best crafted album. Harder, Better, Faster, Strongerwould go on to become the sample for Kanye West's 2007 song Stronger.

John Mayer - Room for Squares - It's hard to imagine now, but before 2001 none of you had heard of John Mayer. It's the album that gave our work friendly FM stations No Such Thing and Your Body Is a Wonderland, and hence forth the topics of both high school reunions and Jennifer Love Hewitt (even though it isn't about her) have forever changed.

Kylie Minogue - Fever -This is actually the Aussie singer's eight album, but for many Americans this was the first and last time they ever heard of Kylie Minogue. It's actually a pretty inconsistent album, but the single Can't Get You Outta My Head was well deserving of all the praise it garnered.

*The White Stripes - White Blood Cells - I'll never forget when I first heard Fell in Love with a Girl while driving home from work. It was quite a welcome reprieve from the boring formula rock and angry rap-metal that modern rock radio had become.

Muse - Origin of Symmetry - This came out this year, but most Americans wouldn't know it as the band's refusal to change Matt Bellamy's trademark falsetto vocals had them dropped from their record label, good job Maverick.

*The Strokes - Is This It - There are very few debut albums that did what The Strokes did with this album. Forever catapulting themselves into the mainstream concious and forever altering the concept of not only what Indie-Rock is and can be, but what the cool kids like.

Rilo Kiley -Take Offs and Landings - Rilo Kiley's debut album for the Omaha NE based Saddle Creek records.

*Weezer -Weezer (green) - Guess who's back!? Green was a rebirth for Weezer. Weezer was very close to going down as being that band with the video that looked like happy days, but with internet word of mouth and the hyper-focused production of Ric Ocasek It worked commercially, but there have been fans waiting for Pinkerton version 2.0 ever since.

*P.O.D. - Satellite - The last great alternative metal album by four Christians from San Diego.

*Tool - Lateralus - The last great alternative metal album by four pagans from Los Angeles.

Aaliyah - Aaliyah - I don't think it was possible to be alive in the United States in 2001 and not hear a song off of this album. I'm not the biggest fan of the song Rock the Boat, but Aaliyah was a remarkable R&B vocalist.

*Cake - Comfort Eagle - Cake avoids selling out by maintaining their trademark sound and releasing another fun single, Short Skirt/Long Jacket, to forever delight alternative rock radio listeners.

*Incubus - Morning View - Morning View is the fourth studio album from Incubus. It finds them working in a more relaxed reflective mood. The whole album was recorded at the Stern house in Malibu, less than a mile away from the beach. It's the last album to feature the supreme bass talents of Alex Katunich.

Jay-Z - The Blueprint - A definitive Jay-Z record with the Kanye West produced Izzo (H.O.V.A.).

*Björk - Vespertine - Vespertine is the quiet reflective Björk album. A well constructed electro album like the rest of her albums, but replace the screams with whispers.

*No Doubt - Rock Steady - This is the last non compilation album from No Doubt. Always a band influenced by Jamaican music, this album finds them exploring dub and dancehall. This is probably my favorite No Doubt album. Features the singles Hey Baby and Underneath It All, the former being a consistent radio staple for the band.

Fugazi - The Argument - This is Fugazi's last album and it's a shame because it shows so much promise. Fugazi created a post-hardcore on this album that is less concerned with beating the listener over the head with high energy elaborate structures and more concerned with moving them emotionally.

A Decade Of Music: My Favorites: 2000: The End of a Millenium

Instead of another arbitrary top list from another blogger, I thought I'd go over each 10 years and list a couple of the albums that mean something to me from that year. I'm going to start with the year 2000. I'll hopefully finish out the decade by the end of the month. Many of the albums on this list I didn't get into until latter. I'll put an asterisks next to every album I may have actually enjoyed that year.

2000
When 2000 started I was just finishing out my last year of high school. I was 18 years old, in a hard-rock christian band, and dating my future ex-wife.

*The Cure - Bloodflowers - This was, according to Robert Smith, the final album in the "trilogy" of albums that best define who the Cure are. This is a dark, somber, goth-rock album. Full of ornate lush arrangements and angst ridden lyrics. A must have for any Cure fan.

*The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina/The Machines of God - The most difficult Smashing Pumpkins album. Full of brilliant songs and very creative but awkward production. Equal parts wrong place wrong time and over indulgence gone awry. I, along with many other of their fans, have a love hate relationship with this album.

Elliott Smith - Figure 8 - Figure 8 is the last album he would complete before his death. The songs are more ornate and baroque, and the lyrics are more impressionistic than anything he had done before. Quite a few songs on this album are favorites of mine. This is my second favorite Elliott Smith album.

Queens of the Stoneage - Rated R - A finely constructed, intelligent, stoner rock album. As oxymoronic as it is a pleasure to listen to.

The White Stripes - De Stijl - A perfect blending of blues and punk which would create a neo-garage-rock sound so potent that it would change the face of alternative rock for the next 10 years.

*At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command - This album was the album that brought not only At the Drive-In to the mainstream, but the genre term post-hardcore back into vogue.

*Radiohead - Kid A - Is this album a masterpiece or a confusing mistake? Is it the Sgt. Peppers of the 2000's or a scared future shocked band tinkering with keyboards? The album is enjoyable and makes sense on its own. I think I'd probably love this album wasn't Radiohead, but when the band that gave us the impeccable guitar pop of Pablo Honey gave us an album that was more akin to Moby and Depeche Mode than Beatles and Kinks I was disappointed and baffled.

*U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind - With All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2 effectively returned to their traditional sound. They haven't left that traditional sound ever since. All That You Can't Leave Behind isn't U2's best album, but besides the singles off of Joshua Tree there is no collection of singles as well made and commercially successful as Beautiful Day, Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Elevation, and Walk On were. There was enough pop dynamite on that album to put U2 songs on every radio station but the Country and Oldies station for the next 10 years.

*Outkast - Stankonia - The most concise hip-hop record of the decade, maybe ever.

*Deftones - White Pony - The best Deftones album, and the best alternative-metal album ever. The album is full of energy and passion of their early albums, but mixes in new-punk and electronic influences.

*an album I enjoyed that year

Mo Mixin'

I worked on another Seven Car Pileup song over the weekend.

This Time - Some friends might have heard the demo for this song as I emailed a few people a copy of it. The "electric" and "full-band" version was a bit different as far as arrangement. When I dug it up Saturday it was super messy: no notes, the vocals were not comped, and there was no backing vocals. When we recorded the self-title album we recorded around 27 songs, and throughout the session we would cut songs till we ended up with the final 12. We stopped working on this song somewhere after lead vocals and just before background vocals. I spent Saturday cleaning up drums and vocals, adding B4, and some more guitar in the chorus. On Sunday I added backing vocals, and some Rhodes. I'll run over it again and make sure everything is sitting in the mix right and then we'll see how the guys like it. I have to say I like it. With the drums without a metronome, the keyboards, and the lack of heavy distortion it has a bit of a "Post-Punk" vibe to it. A sound lost somewhere between 1978 and 1990. If I drowned it in reverb it could almost be an Echo and the Bunnymen song. I hope one day you'll get to hear it.

A Latest Seven Car Pileup Mixing

So I finished mixing for two new/old Seven Car Pileup songs left over from our Album session.

Sanctity - This is an early one of our songs. The vocals/lyrics are very much me operating with my folk leanings, and the guitar is very much me in neo-grunge white-stripes land. The rest is Jess and Mike following along with the disorientating style-bonanza and coming up with some pretty nifty riffs. I have to say that their grove on this song is really tight, and the guitar solo is actually pretty good. It might be my best guitar solo. The mix sounds much better than the mixes I did for the album. I guess I'm getting better.

It will be featured on an MCC student music compliation along with other notable AZ local bands, Honey Pistol, What Laura Says, and more.

November 20th - We throw this song in at many of our long Mall shows. I have heard some people call it filler, and other people tell me they really liked it. I went a little elaborate on the production. I added piano and melatron. It sounds a bit like mid-carrer Led Zeppelin (III or Houses of the Holy) mixed with .... Tool? The vocals are pretty good, and the instrumental ending sounds fierce and firey. Throw this one in the pot of progressive Seven Car songs.

The guys have given me approval to put it on our website for free. I'll probably dig-up and remix a few more from the album and then maybe we'll put out like a b-sides collection or something...

Also, the offer to record, for a free, 1 song from any band I like still stands. If I ever went to your show (when my band wasn't even playing), or told you explicitly I loved your band, that would include you. This of course is at whim to when I'm available. That may mean it could take a little longer to get everything completed than you normally expect.

My "SOLO" Project

Solo project is totally a euphemism for masturbating isn't... Or is that Jazz...

Anyway, I wrote another song. However, I can't show you the details 'cause I recorded it on my cell phone, and it's in a 3gp format... whatever that is. Anyway, you wouldn't want to hear it anyway it's all garbled and muffled. However, Meg was playing drums on it and I have to say it actually sounded pretty good in the room. Maybe I'll have to convince Meg to be in 3 bands. ;)

Now I just need to actually get to recording one of these. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to write the drum parts for the songs. Maybe record the guitar part to a metronome and then play drums along. However, I want to impart the flexibility that playing with another human being has to arrangements... I don't want it to sound as firm as it does when you play all the parts yourself. I want it to feel more like Paul McCartney's first solo disc or Emmitt Rhodes or even Either/Or era Elliott Smith.

I would love to try and get a bassist from another band (Marc Oxborow of Thankful Birds & Haymarket Squares and/or "Dancing Jesus" Banger of Honey Pistol) to record bass to these two songs, but first I need to firm up the drums and guitar.

There are lots of distractions from getting going. I'm currently working on finishing (mixing) a few Seven Car Pileup songs from the debut album session. One of those songs would be used for a student music compilation project. I need to finish that by December 11th, which means that it really needs to be finished by December 4th so that I can get approval from Jess and Mike. Also, I extended the offer of a free session to About Freedom, Honey Pistol, and Mental Yenta...

However, it will happen eventually.